Merry Early Christmas!

Hi!  Well last weekend was a great one!  We celebrated early as we'll be celebrating with my family later!  So Friday night we celebrated with just our family and it was so great!  We had a nice dinner and then gave the girls presents.  They were ALL about it all this year.  It was so much fun.  We took each of them shopping and had them choose something to buy their sisters too this year so that was great.  They were very particular about which sister got what.  Emily REALLY wanted this Strawberry shortcake dress when we were shopping and I said she had to shop for her sisters....so I said how bout we give it to one of them (and then I'm sure they'd share it with her :) )  ....well no...then she didn't want to do that.  So she'd rather not have it in our house at all than give it to one of her sisters.  So funny.  It's just so neat watching the girls learn about giving and receiving and sharing and all the joys of the season.  I love it!  

We gave the girls Leapsters this year (they are like little video game type things except they are educational!) :)  So far, they love them!  Hopefully they'll be GREAT on the plane ride! :) 

 The only problem with gifts and everything with triplets of the same sex...is that they seriously want everything that their sister wants.  They are the same sex at the same stage in life with seriously a lot of the same interests!  So no matter what toy they get or whatever, they always want to play the same "type" of toys at the same time.  So if we don't have 3 of them...it is a cause for lots of tears and "refereeing" and Ry and I going nuts trying to have someone have it for 2 minutes, now switch....2 minutes again, switch...ahh!!  So people say we shouldn't get them 3 of everything....and believe me we try not to....but seriously if you don't get them 3 of something similar, WE go crazy more than they do!!  People tell us that then they won't learn how to share....but I feel like they've been BORN sharing.  They've shared the womb, they've shared us as parents since day one, they share their room, ALL their toys, their clothes, their friends, you name it!  It's just tough with the whole triplet Christmas thing and I just wish I could explain what it's like better.  That being said, they LOVE it when they get to open a present that is JUST for them.  They know they'll have to share it eventually...but the fact that they can call it their own is a big thing.  Here they are in 3 different dress up outfits from Great Grandpa Junior.  Thanks! :)   Strawberry Shortcake (Em), Ariel (Hailey), and Rapunzel (Addy)

 Then Saturday we went to Grandpa and Grandma Dooyema's for "Christmas" over there!  We had appetizers first and the girls got to be fancy and drink sparkling grape juice from grown up glasses.  :)

 They are always interested in whatever baby Erin is doing.  She's getting so big!

 Here is an attempt at a grandparent/grandchildren shot....this is the best one!  Addison, Hailey, Erin, and Em :)

 Then Sunday night the girls had their Christmas program at church.  They did great and sang all the songs!  So cute!!!!  (EHA)

 Em giving their friend Isabelle a look.  Not sure if she sang off key or what. :)

 Em had fun playing with her friend Lydia's hair during the program too. :)

 And here Addy is in her Dr. dress up clothes from Grandpa and Grandma.  She says she wants to be a Dr. for little babies when she grows up!  I can see it!

 And Em is a beautiful bride!  This pic makes me tear up a little!  My babies are SO BIG!!!!

 And Hailey Grace as a fireman....love this girl. :)

 And then Monday they had their school Christmas program and they also did a great job!  They get very focused and pretty serious up front.  They do the motions and make sure to sing.  It's kinda fun cuz I hear them singing some of these songs at home and they correct each other if someone sang the wrong word or something.  Here they are following their stars all around the school looking for the BIGGEST and BRIGHTEST star....which they ended up finding by us again and a real baby "Jesus" was under it!!!  So then the kids sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.  So sweet.

 Here's Hailey and Erin today!  It is Auntie Jody's first day back at work as she's a nurse so we got to watch Erin all day!  We are LOVING having her here!  She is such a sweetie!!!

 And Hailey today after she gave herself a makeover.  :)