Together Time

Oh how I cherish the together time. Kenta works very hard for our family and for that we are so grateful!

Through his work, Kenta was rewarded with the opportunity to take our family on a little get away. For the boys this is the very best thing that they could imagine. Focused fun DADDY and MOMMY time! We got to read together...
Swim together...

Shoot giant squirt guns together...

have an animated story time together and watch the snow fall inside together!

Thank you Kenta for working so hard so that our family can do such special and memorable things. We are loved by how you serve our family.

Dressing Themselves

This is what you may find if you enter our home on any given morning or afternoon. They boys have really been enjoying dressing themselves now that they can get their clothes on by themselves. Doesn't it make you smile? I do often, what silly boys I have. They must get it from their dad.

Pumpkin Patch

We took the boys to a local pumpkin patch to see some animals, pick out a pumpkin of their own, and 'experience fall'. There were two large fields of pumpkins and I was certain that they were going to want to pick the largest pumpkin they could find, but instead they searched and searched for pumpkins small enough that they could carry it themselves. They would walk around saying, "too big, too big, too big...." Then when they found one that they thought they could manage they very excitedly would run to that pumpkin and clumsily maneuver themselves back to the wheel barrow to add it to their pile. Together they collected about 6-7 small pumpkins...by themselves, then they got to choose one to take home.

This was the pumpkin Isaiah picked.
Micah liked the white pumpkin, but it was too big to make the cut.

Josiah liked the large pile of mini pumpkins.

They were all very helpful in making the wheel barrow heavier for their dad to pull up the hill.

And I think that they all had a fun day, except that Josiah thought the goose was much too loud.

Other fun moments...

We had to have S'Mores... The boys didn't know what it was at first and were cautious as usual, but as soon as we told them it had chocolate in it, they ate it with gusto! They got a little frustrated with the stickiness of the marshmallow, however. This is Micah after enjoying his yummy treat.
One of the highlights of the trip was playing hide and seek in the TALL grass. We had to watch the boys closely otherwise they might disappear into the maze of grass.

Walks on the beach were always an adventure. Isaiah loved to pick up and look at everything he came across.

Kenta bought the boys some golf clubs, and baseball bats to entertain them while they were outside. Josiah couldn't seem to put them down. He has quite the future in baseball or golf. He must get that from his Grandpa.

This is Josiah relaxing at the cabin in between outings. Now that is what vacation is supposed to be about, right?

Boating

The boys were very excited to go on their first ride on Grandpa's boat. They could hardly contain themselves as we walked down to the beach.

They all enjoyed the ride, except Micah was very clear that he did not like the wind. He wanted to be sure that we closed the front window so that it was not windy. They each got a turn to ride with Grandpa and help drive the boat.

But by the end of the morning adventures, the ride home was a lullaby. Isaiah was asleep with in minutes and we had to work to keep the other two awake so they would take a nap at home.

Thanks Grandpa for sharing your boat with us.

Swinging

While we were at the park we tested out the swings. Isaiah thought it was ok....

Micah was not in the mood.
But of course Josiah loved it!


Did you know tire swings work perfect for triplets?

Overnighter

The boys enjoyed climbing through these big tires; something new to explore.

We went to a "petting zoo", but the boys enjoyed the pretend animals more than the real ones.
The boys were so excited to be at a new place with their mommy and daddy. When we first got to the hotel room they thought it was just fun to sit on all the furniture.

We took the boys on a carriage ride. They talked and talked about the draft horse that pulled the wagon.

By the end of the day ALL the boys were tuckered out.

I believe our first overnighter trip with all three boys, other than at Grammy and Grandpa's house was a success. We played and ate and played some more. I think we tired them out well enough that they didn't care if they had their own beds or not. It is so much fun investigating the world through the eyes of two year olds.

Picnicing

This spring, we have been enjoying the fun of picnicking! The boys get so excited to eat outside on a blanket. It is such wonderful family time enjoying the beautiful creation around us. On this picnic, we gave the boys juice boxes for the first time. That was a definite hit! They were sure to get every last drop. After dinner, they explored around the park to see what they could find, buttercups, snake grass, and the favorite.....sticks!

Josiah
Micah

Isaiah

Little Gardeners

As Spring arrives I get a little itch to plant and dig in the dirt. I have a dear friend who has allowed not only me, but also my three little diggers have a chance to get dirty since we don't have a yard to have a garden. I appreciate her desire to have the children involved in the process of preparing the garden and planting. On this visit, we got to pick up rocks and make the beds. The boys loved to help build up the beds with more dirt. We were awfully dirty by the time we got home, but nothing a good bath could not fix. We had so much fun. Hopefully soon we will be back over for planting.

Stephanie watching over the kids while they work. :)

Isaiah loved this blue shovel.

Micah liked to get down and dirty.

Josiah tried hard to stay on the path.

Isabel was helping me tie on the string.

Counting Daffodils

If you listen closely, you can hear Micah counting the daffodils.
"19...18...19...18" I would think it would seem like a giant task to a two year old, but when your counting doesn't have to make sense anyway, it is fun to do.

Visiting with Grandpa and Grammy

We had a delightful visit with the boys grandparents.

It is always so refreshing to have family around and

share in the joy of life together.

Tulip Festival

This last weekend, we drove up to the tulip festival. Ever since I knew of the festival I have wanted to go, but have not been able to make the timing work. This year we really wanted to get the boys up there to see the tulips, tulips, and more tulips! We checked the weather to be sure it would not be rainy, prepared the night before so that we would be ready to leave the next morning. We hit the road and sure enough, about half way there we were hit with a down pour of rain. My heart sank as I knew that the flowers would not be much fun in cold, rainy, wet, and muddy fields. But Kenta seems to always know....he said...."just wait". Sure enough, the weather was clear and we had a wonderful time exploring the fields of color.

Happy Easter!

This Easter was the first one that we were able to talk to the boys about the meaning of the Holiday and have them begin to make some connections of why we celebrate! As it only seemed natural to continue the traditions that my parents began, we began the day with the boys waking up to three Easter baskets in a row. Underneath each basket was a brand new Bible for each boy. The boys have loved and loved their first Bibles so much that we had completely lost the story of Creation and a few stories in between. The boys had also begun to memorize the stories. They could say just about every last word in each sentence. So we decided what a great time to give them new Bibles than on the day that we set aside to focus on celebrating Christ's life, death, and Resurrection. They were pleased to find little treats in their eggs and M took only a minute before he had his dad reading to him out of his new Bible. K read to the boys the Easter story, then it was breakfast, getting dressed, and off to church.

The boys are dressed and ready for Worshiping!

This is K reading to the boys when
they first found their baskets and Bibles.

After fellowshiping at church, we drove up to see cousins, aunts, and uncles, and Grandma Ellis. We had a fun time of visiting with those we love. When we returned home, we found a wonderful surprise at our front door! Our good neighbor Sandra had brought the boys (and K and I) more Easter baskets! It was filled with cars, play doe, bouncy balls, bunnies, and of course chocolate!

After the basket opening, the boys got to open packages from their Grandpa and Grammy. They sent them more sweet treats, bubbles, pegs for their peg boards, and play sand! Thank you to everyone who made Easter fun and a special celebration. It is a day to celebrate for Jesus is Risen Indeed!

Great Grandpa Turns 90!

We have just returned from a wonderful family celebration for the boys Great Grandpa! He is a youthful 90 as he lives with smiles and laughter. He loves his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with patience and genuineness. It was a busy afternoon with many children running around, but what a blessing it was to have the family together. It is this togetherness that seemed to be his favorite part of the day. When we were kids, we would gather for each birthday as a family. We would eat dinner, open presents, eat cake, play badminton or croquet in the back yard...however, as families grow, it seems natural to drift apart a bit as each sprouting family has its own schedules and agendas to attend to. Gathering all the families together becomes more and more difficult, but I was reminded how very special these memories are to me. Generations are a powerful thing. It made me wonder when I am 90....if the Lord keeps me around here that long...where will my children be? Will they live close or far away? How many children or grandchildren will they have? Life has so many mysteries. I am looking forward to the adventures that are ahead and where the road of life will take us.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa. We love you very much.