Christmas 2009 Letter and Family Picture

Here's our letter this year...I'll be the first to admit it's not fabulously positive, but it's our life.

Happy Holidays 2009

Hello to all of our friends and family! As 2009 comes to a close and Christmas seems upon us, I am still wondering where the year went. Reflecting back it seems that like many families, this year has been a challenging one for us. I’d like to think that it’s very temporary and it will only get better in 2010. I’m hoping for that, but am happy that just around the corner is a new opportunity for things to be a little better. That’s our wish for all the people that touch our lives.

On to the news in 2009...The holidays were really nice and we had our Colvins here to celebrate with us and ring in the New Year. My mom had the opportunity to go home to Winnemucca for awhile to have a bit of time for herself and well, truth be told, have a little bit of her own life. Kaitlyn and Gillian were with us too, so our whole family enjoyed Christmas together. We just didn’t know that 2009 would be as challenging as 2008…

Into January and February we went with the boys just growing and growing and the girls coming to Reno from Vegas two weekends a month. The arrangement was hard on all of us. All of us were hoping that March would bring some good news from the family court in Vegas. As I finish this piece of our letter, please try and understand our bitterness. We learned in March that Kaitlyn and Gillian would primarily remain in Vegas. Our time was cut to one 3 day weekend a month, Spring Break, ½ of the holiday break and 5 weeks in the summer. I am forced to pay child support after my ex-husband didn’t for 5 ½ years. I also will be paying – Chip will be paying – for health insurance for the girls that their dad didn’t provide either. We are also responsible for all travel expenses.

We found the court to be incredibly one sided. It was amazing to watch my ex husband lie and lie about so many things. I had no idea that he was capable of such cruelty to me and my family. All of this is probably more information than necessary, but the emotion and impact is still pretty raw. The other important piece of this is that we had so much support from so many people behind us. We appreciate all of the support and willingness to help. A few of you joined us in court and wrote letters and that means the world to us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This situation has weighed very heavy on us both emotionally and financially. We honestly thought we did the right thing by moving to Reno and finding a better place to raise children. Apparently not. We also had a woman judge. I found that to be interesting that we lost out so badly considering the judge is a mother as well. I didn’t expect to win by a landslide, only to have the girls be primarily with us.

As a result, we’ve felt the financial pinch the entire year, just as did many people have. Please know you’re not alone. The legal fees, supporting several mortgages on properties we have not been able to sell and the upkeep on those properties has taken us to the edge more than once. Hopefully, now that we have new tenants all will be better. We’re hanging on in the real estate arena. Anybody want to buy a couple of houses in Vegas? Both Chip and I are incredibly grateful to be employed, which has enabled us to keep pressing forward in the dark days this year has brought us. Thankfully, because of that we haven’t lost any of the houses. Again, we appreciate all the support we’ve had from our Vegas friends that have shown houses, unlocked doors and made trips over to the houses to help us. With damaged and/or empty property it isn’t easy to navigate. We could not have done it without the help of a key group of people. Your generosity is appreciated and won’t soon be forgotten.

Mom went to Alaska in February to visit a close friend who is terminally ill. Colvins came back to help. I don’t know what we’d do if we didn’t have all of the support that we have. Again, words cannot express how much we appreciate our “village” that it takes to make our life work. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The summer brought the girls back for five weeks. What a visit it was! Kaitlyn arrived with the swine flu. All of us in the house did our doses of Tamiflu to fight it. Luckily no one else was ill. It wiped out a week of our visit, which was incredibly frustrating. After Kaitlyn made it through, we made a long list of things we wanted to do before they had to head back to Vegas for school. We did so much and had a blast! From floating down the Truckee River to Tahoe beaches, it was wonderful to experience our area. The girls and I also spent a day in Virginia City. What great memories we created. Those are the ones you want to bottle up and keep right in the front of your mind forever.

Kaitlyn and Gillian started school in August (8^th grade and 5^th grade). Both are doing great. Both are involved in Karate here in Reno and gymnastics down in Vegas. Kaitlyn is in journalism this year and loves it. Gillian is into books and is finishing out Elementary school. Makes me wonder where the time goes. Both are active in Girl Scouts as well. We’re more than proud of them. Now they’re frequent fliers too. They handle it very well considering all the circumstances. Thank goodness for Southwest Airlines!

Another unfortunate twist with the ex husband for us. We learned that he had been downloading photos and some legal documents from our server. Immediately we involved the police and they confiscated 1 of his 5 computers. We’ve just learned recently that although this is not a good thing, it’s not bad enough to have enough to prosecute. Another legal system disappointment. We feel pretty violated but it doesn’t appear that we can do much.

Meanwhile our little guys turned two in September. We celebrated big with ice cream and gifts. The girls were with us to celebrate the big birthday, which was wonderful! They are just talking and expressing themselves so much. Gary is just in love with books and is Mr. Snuggly and is probably the most sensitive. He’s also the “silent bully” and will take one of the other boys down silently while they scream their head off. Ben is more reserved, loves his DVD of shapes and playing with cars. Ben tends to be the quietest. He’s been the latest to talk, but is quickly catching up! Ryan is the most vocal and very particular about his clothing. He likes red and stripes. It’s very funny. He also wants to have the “red cup”. All three boys know their shapes and letters. It’s amazing to watch them learn so much and suck it up like a sponge. Each child is so very different and wonderful. We’ve been so blessed for sure. It’s pretty noisy and chaotic in the house. All three are talking constantly. I think they’ll eat us out of house and home here pretty soon. We’re taking donations…just kidding.

Another bit of news came out way in October, on Chip’s birthday in fact. We’ve kept it quiet until about the last month. Surprisingly to all of us we are expecting! Yep, really. Our LAST child will be born in June 2010. It has taken quite awhile for it to sink in for us. I just wasn’t feeling good and took a test, then another and then a blood test. Yep, nature has taken it’s course. Odd since it was almost 3 years and many painful and disappointing tries before we had success with the little boys. We’re not sure why this has come our way, but here we are. We’re starting again, as I’ve given away stuff as the boys outgrew it. The best part is that it’s just a single so it should be easier. The morning sickness has passes, but I am tired ALL THE TIME. It’s been interesting and fun to watch people react to the news. Like us, many are surprised. It’s all good now, but it took about a month for me realize it really is true. This will be it for us. 6 is plenty. J

Meanwhile, Chip is working at home for Quest Software and that is going well. It’s been about a year and although the company has laid people off, Chip is full of talent and is valuable to the company. Hopefully all will continue on a great path. I’m still at the Nugget Casino and my job still has its challenges. It’s definitely a process. I’ve excelled in my job in the 1½ years I’ve been there. The Nugget has also laid people off in almost all areas. Just like all of the other casinos in the nation, gaming revenues and room rates are down. Not good, but the reality of the economy. Everyone in the Northern Nevada area seems to trim down accordingly. Hopefully it will turn around.

We are hanging in and hanging on for whatever 2010 brings. There is so much to be thankful for…the visits we’ve had over the year form Hortons, The Hollenbecks, visiting with local family on occasion and keeping in touch with Vegas friends. Please forgive me if I’ve forgotten anyone. Our heartfelt thanks and so much love to Fred & Celia and our ‘Nina ‘Nina for their willingness to spend any free moment with the McVeys and making it look simple each morning as I walk out the door and someone is either wailing or demanding their bacon. My mother is a huge help and is vital to our day to day operation. We can’t thank her enough for the loads of laundry, helping with dinner and watching the boys. She makes it look easy too. Some days I wonder why I’m so worn out when I see how well our support system makes it work for us. All of us have felt the stress of the business of life this year but have an amazing group that never hesitates to help. We thank you all by adding one more!

It’s our hope and wish that all is well with you and yours and that the joy of the season is in your lives. Happy Holidays! We look forward prosperous 2010 for our family and yours. Please know that you’re always welcome to visit. Feel free to drop a note if that work better. Both Chip and I are also ALWAYS updating Facebook with photos and statuses. You can search our names to find out. We can be reached by phone at 775-545-1241 or email at sherri@metaforge.net

Christmas 2009 and Kaitlyn's 14th Birthday

This year has just been crazy! Despite the snowstorms, Kaitlyn came in the night of 12/18. I was a little worried since the fog had been so bad. I love that the snow has hung around. From then on it was fast and furious! The girls went shopping on the 19th with Celia and Fred.

Then they started the cookie baking. I tried to stay out of the way because it isn't my favorite thing to do. Celia is amazing with all that! She made like 7 different cookies plus her "crack" of course. It wouldn't be Christmas without it. :) The girls jumped right in and did cut outs and Spritz and many others. Celia has amazing patience. Before and after their baking I made Chex mix. Then more Chex mix...four batches worth. I enjoy doing that, but not the cookie stuff. I also did some holiday bark with dried cranberries, pretzels, nuts and white chocolate. Batch 1 was OK, but batch 2 rocked! Anyway, back to the girls and their endeavors...

Gillian had done some "Advent" candy calendars too that came out really good with candy kisses, star paper boxes and yarn. Really fun! The girls also did candy bar trains. They had a blast doing that. Very creative. It was really cool.

I was desperately trying to get my Christmas cards out, pictures done and sorted and all of that. Wow...I wonder where the time goes. I know...we have lots of kids and a busy life! Along with that I wanted to get our yearly letter done. This year it seems that it was more negative than positive. Life is life though and hopefully we have great support and people care about our struggles and our successes. In the days since mailing them I have had some regrets about our honesty. I'll post the letter and the pic on this blog. Anyone who reads this, I hope you understand that we ARE grateful and blessed, but struggle like everyone else. I'm not sure where it comes from, but I also wanted to get my cookbook 2.0 project done. Did not happen. I'm barely started. It's still mostly a firm image in my mind. Hmmm, let me see...5 kids, full time job, holiday time and oh yeah growing a baby.

Kristy and Tiffany also came into town and stayed the night with us to shop. Many feelings about that, but that's another story for another day.

December 23 brought our Christmas celebration. We started the day...another busy one of course...with me doing some lab work for baby stuff and doing some last minute shopping. I came home and the girls were showered and eager to open their gifts. It was really neat to see their excitement. They also requested Celia's AMAZING corned beef recipe. This meal just will knock your socks off. If it doesn't, there's something wrong with you! Kaitlyn's big gift was the InStyler and Gillian got a new bike. She's going to be set until adulthood with the bike. It was really great to see the delight and fun happen. The boys opened their stuff from the girls and Christina. They really were getting into the opening of the gifts part. It was a really fun evening.

December 24 was fast and furious as well. We celebrated Kaitlyn's 14th birthday. She picked her cake and it was DELISH! It was Chocolate Cherry Cake. OH MY! What a keeper. Basically, you mix in a can of cherry pie filling with a Devils Food Cake Mix. We frosted it with milk chocolate frosting and some festive sprinkles. Kaitlyn's gifts were mostly clothes, but also itunes gift card and some earrings. I can't believe she's 14 already! Despite her being a true teenager, she is a good kid and I'm really proud of her. After the quick celebrations, we were off to the airport for the delayed flight. The girls were up and out about 3o min. later than planned. Not too bad for still having snow in Reno. Next year they will be here for Christmas day and I can't wait.

Christmas day came before we knew it. The little boy's faces were filled with shock and awe when they discovered that Santa left them a train table and easel in their play area. From then on the morning was pretty crazy. Once the little guys found something, it was tough for them to move on to something else. It was stimulation overload for sure. We kept prompting them to open more things, but it took quite awhile. Hortons gave the little guys lots of new books. Colvins brought clothes and a toy mailbox and scribble box. They loved it! Grammy McVey sent Thomas stuff and the boys popped the hats right on. Grandma gave them a tent with a tunnel that they absolutely love! It was a good Christmas for the little guys. They didn't really realize the whole santa part but they sure loved the presents. Gary was onto the unwrapping part right away. It was super cute to watch. We attempted to lay the little guys down at normal time, but the day was just too much for them. They barely ate anything and oh by, by bedtime it was mayhem here. They had a great time, but sensory overload was clear. Especially for Ryan. He and the other boys fought pretty intensely over the Leapster 2. That game is a little advanced for them but every day they seem to be figuring it out a little more.

After the boys went up for their nap, Fred, Celia, Chip and I quietly opened out gifts. Chip came away with a new bike, which he direly needed. His poor bike that he had since college was pretty beat up. I was so happy to get more memory for my laptop. I was ready to throw this Mac out the window. Now it's running like a champ! I was really happy. Chip and I gave each other a new TV and BlueRay for our bedroom. We have it hooked up, but no cable yet. We may switch from DirecTV. We'll see.

Fred is into coins and Chip is really getting into it too, so Fred and Chip had a moment when Chip gave Fred a cool Austrialian coin. It was neat to see. We really enjoyed exchanging our gifts. It is always weird not to have the girls with their excitement with us, but our gift opening has its own positive vibe.

Celia did almost the entire dinner which was delicious. We had Prime Rib. Chip made his green bean casserole, which totally rocks. I made the meat, which was super easy to follow the directions and preseasoned from Costco. Super good.

December 2009 - Before Christmas

December has come full on. Fred came in on December 2 and Celia followed 5 days later. Mom went home to enjoy time off. Chip got busy right away putting up Christmas lights. It was pretty cold outside and he was definitely a trooper for his cranky pregnant wife.

Went to Las Vegas for HSMAI, HEDNA and the Expedia Partner Conference the first week in December. It was busy but good. Had dinner with Deann, saw Jenni and did a little Christmas shopping in the evening. Stayed at Palms Place. Also had dinner one evening with Bonnie. Tried to get Kaitlyn several times, but was put on ignore. I guess it's her age, but it was offensive and finally I told her in no uncertain terms that it was unacceptable. We had dinner Thursday night (Dec. 10), went on to the Expedia party after that and I flew home on Dec. 11. I saw so many people at the Expedia event that I hadn't seen for years. It was really nice to have the opportunity to talk to everyone. I learned a ton of stuff about social media and online travel trends. It's really stimulating for my brain and I love it! So much to learn, so little time.

I also checked on the house while in Vegas. Lawn issues of course. Freddie needs to just take care of Sweet Jewel. Oh yeah, after I got home I learned that the faucet is broken and that it's $300 to fix. Crazy. Brittany and her family moved in fine and all was good otherwise.

We had a snowstorm on the way out of Reno and down to Vegas. Very cold and about 5 inches of snow. It was beautiful to see, but not great travel weather. It took almost 1/2 a day to get to Vegas. Between de-icing and plowing, it was an interesting morning trying to get South. Coming back was a little hairy too. It's snowed a bit more since then. I love it, but people are crazy when it snows. Here it is the 23rd and the snow is still here. Nothing wrong with that. Boy it's cold outside!

Gillian has been with us since Thanksgiving and going to Karate. Everything is good and she's been doing a great job of enjoying all that we have to offer. The little boys just love their "gill gill".

The boys are just talking up a storm. Ben had his first true haircut on Sunday (Dec. 20). He looks like such a little boy! He can also say "I cannot beweeve it" like the Little Einsteins. Celia told me about it and then I heard him say it. Oh my god! It was SO cute. He's talking so much more lately.

Ryan is just going to town repeating and saying short sentences. It's really cool to hear him say "Daddy do it" and "I see you".

3 Month Baby Check Up

Very uneventful...lost 2 lbs., baby is just the right size. Heard the heartbeat and that was it. Nothing much else to note. Still not sure about this doc. It's just really strange. No pics or anything.

Thanksgiving 2009 and family Christmas pictures...oh my!

Very good holiday, moved by WAY too quickly. All four Hortons joined us this year for Thanksgiving. That in itself brought much to be thankful for. Mom is here too, which is great. There were so many years that we didn't spend the holiday together. I wish I could get them back. Since we can't I can only hope for many more family filled holidays.

Chip pulled the turkey out on Monday to thaw in garage. It certainly has been chilly enough. The hum of the holiday is starting to pick up which is nice.

Hortons arrived late Tuesday. We stayed up too late right away. Before they came in we actually hung up a bunch of pictures on the wall. It actually feels like we live here after almost a year and a half. Wednesday was fairly uneventful at work. Slow day, but managed to hang in. I'm still fighting tired and morning sickness. I'm never sure whether to eat or just wait it out. It is SO not fun. I've tried both. It's bad to eat bad stuff, it's worse not to eat at all...right?

Thursday morning the girls came in to join us for the holiday. It had been about a month since I had seen them last. It's always so wonderful to have them come out of the airport. Gillian will be staying until Christmas Eve. Kaitlyn went back today, but will be back the week before Christmas.

Chris and Keith had asked if we wanted to get together for a softball game. So all of us jumped in the car and headed to Joyce's. The boys were overwhelmed, but it was good. They loved Joyce's new dog and kennel. Forget the toys, bring on a dog kennel! So we all hopped in the car and headed to a middle school and had a wonderful afternoon. Mom and Joyce had the dogs and watched. Well Joyce gave it one try and knocked it out! Danny and I watched the boys and the rest of us played softball. It was really, really a great afternoon. The boys really enjoyed themselves just running around. No nap and completely out of whack for them, but they seem to just go with the flow. A little crabby in the car and all three fell asleep.

We came home and finished up dinner. This year seemed effortless compared to other years. Cooked the turkey for the first time in my new roaster. Turkey (as warned in the instructions) did not turn brown. Looked a little odd, but it was the most tender turkey I've ever eaten. We all agree that the roaster wins, hands down. The additional bonus is that the oven is free to cook other stuff. Mom made an amazing apple pie. She did the lattice top and everything. Beautiful and yummy! We had a delightful meal. Great family with really good conversation. Moments that are special and memorable. I love those kinds of days. I was dragging with morning sickness and just plain tired. Made it through though.

On Friday I had to work...casinos have the worst benefit plan on the planet. Nothing going on and lucky for me my boss is really cool and I came in late and out of the office early. I was thankful to get home early and be at home with the rest of the crew. We watched Four Christmases, which was pretty cute.

Mom had a great idea to head to a craft fair at the convention center so me, mom, Bunny, Gillian, Kaitlyn and Danny loaded up in the minivan and headed to town. The craft fair was pretty weak but had great deals. Mom and I talked to the vendors quite a bit. Great to meet the locals and just talk about all kinds of stuff. I bought a couple of things. Bunny found quite a bit.

Sunday came much too quickly. It was quite a morning. Hortons were getting ready to depart and we were getting the boys and the rest of us ready for a family pic. Now call me crazy, but I really wanted to get a professional family picture with the whole family. That includes 3, yes 3, two year olds. Oh my god, I had no idea just how crazy it would be. Ben wanted nothing to do with being held in any way shape or form. He was just not having it. No one wanted to be confined. Finally they starting taking pictures. The best one we could get of all of us had a big yellow duck in the picture and Ben was crying. It was such a calamity of errors that I finally pretty much gave up. They took well over 100 photos. Girls together, boys playing, Chip and I, all of us...it was a true experience. A 20 minute appointment took and well over an hour. Finally I had to leave because we had to get the boys down for a nap. I did go back right away. Of course like the session trying to get pictures, buying them was no picnic either. They advertise a discount but of course there were so many limitations that it was nearly impossible to get. Eventually all came around and we left after we lightened our cash load by $200. Yep, $200. They will only be two once and it was so good to get the girls and us in various pictures. Well worth it. Time was pushed to the limit on Sunday. I buzzed home and grabbed Kaitlyn and took her to the airport to go back to Vegas. Phew! Every day is like this though. Moving from one thing to another. Some days are better than others.

November cont'd

More in November...

Work continues to be tense. A person I don't particularly trust has come into my end of the sales department. Originally going to report to me but then that was pulled back. Now there is clear "marking of the territory" by this person. Don't trust her farther than I can see her. Lots of poking around to see what it is I do. I have much hesitation about her when I take leave for maternity.

I still am not loving my job, another serious run in with the marketing department. Verbal attacks by the PR person. Caught VERY off guard. Defended myself, but we'll see what happens. PR guy goes on vacation and his boss attempts a private apology. I'm very proud I stood up for myself and my skillset. May not matter though. This particular company may not be ready to take on a social media strategy. It's frustrating.

Lots of morning sickness. I'm very tired all the time. It's hard to keep up with the basics both at work and home. Thank goodness for the help and support from Chip, mom and the people in sales that actually believe in what we can do.

The boys are still growing like crazy. They are putting together 2 and 3 word sentences. Its just been in the last couple of weeks that they are all saying "I see you" and "I want...". Ben is still the quietest, but he's an observer. He does, however, do a much better job of sticking up for himself. He loves to jump on the sofa. They all do, but it's Ben's deal to start it.

Ryan is still the most vocal. He repeats EVERYTHING. He's very particular too. Loves red clothes, especially if it has stripes. If he can't be in control he freaks out in the morning. He says "Ry Ry's ...." for whatever he has, wants or thinks is his. He does a wonderful job of trying to trade with his brothers when they have something he wants. It's so interesting to watch them. Ry also loves the book "Ham" (Green Eggs and Ham). He flips the pages and then on Ryan's timeline it becomes AH DONE. Ryan is strong willed and spends the most time in time out, but does well with it most of the time. He truly misses his 'Nina Nina since she left us. Every girl in a magazine is 'Nina. He asks "Where's my 'Nina?". Super cute, but it makes me want to force her to come back.

Gary is super funny with his silent takedowns. When he's getting picked on or pushed, he steps back and then gets back up for another round. It's very funny to watch. Then he'll basically tackle Ryan but not say a word. Ryan of course starts wailing, but Gary just doesn't let up. Gary is still the most emotional too. His feelings are easily hurt and he likes to snuggle. It's very sweet that Christina taught him how to eskimo kiss when she was here.

All the boys eat bacon and eggs like CRAZY. They can put down almost a pound of bacon. It's insane. We'll be seriously broke soon thanks to the boys eating. It's all good, but we still crack up on a daily basis. We're seriously worn out every single day...

Jeff got laid off from Les Schwab and lucky for Kristy and Jeff, she got a job at Khoury's Market in Winnemucca. Hopefully things will get better. The last month has not been kind to them with losing out on a refinance and repossession. Makes me worry.

I'm still very restless and would love to do some consulting along with my job. So much to do so little time. Looking forward to Thanksgiving. Kristy and Jeff will be missed, but we're happy to be hanging with mom and the Hortons.

First Big OB Appointment - Nov. 2, 2009

We met our new Reno doctor and had our first appointment with Sierra Women's Health. Dr. Farringer. Good midwest boy. Very to the point. Took a ton of history and did an ultrasound. We did see very clearly the normal development. We will deliver at Renown and I plan to have my tubes tied after the birth. The doctor also moved our due date out from 6/5/2010 to 6/11/2010 based on the size measurements on the ultrasound. He said everything looks good and that I'm a good "baby maker". That was based on how long I carried the boys and the "unremarkable" births with the girls.

Its a truly weird experience to have 2 babies, then multiples and then another single (that was a total surprise). Being here vs. Vegas hasn't been great with medical people. I'm hoping this experience will change things.

I certainly didn't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about the new doc, but Chip told me to give it time. I am seriously emotional and kind of sad this pregnancy. I can't explain it. Well, maybe I can a little. I feel so up and down about this one. I love all of my children and they are ALL a blessing. Everything happens for a reason and I believe that about this too. Everything seems very amplified though. Work isn't fabulously fun, life is challenging in general and adding another child to the mix is going to be interesting.

Anyway, the appointment was a long one and it as informative and good to spend so much time together. 4 weeks until the next one.

October through Halloween...

Girls headed to Reno for Halloween. A lot of battle with their dad over costumes, who pays, etc. John gets Kaitlyn a flu shot without my consent.

Halloween...all 3 boys were cowboys. Of course I was very last minute with costumes. Lucky for me Grandma had bought the boys hats and Celia hooked them up with cute little stick horses. The party store had 3 outfits left and so it was a quick purchase. On the big day Kaitlyn dressed as Bella from the Twilight movie and her new guy next door Nick was a zombie. Gillian was a ladybug that was super cute. Then we had our little cowboys. It was pretty chilly out, but once the boys got going they had blast! I made the mistake of letting them get out once and oh jeez, it was a mess.

Boys came home and tackled the candy. They definitely know "M&Ms" and "Candy". They also tried lollipops for the first time.

The boys are the hit of the neighborhood. People made so many comments about seeing the boys out with Chip on their daily walks and waiting for them to come by. It's really cool.

We all had a great time. Chilly by the time we got home, but I had put chicken corn chowder in the crockpot. Lucky for us! All of us ate a late dinner and called it a night.

Catching up - End of September through October

As usual, time flies. End of September brought the Bards moving out of the house with no rent paid. Again, we totally get screwed. Just made it through the Sweet Jewel mess and here we are with a new horrid situation with Fair Play. Deann and Carlos have been so generous and have come from Summerlin to Henderson to show it. It's fantastic that we have such good friends, but it's horrible when people don't show up.

September ended on a high note, as I had applied to get a job at a casino doing social media marketing which is really my new passion. I enjoyed some wine with Candy and then headed home. Things were looking up considering the job hadn't been very fun. Still a lot of conflict with marketing.

Chip's birthday on 10/1 brought more than just birthday wishes. I wasn't feeling well. Feeling pretty weird actually. Very emotional. I had definitely felt this way in the past but hadn't really put it all together. So on a hunch I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. Yes, I said positive. That afternoon I went to the doctor (after taking another pregnancy test) and took a blood test. Yep, sure enough I am pregnant. The hcg count was 118. I went off to St. Paul for work and had to wait until I returned to do the next blood test. We told mom first and she was happy. Then we Skype'd with Hortons for Chip's birthday and told them as well. The next morning I called and told Kristy and it was sort of offensive. She asked why Chip didn't get snipped and if we knew how that happened. Of course we do. It was just strange. I was already trying to deal with the shock myself.

I geared up to to go to St. Paul, MN (October 3 to October 8) for my first trip to the MLT travel agent show. It was a really cool visit. I saw Susan Haigh-Bishop and traveled with Terry and Michelle from Atlantis. The trade show was fine, but I was not very energetic and tried to keep up. On top of being a neat city and being able to walk all over, I was also in the city for the first Vikings vs. Packers game with Favre playing for Minnesota. The buzz of it was so cool to be a part of. Even more, the Twins were finishing their season as well. Lastly, but not most important, I visited the Mall of America. Oh my god, it's HUGE. I spent 3 hours there. I think you almost need 3 days in there! I was fighting a lot of a fatigue and was wondering if this pregnancy thing was really working. It was hard because we decided not to tell very many people. I was trying not to give much away with my fatigue and laying low on the drinking. Lucky for me it wasn't too noticable. I headed home on Thursday morning and arrived in Reno in the late afternoon. I was exhausted. Time change and 2 very full, very hot planes. The plane was so gross with this guy next to me in the middle. I got off the plane, got my stuff, had the blood draw for my 2nd hcg level. I was finally home! Once in the door, I immediately went to take a shower. The next day, Friday Jane's office called and the count for the hcg was 3201. Since they couldn't tell me much, I called Dr. Bohman's office and talked to them. He said the numbers were high...meaning multiples...so he wanted to see me the next week. Friday brought the Travel Agent University Fam luncheon which was really good.

Christina arrived on Monday, Women's travel group started Monday. Met RoseMarie and the group on that evening. It was a weird and I was a little bitter that Christina was virtually shut out. Total crap. A whole new view of RoseMarie. The other ladies were super great to get to know. Especially Suzi and Nan. Nan reminds me of Chris Fegert. It was a neat "think tank" environment. The meeting was intense and good. Went down to Vegas on Thursday 10/16 and learned the night before that Kaitlyn sprained her ankle at gymnastics. On crutches. Saw the girls for about 30 minutes while showing Fair Play. Finally rented. They won't move in until November. Better than sitting empty I guess. Well definitely better than sitting empty. Signed the lease and dropped the girls off. They went to a Lakers game with their dad that evening.

Before seeing the girls and showing the house I saw Bohman for an ultrasound to check out what was up with the hcg count and finally see what was happening inside. One baby, which was a great big relief. It really took me by surprise when I reacted so emotionally once I saw it on the screen in the doctor's office. I guess it wasn't real to me, I mean really real to me until I saw the movement and heard the heartbeat. This pregnancy is just really strange all the way around. Referred to a Reno doc. Feeling insecure about it since Bohman and group were so good to me.

Mom left to go home for awhile since Colvins are here. Nice for everyone I think.

Colvins arrived on Saturdary night. Very nice to have Christina and Fred and Celia here at once. The boys really enjoyed it. Chip went off to Madison, WI for work so it was a bit of a long week, but very good to have a ton of help. I feel very fortunate.

Chip is off to Madison for the week for work.

Sept. 25th Weekend

Finally a relaxing weekend at home. We started Friday a little rough with information on the Fair Play house and some decisions we need to make. They won't be easy ones either. The last renters left just last Tuesday and we were only to Friday. More negative news from John...more child support/daughter visitation issues. Not fun. It really felt as though the ceiling continues to fall in. Somehow I try to see the good, but the negative stuff creeps in like mold.

Ben has been having serious trouble with allergic breakouts this week. A lot of really strange welts. Puffy spots all over his legs, back and butt. Poor kid. We've been giving Benadryl, but it keeps reappearing. I'm fine giving it and it definitely clears up. But seriously, every day? Hopefully we can pinpoint that. The thought is the wash detergent or maybe, just maybe its the weird diapers that I bought. Not sure. I have to call the doctor and schedule the 2 year old appointment so we'll take a look at it then. It just can't feel good for him.

Saturday brought a lot of college football, of course the Michigan game. Chip was in the "zone" with the boys and watching and then as soon as they went up for a nap, out to the "big room" he came to watch on the big screen. He was cracking, sighing and talking to the TV for better than an hour. Pins and needles later, UofM brought it home. The score was a tight 36-33. I thought Chip was going to have heart issues. Lucky for me it turned out alright.

In the meantime, Chip was off to Costco for essentials...soy milk (don't ask), fishies (a.k.a. GoldFish), regular milk, cheese and....anyway, he was too late. So it was get the essentials and try again on Sunday. Sherri was busy seeding like about 101 jalapenos. Not really, but it was a lot. However I needed some extra stuff from the store, so I was waiting. Very mundane, I know.

Boys 2nd Birthday

I'm writing this a little later than the birthday but it's taken me a few days to let it soak in that the boys are 2. I'm proud of and emotional about it.

We celebrated the birthday early on September 7 since the girls were here for Labor Day. I had ordered ice cream cakes from Marble Slam Ice Cream early. Each cake was heart shaped and had their names written on them. So cute. Ryan had chocolate, Ben was strawberry and Gary was sweet cream ice cream. I had also bought another small cake for the rest of us to share. Since the boys love ice cream I thought ice cream cakes would be fun. Kaitlyn and I picked them up on Sunday, September 6 and put them in the freezer.

I had to work Rib Cook-off, so I was gone a good part of Sunday and the girls, for the second year in a row, ran around the cook-off doing whatever made them happy while mom worked in the village. Good for everyone. They had a good time roaming and I enjoyed the company of my clients.

It's so great to live here because it feels much safer with fewer people than Vegas. I also had those girls "tethered" to their cell phones every 30 minutes, with the requirement that I see their faces every hour. Probably anal but hey, it worked for all of us. Everyone had a good day and off we went at 8p to get on home.

On Monday Sept 7 (Labor Day) there was a lot to do. The girls wrapped gifts and Chip did a little last minute shopping. The girls and I had gone to Trader Joes and Toys 'r Us on Saturday after I picked them up at the airport to shop for the little guys. We had fun shopping. Chip wasn't with us so he took the opportunity to go shop a bit on Monday morning. We also needed candles and the paper goods to make it a party. Chip chose Mickey Mouse. A great theme with ears as well as intertwining the Mickey Mouse Club cartoon with a party. The boys really enjoy the song "Hot Diggety Dog" from the cartoon. We celebrated early Monday between breakfast and nap time so that both the boys and girls would enjoy the celebration before the boys nap and the girls departure. The boys had an absolute blast! The cakes went over very well. Each little boy had their own approach. Ryan tried to take Ben's strawberry cake even though he had plenty of his own. Didn't matter. Ryan wanted Ben's cake. Gary dug right in, as did Ben. Each one liked the cake. After the Ryan/Ben struggle with the strawberry cake we cut a piece of everyone's and shared it among the 3. All of them enjoyed the experience. Then it was into the "zone' in our family room to open gifts. Kaitlyn and Gillian started the gift opening showing their brothers how to open gifts. It was a mixed reaction as to what to do with the gifts. Ryan and Gary wanted to hang out. Well Ben did to, but he's far more understated.

We moved on to the gifts. 14 in all. No gifts were directly given to each boy. At this age we thought it would be the best if we set all the gifts in the family room and just let them go. Each gift and opening it was a new experience to the boys.

It has forced me to reflect on the days that have passed since the little boys birth. So much has changed, so much has happened, both positive and negative.

First, the positive: these boys are just amazing. They have grown up so much. I enjoy hearing Ryan say HAP PEE. He says it so succinctly. So warm and true. Ryan is like a parrot who just wants to say everything when you tell him what things are. In his sweet little voice after you read a book to him he says "awwwdon". It's very cute. "glogbaw" (golf ball) is another favorite. He's got his letters down and in particular says the letter "O" with lips in a perfect circle. Loves to call them out. Ben is exploring more and more. Lots of babble, but not nearly as many words as his brothers. He's getting braver every day. Happy little guy for sure. Still in love with the blanket and the bottle. Gary is as curious as ever. His mind is going a hundred miles an hour all the time. All the letters are old hat. He in particular loves to say the "Q". You just cannot believe how clearly he can say that letter. "Car" is still the main word of choice.

No lazy Sunday around here!

Boys to Safeway, playing in the sprinklers, making salsa, garden. Laundry. Talked to Bunny and Bill last night on Skype. It's so good to see them.

Vegas Visit - Dr. Bohman

Vegas Visit - The houses....oh the houses.

Last week I was in Vegas for both work and personal stuff. It was quite eventful, even though I wasn't even there 48 hours.

Tuesday morning started at 4:30a to catch a 6 a.m. flight. In Vegas I picked up the rental car and raced off to a business breakfast. Then over to our former home, which we are renting (Sweet Jewel). The new renter is in the process of moving in (over the last couple of weeks). There was a ton of damage to the house from the former renters. Although our new renter had sever well over 200 pictures of the property, it didn't really do it justice. When I arrived our handyman was there along with the new landscaper who ironically lives around the corner and has lived there for several years. In any case, I walked up and met the two of them and then took the grand tour of damage. The backyard by far was the worst. The landscaper said he'd hauled off over 15 bags of debris and dead foliage. The backyard grass was completely dead. The inside had a lot of damage from being dirty to crayon on the walls to destroyed paint and cracked light fixtures. Very disappointing to say the very least. Truly amazing that human beings can be so inconsiderate of others property.

I had been in the house a few times over the last year but hadn't seen the upstairs. Downstairs was just dirty.

After a quick business lunch I headed over to our other rental house (Fair Play). The renters have been there almost 3 years, so it's a good feeling to know that they take pretty good care of the place. They also put up with the entire plumbing system being redone. Not everyone could live through that! Once over in that community and driving up to check on the house I found the lawn to be pretty crispy, but not dead. It wasn't fun to find it and I wasn't very happy about it. I left a message for the renters and continued on with work meetings.

During the day Chip had called and asked some questions about our computer system. It seems that we have an intruder...someone we know...is downloading documents and photos that don't below to them. It's shocking and a complete violation. It's also incredibly illegal. We've taken action, but who would've thought. People are just amazing.

Quite the eventful week for sure. The one bright spot was more successful business meetings and staying with our dear friends the Tellos.

Curious little boys

The little guys are just as busy as ever! Ryan is catching up with Gary on the letters and can say a fair amount of them. Gary knows all of the alphabet and some colors as well as a few shapes. Ryan can also say some shapes, but hasn't grasped colors yet.

All the little ones are crazy for the computers and ipods and anything else electronic they can get their hands on.

Gary said "mama car" and "bye ball" in the last few weeks.

Ryan is saying more 2 syllable works. Like "W" and "umbrella", "checker", and "hot dog". He definitely knows when he wants to "eat!". Ryan's the best at pointing out his own or others with "caca" and "skinky".


I was thinking the other day that they are just little sponges, doing and learning so much. We're still waiting for Ben to catch up, but he compensates with his climbing and eating. They all eat a lot, but Ben totally chows!

Last weekend we all went to a BBQ at Michelle Engleman's house from Grand Sierra. She's fantastic! Anyway, I've realized a few things. a). God bless anyone who opens their home to triplets who only have 1 child and he's grown. b). It's far more exhausting now than it ever was when they were newborn. Now everything is game since all 3 are mobile. Since they are sponges and learning everything, everything needs to be touched, pulled and/or eaten with no realization that something could be dangerous. c). It's exhausting to run after them and ensure their safety but I still would not change anything...ever.

Little boys update...they're almost 2!

Life has been crazy with so much going on between work, home and everything else that I haven't really had a chance to write an update on the little guys!

Gary - what a kid! He knows almost the entire alphabet! On his way to bed, he stops in front of the Oreck vacuum and says every letter. He follows it up with saying "vacuum!!!". He also greets almost everyone with a huge, very loud "HI!". Or, better yet, when you're leaving him he says "byeeeeeeeee". It's too cute!

Ryan - what a sponge! Ry-Ry is just saying so many words. He's particularly good with 2 or 3 syllable words. He says umbrella really well. He also can identify Ben by name and points to him. He says hi, bye and car. Ryan is all about the remotes and phones too. Once he gets a device he will NOT give it up to anyone for anything. He'll even eat and get it all gooey, but if you take it away, god help you. The screaming begins and takes quite awhile to quit. The phone is really bad. Any gadget he just loves. Daddy tries to sit on the sofa and play with his itouch and boy they come running for it, but Ryan truly wants it. I honestly think that Ryan will be the first one potty trained because he now says cah cah and skinky. Most of the time he's spot on! He's still the most temperamental too. Tantrums are not unusual and he's well aware of time out now. He tends to still be the bully. We're working on that.

Ben - little Ben-Ben. We are a little concerned with his lack of speech. He just doesn't say much. On occasion he'll say car, but doesn't really respond when we ask him to repeat words. He still loves cars and often plays alone. I think he might be an engineer. He checks everything out and loves to buckle stuff. Sweet, sweet little boy. Ryan pushes him around and he cries. In fact he does a lot of sympathy crying when one of the other boys are crying. Ben is the best eater. Oh my gosh, I sometimes cannot believe how much food he can eat at a meal. Ben also still is quite attached to his blanket. Talk about low maintenance. He's such a happy boy. In the evenings sometimes Chip will run back and forth across the family room flapping his arms and saying eeeeeeeeeee. Ben jumps right in, flapping his arms and mimicing the eeeeeee. His giggle is SO funny.

All the boys are now scurreying up the stairs to bed and nap. They also walk down the steps with help when they get up in the morning and after the nap. All 3 are so much more hungry these days. They get up, get dressed and then it's breakfast. Probably within 20 minutes! Right now the breakfast food of choice is Frosted Mini Wheats in milk to soften them up a bit. Daddy is still taking them on walks every day. During the walks Chip tells them the names of things. They all know tree, mailbox and car. Ryan and Gary say them, Ben doesn't. When Ryan and Gary say all these words, it's after one of us ask them to say them. We're not into phrases or spontaneous conversation, but I'm sure it won't be long.

Dreaded day back to Vegas...

Yesterday was pretty depressing. The girls went back to Vegas to start school. Whenever the girls come and go Chip and I get more and more bitter about the judge's decision. I mean really, how could this turn out this way? It was strange taking them to the airport to take off. I found myself almost numb. It hurt a little that even before they took off Kaitlyn was on the phone with John and Gillian was talking to her friend Ellie in Vegas. I sternly asked them to wait another 2 hours and then they'd be there. After they boarded the plane I still was somewhat dazed and sad at the same time. As I have many, many times, I question my decision to move to Northern Nevada. There has just been so much that has challenged us over the last 12 months. Financially, emotionally, even physically.

I've been seeing on Facebook over the last week pictures from the annual Orbitz sales meeting. It looked like so much fun. Again pointing me back to really ponder the decision I made to work outside the home, to move, to spend thousands of dollars fighting for the girls only to lose, supporting homes that aren't in the same city as we are, and not being able to sell any of them. It could be the status quo I guess. Some days I look back and while it isn't the grass being greener, I often feel that it wasn't that bad. Was it? Maybe for the first (or thousandth) time it is clearer than ever that we have a small but good network of friends in Vegas. That the damage would have been significantly less with the girls. The relationship between their dad and I is irreparable and the girls feel it. Just one example: I had planned to fly to Vegas with the girls so that I could extend our goodbye a little bit. When Gillian mentioned this to John he told her that my time was over and regardless of whether or not I flew with them he'd be at the airport. On top of the many challenges we face in Reno, their dad gives nothing. No willingness to be flexible. I'll be punished by him for many years to come. What pains me more is very soon we'll have to be paying him child support, over $1,000 a month. With that, he'll continue to give the girls everything, take all the credit for it and I get to fund it. While we had a lot of fun during the summer visit with the girls doing everything from geocaching and hiking to farmer's markets and swimming, there was a lot more that I wished I could do but the finances are just not there. Nor will they be any time soon. As we figure it, the price to us for moving as far as the girls are concerned are about $2,000 a month between child support and transportation. We are still finishing the final paperwork with my attorney. I asked him point blank what happens if we can't pay and he said his advice was to think about filing bankruptcy. That is not something we will entertain at all. Hmmm, let me see...John wins custody and child support. In return I get to pay and pay and pay and oh by the way give back everything we've worked for to the bank. I think not!

Perhaps this isn't the forum to be airing all the dirty laundry, but this is our blog and it's our real life. Chip and I have truly felt the pain of all of this, especially physically. The stress has helped us put on weight. There's not a lot time or energy to exercise either.

I'm struggling to look at the glass half full when it keeps feeling empty. Especially when the glass half full is that we're both employed. Glass half empty is as fast as it comes in it goes out.

Monday fun with the girls!

On Monday both Chip and I took the day off and spent it with the girls. It was a really full, but really fun day.

We started off by heading to the library in Spanish Springs. All of us checked out books, it was really nice. When the girls first arrived we went to get library cards and had to go to the Sparks library, which was pretty unimpressive and not in a great neighborhood, since the Spanish Springs branch is closed on Fridays and Saturdays due to budget cuts. Since we can return books to any library branch in the county, we were able to visit The Spanish Springs library this last Monday. It is simply amazing! Beautiful facility, great staff and cool technology to not only check books out, but to reserve them, search and use the internet.

After the library we were off to Circus Circus to play at the midway arcade. We had a really fun couple of hours. The girls really had a great time playing games and winning some stuffed animals. Chip and I had a little fun ourselves playing games with the girls. My dear friend Kenna really hooked us up with coupons and discounts for the Midway. It was so fun! We ended that adventure with some ice cream and headed even further downtown.

Next was the Truckee River downtown. Chip and Gillian went nuts in the water! Kaitlyn and I hung back. Kaitlyn did get brave a few times...she enjoyed the sunshine with me. I had all the keys, wallets and cameras in my bag, so I didn't get really wet. It was really fun to watch everyone else! There were a lot of people of all ages hanging out. We all decided that it was really fun, but would be even more fun to tube or kayak down the river. So that's on our list for next time. We spent a couple of hours there and then had a quick snack at Silver Peak Tap House.

The last fun thing we squeezed into the day was an Aces basesball game at the new stadium in downtown Reno. Gillian was just so into it. Watching the game, the players and of course all the food. Later the food came back to haunt her, but it was worth it. She even went and got an autograph from John Hester. The game was a blowout. 8-0...ACES WIN!

It was a long, but fantastic day. Chip and I really enjoyed the day and was so happy that grandma took care of the boys.

Our last weekend before school

This is our last weekend together before the girls head to Vegas for school. It's been really fun! Kristy visited with Tiffany. Keith and Chris came over for a bit on Saturday too. Nice to hang out.

Gary did his first somersault on Saturday. The boys are talking so much! Ryan can say marker and some other 2 syllable words if you ask him.

Ben got his finger pinched in the patio door, took off some skin and it looks painful. He seems to be ok though.

Ryan's been having some tough times with temper tantrums, but hopefully he will get over it soon.

Finally after over a week the boys stopped with the stomach bug. I swear to god in 8 days, we did like 10 loads of pukey laundry. Brutal. Truly brutal.

More sickness...OMG! Ryan colors for the first time and Sherri gets to see the RTO at Montreaux

Wow, what a week! We just tackled the Swine Flu less than a month ago. Then here we go again. Ben first...puking and all the rest of it. Both ends. Poor kid! Lots of vomit in bed. Then Gary, then Kaitlyn. I've done more laundry of pukey sheets than I can count. The carpets in the boys room are looking pretty nasty. Nights are worse than the days, although Ben was really not having a good couple of days. Poor kid. He just was so puny. Grandma really loved on him a lot.

It has been a tough week for all of us. Family friend passed, more attorney stuff for both mom and Chip and I, financial worries...all of it. A lot of pressure. All of that along with another flu bug really pushed all of us to the limit.

Luckily Gary was the last one to vomit last night in bed, Kaitlyn is on the upswing and so is Ben and Ryan. Chip had a small bout and fortunately for me I didn't get it (knock on wood) and neither did Gillian.

The bright spot of the week was that we sat Ryan down yesterday the table and he colored with crayons! We'll save the first drawing and probably even scan it. These precious moments do take the edge off of the trying times. Chip got it on video and I took pictures (see attached).

The other bright spot was that I had the opportunity to attend the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open golf tourney at Montreaux. What a beautiful place with very large homes. I was invited by Bevin from RSCVA. Michelle Engleman from the Grand Sierra and I were her guests. We were invited to hang out in the Lakeridge Golf Course hospitality suite. It was a fabulous afternoon that began with a tour of Michelle's new house in University ridge. It's a beautiful one story home. I also met her husband Aaron. Great people. So we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon, having great wine and complimentary food all afternoon. Little did I know that mom and Chip were at home struggling with Ben and the other crappy stuff that came up this week. When I woke up on Friday and talked to mom and Chip I felt pretty guilty that I had a fun, carefree afternoon with friends. That didn't last long when Kaitlyn began feeling the bug and Gary and Ryan followed right after. By 7p on Friday I was exhausted and frustrated and drowning in sheets and blankets full of vomit. By 4 a.m. I was on the phone with the nurse line making sure I didn't need to do anything else for Kaitlyn who was really hit hard by it. It's just the way the cookie crumbles I guess. Saturday was a little better, still lots of sick monkey laundry. I was happy to just take a shower and do a little running around.

Today is far better, just reflective on the state of life right now. It's a bit rough and changes are in order for me and how I handle daily life. I'm grateful that the kids are on the upswing and thank goodness we have each other. It causes me pain to know the girls will only be here until Aug. 19 - 10 more days and we've had 10 days of sickness.

Boys - Babble, babble and finally...WORDS!

These boys are so picking up on words. Gary always attempts to say what is being said to him. He has the biggest vocabulary. He just wants to hear what everything is. He's so good with colors, cars and naming body parts. Gary especially says hieeee when we come in or get him out of his crib. He also says byeeeeee when things or people leave the room. It's SO cute!

Ryan is closing in fast and says a ton now too. The other day he said "marker". I was really impressed. For such a long time Ryan didn't say much. He and Gary are really close now.

Ben on the other hand is still the quiet one. He said car and hi a couple of weeks ago. He's really good at babble, but doesn't seem to mind not knowing how to say many words.

Lately it's been so strange to watch the boys. They are so little people now and no longer babies. I can't believe they will be 2 in about a month. My heart is full that we've done all that we have to raise happy, healthy kids. We certainly havent' done it alone. It's also incredibly emotional to know that those baby days are gone, even though they were incredibly difficult at times. The little guys are so interactive now and they just love to see new things, be outside, play in the pool and play with each other. We do have situations where (like yesterday) Ryan clocked Gary with a big truck and literally split his lip open. UNBELIEVABLE. Now we do time outs too. They get it. Glad that they do, but sad that we've moved to that stage.

I actually bought some big fat crayons for them the other day to see if we can get them going with those. Back in May when Christina was here we tried but the boys just wanted to eat them. Here we are a few months later and I think we will be able to show them.

Virginia City - Girls day out

Yesterday I took the day off and took the girls, just the two of them and me and headed up to Virginia City. They had asked me a few times to go up there since neither of them had been there. We had a grand day! It started with meeting up with Patrick Gilmore from the visitor's center. On to the trolley tour that started at the Bucket of Blood Saloon. We heard all about the history of the city, the people and the massive amounts of silver that have come from Virginia city as well as highlights of things to see. After that we did the Ponderosa Mine tour. Really a neat experience to be inside a mine and hear the stories. After that we went on to do the stagecoach ride. Gillian chickened out (it's ok). Kaitlyn and I did it and it was so fun. Bumpy, but fun. After that we did an old time picture. That was one of the highlights of the day! Gillian wasn't too sure what to think about it, but me and Kaitlyn jumped right in. After lunch at Red's we went on to take the V and T Steam train to Goldhill and back. Again, hearing more history. We experienced being "robbed" for charity and a skit to go with it. It was lighthearted and fun. Once back in Virginia City we ended our day with a tour of the Fourth Ward School. More great history and both Kaitlyn and Gillian played on a typewriter. Yes, an actual antique typewriter. Gillian had not ever seen a typewriter like that. They both sat in the historic desks. Gillian asked me what a dunce was when she saw the cap in the corner. I had to laugh as I explained it. We ended the school tour with both of them ringing the bell. The historic class pictures were just amazing. After a great day of playing tourist, we headed back home. When I asked them what they thought of the day, Kaitlyn said it was everything she thought it would be. Gillian said it was "way cooler" that she thought it would be. Both of them want to go back again. It was a fabulous girls day. We spent a long day up there and didn't even scratch the surface of what a visitor can do. It's so worth driving up there.

A great visit so far with the girls

The girls arrived on 7/13 and we lost about 6 days due to flu. As soon as we could we jumped into doing stuff with the whole family.

One of the first things we did as soon as Kaitlyn felt better was to go to the Sparks Farmers Market on Victorian Square. It happens to be right outside The Nugget where I work, so we thought it would be fun to take them. Kaitlyn and Gillian had never been to a farmers market, so they enjoyed it. However, the little guys were pretty restless and we couldn't stay long. I was glad they got a glimpse of how fun it is to try the fruit samples, so the booths and entertainment that makes the farmers market really fun.

Weekend with Grandma

Library

West Street Market/Truckee River

Kings Beach Tahoe

New wii game

Cooking together

Geocaching/hiking

Sparks Farmers Market

Ben Giggling with Gillian

Gillian and Ben play in the living room. The giggles are so precious that I had to post it. It will be cherished by us for a lifetime.

Recent July Videos - Gillian plays with the boys

This is just so cool to watch Gillian interact with her brothers. She's so great with them. Kaitlyn is too, but in more subtle ways. It gives me great joy to see the bond between the boys and the girls. Unlike was said by "experts", they ARE close.

Really? Influenza A? Swine Flu??? You've got to be kidding!

We were so excited because the girls would be spending 5 weeks with us for their summer visit. It was a little scary and yet exciting to have the family together for a good amount of time. Both girls flew in on 7/13. Kaitlyn had called me earlier that day and said she wasn't feeling well. I asked her if she was nervous or if she ate something that didn't agree with her. She said no. I told her to rest, lay down and hopefully it would be better later in the day. So I went to get the girls at the airport. Kaitlyn and Gillian walked out of security and I gave them both huge hugs. It had been over a month since they had been to Reno, so I was really happy to see them. Kaitlyn just looked awful. Pale and she said she definitely didn't feel good. I stopped at Trader Joes and Longs on the way home because it was near the airport. Kaitlyn stayed in the car and was pretty lethargic. It just didn't seem right. We got home and I took her temp and it was 102. I started freaking out. Then came all of the other stuff that goes with flu. The poor kid was miserable. She made it through the night and the next day she said her throat hurt. I thought maybe she had strep throat so I wanted to get that taken care of right away if she was going to be sick with something contagious.

We head to the doctor that afternoon. Kaitlyn was still so under the weather. Seeing the doctor was an afternoon ordeal. She was not poked, but boy they swabbed her throat and her nose twice! Poor kids. Turns out that Kaitlyn didn't have strep, but did have Influenza A flu. The next bit of news was that it could possibly be the same strain as Swine Flu. WONDERFUL! So the doctor said since it could be swine flu, we ALL as in all 8 of us needed to take Tamiflu just in case it is swine flu. So she wrote us 8 prescriptions. I couldn't believe it was happening. OMG. The girls had just arrived the night before! I was beyond angry that the time was being eaten with illness rather than family time. Kaitlyn was really great about not touching the boys when she arrived. She herself said she wasn't feeling good and didn't want to pass on any germs. So along with illness, we waited at the pharmacy for 2 hours to get all of the medicine. The copay bill came to $307.oo. That was with our insurance. Kaitlyn and I headed home after that...now 7 p.m. in the evening. She's feeling crappy and I've simply had enough. All of us did our job and did the Tamiflu. The boys had liquid and apparently it didn't taste good. Quite the chore to get it into them. A few days later we did learn it was swine flu. Wow. I certainly had quite a bit of anger towards her dad because he had been sick a few days prior.

Father's Day in Truckee

Fathers Day 2009 - Chip's 2nd father's day. The morning started just like any other. Breakfast, playing, nap. Routine stuff. I kept asking him what he wanted to do. Chip finally decided that we'd check out Truckee, CA. Neither one of us had ever been, so why not? After the nap, we packed up the little guys, diaper bag, toys, hats, and the wagon. Sounds simple, but trust me it takes probably 30 minutes just to get to the car. So we get going to Truckee about 45 minutes to the West on I-80, towards North Lake Tahoe. The drive was really pretty and the boys looked out the windows and messed with their toys as we drive. It was really nice! Truckee is a cute little place. Very small, sorta granola/hippy. Really laid back people. It's definitely green up there.

After arriving, we pull out the wagon and ride around, up and down looking at the shops. We can't really go in with the wagon, but people stop and ask about having triplets and in general are super nice. The boys just looked around, taking it all in. While we were wandering around checking things out, we came across the Truckee recreation center. It just so happens that it had a play area, so we "broke" into the "locked" gate and let the boys loose. They loved it! Ryan was all over the play equipment and we took a bunch of pictures. Ben of course tried to find the nearest way to break out. He's so silly and curious. Gary checked it out all the way around. We knew it was time to head out when all three of them huddled around the wagon. Bored. Gotta go. So away we went, packed everything up and headed home. The ride was really great until about 2/3 of the way home, right at the edge of Reno. We have Ryan and Ben in the far back seat and Gary sits in the captains chair behind the driver's seat. Next thing we know, Ryan is throwing up all over himself, his seat and crying. Of course we're on the freeway so there's not much that can be done immediately. A couple of excruciating exits later we pull over. It is very consistent that one of the 3 will throw up (most often it's Gary) and/or be unhappy. So we cleaned Ryan up as best we could in the parking lot of a 7-11. Lucky for us we had a jacket. So we stripped him down, gave him a quick sponge bath with wipes and put him back in the seat. 20 minutes later we were at home and exhausted. Each outing gets a little easier, but it is quite an undertaking for both of us. We know we'll look back and know that every experience was worthwhile.

Boys 18 mos. checkup - well really 21 months

Had a doctors appointment on June 10. What a calamity that was! Chip went for the first time. We had a brutal "practice run" the week prior because I, with my full mind, thought our appointment was the week before. So the week before we got up, got the boys going and then what do you know? I thought the doctors office was so easy to find that I didn't bother with a map or a phone number or anything. Mostly because both Chip and I were so trying to get out the door and not be late (yeah, right). So we drove in the correct neighborhood, but I could not remember which building it was. On top of road construction it was amazingly interesting (not in a good way) to try and figure out where we needed to go. The even bigger discovery was that neither one of us had our cell phones. How crazy and irresponsible is that??? Chip was so wonderful, not once did he criticize and he had SO many opportunities. Once we arrived at the office, very disheaveled I might add, the nice woman said they couldn't see us. Oh my god! I understood, but also wanted to ask her if she had any idea what it took for us to get out of the house? So not her problem.

We finally "rearrived" on the appropriate day, did not get lost and was on time. We saw this crazy nurse who was quite possibly the loudest person I had ever met. After the lecture about shoes, what should be in our car for emergencies and lastly an entire dissertation about her experiences raising children that included the hardships of raising children after having knee surgery. Chip and I just kept looking at each other. Meanwhile the little guys are stripped to the diaper and all over the dirty floor (yuck!) and trying to manage a pedialyte pop, which was a first for them. Didn't take long for restlessness to set in and pretty soon as nurse know-it-all who means well boys were starting to get cranky. Finally Dr. Tammy Roessler came in. Chip an I felt saved. She's so great.

One of the things I really like about her is that she's really realistic about caring for kids. She understands what we're dealing with. However, she broke it to us that we really need to take them off of the bottle before they're 2 years old. OMG! I can't imagine what that will be like.

The little boys update - 5/31/09

These little boys are just too funny. When I see them do something new almost every day and how they are little sponges, I think to myself "I've got to write that down". Now that I'm committed to blogging, I'll be importing old stuff that I have in various different places and will now update here. The boys now have a summer swimming pool that they just love. It's so fun to watch them splash around. It's really cool. All the boys still love walks in the wagon and can't get enough of being outside. However, now the boys get bored with just the back yard.

Gary - This little guy just can't get enough! He wants to say and try everything. Gary has really come a long way this month. He's trying really hard to talk and now can say: ball, tree, green, car (car has been in the last 2 months), hey, bye, hi and me. Gary can also point out things on his head. He knows nose and eyes, as well as hair, ear and mouth. He can't say them all very well but he sure tries! He especially loves to point them out on other people. Gary loves books, puzzles, the stacking blocks and calls Ben "B". Gary also has really sensitive skin. Eczema is all over him. He's also still daredevil and wants to try everything. Gary still absolutely loves hot dogs, pirates booty, yogurt, pasta, veggie corn dogs and banana muffins I make. He also fights over the blue cloud blanket with Ryan. Luckily Gary is laid back enough to let it go and get another. He also tends to get motion sick. We have found that out on 3 occasions. Oh yeah, Gary is deathly afraid of Blues Clues. Puts his hands on his ears and cries when he sees it come on tv.

Ben - This boy still loves to play alone with cars. He's so tall and skinny still! Finally in the last couple of months he's getting more hair. Ben is all about laying on the floor with his blanket and bottle. He doesn't even care if the bottle is empty. He's really a content kid. He also gets picked on more than Gary by Ryan. He's getting more vocal about that and most things in general. There is so much more babble coming from Ben. Ben seems to be the most adaptable of all the boys. He's a great eater. Loves really carby stuff like Pirate's Booty, pasta, Cheetos, Cheerios, Chex and fishies. He also really likes veggies like green beans and corn (LOVES IT). Like his brothers, Ben likes fruit too. Grapes and mandarin organges are the biggest hits. Ben is the best of the 3 at using a fork. He can spear a lot and usually even makes it to his mouth. :) In the last week or so Ben has also really taken an interest in books. That makes Chip and I really happy! Ben can say hi and dadda. He loves to be outside and plant with his daddy. Like his brothers, Ben also loves to play in the water. Ryan and Ben fight over the water hose. Ben will be out in the pool and soaking himself until he shivers and still can't get enough.

Ryan - Still the bubba! He totally understands that he can intimidate his brothers, push them down and take things away. They are fighting back better, but Ryan still usually gets his way. Ryan is just his own little person. He loves the cloud blanket. He'll be the one to take it from Gary in the mornings. Ryan is an emotional little guy. He's sad when he gets in trouble or is told no. He fights us the most when getting dressed and diapers changed. Then in a few minutes he's totally happy again! His laugh is infectious and when Ryan smiles his whole face lights up. Lately he's really attached to this red "lego" car. The front and back come off of it and he takes them off and can't quite put them back on, so he "asks" for help by alerting us via grunts and pushing the car at us. He says yah yah and hi. Ryan loves his routine. He's also the shyest I think. In the last few months we've seen that Ryan will cry some at new places and new people and then in a couple of hours he's great. This little guy LOVES the phone. Once you give it to him, god help you if you take it away! Even when we're just talking on the phone, Ryan wants to have it. Very recently Ryan has also gotten into books. He'll bring one and plop right in the lap and wait for you to let him turn the pages. It's so cute!

All of these little guys are growing so fast. They really do play well together, are on a good schedule and are really happy. Every day when I see something new or funny or whatever I think "I won't forget that". Now it's hard to remember the details of the day to day. I need to keep better records. One of these days I'll get to their baby books and be able to fill those out. I'm a little disappointed in myself for not taking the time to write more. Both to keep the memories as well has my sense of well being.

Other notes of things they enjoy: being outside, wagon rides, being chased around the family room, toddling in the house freely, their baths, jumping up and down in their cribs when they wake up and watching tv (Little Einsteins, Backyardigans, Mickey Mouse Club, Handy Manny and "Puzzle Time" on Noggin). Although they watch Baby Einstein videos a lot less this last 3 months or so, Shapes and The Farm are still ones they like.

The boys have all taken turns having splinters in their hands. The fence, gate and play area are bordered with rough wood. We had to do "surgery" on Gary's hand with a huge splinter about 3 weeks ago. Definitely NOT fun. Hopefully we won't have to do that again!

Until the next update...
S

Glass Half Full

I've been thinking a lot about blogging lately and finally have taken some action! Here's the first one...

So many ideas have been running through my head this last week. I love it when it feels like there are no limits. This particular post is a long one, but then again, my thoughts have been going crazy rattling around in my head.

As most know, we moved to Reno last July and it has been a rough road. Since about last August, my glass has been pretty much half empty. The lists of why is long and distinguished. Lots of financial stress, the terrible move we endured with Puliz moving company, houses in Vegas, the legal battle with John over the girls (and losing the very expensive battle), beginning a new job that I quickly discovered that I'm not truly passionate about, discomfort at learning this new job and not really liking the whole hotel/casino deal, and finally working at an office instead of at home like I had for the last 6 years. Combine that with little free time and consistent weight gain. What a wonderful place to be. Not so much.

This week a childhood friend of my mother's is visiting. Artis and mom have known each other since before kindergarten. Both have seen and been through a lot. Artis was diagnosed about a year ago (I think) with pancreatic cancer which really was a rare bile duct cancer. She's had surgery and is trying to recover. Her cancer cannot be cured. She's optimistic about miracles and experimental treatments, but her doctors have told her that it's terminal. I personally have not spent much time with Artis in my lifetime, but having her here and staying with us has really forced me to think about things in my own life. Observing the various levels of difficulty that she is enduring with doctors, medication, and her body make my life look like a cakewalk. Artis is also battling her illness without any immediate family support.

Over the last few days it has become apparent to me that I clearly have been looking at my life situations as "glass half empty". I've replayed some of my conversations with my family and friends. They've been about how bad things are. How my relationship is broken with the girls, how hard it is to financially recover from the move, how I'm ashamed that I've gained so much weight. Frustration over my job. How dirty my house is and on and on and on.

When Artis arrived this last Wednesday evening, I saw a frail woman who was clearly exhausted by the 8 hour drive she made from Vegas to visit mom. Although I didn't know her well prior to this visit but Artis came right in and felt comfortable talking about her illness and struggles. She asked me to help her with some medication and I did. After Artis went to bed, I was really emotional. Sad for her. It stuck with me through the night. I wondered how I could possibly think for a moment that things were so bad for me when this woman, who has endured enough heartache, and has rebounded from terrible situation countless times, gets terminal cancer.

I went into work the next morning, raw with emotion. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about my own negative thoughts. Everyone I know has been told the sad story of what has happened to my family since the move to Reno. As the workday wore on, began to feel grateful. Grateful for the people in my life, grateful for being employed. Grateful that I can work on repairing the relationship with the girls. Grateful for my amazing husband. Grateful that the people in my life happy and healthy. Grateful that I can turn around weight gain. I know what to do. Although I was really tired the entire day, it was clear that I can't wait another day to try to improve my situations. Life is simply too short. Very cliche I know, but I truly felt and still feel that way.

As mom, Artis and I have talked these last few days, I find that Artis has faith, is optimistic and will talk to me about anything. She puts herself out there. We were talking just last night about home decor and my aspiration to turn my house into a comfy lodgelike environment. I remarked that maybe someday it'll happen when I win the lottery (I don't gamble) and then I'll finally be able to do it. Artis right away jumped in and said that are so many things I can do without a lot of money. She began talking about finding things at yard sales, wrapping twine around vases and ways that I can put nature into my vision of pine cones and rustic furniture. She became passionate about how to do things simply, naturally and creatively. As we talked, I found myself engaged in the conversation but also watching her. She was in the moment. It was a beautiful thing. She's living so in the moment, both mom and Artis are going to teach me how to paint with acrylic paints on a blank canvas. Artis taught mom not too long ago and I'm happy that she's up to it and willing to spend her time doing that rather than something else. I can't wait!

As for myself, I have a renewed commitment for living in Reno, which by the way has been beautiful, and working toward changing the various situations I'm dealing with. Perhaps Artis has impacted me so deeply because I wasn't able (thank goodness) to watch my dad deal with his surgery and cancer. We were busy resting and growing little boys. I guess I've never seen it so closely. I'm trying not to over think it. So, with that, my glass is full!

Family and Baby - Video 1 - Birth to 1 1/2 yrs.

I'm really proud of this video. Fun to do and hopefully fun to watch.

Love you all,
Sherri

Ben poops, our first trip to a restaurant for Gillian's birthday during the girl's spring break visit

4/10 - Ben poops in the tub....ewwwww! Whole family goes to Red Robin. The first time for all of us. Went well but was a lot of work. We celebrated Gillian's 10th birthday. Had a little party with a couple of neighbor kids. It was hard because Gilli invited 7 and only 2 came. However, it's spring break and kids are off and running. The break in Vegas is almost over. In any case, our trip was exhausting, but both Chip and I felt a good sense of success. It's so cool to stand outside of Red Robin and hug a hug of success! No one really understands it, but it's a strong bond between us and helps solidify our family values. Ryan was really scared at first and I held him and walked around the restaurant and talked to him. He definitely was afraid, but it only took a bit of time for him to at least try it out. It was so funny. They were all a bit scared in the car. Ryan's eyes were like saucers...just didn't know what to think. Gary was actually shaking. It's odd to see, but we know it's so good to get out. Especially with all of the kids...all 5 of them.

Kaitlyn came last Saturday for her break. Gillian had already been here for 2 weeks because of her track break. We've had a great time. Kaitlyn coming has been a bit more challenging, but we had a frank conversation about whether she wanted to be here and what the deal was. It was an interesting conversation because a lot of what was said in the conversation were things that were said by John in court. It was really good for us and the back half of the week has been much better than the first. Kaitlyn seems to be more open. It's a very good thing! Progress, not perfection, right?

Speaking of progress...sometimes when you feel like you're making a step or two forward you really aren't? The next day after the confrontation with Kaitlyn, we found ourselves talking (Chip, mom and I) about the situation with John, Kaitlyn, the girls in general, etc. A point in the conversation it turned pretty tense. Mom had a lot to say and just was not saying it. Most things I felt were not what I thought and some of them we just have a strong difference of opinion. I still won't give up on the girls....nope, won't do it. Sometimes I think they're easily dismissed. They are as relevant as anyone else. It's just not easy. I wish I/we could do more for mom and I try so hard to give to everyone credit, my thankfulness and consideration. I'm in no way perfect, but felt that I was hopefully doing the right thing...some days I think so, others I don't. Right now I feel like I'm hanging on by a fingernail....literally. Wine seems to help, but isn't a great answer, but I really feel so stressed. Work is not great but it is what it is and we need it. Financially we're barely making it, but are surviving. Being in Reno is hard. These choices are painful. I wonder if I made the right ones. That continues to follow me for sure. It's the hardest thing to work through.

I took Wed. through Friday off due to the discussion with mom and Kaitlyn's behavior. It was such a cluster! But today was pretty good...did laundry, made Gillian's cake. prepared for her birthday, and took care of the boys. Long and busy day. Well worth every moment. Of course, the boys also needed a bath. They were just grubby! So I gave each one a bath. Gary first, he loved it since it had been awhile since he had bathed without his brothers. Anyway, Ben was last. He had gotten up late and was almost ready to nap. I had also changed the sheets in the boys room since they seem to wet through night diapers. What a busy day...anyway, I was going to the bathroom in our toilet room and I can see Ben. He's standing now and from the toilet I tell him to sit down. The next thing I know he's chucking something small out of the tub. I couldn't for the life of me figure it out. So I finish my business and then try to figure out what he's chucking out of the tub. Little did I know, but quickly figured out that he was tossing his own turds from the tub! I was mortified to see floaties in the tub. His hair and body had been washed. OMG. I took him out immediately and tried to sponge bath him in the sink. I hope it's good enough. Then I used the boat tub toy to scoop out the rest of the turds. It was pretty gross to see floaties in with the tub toys. YUCK. Anyway, I cleaned him up and then the tub and toys were thrown into the tub with cleaner. Tub totally scrubbed down. It was just funny for sure to see him react. There seemed to be NOT EVEN a clue that he had crapped in the tub. It was funny and frustrating at the same time. Go Ben! He'll be the kid to do it for sure. So there were a lot of things that happened today, but it's all good. I'm sad the girls are leaving...they won't be back until memorial Day. My mom wants us to bring the boys, but not sure. We'll see if we can hang at Kristys. Maybe just visit for the day. We'll see. More to come later....