To the mountains!!!

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!!!

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!

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.

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

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

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!!!

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!