Review of our Favorite Summer Moments

Maggie learned to sit, unassisted, and got two teeth!

The kids were in a daycamp production of Eric Carle's The Hungry Caterpillar. Annie was a butterfly, Henry an apple, Sophie a cocoon, Charlie a pear.

Annie was in her first play- "Little Red Riding Hood" with the Missoula Children's Theater. She was an adorable "mischievous raccoon". (Pictured, back left)

We went to the Barker's for a Fourth of July fun food fest! Maggie enjoyed her first fourth and another "date" with James Leonard

Annie got dressed up... festively, of course.

Sassy Fourth of July triplets (2/3 with wet pants...)

The kids made their own fun in the backyard...

COUSINS! We were SO lucky to have a visit from Ashley and her kids, Elle and Jeff in June. It was like a 24-7 party! We went to Northwest Trek with Grandma and Grandpa (pictured here) and spent lots of time playing in the backyard. It was a highlight for sure...



We also went to Great Wolf Lodge (without the camera, sadly) and had a blast on the indoor waterslides, sleeping in the cool Kid Cabin, and wearing ourselves out! (Totally fun, for those considering it...)

We saw lots of movies... Wall-E, Kit Kittredge, Kung-Fu Panda, Horton Hears a Who, and The Dark Knight (mom and dad).

We read lots of books.

We spent hours and hours at parks.

We did lots of silly things, and talked a lot about preschool (gearing up!) and first grade, what they would be like, who would be there, what we would take, etc.

It's been a fun summer, and school is just around the corner. We are excited for the new challenges and exciting changes that will come with the new school year, but it's always a little wistful too...

backtrack... Father and Son Campout- May '08

Charlie and Henry- decked out to represent in their BYU blue...

backtrack... Memorial Day Hike

We decided to take the kids on a "hike" on Memorial Day this year, and Flaming Geyser Park seemed like a viable, close option. We took a picnic lunch and a very abbreviated version of a hike. The kids LOVED it- Definitely something we will do more often when they're a bit older...

backtrack... Easter 2008

I know, it's a little late to be including Easter pictures, but this one was so cute of my brood, that I thought, what the heck.

Cool new stuff.

So, you may have noticed, I added a few widgets to my blog... I feel SO high-tech now. I'm bonafide. I love the book montage, though it isn't really an accurate representation of the books I've read in the last 6 months- a few I read before, most I read during that time (you have lots of time to read when you nurse a baby... if you're wondering how a mom of five can read that much.) Several non-fiction ones are also unlisted. Also, many of those are YA books, which I have taken a particular interest in lately, and they are generally quick reads. A little embarassing and totally indulgent, but fun to read. Though I must say, historical fiction is really my thing. I'm happy to offer recommendations, to anyone interested- I'm working quickly to write my reviews for each book on goodreads. We'll see how many I get to...

The playlist is just fun. I have an eclectic mix for your listening enjoyment. My college girls will recognize many of these (C-L, Lal, Steph, etc.)- talk about nostalgia! (Nothin' like a Bob day, Carrie-Lynn!) Many of you will be sad to hear that I was unable to include SWASS by Sir Mix-A-Lot, as, sadly, it was not a listed option. Take heart, however, good patrons, I will not rest until I locate it. (Except that I need to go to bed soon, so I won't not rest until after that...)

Happy 4th Birthday, Soph, Henry and Charlie!

EXTRAVAGANZA

I've never been one to do anything... halfway.

So, as is tradition, I went a little nuts with the birthday party again this year. Not that I don't with other parties as well, but this one was super fun.

We did a backyard carnival in Mom and Dad's backyard, complete with games, prizes, cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, 8 helpful teenagers, 24 crazy kids, 96 humid degrees and a day that ended in sunburn and complete exhaustion. It was a blast, and yes, I would do it again. The trio loved it. A few highlights...

Charlie

Four Things I love about my Charlie (in honor of his fourth birthday):

1. His glasses. He looks like the Jerry Macguire Kid, Ralphie from A Christmas Story and Froggy from The Little Rascals all rolled into one. Everyone loves his glasses- they have given him a new lease on life.

2. His whoppers. Charlie is often known to... expand a bit on the truth. "Mom, I was fighting the bad guys last night and they tried to take me and I died. I did."

3. The way he ADORES his sisters, brother and friends. He has the most tender heart of anyone I know. Truly.

4. His prayers. Charlie says the prayer for every meal we eat, no matter where we are. He always remembers and always volunteers.

Charlie is (with the exception of Maggie) the most laid-back child in the Jones house, and we love his easy-going way about life. His sweet disposition and loving nature help maintain equilibrium in our family life.

Henry

Four Things I love about my Henry:

1. His smile is full of mischief, and his eyes twinkle when he gets a naughty idea, usually an indicator that something is afoot...

2. He has a crush on his primary teacher ("Mom, do my hair in a Superman curl. Jenny likes it like that...I want to wear that tie, Jenny likes it...")

3. He loves a challenge- he's organized and methodical, my type A child...

4. He is strong, wiry and fast. Against the odds.

Henry was my NICU boy- his lungs weren't quite ready for his body, but he was ready for this mortal existence. He grabs life by the horns and finds joy in even the smallest things. He is a sweet boy and he amazes me every day.

Sophie

Four Things I love about my little Sophie:

1. The way she sings like a rock star, shakes her hips, preens and poses.

2. Her love for all things girly- make up, dress ups, "no mommy, I want a BOW in my hair!"

3. The sneaky way she ends up sleeping with big sister Annie... every night.

4. The way she tucks her hair behind her ear, puts her hand on her hip and bats her eyelashes at me.

She is beautiful, sassy and smart, and I wouldn't change a thing.

The big day.

Soph, Henry and Charlie celebrated their fourth birthday last Wednesday, the 13th. We enjoyed a family dinner of pizza with Grandma and Grandpa Obray followed by cake and what would be considered Christmas to any average sized family... (What would you expect a birthday for triplets to be like?) This was only followed by a tidal wave of new fun things from their birthday party extravaganza on Saturday (more on that later...). We're finding places for all the new additions and the kids never tire of playing with each new toy.

We are blessed to have each of these beautiful children in our home and triply blessed that they are as fun-loving, precocious and sweet as they are.

Yeah, I know, unacceptable...

Okay, I know that not updating one's blog for five months is rather... irresponsible... I won't even try to explain why. Suffice it to say, there have been MANY books read, many diapers changed, time-outs taken, meals served and outings planned in the last five months. Consider this my good faith effort at getting back on the proverbial blogging wagon...