Strawberries

This cute Peachy tends to melt our family's heart. Her siblings adore her and are always willing to help her and play with her. As a mother, I couldn't be happier that all my children love each other . My big girls received a Strawberry Shortcake set for Christmas and guess who they lovingly shared it with!

This girl will play for hours with her Strawberries. When I went to take the video, she immediately stopped her gibbering. But at least I will remember her loving her dolls.

A Tooth Fairy Visit

This cute girl wiggled and jiggled that bottom tooth of hers until it came out. She is BEAMING with pride that she has lost her first tooth. In fact (now that it has been over a week), she is still telling EVERYONE about it - the grocery store workers, random people at Target, the nurse at the doctors office. If you see Annie, you are bound to hear about her tooth experience.

The next night, Carter put Annie's tooth and note under his pillow to try to trick the tooth fairy. She promptly wrote Carter a note and said it wasn't nice to be dishonest. Too bad for you bud!

Thankfully the tooth fairy didn't forget and brought the cutie a dollar:


Annie holding her tooth:
The big hole:

Super Reader Party

For the past 3 years, I've written about our trip up to Salt Lake to attend the Super Reader Party. A local TV station rents out the State Fair Ground building and turns it into a craft - science experiments - music - live animals - full of free books - food filled place. It is great to see our tax payer dollars hard at work!

My kids love it and ask about it all year long. We get to attend because we read books at our house - lots and lots of books. Easy peasy! Hopefully our pictures tell how much fun we had.

My Drug of Choice

Over this past Thanksgiving, I was "tricked" into running Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN.

Grandma's marathon is sacred in our family. It was a family tradition to either run the race or cheer. I was an official cheerleader as a kid. I loved going up there (stopping at Toby's Bakery along the way), feeling the excitement of the runners, staying in a hotel, swimming in the pool and most of all, cheering for the runners. One year I was interviewed by a local newspaper about my cheering. I was annoyed that the reporter was taking my time and I couldn't watch the race.

Now it is time for the next generation to run the race - there will be three of us. Once I decide I am going to do something of this caliber, there is no going back. I'm committed and will put forth every effort. So I did and all my efforts led me to a stress fracture in my ankle and heel. I increased my mileage too quickly and am paying dearly for it now. 8 WEEKS OF NO RUNNING.

You see, the feeling I get when I run is a drug - the "runners high". It makes me feel powerful and in control. I love that feeling and need it everyday. Since I can't run, I am having serious withdrawals. It almost makes me feel depressed - like I am not working hard enough or accomplishing my goals.

So to try to keep my aerobic ability, I am banished to the pool (so I don't have any impact on my foot).

See, I have this great fear of water and have NO clue how to swim (despite all the swim lessons I took).

This past week I swam a mile (it was only the back stroke) and "pool ran" for over an hour. I don't write this to brag, but I can't believe I am swimming. I never thought I would ever EVER swim because I was so scared of the water (the only time I would ever put on a swim suit is to take my kids to the pool and sit on the side). I think if we want that "high" bad enough, we will do anything to get it - even if it means overcoming fears of water. My goal is to swim/pool run enough I will still be able to train for the marathon.

I've even considered doing a triathlon once I've been given the clearance to run.

Thanks for the good ride

Many moons ago, this stroller was my ticket to freedom. I go could anywhere and do anything when I had it. We bought it used from another triplet family and it was "loved". We "loved" it even more.

Though the kids haven't ridden in it for years, I haven't been able to let it go. It has sat in our basement because I haven't let my babies turn into big kids.

We gave it away this week. I am very sad and feel that I am letting a piece of my babies go. I'm sure the other family will love it too!

"The Buried Life"

I was at the dentist last week and watched one of the morning shows while I was having my teeth cleaned (I love TV's on the ceiling). There was a highlight about a new reality show on MTV called "The Buried Life" (I don't ever watch MTV, so I had never heard of it).

The show was about making a list of things you wanted to do before you die. It got me thinking. I thought I would start my list of what I wanted to do before I die. I'm sure it will change, but I need a starting point.

1. Complete an Ironman Triathlon 70.3 (which is a half Ironman).

2. Qualify and run the Boston Marathon

3. Go to France and watch the Tour de France

4. Visit the Sacred Grove

5. Visit Jerusalem

6. Complete all my genealogy

7. Serve a humanitarian mission

The Take Down

Carter is going to hate me for this someday. But he had been picking on his sisters and Tim taught the girls to work together to take him down.