Mozambique

Nope - we're not headed to Mozambique. :)  But, my in- laws are!  They just left yesterday with our Pastor for Mozambique, Africa.  Crazy!  My father in law has been involved with an organization called Partners Worldwide which is a "Christian non profit organization that works to eliminate poverty worldwide by connecting business professionals with global partners to help grow enterprises and create sustainable jobs, transforming the lives of all involved."In college, Ryan actually did an internship through this organization in the Dominican Republic where he worked for a business that helped women borrow money at lower interest rates to start their own businesses.  (www.partnersworldwide.org if you'd like more info or would want to get involved!) 

Anyway, that being said, I'm just amazed at how God works.  My father in law grew up on a family farm in northwest Iowa, then when he was young the farmed burned down..so they had to do something else.  They decided to start a chicken coop.  Well, now that chicken coop (which is still owned by the family) has 4 1/2 million chickens running around it. :)  Trust me, I've seen it.  That's another story about what it's like to walk down a long skinny aisle and then all of the sudden have a thousand chickens squawking and fluttering and spitting at you.  So, anyways, my father in law's experience with chickens has led him to Mozambique to help the people of that country start their own chicken coop which will help people get jobs, better food, etc.  I guess they only eat one chicken A YEAR out there.  Wow!  It's just so neat to think that now God is using my in-laws and my Pastor (who will help with planting a church there as well) to help eliminate poverty in a country so far from us.  God's plans amaze me.  So if you think of it, please join us in praying for them!  You can keep track of what they're up to by going to www.eggpartners.blogspot.com Thanks!

Meanwhile, we're taking good care of their dog Pepper.  :) As you can see, the girls love dogfood. :) 

Memorial Weekend

Hi!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  We did! :) I was lucky enough to have a weekend away in Chicago with my old roommates from college (6 years ago already - am I THAT old?!)  We had a great time catching up, reminiscing, eating out, shopping, walking by the beach, the zoo, etc.  It was so fun to see them again!  Meanwhile, Ryan manned the "troops" at home.  He had a great time having the girls all to himself though.  I called home and he said he was out having a picnic with the girls on their picnic table.  I can just picture him sitting in this tiny picnic table with his huge legs and then the girls all snuggled together.  So cute!  He's such a good dad.  He had the girls all dressed for church too.  Tights and all.  My friends were impressed.  :)  Addy even had a bow in her hair.  So obviously they survived without me and I had a great refreshing time away too!  Then, I came home Sunday night and then Monday, we went to the Memorial Day Parade with our neighbors but as we were unloading our stuff with TONS of people, all of the sudden we found out the parade was cancelled!  I guess a TRAIN had hit a MINIVAN with a 2 year old inside!  SO scary!  The 2 year old is okay but the dad and the policeman are in the hospital.  Hopefully they'll be okay too.  So anyways, they cancelled the parade ...so we packed everyone back up..and headed to a park instead which was just as fun. :)  Then last night we had a bbq at some friends' house.  A great day!  A huge thanks to all of the soldiers who fight or have fought for our country!!!!  God bless you all!

 

Emily, Addy, and Hailey hogging the slides.. :) 

Batter up Addison!
Time for snacks...
Trying to get a rare family photo...(Hailey, Addy, Emily)
And again... (Addy, Emily, Hailey)

And my roommates!!!! (Dawn, Tricia, Heather, me, Mindy, Wendy, Sara) We missed you Becky!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE summer?!!!

Really.  I do!  It's supposed to be 87 degrees out.  I think that's the first real hot day.  I love it!  I threw the girls' suits on and filled up the kiddie pool and oh man were they having a blast.  Giggling like crazy....dumping buckets of water on themselves, laughing up a storm.  So fun!  I could actually sit back, semi - lay out, and watch them splash each other!  :)  It is soo nice to be outside!  For one, it's nice not having to put on 3 sets of hats, mittens, coats, socks, and shoes.  Now it's just a swimsuit and some sunscreen.  Anyway, here's some pics of the girls' first day out in their pool! :) 

Hailey trying to drink some water.  

Emily wearing daddy's shoes...
Emily, Addy, Hailey - trying to get a shot by the flowers... :) 

Swingset!!!!!

Okay I think I may be more excited than the girlies at our new purchase.  :)  We got a swingset last week and it is FABULOUS!  It is sooo nice to be able to have a place to "contain" the girls' interests outside...they are so incredibly happy on the swings and I LOVE being able to play outside with them!  They love being outside in general...and we have been having a lot of fun walking around the house over and over and playing with their toy cars in the driveway....but now  the swingset is another story.  It's GREAT! :)  The first day, they woke up from their naps to the swingset all set up in our yard.  They all pointed and ran to it.  It was so cute!  Then they honestly wouldn't get off of the swings for an hour and a half.  That is a LOT of pushing let me tell you.  I kept trying to stop them and take them out but they just LOVED the swings and didn't want to get out. So funny.  So anyways, we've been busy on the swingset any chance we get...and yes, I know.  Pink swings.  I couldn't resist.  :) Here's a couple pics! 

Our swingset!!!!  It came with 3 regular swings and a trapeze bar but we'll have the 3 pink baby swings for a while. :)  It also has monkey bars and a picnic table underneath...and the picnic table top part can be put down so that it becomes a deck that covers up the sandbox!  Perfect! :) We have yet to put sand in it.  I'm not sure if the girls will still want to eat it.  We'll see! 

Emily, Hailey, Addy

They are learning quickly how to wait and how to share. :)  

Stop taking pics already mom and PUSH us please! :) 

Then they discovered how to go UP the slide...
Addison
Hailey
Emily

And here we are on Friday night.  All of our men were out of town (up north fishing and camping out) so the ladies had pizza with all the kiddos.  I loved it that all of our highchairs and booster chairs were in use! :) 

 

Congratulations Kyle, Kara and Cory!!

Hailey, Kyle, Kamryn, Cory, Emily, Kara, and Addy - at least the graduates were happy! :) 

We are Dutch! :)  Gotta love the windmill!
Wouldn't you know it that most parks only have TWO baby swings...so we often resort to the "siamese twin" look to make everyone happy. :)  
KAMRYN!!!!
Our brave little trio.  This was a high slide and they had no fear!  Up and down all by themselves! 
The Peters family!!  Together!!!  Our last family photo was when the girls were only 2 months old!!!
Cousins!  - Emily, Kamryn, Addison, Hailey
Addy was all about showing love to Kamryn.  So sweet. 
Another attempt at a cousin photo. :) 

I still can't believe I'm an auntie!  I love it though!
Kisses for Kamryn from Emily
Grandpa Dooyema loving all the commotion at his house. :) 

We made it!  We survived another 8 hour road trip to northwest Iowa with triplets. :)  It went MUCHHH better than the last time we drove there.  I think it helped that the girls could face forward this time...and we had a dvd player...and we fed them like crazy...and they actually slept for a little bit!  Made the trip much more enjoyable.  :)  We drove to Iowa for my brother Kyle, my sister Kara, and Kara's fiance Cory's graduation from Dordt College!  Congratulations!!!  It was great to be there to celebrate with them and to just be with my WHOLE family again!  We finally got to meet our 5 month old niece Kamryn so that was a treat.  Made me want another baby!  (just kidding!  not yet!) :)  But she was such a sweetie and so stinkin' cute.  The girls were very "gentle" if a couple pokes in the eye count as gentle. :)  But they did give her lots of hugs and kisses.  :)  We also got to spend some time with Ryan's side of the family as we stayed with his grandpa (thank you!) and also got to visit Ryan's grandma in the nursing home.  The girls had a hay day riding around in her wheelchair.  :)  We were also able to get together with about 20 of our college friends Saturday night so that was great to see everyone and meet their kids now and everything.  Then Sunday was Mother's day..the day we needed to drive 8 hours back home.  :)  I think the girls really knew it was Mother's day though...because they were pretty good in the car.  Every time we stopped for dinner...they just keep getting more friendly with people.  Hailey loves to say "hi" and "byeeeeeee" to complete strangers.   We packed everything in though and overall had a great weekend!  It was soooo good to see everyone!!!

Delights.

Sunshine. Flowers blooming.  Birds chirping.  Birds running on the ground and watching their little legs.  Babies laughing.  The smell of babies.  The feeling you get after a good run.  Starbucks coffee.  Good heart to hearts with friends.  Laughing til you start crying.  Watching babies start to walk.  Seeing babies LEARN.  The smell of cut grass.  When the girls sleep in til 7:15a.m.  Sunsets.  Palm trees.  The lakefront.  Fireflys.  The smell of brats grilling.  Ice cream.  Good hugs.  Road trips.  Sweet potatoes with marshmallows. Rainbows.  Triplets.  Letters in the mail.  Bike rides.  Pulling weeds and getting the WHOLE root.  Seeing pregnant women rub their bellies.  Windows open.  Mountains. Country music.  Puppies.  Kisses from my babies...even when they're slobbery.  Watching my girls sleep.  Seeing Addison, Emily, and Hailey make each other laugh.  First words. Holding hands.  Date night.  Morning talks with God.  Calls/emails from old friends.  Memories.  

I'm just having a great day because it's sunny out and seriously, sun gives me so much energy.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  This morning we went down to the Lakefront with some people from Ryan's work for a walk to support a cure for MS.  Then I planted some annuals which I really shouldn't since we inherited SOOO much beautiful landscaping when we bought our house.  But I'm really starting to get into this gardening thing during naptime.  I'm trying anyways.  :)  But I'm realizing how much I love being outside and gardening gives me a reason to be out there!  Then a neighbor came over and we went for a run...and once the girls wake up we'll take them for a bike ride...then it's on to Shane and Jody's for dinner to celebrate an early Mother's Day.  I LOVE spring and summer!!!!!!!

At the Lakefront doing the MS walk.  
The first mow of the year.  YEAH!!!!
The girls were a little apprehensive about the lawn mower.  No crying...just backwards stepping.  :)  Then they plopped down and seriously SAT still and watched Ryan mow our whole yard.  They were enthralled.  It was so cute!  And nice to be able to just sit down with them and relax outside!  
Trying to get a picture of them in their Dordt College (our alma mater) shirts