handsful

We had dinner at Carrabba’s tonight to celebrate R’s birthday :)  SO much food, we brought some home.  Lainey ate all of hers, plus some of my soup, some of Randy’s soup and salad, and some of Abbey’s food.  Gracious. 

We ran out of time tonight, but he’s going to pick out some new leather flip flops for his present (got him the same thing last year, he loves them, but they’re wearing out!).  I also gave him a bag of healthy munchies.  He and I are both cutting back on snacking, but we snack differently.  He loves salty/crunchy…I love sweet/gooey.  Makes it easier on us, we don’t tend to “steal” each others snacks!  Anyway, he was complaining last night of not having healthy or low-fat things to munch on.  Course, I also got him a cream filled canoli at the bakery…it IS his birthday!  

Happy Birthday, Randy!  We all love you from here to the moon and back :)

We finally had Abbey’s 13th birthday party last night…only 11 days AFTER her birthday, but the kids basketball schedule made it impossible until now.  Abbey decided she wanted a roller skating party, so after having pizza at the house, we piled all the kids into our vehicles and headed to the rink! 

Ready to roll, Abbey?  heh heh…

That’s Payton on her left and her friend, Emily, on the right!  The rink last night was crowded and LOUD!  Were these places always this loud, or am I just getting….nahhhh. 

Two more friends and Abs…see Randy and Payton in the background?

Cheese! 

This poor kid got clobbered as she tried to zoom towards the camera!

EJ and Marley were there, too.  It’s scary how alike they look here!

Little one was rocking the night away too (we were there from about 8-9:30).  She loved it…she kept signing “music” and “loud”.  Oh, and she told me/signed “Lainey work” before running over to this video game.  lol!!  When we told her it was finally time to go home, she said no and signed music again.  The girl loves the nightlife. 

Hi, Marley!  (and Ethan in the back)

The whole gang :)  The party went so well, all the girls got along great…(i.e. no teen drama!).  A couple of the girls went home after skating, but the rest came home with us for a sleepover.  After a quick stop-off at McD’s for fries and ice cream and an impromptu game of “Stupid Human Tricks” (you should SEE how freakishly limber Brittany’s fingers are!!!), they settled in for a movie and quieted down around 2-ish (Randy tells me…it’s understood that he always takes the night shift at sleepovers!). 

I’m tired today!  After the girls were picked up from the sleepover, we had a boys basketball game at 11am and then another at 2pm…and EJ had to skip baseball since there was no feasible way to get him there between the other games.  I’m waiting for one of those “nothing scheduled” Saturdays.  Wonder how long I’ll wait? 

Oops…she’s not a teenager here!  This is her 1 year picture.  It took years for her to grow into those cheeks!! 

Here she is in her teenage glory.  Well, actually, this was taken last night when she was STILL 12.  Let’s try this again….

There she is!  Taken today…her daddy surprised her with 13 balloons.  We put them in her room while she was still sleeping :) 

Happy 13th Birthday, Abbey-girl.  Yes, we’re having a hard time believing you’re THIS old.  But, we’re excited about this new journey you’re on and couldn’t be prouder of the young woman you’re becoming.  Love, Mom and Dad. 

I’m a Christmas baby…born a week before Christmas eve. :)  We had a normal day with schooling and such, and then all went out to Chili’s for dinner to celebrate my I’ll-never-tell-rd birthday.  Between ordering and our food, I opened my gifts.  The kids gave me a beautiful silver necklace with a heart.  On the back, it says “Mom has our hearts”.  LOVE it!!  Randy surprised me with a new point-and-shoot camera, a Nikon CoolPix!  It’s tiny enough to fit in my purse, which I’ve been missing.  My old one is just about dead, and there are times when it’s difficult to lug around the wonderful, but big, D-300. 

Surrounded by my blessings, after arriving home from dinner.  Not such a good shot of me, but the kids are cute :) 

Today, Abbey told me she wanted to make a birthday cake for me.  I didn’t help at all, other than dividing the batter into two pans and helping to make the frosting.  It’s beautiful!  Right after I’m done typing, guess what I’m having a slice of? 

No doubt, I’m a blessed woman. 

 

No room for their full names!  Oh, the injustices of being triplets…

With a two-day break from Lainey’s 2nd birthday, we were on to celebrate Marley, Payton, and Ethan’s 10th birthday on 7/7!  We opened presents after lunch, and then waited for Lainey to finish her nap AND for their friends to arrive so we could head to Adventure Landing Waterpark! 

Marley enjoying the half pipe ride.  Looks nice and relaxing, huh?  See her daddy on the same ride, with a wider view…

Yeah, like you could ever get me on this!?  You start out sliding down a REALLY steep hill on the other side.  All the kids (big and little) loved it. 

More my speed.  Lainey and I enjoy the wave pool.  Don’t be jealous of my deep, dark tan. 

Payton looks a little apprehensive here…wonder what this looks like in full view? 

Yowza!  An enclosed waterslide leads straight to this potty-looking contraption, where you go around and around until you fall in the hole at the bottom.  Sign me up…never.  Ethan, on the other hand, looks quite relaxed. 

Time for pizza and cake!  That’s Jon in the background, our good friend (and Emily and Julianna’s dad) who came to help us control the kids! 

Blowing out candles…they consented to only having 10, rather than 30 ;)  That’s E at the head of the table and P with his back to us.  Not our best photo to date. 

It was a great party!  The weather had predicted 70% chance of rain in that area.  It was sunny and beautiful…whew!  I can hardly believe my little preemie babies are 10.  They’re such awesome kids and we’re blessed to be their parents.  Love you, Marls, Pate, and EJ!   

Lainey, on the morning of her 2nd birthday, July 4, 2008.  She was greeted by very smiley parents and the flash of a camera.  She has momma and baby tiger both tucked safely under each arm. 

She was then whisked to the breakfast table for cinnamon muffins and blueberry cream oatmeal.  She loves using her own spoon to feed herself now…we delayed teaching her that prior to surgery, knowing it would only make it more frustrating for her when she couldn’t feed herself.  Clean up is a little more of a challenge, but our dog Jack is happy to help out if I miss something on the floor. 

Every birthday girl has to look her best for cake and presents, so we gave her a relaxing bath.  Don’t worry, pouring water over her head is her favorite part of the bath…she asks for “mo” (more!) over and over. 

Dressed and hair-bowed, she was ready for some presents!  Here’s something I bet you’ve never heard of…a two year old who is compelled to throw away, in the trash can, every single piece of paper that she pulls off the present.  We ended up bringing a trashcan in the room, to speed things up! 

Lainey do you like your new cozy coupe car?  I think she does.  We also got her a tricycle with a handle that we can turn to help her steer (great find at a consignment shop, actually!), a toddler computer toy, a Lainey-sized patio chair, and a shape sorter. 

She tried very hard to blow out her candles, but she just hasn’t mastered blowing through her mouth yet.  She either ends up blowing through her nose or sputtering through her mouth.  She’ll get it eventually, until then big sister Abbey helped her blow them out. 

She began tasting her cake, very daintily.  You can’t see it, but her bib is embroidered with “Lainey” under the cupcake.  A wonderful, online friend surprised us with her handiwork last week.  Thank you again, Kelly! 

Then, she started to enjoy herself. 

She usually hates to get her hands messy, but she made an exception…just this time. 

Switching gears to July 4th…we all dressed up and went to Jon and Anne’s house for a cook-out.  Despite Lainey missing her nap, she had a blast.  She kept Randy in the pool for over an hour, we had to get her out by promising her food!  Even though it was only her 3rd time ever in a pool, she was jumping in forwards AND backwards and the higher Randy tossed her the more she laughed.  She had the whole crowd smiling. 

Happy Birthday, Lainey.  We love you more than we thought possible.  God has given us a gift we are so unworthy of…you.  If only we could let your birthmother know how much you are loved.