Fire Truck Birthday Party!

The triplets wanted a fire truck birthday and so we did the best we could to give them one! 

Everett was too excited to nap before the party so here he is practicing holding up three fingers, while we finished decorating.

When Finn and Carter got up from their nap, it was time to start the party! (although Carter looks like he's still waking up! :)

One of my favorite moments of the day was Carter's reaction when he opened up a big wheel bike. You can kind of see his face in the picture below. Colin has a big wheel and Carter drools over it, always asking for a turn with it. When he realized what he was opening he kept saying, "ME VERY OWN! ME VERY OWN!" He was one happy clam. Even Colin knows it's a big deal, just look at those hands on his head.

This year I decided to try and bake their birthday cakes myself because I assumed three fire engine cakes would be pricey. I am NOT a baker or artistic at all so this felt very daunting to me! Luckily I found a fire engine cake pan on Amazon and from there I just did the best I could. In hindsight I should have bought three cake pans. It would have saved some time! Just when I was feeling pretty bad about my ability and how the cakes were turning out, Colin walked in and said, "Mom that is the coolest cake ever!" which made me laugh and remember all that matters is what they think. They seemed to love the cakes and weren't complaining when they were chowing down on them!

Happy Birthday, Carter!

Carter, you are such a sweet boy. At three, you tell us "me shy" but what I want you to know is that you're also such a leader and I see how the others follow you. You have a quiet power to you and you use it thoughtfully. (and sometimes you are not so quiet! haha. In our home, "me shy" goes out the window!). 

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Happy Birthday, Everett!

Colin once said that your super power would be that you make friends easily. You do. Also, you are brave. You dare to be fully yourself and wear your heart on your sleeve.

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Happy Birthday, Finn!

Finny, you crack me up so hard with your antics. At three, you love to tell secrets, only you think that the protocol for telling a secret is to press your ear against my ear and then start talking. One day I'll teach you the correct way but not anytime soon because it makes me smile so hard every time you come over and tell me a secret.

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Everett wasted no time on the cake and dug right into the wheel!

Finley and Carter opted for pieces of the ladder.

Wanna know why Chris and I are smiling in this next picture?

A) because we have three awesome three year olds- and two other cool dudes running around

B) because we are deliriously sleep deprived from last minute planning and staying up until 2 a.m. baking cakes

C) because the March madness birthday month has successfully come to an end!!!

D) all of the above

Happy 3rd Birthday Carter, Everett and Finley!!!

Let me introduce you to THREE big time THREE year olds:

Everett, Carter and Finley

YES!

Yesterday was their actual birthday and we had the best time celebrating them! It was such a fun day!

I'll post pictures in the next few days but for now we're too busy playing with new toys and watching them all ride their new big wheel bikes around the neighborhood (Colin got one too). If you see a gang of boys riding big wheels by your house, don't be afraid, it's likely us.

After the party last night, Chris and I stayed up late with my parents reminiscing about the day they were born and what an amazing journey it's been so far. 

12 month photo project: March

Have you heard of The 52 Project? I feel inspired by other parents who are taking a photo of their children every week. I think it's really neat. I'd love to do this but I'm not sure I'd be able to keep up weekly photos, so I've decided to try for once a month! 

My goal is to take a picture once a month, of each of my boys. Hopefully the photos will capture something unique and special about them. 

But here's the deal, I'm not going to do much, if any, editing to the photos because I just feel like I don't have time for anything these days. My initial goal is just to get out my camera once a month, move around the house with it, and capture my boys. I'm excited to look back on these over the next year and see how the boys change! So here we go, March:

Colin, LOVES his new shop vac. He begs me for stuff to vacuum with it. Even vacuuming out our disgusting mini van didn't deter him. I can't wait to remind him of this when he's a teenager and this vacuum is but a distant memory to him.

Carter, with those blue eyes. Carter asks "Why?" or often it sounds more like, "Whyyyyyyyyyy?" after almost anything someone says. It cracks us up and sometimes by the end of the day, drives us nuts. He really does want to know the why behind everything though! Hmmm, maybe a budding scientist like his grandpa? Although Carter himself says, "Me shy", he has made huge strides, attending swim lessons without any tears and also going to the kids area of the gym so I can exercise. 

Finn. This is such a Finn face right now. Mid laugh, and/or about to say something hilarious. The other night in the bathtub, he was staring off and so I asked him what he was thinking about. "Bout how Jesus loves me since I was born." Oh, okay, typical bath time thoughts. Yesterday, I asked the boys what meal we should make Daddy for his birthday. When I got blank stares, I followed up by asking them to think about what food Daddy really likes. Suddenly a light bulb seemed to go off in Finn's head. "I know! Let's make him salt!"

Everett, has been very attached to his bag lately. In it, he carries the things that are important to him, like play-doh, a notepad, a pencil, his luvies and occasionally he'll sneak in a snack too. Last night, after it was lights out and time for sleep, I thought I saw motion by Everett's bed. Upon closer inspection, there he was sitting up, peeling and eating an orange that he'd stored in his bag. You never know when you'll get hungry I suppose.

Owen, is motoring around and pulling to stand every chance he gets. He's one of the guys and he knows it! Always wanting to be where the action is at, this one.

The Christmas Card That Never Was

This will be the last post about Christmas 2013, promise!

I had every intention and hope of sending out a Christmas card this year! But....it didn't happen :(

Did I ever tell you how last May I found a pile of stamped, sealed, addressed and ready to go Christmas cards that I never mailed? I felt terrible! I vowed to do better this year and even took some pictures of the boys to use on the Christmas card before Thanksgiving.

But then December just went and FLEW by on me. I blame December. It got to the point where I realized that I could either be stressed about getting this done and spend a good chunk of time addressing cards or I could let it go.

I chose to let it go.....and vowed that next year I will start in September getting pictures taken and getting the cards ordered! (If that really happens people, it will be a Christmas miracle!)

It was the right decision this year. Once I decided not to worry about sending cards, I instantly felt lighter and space for other things opened up. Like playing in the snow with my kids, helping the boys make wrapping paper and sending my 93 year old grandmother hand made ornaments and drawings from the boys. I can honestly say that we really enjoyed the holidays this year in part because I let much of my "to do" list  fall away. 

For a minute, can we just pretend this is our Christmas card? Can you pretend that the mail man just arrived and you are opening our card? And could you maybe pretend that it's not January 13th??

From youngest to oldest, here's the crew!

Owen

Finn

Everett

Carter

Colin

Wishing you a blessed 2014!!!

The key to not losing my mind, is somewhere at the farmer's market

Let me set the stage.

We are just leaving the farmer's market. I've fed Owen just enough to tie him over until we can get home and I can nurse him more comfortably. We get the boys out of the stroller, load them up, buckle them in and unload all of our fruits and veggies. Jordyn lifts the 10 ton stroller into the back of the van.

It's noon so the boys are hungry for lunch. It's been somewhat of a trying morning so I too am looking forward to lunch.... because lunch is followed by nap-time and nap-time is when I re-fuel.

"Umm, where are the car keys?"

We look everywhere in the car. The keys are nowhere.

We unload the massive stroller and search it completely.

No keys.

Where could they be?! And seriously, what kind of mother am I that I can't keep track of car keys. I see no other mother in this parking lot unable to leave because she's lost her keys. No question that I'm not the most organized mom on the block... not even close. Never will be. But I should be able to take my kids to the farmer's market without loosing the car keys! Right?!

"Boys, do any of you know where Mommy's keys are??"

"Farmer's market?" Two of the triplets say. Colin and Everett say nothing.

"What does that mean, farmer's market? Where in the farmer's market? Did you see the keys??? Tell mommy." But I know it's useless to try and ask these questions of a two year old! I'm getting nowhere talking through this with them so I venture back into the market.

I return to every vendor we bought from (which today, were a lot!). No one has seen the keys.

I run over to the grassy area, where I nursed Owen and the boys ate apples on a picnic blanket. Surely the keys are in the grass somewhere. I'll pick them up and we'll be on our way.

But they're not there. They're literally nowhere to be found.

Finally, I'm directed to go into the Civic Center, which is next to the market and where lost and found items are often turned in. I race in (hurrying because I'm just sure the hungry boys are a mess waiting all this time in the car). Once at the office I ask if anyone has turned in keys.

"Sorry Ma'am, no keys here. Do you want to leave your name and phone number in case someone turns them in?"

I am on the verge of tears at this point. I speed walk back to the car and see Jordyn standing outside the van rocking and bouncing Owen who is now fussy. The van is rocking with boys ready to go home.

"They're nowhere Jordyn" I say feeling completely defeated.

"This is SO weird! How could they just disappear?!"

The boys are all staring at me wide eyed. Perhaps they are wondering if this is the moment Mommy loses her marbles.

"Guys, you don't have Mommy's keys do you? Of course you don't... they wouldn't even fit in your pockets....." 

and then I see the bulge in Finley's right pocket.

"FINLEY JOSEPH DO YOU HAVE MOMMY'S KEYS IN YOUR POCKET?!?"

I don't even wait for the answer.... in a second I am lunging across the car seats and my hand is already reaching in his shallow- but- apparently- big- enough- to- hold- my- van- keys, pocket.

The keys!

The keys were in Finley's pocket THE WHOLE TIME.

I have no clue how he got them or how he squeezed them into his pocket. Nor do I think he was purposely not telling me that he had them either. He's two.

Oh Finn...... :-)

Finn loves to pretend to be asleep....

but he's not.... he thinks it's the funniest thing in the world....which to us, it kinda is.
(and that's my arm holding a pacifier in Owen's mouth on our trip two weekends ago)

The trips turn two!!!

We've just come off of a whirlwind weekend celebrating the triplets birthday (which is Colin's big brother day) and Easter. I've been so exhausted today recovering from it all, which is why I haven't had a chance to upload any photos!

The triplets officially turned two years old on Friday. Friday morning I took a few pictures of them to commemorate the day, and the rest of the day we just spent time with them doing the things they love. The weather was beautiful and sunny (just like the day they were born) and so we played outside, went on a walk and took them to the playground.

Chris and I found ourselves feeling so sentimental remembering the day they were born, the weeks leading up to their birth and the gratitude we felt on their birth day that they'd arrived safely and were healthy. We felt so blessed not only that they held on until 34 weeks, but that their birth was such a beautiful experience and that I was able to have a natural delivery. 

Still, they were so tiny and fragile and seeing them hooked up to machines and monitors made it easy to worry about their future development.

How far they've come! Today they are active little guys who never seem to slow down! They are talking more and more everyday. Some of their favorite words to yell are, "Mommy!!!!!" (over and over) or "NO, MINE!" when a brother tries to grab a toy. They are loving, feisty, curious and hilarious. They are each so different in look and personality and yet they have an undeniable deep connection to each other. 

Finley, you are so sweet, observant, sensitive and talkative. The words you say out of the blue crack us up daily. Last night you called for me from your crib and I said, "I'll be there in a minute." To which you said, "Alright Mommy!" I didn't know you knew the word, "Alright". You are such a caring boy. If you see that someone is sad, you really notice and try and help by bringing a pacifier or luvie to them. You love to cuddle and I love to cuddle with you! I could snuggle on the couch with you all day Finn! You look exactly like my baby pictures. 

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Carter, you are an animal lover and love to sit with me at the window and watch the birds and squirrels eat from our feeder. You love to chase Olive and pet her. You are so funny and love making us laugh. You don't back down from a fight. If someone tries to take your toy, watch out! You like to sleep right next me whenever you get the chance (I love that too). You and Colin have a very special bond and you guys are thick as thieves lately, always together playing, chatting, laughing and causing trouble! 

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Everett, your hugs are to die for. You give them so freely and without warning. You wrap your arms around whoever you're hugging and squeeze so tight. You're never in a rush to let go. And your laugh..... It's outrageous and contagious! You are a brilliant combination of being easy going and yet super determined. If you want something (or don't want to do something) there's no convincing you otherwise. You'll eat whatever I cook up! Most people say that you look like your Pop-Pop or your big brother Colin.

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And just by the way Colin, you are an AMAZING big brother and we couldn't be prouder of you! It's hard to believe that the triplets are the age you were when you became their big brother. 

Ready to add 10 more little toes to this picture. :-)

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***** On Saturday we had a lovely birthday party with our families who made the day so special. I'll post pictures from the party tomorrow :-)