My Miracles Turn Three

Well, another year has gone by in a flash. Something I learned since becoming a mother is that the days are long and the years are short. Its so true. Since becoming a stay at home mom I realize this even more. This last year for the babies (toddlers) has been a year of growth. I see these tiny people standing in front of me, telling me what they want and asking me questions and yes, testing me. My babies are growing up. And although they have always had minds of their own, now they are learning to speak them. When they turned two they were still significantly behind in their speech saying one, maybe two words. At two and half, there was not much improvement. Then it happened over night one day in June, they just started speaking in sentences. One day is was three words, then four then I lost count. Now they have caught up to other kids their age. They have been dismissed from the Early Intervention program, something they have been in since they were born. They still have a weakness or two but don't we all? No more significant developmental delays at this time. They are now potty trained (for the most part). Still sleeping in pull ups but that's ok. Georgia goes back and forth with the potty training sometimes, we have to re train her if she gets out of her normal routine but is back on track within a couple days. And they have grown physically! They are still a little on the short side but not to where there is a concern like last year. They are growing consistently every 6 months to a year at the rate they should be. My little preemies are little kids. Lately they love to fight with each other. I think its a battle to see who is in charge. But they also have the sweetest moments. For example Tommy went into the girls room this morning and found both of them laying on the floor together with their pillows right next to each other. They walk around the house, singing and dancing and doing ring around the rosy and without me. Although sometimes they ask me to join in. They chase each other and are so good at pretend. The girls really love their baby dolls and putting them to sleep and feeding them and changing their clothes or pushing them around in their strollers. Mickey doesn't seem to actually like to play with toys, he likes to slam them into the ground or throw them or knock them over, or throw them down the stairs. And where the girls used to tackle and gang up on him now it is the other way around. He can be very rough with them and loves to jump on top of them and wrestle. At the beginning of Spring, these guys could barely climb up onto the play sets at the park and they needed help down the slide. Now they are like little  monkeys climbing up the slides and going down the big ones. I have a had a few heart attacks because they will just go for it and they are quick, but luckily so far, no major injuries. I just have to have eyes on the back and the sides of my head.

So suddenly at age 3, I see the biggest difference in them. They are not babies. They are little kids. For their birthday we had an impromptu birthday party which originally we were not going to do but decided last minute to have a few friends over. The kids really got into it. My friend Amy made them each their own cake and we sang to each of them individually. To see the looks on their faces brought tears to my eyes. For the first time in their life, they understood, it was their moment and they blew out the candles. The next day Tommy and I drove up to DC to see Disney on Ice Presents Frozen. It was a lot of sitting between the car ride and the show but they loved seeing all their favorite characters and hearing their favorite songs. We made it back home in time for a little more cake before the day was over. It was tough being away from our family and friends back in Arizona and Colorado, it was weird but I am guessing that will be the norm on their birthday from now on. We are grateful for things like Facetime, Skype and for the new friends we have made here in Virginia.

Below is a update on each of my miracles.

Georgia Dawn

Weight; 38lbs (94th percentile)

Height: 36 inches (24th percentile)

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Character: Sophia the First and Elsa

Favorite place to go: Dinner

Georgia is still the bossy one and likes telling people what to do. Most of her sentences start with "I want...." or "You are going to...." or "I am going to..." and "Lets Go!". She loves to eat and snuggle with mommy. She can be very impatient but she is still my Peaches. She likes to pretend she is a princess and to play dress up. She loves her tumbling class and follows instructions in there very well. She will smile from ear to ear running around, jumping and balancing on the beams. 

Jolynne Marie

Weight: 34lbs (79th Percentile)

Height: 35.6 inches (16th Percentile)

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Character: Anna and Elsa

Favorite Place to Go: Anywhere with Daddy

Jo Jo is the easiest to please right now. Mostly because she can entertain herself for long periods of time. Actually I think she prefers to play alone sometimes. Most of her sentences start with "Mommy look at Georgia...." and she is very quick to correct me if I say "Hi baby" She responds "No, I'm Jo Jo" (insert sad face here). She is daddy's girl! She can be a somewhat picky eater and is a very slow eater. Sometimes she is a little fearful to trying new things but we are helping her with that. She is still tough though so don't get in her way. She is very smart and good at organizing things according to color.

Mickey Aaron

Weight: 33.5lbs (68th percentile)

Height: 36.75lbs (30th percentile)

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Character: The Snow Monster

Favorite Place to Go: The Park

Some might think Mickey is all boy! He wants to be free to run and throw things and tackle his sisters. He wants to explore everything outside. But if you watch closely you will see him comforting a baby doll every once in awhile or trying to wear his sisters dress up clothes. His sentences usually start with "Where's your car"? He is obsessed with knowing where everyones car is even when he knows where it is. He also likes to say "I'm funny" and starts to crack up, laughing at himself. It reminds me of his Papa (my dad). He loves to see his friends and continues to be a ladies man. He loves giving hugs. At tumbling, he has no troubles keeping up with the older kids. He can run, jump, climb just like the rest of them. He also loves to count!

I guess I should add that Mickey is a big fan of Jo Jo. He likes to follow her around. They are pretty close pals. Georgia marches to the beat of her own drum, but seems to make friends pretty easily when we have play dates. Its definitely been a year of ups and downs from a parenting standpoint. I'm learning every day and they are teaching me sometimes instead of the other way around. Funny how that works. But they continue to amaze. To think they were 2 pounds and fighting to survive 3 years ago, you would never know. We continue to count or blessings and are so thankful for their health. These three little people are the greatest gift and like I've said before...the rest is just extra. They have a had a great year and I can't wait to continue to watch them thrive and grow! 

All photos by Limefish Studio

Weekend Family Getaway to Virginia Beach

Its been such a busy year with so many changes and a lot of unplanned expenses that came with the move. We couldn't afford to do a big family vacation or go back to Arizona. It was just too expensive. But hey, it's September, summer is almost over and the chance to be outside in Virginia is going to end soon. The beach is only a couple hours away and it may not be Cancun but its the ocean. I'll take it. Especially some much needed time for all of us to be together.

Virginia Beach (the city area) is not that great. Pretty old and run down in my opinion. But we found a nice, new hotel right on the beach with a gorgeous view of the water. We brought three toddler cots that we got from Walmart and they were perfect size since now the triplets are too big for cribs and pack and plays but not big enough for regular beds where they can fall off.

 

The first thing we did was grab some lunch on the beach. Yum fish tacos!!!

We tried to get the kids to take a nap but that wasn't happening. We changed into our swim suits and headed to the beach. The water was pretty rough and the waves were pretty strong compared to what we were used to at the lake. Mickey wanted to jump right in like usual but he would have been carried away for sure, so Tommy stayed close to him and I sat with the girls by the shore where they played with the sand and buckets. They had no interest in the water. Eventually it got tough trying to keep them in one spot so we opted to move to the pool which was a nice indoor and outdoor pool.

 

We ended the day with a delicious dinner at a local seafood restaurant that supposedly is the founder of the soda drink "Orange Crush". The kids were not on their best behavior and kept having to go potty the whole time. Despite how cute they are in the pictures, it was probably the most challenging they have been in public at a restaurant but at least the food was good.

It was so nice the next morning to wake up and drink my coffee while watching the sunrise over the water! And we even saw dolphins right off our balcony. We took the kids to the Aquarium that morning. We thought they would love seeing all the fish...Nemo is one of their favorite movies, but we were so wrong. They were scared of everything. They wouldn't get near any of the tanks, they cried almost the whole way through. So...maybe next time?


After that we took them on a pirate ship boat tour and I made the mistake of telling them they could have ice cream. Another not so brilliant moment because I got push pops and they just melted everywhere, all over their clothes, all over the ship, and all over their faces. They were also a little young for some of the games the other kids were playing but they still liked to be out on the water and hanging out with pirates. Argh! We got off the ship just in time to miss the big storm that was headed right for us. It rained the rest of day so Tommy and I hung out in the hotel room while they napped and we just grabbed some lunch from the bar. Since going back to the beach or the pool was out the question, we decided to go to this old arcade and played some games. I felt like I was back in the 80's or the movie Tron. They had some really cool old games and Pink Floyd was playing on the juke box. I probably would have loved that place in high school. Tommy and I won them some tickets and prizes before we headed to another good dinner.

 

The next day we all took in one last look of the ocean before heading back towards home. It was such a short trip, but very worth it. Hopefully next year we can travel a little further for our vacation and the kids will be better behaved, but the most important thing is that they had fun and they got to try new things. Seeing them happy and being together as a family is all I need. I am looking forward to the next family adventure!

Mommy and Son Trip to Wisconsin

At the end of August Mickey and I flew to Wisconsin for my Cousin Amory's wedding. It was supposed to be just me going. Tickets were expensive, but last minute the prices went down so I thought I would surprise my mom by bringing Mickey. Tommy was going to be watching the kids while I was gone so I thought it would be easier on him to have 1 less child and the truth is I didn't want to leave any of them. I hate being away from my family. If I could at least bring one, I knew I would feel better. So, I chose the easy one at the time, my son. Notice I said "at the time" because this is always changing. The easy one at this point is Jolynne but it is ever changing. So, good timing for Mickey - he gets to go! We left very early Saturday morning. Our flight was at 6:30am and we have to drive to Richmond from Palmyra which takes about an hour an half to get to the airport. It was so weird having only one child! On the way there, I had to use the little girls room badly. Normally with three toddlers, I would have to hold it (or worse) because I cant leave them in the car and getting them all out of their car seats and into a public restroom, back out again and into the car would take a good 30 minutes. With just Mickey, I stopped at a rest stop, quickly grabbed him, ran in, back out, and we were on our way again.

Mickey was so well behaved on the plane, He had his lion and seemed so excited to be on this adventure with mommy. I gave him his sippy cup as we took off the ground and shortly after he was asleep. The lady next to me said she was taking notes because she would be traveling with her toddler in just a few months. I was honestly so proud of Mickey. He didn't cry, he didn't yell, he didn't squirm, he just sat in his seat and played with his lion. We changed planes in Atlanta and again, with only one kid it was a piece of cake to get from one gate to the next. We had just enough time for a potty break. So far - Mickey had no accidents.

We got to the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport around 10:30am I knew my mom would not be there until about 1:30pm so we grabbed our bags and left them with the baggage claim attendants so we could grab some lunch. There wasn't anything to eat that side of security so we took the train to the Mall of America. Mickey absolutely LOVED riding the train! We decided to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. Mickey was happy. We headed back to the airport to wait for Nana (Mom).

While we waited, Mickey of course was talking to all the people in the airport. He is my little social butterfly. When Nana got there though he froze and didn't run up to her. She saw him eventually and was so happy to see her grandson. I'm so glad we decided to surprise her. We rented a car and headed to Wisconsin and got there about 3 hours later. We had just enough time to quickly check into the hotel and change. Mickey continued to be so good for mommy. He was loving being the only child for once. We met up with my cousins and Aunt Debbie and their friends at a arcade/restaurant where we had some appetizers and drinks and Mickey got to run around with the other kids and even go in a bounce house. He was loving life and mommy got a chance to visit with everyone.

The next day we had a yummy breakfast at the hotel by the river, then we decided to go for a swim in the indoor pool and my cousin Alicia and Aunt Debbie met us there.
It was a little chilly in there so we couldn't swim long and we had to get ready to be at the wedding reception by 3pm. It was a beautiful reception and the food was awesome. They had three babysitters there and a table for the kids to color and eat so, again, we got to mingle and visit with everyone. Mickey was running around, he was sweating, be he just had the biggest grin on his face and I could not keep him away from the cupcakes. I thought for sure he would be sick.




The next day was a little rough for Mommy. We had to get up pretty early to drive back to Minnesota and head home and I may have been a little hung over (or a lot)...luckily by the time we got on the first plane I was feeling better and again Mickey was being so good, he made it easy on me. Unfortunately we had to say good bye to Nana, which was especially hard for me as always. But I was so happy that Mickey and I were able to be there to celebrate with my cousin Amory and his new wife Taylor and that Mickey got to play with his cousins who we don't get to see very often. It was so much better than going by myself to have my little man with me. I wish we could have all gone but at the same time, I think it was good for Mickey to have that one on one time with mommy where he wasn't fighting for my attention. I decided that I was going to have an outing like that with each of the kids. It was definitely good for all of us.

 

Questioning Preschool

As most of you know we had a decision to make about whether to put the triplets in preschool or not. Due to how early they were born, they have been a part of the early intervention state program here and when we were in Arizona. When they turn three they no longer qualify so we had them evaluated by the public school system to see if they qualified for pre school so they could continue working on a few of their delays. Last week we found out that although the kids have some weaknesses, they also have many strengths. Overall they do not qualify for service or preschool. Their speech is actually caught up to their actual age which is amazing considering they were only saying 1-2 word phrases in the Spring. They know all their colors, shapes, 10 numbers and most letters of the alphabet. I thought I would be disappointed if they didn't qualify because I really wanted them to get that interaction and extra help. But I wasn't disappointed. I felt extremely proud of them and so lucky that despite being born at 29 weeks and all the surgeries and hospital scares, they are doing so well. I actually feel overcome with emotion when I think about how far they have come. We toured another preschool which I really loved the teacher but in the end, have decided to keep them home, at least until cold/flu season is over and maybe longer. I feel very at peace with this choice and am honestly so exhausted of every aspect of their behavioral and physical development being evaluated and picked apart. Since they were born (and for their own good) they have been consistently evaluated and tested and seemed to be graded by Developmental Pediatricians, Developmental Specialists, Speech Therapists, and Educators and they are not even in school yet. I have spent many nights worrying about if they are behind, if they will catch up to their actual age, when they will start doing some of the things other kids their age are doing or what the results of the next evaluation will be. Now that so many have unanimously decided how well they are doing and that they don't qualify, I think they deserve a break, and a chance to just be a silly toddler and play without so many eyes on them. And in all honestly I need the break from that too. Soon they will be in school, taking tests and doing homework. The teachers and other school staff I'm sure will have an opinion on how well they are, or are not doing, but right now I think the only people that should be doing that is Tommy and I, for once, and for just for awhile. Thanks to everyone for their feedback on preschool. Although it was a tough decision, it was one that in the end I came to on my own and it feels right in my heart.  I am going to enroll them in a tumbling class which will be fun for them and help with gross motor skills. Otherwise I am happy to say, they are stuck with me, and that our little preemies are very bright and strong individuals who continue to beat the odds and overcome their challenges on their own timeline, not mine or anyone else's.

Last week we found out from the public school system that although the kids have some weaknesses, theyLast week we found out from the public school system that although the kids have some weaknesses, they also have many strengths. Overall they do not qualify for service or preschool. Their speech is actually caught to their age 33-35 months. They know all their colors, shapes, 10 numbers and most letters. I thought I would be disappointed because I really wanted them to get that interaction and extra help. But I wasn't disappointed. I felt extremely proud of them and so lucky that despite being born at 29 weeks and all the surgeries and hospital scares, they are doing so well. We toured another preschool which I really loved the teacher but have decided to keep them home, at least until cold/flu season is over. I feel very at peace with this choice and am honestly so tired of every aspect of their behavioral and physical development being evaluated and picked apart thanks to everyone for their feedback. I think I am going to enroll them in a tumbling class which will be fun for them and help with gross motor skills. Otherwise they are stuck with me

True Stories of Terrible Twos with Triplets

I wrote this August 13, 2014 and never posted:

Since my kids have turned two I hardly have time to write anymore. I had much more time when they were infants, hanging out in the bouncers and rolling around the play mats. Now, if I leave the room for a second even to go pee, it is the end of the world. If I try to make dinner..forget it, they will pee on the floor, climb the walls, and do everything they possibly can to get my attention in a negative way. You would think they would want to eat but they are not old enough to understand there is a process involved. They want my undivided attention EVERY moment they are awake and they don't want to sleep.

One of my biggest challenges as a mom of triplets is that I am so used to doing everything for them, feeding, dressing, lifting, walking, everything! I do this because if I let them try to do all this themselves every time we left the house or ate a meal, we would literally never leave the house or the table. They are slow as molasses, Getting them up and down the stairs is like herding cattle. Not to compare my beautiful miracles to cows but lets face it, they are two, there are three of them and their listening skills are not great. Because of this they are somewhat delayed in the self help category. They should be doing more themselves at this age (34 months) than they are. So, now we have to practice getting dressed during playtime, and we have to allow extra time before every outing so they can practice going up and down the stairs and putting their shoes on, etc. Once they can do more things for them selves, that will be one thing that will make my life much easier.

Another huge challenge is getting them to understand why its important to not run in the street and that they should stay close to mom. I have almost lost my son THREE times at play dates and events due to how chaotic it is when you have three toddlers running around amidst many other kids and people. I do need eyes in the back of my head and another set of arms would be helpful too.

Lastly, the constant whining and crying every time they want something or are fighting over something with their siblings is a little, well, its annoying. They know how to talk but they choose to scream a high pitched scream to get every ones attention all throughout the day. Oye. With one toddler, you may only experience this periodically or on play dates. The whining and screaming is constant which is why I prefer to get them out of the house if possible but then I risk losing my son, so you pick your battles I guess?

I could go on and on about why my husband and I have decided that having two year old triplets is WAY harder than when they were infants. Yes, we got less sleep, but honesty the sleep is still not great. It takes hours to get them to bed and then they still wake up  in the middle of the night and need us and are up with the sun. But I still LOVE my children and I LOVE watching them learn and my life would be empty and hollow without all this believe it or not. I do have to be realistic though and the reality is that it is very very hard being a mom and very very hard being a mom of triplets at this age. Below I compiled a list of funny stories and scary moments from their twos. I hear three is even tougher but I will survive! All too soon they will be grown, and I will wish for these days back. At least I can laugh about it.

Where is Mickey Story #1  - In an effort to make friends in a new city, I finally got the courage up to join another mom at the mall play area. The kids were running around, climbing the different plastic animals and I was carefully chatting with my new friend. Of course in a split second, Mickey is no where to be seen. My heart dropped, I panicked, I thought how will I tell Tommy I lost our son? Luckily we found him. Then he began running out of the play area and into the department store again and again as a game now. It was fun for him to have me chase after him, so one time I didn't, thinking he would stop and come back. But he didn't come back. My heart dropped again. I ran deep into the department store and found him in the juniors section dancing to the music.

Trying to Make Dinner #1 - I was trying to make dinner and I could hear the kids running around screaming behind me. I was making a new recipe and trying to focus on the measurements when I suddenly realized Georgia was standing there saying "sissy, bubba" and the other two were NOT THERE. I left the stove top on and ran to the front door which I realized they had opened. I slammed the door shut behind me so Georgia wouldn't get out. I ran into the street of the neighborhood and couldn't see them. I looked right and left again and there they were running up the street in their pull ups with some nice lady who had stopped her car to help them when she noticed them running alone. I thanked her profusely and went with my escapees to the front door to realize it had locked behind be. The front door had always been locked but it didn't latch closed which is how they got out so when I slammed it behind me in a panic I locked us out and Georgia inside with the stove on, and I had no phone. Luckily a neighbor saw me at my front door holding two half naked toddlers in my hands and let me borrow her phone. Just then Tommy drove in the driveway. Saved again. Barely.

Trying to Make Dinner  #2- As soon as I got up to make dinner the kids started with their mischief. It wasn't until I heard mickey slip and fall that I realized they were doing something they were not supposed to. I found one of my daughters in the bathroom with the faucet on, water covering the floor which Mickey had slipped and hit his head. Sigh. So much for trying to make dinner. Now I am cleaning the bathroom and cuddling my son.

The Fireplace - Making dinner became such a challenge. I couldn't always wait for my husband to come home and someone suggested giving them all play bowls and spoons and tell them they are helping mommy with dinner, so that's what I did and it worked! I didn't hear a peep and I made dinner in record time. Yes!!!.....NO! Later that night I went to turn the gas fireplace on. A couple minutes later I noticed a funny smell and smoke pouring out the fireplace. They had thrown all their plastic food in the fireplace. The smoke alarms were going off.. It was chaos. Luckily my husband was able to get the fire out by pouring water in it. But now the fireplace in broken. Sigh.

Where is Mickey Story #2 - It is 4th of July and we are all at the event in Charlottesville for fireworks and fun! We set up all our chairs and blankets in a great spot to see what should be some awesome firecrackers. The kids got their face painted and were happily sucking on lollipops. It was a great night so far. We were hanging out at the chairs and my husband left to get us a snack and some water. I was watching the girls when I looked up and Mickey was gone! There were thousands of people here. All I saw was a sea of red, white and blue!  I could see an older man watch me as I panicked searching for my son. He could have gotten up to help me but that is besides the point. I ran up and down the hill looking for Mickey and when I didn't see him I texted my husband to come back right away, that I couldn't find him. Just as I did, I saw Mickey in the parking lot jumping over something  in the road innocently not even realizing how far he had gone. Scariest moment ever! I thought we would never find him in all those people. Just then my husband got back and we decided to go without food and water for the rest of the night.

Where is Mickey Story #3 - I was on a first time play date with some moms in the area we live in. I was doing as I always do and counting periodically...1...2...3, to make sure I knew they were all accounted for. They were. I began telling one of my new friends the story about Mickey at the mall and when I looked back maybe 15 seconds later, he was gone...again. All the moms were scouring the park and playground calling for Mickey. Once again my heart was racing, he could be anywhere in this neighborhood. Then someone spotted him across the street in someones front yard, exploring. Did I mention he had crossed a very busy neighborhood street to get there? How will I ever keep him contained?

I probably have so many more stories I could share and if I had kept up with this blog it would be easier, I could tell you about potty training triplets and all the poop and pee I have cleaned up in the last 6 months and how they yell "yayyyyy" and start clapping in public restrooms when they go. I could tell about all the hilarious dance parties we have every day, about how they put each other to bed at night and say to every single older man with gray hair "hi grandpa". I could tell you about the long nights when Georgia wakes up crying and then wakes up Jo Jo and then Mickey and how we pretty much don't sleep after that. I could tell you about all the hugs and kisses  I get every day and the new words they say every day. They know all their colors and shapes, can count to ten and even know most of the letters.

This month they will be three. The terrible twos will be over and they weren't so terrible. Some days were....challenging and some moments my sanity hanged in the balance but then they look at me, say "mommy, hug?" and raise their arms up to the sky and I remember why I wanted to be a mom and wonder how I was possibly blessed with the three greatest kids in the world!

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge 2014

I wrote this entry awhile ago, August 13 2014 during the middle of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and never finished or posted:


I started this blog to be about my kids and our unique journey together, but I also wanted it to be something they can look back on and remember when they are older, or something I leave for them to hopefully learn from. So, I pause from writing about them periodically, to writing about something else that is very personal to me, but also to so many others.

I cannot let the opportunity go by without writing about the recent ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. As almost everyone knows that is how my dad lost his life.  I have seen so many wonderful videos of people taking the ice bucket challenge, sports teams, actors, musicians, Jimmy Fallon, Martha Stewart, just to name a few. I was at the neighborhood pool today with my kids and the lifeguards were doing it. Its everywhere! Which is amazing because most people don't even know what it is. I think I have waited since November 2008 for ALS to get this kind of coverage and I am in awe. Every single person that has posted a video or made a donation, you are making a huge difference, something I've never seen before and I'm amazed and grateful to all of you, even the millions I have never met. Thank you. But with that comes a lot of cruel, disrespectful jokes which as I hard as I try to not take personally, it is personal to me. Because I miss my dad, because he never got to walk me down the aisle, because he never got to meet his grand kids, because I never got to say goodbye. But although I took the Ice Bucket Challenge in his memory, that is not the main reason why this challenge is so important and its not something you should joke about. ALS is no joke! It kills and it does not discriminate. Anyone can get it...even you or someone you love.

I admit when my dad told me and my sister he was sick, I had no idea what it was. I think I had heard of it before but all I kept thinking in the back of my head is OK well they can probably treat it right? WRONG! There is no treatment. No one knows for sure what causes it and there is no cure. The average life expectancy is 2-5 years, my dad was gone after 4 months.

As heart breaking as it is for me to admit... it is too late for my dad. The reason why its important to spread awareness for this disease and raise money is because there are so many people out there dying right now and their families are sitting there watching them, completely and utterly helpless. These people might give anything to say "I love you" to their husband or wife but their voice muscles don't work anymore so they can't. They would love to give their son or daughter a hug but there arm muscles have deteriorated to the point they cant even pick up a fork to eat on their own. They may have once danced across the stage, or hit a home run out of the ball park, or ran marathons, but not anymore. They are fighting to breath because their respiratory muscles are slowly deteriorating as well. Their bodies are literally withering away while their mind stays perfectly in tact so they are aware of every single thing that is happening to them, much like being trapped inside your own body.

I'm not trying to be negative here, but everyone needs to understand that this is a very serious disease that is not as well known as some of the others and deserves some attention too. The people that are dying from this disease or have not been diagnosed (yet) deserve a chance. A chance my dad didn't have and right now no one else does either. So it may seem like some silly social media fad and a "waste of water" but its not, its peoples lives, so stop making jokes and start giving others hope. Sometimes hope is all that they left when they are told they have ALS.

I want to thank everyone that accepted the challenge from me or donated money and for everyone that followed after them as well. Some of you have been supporting me and this cause since my dad died over 5 years ago and I just want to say that means the world to me.

Since the challenge began the ALS association has raised over $114 million dollars, and has had 2.5 million first time donors, numbers they have never even come close to. I have to say my hope is still alive for a cure and who knows... because of this challenge maybe I will even be around to see that day happen.

My Little Black Dress

I just had an amazing birthday weekend. Leading up to the weekend it didn't really feel "the same" or like my birthday was approaching at all. Mostly I think because unlike all the other birthdays I knew I wouldn't get to celebrate with my mom and sister and nephew. I knew I wouldn't get Peach Cobbler and Chicken Casserole like my mom makes for me every year. I also knew I would not get to do girls night and celebrate over dinner with my good friends Christie and Wendy. I was a bit sad and really missing everyone.

Luckily my husband saved the day as usual by surprising me with concert tickets to Sara Barielles. We started the night with dinner at the Melting Pot, one of my favorites. As much as I love all the eclectic food in Charlottesville, I wanted something familiar. It was amazing! And the concert was even better than I expected. Sara is a funny girl so she had us laughing the whole show, a pleasant surprise. Her voice is incredible and just gives me the goose bumps over and over. The lyrics to her music I love the most because I can relate to them and I know she writes them based on her own life experiences. When I first started listening to her music I was still getting over a pretty bad heartbreak and I had just moved to Dallas, right before I met Tommy. I was at a time in my life where I had all but given up on love and was starting to just accept the fact I may be a strong, single woman the rest of my life. How silly I was. I also happened to love my dozen or so little black dresses and that is the name of her tour. There were 4 young ladies, all in little black dresses, sitting in the row in front of us at the concert. They were holding hands and singing and they knew all the words to every song. Being the crazy person that I am I kept trying to get a picture of them. Why? I don't really know, to capture the moment I guess and everything I was feeling and what I thought they were feeling. When I looked at them I saw myself about 15 years ago. In my early twenties, still trying to find myself, loving to quickly, with too much of my heart and having the time of my life with my girlfriends, the only people I thought understood me. I saw myself back then in another little black dress, dancing with my girls at a concert or a party, singing karaoke in the living room. I couldn't help but stare at these girls. I wanted to tap them on the shoulder and tell them, "Hey, you are going to be OK", "Keep chasing the sun", "Always be yourself", "Don't let anyone stop you from from being happy. So cliche maybe, but I remember being that age and just the world was so big and I didn't know where I fit in it sometimes and I came close to giving up on my dreams so many times, but something always kept pushing me forward and through, and I know it was partially my girl friends and partially my parents, and partially me, knowing deep down inside there was still hope.

Me in my early twenties!

Me today (36)

Now I stand at this concert in the beautiful night air of Charlottesville, Virginia with the love of my life. Our three adorable children are sleeping soundly in their beds at home, hopefully dreaming the sweetest of dreams. When I was 21 years old, I never knew I could have all this in life and I felt overcome in that moment, at that concert, with complete happiness as I listened to Sara sing in my little black dress. I felt so blessed to be alive and for all the people who love me and the opportunities I have had. So if my children are reading this someday I hope if they get anything from it, it is that no matter how heartbroken you may be or how tough life gets, don't give up, because the good stuff will come around when it is supposed to and then all those other events in your life will make sense and the puzzle pieces will fit. And don't forget the good stuff that's sprinkled in between all that tough stuff. Its important too and someday you will look back on those moments and smile and maybe laugh too. Don't let anyone tell you that you are anything but amazing. Its OK to cry. Sometimes that's the best thing for you to do and if I am still here when you read this, you can cry on my shoulder and if I'm not, I am still listening and watching and you can still cry to me. But then you splash some water on your face, and move forward again.

Tommy and I at the concert!

The next day, we took the kids to Trump winery and enjoyed the spectacular views. We sat outside on the picnic benches and let the kids run around and play with bubbles. We ate cheese, crackers, flat bread pizza and sipped on some yummy wine of course. Then we went home and had blackberry cobbler that I made using some blackberries in our back yard. It was the perfect weekend. I love this place!

The last couple months have been stressful for us here. So much change in a short period of time and a lot of illness. It has taken its toll on all of us but the last couple weeks in our new home have been peaceful and I feel like I am home. I feel comfortable and like we have found our own little corner of the world. I hope that the kids will be happy here like Tommy and I are because I have a feeling we are not going anywhere.