HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY HAILEY, ADDISON, AND EMILY!!

5 years ago today, I got to meet our three miracle babies.  I cannot believe they are FIVE years old today.  Every year I say that I can't believe it but five is REALLY big!!!  We watched their NICU video this morning with the girls and it is so crazy to look at how big and beautiful they are now and then see their entire head cradled in the PALM of my hand.  Being a parent is seriously one of the biggest blessings possible and I really do feel honored and blessed to be able to get to raise these three girls.  They are my joy!  And I praise God for them every single day.  

My Addy girl -

Addy has grown so much this year.  In inches and in WHO she is!  She is currently almost 4 inches taller than her sisters and is the tallest in her whole class!  Poor girl has growing pains all the time!  She used to be very shy...and can still be reserved at times.  But now she is the first to say hi to people or answer questions or whatever! She LOVES learning...LOVES school..loves rules :) and knowing and doing what's right.  She's my black and white girl.  :)  And tries hard at everything she does and strives for perfection.  She gets frustrated easily if she can't be the best or can't do something right away.  Addy is an observer...and then figures it out...and then succeeds with flying colors.  I am in awe at her love for books and watching her figure out how to read.  It is such a cool thing to see.  Addy loves reading, loves helping me around the house.  She loves pretty much all food and truly cares for her sisters.  She cherishes one on one time...and any sport.  She has quite the imagination when it comes to playing with her barbies or with her sisters.  They play "theatre" a lot....and "bride."  Addy - I love you SO SO SO much.  Never forget that!  

Em - I can't believe I have ANOTHER girl I love so so much too!!!  Emily YOU are so special to me to in your own little way!  I LOVE YOU honey!  Em is such a sweetheart.  Just today she was so polite with trying to share her new presents with her sisters.  She would ask to borrow the doll's hair dryer while saying please and waiting patiently.  She doesn't like to stir up trouble (most of the time) :)  and is just a genuine sweetie.  I am so thankful for her encouragement and her smiles.  She will often randomly tell me I'm the best mom ever or run by and give me a quick kiss.  Em loves to color and lately loves to play with boys at school (oh boy!) She is very into dresses right now and picking out her clothes.  She loves just being silly and goofy.  I love how that can get her giggling like crazy.  Em loves to play "bride" with her sisters too and is usually the one who gets to be the bride.  :)  Em also loves school ...I am so proud of her and so thankful she is my baby girl.  She is such an encouragement and such a blessing.  I love you forever Emily Ann!!

And my sweet Hailey Grace - Happy birthday honey!!  You are FIVE!  Five is SO big!  When I see you I still see my tiny little baby girl....but when I think of age 5, that's like a big KID!  Can't believe it! Hailey is so fun.  She has quite the little personality.  She has figured out how to raise and lower her eyebrows with expression and can be so dramatic, especially when she adds her hand movements.  So funny. :)  She still loves to tease people and make people laugh or make people chase and tickle her.  She is quite the little communicator too.  Every night, when we put the girls to bed, we always crawl into bed with each of them individually to pray and have some individual chat time.  Hailey could talk ALL night long when we do this.  I love that about her.  Hailey is also very into coloring and into playing "bride."  She is usually the groom!  Hailey is my snuggler in the morning.  She is also my particular organizer girl. :)  She loves organizing her desk and "organizing her bed."  She likes her things 'just so.' Hailey is becoming very independent too.  She loves getting dressed by herself, is trying to tie her shoes by herself, etc. etc.  She is a joy to know and love.  

We are so so blessed...happy birthday girlies.  You are loved!

Late Labor Day Update!

Hi!  Wowee!  Life is just busy!  Can't believe I haven't updated for so long!  Here is what we have been up to.  Well labor day weekend we went up to the lake!  Our friends Dan and Christina (and their daughter Caroline) who now live downtown and are involved with a city church plant (so we don't see them as much anymore)...came up to the lake...and then also our friends Heather and Evan (and their son Tyler) drove up from South Dakota!  Heather and Evan are the ones who also had triplets...but 3 BOYS 9 months ago!  The babies didn't make it to the lake this time - but next time I hope!  It was just really good for them to get away and spend some quality time with their oldest Tyler....  The girls had so much fun playing with Tyler and "babysitting" Caroline.  Here they are with Tyler...  (Tyler, Emily, Hailey, Addison)

 Heather and Evan and Tyler.  Crazy to think they have THREE MORE BOYS missing in this picture!

 Me and my bestie. :)  It was such a treat hanging out with her again.  I am SO glad they could come out!!  We were trying to decide if we should write a book or start speaking in hospitals or who KNOWS what. :) Our story is just TOOO crazy that two best friends both had triplets...  so we will see where God takes us.  :)

We laugh a ton together!

 Tyler is such a little lover.  So cute.  He was always going up to the girls and giving them big hugs.  Here's Tyler and Emily.

 I just love how Tyler is looking at the girls.  Just WAIT til they come to the lake when he is 16, the girls are 18, and Heather's triplets are 14!  TRRROUBBLLE!! :) :)

 Emily, Addison, Caroline, and Hailey watching a movie

So that was Labor Day weekend.  And since then, it's just been nuts!  Ryan has been traveling a TON for work (and for fun on the weekends with college friends and then friends from here) and has been having lots of meetings being on Council and planning the school golf outing.  I have been also having tons of meetings for school stuff, youth group, small group, and planning the youth group's Fall Retreat, oh and planning church's women's retreat!  There's just been a lot going on! Plus I've been able to get together with some of my multiples mom friends for coffee now that the girls are in school so that has been fun!  When I think about the parenting challenges that we face now, it's about clothes!  Haha!  So things have definitely improved...but now there are battles about not wanting to wear certain shoes cuz they hurt their pinkie toes or not wanting to wear a shirt cuz it's too baggy or poofy or whatever.  I didn't expect this this soon!!!  Yikes!  Part of me wants to just pick our battles and let them wear whatever....but then Emily would be wearing a little sundress every single day no matter what the weather!  I'm not kidding!  (She comes home from school and changes into it immediately).  The hard part though, is that I paid for the clothes!!!  So it's just frustrating having clothes sit in the closet (that I bought the year before to try to get a good deal)...and then they won't wear it!  Oh boy - I feel like I can't take them shopping and pick stuff out yet cuz they don't understand pricing and sales and all of that.  Ohhhh man.  People tell me it's all just beginning.  Oh boy!!  I tell ya, buying clothes and all of that is like a full time job if you are trying to get deals.  Yesterday I took the girls to Walmart cuz I saw they had the cheapest shoes and then of course, they only have ONE in their size.  So it's tricky! Sorry I'm venting apparently!  They still like to match or coordinate  (which is nice because that at least is easier!)...and usually if one has a problem with an outfit or something, then they all do.  Addy is the least into clothes and usually just holds her hands out so I can put clothes on her while she watches a cartoon. :)  
Anyway - the girls are loving school!  Today was their first field trip to an apple tree!  They adore their teacher and always have lots of stories.  Even at Walmart yesterday they were all singing a song about "you start your letters at the top top top..." and on and on this went all throughout the store.  They started a little basketball at the Y which is so cute to watch.  It is SO cute seeing them do actual drills and how their "defensive slides" end up looking like unicorns jumping..but they are loving it! :)

First Day of 4K and riding the BUS!

Hailey - Emily - and Addy.  My baby girls are officially BIG!  They had their first official day of 4K today...and their biggest highlight was getting to ride the bus! :)  They were so excited that they were ready to go and waiting outside at 7:40 a.m.  (The bus comes at 8:13 and school starts at 8:20 so they are the second to last to get picked up! Super nice with 3 girls in the house!)  :)  But today they were so excited that they waited outside forever! :) They wouldn't move from their little standing spot at the end of the driveway for fear the bus would just drive by.  So cute.  Don't they look so little standing there?! I can't believe they are so big! 

I love that they wanted to wear tutus on their first day of school.  :)  They are definitely getting more into clothes now.  Emily would wear this one dress every single day in a row if I let her.  Addy doesn't care as much about clothes and Hailey definitely knows what she doesn't like and has her favorites too.  She already picked her outfit for tomorrow. :)   For now, they still like matching though which makes it so much easier for me!  No fighting about who wears what outfit and so much easier shopping!  

I am so happy for my girls that they have each other to experience pretty much all "firsts" with.  They really are built in besties and I think that is so cool. I definitely missed my girls today.  I am so thankful for them and just humbled today to see how far they have come.

Addison

Hailey

Emily

This was on Tuesday - they had their "meet and greet" day where we dropped off all their school supplies and met the teacher and stuff. :)

Here they are dancing on the driveway with just a little excitement. :)

"WHEN IS THE BUS COMING MOM?!?! " I heard that a LOT this morning. :)

So they resorted to sitting.. :)   (Addy, Em, and Hailey)

Blowing me kisses good bye like it's no big deal.  :)  Once we saw the bus turn the corner I asked for a hug at least. :)  They were so good!  They saw the bus and started jumping...then ran to me for a quick hug...and then walked right on the bus.

There's Addy in the window waving!

And this is when the tears began....for me! :)  I did tear up as I saw my babies drive away...but held it together better than I thought and just tried not to think about it and got busy doing stuff! It's such a weird feeling sending your kids off like that.  I am SO excited for them and love seeing them experience new things ....and I also feel this sense of accomplishment like WOW...we really made it through those first years!!!  Amazing!  But then  it's so sad too how FAST life goes and how QUICK they grow up!  One of my friends said you either feel like going out with other mom's for a "BooHoo" breakfast or a "Boo-Yeah!" breakfast! :) Ha!  I feel both!

I walked to school to pick them up from school  (bus only brings them home if they stay all day).  So then we had the whole walk back to chat about the day.  They were talking a mile a minute and we had to take turns telling stories (or I'd probably hear every specific detail from Addy) :)  They were comparing the day to 3K and how different it was....they told me all about their new friends...and snack time..and recess time....  They loved it!

Back to School thoughts

I can't even explain how I've been feeling the past couple of weeks.  This whole "back to school" thing has got me by surprise!  If you would have asked me a few years ago, I feel like I would have thought that I would be ecstatic for the going back to school time of life.  I would have thought I would be pumped and proud that we "survived" the crazy parenting years with all our kids at home and that I would be SO ready for some peace and quiet!  But nope, I don't feel that way!  This year just feels so different.  Last year, they were headed to 3K and I was READY for that!  It was only two mornings a week so I was excited for my first real break and a chance to run errands in peace! :)  And let me tell you, that time FLEW by!  And it was so easy sending them cuz the girls were SO READY for school and loved every minute of it!  But this year, just feels so much BIGGER!  I think it's because they get to take the bus....and they will go 3 mornings a week with the option to stay for lunch OR the option to go all day!  We will mostly just do the 3 mornings but STILL!  I'm having a hard time with this!  It's a whole new transition that I'm just not quite ready for...it's hard when all of my friends still have a 3 year old and/or baby at home so they are still in that busy "stay at home" mom stage.  But then I feel so different now, so out of place!!  With all THREE of my children leaving at once!  I try to get a hold of myself because this isn't even all day every day yet!  What in the WORLD will I do then?!  I guess what makes this all harder and more emotional too is that I am just not ready for full time school kiddos yet.  I still want to be in the "stay at home" busy mom stage SO BAD.  This all just went too too fast and I still have that deep desire for another baby...for one more chance to experience growing a miracle...for one more chance to go through all the stages of raising a child (with probably less chaos than the first time around!)  I really can't explain how I feel about it all.  It's like I'm sooo happy and pumped for my girls and feel so blessed to have them...and then at the same time, just feel empty too!  (Which I know is crazy because I AM so blessed!)  I wish I could explain it all...so many feelings, so many emotions...  I guess I just want to pause life a little.  Raising triplets is the best thing in the world...and I have loved the past 5 years so much ....only problem is....it just FLIES by.  And I feel like it's hard to even savor the moment because I don't know how great it is, until it's gone ya know?  I've been very sentimental lately too because we've been watching home videos....and I see my babies as newborns, at the super cute crawling stage...at their babbling baby talk stage....and then their learning how to walk waddle stage....and I just LOVED IT ALL!!  Even all the chaos!   And just like that - it's gone! All.At.Once!  AHHH!!!  I get teary eyed just thinking about it again.  I know that I'll always be the girls' mom even when they are at school....but it just feels SOOO different.  I'm adjusting to not being needed 24/7... sorry I just felt like writing all my thoughts out.  What a crazy transition.  School officially starts on Thursday.  The girls, on the other hand, couldn't be more excited.  I just think it's so weird how I can feel two totally different things at the exact same time. I'm so excited for them....yet sad the 'at home" stage is pretty much over all at the same time.  Please keep praying for Ryan and I and our infertility struggle too.  Please pray we find our contentment in Christ...and that we continue to trust Him as we wait for His perfect timing....and that we will be able to BELIEVE His timing and His plan really is perfect. :)  
The other day the girls said "Mom, I really want a baby brother."  And then Addy said in a really thoughtful way "But Mom, if we had a baby brother, how would we watch cartoons?  Would he have to watch boy cartoons on another tv?"  So funny the things they think about.  That thought has never crossed my mind...but now that I think about it, -what DO people do with different sex kids? :) We are clearly ALL girl over here! :)  Stay tuned for the back to school pics in a few days!!!

Wedding Wknd and more

 A few weekends ago, Ryan's cousin got married and the girls were flower girls!  By now they absolutely LOVE weddings!  They play wedding all the time.  It's so cute.  Someone is the bride, the groom, and the flower girl.   It is hilarious hearing them say their vows.  "....my awfully wedded husband.."  etc.  For this wedding, it was so much easier than past ones!  The girls were like "mom, we got this.  Go sit down."  Addy skipped down the aisle like it was no big deal.  They LOVE it!  :) Here's Addy and Em..

H - A - E

 Then last week I had my high school small group girls over for a pedicure party.  I love how they all get into it and wash each other's feet...they brought loads of nail polish and epsom salt and even aroma therapy stuff!  Can't believe they are seniors already!  I love spending time with these girls and trying to help them survive high school and grow closer to Christ all at the same time. :)  Here some of them are washing feet...

 Our kitchen was filled with like 15 high school girls plus my girlies who were ALL about it.  :)  Ryan was glad he was at the Brewer game that night for work. :)  :)

 Aroma therapy - haha ;)

 Here are some older pics from my phone that I just haven't uploaded in a while!  Addy loves riding with no training wheels!  And I love that it makes her go faster and isn't as loud! :)

 Best buds (EAH)

 Hailey and Emily LOVE coloring and writing.  I bet they could honestly sit ALL day and color and draw and never get sick of it.  Addison loves reading and looking at books.  Here is one of Hailey's drawings of our fam that I loved. :)

 Wedding pic again :)  EAH

 The day of Ryan's cousin's wedding, I also had a good family friend get married an hour south of the other wedding!  So, I watched the girls as flower girls..and then drove down to the other reception!  Busy day but so fun to try to be at both!  Here is the groom's sister Kim who's wedding I will be in next summer!  Yay!

 Then the other night, Grandma Kathy and I went over to a friend's house from church who's golden retriever just had 9 puppies!!!  They are 4 weeks old and SOO TEMPTING TO BUY!!! :) :)   I grew up with a golden that looks a lot like the mommy so it brought by TONS of memories.  The girls loved those puppies and now are asking me if we can have triplet puppies....that was an immediate NOPE!  :) But still, it's cute that they like the idea of pets now.  :)  (HAE)

 Em

 Addy

 Hailey

 And I was just in AWE at this mama dog and how she just stood there and let all 9 puppies nurse.  And I thought nursing 3 was crazy!!!!  So much of how these puppies interacted reminded me of my own "litter." :)  Just how they would sleep all cuddled up next to each other...and then how they'd walk all over each other and the one getting stomped on wouldn't really care cuz they were just so used to being kicked and poked all the time.  :)  Makes me sad that these puppies will all go to separate homes though cuz I love how mine still have each other!!! :) But no, I am not interested in raising 9 puppies. :) Oh dear.

 The girls and their friends at the zoo! (Isabelle, Hailey, Addy, Emily, Tyler)

 And then yesterday my friend Carolyn who had triplet girls (2 identical too) on the exact same day as my girls but just 2 years later...came over.  We haven't seen each other in a while and it was SO good to see her and see how her kids have grown up!  Addison & Sydney (fraternals, love purple) :) , Hailey and Taylor ( love pink), and Emily & Brooke (green girls!)