Weir Family

Tree Planting

2009-05-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Recently my sister called to tell us that she and her husband were getting some trees for their yard from a local tree farm. She said that the trees were good sized and wondered if we wanted any for our yard. She said that they would have their flat bed truck and would be happy to throw some extras on if we wanted any. Jason and I have lived in our house for 2 1/2 years now and had yet to plant a tree. We've worried about putting anything in the back yard, for fear that it wouldn't survive the "kid zone." But we decided to get one for the front yard.

Jason and Brent went to the tree farm and had the trees loaded onto Brent's truck. We all gathered in our front yard to watch the planting process, hoping that the large tree could be moved to it's new home without incident or injury. While we waited for the festivities to begin, Nathan was sitting on the grass with Uncle Brent who happens to be one of Nathan's very favorite people. Brent picked a dandelion and said, "Momma had a baby and it's head popped off!" With that he flicked the flower off the dandelion and Nathan laughed so hard he couldn't even breathe. Brent did it a few more times and Nathan laughed just as hard each time. He had us all laughing with him.
Jason and Brent made a ramp off of Brent's truck into the wheelbarrow. They slid the tree into the wheelbarrow while Suzanne and I sat on the handles and hoped that nothing tipped over. All worked as planned and the tree was moved across the grass to the desired location.

Jason and Brent dug the hole, with help of course...

while Mom and Suzanne watched and gave directions. Here is a picture of Lauren with Aunt Suzanne.

When the work was all finished, everyone was happy. The kids were so excited to have a new tree and were fascinated with planting it. Landon stood back, looking at the tree and said, "I want to help put leaves on it, Mom." We all laughed. How silly of us!! We thought we had finished the job but we had not yet put the leaves on it. :) Always the thinker, Landon was there to remind us of what still needed to be done.

We tried to explain how leaves form on a tree and I couldn't believe how hard this was to explain to a 4-year-old. We take things like this for granted and forget that life is a learning process. It's so great to have kids around to give us perspective, isn't it?

Nathan, Lauren and Landon

Our New Sandbox

2009-05-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Jason decided to build the kids a sandbox. He bought the wood and sand, and on a sunny day, decided to put it together. As usual, Landon was a great little helper and loved building it with Daddy.

When the project was complete all of the kids jumped in. It was cool and windy so they had to wear coats and gloves, but that didn't stop the fun. They were so engrossed that I couldn't get any of them to look at the camera for a photo. Some things are just way more important than getting your picture taken, don't you think?

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Mother's Day a couple of weeks ago and I had to post some cute pics. We went to church that day and then traveled to Pocatello. We spent some time with Jason's mom and then went to my parents' house to have dinner with my family. It was a wonderful day and we're so blessed to have such awesome mothers and grandmothers in our lives. We love you Mom and Chris!!

My 3 Angels-Lauren, Nathan and Landon

Mother's Day with Jason's Mom

Mother's Day with Melanie's Mom

The Triplets are 4!!

2009-03-01T18:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day at our house. Lauren, Landon and Nathan had their 4th birthday party!! The week was full of anticipation and the kids couldn't wait for the big day to finally get here.

A few weeks ago we began discussing a party theme. We've had Elmo and Mickey Mouse in the past and the kids were having difficulty agreeing on one theme this year. Lauren was convinced that she should have a "girl" party and of course, Landon and Nathan wanted a "boy" party. Finally the kids decided that they each should have their own theme. As I thought about it, I agreed. Other kids, who don't share a birthday with a sibling, get to choose their own theme. Why should our kids be any different? So I ordered Thomas the Train plates and invitations for Nathan, Diego plates and invitations for Landon and Barbie plates and invitations for Lauren.

About a week ago we completed the 3 sets of invitations. The kids colored them while I wrote all of the details about the party. We then put 3 invitations in each envelope and mailed them off. The countdown was on and every day we were asked multiple times if we could have the birthday party that day.

The party was a big hit with many of our family members here to celebrate. The kids were spoiled with wonderful gifts and more fun than they could have even imagined.

Here are a few photos...

Nathan started the day wearing one shirt, but had to change immediately when he received a t-shirt with the Madagascar movie characters on it. Here he is opening this gift. When he saw it he said, "It's a move it, move it shirt! I want to wear it." And he did. :)

This past Christmas Lauren received a box of several princess dress up outfits. The boys have tried them on occasionally, but when Jason is home he promptly reminds them that they are wearing girl clothes. The boys don't like this idea very much. Aunt Suzanne found these cute fireman and policeman costumes and gave them to the boys yesterday. They are loving them and are happy to have "boy" dress up clothes of their own. Here is Landon in his fireman outfit.

Here is Nathan in his policeman outfit. It came with handcuffs and Lauren told Jason that she wanted to wear them today. Boy was she surprised when she found out how they worked. She came to me in tears asking me to take them off. Jason was giggling in the background. How mean!! Let's hope she remembers this lesson throughout her life.

Lauren couldn't resist her turn and here she is all decked out with Aunt Suzanne (my sister-can you tell?).

Here is Lauren in one of her new necklaces. She's collected several pieces of jewelry now and was happy with her new jewelry box so she can keep it all in one place. With a "jewelry lady" for a mom, she has to love jewelry, right?

Here we are enjoying our lunch. Pictured here are Jason, my sister Suzanne, Jason's grandma, Jason's mom, Jason's brother Ryan and Jason's uncle Pete.

I thought this picture of Landon summed up the day nicely. This is how he looked all day long.

Thanks to all of our family for coming and making this such a memorable day for the kids. I still can't believe I'm the mother of 4-year-olds!! They are such a wonderful blessing to us and we feel so grateful to have them in our lives. We're looking forward to another adventurous year and lots more fun in the very near future.

"Mommy, I have a joke!"

2009-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Today I was getting Landon dressed and he started laughing. Then he said, "Mommy, I have a joke." He was laughing so hard he could barely tell it. I had him tell it again for all of you to hear...

I asked Jason if he had taught this joke to Landon and he said he did not. We're not certain what t.v. show he got this from but I think it's quite funny. Do you really think a 3-year-old gets this joke? Landon sure seems to...

Rock Stars in Training

2009-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Lately our kids have really been in to giving concerts. They all choose an instrument and sing songs. It's super cute and I thought I'd treat you to a concert of your own. Nathan was at school so he didn't attend today's performance. I'll try to capture a song from the entire band very soon. :)

Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for Lauren and Landon Weir performing the ever-popular "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!"

Our First Tumbling Meet

2009-01-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

Today was an exciting day in our family. Lauren and Landon competed in their very first tumbling meet. It was a "just for fun" meet with the other kids (3 and 4 year olds) in their weekly class. Each student presented their routine one at a time while the other kids and parents watched. It was extra special for the kids because Daddy got to come and see them perform. Lauren and Landon each completed a balance beam pass, a trampoline pass and two floor passes. The meet was complete with judges and score cards and participation ribbons were given to each child at the end.

While we are a long way from earning Olympic gold, I must say that this mommy is VERY proud. Lauren is typically shy during her weekly classes and often won't participate in some of the activities. She'd rather be by Mommy and is a bit nervous to venture out on her own. Well, today she amazed me!! She completed all four of the required passes with minimal assistance from her teacher. She likes the balance beam the best. Here is what is looked like.

Landon's tumbling participation, on the other hand, is oustanding. He loves every minute of his class and asks almost every day when he can go again. Landon has some difficulty with coordination (maybe because he's a boy?) but he is extremely persistent. He must have fallen off the balance beam at least 25 times during his routine today, but he never got frustrated or wanted to quit. He just kept getting back on and going forward until he was completely finished. Landon doesn't seem to have a favorite area but here is a sampling of one of his floor passes.

It's days like this that make me realize my babies are really growing up. I have mixed emotions about this as I'm sure that all mothers do. While I'll miss some of the baby things, I must admit that this bigger kid stuff is really great. I'm so proud of Lauren and Landon. Thanks to their teacher, CeLes for allowing them to participate in this great opportunity.

We love sledding!!

2009-01-10T16:10:00.001-08:00

The day after Christmas we went sledding with Jason's sister's family and Jason's parents. One thing that's lacking in south-central Idaho is a good sledding hill. We were excited for the adventure and the kids couldn't wait. Well, the hill we chose was humongous and I wasn't about to let my precious little ones brave it alone. So I proceeded to ride with them each time down the hill. The problem arose when I tried to climb up the very steep hill with our sled and a toddler in tow. You see, I'm getting older and I'm not in very good shape. Whew! Thanks to Grandpa Gordon, Uncle Mitch and Josh and Lucas for helping us all back up the hill. We had a REALLY fun time and can't wait to go again.

Here is Grandpa Gordon pulling Landon and baby Jacob (age 1) around in the sled. Baby Jacob is a big boy and weighs as much as 3-year-old Landon. When Jacob leaned back I thought Landon would fall out of the sled. But he held on and they both enjoyed the ride.

Nathan making a snow angel.

Lauren and Jason

After sledding we all went to Jason's parents' house for a pizza. Here are all 8 of Chris' grandkids enjoying their pizza. They range in age from 1 to 7 and have lots of fun together.

Family Christmas Fun

2009-01-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve morning we went to Jason's sister's house. We had a yummy brunch and we all ate too much. We had a great time visiting together and it was fun to have Jason's brother-in-law back from Iraq with us. Welcome home Mitch!!

The kids were finally able to open a couple of presents from Grandma and Grandpa Crystal and their cousins. They LOVED their sleeping bags from Grandma and Grandpa.
Nathan put his to use later that day when he took a nap in it. He thought it seemed like the perfect place and he looked very comfy.

Christmas Eve night we went to Jason's parents' house. Once again we ate yummy food and enjoyed visiting together. We are blessed with a fabulous family and I can't think of a better place to spend the holidays. Family is truly what it's all about, isn't it?

On Christmas morning the kids slept in. It was so nice as we were up late being "Santa's helpers." After they awoke they didn't even remember that it was Christmas. We turned on a kids show for them while all of the adults took a few minutes to comb their hair and brush their teeth. When we were all ready I asked the kids if they thought Santa had come. They immediately headed for Mom and Dad's living room. They loved what Santa had brought and were so excited to see it all. Here are a few photos...

This is Landon with his new t-rex. Behind him is his new piano, complete with working microphone. Here is Nathan with his new tool bench and his pirate ship. I think he liked the cell phone that came with the bench the very best.

Here is princess Lauren in one of the many princess outfits that she now owns. She loves her magic wand and her princess shoes. She modeled each of the outfits for us throughout the day and made certain to check herself out in the mirror each time.

Our Christmas was so much fun! My sister pointed out how good the kids were. There was no crying or fighting this year and they played nicely in the living room all day. We enjoyed being together and know that we are so blessed. We hope your Christmas was as filled with love as ours was. Thanks to Mom and Dad and Suzanne and Brent for being with us. We love you all!!

More Holiday Fun

2009-01-10T15:21:00.001-08:00

Last year we found the best Christmas light display I have ever seen! It's at a private residence about 45 minutes from where we live. This year we decided to make the trip again to see this incredible show.

We loaded the kids into the car and brought all their cold weather gear because it was a cold and windy night. Everyone was anxious to see the lights and to feed carrots to the real live camel.

This photo shows the kids enjoying the lights. Lauren really did like them, but in this photo she had just seen the "real" Santa Clause and she was worried we'd make her sit on his lap again.

We walked through the lights first and then stopped to see the camel. We didn't get to feed it carrots this year because they had a sign saying the camel was not feeling well. I have a feeling it has something to do with all of the candy canes that Santa was giving to the thousands of kids who had come to visit. After looking at the camel and explaining that we couldn't touch it we got back into the car and drove through the light display. We just couldn't get enough. If you live in south-central Idaho this is one Christmas tradition you don't want to miss!

Another fun project that we took on this year was to build a gingerbread house. My sister had a gingerbread house kit that she gave to us. She ate a few gum drops before she gave it to us but luckily we still had plenty. Whew!

Jason was the foreman on the project. He used the sticky icing to build the house and get it all set up. Nathan was a fabulous apprentice and watched his every move.

The kids and I were the decorators. Lauren and Landon put TONS of candy on the house and the trees. Nathan put a few pieces of candy on and then ate the rest. (I think he takes after his mom.) Check out all of the candy that he has stored in his right cheek.

The house turned out beautifully and it stayed on our kitchen counter until, after a few days, all of the candy was missing. Thanks to Suzanne for giving us this fun idea to do with our kids. I think we'll do this every year.

Our Christmas Season

2009-01-10T14:46:00.001-08:00

This year Chistmas was so much fun for our family. While we busied ourselves with many holiday activities we tried to help our kids know of the true meaning of Christmas. I think (I hope) that if you asked them why we celebrate Christmas they could give you the correct answer-to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus.

We started December by putting up our Christmas tree. For the past two years our tree has had a baby gate surrounding it. This year I decided that the kids were old enough to understand "don't touch the Christmas tree." They helped put the decorations on and we put all of the fragile ones at the top. I knew I needed to take a picture of the tree as soon as it was finished because it may not look very good after a few days of them rearranging things or tipping the whole thing over. So here they are looking very proud.

I'm proud to report that we only had two broken ornaments and not once was the tree toppled. The ornaments were easily fixed with a little glue and all is well. We did not attempt to put presents under the tree as this would be way too much of a temptation. We'll try adding this feature next year and see how it goes.

Next we went to our local Festival of Trees. Jason coached the kids in advance and told them that Santa would likely be there to see them. He had them each practice asking Santa for what they wanted for Christmas.

Nathan was the first to approach or to be pushed to approach Santa. When Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas he said, "A peanut." Jason thought this was hilarious because it was just what he had told Nathan to tell Santa. After Nathan made his request we attempted to get him to sit on Santa's lap for a photo. Needless to say, Nathan wasn't really in to this idea. He had made his request and just wanted to get out of there. Poor Santa!!
Lauren was the next to approach Santa. She really wanted the candy cane that he offered but had no interest in getting any closer than she absolutely had to. She refused to speak when Santa asked what she wanted for Christmas. The photo op speaks for itself. Lauren had her candy cane and thought the rest of the show was completely ridiculous. I think this is so funny and so typical of Lauren. The last little Weir to see Santa was our little social bug Landon. He didn't want to go first or second, but when his turn came he wanted to make the most of it. He walked right up and sat on Santa's lap. When asked what he wanted he very clearly stated, "A T- Rex!" As always, he smiled and posed perfectly for the camera.

Now for the rest of the t-rex story...
Landon had seen a t-rex at Target in the toy department. He was afraid of it at the time but then decided, after seeing commericials for it on television, that he had to have one. When Jason and I went to Target to get one we found out that it was not only sold out but that it was $129. This was a little steep for our budget. So we searched and searched to find another remote control t-rex that would suffice. There was none to be found in all of south-central Idaho.

Jason finally found something on the Internet. He thought it looked a little scary but it was remote control and it cost $30. We thought we were in business. The kicker was that it was just a few days before Christmas when he found it and he ended up paying $20 for expedited shipping. Oh well, parents do things like this to make their little ones happy sometimes, don't they?

Landon continued talking about the t-rex. Any time anyone asked him what he wanted for Christmas he always replied, "A t-rex." He was stuck on this toy and there was no changing his mind. Boy was I glad we had found one and that it was on it's way.

Well, the day came for us to leave to go my parents' house and the darn t-rex still hadn't arrived. I couldn't believe it!! My sister was leaving the next day and planned to stop by our house to see if the t-rex was waiting on our doorstep so she could bring it with her to my parents' house. It was Christmas eve day and the vendor had promised delivery before Christmas if we paid the extra shipping. My sister stopped by and there was no t-rex. The whole family was concerned about this silly toy at this point. Part of me was saying, "We don't always get what we want and it's a good lesson to teach your kids." The other part of me (the part that was going to win) was saying, "He's too young to learn this lesson! This is the first toy he's ever asked Santa for and I refuse to let him down!" If the t-rex didn't come I was headed to the store to find something that looked like a remote control t-rex.

So my sister ran a couple of errands, had lunch and came back by our house. Guess what??? The t-rex was there!!! Thank you, thank you Mr. UPS man!!! (Was it you Dan?)

The story ends like this...On Christmas morning the kids ran upstairs into my parents' living room. Landon was the first to enter. The first words uttered by any child came from Landon. He said, "My t-rex!" Then he ran straight to it.

What can I say? It made all of the headache and hassle worthwhile.

Jason's Birthday

2009-01-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

About a month ago Jason had a birthday. The kids were so excited about it that they decided they would throw him a surprise party. They helped me wrap Jason's presents and the boys hid them in their room behind their locked door. We located party hats and balloons in our party supply box. We bought an ice cream birthday cake (Daddy's favorite) and waited for Jason to get home.

When Jason went to the bedroom to change his clothes after work the kids sprang into action. They ran to the boys' bedroom to retrieve the presents. Then they placed them carefully in the family room where the party was to take place. Then they quickly donned their hats, placed their balloons and waited for Jason to come out from the bedroom. They could hardly wait!!! As soon as he came out they yelled, "Surprise!!!" Jason acted as surprised as he could and the kids loved every minute of it.

The kids couldn't wait for Daddy to open his presents, so...
they did it for him!!! If I didn't actually know it was REALLY Jason's birthday I would have assumed it was Lauren, Landon and Nathan's birthday. Where is Jason's hat, anyway??

Next came the birthday cake. Can you guess who blew out the candles?? Well, actually Jason got to do the honors on this one. We all enjoyed cake and Landon made certain to eat around all of the chocolate ice cream as he thinks chocolate is yucky. I wish I had this problem...

Our New Addition

2008-11-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

O.K., O.K., don't get too carried away...It's not a baby or a pet. It's a NEW SHED/SHOP!!! I am privileged to be married to a very handy guy. The downside of the arrangement is that he comes well equipped with enough tools to fill our entire garage. I've refused to give up my indoor parking spot but will have a little more room now that we've constructed this new addition. Jason has big plans for his little space and is very protective of it. Every time I suggest something that could be placed inside of it, I am quickly reminded that I'm treading on his turf.

This project has been ongoing since we moved into our house. We started with the concrete slab. Then Jason and his step-dad built the structure (thanks to much, Gordon). Then Jason insulated it. And we finally hired someone to put the siding on a few weeks ago. I think it looks great and love that it matches our house.

Hmmmm...What should our next project be?

Nathan's Big Surprise

2008-11-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today we were driving in the van, when all of the sudden Nathan started reciting something that I'm sure you'll all recognize. I couldn't believe my ears!!! I had him say it a couple of times to make certain that it wasn't a fluke. Turn the sound on your computer way up so that you can hear what he has to say.

Nathan learned this at school. It's one of the many things that he's amazed us with since starting school. Thanks to all of his WONDERFUL teachers for teaching him so many things. He's one of the smartest 3-year-olds that I've ever met. Yes, I am biased. What can I say. Yeah Nathan!!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T14:45:00.001-08:00

Halloween was VERY exciting at our house this year. Our kids were really into all of the decorations, costumes and CANDY!!!!

We started a new tradition in our family. Jason's sister Jody had these really fun face parts (eyes, ears, lips, etc.) that you just poke into the pumpkin. She found them at Walmart for $3.50 a box and used them with her kids. When I saw them I nearly jumped for joy!!! You see, the thoughts of three 3-year-olds with knives for carving pumpkins was just too much for this mother. I love my children and I love that they have all of their digits. Thankfully, we have them all still intact and had darling pumpkins as well. Nathan especially loved that the nose that he chose for his pumkin had a big green booger hanging out of it. Why are boys so gross??!!

Our super cute and 100% safe pumpkins!!

Nathan's pumpkin-Can you see the booger?

Landon's doggie pumpkin-so cute!!

Lauren's crazy pumpkin.

For Halloween this year I decided that the kids would all be penguins. I found the cutest costumes on the Internet and just couldn't resist. Landon really wanted to be Spiderman or a skeleton but I wanted them to all match one more year. First we were dalmation puppies, then we were clowns, then we were pirates and this year we were penguins. From now forward I vow to let my children choose their own costumes.

Our Happy Feet-Lauren, Nathan and Landon-Aren't they cute?

Our ward had a fun Harvest Dinner followed by the annual Trunk or Treat. Last year the kids were still little and I kept them in the triple stroller by the back of our van. They were content to watch all of the trick-or-treaters pass by. Never once did they question why they weren't trick-or-treating or why they weren't getting any candy. It was fabulous!! Besides, I really didn't want them getting/eating all of that candy. But...I knew there was no way that I would get away with that this year. So here is a photo of Jason and the 3 penguins trick-or-treating at Trunk-or-Treat. It was super fun. At the end Nathan had both hands full of candy bars. He said to me, "Are these candy bars?" When I said that they were he cheerfully exclaimed, "I love candy bars!!" This is true. He does love candy bars. Nathan and Lauren LOVE chocolate like their Mommy. Landon detests chocolate but is a huge fan of taffy and starbursts. I think we got more than enough candy to please all 3 of them-and Mom and Dad too!!

Here is Jason's Jamaican-inspired costume. The nice ladies that he works with always call him "Boss Man." We found a fun Jamaican twist to the term on this t-shirt and purchased the hat and dreds to go with it. He said that everyone liked the costume but the hair was a bit itchy. He also wondered what the hair was actually made from. I'm sure we don't want to know, but I thought he looked really great.

A Dream Vacation...Yeah Mon

2008-10-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

O.K., I'll admit I've been a very neglectful blogger... While I won't bore you with the details, let's just say our lives have been EXTREMELY CRAZY (but really fun) lately.

We managed to squeeze in a fabulous trip to Jamaica a couple of weeks ago. Many of you know that Jason and I have a side business called Premier Blind and Shutter. We spend evenings and weekends on this business and it's lots of fun. Well, Jason worked so hard the past few months that he was able to earn a trip to Jamaica at an all-inclusive Sandals resort. Lucky for us, Jason's brother, who sells blinds and shutters with us, earned a trip for him and his wife as well.

So the four of us left from the Pocatello airport at 7:00 PM. We arrived in Jamaica the next afternoon around 2:00 PM and took a 2 hour bus ride from the Montego Bay airport to the resort. We were extremely tired after the plane rides and long layovers, but the island was so beautiful that I couldn't sleep through the bus ride. Traveling by car or bus there is crazy and I felt so fortunate to have made it through alive. I was also surprised by the many, many goats running around everywhere. The foliage was beautiful and thick and very tropical, as you might imagine.

Jamaica is a relatively poor country and it was humbling to see the dwellings built from scrap metal all along the highway. It made me realize, once again, how fortunate I am to live in this fabulous country. I can't ever remember seeing a house built from scrap metal in the United States. I'm sure they probably exist somewhere, but I have never seen one. These little homes were a stark contrast with the very nice, very large British-Colonial style homes built just above them on the hill. Everywhere we went there were men all along the highway holding up fruits and stringers full of fish (mainly Snapper), trying to sell them to the passers-by. One taxi driver told us that a minimum wage job there paid about the equivalent of 60 U.S. Dollars per week. Wow!!! Even with their meager financial circumstances, the Jamaican people that we met were the happiest people ever!! I've never seen such beautiful smiles and they sing everywhere they go. They truly believe in their ever-popular saying, "No problem." We heard this over and over and it was always accompanied with a gigantic smile.

We heard tons of reggae music and I have a new appreciation for Bob Marley, although I didn't make it to the Bob Marley Hall of Fame. (Darn! Maybe next time.) Jason and Ryan were approached several times by "farmers" who were eager to share their "crops" for a small fee. :) I joked with Jason that we could have smoked our way across the entire island. Is this why they're so happy?

After arriving the first day, we took a short nap and got ready for dinner. The resort had the largest and nicest swimming pool that I had ever seen and dinner was held around the pool. It was buffet style and the food was delicious. The resort employees were all shocked when none of us ordered alcoholic drinks with our dinners. The booze is all free and they kept telling us, "You're in Jamaica, Mon!" We even had one kid ask us if we were Christian. When we told him that we were he said, "Oh, I want to be just like you guys when I grow up." My brother-in-law quickly offered to have missionaries come to visit but the Jamaican just laughed. I don't think he's quite ready to give up his rum, which is the drink of choice there.

The next day we took a taxi to the famous Dunn's River Falls. With a group of about 25 people we climbed over 900 feet up a beautiful waterfall. The guides were fantastic, telling us just where to step and when to step up or down. The entire group holds hands in a line for the climb. At first I thought it would make it more difficult, but as we climbed I could see that we all were able to help each other as we went along. We were told that these guides go up the falls every morning with a wire brush to scrub all of the slippery algae off of the rocks to make it safer for everyone.

The next day we spent some time on the beautiful beach. The weather was fantastic with lots of humidity, that I actually found very comfortable. I especially liked the chirping (is that the right word? Probably not.) of the frogs at night. It sounded similar to our crickets (hence the use of the word "chirp"), only the frogs seemed to be much more pervasive. It was a beautiful sound. We rode water trikes, ocean kayaks and Hobie Kat sailboats, all of which were loads of fun.

In the evenings there was plenty of entertainment provided by the resort. We really enjoyed the staff and guest talent show, the couples gameshow and the awesome steel drum band. Jason has always been a huge fan of steel drums. (I know someday we're going to own some-where on earth will we put them? They're huge!) The drummers were amazingly talented but their dance group was unbelievable. I've never seen such high spirited dancing go on for so long. It was unforgettable! No wonder the Jamiacan people are so thin and so fast. (Hussein Bolt is really idolized there, as you can imagine.)

The last night we attended a really nice farewell party on the beach. It was decorated beautifully and the food was delicious. We enjoyed lobster, conch, snapper and every other thing you could possibly think of, even macaroni and cheese. Jason drank coconut milk from a fresh coconut, but said it wasn't very good. And, of course, the fruit was amazing.

The trip was super busy and loads of fun. We tried to spend all of our free moments at either the beach or at one of the beautiful swimming pools. It was a great trip but we couldn't have gone without the help of my Mom and sister who came to stay with our kids. I missed them terribly and got teary when I told them goodbye. But when I got home it didn't seem like they had even missed me. Ha!! I'm sure this just means that they were very well taken care of. I know they had lots of fun with Grandma and Aunt Suzy! Thanks to the both of them. We could never have enjoyed this opportunity without them.

The Weirs-Jason, Melanie, Nichole and Ryan

Yeah, Mon!!

Back To School...Already!

2008-08-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nathan started back to school this week. Where has the summer gone? For those of you that don't know, Nathan attends Special Needs Pre-School at our local elementary school. He qualifies for this wonderful program because he utilizes a walker and has gross motor delays. Last spring Nathan attended the school 3 days a week for a few weeks until summer came. He really liked going, especially riding the bus, and I thought the program and the therapy that he received at school were very beneficial. This year he'll go to the school 5 mornings a week and will receive all of his therapy at school.

For a few weeks before school started we reminded him that he'd be going to school soon. We talked about riding the bus, seeing his teachers and his friends and learning new things. We talked it up as often as we could. I hoped that on the first day Nathan would be ready to go with no nervousness or sadness. Well, it worked!!! On Wednesday morning I got him up, fed him breakfast and got him dressed in his new school clothes. He looked so handsome!! When it came time to meet the bus he said goodbye to Lauren and Landon and told them he'd see them after school. He was happy to see his friendly bus drivers and didn't show the least bit of sadness when he got on the bus.

I'm so proud of Nathan and all that he has accomplished this summer. He's a very smart, very determined and very funny little boy. I often say that he's a pleasure to parent. While it's difficult to let him go to school, I'm convinced that this extra help will be for his benefit. His school therapists are wonderful and are determined to help him build strength and balance. We hope that one day soon Nathan will take off walking and leave his walker in the dust. Won't that be exciting??!!

Big Smiles For School

To keep him safe, Nathan utilizes his "ride" for the bus ride. Once he gets to school he uses his walker (we call it his "wheels") and his "ride" is put away. Go Nathan!!!

Swimming Lessons

2008-08-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

This week our kids started a two week session of swimming lessons. It's a "Mommy and Me" swimming class and each little person needs a big person to help them in the class. For this reason I've had Jason and some of my Young Women from church helping me. The boys are absolutely loving the lessons. They like to kick their legs, float on their backs and are O.K. with having their head under water for a brief moment. Nathan especially likes it and said to me recently, "Mommy, I'm a good swimmer." Lauren, however, is another story...

The first night the teacher asked if we could all dunk under water. I used my funnest, happiest voice to convince Lauren that it would be O.K. and then put her head under water. Well, she FREAKED!!! She started cyring and hanging on super tight to my neck and saying she wanted to get out. I promised her that I wouldn't do it again, but my promises were in vain. Jason tried working with her. He reassured her and told her that he'd hang on tight to her. She endured the 1/2 hour class and was relieved to finally be out of the pool. Then, as she was walking on the concrete around the pool, she tripped and fell and skinned her knee and ankle. The tears started all over again. Needless to say, I think I've ruined Lauren in regards to swimming. The next night she stayed in the pool for about 3 minutes and spent the rest of the class sitting in a chair a safe distance from the pool. We'll hope that tonight is better for her...

Shalissa, Landon and Sydney

Jason and Lauren-The smile on her face was very brief.

Nathan and Sydney

A big THANK YOU to all of the girls who have helped us with this. They have been wonderful and our kids love having them come to swim with us. We couldn't give our kids this opportunity without their help.

A Very Fun Weekend

2008-08-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our family took a trip to Boise for Jason's cousin's wedding. It was a fun event and we enjoyed visiting with Uncle Pete and the Weir family. As always, there were lots of laughs and funny things that happened. The Weir family is a fun and funny bunch and we always enjoy getting together with them. Congratulations Mary and Rocky!!!

Uncle Pete, Mary and Rocky

The kids thought the wedding was O.K., but they loved staying at the hotel and eating at restaurants. They especially loved our trip to the Boise zoo and even tolerated a little bit of shopping at the Outlet Mall.

Landon, Nathan, Lauren and some of their penguin friends.

The zoo was fantastic with great monkey and penguin exhibits. The kids really liked watching the penguins swim. The way the exhibit is set up you can stand inside and see their little feet kicking under water. Our little ones were fascinated and are still talking about seeing the penguins. It was a very fun weekend for our family.

Sooooo Tired

2008-08-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

This week the kids have all had a little bit of a cold. It hasn't slowed them down much but they've been a little tired and had runny noses.

Yesterday I was busy doing chores and could hear Nathan saying, "I want you Mommy." When I asked him what he needed he said, "Put me on the couch." I told him that I was busy and that he was a big boy and could get on the couch by himself. A few minutes later when I walked past the couch, this is what I saw.

I couldn't believe he had actually fallen asleep like this! I guess he really did need my help getting on the couch. He was just too sleepy to make it all the way by himself. Poor little guy!

To the mountains!!!

2008-07-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

This week we enjoyed 4 days of camping for Jason's annual family reunion. We all had a wonderful time and I can't remember the last time I was able to relax for that many days in a row. With no washing machine, no house to clean, no lawn to mow, and the shared meals, it truly was a break for me. The kids played long and hard each day and stayed up late at night. I think they're still trying to recover.

We started each morning with a yummy breakfast together. We ate pancakes, eggs, sausage and bacon. (I'll probably have to call my cardiologist to have my cholesterol meds increased.) Then we enjoyed mountain golf, 4 wheeler rides, art projects, playing in the dirt, eating more yummy food, playing in the dirt, fly fishing (with little success), eating more yummy food, playing in more dirt, fighting with the kids to get them to sleep, and a nighttime campfire with marshmallows, conversation, laughs and mosquitos. Here are a few photos...

Here is Jason panning for gold. Lauren thinks she sees something, but unfortunately riches were not found and Jason will be returning to work at the hospital on Monday.

Jason and Landon on the 4 Wheeler. Landon loves motorcycles and 4 wheelers and couldn't wait to ride.

Landon shucking corn with the "big boys." Landon followed them everywhere and was sure he was as big as they were. They were very tolerant and included him every time they could.

Would you believe that Jason put her on kicking and screaming? He said she calmed down as soon as he took off and she returned with a beautiful handful of wildflowers for mommy. (Later Jason informed me that picking wildflowers is illegal. Oops!)

Lauren playing a round of mountain golf. This has become an annual tradition enjoyed by all. It was started by Grandpa Gordon who couldn't give up his almost-daily golf game during family reunion week.

Nathan eating one of the yummy meals that we had. Why does camping always mean eating? Anyway, as you can see, he thoroughly enjoyed his chocolate chip cookie.

Landon and his buddy Jerratt. Jerratt is Jason's cousin Tami's son. Thanks to Jerratt and his brother Justin for taking such an interest in our kids. They kept them entertained for hours and are such awesome kids!

Lauren coloring a picture using Jerratt's paper and pencils. He had her all set up at a table just her size.

This hole in the ground provided hours of fun for all of the kids. Here Lauren and Nathan are playing with Shannon. This picture doesn't accurately depict the immense amount of dirt in their hair and ears, but you get the idea. Thank heavens kids are washable!

This picture perfectly portrays the way we were all feeling by the end of the week...tired. This is Nathan sleeping next to Grandma-Great. I thought it was the cutest picture.

As you can see we had a wonderful time. Thanks to all who came and those who helped put all of this together. And thanks, especially, to Jason's grandma for creating such a wonderful group of family. We are truly blessed and will look forward to more fun and more dirt at next year's excursion.

Happy 4th of July!!!

2008-07-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Lauren, Landon and Nathan

We had a wonderful 4th full of fun, fun, fun!! We started with the parade in the morning. The kids LOVED the candy the most. They also really liked all of the horses and the motorcycles. Lauren HATED the fire trucks. Every time she saw one coming she grabbed onto my neck and nearly strangled me. She did not like the sirens at all. The parade was quite long but the kids sat there the entire time and were totally into it. It was great.

Jason, Lauren and Landon

Melanie and Nathan

Later in the afternoon we took our boat out on the river. We had such a fun time riding around, tubing, splashing our feet in the water and swimming.

Nathan and Jason

Landon

Lauren

But the highlight of the entire day was watching the fireworks on our boat. We were able to get right under them and they were extraordinary. Landon provided non-stop commentary through the whole show ("I like orange/purple/blue/green best.", "That was my favorite.", "That one was sparkly.", etc.) and Lauren and Nathan were in quiet awe. (I think they were getting tired by then.) We are so blessed to live in this wonderful free country. Our family is grateful for all of those who have fought and who continue to fight for our freedom. We hope your day was as nice as ours. We were tired by the end but loved every minute of being together.

Happy Birthday Lucas!

2008-07-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took the kids to Pocatello for their cousin Lucas' 4th birthday party. It was a really fun day with lots of sun, swimming, food and ice cream cake. Yummy!!! The kids had so much fun and were exhausted once we finally got them away from the water and into the van. Thanks to Jody and Lucas for such a fun party!!!

Landon and Nathan

Lauren

Nathan

Riding Bikes

Playing on the Slip and Slide

It's O.K., kids wash.

2008-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Before I share today's post there are 2 things that you need to know. #1 I am a bit of a clean freak. I love a clean house, a clean car, clean kids and a very organized life. This is an absolute curse for a mother of triplets, especially 3-year-olds, but I'm doing my best to cope. #2 About 2 weeks ago I told Jason that one of our sprinkler lines was leaking and that it needed to be fixed as it was creating a muddy area in one of our flower beds in the back yard. Can you see where this is going?

This afternoon I sent my three little darlings to the back yard to play while I cleaned our bathrooms. Our back yard is very safe, fully fenced, and virtually kid proof. It's great!!

Well, here is what I learned about how boys and girls are different...

Girls will tell you when they are up to no good. For example, while cleaning my bath tub I heard Lauren saying, "Moooommyy!" She was using that tone of voice that every mother knows means someone is doing something they shouldn't. We hear this tone often at our house.

Boys will giggle and laugh while doing something naughty. They know to enjoy it while it lasts because when Mom realizes what's happening she'll put a stop to the fun.

Boys love mud! The more, the better. It's not enough to just dig with a toy or a stick in the mud while staying safe and clean on the grass. They have to be right in the middle of it to thoroughly enjoy it. (I give you exhibit #1)

Landon and Nathan

Girls ARE content to stay on the edge because they don't like to get dirty. When their hand does acccidentally get in the mud, they wipe it off on their shirt and then want to change the shirt immediately. (I give you exhibit #2)

Landon and Lauren

Upon discovering today's adventure I was blessed to hear the words, "It's O.K., kids (and clothes) wash." Having this happen was probably good therapy for this clean freak. Without saying a word I went back to the house to get my camera. I took photos and laughed about it and then went back to cleaning. The kids continued to enjoy the mud for a bit longer and then it was time for a bath.

Exhibit #3 is a beautiful photo of the freshly cleaned bath tub after the first dirty child was taken care of.

One final note. . . Not only did Landon love the mud, he loved the "polka dots" all over his arms and legs. So the next time your child is splattered in mud from head to toe, try to appreciate the pretty polka dots and remember, "It's O.K., kids wash." :)

Landon's Big Adventure

2008-05-19T12:46:00.000-07:00

This was a very exciting weekend for Landon. Our ward was having their annual Father and Son Campout and Jason took Landon. We try to have the kids spend special one-on-one time with Daddy every once in a while and this was the perfect opportunity for Jason and Landon. Nathan would have loved to go as well but Jason had to help with cooking breakfast on Saturday morning and was afraid that it would be difficult to keep track of both boys. Nathan will get his Father and Son Campout with Jason at a later time.

Landon went to the grocery store with Jason on Thursday night to buy all of their food and the food that would be prepared for the Saturday morning breakfast. Jason said that Landon sat in the shopping cart, holding the list and talking the whole time. Landon was thrilled that Jason bought pancake mix (pancakes are his favorite food), orange chips (Doritos) and Twinkies (probably Landon's second favorite food), as well as some other things. Landon told the checker that he was buying food at the store to go camping.

The next day my sister and mom were at our house for a visit. Landon was so excited to go camping with Jason later that night. They asked Landon what you do when you go camping because they wondered if he really understood what camping was all about. His answer? "Eat! It makes sense doesn't it? He had just been at the grocery store buying all of this food. Camping must mean eating. Yeah!!!

At the actual campout Landon was a bit nervous. He was one of the youngest boys there, if not the youngest. When the older kids came around Landon would cover his eyes, hide behind Jason's legs or put his head in Jason's lap. For this reason Jason said he was very easy to keep track of. They slept in the back of Jason's new trailer. It's a Haulmark 6'x12' that he swears he'll use for his blind and shutter business. I'm sure it will be used for this purpose, but it conveniently has tie-downs inside so that a guy could put his new dirt bike in it as well. Anyway, it made a great trailer for camping and Landon slept great on the air mattress inside.

Landon loved fishing and swears he caught a fish. Jason said he loved reeling in the fishing pole when he would cast it out into the lake. Landon especially liked that Jason put a Sponge Bob fruit snack on the end of the hook to catch the fish with. Landon loves fruit snacks and is sure that fish would like them too. Maybe this is why he didn't actually catch anything????

The next morning Landon ate a few bites of breakfast and started saying, "I want to go to Mommy's house." They were home by 10:30 and Landon was hardly dirty (not what I expected) but he seemed to have had some fun. We're still not certain that he knows he's been camping because as Jason was driving home Landon asked if they were going camping. It was a big adventure but I think Landon was glad to be back at "Mommy's house" with Lauren and Nathan.

And now something funny about Nathan... While my Mom and sister were here Suzanne was playing heads and tails with the kids using a penny. She was showing Nathan the heads side of the penny and asking him whether it was heads or tails. He looked at it for a minute and said, "Is it Abraham Lincoln?" We laughed like crazy! He's just way beyond heads and tails, I guess.

Lauren's New Glasses

2008-05-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took Lauren to a new eye doctor in Salt Lake. She's been seeing an eye doctor in Pocatello since she came home from the hospital over 3 years ago. Lauren has had a condition called ROP or Retinopothy of Prematurity that she's been followed for. This is a condition related to being born so early where the blood vessels in the retina form abnormally. Often times babies are treated surgically to correct the problem and glasses are sometimes needed later. Lauren never had surgery but has had to be watched closely as blindness can result if the appropriate measures aren't taken as the eyes grow. The Pocatello doctor had given her a prescription for glasses about a year ago and said that she was getting increasingly farsighted. He said to have her wear the glasses, if possible. But, if she didn't want to wear them, we shouldn't force her and should try again in a month. The idea was that when she realized that they helped her she would want to wear them.

Well, we tried having her wear the glasses, but, of course, she didn't like them and didn't want to wear them. Throughout the course of the last year we'd try putting them on her and she'd break them because she wouldn't leave them on. We'd have them fixed and try again with the same results.

The doctor in Salt Lake agreed that she needed to wear glasses and said that she would need to wear them at all times. Once again, failure to wear them could result in a degree of blindness. And, most importantly, if she does wear her glasses her eye muscles will strengthen and she may actually grow out of this and not need glasses later on. So, here is our beautiful Lauren with her new "specs". She's done great with them this time around. I think the new pair fits her better than the last pair and that she's now old enough to realize that she can see better. We'll see the eye doctor again in 6 months.

One more happy note. . .Nathan also saw this same eye doctor in Salt Lake and we were told to discontinue having him wear his glasses for the time being. Yeah Nathan!!! Hopefully this will last. I guess we'll see. . .

Giddy Up!!!

2008-05-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Nathan, Lauren and Landon playing cowboy/cowgirl. . .

On Sunday Jason and I took the kids to my sister's house in Oakley (about 20 miles south of our house in Burley). We ate dinner and then Uncle Brent was kind enough to saddle up Cougar (the horse) so the kids could have their first "horsey" ride. They were all big talkers but Jason and I didn't think they'd all really get on for a ride. Boy were we wrong!!!

Landon, typically the nervous child in the bunch, was the first to ride. He liked it best when Brent made the horse trot. We heard lots of giggles from Landon as he rode.

Nathan was next to ride and he really liked it as well. I think he liked playing in the dirt and the hay stack just as much as riding the horse. When we were finished riding I found a whole bale of hay in his pants, not to mention the dirt. He's such a boy!!!Finally the little princess took her turn. The smile never left her face and we saw the dimple in her right cheek the entire time she rode. She was the last to ride (after each child had 3 or 4 turns) and was lucky enough to ride all by herself. She was so proud. I thought she looked so little on that big horse but very cute.

It was a great day and the weather was perfect. The kids had a really fun time and they're still talking about Cougar and their rides. Thanks to Brent and Suzanne for allowing city slickers like us to have this experience. One of the things Jason and I like best about parenting is introducing our kids to new things. It's always a gamble and we're never certain how it will go over, but riding a horse was definitely a hit. We look forward to doing it again soon!

Our Cookie Monster!!!

2008-04-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I made cookies, which is a rarity at our house. I left them all cooling on the racks in the kitchen and went to help Lauren and Landon in the potty (which is a whole different story that I'll save for another time). When I came back to the kitchen a short time later, Nathan was holding onto the edge of the counter eating a cookie as fast as he possibly could. When I saw him I said, "Nathan, what are you doing!" He was startled and dropped to the floor on his back. On the way down he managed to grab one last cookie (I'm not sure if it was cookie #3 or #4??). He laid there on the floor (see first picture) and continued to scarf the cookie. I put him in his seat at the table and told him it was O.K. and that he could go ahead and finish. As you can see by the smile on his face, Nathan is a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. He loved them!!!

A few minutes later I went to the laundry room briefly. When I came back he was sound asleep. As you can imagine, the cookies ruined Nathan's appetite for lunch, but he did take a really good nap that afternoon. . . I think cookies for lunch is a great idea, don't you??

Nathan's Big Week

2008-04-26T08:27:00.001-07:00

This has been a big week for Nathan. On Monday morning he loaded the school bus for the first time to attend Special Needs preschool at our elementary school. Because Nathan is now 3 years old and is not yet walking without assistance from a walker, he qualifies for this wonderful program.

Nathan could go to the school 5 mornings per week but we're only sending him on M,W,F because he attends therapy at the hospital on T,Th mornings. The preschool has 3-5 year olds that have various developmental delays, although the majority of the kids have speech delays. Speech is definitely not a problem for Nathan and his teacher was happy to have him in the class so that he could be a good example for the other kids. In addition to all of the usual preschool activities like shapes, colors, drawing, snacks, etc., Nathan will receive physical therapy each day at school. His school therapist is wonderful and thinks he'll be walking on his own very soon.

Nathan is now doing well with his bus ride but was a little apprehensive the first day. He has to use his "ride" on the school bus because he's not completely adept at navigating stairs on his own. For safety reasons the school requires the "ride" which is strapped down once he gets on the bus. The first morning they put him on the lift he poked his bottom lip out, got sad and said, "I want Mommy." As you can imagine, it broke my heart and I was on the verge of tears. Jason and I got on the bus with him while they secured him and then, with our happiest faces, told him to have a great day at school. As soon as the bus drove off I looked at Jason and started crying. I was so worried about him and he's still such a little boy. Jason reassured me and took off quickly for work. A few minutes later Jason called to tell me that he had followed the bus to school and spied on Nathan while they were taking him off the bus. Jason said that Nathan seemed fine and that he had no more tears. I was so glad that Jason had done this and glad to know I wasn't the only one worried about him. When the bus dropped him off after school the driver said Nathan's morning tears lasted only about 15 seconds and that he'd done just fine. We also had a note from his teacher saying that he'd had a great day at school. Whew!

More Photos

2008-04-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

O.K., so posting pictures has proven to be a bit difficult for me. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it though. . . The top photo is Lauren (of course). Next we have Landon and then Nathan. Enjoy!!

Our New Blog

2008-04-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

For several months I've enjoyed keeping up with friends and family via their online blogs. I decided it's time for our family to participate as well and hope I can figure all of this out. It seems that since I had our triplets in 2005 I've lost a few brain cells (O.K., maybe LOTS of brain cells) and they've yet to return.

Recently we had the kids' 3-year-old pictures taken. It was the first time that they all cooperated and actually looked at the camera when directed by the photographer. In addition, we were lucky enough to catch them all smiling at the same time. I consider it to be a bit of a miracle and am really pleased with the pictures. Yeah!!!