I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRHDAY to the Steece quads. I have been keeping track of Suz's Blog for a while and saying lots of prayers for them. Welcome little Angels, may God continue to watch over you and get you home safe and sound!

And, OMG, how exciting is all this baby news! I just stopped by the Wilkinson Quints Blog and saw that their Quintuplets made their BIG debut on Tuesday weighing in from 3lb 6oz to 5lb 1oz!!! They made it to 34weeks, AMAZING!

Congratulations to both families, our thoughts and prayers are with you!

More thoughts on "our little crew"

Being gone a weekend with one child can really stir up a lot of thoughts. What I am realizing is that our family is exactly what it is supposed to be. I always worry about the attention each one of our kids get and even feel guilty about not having more one on one time with each of them. I was blown away with Asjia's behavior on our trip to Texas. It seemed like she just flourished. It made me wonder what each one of the boys would have been like on their own. Who would my kids be if they were a singleton, how much further would they be in terms of development if I had hours to invest in things like colors, numbers, or potty training one at a time.

Then I came home. As we drove in to our neighborhood, Asjia covered up her eyes and literally started squealing. She was so excited. We got to the driveway and she threw her little arms up in the air, "we home" "Macy, Kaya, Daya"! She walked through the front door and ran to them, gave them hugs and was patting them on the head. She was so excited to help Mommy pass out surprises to everyone. I had wondered if the boys even noticed her being gone, and yes they surely had. They seem to have bonded with one another. She talked about them the whole time.


Last night at bedtime it was as if they were all overjoyed to be reunited in their bed together. They all ran upstairs, snuggled up and were soundly sleeping in no time. Today they are still excited to be back together. They were playing ring around the rosy all day and one thought kept coming back in to my head...one child can't play ring around the rosy with themselves. Things are as they should be for our silly little family.

Our little crew

My kids really did make leaps and bounds this past weekend. They are really coming out of that toddler hood and seeming much more like "little kids". Today I heard Asjia remind Kyle about "ladies foost" as he was pushing his way in front of her for a snack...lol The sweet thing was that later on I set their juice on the counter, her and Kai grabbed one and to my surprise she ran straight to Mason and said, "here you go Macy". She is learning chivalry and selflessness both, yay! Today they all helped me unload our groceries from Costco and bring them to the front door. They were all pretty big things and I was shocked at their strength. They were actually a big help! This evening Kyle "cleared" the table for me, without even asking. And when I say "cleared" I mean he brought me all of the dishes instead of ditching them on the floor like I expected. It was the sweetest thing. Asjia caught on to what he was doing so she jumped in and picked up all of the food that had dropped on the floor and brought it to me.

I was reminded of a special I watched recently on TLC about a family that had 16 kids...yes 16! The family was quite amazing and really inspired me. The attitudes of the Mother and Father were very positive. Everyone worked together and had a very important role in making the household successful, it was amazing. They built an enormous custom home all by themselves and everyone was involved. Those 8 years old and up were all issued a drill! The Mother mentioned that it was easier with sixteen than when there were only five, which I found to be pretty interesting. I often wonder if I am to hard on my kids. I do not cave at their every beck and call, and for 2 1/2 I often wonder if my arms length is a tad to far. However, I think that my kids have an advantage over some others, they will probably be slightly ahead of the game when it comes to things like blowing their own nose, tying their own shoes, and making their own beds. One thing I am sure of is that there is never a shortage of love, comfort, or support. As long as I am alive they will have an abundance of those things. I am ok with that.

Thank You Janelle...

One of my very best friends Janelle sent me a few amazing pictures that she took of my children during her last visit. Unfortunately the beauty doesn't quite translate through the scanner, but I am sure you will be able to identify the beauty that I see.

I am embarrassed to admit, but I cannot figure out which one of the boys this is. They are not identical and usually look quite different, but this picture has me stuck. It makes me realize just how much they do look alike!

This one is definitely Kai, he loves to have his finger in his nose(we are working on that one)!

More sweetness from Texas...

This was the amazing view from outside the airplane window. It looked sureal, like a fantastic fluffy blanket that you could just jump out the window and land on. There were a few times when Asjia got nervous and asked to "get down from da sky", but overall she was fascinated from what she was seeing and understanding from just outside that window...

Here is my sweet baby girl taking a little nap in my arms. She was all tuckered out from the excitement. She was such an awesome little traveler. She screeched with excitement a few times as we were descending into Dallas, " I see cars, I see da bus, I see big chu-ruck, I see da boats, I see trees", it was so entertaining to see her light bulbs going off.

This is a sign for one of the stores in the mall. Ironically, this is Asjia's nick name from her Daddy. He calls her "Asjie-Buiyahkah". Don't ask. I had no idea it was a real word and cracked up when I saw the sign. If anyone knows what bui-yah-kah is please enlighten me.

Surprise Surprise!

I am having one of those moments where my mind is working so much faster than my mouth, and in this case, my typing fingers. It has been one extraordinary week and finally a moment to share!

About a month ago I got the idea to surprise my Mom with a visit for her Birthday. After much thought I decided to travel with Asjia. I struggled with who to take, but thought it would be nice to have some girl time with my sweet baby. With a few great people in place to help me pull this off, it went almost EXACTLY as planned:)

The plan:
Using a stand-by ticket compliments of my sis who works for US Airways, we hoped to make it on the 1:45 flight. Arrive in Dallas at around 3:45pm, my other little sister Sam would pick us up and we would race to my Mom's job. I made Asjia a t-shirt that read, "I am here to say Happy Birthday to my Nina". We thought it would be great to send her in the lobby and look like a lost child. My Mom would definitely be on the scene immediately after hearing the buzz of a lost child. She would then realize that that child was her own Granddaughter. All went as planned until Asjia began crying and was apprehensive about entering a strange place without Mommy, so I came in and hid. My Mom was called up and saw Asjia first. The look on her face was one of total and utter confusion. She slowly entered the lobby with a look of disbelief on her face(she later told me she thought she was day dreaming) and scooped up Asjia. It was just a few short moments before they were hugging and kissing and giggling in their own little world. It was the greatest surprise ever. We had such a wonderful time, even if only a short one.

Here are some things I observed while on the trip...

People are truly wonderful beings. So many people offered a helping hand as I was trying to make my way through two of our nations craziest airports with a child, two bags, and a carseat in tow.

As hard as it is, when you separate multiples it truly gives them a special time to blossom. I was amazed at my precious little girl the whole time. She held my hand the whole time, she never once cried, she added so many new words to her vocabulary, and spoke so many new sentences. She was Mommy's little sidekick and she sucked up every moment of it. She LOVED the freedom of walking beside me through the airport, the malls, and in to restaurants. Getting adjusted back in to the choo choo or the stroller will be quite interesting. It was also really special for me to be able to give her my undivided attention and really appreciate all of her. She is such an angel.

No matter how much I fantasize about a moment away, I could barely stand being away from my boys and my Husband. It feels so un-natural to be separated. I realized just how tight of a unit we are, and how empty I feel without the everyday craziness, the bucket loads of love, and the noise level of my own little family. Coming home was bittersweet. I could almost feel the tender hugs and hear my boys saying Hi Mama! as I imagined walking through the door. When I saw them, they looked like they had grown, Chris said the same thing about Asjia. Even the scent of my Husband was so much more noticeable. It was that sweet yet manly smell that I used to long for when our Love was just beginning and our relationship was long distance. I miss my Mom and Dad terribly and can only hope and pray that it is God's will for us to be together as one big happy family in the same city someday.

My very surprised Mommy in the wee hours of the night, hence the sleepy faces.

My little sister Sam and I, acting very delirious well past any normal person's bedtime.

My precious Daddy and I.


After a night out on the town with my Husband, and a couple of days away from home, I feel as if our life and even our marriage has been refreshed. It was just the right amount of quality time with and away from one another to give us both a new appreciation for each other and our lives. What we have money cannot buy, it is an extraordinary gift from God. Chris was so great while I was away. He took perfect care of home. The word on the street was that he even had the boys perfectly coordinated and looking very stylish on their evening out. The house looked great and he even managed to get all of the laundry done! What a stud;)

This is a new one...

Just when I thought I had heard every over used line that us triplet Mom's have to endure, a new one surfaces.

I took the kids to the waterpark yesterday and it was a great time. The kids have been in the water just about every day this month so they are beautifully sunkissed. I noticed this lady watching me and finally she broke down and came over to ask if they were triplets. After being drilled about my life, our finances, and some other random stuff she asks, "Did you birth them?". I was a bit confused and wondered if she was really asking what I thought she was asking? She clarified...I know it's a really personal question but, are you their Mother? She had just observed me running around like a maniac saying "stay with Mommy" a hundred or so times trying to keep them safe in the water...am I their Mother?

I know, I know they are just to adorable to be my kids, that must be it. I actually answered her but I was thinking to myself... No, I was about 8 months pregnant and I woke up one day and these three sleeping babies miraculously appeared in cribs so I assumed they were mine.....

Now I really have been asked EVERY silly question.

♥Date Night♥

Yes Yes Yes! I finally broke down and had my trusty Elise come and entertain the kids for a few hours so my precious Husband and I could enjoy some much needed time together. It's amazing what a few hours alone can do for a married couple. I have a little restaraunt that I absolutely love that he had not tried so we had dinner there. It was fabulous. Then we went to Chinatown and checked out Gallery Place. Afterward we just walked around downtown, holding hands, and enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. I truly enjoyed myself and cherished the time with my husband. My wish is that we get to do this at least once a month from now on, it was just what the Doctor ordered!

They read my note!

I was super excited to go to Gap online and see that they read my note and took it to heart. I was really disappointed when they came out with the Gap Kids Red products and they were only available in 0-24mos. Today I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted the Red icon in the Toddler section, now we can all get Inspi(Red). In case you have no idea what I am talking about...the Red line at the Gap and several other major companies have created it as a great way of giving back. They give 50% of each sale towards Aids in Africa. The line is really hip and cool looking and it's socially responsible too!

Bed time tricks

Usually my kids are so willing and ready to go to sleep at night it's really quite wonderful. Lately I have noticed a little bit of hesitation and even some Mommy manipulation going on. The boys, who are both pushing 35lbs both look at me with puppy dog eyes and ask for me tp pick them up and carry them up the stairs. I used to have no problem doing that, but we are talking about some sturdy little toddlers I have here. As I bent down to pick Mason up tonight he says, "Mommy, I scared". "Scared of what my love?" I ask, and he responds, "da bug". Then as I am dramatically walking up the stairs as if I cannot handle the weight of the two of them, Kyle says, "Mommy trong", and Mason chimes in, "I luh you Mama". Ahhhh, way to make Mommy's heart flutter. Then we get them tucked in to bed and it's kisses, and kisses, and "Mo Kissy please" until I have to be "trong" and cut off the kisses. I always feel so bad walking out of there, I am always wondering if everyone got the same amount of kisses and everyone is going to sleep feeling equally loved. I think they have really figured out how to get me.

WOW...my babies are becoming kids

I often wonder who my children will be when they mature. Their little personalities are all so strong and distinctly different. I have realized that the single most frustrating things about each one of them is also that "thing" that makes them so special when I think of them.

My sweet Kyle is Mr. Independent and definitely the most Strong willed out of the three. His will is so strong that at times I want to just give up. He is so determined to carry out whatever it is that is in his plan, that NOTHING will stop him. He is a little bit of a loner and is usually off on his own little mission. The times when his personality traits make me swell up with love are times like today when he was determined to get his own shorts on, it didn't matter that both legs were in one hole, he was going to make it work. And the button was either going to get in the hole or he was just going to pop it right off. Or times like when the other two are fighting for a place on my lap and soaking up the hugs and kisses and I catch a glimpse of him just watching from the other side of the room where he is hanging out. It breaks my heart, and because of that I always make sure I snatch him up and give him lots of affection, even if I have to pin him down...lol

Then there is Mason. My little ball of fire. His energy never runs dry, and his smile is infectious. He is the little monkey that jumps on the bed for hours during naptime and laughs at me when I come in to settle them down. He thinks everything is funny, and it is really difficult to get him to take me seriously. He is the baby, if only by two minutes so I think he uses that to his advantage. He jumps on me and it hurts, but then he squeezes me so tight, and plants so many kisses on me that I can't get upset. He will definitely be my class clown and my flirt.

Then their is Asjia. My little lady. Drama Drama Drama. She should be an actress. She falls out like she has the holy spirit in her when someone takes a toy from her or when she is overly tired or hungry. But she is so gentle and sweet, and so intelligent. She is constantly surprising me with her humor, her memory, and the way she figures things out. She picks up on everything and is such a little ray of sunshine.

It is so fascinating how my babies are growing in to these little kids. They were who they were from the very start. When I think back to when I was pregnant, their personalities in the womb were very telling of who they are now. It's crazy to think of what comes next. What will these personality traits evolve in to and who will they become? It's amazing to me that I helped create these three little people.

sweet...

Dear Lord, it's such a hectic day,
With little time to stop and pray,
For life's been anything but calm,
Since you called on me to be a mom.

Running errands, matching socks,
Building dreams with building blocks.
Cooking, cleaning, and finding shoes,
And other stuff that children lose.

Fitting lids on bottled bugs,
Wiping tears and giving hugs.
A stack of last week's mail to read,
So where's the quiet time I need?

Yet when I steal a minute Lord,
Just at the sink or ironing board,
To ask the blessings of your grace,
I see them in my small one's face,

That you have blessed me all the while,
As I stop to kiss that precious smile.

Weekend Fun...

Enough of the serious stuff

This morning Angie and I thought we would be clever and beat the Saturday crowd at the mall. And we did;)The kids jumped around in the play area just enough time to get tuckered out! We had a great time squeezing every last drop out of this summer day. On our trip home, the sun was so tempting we decided to skip nap time and head to the pool. Because Mommy UMMMMMM likes a challenge....

The pool was more like a circus. No really. This one Mother in particular stands out in my mind. This little boy was splashing us, very aggressively for a toddler, so my sister in law kindly asked him not to do that. He splashed harder, so her tone changed a little. Then he spit, yes spit at us instead. She asked where his Mommy was and he splashed off in to the sunset. We looked around the baby pool at all of the Mother's and no one seemed to be paying any attention to this child. Then he ran out of the gated area to the big pool, still no one paying him any mind. Then he darts toward the waterslide, clearly he cannot swim and thinks this is just another slide like the ones he's used to at the park. This one emptied into 6ft of water. Another lady saw him and alerted the lifeguard so he ran after him and just as reached the top of the stairs, the lifeguard snatched him up. The lifeguard headed back to the baby pool asking who's child it was, still nothing. When he quarantines him back to the baby pool to go hunt down the parent, finally this Woman who had been sitting a mere 10ft from us hears the chaos and realizes it's in regards to her 2 1/2 year old. So she proceeds to scream at HIM as if HE should be much more responsible and keep his little behind in the baby section. YES! I couldn't believe my eyes & ears. She sat right in the middle of her child's naughtiness the whole time, and he ran past her out the gate, and NOTHING! This whole production took a good 10 minutes. We had no reason to even suspect that was her child. But he was the one who needed to get yelled at? Crazy Woman...It blows my mind how careless people are with their children. And quite frankly it angers me.

What did I tell you about those Mommy Instincts?

I strongly believe we were given this crazy thing called Mommy Instincts as a parting gift from childless days.

Last night I was getting ready to tuck in as usual, after my nightly ritual of locking up, setting the alarm, and checking the kids. I turned on the monitor in my room and got this overwhelming feeling of nervousness. I looked around in the darkness and made my way to the bed. I was scolding myself in my head for being so paranoid & silly. I had just walked up from downstairs after securing the place like a Federal Penitentiary myself. What was worrying me? During prayer, I could not shake the feeling and at one point was afraid of waking my Husband because I was praying out loud, intentionally. After tossing and turning, I finally fell asleep about a half hour later(1:45am'ish).

At 5am my Husband wakes me out of my dead sleep with, "is that our alarm?", and yes, it was. Our Home security alarm that is. I cannot explain to you the feeling of panic that came over me. It's still dark outside, we are half dressed and disoriented, and there is no way the alarm was set off by either of us. Or the triplets. I leaped out of bed and ran to their door. I didn't want to go and give them that same feeling of panic so I stood and waited. ADT called and Chris went down to check all of the doors. Nothing. Nothing, except for that for the first time in HISTORY I had forgotten to lock the deadbolt on our front door...which was where ADT claimed the alarm had been set off. Because we have only had our alarm go off randomly one time, during a heavy wind storm, we opted to have the police come out and take a look. They found no signs of the door being pryed open, but looked around the entire property and made their presence known before leaving. If there would have been a caption above my head it would have read, "Please stay, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE, OH PLEASE". Luckily, the sun started to come up about a half hour later.

Having a child(or three) really changes your frame of mind in this type of situation. It's no longer a thought of mine to run and hide and grab a sharp knife on the way. It makes me obsess over how I would keep my babies safe if in fact there was an intruder. How would I hide three small children, or keep them quiet, or safe? What is the best plan of action when you are awoken from a dead sleep and faced with this sort of circumstance? There is such a feeling of vulnerability. I am not just thinking of myself anymore & the new dynamics are quite complicated.

Now as I remember, just about every time I have needed to be on guard, my sense of awareness tunes right in and my personal alarms start going off long before. Something is suddenly off. I have an unsettled feeling that doesn't go away. This has happened to me just about every time an emergency type of situation has occurred. I am calling it Instinct.

Did someone open the door and make a run for it at the first sound of our screeching alarm? Was it a total fluke? Or was it God's way of reminding me of something? Like the importance of locking my door and setting my alarm, or being more aware of my surroundings. Either way, my instincts have proven to be strong once again. It was either a potentially very bad situation or a hand delivered message from he who has much more control over our security than I do...

summer days

Scary Scary Scary! I clicked on the pic of Asjia inside the train and my stomach turned when I saw 2 HUGE SPIDERS! I would have freaked if I would have seen them when I was taking the picture. Thank God none of my babies got bit. For the record, they will not be playing in any outdoor eqipment that I cannot fit in myself to inspect from now on...gulp

ok ladies, I need your input

I have seen the tradition of having a big "100" themed post for your 100th blog posting and I am quickly approaching that number. Being the addict that I am, I have started to put a little thought in to what I might post. Then I wondered what you would all like to read? So, I am taking suggestions for ideas on the 100th post. I need your creative minds!

Stroller Addiction

I admit, I have a terrible stroller sddiction. Since birth I have owned 8 of them. One single stroller, three doubles, three triplet strollers, and a double with a stand on board. I guess since we are 2 and a half the stroller days are almost over, but now I am tempted by all of these great little doll strollers for Asjia. Will it ever end? They are just too cute!

I laughed until I cried...

I the midst of my hectic day yesterday I called upon my own Mommy for comfort. I called her up and let it all spew out. Poor thing. She is always such a source of positive encouragement for me, and always has something wise to say that will calm my nerves. I was telling her about my sweet Husband and how he had accidentally layered on some frustration to my day. She jokingly said that she could practically hear me letting him know how upset I was. I told her that surprisingly I refrained. I was in that feeling sorry for myself mode and said "he will understand when I drop dead from being overworked". Now in hindsight I am dying laughing at myself. What a Drama Queen!

So this evening I am talking to my best friend April and she is telling me about her Grammy. This is the most beautifully spirited, Godly woman I know besides my own Nana. April asked her how she felt this evening on the phone and Grammy said she felt terrible. Her legs hurt so bad she could barely walk or sit down. Here is what Grammy says next..."but you know what I'm going to do?" "I am going to plaster a big smile on my face and wheel myself down the hall, that way when I die everyone will say, Lonny? How did she die? There was nothing wrong with her!" LOLOLOLOL Oh Grammy
I so know how you are feeling:)

I guess even the best of us are allowed to have pitty parties from time to time...

The trials & tribulations of Motherhood

I usually try and keep my blog positive. After all, my life is positive & I am a happy person. I love my kids more than anything and I am thankful to be so divinely favored. Today however, was one of those days and I must air my dirty laundry. Those of you with multiples or even one child know that despite your efforts to stay happy & positive, this job can take every ounce of energy you have.

Today I felt like Lynette from Desperate Housewives. The one with the nasty little twin boys who are always pouncing on her. My kids woke up on a different planet, or perhaps I did...who knows? They had my heart rate up first thing this morning, no gym required. We went to Costco and people came out of the woodwork to try and help me, must have been the look of defeat on my face. At nap time the pictures were literally falling off the walls in the hallway because they were jumping on their bed. After the 10th time in their room to discipline them(and wondering what the neighbors were thinking)I heard them laugh when I shut the door. Those little suckers. Have you ever tried to clean poop off of a Jute rug? It's easier to replace it. I think we are playing a major role in keeping West Elm in business. That's the very reason I love my little green machine...which Mason got a hold of this morning, and before I could get to him spilled the poopy water contents all over himself and the clean laundry. Yep, upside down, stinky poopy water all over.

Now they are in bed, all lined up. They look like little Angels. It's amazing how these little tiny people can dictate a household. It's amazing how the love between a Mother and Child is so unconditional. How tomorrow when they rise, with their little sleepy faces, I will have totally forgotten about the torturous day they gave me today. And how they will have forgotten, and only care about my morning hugs and kisses and our journey down the stairs to eat breakfast together.

comments please:)

OK Yes, I am doing it. I am blatantly asking for your comments.

Why? Because I am completely amazed at this world of blogging, a little sad that I am just now getting with the program, and super excited to meet all of my cyber friends.

I have to admit, this has become such therapy for me. To read all of your stories, laugh, cry, and relate. I can barely go a day without it, and sometimes I get on a few times a day. Although I gush about it to him, I think my Husband gets a little nervous about why I am up so late on the computer, and why I dash down to the office as soon as the babes go to bed. If he only knew that I was bonding with all kinds of borderline insane, greatly Blessed, refreshingly open and honest Mommies that crack me up and make me cry...his worries would be no more. It's great to have you guys!

Receiving a comment is a little like getting a present every day. I put the counter on my page a few weeks back and Im shocked every day that people actually come here and visit. I get so excited. Then I realize that I am doing the same thing, and many blogs I still have not found that extra moment to comment on. So Yes, I am asking you to check in & comment. Introduce yourself....pretty please just take a moment. I would love to hear from all of you!

Question: Do any of you blogging pro's know what the whole site feed thing is all about?

and does anyone know how to protect pictures from being copied? I would like to have them so they cannot be highlighted and saved...Thanks!

Goodbye Weekend *waving*

Boys Boys Boys. Look at Kai's shirt...are 2 and a half year olds still supposed to be drooling like this?
My little lady pretending to wash her hands

Got to love the action shots. Note the ground in the photo of Kyle running...the missing word = NO


Kids had a blast, it was a bit of a free for all. Candy(while running by the pool) and loaded strawberry lemonade all in the same weekend.