I am really looking forward to starting a new year. The idea of a new year is great to me. It is a clean slate, a fresh start. I always make new years resolutions of some sort. This year is no exception. The other day I was discussing resolutions with my brother in law Mike. He asked if I have ever kept my new years resolutions. Quickly my response, "No!" No, I have never kept a single new years resolutions that I can think of. Since the age of four my new years resolution has been to lose weight. So, of course since I love traditions one of my top resolutions is to lose weight. And I don't care that it may be silly. I am way too optimistic to give up on it now. Next year that will NOT be one of my resolutions. This will be the year I conquer my weight issues. I feel so confident saying that because I have been seeing a weight loss doctor. Although, the scale has not reflected any significant weight loss yet I am feeling better. I could go on forever about weight loss. I think I have been on diet since the third grade. I will save more on that for another time. But going back to what Mike asked me and my response. No, I have never kept any resolutions. However, I feel like each year I get better. I get better with money, I eat a little better, I become a little more organized. I did walk the mini last year! I set unrealistic goals for myself, especially at the start of the year, because even if I fall short I am still improving. This year I want to be one of those crazy coupon people in the grocery stores. You see them on tv. They get twenty boxes of cereal for a dollar. Jeff and I are going on a crazy tight budget. We want to save every single penny we can. Number one we want to pay off his school loan. It is not that big. Once it is paid off we will be debt free besides the house. We just received this bill in October. Then we want to save enough to take the kids to Disney. I am praying we keep our focus. In addition to losing weight and saving money I want to continue working on organization. There are two keys to being successful in life.......being prepared and being organized. With those two things you can be successful at anything. Well, that is what I think. I stole this idea from someone else, but until NYE I am really trying to spend all my extra time organizing my home. Hopefully, I will start the year with a clean organized home. In the last two days I have completely organized my bedroom and most of my kitchen. Our bedroom is always the last place to get clean. I generally always start in the kids bedrooms, the playroom or kitchen. As most parents anything that belongs or pertains to them goes last. This time I decided it would be most beneficial to have a clean organized place to rest. Our bedroom is wonderful. It is so tiny but everything has a place. And we pulled out a couple bags of clothes for garage sale. Yes, I gather my garage sale items up all year round. It is really on my heart this year to have a FREE garage sale. I will post more on that later. Okay, I can't keep the animals, I mean children back any longer. Gotta dash.....

Sleep

I have always been a morning person. I still definitely would describe myself that way. Once I am up I am ready to go. However, in the last two years the getting up part is really getting to be challenging. The ONLY time I really have completely to myself is first thing in the morning. I really put out all effort to take full advantage of that opportune time. In the last couple of months I have not been getting up early. Today I remember why I abandoned that practice...Jacob! I love that child more than words can describe. Seriously, I can wake at 4am and he has some sort of sensor. He can detect when I am not sleeping and he finds me. If Jackson or Jonah wake up then it is no big deal. They will either lay on the couch very quietly watching tv or simply go back to sleep. However, if Jacob is awake then the whole house must be awake with him. He is loud. He yells a lot in the morning. Now, I remember that getting up early is not worth it. Today I got up at 7a. As I was getting out of bed I realized.....he was already next to me!! That is another secret thing with Jacob. Nearly every single night he manages in his sleep to come to our room. The absolute latest I have slept since having the kids since 8a. Sleeping in until you can't sleep any longer is the one thing I miss the most since having the kids. I am sure I could think of more things. Right now, I really miss sleeping in.

Merry Christmas!

I only have a few minutes. However, once again I find myself needing to release. This morning has been amazing. Jeff and I were up until 3a preparing for this morning's festivities. Presents were wrapped and under the tree. The larger items were assembled (no easy task). I even baked a birthday cake for Jesus. The kids were all up by 7a. They were out of this world excited. My husband went over the top in spoiling me this year. My parents stopped by. I made breakfast. I was definitely carrying around that warm and fuzzy feeling inside and thinking that my cup has run completely over. Then, disaster struck our home. The toilet upstairs overflowed with poo water. My husband grabbed the first thing he saw to mop it up...my white bath robe. Okay, I can wash and bleach it...maybe. We were definitely very upset but that was not the worst of it. As we are both frantically mopping upstairs my precious Jonah yells from downstairs,"Mom! It is raining in the hallway!!!" OMG! Yes, the hall downstairs was dripping with water from multiple locations. The ceiling is a mess, the floor was very wet and I was in tears. Ten minutes ago I was in complete bliss. I really feel like every challenge we face is a lesson from God. I took many lessons from this experience. 1. You can never over inspect a home you are purchasing. After this morning we learned there is no whatever it is called under our upstairs bathroom floor. The tub is literally sitting on wood whatever. I know with all these technical terms it is hard to follow along. But trust me, it isn't right. Okay, so that will lead to another home improvement project. 2. Always have all bathrooms in your house in working operating function. Our downstairs bath has been broken since we moved in. I have been very content avoiding it until this morning. 3. Do NOT deplete your emergency fund for Christmas gifts because you may have an emergency on Christmas. Thinking it is holy day does not make it exempt from disasters. Many lessons learned today. I am still over the top blessed. I am already feeling like poo water coming out of ceiling isn't that bad. We are all healthy!! Amen! Merry Christmas everyone.

Rural King

Yesterday Jeff and I took all four kids shopping in Columbus to Rural King. We have been wanting to go down there for a couple months. Jeff has desperately been needing new boots. Okay, it is always insane shopping with four kids. But then it happened. We went to the toy department. People were staring at us because our kids were such monkeys. Four kids screaming, "I want this! I want this!" at every single toy. Juliet was even getting into it. The last aisle was the almighty tractor and construction toy aisle. It was like they hit the jackpot. They went bananas. We couldn't even talk to them. Jeff and I just looked at each other both wondering how did this happen and how can we escape, with or without the children at this point. I had recently had this idea to split the kids up. Jeff takes two and I take two kids shopping. Then the kids could buy gifts for the other kids. We could do a little exchange between the four of them. At that point in the store Jeff decided they could each pick out one toy and open it on Christmas from each other. I explained this to the boys. They each could choose one toy. Jacob picked out a tractor with a wagon $29.99, Jonah an excavator $44.99 and Jackson this mini scale three gift set with two tractors and a backhoe $24.99. We get up in line and the boys are still screaming out more,"I want this and I want that!" Jeff and I had had it! It was so stressful. We put the toys back. The boys freaked out. They were all crying. We only bought the toy Jackson had picked out. And it really worked out because it included three toys. Each child did end up with something. As soon as we walked out of the store they were already over it. But I was not. I felt horrible, sick to my stomach horrible. How could we go back on our word?! We told each of them they could pick something out. Their little faces lit up with excitement. Then bam! We took it away. Jeff reasoning was this, "think of all the times we say 'do that one more time and we won't go (fill in the blank)' and we always end up taking them. This just makes it all even." Really? Then, why did I feel so horrible? Fast forward to this morning. All three toys they received yesterday are broken. My kids are so destructible. They break everything. This list is so long but includes their night stands, books, most of the toys and trucks, their motorized dump truck they rode around the yard in, my oven and on and on. At what age will they stop breaking everything. I definitely don't feel bad about the events yesterday at Rural King anymore. I feel very frustrated. Are we teaching them this behavior? Have we missed something? Why aren't they more appreciative? Ugh, I hate this. Today Jeff and I were cleaning their room. This is the third time this week I have cleaned their room. Today we found Oreos I purchased last night. The container was half eaten. We also found this wine bottle kit Jeff received at his company Christmas party last week. Some of the pieces were missing. The kids sneaking food out the kitchen has also became a huge issue. We have found 2 liters of pop, a half eaten block of cream cheese, an empty pizza box, and many wrappers to various foods. I almost forgot a tub of frosting mostly eaten. I wish I had a door on my kitchen. I don't even know when they get up and go downstairs and sneak food. I feel like I need a security system on my kitchen. I feel like I should be a better parent and know how to stop this. We feed our kids three meals and at least two snacks a day. I am having some major frustrations issues this morning. It doesn't help that I feel like I have been hit by a truck today. Jeff and I both have colds or something. I am supposed to be in the shower right now but I have zero motivation today. We are going to take turns going to the clinic today. Doesn't that sound pathetic? At least the kids are all healthy and feeling great. They have all been on antibiotics since Thursday. In the future when the kids get sick I should just get antibiotics for Jeff and me. It is inevitable that we will get sick too.

Aha Moment

My boys are home sick today from school. It is their first sick day. They have ear infections, fevers and coughs. I totally kinda started cracking up when I called the school. It is so silly. However, as the phone started to ring I totally realized, "OMG! I am so grown up!" I guess turning 32 wasn't a big enough moment. But it was that thought when you are in high school and you try to get someone to call in for you. Now, I am at that old person that can call in. Now I am the mom. Geez, inside I still feel like I am still a girl. I am not old enough to have this much responsibility. Haha!

Lots of randomness

It has been awhile since I have blogged. We have done and seen so much in the last couple of months. I was going through my camera and noticed so many fun, silly pics. After all this time I still uploaded them in backwards order. These pics were taken yesterday after church. The boys have been dying to go outside and play. I love the first pic. That is Jonah on the sled and Jacob is pulling it. Jackson is trying to push it, but he keeps falling down.

I made all the boys pose for a picture before heading outside.




















Jonah is laying on top of Jackson.

Over the weekend Jeff and I attended the annual company Christmas party.

Saturday was a busy day. The kids had breakfast with Santa at the mall in the morning. Afterwards they attended a bowling birthday party for a little boy in their class. It was their first 'friends' birthday party. It was so cute. The boys had a blast. These are pics of them in their bowling shoes.

Last Monday Citizens Gas hosted a company party at the Children's Museum. The kids were able to tell Santa everything they wanted for Christmas. The pic didn't turn out too well. I didn't realize that every time I snapped a pic their flash would go off. Jeff said the photographer was getting frustrated with me. I think I took like four pics. I was clueless. Sorry!

Jonah playing trains. Our new favorite thing is to bring all the trains out of the basement and play trains at the kitchen table. It entertains them for a long time.

Me and Jackson at the Children's Museum.

Jeff on Thanksgiving.

This was the best pic I got of Juliet on Thanksgiving. I love, love, love this dress. She looked part Amish, part like she was attending a funeral. But I don't care. I absolutely love it. My grandma did not approve of me dressing Juliet in black for Thanksgiving.

I take pics of the kids almost everyday. Seriously. I really do. These were taken one random morning. The kids were really into it.

This pic of Jeff and me was taken on vacation at the cabin in Gatlinburg.
This pic of my dad and me cracks me up. My dad looks terrified. He is so funny! My dad's new thing is his new inability to smile on demand. Seriously. Every time we go to take his pic he makes ridiculous faces. I have like five more pics just like this because they made me laugh every time.

I love this pic of Braxton and Jackson. Braxton looks adorable.

Jacob is so funny. These goggles came with a pretend leaf blower.

Vacation

Last week Jeff and the kids and me escaped for a couple of days to Gatlinburg. I was figuring the boys have been there at least four times. I think that is pretty crazy considering they just turned four the first of this month. But we love it. We can not get enough of Dollywood. Christmas time at Dollywood is one of my favorite places. It reminds me so much of Metamora at Christmas time. They decorate nearly the whole park with Christmas lights. We spent the entire day there. Around 4p I was going crazy. The kids were insane. Jeff and Mike zip lined so they were off busy. That was the longest amount of time ever. Looking back the kids were not horrible at all. But I thought I was about to lose it. Jonah kept chewing his shirt. I wanted so badly to strip the kid naked. He had on a brand new shirt. Why this got under my skin so badly? I nearly couldn't look at him. I said to him at least hundred times, "Jonah, stop chewing on your shirt!!!" Even thinking about it now I can feel my blood pressure rising. But when those Christmas lights came on and the sun went down to show all their glory I was a new person. I felt like I was filled with sugar and the whole world was a perfect place. Christmas lights just do something special to me. I was giddy with excitement in a matter of moments. It is one of my happy places.
Jeff and I took turns on the ride home declaring our favorite things and least favorite things about vacation. My favorite things included getting to spend time with kids, having Jeff's never ending help, this super cool mirror maze we went through, experiencing 5 Guys cheeseburgers for the first time and getting up early. Yes, I woke up early everyday. It was the best gift I have ever given myself. I would get cleaned up, go downstairs, make coffee, take all my vitamins, do my Bible study, pray, enjoy the morning sun on the balcony and sometimes even exercise before anyone else was awake. Seriously, I was popping out of bed around 5 or 6a. Now that I am back home I can not get up early to save my life. The really cool mirror maze was so much fun. I have lots of pics. I will upload later. My least favorite things about vacation included not having time to relax (I don't think vacations will include time to relax until the kids are much older), not having any one on one time with Jeff, the drive home (for the second year in a row Jonah vomited in the car) and how fast vacation zipped by. By the way, Jonah does not get car sick. Rather, when he is bored or mad he gags himself until he gets sick. Last year he was mad, this year he was simply bored. Overall, I am really glad we decided to make the trip. I know I say this every time we get home from Gatlinburg, but I think it will be awhile before we go back. We have big dreams of hopefully going to Disney next.

More funny things

This morning I was putting my makeup on and Jonah was watching me. He said, "Mom, what are all those cracks around your eyes?" I said those are called wrinkles. Jonah replied with, "Why do you have so many wrinkles?"
Jacob came up to me this morning with his magna doodle. He had drawn two circles side by side on it with a line coming straight down from each circle. He said so proudly, "look Mom, I drew boobs with legs!" And so it begins.

I am upstairs reading over some of my older post when I hear Jacob say, "Oh man! This toilet seat has pee all over it!" Really?! The joys of having three little boys. I keep telling myself I am going to document all the things the boys say. At this age there are some pretty funny things they say. However, yesterday Jackson told me get out of his business. I thought, 'wow, that sounded like he told me to get out of his business. But I really don't think he knows that word.' I asked him to repeat it. And sure enough very clearly the second time, 'Mom, get out of my business!' I told him to go to the bathroom and wash his hands with soap. I knew he wasn't going to use soap. I followed him into to the bathroom to make sure. I guess washing your hands is his business. I definitely informed him that he has no business that is not my business. I was not amused.
This morning the boys were getting ready for school. Jacob got dressed and went into the bathroom and was checking himself out. Then he informed me that he didn't want to go to school. Yesterday he was trying to walk from the top of the rocking chair to the top of their little tool table. He was not successful. He has a little gash on his nose and he was bleeding. So, this morning he tells me that he doesn't want to go school because he didn't want the other kids to see his nose. I was so blown away. I thought scabs and scars were cool for boys. And I couldn't believe that my four year old was so worried about his appearance. There have been a lot of other things lately. I will try to update more later. Right now the boys are singing the songs they learned at school while laying in bed. These are the moments I truly treasure.

Loving this time of year!!

I don't have much time (imagine that, haha!). I am in between fall activities with the kiddos. Today has been a really good day. Jeff is away today at Attica, Indiana four wheeling or mudding with my brother in law. I hope he has a great time. That leaves me with the kids. I took the kids to my mom's work for their fall festival. Their fall festival is really one of the best fall festivals ever. I will definitely NEVER miss a single year. They have so much stuff for the kids to do and everything is absolutely free. We got there and the kids each got to pick out a pumpkin in their little pumpkin patch. They had face painting and a bouncy house. They also have lots of food and a raffle. Again, all free. They even had caramel apples...free. The kids rode ponies. And they have a costume contest. My boys won 2ND place. The three of them counted as one child. They wore their monkey costumes from last year. The second place prize? You are not going to believe this. It was a $75 gift card to Toys R Us. I didn't even spend $75 on the costumes last year when I bought them. I am so excited. My mom said to me that God has a way of helping you when you need it. She was so right. The boys are turning 4 in a few weeks and to say I have been stressing about money is an understatement. Now, I have $75 to spend on them for their birthday. I can't wait to tell Jeff. God is so amazing. My kids were cute but they really did not deserve 2Nd place. The fact there was three of them kinda sold it. No complaints here. Right now we are doing quiet time. When Juliet wakes up we are going to the park for some exercise. We are loving this new park we discovered. There is a paved trail. I already have their bikes loaded up in the van. Then we are going to April's for a healthy dinner. After dinner we need to come home and do baths for church tomorrow. I already have every one's outfits picked out for tomorrow. Tomorrow Jeff is working from 11a to 11p. I will be solo with the kids, again. I don't mind. Jeff working overtime is a big blessing. I have nothing planned for tomorrow. I am going to have to think of something.

I haven't blogged anything in awhile. I generally feel 'inspired' to write when I am having a blah day and need to vent a little. Today is no exception. I really want my blog to be upbeat. However, this is my only outlet so most of my blahness will appear here. I truly am a very happy person. You just may not know it if you only read this. I have felt very blah since Jeff got home from the Great Banquet. I am definitely not feeling like myself. My biggest symptom is being unsociable. That is just not me. But blah. I have these great plans this weekend and I am finding myself very dreading it. I am not sure why. I definitely think I am need of some adult time. Lately, I have not been getting any time to myself. I have been taking kids to the grocery store. Generally that is the only time I have alone. It has been a couple weeks since I have seen any of my friends. Over the weekend the kids and I were sick. I was more blah than sick, but definitely just not myself. Today I can tell I have zero patience for my kids. They just open their mouths and I want to cry. My throat is killing me and I don't know if it is a symptom of being sick or if it is because I have yelled at the kids too much. Geez, I don't like days like this, very melancholy. Wow, are you glad you decided to read this?
Over the weekend we did have an amazing day with family. We had a mini family reunion/family picnic. Despite the fact that much (most) of the family was unable to attend I thought the day was a lot of fun and a huge success. I definitely missed everyone that was unable to attend. I miss the noise and chaos and the catching up when all of us are together. I am really hoping that this is something we can do annually. Growing up I remember my dad's side hosted a family picnic every summer at my dad's brothers' work. My Uncle Tim (whom I really adore and very rarely see) works for IPL. We would picnic at the park in Martinsville. I think it is Martinsville. It has been years since I have been there. But I really remember that time with family. Now having kids I want them to feel comfortable around everyone and be close to everyone. I never want my kids to wonder who cares about them or thinks of them. And I want them to have lots of support and love around them at all times. Lately Jeff and I have been doing a lot of talking about what would happen if something did happen to Jeff and me. Like I said, aren't you glad you are reading this? I am just a ray of sunshine today. But if tragically something happened I would just want people coming out of the woodwork to love on my kids. Even if nothing happens to us I just want that so badly for my kids. Nothing makes me happier then when I see someone genuinely being kind to my kids. Okay, so like I was saying we had a great weekend with family. We picnicked at Brown County. Although I can't take the credit for picking the park, I honestly don't think we could have found a better spot. I LOVE Brown County. Every time I visit there (at least half a dozen times this year alone) I am amazed how much I instantly think of my mom. It is probably one of the warmest memories and special places I can recall going with my mom. It just isn't the same now as it was then. I loved the car ride down there. I loved the shopping and the fudge. I loved the time with her. It is funny because I am pretty sure other people went with us, but in my memory it is just me and my mom. If you are reading this, Mom thank you so much!
Okay, I will really try to get some pics of last weekend on here soon. I am leaving tomorrow night for the Great Banquet. Maybe I will add that to my list to get done tonight. Jeff is working very late tonight. Only God knows what I will be able to accomplish with four kiddos.

Missing my hubbie

Today I am really missing my husband. I think it is knowing that he will not be returning till Sunday. Jeff is at the Great Banquet till Sunday evening. I think if he was just at work and working late I would not be missing him so much. I am really happy and proud of him for attending the Great Banquet, but I am very much wishing he was here right now. Last night I was trying to have fun with the kids. After dinner we played. Then I rented the sequel Chipmunk movie for the kids. They really seemed to enjoy it. I let the boys stay up late and pass out on the living room floor. I even let them eat their popcorn in the living room. Crazy, right? It is for us. We NEVER let the kids eat anywhere but the kitchen for obvious reasons. So, the boys were up well past 11pm and all them were up by 8a. Geez, why don't they want to sleep more? This morning was slow going. Then I met April, Savanah, Braxton and Mom at the park on Fry Rd. Amy P surprised us by stopping by. It was so nice to see her. That was really enjoyable. I really did not want to come home. But Savanah and Braxton needed naps and we didn't have anywhere to go. We came home and I let the boys paint, then make cookies, and play with the race cars with tiny parts. Now they are having quiet time. Well, I am having quiet time in my office. They are downstairs jumping off the couches and yelling at each other. I keep hearing all the home cordless phones beeping and the answering machine keeps going on and off. So, someone is playing with the 'locate' button. I just really hope that Juliet sleeps for awhile. It is so silly. I still have three children to watch. But just being short one kid makes things so much easier. You wouldn't think it makes a difference but it really does. Okay, so plans for this weekend...not much of any. I generally love not having plans. However, this weekend I wish we had a lot going on to pass the time. Alright, I can hear someone screaming downstairs in victory and another child screaming in pain. My time must be up!

This past Sunday we did take the kids to church, despite their sniffles. It was a pretty eventful Sunday. Jacob has a new friend, the little boy named Aiden. It is so cute. After church services there was a pitch in we stayed for. Jacob insisted he sit with Aiden. It was the first time not to have one of the boys with us. I kept looking over at him. He was sitting with Aiden and Aiden's family. He looked so grown up eating and laughing. Aiden told his Grandma that Jacob was his best friend. How adorable! They have only spent two Sundays together but Jacob just loves him. We also had our first little dispute between one of my boys and another boy at church. There were some other older boys at church. One of them hurt Jonah. Okay, when one of my kids gets hurt I am like a crazy lady. But when Jonah gets hurt that is a whole different story. I am like a crazy mama bear about to attack and eat you for lunch. I know the boys are all the same age but something about Jonah and I am all protective. Jackson and Jacob will kinda gain up on Jonah and it infuriates me. When I look at Jonah I still think of him as only being 3 pounds. He is just so delicate to me. And he is so precious. So, we had a lot of firsts at church on Sunday. But don't worry, I totally kept my coo. Oh, plus the whole 'pitch in' at church is so out there for me. Growing up attending mostly Catholic services I don't remember much outside fellowship. There might have been, but I don't recall. I felt kinda awkward on Sunday, like when you don't know what to do with your hands and you just keep fidgeting. I am weird. After church we all came home and went to bed. At that point it was getting more obvious that the boys were really not feeling well. Monday was spent with four sick kiddos. Sunday night they had low grade fevers. By Monday morning the fevers were gone, but the kids were definitely not feeling well. Almost all four of them slept all day. Evening Jonah started vomiting. Jonah is so super sensitive to vomiting. He can do it on demand. Seriously. I never really worry when Jonah starts vomiting. This morning during breakfast I looked over at him and he had the worst expression on his face. I said, "what is that expression on your face?" As I was saying face he totally vomited on his waffle. Then he looked at me and said, "can I have another waffle?" He went on to eat another waffle and two servings of yogurt and held it down. I asked him if he was going to school today and he said, "Yep!" So, I took all four of them. By the way, if you know someone whose child attends Crabapple and they are sick my kids have totally NOT been sick and I made this story up. We do NOT get other kids sick. *wink, wink*
This morning I got up at 4:45 to get ready to take the kids to school. I know I really don't have to get so early. But Jeff gets up at 5a and I really wanted to be out of the shower before he left for work. I wanted us to be able to have one cup of coffee and talk before starting our day. Okay, so Jeff left for work and I needed to iron my shirt. While ironing my shirt I decided to turn the news on. That is really random. I really never watch tv, especially the news in the morning. However, when I hit the guide button I noticed P90x was on qvc. I have been praying like a crazy lady lately for God to help me with my weight. Which he is probably like, "really, Jackie? Just stop eating!" But regardless I have been praying for help, willpower, guidance, a divine intervention..anything. When I turned the tv on and they were selling P90x I totally ordered it. I am pretty sure it is not a sign from God but at 5:30 in the morning I felt pretty confident that it was. I have not informed my husband yet. I think he will be supportive, but considering we don't have a dvd player for me to actually watch the videos. That may be an issue because you know what is coming next. We have to go buy a dvd player. We had one but the kids broke it beyond repair.

Sleepless in Indy

It is 3am and I am exhausted. I want to sleep so badly. However, I keep having nightmares. Now, I am forcing myself to stay awake for fear of going back to sleep. This is ridiculous. I haven't had nightmares since our pastor came and blessed our home...until tonight. Still they are not nearly as horrible as before. And I am in my office. Where before I would have been too terrified to get out bed. So, is that progress? I just get frustrated because I really thought this was behind me. But I am wondering if eating a cookie right before going to bed is actually the culprit. Don't they say you shouldn't eat before going to bed? My alarm is set for 5am. I guess in a little bit I will just get in the shower. We have church in the morning. I am really debating on taking the kids or if we/Jeff or me should stay home with them. They all have the sniffles. Jacob came to my bed at midnight and said he is so sick. He was coughing horrible and couldn't sleep. I just checked on the other two boys. Jonah peed the bed tonight. I tried to wake him to change the bedding and his clothes. But he is sleeping so soundly he wouldn't move. Is that horrible? When I put more blankets on Jackson he moved around and began coughing again. I am almost thinking they shouldn't go to church. Sometimes it is so hard being a parent to make decisions like that. Really, could it be like allergies/sinus? But since they all have it then it must be contagious? I don't know.

Tonight was our niece Emily's 7th birthday party. They boys had a blast. It is so cool to watch them interact with other people and see them come out of their shell. I really had a good time seeing everyone. Emily got her ears pierced for her birthday. Isn't that so grown up? It looks really cute on her.

Jeff has finally decided to attend the Great Banquet in September. He will attend two weeks before me. I am so excited he has made this decision. Something I didn't think about was being home alone. Geez, I used to live alone but now I get all freaked out. I think we will have to make some arrangements.

I have now been up for over an hour. Prior to coming upstairs to blog I was writing in my journal. I decided to write out our financial goals. I wish we had more short term goals, but the majority of them are going to take a lot of time. I am so impatient. I guess of few of them are short term. They include rebuilding our emergency fund (since we depleted it for our van), gathering enough cash for the boys' birthday and then Christmas, saving enough cash for Jeff's college tuition, continuing to grow our emergency fund 3 to 6 months of living expenses, reimburse the 20% down we used on our current home and then saving to pay cash for our next home. I really don't want to be here any longer than need be. But I think if I don't go back to work it will be a long time before we can start packing. Ugh! That is frustrating. I want to start looking for my 'dream' home. Anything worth having is worth waiting for. I will keep repeating that to myself.

Life list

Today was the boys second day of school. Things are going really great. I am feeling very blessed for the opportunity to be with Juliet and manage to be productive at the same time. Tonight I hung out with Nikki and Tiffany. My husband is especially sweet. I had two girls nights out this week! Tuesday I had a great time hanging out with Kico. I always very much enjoying catching up with Kico. Tonight I hung out with Nikki and Tiffany. I have no idea where the time goes. We met at Tiffanys at 7p and I didn't leave until after 12:30! They say it is me that is so long winded. I think that is ridiculous. I like to keep things short and to the point. Regardless this has been a very good week of seeing family and friends and starting the school year.

Recently I updated my life list. Some people refer to list like this as bucket list. But I have no plans of kicking the bucket anytime soon, unless God has other plans for me. I like to keep list like this to remind me of my goals, dreams and things that I would just like to accomplish. Some stuff is silly and out there. But it is kinda meant to be a little out there.
1. Hike the Grand Canyon
2. Visit Alaska and experience 24 hours of daylight
3. Jog the mini marathon (I walked it in May)
4. Make a complete Thanksgiving dinner (I am really intimidated by the turkey)
5. Go on vacation for Thanksgiving
6. Take the kids to a different state every year for vacation
7. Sponsor or adopt a child
8. Meet Paula Deen
9. Visit Holy Land
10. Become a photographer
11. Build my kids an amazing playhouse, like ridiculous
12. Weigh under 180 (I know some of you are amazed and think I can check this one off my list.)
13. Go to NYC at Christmas time
14. Be more outgoing
15. Be confident, stop doubting all my decisions and be more comfortable in my own skin
16. Make a quilt (I was almost able to check that one off)
17. Be fit and in shape
18. learn Spanish
19. Have a garden
20. Run a flower shop after I retire
21. Visit Maine and Ireland
22. Have a log cabin on some land
23. Have a second modest lake house (which lake to be determined later)
24. Finally obtain my degree (I would work on this one, however I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up)
25. Read the Bible in a year, but continue to read it over again every year
26.Learn to make furniture
27. Buy $1000. pair of shoes
28. Drive a dump truck (This is the only one I have checked off. Thanks, Mike)
29. milk a cow
30. skydive.....maybe
31. be the proud owner of my dream car, a Woody. You know, one of the old jeep wagons. Yes, that is truly my dream car.
32. Learn to drive a motorcycle (this one was added to the list prior to having kids. I am not so sure about it anymore)
33. To grow my relationship with Christ everyday closer to him
34. To learn how to live more simple (It is really weighing on me to cancel all cable television. However, I do not have the nerve to turn it off. Why? Am I addicted to my tv? I hardly watch it, but the thought of it not being there terrifies me.)
There you have it. I am constantly adding to it. What is on your list?

First day of school!

Today was the first day of school! It went so very smoothly. I am really excited for the school year. As soon as the boys got up this morning they were eager to get to school. At school the staff takes the kiddos right out of the car. There isn't time for meltdowns or tears. They are whisked away so quickly. It was darling. Jeff drove and as he pulled out of the parking lot I kept looking back, but the boys did not. They were so cute walking together up the sidewalk. But no tears were shed. We all did good. While the boys were at school Jeff and I made our first trip of the season to the apple orchard. We went to Apple Works and stocked up on apples. It was so easy taking Juliet. It was like we were on vacation. We weren't there long. Then we drove back home and put together a picnic lunch. We surprised the boys and took them to the park after school for the picnic. As a bigger surprise their cousins and aunt met us there. Needless to say, all five kiddos (including Jeff) are very asleep right now. Pure heavenly. One quiet house so worth the $312 a month. Oh, plus they did already learn things today. One thing I am going to hear so much this year is,"Miss Chris says....Miss Chris does it this way....Miss Chris..." Miss Chris is the boys teacher and they were already talking up a storm about her. Which I am thrilled about. I really want them to love her. Today they learned how to wash their hands. It is so funny. I have showed them the same things two hundred times this summer about washing their hands. Don't turn the water on high, use soap, use warm water, don't forget to dry their hands. But magically when Miss Chris showed them today it finally stuck! It is a miracle. Regardless it was so darling when Jackson said,"Miss Chris says turn the water on low so we don't waste it for the kitty cats." He said it so sweetly in a low voice. I have no idea what it meant, but it was darling. When we picked the boys up from school they were so pumped. They were all talking so fast I couldn't understand what they were saying. Jonah said,"I played with two....no three other kids! And we rode in a plane and it went high into the sky! I played with Will and he is nice!" Jackson said, "I cried because I wanted you and Daddy. I colored you a picture today!" Jacob said, "I didn't cry only Jackson cried. I was a big boy!" Today was a very good day. Okay, I am still having issues posting pics. They always upload in a random order of craziness. When we got home to make sandwiches I couldn't find Juliet. She was in the closet eating her cookie. We recently switched the boys from car seats to booster seats. She was sitting in the car seat in the closet eating. I hope not a sign how she will be later in life. Anyhow, it was very cute. She is funny. I asked her where is Jacob, Jonah and Jackson. She started pointing at the door and talking up a storm. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she told me a whole long story. I asked her if she wanted to go get them. She grabbed her blankie and ran for the door. I guess she missed her older brothers.

Here is Juliet in the closet.

This was the drop off line at school this morning. Miss Chris is the lady with dark hair posing with the boys. They are all in the same class.

They each had a big bag of school supplies they had to take with them. They thought that was so cool. They loved having a grocery sack with stuff.

I love this pic. I am not sure who this lady is. But I LOVE when people are warm and inviting to my kids. Nothing melts my heart more than to see people open up to my kids. I love that she was so excited to see them.

Jacob on the way to school. I love their little outfits today. Grandma Glo recently bought these shirts for them. They had a new outfit for today.

Juliet. My daughter is so precious. I don't think she has ever taken a bad picture until this one. I think she is still cute, but not a fav pic. Sorry.

My handsome hubbie loading the kids into the car.

Jonah!

Jackson! We went out front this morning to take these pics. I can't believe we had enough time for photos. These almost look like mug shots in front of that wall.

Jacob.

Jonah!

Family photo

Jacob getting his shoes on. I wanted to document every moment of the morning. I was so excited for today. It isn't just the first day of preschool, it is the first day of school period. The boys are getting so old. I was thinking how it seems like not that long ago when I was so sad to have three little babies in a hospital together. I remember when they were born wondering if they would ever be big enough to walk, get dressed by themselves, or even talk. They were so tiny. I didn't think they could ever possibly grow big. That was such a hard time. Jonah was only 3 pounds 5 ounces at birth. Now he has this great big voice and he runs around like a daredevil.

Jackson putting his shoes and socks on by himself. The boys had oatmeal for breakfast.

Jonah is completely dressed and ready to walk out the door in this picture. But he was desperately trying to go back to bed.

I am thrilled how today turned out. This was a day I could relive over and over again. I am so proud of my three little men!

One more day till school starts!

Tomorrow morning the boys start preschool and I am kinda nervous. I am more nervous that I will forget something. They have a list of stuff that needs to go with them. And now that the boys are in school that is more responsibility for the parents. At the meet your teacher day they immediately asked me what events I wanted to volunteer for. I kinda wanted to say, "um, yah I am paying you so I don't have to volunteer." Volunteering and mingling with other parents is really out of comfort box. I can definitely be an introvert at times. This is so one of those times. I think the boys will do fine. I am more nervous they will get into trouble or be known as the boys that pee all over the bathroom toilet. They have no idea what is in store for them. But really it is only two days a week for a few hours each time. So little time such a huge monthly payment. We are paying $312/month for all three boys together. It really isn't that much compared to other schools. However, my van payment was only $200/month. We know how cheap I can be. OMG! I was just getting ready to type that after this I am going on a mission to find my camera cord so I can upload pics of the kiddos tomorrow. And I can't even take it I just find my cord. Guess where it was was this whole time...under my keyboard! How did the kids get it under there? Haha! So, yeah pics tomorrow!

Relaxing Sunday

Today was a pretty relaxing day. The whole family took a nap together after church. At least Jeff, Juliet and I took naps. I have a feeling that the boys were actually enjoying the freedom for awhile as we slept. But it was nice to close my eyes for a few minutes or an hour. I didn't however sleep in until 2:30p like some lazy individuals. Haha! You know who you are...
Church was okay. I was in the toddler room today. Okay there were five children and four of them were mine and I kept thinking, 'these children are horrible!' The fifth child (the one that was not mine) was an angel. He was so polite and kind to the boys. I felt so horrible for him. His name was Aiden. The boys have a friend named Hayden. Jonah said at least 500 times Hayden, Hayden, Hayden...Seriously over and over again. Aiden kept saying, "that is NOT my name!" Jonah was so incredibly annoying. I finally put him in time out facing the corner. There he yelled at the wall over and over again, 'Hayden, Hayden, Hayden!' It was a long hour. It didn't end there. After services we went back to the sanctuary for donuts and coffee, with Aiden. Jonah started all over again in front of everyone. Aiden's mom was very nice about it. I was really starting to get embarrassed. Jonah was obviously making fun of him or giving him a hard way to go or something. I did forget to mention Jackson at the beginning of services. The kids stay with the adults for worship time, then they go away to play. During worship between songs the worship leader was praying and it was quiet. Jackson starts yelling repeating, "I am starving, I am so hungry, Mom! I am sooo very very hungry!" Jonah kept running laps around the chairs. And Juliet was so cute. As soon as the music started she grabbed Jacob's hand and started dancing. As if to say, 'come on, dance partner.' It was an interesting day at church. Our church is extremely laid back so I didn't think too much about it. But regardless parents always want their kids to be perfect in public, especially at church.

Apology

Jeff made me feel guilty for being so descriptive about my grandma. He said I was a little harsh. I was really being sarcastic about holding her under the water. But seriously, I would never hurt someone. It just helps to talk about it. Anyhow, I am feeling much better today. I am sure today will be a great day. It has started off a little bumpy. Jeff went golfing this morning. I am really excited for him. However, I am not so excited about it that he needed to turn all the lights on and keep asking me questions at 6am. Every time I answered him he would say, "what?" That drives me crazy lately. Whether I am asleep or not every time I tell him something he says,"what?" I know he can hear me. I am constantly repeating myself. So, lately I just ignore him and I have stopped repeating myself. And you know what?? He totally heard me. Why is it a habit to come back with 'what?' after everything I say? It makes me want to tie him down with duct tape and pluck every single hair out of his eye brows with tweezers very slowly. Is that too descriptive? Maybe I will just start hiding all his cans of tobacco like I used to. That was kinda entertaining. Anyhow, I feel bad about talking about my grandma and I am sorry. And I guess I should say I am sorry for talking about my hubbie too. I would never hurt the hand feeds me and my kids. Plus, he is actually a pretty awesome husband but don't tell him. He probably wouldn't even hear you anyways.

Crap, crap and more crap

Today I did indeed take the kiddos swimming. I didn't even bother taking my camera along. Since I still don't have my camera cord I knew it would just lead to more frustration. Today was horrible. Yesterday I was frustrated today I was just blah, melancholy and depressed. Today was terrible. I asked Jeff if I could blame it on the devil. Swimming was fine. The kids were fantastic. It didn't start out so well. It was me, not them. I called the dealership that our van is working on while walking out to the pool. Then I had a complete breakdown. So, my mom and April watched the boys while I tried to gather myself back together. Do you ever have one of those times when one thing goes wrong but while you are upset about that everything else in life comes to the surface. Okay, that happened to me. My poor dad, I really unloaded on him. Well, and my grandma I kinda unleashed myself on her too. Her advice was I needed to let Jeff handle the car situation that men handle things like that better. WRONG! Wow! I did really refrain because all instinct in me wanted to hold her under the water until she started thinking right. However, given she is like 90 she probably wouldn't change her way of thinking that easy. But I did manage to yell out at her, "that is complete bull shit!" on the top of my lungs. Then I stormed inside and started crying again for yelling at my like 90 year old grandma. Well, and for cussing. I have really been trying to not cuss at all anymore. I told my dad, "she made me cuss! She drove me to cuss out loud in front of everyone!" Dad said he wanted to cuss her out the other day too. My grandma has crafted the skill of getting under ones skin extremely quickly. That was definitely a hot button she pushed. I pretty much decided I think at the age of 4 that there was nothing in this world a woman couldn't do. Calling a mechanic to argue why my van isn't done after four days is NOT something a man needs to handle. Now, maybe poop scooping the yard or taking out the dead mouse in the house those may classify as 'man' jobs. However, if I had to I would do those things too. So anyhow, today has been one of the lousiest days I have had probably in the last 12 months. I am down in the dumps. It is not just the van. Sometimes I wonder if my brain was wired wrong. I just think so differently than most of my family. I raise my kids differently. We manage our marriage differently. Absolutely we manage money very differently. I find more often than not lately thinking, "I don't know if I agree with that." Is that true in most families? In a family everyone is raised pretty much the same. So, is it usual for everyone to think the same?

Missing in action

Okay, I have tons of cute pics of the kiddos to add to the blog. However, my camera cord is missing...again. How could this be?? We have added a lock to the office door so no one under 4 feet tall could possibly be capable of entering. Please don't let my friend Tiffany know that I have lost something in the office. She invested her time into organizing it oh so nicely for me. I would hate to disappoint. In the meantime I will begin the search for the cord. I should probably start in the toy boxes.

Someone has a case of the grumpies

Today I am feeling a little on the frustrated side. Okay, I am pretty frustrated. Well, this great van we bought is very much frustrating me. I don't know if the van itself is frustrating me or the mechanics who are working on it. The cab of the van continuously fills with gasoline vapors while we are driving. It is strong and I worry about the kids. Jeff said the other day while driving it to the shop he got a headache after riding it. Everyone agrees that the van definitely smells of strong gas. However, no one knows why. We dropped the van off on Monday evening. It is now Thursday evening and they have no idea what the source of the smell is. Ugh! Frustration! This is one decision/purchase that I had no regrets about (that is a very big thing considering anyone who knows me knows I doubt about every single decision I make). I felt so confident that this was the van we were meant to own.

I am definitely grouchy and grumpy today. I am definitely a little low on patience for the kids today. It is so hot outside. I don't want to go outside. Every time I take the kids outside Juliet turns bright red and I think she is going to have a baby heat stroke. I am very Greatimes/Bouncertown burned out. What did parents do before places like this existed? Tomorrow I have plans to take the kiddos swimming at my moms. We all know how I feel about this. But it is summer, and I should be more adventurous. It definitely sounds better than the alternatives. This is the first time I am taking the kids swimming without Jeff. However, my mom, aunt and sister will be there. Lots of backup is essential.

When I decided to start this blog I really wanted to document what it is like to raise triplets. I wanted to vividly describe the day to day stuff that occurs. I don't feel like I am meeting that personal objective. It is very hard and it is very rewarding. The kids say and do the most amazing things. But they also make me want to put on my tennis shoes and run away from the house as fast I possibly can. Everyday is insanely the same but so very different than the day before. The routine is monotonous but the challenges get trickier everyday. Right now I am supposed to be doing the budget. Instead I am hiding out in my hotter than heck office to escape for a few minutes. Jackson just found me. He just came behind me and patted me on the back and smiled so sweetly I could die. And now just two seconds later I can hear Jeff yelling at them. Someone has turned off the upstairs air conditioning unit and shoved a bunch of stuff down into it. Like any family our days are exhausting and long. I feel like no matter how hard I try or invest time the house is always a disaster. I love it and I hate it at the same time. I love the chaos of a bigger than average family but I pray for quiet. Last night Jacob woke up at 1:40a and climbed into our bed. I tossed and turned until 2:30. That is when I gave up and Jacob and I went into the kitchen, got a glass of water, prayed together, and retreated to the couch for some Phineas and Ferb. We stayed up and watched cartoons until 5a. That is when Jeff got up for work. I loved that time of sitting together. I definitely regretted it this morning. April, Savanah, Braxton and Mom came over today. The house was louder than usual. The kids were crazier than usual. They removed the mattresses off all the boys beds and made slides out of them, someone destroyed Jeff's puzzle and I am sure I will find something else later has been broken/destroyed/or mutilated. Just a typical day in our house.

Good times!

I just realized it has been awhile since I lasted posted, and I thought I would update my 7 followers on how things are going. I love saying that. Anyhow, things are great! The boys are starting preschool in 8 days (who is counting down?). I am eager for them to get a little time out the house, but I am very nervous too. The school has this intense drop off/pick up set of rules. When you drop your kids off DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR! But when you pick up please get your butt out the car and come get them. When you drop off only form one line of cars, but when you pick up please form two lines, but NEVER THREE! I am just nervous about driving there. I kinda want to park down the street and just walk there. If I was April I would probably just walk. But the preschool is a 15 minute drive from our house. Maybe I could park at April's house and walk the kids to school. Surely, they would take naps then.
Yesterday we took the kids swimming at my parents house. I think this is the fourth time this summer the kids have went swimming. I really hate to go swimming. I really absolutely love swimming without kids. I know that sounds horrible. Four kids under four plus lots of water and I am one stressed out momma! However, yesterday was just pure fun and enjoyment. I had so much fun. I think it was one of our best family fun days in a long time. The funny thing was I felt like such a kid swimming with my kids. We all jumped in like a hundred times. We all went down the slide like a hundred times. Jeff, April and I had head stand contests. I think mine was the best, but it was hard to judge being under water. Jeff put me on his shoulders then I put Jeff on my shoulders. Seriously I did. I felt like Hercules. Good times.
Tonight Jeff is taking our 'new' van to the shop. The cab of the mini van keeps filling with gas vapors while we are driving. Good thing we don't smoke. I have been bummed since we have only owned the vehicle a couple of weeks. But Jeff and April keep reminding me that we just need to work out the issues. We did only spend $2700 on it. Oh, I don't know if I posted this or not, but we did sell our old mini van. After less than a week we sold it. So, besides our mortgage we are debt free! However, I am not really feeling very excited about it until the 'new' van is functioning. But I just feel like Jeff and I are the absolute best husband/wife team I have ever seen. Not to offend anyone else and their marriages, but we are so good together. We are NOT perfect and we definitely argue! However, we are so good together. We are a family of six. We live on one average income. We are debt free. And we totally kick butt raising these kids together. I could not have all these kids with anyone else.
Everyday God just amazes me more and more. This is kinda funny. Last week I was telling Jeff that he really needs to get out the house more. He never does anything besides work and take care of all of us. We were brainstorming ideas. I told him he should call his brother and ask him to go golfing. Jeff said that sounded fun but he didn't have any clubs. Yesterday his brother called him and asked him to go golfing next Saturday! I do NOT believe in coincidences. I just think that is kinda awesome that we were just talking about that. I am excited for Jeff to get out the house next weekend. I hope they have a good time.
Yesterday we went to church and the message was awesome. We just love our new church. Pastor Mike was discussing at the end of his message some ideas to reach out to others. He went on to explain to us that next time we eat out to try something. He said after your meal when are all finished and the waitress comes to your table one last time to say, "Hey, I am Christian and later today I am going to be praying is there anything I can pray for you?" He said 99% of the time the waiter/waitress will say yes. He said in his experience so many people just completely unload on them. He said he has even had times when the waitress will take a break to talk. If the person says no you can just say, "that is okay, I will just pray for a blessing for you." This would really be stepping out of my comfort zone. I am not sure if I would feel comfortable saying that to a stranger. If someone asked me I would be so happy. I would think how awesome is that. If you are reading this I would LOVE to hear what you think. Could you do that? Or if someone approached you what would you think?

And the Blessings just keep on comin'

I am so excited to post this. We just sold our mini van! Very exciting news. I am not going to scream, "debt free!" just yet. The money transaction has not happened yet. So, it is not completely a done deal. But we have a buyer and we have an agreed upon price. But since today is Sunday and the banks are closed we could not seal the deal.
This morning was our first official service in an actual building. The church has been meeting at the Pastor's home until today. I am so thrilled about the new location. It is such an amazing feeling to know that you are right where God wants you. So, here I am God, please continue to use me!

More big changes for Bales Family

This is a very exciting day for us. Well, it will be eventually. Today I enrolled the boys in preschool. I had no idea that today would lead to this. I have been looking at schools as people mention them to me. But generally to send all three boys to preschool two days a week for a couple hours was well over $300, if not $400 a month. Ouch! Jeff and I had originally decided to leave the boys at home one more year. I even purchased some home school materials in hopes of teaching them a few things myself. But after a very challenging summer I have came to realization that my children don't listen to me. Haha! Most parents already know that. I told Jeff that I am struggling to get them to mind me. Teaching the boys would be very interesting. Okay, so I have been randomly calling different schools. In February the boys and I even toured several. One of them was Crabapple. At the time I thought it was too expensive. I called them today just to see if they had any openings left for fall. They only had three openings left all being in the same classroom. I don't believe in coincidences. It is probably one of the most affordable options I have came across. So, I am totally pumped to say the boys are going to school. Now, when that day comes I will probably be driving around crying like one of brother in laws did on his daughter's first day (and I am not talking about Steven). However, right now I am super excited.
The other exciting thing going on in our family is our new family car. Below is our old car, which is actually newer than our newer old car. This is our 2005 Chrysler Town and Country touring van. It has 70k miles. In case any of my seven followers are interested.

Okay, and drum roll.....This is our new older van!

Can you tell any differences?? This is our 1995 Chrysler Town and Country van purchased for a whopping $2700 with cash.

I am so proud and excited. Let's pray it last us awhile. That would be so cool.

Over the weekend we celebrated my mother in laws 60th birthday. I offered to do the center pieces. My mom actually put them together for us. She has such a gift. Seriously, in my opinion my mom is totally in the wrong line of work. She may feel differently but I am just saying. Check out these beautiful centerpieces she made for us. The pics really don't do them justice. They were gorgeous!

Thanks, Mom for all your help!