Sometimes you see Triple

 Sometimes is really always in our house.

Three x Three.

Cheesing it up for the camera.

Side note...big sis...would not have her photo taken in her robe.  Weird, because lately any other time she is streaking naked through the house.  We have to bribe her to get dressed.

Go figure.

Our Tree

As far back as I can remember, decorating the tree has always been one of my most favorite things about Christmas.  To me it symbolizes family, togetherness and celebration of the beginning of a wonderful time of the year.  

When I was a child, and through my early adult years, we ALWAYS decorated the tree as a family.

My mom handing ornaments to my brother and me to hang.  My Dad always sat smiling, telling us to spread them out, not to hang them all in one place.  After we were finished hanging the ornaments, my Mom would put the final touch on...the tinsel.  She has always loved that silver tinsel.  When I moved out, my mom carefully selected the ornaments that I had collected over the years and gave them to me to take, to begin my "own" tree.

It remains one of my most cherished parts of Christmas.

When Matt and I moved in together, I remember how excited I was to get "our" first tree together.  We went out and cut one down at a local tree farm.  It was so much fun.  Snowy and freezing, but worth it.

When Chloe celebrated her first Christmas, we bundled her up and took her to the tree farm.  I have photos of her snuggled in the baby bjorn, in her snow suit, complete with rosey cheeks and a grin from ear to ear, riding along out into the field looking for our perfect tree.

It makes me smile and admittedly tear up to watch my girls decorate "our" tree.  Just as my parents taught me, I am teaching them.  Carefully handing the ornaments to them and watching as they carefully select the perfect branch for each one.  They get so excited to unwrap the precious treasures and remember where each one came from.  When they made them, or who gave it to them.  They each have their favorites.  They even comment on how old some of them are.

Chloe has become the "star placer" it is her very special job every year.  Her Daddy lifts her to the top and she places it atop.  She has become quite a pro in her 7 years.

I sit and think about what Christmas means to me...everything can be summed up in "our" tree.  Joy, beauty, sparkle, memories-past, memories-present, memories-future, and most of all, the love of family.

Making Mommy Smile...as usual

Silvie was proudly serving pizza pies to Matt and I.  Always careful to watch when we were "finished" so she could bring us a new one.

We love afternoons at the children's museum.  

As the girls get older, I am in awe watching them interact and play with each other and with other children.  They are so intelligent and good mannered.  Always willing to share and help other children and each other.  

 Jocelyn loves the market.  She would spend the entire time there if her sisters didn't want to explore other rooms.  She shops and plays with the cash register.  When it's time to move on she always helps everyone else put their items back on the shelves.

 Farrah and Silvie making pizza.

 Jocelyn still at the cash register...

 Chloe's favorite room...arts and crafts of course.  She loves to create things.  She is always drawing or cutting up something.  The model activity they had on demo was "make an owl out of a toilet paper roll." Ummm, can you say perfect fit for Chloe?  Owls and crafts...yes please.

 After the museum, we decided that we would take a visit to Santa land in the mall.

The beauties were very excited to talk to him...they had what they wanted to ask for all planned out.

Chloe: new ice skates, american girl doll, friendship bracelet "stuff", and the vincent van gogh barbie

Jocelyn:  ice skates, swimming ariel, cinderella and her horse

Farrah:  ice skates, swimming ariel, "the farrah fawcett" barbie 

Silvie:  ice skates, swimming ariel, belle and the beast doll set and something in cheetah print

When we arrive to the line...everyone was still excited.

When it was our turn, Chloe and Silvie were a-okay with talking to the big guy, Farrah a little more reserved, and poor Jocelyn, would not even make eye contact.  Scared out of her wits.  Matt had to get her to sit on his lap, so I could snap a photo.

...Memories...

Oh what wonderful memories.

How do you explain Heaven to little girls?
I have found myself struggling with this question over and over the last few days.
Matt's Grandmother passed away on Sunday.  May she be at rest, in peace and not be in pain anymore.
Her services were today.  Chloe took it very hard.  She cried a lot, and kind of clung to me most of the day.  The triplets were mostly curious.  Obviously not understanding what was going on, yet wanting so much to understand.  We visited Papa Terry's grave.  Matt's father passed away 21 years ago, but we speak of him often.  Matt enjoys telling the beauties stories about Papa Terry.  The beauties always have lots to ask him about what he was like.  We also talk about Great Papa Paul a lot.  My Grandfather passed on Christmas Eve 8 years ago.  We visit his grave every Christmas Eve.  
The last few days they have had quite the array of questions about death.  Where Heaven is?  What does God look like?  Why do people die?  Will you die?  Will we die?  Where do you go?  How do you get there?  Is it pretty in Heaven?  Can we play there?  Is God nice?  Is Heaven cold? 
I just look at them and smile, and answer the only way I can,  "I don't know, sweetie."
Because that is the truth,  I just don't know.

What I do know... death reminds me to take each day I am given, and live it the best I can.  
Love and cherish the ones close to my heart. 
I take comfort in the innocence of my children, because they are the ones that can teach me what living life really means.  
The small insignificant details that we cannot control, they do not matter.  Not what we look like.  Not how much money we had in the bank.  Not how clean our house was.  
In the end all that matters is that we gave life all we had.  Gave all the love in our heart.  
Lived life, everyday, to the fullest.  Taking time to enjoy the sweet pleasures we are surrounded with.
Not regretting anything we did.
Again...learning the significance of life...through my children.
Being a Mom is breathtaking.

Halloween Fun

Halloween this year was so much fun!

It was the first year the triplets' costumes were not something "coordinated" with each other.

Which, I will admit, at first was a little sad for mommy.

Of course I got over it, as they were happy little clams in the costumes that they individually chose.

Silly camera time = The best camera time

Everybody...Freeze

Ghostbuster girl strikes a pose.

I learned a new trick during photo time this year.

As we know, for the past two or three years...okay, let's just say...ever since they have learned that mommy wants them to look at her when she has the camera in hand, sometimes it's a struggle to get them to look.  Especially with one beauty in particular.  Not to mention, getting four little girls to all look the same direction at the same time...almost impossible.

We tried a game.

We call it "POSE"

"

"New POSE"

"New POSE"

"New POSE"

Even the normally camera shy little sweetie Jocelyn LOVED this game!  She would have continued for hours.  I took so many great shots of all of them.  Amazing.

Chloe even wanted to do some action shots!  She wanted to show off how high Wednesday could jump.  It was so cute to see them so excited to have their photos taken.  Makes me smile.

Jocelyn Purple Fairy had to get in on the action jumping shots too.

Chloe Wednesday wins the highest jump.

Ghostbuster and Ladybug want in on the jumping fun!

The trick or treaters are all ready to go!  Molli dressed to dazzled in her flapper attire.

They were blowing kisses to their Daddy!

Molli joins in and blows one to her Daddy too!  The beauties blow a few more to Daddy, one to uncle Chad, and some to Poppy!  Also some for their Grammies!

...and they are off...

Candy buckets are getting heavy...need a break.

Walking along....."POSE"  Way to play a long girls!!

Silvie just vaporized a ghost.

Wednesday practicing a "no-smile" face...which is very difficult for Chloe, because she is a smiley, giggly girl.

The "witches" house.

The "witch" lives up the street from Grammy Pam and Poppy Steve.  

Her house is so much fun, with all sorts of spooky things to look at and listen to.

She talks funny and wears the best witches dress ever.

Silvie liked this "Skelly"

She wanted to chat with him.

Vaporizing more ghosts.

She's getting the proton pack ready to vaporize...look out ghost.

Hope your Halloween was as much fun as our was.