Thousand Dollar Carrots

My family came into town a few weeks ago to celebrate my little brother marrying Mikell Brockbank in the Temple. Check out their pictures- they are a ridiculously handsome couple. www.gordongoodlife.blogspot.com

I have been waiting to post this so I can post pics too, but pictures or no pictures, I just need to get this off my chest. 

Our wonderful Grammy Pammy (N8s Mom) offered to drive down from Boise and watch the triplets so we could go to the pre wedding dinner (stay out late and not worry about the babies) and the sealing the next day (and not worry) it was so kind of her. That night, Haz and CC stayed with my sister Natalie at her hotel for some girl time. I haven't heard from Natalie since...

We had a wonderful time. My parents rented a room at a country club in Bountiful the night before the wedding (in LDS culture, we use the term wedding and sealing interchangeably if they are getting married in the Temple.) Mikells' family and friends and our family enjoyed a wonderful time getting to know each other and eating a fabulous dinner. My dad got out his guitar and sang a few songs- some in jest and some about love. I loved being with my sisters, they are some of my best buddies. (Mom, I knew you would appreciate hearing that.)

Do you know, I wonder if I have been able to converse since I have had children. I catch snippets of conversations in between chasing and wiping and I add my two cents but as to sitting down and burying myself in a good conversation, I give it about 4 more years maybe more. I am happy to wait. N8 is fond of saying, There is something about waiting that sharpens the senses.

As my dad was making out the cheque for dinner, Mikells' dad mentioned that all the leftovers would go to waste. Pans of buttery carrots, honeyed ham, turkey, stuffing, salad and fluffy cheesecake couldn't go to waste! So we grabbed some to go boxes and had them piled high with food. We felt like the proletarian, blue collar, wager earners we were, (sorry for the redundant-redundancies) walking out of an elegant country club with our ghetto doggy bags piled high.

I swear the triplets fed on those cut up carrots and ham for about six days. I totally didn't have to cook. What is even better, I didn't have to think of what to cook. I am happy to cook, I just get so tired of thinking up what to make for every meal. Thanks Dad!

Thanks Mikell for marrying Spence. We love you guys so much.
Reception was a blast, everyone loved the triplets in suits and dress. Temple was wonderful and we are especially grateful for Pam and her thoughtful grandma ways- there isn't even a Nordstrom down here anymore and she came anyway.

Grocery Store with Five 101

Sometimes, I am up for a challenge. Like taking five kids to the grocery store. Here is how we do it.

Two carts, one cart has two babies in their car seats, that takes up the whole cart. Hazel and CC push that cart and it goes behind me. I keep one hand on it to protect the delicate skin on my heels from getting nipped and to protect myself from having to buy a whole row of smashed pickles should the girls become distracted by anything too brightly colored. Hazel and CC think pushing the cart is all too funny and grown up, so they are happy to do it.

There is no time to read food labels, you can't stop to talk, you gotta know exactly what you want and keep moving. Fast, fast, speed is of the essence. At any moment someone will decide that are bored and start making trouble for everyone. That is the challenge.

I push the one baby cart in front of me and put the groceries in that cart. Like I said, sometimes I am up for an adventure. For some reason, I haven't been lately and I would like to get back to challenging myself. Maybe taking everyone to the library or a museum. Send me good thoughts that I will get my joy of motoring and adventuring back. Where did it go? Did it get taken? Who has it?

Heckling

I get a fair amont of heckling for driving a limo. It's totally understandable. I am always curious about who is in there when I see limos drive by.

My friend Becky and I drove the the park a few weeks ago and jaws dropped as we drove up. The parking lot was such that we did make a bit of a splash on arriving.  But no one is looking at me Becky, I am just the driver, everyone is looking at you! Parents turned to see who was in there. We started unloading, one baby, two baby, three baby, four babies (Becky's baby girl). That was shocking. Then four little girls laughing, hair streaming behind them, oblivious of the stares, hit the pavement, running legs and arms pumping for all they are worth, racing, not to be the last one on a swing.

Once, at the dollar store buying snacks, a lady yelled, You drive a limo and you're going to the dollar store?

Once, while getting pizza for the kids, a man yelled, Hey! Does the president want his pizza?! (He yelled it like an angry New Yorker, I felt like I was in a movie and I almost yelled, SHUT UP! in my best italian mobster accent brandishing my angry, flat hand in the air!

While getting gas, I usually end up in a conversation about the merits of driving a limo as our family car.  Men seem to think that it takes a lot of moxie for a gal to drive a car so long. Here is the rub, parking in a busy lot stinks. So I usually just drive up to the front of the store and park in front of the red line. Since no one wants to mess with whoever's inside the limo I have gotten away with it so far...

Jesus for Two Jelly Beans

We just watched General Conference. It happens twice a year. We watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio as we work on the garden or tidy house. Saturday and Sunday for 4 hours a day. 

 When I was a child, I dreaded it. My mom would be all excited and I would be bored to tears watching mostly bald, old men in glasses and dark suits, talk slow enough to put me out. Somehow though, I still found a testimony and now I look forward to the great mens teachings, something in me yearns to hear truths and values spoken allowed. I think as they speak, "yah, you're right! I can do better at that." Or as they teach, I feel in my heart that what they say is right, even though I'm doing it wrong. I then know what I need to work on to be a better person. Somehow though, for all my trying to be good, you would think I would be a little further along than I am! 

I don't require the girls to listen to all of it, a session is 2 hours long and that is plenty enough for their age group, I also let them color and play with paper dolls as we listen. This year, I thought of a simple way my girls could try to focus on listening to the prophets words. We bought a bag of jelly beans and I drew them a key. Any time they heard one of the words I had drawn they could take a jelly bean.

Green= Joseph Smith, President Monson (our current prophet) and anything about prophets

Yellow= Jesus Christ, the Savior, our Redeemer, any name for Jesus

Orange= Heavenly Father, God

Blue= Baptism, member, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the name of our church is worth 2 beans b/c of the Jesus Christ)

Red= Family, love or missionaries (we love you Hannah!!)

Pink= The Book of Mormon

It was way too easy for them. After 2 talks (about 20 mins) Hazel was tapping out. Mom, if I eat anymore jelly beans I will be sick. But she managed it. She started pacing around the room, she would hear something she knew was on the list, "Baptism, got it." "Jesus, got it." " Family, got it". I was surprised at how much they did get. They are smarter than I thought, at least I mean, they can regurgitate words they hear really well.

Next time, I will do something more difficult, family history, temple work, restoration of the gospel- what have you. And maybe in a few years, they too will cherish hearing goodness spoken as I do.

Shhhh, Mommy Needs a Nap

Well, this is it, the babies birthday. The Dr is trying to give me an epidural and I can't bend forward to receive it, my tummy is too big, I hate hospital gowns, someone turn on the heat this room is freezing, Dr missed and has to do it again, he pushes me forward, I am crying, I can't bend this far forward! Am I gonna be paralyzed? Last year, while I was having babies, Hazel and CC were taking Big Sister classes at the hospital from a favorite family friend- Grammys best buddy in Provo- Polly!

The girls were never allowed in the NICU but we got a prime spot right by a window. We pulled a bench over for them to watch their new siblings.  What an incredible time for us. I think about how many blessings we have been given this year and I wonder what great things does God have in store for us that I can't even fathom right now? Because even though this year was hard, a year ago I couldn't have fathomed all the joy that has come to us. I feel like I  walk around with my little heart plump and full of joy, buttons bursting for this little rag tag gang of babies and toddlers. (Everyone has sadness's and aches in the course of a year, but I won't rain on my own parade)  Listen to me, I sound like my kids are all grown up and heading off to college. Well, they are one years old now.  Process... process.....process. Tears... joy.... I want time alone....I need a nap...I.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Hurt Your Eyes

This is right before the babies were born, my sweet mom came to help me the last few weeks, she kept on telling me that I looked good. Only recently has she told me how much her eyes hurt to look at me and how she would only look at me from the shoulders up.

CCs birthday party last year. I just keep thinking about how much I love and am grateful to not be hurting and to be able to move without enormous amounts of willpower. So eat it up people, be glad it wasn't you, but I love that I DID this!

Guest Bloggers

For the triplets 1st birthday-- ahem, March 25th I will ask them on as guests on my blog.

Quinn and James want the keyboard while Wil hogs the mouse. 

This is a very special time of year for me. I keep thinking of all the things I couldn't do last year, hug my knees to my chest, be touched at all (my skin as a whole just hurt) or get dressed standing up. Tonight, I went to the hospital just to remember (and forget), the flower beds were the same, same smells in the air, same delightful gift shop. Last year,  I would drive to the hospital and sit with Quinny and Wilson hoping that short few hours interaction was enough, I would share the 5th floor elevator with other worried NICU parents, lugging my hospital water mug around with 2 blue and 1 pink triplet NICU ID bracelets ( I was the self proclaimed Queen of the NICU), hating my flubby tummy in all the glass windows, body healing and body hurting, leaving half of my heart at the hospital. It was a wonderfully dramatic, stretching time for me. I am not sure I have processed it all out yet. I bottle up too much. I feel like there is tons of yuck sitting in the pit of my stomach that needs to come up. 

A few weeks ago, some of the yuck came up, I was buying CC's birthday present at Toys r'us and I finally got some emotion up, I was tear streaked up to the cash register and it felt so good. The cashier asked if I was alright. "I'm fine I am just processing!" It really felt great to cry and I didn't stop myself, I believe I have been holding my breath this entire year for too long, keeping it together, not letting anything out that could unravel this wonderful, difficult, blessed life. I am so grateful to God, so much could have gone wrong. N8 has paid the price with me, I feel like he has been the anchor for all of us, he carries so much more of the burden.

I remember driving home from the hospital after the babies were born, looking at people on the street chatting, laughing and at ease. After birth or death happen, it takes a while to find yourself again. Sometimes, you think you will never be you again! But time passes and you find yourself, the hurting stops and soon you are one of those people on the sidewalk talking and chatting and most importantly laughing.

Right after the babies were born, my body kept bleeding. The doctors didn't catch it, my mother in law did. She and my mom ran for the Dr and I was given an emergency D&C and was about to be given a hysterectomy. I woke up in the ICU a day later and was awake long enough to dicker with Nathan about baby names. (You will thank me someday, Wilson) I woke up again a few days later. One of the nurses told me I had been given 11 units of blood, are any nurses around? Doesn't that replace an entire blood supply in a body my size? Those were some dark times for me, but I knew my family was safe with grandmas or nurses. I was so raring to go and get the show on the road, I hated that my body was slowing me down. I wanted to be happy, healthy and in a routine with my happy, healthy family. Well, I am now. As I stood in the NICU elevator tonight, I wanted to tell  the worried parents next to me that it was going to be alright, ( I didn't just want to tell them, I wanted to hug them and hold them, but I refrained.) I wanted to say that I had done this a year ago and if I can do it- anyone can. EEEk, I am waxing emotional, I better cut out. I love this family and my life.