This & That

I have gotten so far behind on posting that this is going to mostly be a catch up in pictures. My memory is not so good anyway so I can't remember all that has happened! :) We have had a lot of visitors and I have been loving that! I enjoy the time and friends from home! Makes me feel less lonely. Tell ya what, moving is hard! Especially far away! (Yes, 2.5 IS FAR AWAY! No one can convince me otherwise! :))

 We have been trying to get a regular school schedule going. The kids LOVE school, it's more like play time to them. They are getting so smart (I am not just saying that either!) Cam picks up on soooo much, he surprises me daily at the questions he asks and things he remembers. Cam and Blake can write their names and a few letters. They know the sound of pretty much all the letters also. Madison is still working on her name but is getting it! She LOVES to cut and color and is very good at both! She really likes the tracing work sheets where they trace the letters. They have all been memorizing different Bible verses and it amazes me. They have been memorizing since they were two. I have a hard time remembering but kids seem so natural at it. We have still been trying to keep school fun. I figure they have a lot of years ahead of them to get serious about it. Besides, we all learn better when it's fun right???

 I have been loving the views around our house. We have gorgeous mountain views from every window. The sunsets are so pretty!

 The kids were beyond excited when we got our first huge snowstorm! The flakes were enormous! It snowed for a few hours. I think we got like 10 inches that first day. We built a made a sledding hill, explored, pulled behind the 4wheeler and built a snowman. My mom made an awesome snowman kit out of wood. It makes the cutest snowmen!

 Madison was a little put out with the amount of snow falling in her shirt and on her face. Overall though, she was pretty excited!

 Cam and Daddy spent quite a while working on this lightning mcqueen airplane. Building with legos takes up most of the kids time these days. They all three love our wooden block set (made by hand by Mike and the boys!) and the legos. I love watching their little minds workwith the things they come up with to build. They are so much more creative than I am! I build the same thing every time because I can't come up with anything better! :)

 Madison set these blocks up into tables and chairs. She used the toy story memory cards as the "people" eating at the tables. She also used the Hammy and Mr. and Mrs Potatoe Head cards for the food! Ha! I loved it! Those imaginations are great!

 

 Blake loves to help fold the clothes. He is actually really good at it. The kids are always so excited to help and willing to lend a helping hand. It's not always very helpful but I am trying to learn to let go a little and just encourage the helpfulness. I have just taken care of everything for so long because, well when you have triplets it's usually survive mode! You know if you let one they all want to do it or we just need to get out the door ect... But now that they are older they really can and need to help. So, we just have to slow down and make the time. I do love their help too - and their proud smiles at a ob well done!

Our New Home

This is our new home! God totally worked this house out for us! We were searching desparately for inexpensive housing since we have two house payments. About a month before the move Gace's inlaws asked about renting our house for their grandparents. It worked out wonderfully! This house was one I had found and was very interested in but knew with two payments it would be too much. It was still available! We were so thankful! Jason had been living in Donnelly in our camper for about a month and driving to Payette on the weekends. That was getting expensive AND defeating the purpose of us moving to be together! God just worked out everything perfectly. We are enjoying the neighborhood and the house is really cute. GREAT views of the mountain and a beach and lake just a couple minutes down the road. There is a nice, big bonus room upstairs that is great for the kids to play in and be a little wild. It's also been a great place to put all our favorite people that come to visit! :)

 

Hunting Season!!

Jason loves to go hunting! He starts planning his next hunt the day he gets home! We had been in McCall for a couple weeks when hunting season came along. I decided there was no way I was missing a chance to head back to Payette so we headed down the mountian for a week and a half a fun! We stayed with Mom and Dad, Kristen and Aunt Boo. We had a great time! Lots of play dates and catching up with everyone that we have already been missing so much up here!

Jason also had a great time! He got his monster bull this year and was so pumpped! I was so excited for him. The kids were REALLY excited for him! :) He met us at Mom and Dad's in Fruitland and showed it off to everyone. Then I got to have a break and he headed home with the kids. I stayed an extra couple of days just to have some fun on my own. I have been missing home so it was nice to have a little time back there!

Enjoying Fall

The first couple weeks up here have been really busy. So far I have not had time to be too sad or take time to adjust. I have had a couple visitors. Karli came with her boys to visit for a couple hours which was fun. We don't hang out nearly enough anymore! It was great to catch up with her!

 Kristen and Jonah came to see us too for a couple of days! I LOVED that! I miss seeing Jonah and loving on him. He is growing up so fast. He's not even a baby anymore! We have a GREAT lake and beach just down the road from our house. It.Is.Beautiful! I love it - I see a fun summer in our future! Jonah is just crawling all over the place. He crawled half way down the beach chasing after a dog!

 It was a gorgeous day! The sun was shining and it was nice a warm. The kids had a blast playing in the sand. They were not ready to leave at all. We actually got some talking in because they were having so much fun digging! Kristen and I enjoyed our couple days together and even got out for a girls night. We went to the Toll House for some good pizza and salad. We walked around town and made a pit stop at the candy store. We wanted to have the worlds best milk shakes at My Fathers Place (BEST place EVER!) but they close down for a couple of the slow months up here.

 It's quite the different lifestyle up here. Jason LOVES it! He has been going deer hunting on evenings and Saturdays. The fishing possibilities are great and very close. We have beautiful mountain views out of every window in our house. The sunsets are SO PRETTY! I know it's going to be a hard adjustment for me but it sure is pretty. That helps. I wish I could just move up my friends and family and it would be perfect! It is definately up our alley up here. We love to be outside and everything we love to do is just a short drive or a walk from our house.

Our first visitors

Well, we have been here for about a week and got our first visitors. Perfect timing for homesick me! :) Kristen and Sage came up for Kristens birthday. We met them in town for lunch at the Pancake House, one of my favorite restaurants! Jason hates it (I know??? How dare he???) So it's nice to meet other people there! After lunch we went for a nice hike/walk through Ponderosa. It's already getting  cold, so it was a chilly hike. It was nice to have some friends since I feel like I don't know anyone. Made me a little less homesick. AND it was nice to spend some of Kristens birthday with her!  Such a beautiful place to live! I enjoy the beauty and the outdoors up here.

We're Moving!?!?

I can't believe we are moving! We have been praying for God to provide a way for us to be togther as a family, for Jason to be home with us. Well, my prayer was for the perfect job to open in Payette. Close to our friends and family and house. God had other ideas. HIS plan is to move us to McCall. Jason applied for a postition on the demand crew up there and got it. I am beyond thankful to be able to have him come home every.single.night! It's been a long 6 years of being separated the majority of the time. It's become even harder as the kids have grown. They need their Daddy! And Mommy needs Daddy - both because I love the guy and for support in the parent department! I have had soso much support over the years though. My parents have stepped in time and again to fill the gap, encourage, help, give me and break ect. I would have been LOST without them! Aunt Boo has continued to stay with me a couple times a night to ensure a couple good night sleeps. We treausre the time we have spent with her. Kristen and Sage have always welcomed us over also for a break of normal routine. Sheila frequently invited me over for dinner so I wouldn't be lonely and called to check in often. We have been blessed with the love and support of some really great friends and family. That is part of why it was so hard to make this decision to leave! 

 

Jen, Sheila and Jamie put together a surprise we love you party! It was such a special time! A bunch of people put together desserts and Jen and Jamie decorated it up so cute! LOVED it! We had it the night before the big move. SNIFF.... We were so blessed by the love! 

Some SUPER great friends I AM GOING TO MISS!!!

The kids have such great friends and cousins. They are so blessed. I will miss not being a few minutes away from everyone. We have pretty much always lived close to friends and family. We don't quite know what to do without everyone so far away.

I will miss my best friend! So will Madison! :)

Hahaha...Mo didn't know what to think of Uncle Jasons hairy face! It was pretty cute!

I have been so blessed by Aunt Boo! We have formed such a special friendship that I treasure so much. I will miss our late night talks and watching our favorite shows together! 

Grandma Rene making Mo happy!

Packing and cleaning day. Megan and Jen were such a wonderful help! 

All the master packers!

Nathan and Braden worked hard along with all the guys! I was proud of them.

Kristen, Sage and Jonah - here for the weekend to help.

Mom getting my sinks whiter than I ever had. I wish I knew her secret sooner! Oh well...

Braden and Nathan had fun mowing on the riding lawn mower. It was a big help too!

Yep, learn about credit cards early! 

Resting after a long {emotional} day. 

I came out to find the kids stuck at the top of the pile in the moving truck. They were having fun, but they got stuck. So I had to climb up and save them! Little cuties. Tomorrow....it's off to McCall! Starting a new, exciting {somewhat sad and scary} adventure! 

Some more birthday fun

We gave the kids their gifts early since we were moving. We wanted them to get the most out of it! They were SOSO excited! They love them. We bought some helmets too for cause safety comes first right??? Great Grandma, Pop-pop and Aunt Jean gave them money for their birthday. They were pretty excited! 

 

 Jason had to be in McCall on their actual birthday. Last one apat though! Yea! So in the middle of all the packing and crazyness I still tried to make it special. We had some decorations, balloons, chocolate chip pancakes and a couple little gifts.

Birthday kiddos

Grandpa Randys birthday is just two days before the kids. So we headed over to Grandpas to take him out to dinner and dessert. We sure love Grandpa Randy and are always so glad to celebrate what a wonderful Grandpa and Dad he is. We are so blessed to have this special  man in out lives!

Present time! Wahoo... Grammy is A.MAZ.ING! She spent hours putting together this gift for the kids. She made those aprons they are wearing. She made a bag to hold it all in. She put together school boxes, paint sets, paper and more! What a sweet lady!