I Got a New Toy!

Not much to say as of late. Wondering where the beautiful weather has gone? I'm taking this time to try and do some organizing around the house, which is a never ending job with three little ones messing something else up as you go. I got a new camera for my Birthday from Seth, and it has more bells and whistles than I know what to do with. But, here are a few pictures I've taken in the past couple of weeks. I love this thing!!!!

Typical twin mealtime mischief!

She has recently discovered her nose...

I have about a million more, but they won't fit in one blog post. If you are wondering why Kira is not pictured.... she is in a phase. She hides when the camera comes out.... she'll get hers soon!

Happy Birthday to Me!

So today is my 28th birthday! I am thanking God that I am yet to yank the dreaded gray hair from my head! I don't feel any older, but am amazed that I am a mom of three, a wife, and a grown up.... a true grown up!

It's funny how birthdays change the older you get. I remember being a kid, and all I could think of was what kind of cake I wanted, what an AWESOME slumber party I would have, and the birthday gift list was miles long. Then came the milestones. Getting my drivers license, and scaring the ever loving poo poo out of my parents as I drove off for the first time alone. Then there is the infamous 21st birthday... need I say more. At 25 I got a break in my car insurance rates, that was nice. Now here I am, 28 years old. My greatest accomplishment is raising my three girls thus far, and keeping them alive, healthy and happy! They are my gifts. They beat all of the milestones of years past, and now my greatest joy is in watching them reach there own milestones. Every day that God blesses me and lets me hang on and enjoy my girls is the greatest present that I could have or ever ask for. The icing on my big birthday cake, is that I get to do this all with the best guy a girl could ask for.

The moral of this 28th Birthday story is, even though I am spending the day cleaning house, folding laundry, changing diapers and all of the usual... I am doing it with a happier heart. God has given me another year to love on my babies, Seth, and enjoy his plans for our little family.... and what great plans he has.

Queen Slacker.... not so much.

So I can't believe I have not blogged in this long! What a slacker! But, the truth is life has been a bit nutso and chaotic. A good chaotic, but not leaving much time for sitting by the computer. This is probably a good thing. I have been working a couple of shifts a week at the ER, and still enjoy it very much. Preschool is done for Kira, so that frees up a little more time. But, the funnest thing as of late has been planning my sweety's surprise 30th Birthday Dinner.

I originally had great plans, of some surprise BBQ with tons of people at the house and perhaps a keg of beer or two! Then, it hit me... you have three kids, that's never going to happen. The people that would watch them for me, would all be at the party anyway! I pondered for weeks on what would be just the right thing to do. Then it hit me, lying awake in bed at 2am some morning. Plan a date night for my hubby, only when we get to the restaurant... have all of our family members there to celebrate with us.

I got a little crazy creative, making homemade centerpieces from mason jars, tissue paper and old black and whites of him as a kiddo. Martha Stewart... eat you heart out. I wrote a funny toast to him, that was pretty cute too. I think he really appreciated the end of it being recited in front of his Mom and Dad and twenty or so guests. "Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you you old coot. I'll see you tonight in your Birthday suit!!" Priceless. He was genuinely surprised, which made all of the hard work and secret keeping worth it! Kira knew for three days, and even she was perfect at keeping "our little secret", "if you don't tell Dad, you get a candy bar at the restaurant" kind of secret!

The major disappointment... In all of the nervous planning and commotion of getting him here there and everywhere, I forgot my camera!!!!! I do have some video of the night at least. It was great, all I had hoped it would be and more.

As for the rest of life, things are beginning to slow down. I love summer (if it would ever get here). The girls are growing like weeds, and have drawers of gorgeous summer clothes with the tags still on them. Will they ever get warn???? Tori is making huge strides with her gross motor skills lately. She is crawling the way she is supposed to finally, which in the physical therapy world is huge! Emma is hilarious. She is the reason that child safety devices were invented. She climbs everything, spills everything, and tips everything over. I change her shirt twice a day, from toilet water casualty. Tori just found the toilet too.... the joys! Kira is getting too big too fast. I always tell her that I am going to put a brick on her head so she stays this little forever. If it were only that simple (she'd being sporting her brick hat right now!) She is hilariously clever and smart and in tune with all that is going on around her. Those little ears pick up everything. She is such a joy. My little buddy.

These are some pictures from a week or so ago, can you believe how they have grown!

Look at my big girl use her walker... this is her PT Miss Jenny. The crazy thing about this picture is if you knew Kira at this age.... spittin' image!

I thought this picture matched my previous description of Emma perfectly! This is how Seth and I found her after leaving the room for a minute. Those are underwear on her head, and yes the beer bottle was empty when she found it!

Back to the Land of the Living

After 14 months of being home with my three gorgeous girls, the time has come to venture back into the workplace. (Hence the lack of blog posts!) If you know me at all, I have some pretty convicted feelings on the role of a Mom and where she is most needed. This being said, I waited patiently and prayed hard for just the right opportunity to come our way. I had been offered a couple of part time positions in the last few months and almost felt irresponsible turning them down, while Seth's job was becoming less and less dependable. But when something doesn't feel right, I have learned to follow that intuition. It's amazing how trusting your instincts is sometimes just what it takes to hear God.

I am going back to work at Zeeland ER, as a Patient Care Assistant (Tech/Clerk). My hours are PRN, so essentially I can pick and choose the times that work best for me and the family out of a pool of open hours. I spent five years at Holland ER before the twins were born, so it feels familiar and comfortable. The greatest thing is that in just a couple of shifts, I already have a really good feeling.

It is amazing how in just a few hours of doing something you enjoy, and where you and your abilities are needed, you become inspired again. Since Tori and Emma were born, I haven't had a moment to barely consider going back to school for Nursing (which I was in the process of enrolling for before I was pregnant). It was such a reassurance to know that the desire was still there, and now I know that It will happen. I just need to trust those instincts and listen closely for the right timing.

Overall, what a relief to go to a new job, like it, and feel at ease with leaving my kids for a couple of hours here and there. I am so thankful for all of the blessings in our life. God's grace is truly sufficient!

Family Getaway

We were blessed with a wonderful and last minute opportunity to take our family up to The Great Wolf Lodge this weekend. We got home today at 3pm and needless to say... I am exhausted! We had a surprisingly great time. Things went as smooth as can be expected for a family of five, including twin spit fires that are not yet walking (a blessing and a curse). Of course, we had our moments.



The best was our out to dinner experience with all of our kids, grandma and grandpa, and 9 other friends and cousins. I went into it disillusioned with thoughts of a cold beer, a tasty plate of food (not made by me!) and some laughs with family and friends. Then I remembered that Emma, our "passionate one", from time to time will make it her full time job to make your life... for lack of a better work, miserable. From the moment we sat down I was already in a full sweat. Emma spit out all of the food we fed her, she would not sit in her chair, she coughed and gagged and threatened signs of a public vomiting episode. She did not want to be held, but did not want to be down. She did want all of the silverware, glassware, dishes, napkins, and food from my plate of course (which she still spit out). By the time our meal was "over", Seth and I looked at each other and realized we had somehow managed to suck down our food, which we have no recollection of its quality???? We had two full, warm beers that had not been touched, and we looked like we had lost the war. Ahhhh, family times.



All joking aside. We had such an amazing time. My Mom and Dad crammed in our suite with us and their help was priceless. The girls swam for hours, slept like champions, and were nearly always (minus the dinner episode) in I'll say exceptional spirits. We truly do have three very lovely little girls with jolly little dispositions. This vacation I'll dare say paved the way for the courage to take more. Check out my bathing beauties!

Tori Toodles with her big baby blues!

By big girl Kira having the time of her life!

"Mom, it's a bum fountain!"

Little Emma Lemma Lou!



"There was a little girl
who had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good
she was very very good.
And when she was bad
she was horrid!"

"

Love this one!

Bloggers Block

I am waiting for something exciting, or hilarious, or insightful to blog about…. no such luck. We are officially in the doldrums of winter, and I’m afraid until the thermometer reaches 50 degrees again, life seems less than blog worthy. I think that this is something only Michiganders (and other Midwesterners) can truly understand. February comes along, and we hang all of our hopes on spring. It’s all we can talk about. It is amazing what a balmy 50 degrees can do for the soul. I wonder what people in Florida would think if they came to Michigan for that first burst of spring we get. We must look like idiots. It is only 20 degrees above freezing and we have our car windows down, hanging our heads out like golden retrievers. We open every window in our home, turn off the heat, and send our kids out on their bikes. My personal favorite are the ding bats you see (often at a store beginning with WAL) donning their finest denim shorts. All this being said I am suffering from an acute case of Spring Fever and I need a prescription for sunshine and a warm breeze (and an umbrella drink). STAT!

Looking on the Bright Side

This week has been one of those weeks where I spent most of my time thinking about the things that we don’t have. I am a worrier by nature, and find myself many nights struggling to fall asleep, thinking about all of life’s unknowns. I would be a liar if I said that this economy has not affected our home like it has so many others. I am able to be pretty positive when it comes to Tori and her CP, but this was one of those weeks where I just wanted an answer. Why? It was one of those “head above water” weeks.

When you have a week like that… you learn pretty quickly that it takes a lot more energy to worry than it does to be thankful. I am so blessed in my life, and today I am taking a load off and thinking about that instead.

The old saying “the mouths of babes” is so true. Rather than list off the bazillion things that make my life so blessed, I will share a prayer. It’s best if recited by Kira. It is her prayer that she says every night and that she “put up” herself.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank you for school

Thank you for friends

Thank you for babies

Thank you for Jesus and God take care of Momma and Daddy, Tori and Emma and Kira

Thank you for Grammas and Grampas

Thank you that Tori and Emma don’t choke (this one always makes us laugh behind our folded hands)

Thank you for toys

And help me to make good choices

Amen