A wonderful weekend

Last weekend we had a wonderful weekend. Saturday was a busy day. It started with a visit from one of my good friends, Heather and her two kids, Hunter and Jacy. Heather and I were roommates in college. Even though we don't live close to one another, it is like picking up where we left off when we do see each other. Unfortunately it has been WAY too long since our last visit. The kids got to play together in the playyard while Heather and I got to catch up. We then had lunch together. While I put lunch together Hunter introduced the kids to Star Wars. Zach also decided that Heather's bag needed sunscreen, so after that mess was cleaned up we were able to eat. With it being naptime after lunch we said our good byes. Heather, thank you for coming to visit as well as the yummy cookies and all those clothes. Here are a couple pictures I got after lunch.
Here is Jacy enjoying a cookie...not sure if it the first one that she ended up losing to Roxy or the second one...
Liz enjoying her cookie as well as acting goofy...

Here are the boys enjoying their cookies. Zach also lost his first cookie to Roxy too. Roxy had a great lunch...lol!

Saturday night we attended our first party involving Jeremy's new employer. Thanks to grandma and grandpa we had NO curfew...woo hoo! We had a great time! Although Sunday morning was a little rough, it was well worth it! We have not had curfewless night since last October.

Sunday we had another party to attend. This one was for my cousin, Jamie. She is getting deployed in August and this was the last time she'd be home before deployment. So we went to help send her off. The kids had a great time esp running back and forth between garages. We were all exhausted by bedtime Sunday night.

One last thing...it is a funny...so I was showering yesterday and the kids run around while I do so. Normally they are in the bathroom with me, but not yesterday. Zach and Alex were watching out the window, Lexi was in and out of the bathroom and Liz was trying to brush her teeth. Zach came in and out real quick but I did not think anything of it. After getting out and drying off I went to check on everyone. I couldn't find Zach....hmmmm. I did finally find him under the table (the place he normally goes if he is being naughty or has something he shouldn't). He says 'mommy lotion, lotion mommy see'...he had put 'lotion' on his cheeks and all over his hands. The 'lotion' he used....neosporin! The tube was a mess as was he. LOL! Never dull, never!

Love, Jen

A Need to be Naked

We have been enjoying the warm & sunny weather here. We have spent time in the pool every day last week. Kids are constantly asking to 'go swimmin'. Early last week Alex spent two days enjoying the pool from the outside. The first day this happened after we got everyone undressed and dried off Alex decided to jump into the pool...naked. That started a chain reaction...soon all four kids were back in the pool all naked. So they have offically gone skinny dipping...lol!

Prior to hopping into the pool I had the kids playing in the playyard. This was the first time they got to play in the new sandbox with the sand in it! Lexi started to get undressed...which again started a chain reaction. I guess playing in the sand in diapers only is better. Alex did not join in with the others.

Last week I was also able to find a larger pool on Craigslist. Now I will be able to teach the boys what Liz has learn in swim class as well as have more room for everyone. We hope to have it up and running soon!

Love, Jen

Da Boys

One afternoon last week Jeremy got home in time to join us for a swim. By the time he got home Liz and I were already out and dried off. This gave the 'da boys' the pool. They had a great time!
Enjoy, Jen
Here Alex is just hanging out catching some rays...
Zach trying to balance on the edge...

Watch out daddy...

and under he goes...

nope, no enjoyment in that at all...are the three of them cute or what?!?! I am so lucky!

Zach splashing daddy...

daddy's revenge...a bear hug!

Alex, they are coming to get you!

What better thing to do then hitch a ride.

Uh oh, they are coming to get Liz!

You go girl!

Since the boys have a post so should our little girl. I received another bow the other day and put it in her hair to get some pictures to send to the triplet mommy that made it. In a span of about 5 minutes Liz brought out all her personalities.
Enjoy, Jen
Here she is her sweet, cute as a button, innocent pose...
and her she is doing her I am a goofy ball...tee hee hee...

and finally shoing of the devilish side...and yes she does have one.The goofiness does not stop with her. Here I caught her playing dress up...

just a giggling away. She is too cute for her own good.

Mini me's

As a parent the one thing you strive for is to ingrain good behaviors and morals in your children. You want to pass things on that you learned and hold close to your heart. This morning I got proof that not only are they listening but they are wanting to carry on the "tradition". When I was young it was a "rule" that you were to make your bed every morning. It was our job. When I met Jeremy and he learned that it was something that was a necessity for me. So either he agrees with me now or he does it to just please me...either way our bed is made each morning. The kids help me each morning by bringing me the pillows. Even though they can't do it themselves, I have been making their bed since we now have the bedding sets. I never know if they are actually watching or not but go step by step thru the process. Well this morning I was making my bed...Alex came in and said 'Mommy making bed' and then disappeared. Zach was helping with pillows this morning, so after we were done we headed to his room. And what did I find...Alex making his bed...'no help mommy, I do' he said. After a little bit of help his was done. I then moved to Zach's bed...as I did this Liz ran out of the room. After finishing Zach's I went and found Liz working on hers. It feels great to know that they are getting "it" and want to do it. I am a proud mommy this morning! Just had to share.
Love, Jen
PS Things to come...playing in the sandbox naked, skinny dipping and more...stay tuned!

Happy Father's Day plus more...

This post begins with a little activity Alex likes to call choo-choo. The kids have now taken it upon themselves to play train. They line up pretty good on their own. While they walk around they say choo-choo, cho-choo. Watch out here comes the train...

Prior to Papa and Nana leaving on Thursday I was inflating the kids' pool. It seemed to be taking forever so Jeremy helped my with using the air compressor. Once we got it filled we headed to the backyard. We did not get far before it lost everything. Apparently the little gray furry creatures aka mice that used our garage as a home over winter decided it would be funny to put a hole in the pool. Luckily we have some patching supplies and Jeremy was able to patch the hole. After filling it a second time we were ready for water. I filled it quickly Thursday night, which was good cause some major storms hit here during the night. So Friday marked the official first swim of the summer for the kids. It was an overcast day but really warm. The water did not warm up as much as I had hope but the kids never noticed.

Zach be careful don't fall out...

Alex trying not to shiver...

Liz entertaining us with her impression of a squirrel...

The kids decided to get out and it was a good decision cause they were shivering pretty bad at that point. To make things a little easier I stripped them outside and wrapped them in towels. We headed for the house. Once we were in the towels came off. The boys decided it would be fun to pretend to weed whack and Liz went for the toy edger.
Liz being the modest one of the three, she kept her towel half on...

Alex used good placement of the toy...

as did Zach!

Saturday I worked in the morning. Once I got home Jeremy was able to continue on one last project before returning to the workforce on Monday...the kids' sandbox. He was able to get it completed and put into the playyard by the end of the weekend. He filled it tonight with sand, so tomorrow will be an exciting day in the playyard...don't worry pictures will be taken...lol! The kids have one heck of a sandbox!

Sunday was Father's Day. Jeremy spent the morning with the kids as I did the grocery shopping. Once I got home he was able finish up the sandbox. He took a break once the kids woke from their naps. They got him a couple "dad" t-shirts as well as beer tappers and some cologne. But the best present was the picture and poem. I wrote up the following poem:

We love to wear your shoes Daddy,

As you can clearly see.

Pretending we’re as big as you,

For soon that day will be.

We hope to be like you someday,

Strong, Patient, full of love.

You’re the greatest Dad on earth,

With quite the shoes to fill.

And then put this picture below it...

Let me just say with the reaction we got...I think I did good. Jeremy is such a good daddy! We love him so much! There were individual pictures taken too that went into a different frame as well as a few out takes. Here is another group pictures.
We have been enjoying the pool since we filled it. Today we had fresh water and more of it. Lexi joined us today. Today I said forget the swimsuits and just went with swim diapers.

After Liz found my sunglasses and started hamming it up.

After a quick snack and juice, it was back to playing and waiting for daddy to get home from his first day at his new job. So what better way to play then everyone sharing the cart. The only thing wrong with this picture is that Zach is in the cart and we'd prefer no one in the cart...we have seen it tip too many times.

Tomorrow is suppose to be extremely warm, so we are hoping to get outside in the morning. Lexi will be joining us, so we should get some good pictures of them in the new sandbox...something to look forward to in next week's post.

Love, Jen

Here it is...

I apologize it has taken almost all week to get the pictures of the "new" boys' room on here, but I have a good excuse, Nana and Papa. They came to visit us. We had a wonderful time having them here. Papa helped Jeremy with some of the things on his to-do list. Nana got to spend time with the kiddos. I think (and hope) they had as good of a time as we did. Thanks for coming! So there is my excuse...lol.
This first picture is what the sleep plan was "suppose" to be...all mattresses in Liz's room...cozy, eh?
Here is what the sleep plan ended up being...no mattresses at all! It was hard to get an agreement but we finally just put everyone on the floor. They did well sleeping together. This picture was taken before we cleaned up the room, so it looks a lot better then the actually tornado look it had for the time that they were bunking together.

Zach giving a tour of his new room...they kept saying "new walls, mommy do"...

Drum roll please....................

Yellow wall...

Green wall....

Red wall....

and blue wall....

So I was going to pull some nursery pictures from earlier posts but got too caught up in my trip down memory lane, so there are pictures in some of the 2007 posts. All four walls were yellow with baby farm animal decor. I was able to redo their room for less than $50. Many of the decor items we had. We have sports themed twin bedding so that is what we did for wall hangings. We got a great primary colors lego table from our mailman and I picked up primary colored shelves at a rummage. We only needed to buy two paint colors and used supplies we already had. We did add red tab curtains to help darken the room for naps and bedtime. I have the two shelves to paint yet as they are currently silver, but it is done and I am very pleased with it. Red is a very difficult color to work with...ugh!

I also picked up a toddler bedding set from the resale shop. Was lucky enough to find TWO with the truck theme...so they now have big boy beds. I found a set for Liz at a rummage, so we are all big kids now.

The boys sharing Alex's bed...nice smiles for the camera...then...

we kick off the sheet and act goofy...lol!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. And hey, if you got some free time...take a trip down memory lane. What a journey it has been!

Love, Jen