Slow Down Please

With three babies in the house, I feel like every time I sit down to write a new post, there are so many changes. While they are officially 9 months old now, they are all wearing 12 month clothes (and even some 18 month ones). I literally am boxing up things that no longer fit each and every week. We have now completely filled more than four large plastic tubs! Can you say, "SLOW DOWN PLEASE?" We measured each one the other night and found them to be as we expected....HUGE.

Taerik 

20 pounds (58th percentile)

29,5 inches (92nd percentile)

Drake

19 pounds (40th percentile)

29.5 inches (92nd percentile)

Keira

20 pounds (80th percentile)

28 inches (68th percentile)

One would never know that these little guys were once four pound preemies! Praise the Lord!!! They are also hitting many new developmental milestones. All three are holding their own bottles! Can you shout, "PRAISE THE LORD!"? This has truly transformed my life. 

Also, Drake started clapping this week and.....wait for it.....Taerik and Keira became mobile. While the little man seems to always move in reverse, he does seem to get where he wants to go. And Keira...well, she has perfected the army crawl. 

With this new found mobility, have also come several new pieces of home decor. Yup, I have officially sectioned off the kitchen and dining room and blocked off the stairs. This helps tremendously with both cooking and home schooling. 

We also stand ready with their new car seats, though I just keep hoping I can squeeze them into their infant seats through the winter weather. It just makes transportation so much easier. With the new car seats comes a new stroller, too. Good thing we found a great deal on this at a consignment sale, because, after a test run at the zoo this past weekend, we quickly realized they won't fit in this one very long either. 

  

We just have so much to be thankful for! Here are a few examples:

1. God's abundant provisions for all these many baby items

2. A spectacular diaper deal this past week that landed us 400 diapers at $0.09 each

3. A van door that stopped working and appeared to be a costly repair miraculously revived itself after a certain six year old boy left a car light on all night, completely draining the battery and apparently resetting the door mechanism. 

4. Gorgeous weather this week

5. Our first date night in 9 months when a sweet church family offered to babysit!!! We have got to do this more often!

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing...and clothed me with gladness."

(Psalm 30:11)

Holiday Memories

Our family spent a lovely 8 days in Minnesota and Wisconsin this past Christmas visiting family on both sides. We have finally crawled out from all the luggage and laundry and are able to reflect on some wonderful memories.

December 24 was spent with Rob's family in Coon Rapids, MN.After some wonderful food and fellowship, we ended the day with great-grandma and grandpa singing carols and reading the Christmas story.

December 25 began with a morning swim with the cousins in the hotel pool and a few more attempts at family pictures. Then, we loaded up the luggage and headed off to be with my side of the family in the greater Minneapolis area. While packing, Griffen said to me, "Mom, we have 29 bags. As long as you count 29, we have everything." My, how life has changed!

Do you see how hard I try??? Along with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, we had a special visitor on Christmas Day. Eli the Elf came to deliver bags of goodies for all. 

Christmas evening, we all went to visit my grandma in the hospital. We sang carols and prayed with her. Though her memory has faded tremendously due to Alzheimer's, she asked several times to see the triplets. So glad she finally got to meet them!

Next, we headed east to Eau Claire, WI where we spent several days with my sister and her family. Besides just hanging out with family, a children's museum and nightly rounds of Monopoly Deal, Rook, and Scrabble proved to be the highlights of this leg of our journey. 

December 29 we left Wisconsin and headed west to New Ulm, MN to be with Rob's parents and sister. On the way, we took a day to do a little shopping as a family at the Mall of America. 

New Ulm greeted us with more presents, more snow, and more family! 

On January 2, we once again packed up our 29 bags and said our good-bye's. One stop to fill up on gas reminded us that we were not in Kansas anymore when the washer fluid bucket was frozen solid. 

With every yearly Christmas card I write, I am reminded of how quickly life passes by. James 4:14 rings so true this time of year - "What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." From the tiny baby to the great-grandparents - we are reminded that our days are numbered. This serves as great motivation to serve God more fully this 2015! 

In closing, here's a little New Years greeting from Taerik,