...and we're off!

Where are we going you ask? All the way from Las Vegas to Omaha, South Bend, Toledo, Western NY, DC, VA Beach, Raleigh, Amarillo, New Mexico and back to Vegas in three weeks with our trailer in tow. I will be checking in and updating on our where abouts, breakdowns, and amazement of places that regularly have weather that is below 90 degrees .

See you on the road!

California Family

Don has quite a bit of family in California. We always like to visit with his Grandma Fran and Grandpa Marion for a bit them go to his Aunt Linda's to visit with the rest of his family. This time was even better since his sister Brandi is now in the area and was able to meet up with us in the morning.

We went to a nearby park and the boys had so much fun meeting their Aunt and Uncle along with their cousins Davey and Jeffery. I have always thought Wyatt looked like Jeff as much as Jaxon looks like Davey, so it was cool to see them again (it had been about 7 years since we last saw them!) and see how much they do resemble their cousins.

The boys were completely crazy showing off for their family and luckily they were able to run off some of their crazy energy at the playground and then the water area. The boys and David were such good sports about the boys craziness and didn't mind that the boys had a fit of testosterone and tried to attack them every now and then.

All too fast, it was time for us to go. We arrived at Don's grandparents and they had birthday bags for the boys. In the bags were a bunch of little stuff to keep the boys busy. Snacks, toys, and a multi pack of balloons. I am surprised I did not pass out from blowing up the boys balloons over and over again so they could watch them race around the room as the air blew out. It was so good to see Don's grandparents again, it always is too long between visits.

Last stop of the day was at Don's Aunt Linda and Uncle Bobs house. Don's cousins LeeAnn and Nate were their with their own families and we laughed through most of this visit. Little Jake "the snake" is getting so big and baby Kaylyn was just beautiful! Some times I wonder if I am getting baby fever, but I know I don't want one, I just want to borrow one :).

After dinner we stood outside admiring Linda's garden while the kids all played together and it seemed lie a good time to take some group pictures. As Don and John ran back and forth setting their timers and running back in place to beat the flash, the kids were watching them and all managed to be watching the camera as the pictures were taken.

We left their house with high hopes of getting to run into the IKEA store on the way out of town. Did you know they have a play area you can drop the kids off while you shop?? Sounds like my kind of store! Unfortunately, Wyatt and Jaxon were both asleep even before we hit the main freeway so we had to nix the idea for this trip. Luke fell asleep soon after and all three boys slept the entire 4 hour car ride back to Vegas. So although missing IKEA stunk, a peaceful ride home somewhat evened it out.

Disneyland! Part 3

Obviously, we had a good time at Disneyland. The kids some how managed not to have any breakdowns -although Jax did get his head stuck between some poles while waiting to ride Dumbo and Wyatt did sneak in a nap during lunchtime. We brought snacks for them to munch on and I think that helped to save the day during the long waits in lines. The boys each wore a "Happy Birthday" button that the park hands out to birthday people and there were easily 100 people who wished them a happy birthday.

They loved all the rides -Dumbo, the spinning tea cups (Don could have done with out), Small World, Autopia (they each got to steer their own car!), the Finding Nemo submarine, and more including a roller coaster that two sat without an adult and the train they liked to take around the park.

We waited in line about a half hour each to see both Mickey and Minnie Mouse at their homes. Wyatt was heartbroken Minnie didn't use his pen and cried during most of the visit but quickly got over it after the visit was done. We got to walk through Minnie's house where Don opened her fridge and thought he had gone to heaven with all her cheese goodies.


Originally we were thinking to leave halfway through the day and let them decompress a bit then come back, but as the day went on, we decided to keep going. As it got darker, we knew we would watch the fireworks and then leave. As the fireworks exploded in the sky, I gathered all of our goodies and got ready for the quick get away. Pulling their stroller backwards so they could watch the the rest of the fireworks, we sped out of the park, trying to beat the rush that would be sure to follow the end of the fireworks.

Luckily we only had to watch a few trams come and go before we got on one ourselves. The boys were exhausted but still in good spirits -yelling for their echo while strolling through the parking garage. The ride back to the hotel was short and sweet and their birthday was a huge hit!

Disneyland! part 2

Usually we hate to wake the kids. They are grumpy when woken and grumpy X 3 is not fun for anyone. But for once, they jumped up ready to get their birthday started! First stop was Goofy's Kitchen for a breakfast with Goofy and friends.

Jaxon yelled so loud when he saw the life size Goofy and Pluto walking around in the dining area. We got to take a quick picture with Pluto and then were ushered to our table to order drinks and go get our food from the buffet. For the first time ever, all five of us walked the buffet line together. The boys eyes were popping out of their heads as they looked over their choices of Mickey waffles and Mickey pancakes, peanut butter and jelly pizza and lots of other goodies. We figured since it was their birthday we'd let them get whatever they wanted,but they stuck with regular breakfast food.

While the boys ate their breakfast, Chip and Dale made their rounds to our table to take pictures and let the boys get their autographs. Soon after they were done, the waitress showed up with a nice birthday cupcake for each of the kids along with a birthday button and a bag of goodies. Every half hour or so Goofy would get in the middle of the dining room and dance to "The Twist". Jax was thrilled to dance with Goofy. He only made it out in time to catch the last 30 seconds, but the look on his face was priceless. He has danced to the "Hot Dog" song a million times in the living room and now he was dancing with Goofy in person!

After breakfast it was time to mosey over to Disneyland!

Disneyland!

This year Disney is running a promotion for free admittance on your birthday. That is like a jackpot with triplets, so we decided we would be heading for Disneyland for the boys birthday. After getting (hopefully) a deal on priceline and making reservations for Goofy's kitchen, we waited for the day to roll around. As soon as Don got off work on Thursday, we headed out the door for California!

The boys were really excited about the trip, they have been talking about going to see Mickey Mouse for well over a month and just couldn't wait for "May twenty-two".

After we made the four hours drive and took our first turn off the freeway, a mini van at stopped at the light with us yelled out their window asking about if we had triplets. But when we went to answer, the woman in the passengers side yelled out because she knew us from our group of MOMs here in Vegas! Funny how you go four hours away and get to see people you rarely have a chance to see locally!

The hotel was a beautiful surprise. Paying only $50 a night through priceline had us expecting the worse, but we were really pleasantly surprised to say the least. We all quickly went to bed in preparation for the busy next day.

4th Birthday Party

Last weekend we had the boys birthday party. In the past we have had big parties with family and lots of friends, but this year we just had a small family bbq. With only the boys and little Reagan, we really had lots of time to catch up with family that we don't see as often as we should.

The boys loved seeing Reagan at their house and would not leave her side. They swung on the tire swing and jumped in the jump hose until we called them out for dinner and cake. We sang happy birthday to each boy individually and they loved it this way! I could tell they felt special having everyone say their name in the song and they smiled so big when it was their turn.

All the presents were a hit! They got an awesome ESPN tee ball stand, water guns, watches, Thomas the train goodies, sandals, fishing poles, easels, marshmallow roasters and leapsters.

When the boys finished opening their presents, Pops and Uncle Ray started a little water fight with the new water toys. Somehow a water fight has been my fondest memory of lots of bbqs my family had as we were growing up -so even though it made a bit of a mess inside and outside of the house -I was thrilled that the boys got to feel the excitement of a water gun fight.

After worrying that we wouldn't have enough kids there for the kids party, I am so glad we kept it simple this year. I think we all had such a fun time!

L U C A S

Lucas decided he wanted to give it a try as well. I think all this is pretty amazing being I have NEVER sat with them and tried to teach them how to write their names. If they can self teach algebra like this down the road, I think life will be good :)

Our garden grows

In the past week we have gotten about 10 tomatoes, one banana pepper, one jalapeno pepper and one gigantic green onion between the two gardens. Today Wyatt ate a cherry tomato basically right off the vine at our house.

Lucas who generally makes it clear he does not like tomatoes sings a different tune when he sees them growing out back. "I yove matoes, mom!" I swear he took a tomato of his hamburger only an hour before he said that.

Hopefully the majority of the veggies growing can bloom before we go on our big vacation coming up, chances are they will be done by the time we get back home!

W Y A T T

He wrote it backwards and mirror-imaged like, but Wyatt wrote his name today.

I was sitting at the desk, playing on the computer and he picked up the pen and just went at it. Surprised the bejeebees out of me.
Good job little buddy!

Back to normal

For the past seven weeks, we have taken the chance to really enjoy Don being home. We have had many lazy mornings followed by fun afternoons going to fun (free) places. Our dinner have sometimes been new and exciting recipes that generally we didn't have the time or energy to try when we both were busier.

The boys have really loved their Dad being home. In the past few weeks the boys have begun to get closer to him than I thought possible. His status is easily equal to mine in the boys eyes now, and that is such a beautiful thing. This morning upon waking and finding only me in bed, Jaxon and Luke asked where their Daddy was. When I told them he was at work, Jaxon just longingly said, "Daddy is my friend". Which in my house means you are the cream of the crop.

So today life returns to "normal" with a working Daddy and a Mom who shuttles the kids around. I will miss the extra hands around -cooking breakfast and other morning jobs (not to mention his handsome smile) and I know the boys will miss seeing his face when they walk out of their classroom wanting to get a big hug after their time away at school. But I bet anything they get an even bigger hug today when he comes home from work.

Mother's Day

All I ever wanted since I was little was to be a mom. I am so blessed to be the Mother of these beautiful boys.



Happy Mother's Day to all of you Moms and Moms waiting to be!

Ooh oh oh feelings

A few months ago Aunt Leigha and Ed took the boys to see a Thomas the Train show. Jaxon cried about whatever and Leigha asked him if he was sad because it "hurt his feelings". And suddenly the world made sense to Jaxon.

Over the next few days, we heard countless times about how his "feelings are coming out". We are a no drama home and Don and I cringed every time we had him say it. Finally, I had an idea and I told him "fillings" are given to you by the dentist. Since you boys have never been to the Dr and gotten fillings, you don't have fillings to come out.

A few more times of that twisted logic of making him think he had misunderstood the word by Aunt Leigha and the subject has been closed so long I forgot about it.

But last night Don was home with the boys while I went to my MOM's dinner. Wyatt was over tired and crying.

Wyatt: My my my feelings are coming out.
Don: Where? Where are they coming out?
Wyatt: They, they coming out of my tummy
right there, right... there my tummy.
I got to go drs, my feelings coming out my tummy.


Thanks Aunt Leigha. Thanks so much.

When the world is against you

A couple weeks ago, Don and I were having a hard time with things. WE as a couple were fine, but his work situation was so bad that we were afraid to utter the question "what else could go wrong".

In our faith, we knew we were in good hands, but the rest of the world seemed to be conspiring against us. After a frustrating day of finding out Don had to take anger management classes and also learning he couldn't go to work for an additional 30 days after he had already been off of work for 2 weeks we drove home from my moms house- where we had been the past 8 hours.

As we pulled up to our street, something seemed off. What is that I see? Our front door was wide open. Crap.

Don took Belle out of the car and walked up to the house with her. First thing he noticed was that our bright purple house key chain was hanging from the lock. After his walk through and seeing our camera was still on the table directly next to the door and our tv and other valuables were intact, he gave us the go ahead to come in the house.

When we leave the house who ever grabs the car keys leaves the house key in the house door. Then the last adult out locks the door and brings the key to the car. Apparently we both assumed the other locked and closed up.

We had left our house for about 8-10 hours with the door open and key inside the lock.

We live in a corner house.

So at the very least of it we realized that if the world was indeed against us, our home would have been robbed. With that realization came the conclusion that we knew that Don's work situation was just a load of bad luck -but from that moment forward, the next month could get only as good as we let our outlook on it be.

Don't let them fool you

We were at Costco the other day and within minutes of walking in, the boys started acting up. Usually they all behave (behave is a loose term for acting their age without causing people to stare) but they were being so troublesome that Don and I decided to just put them all in carts that day. We like to nip things in the bud that way.

As Don walked back to the entrance to get a second cart, I lifted Jaxon into the front of my cart. When I turned around, Lucas and Wyatt were doing some cat-baby play thing (they are all meowing at each other lately I am not sure what that is all about). As I took a step towards Wyatt to put him in the back of the cart, Lucas reached out and gave Wyatt a big bear hug. Wyatt returned the hug, so they stood there for about 10 seconds while every retired person within eye shot just stood still and "awww"ed over the boys.

As they were taking turns giving each other lovey hugs, I was dying inside. Who were these children? And why are these people all going ga-ga over the same boys who just TEN SECONDS ago pulling each other to the ground by the backs of their shirts? Who were behaving so badly we had to put them all in a cart in the first time in probably over a year!

Well, for whatever reason, the boys were all lovey dovey the rest of our shopping trip. Many times I looked down in my cart to see them all taking turns giving hugs to the other two. Cute I know, but don't let them fool you!

Offically Summer

The playgrounds have turned on their water features just in time for the 90 degree temperature expected this week! It's summertime!