Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, y'all!  It's Mommy.  I had the BEST Christmas ever today.  Right now I'm listening to the girls play with their new toys in their bedroom (not even pretending to be sleeping) - and I am thanking God for the greatest gifts of all: FAMILY.  LOVE.
What a year it's been for our little family.  We started out the year with some struggles; some tough and heartbreaking decisions; some denial, anger, confusion.  We made some big mistakes.  We started over.  We witnessed new beginnings for others we love and had some new beginnings of our own.  We welcomed two beautiful sisters into our extended families and one gorgeous new niece.  We fell apart, came together, forgave, came together and loved each other through it all (sometimes through gritted teeth but still!). 
Today my heart was just so full of gratitude for all we are so blessed to have and that is each other.  We don't always have days like today, in fact we don't often have days like today or days like we had 3 weeks ago in Florida when we were all together on our M----- side.  We all have our own shit going on, our own busy schedules, catastrophes and victories but love is the common thread that makes us a family and I for one am so grateful to have you as part of my family.  God has been so good to me; so good to us.
My husband and my precious babies are the greatest gift of all to me.  We are together and healthy.  We are so blessed.
Thank you ALL for making this Christmas the best yet.  Thank you for making it magical for the girls and for Jack.  Thank you for being there for me this year when I really, really, REALLY needed you.  Thank you for being there for Joe, too.  Thank you for spoiling the kids rotten with so much love and attention that I can't imagine they'll ever want for anything.  Thank you for forgiving me when I overstepped my bounds or put my foot where it didn't belong which is usually in my mouth.  Thank you for making us a part of your world.  Thank you for looking all cute and dressed up on Christmas morning when I specifically asked you not to so that I wouldn't be the only dork in pictures wearing candy cane pants.  Yes, yes I am and I didn't take them off all day.
Thank you, thank you for everything.  I love you so much.
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Kris (aka Mommy)

Let's Get It Started In Here!

 Mommy kicked off our trip with a visit to the BEST part of Disney (if we do say so) - The Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique!  This time Anna got to go too AND Sofia!  Mommy and Tia sat and watched and gossiped as ladies in the salon often do.  We all three sat side by side in our chairs ready for some first class pampering!  First, our Fairy Godmothers in Training reviewed our options with us...

 Please, I'm a diva.  I know EXACTLY what I want.

 So much to choose from!  How's a girl to narrow it down?  It all looks so FABU!

 Why yes, yes, I do think that hair color would complement my eyes, and the sash on my dress...

 And here?  Of course, the bigger and bolder the better!  After all, I will be wearing this hairstyle -

 - for the next FIVE DAYS!

 Here we all sit in our royal chairs.

 And it's getting started!

Check back later for more fabulous BBB pictures!  As well as the finished product!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and SOFIA!

To infinity! And beyond!

 We went to Disney World with the cousins!  It was a total surprise!  In a few days Mama will post the video they took when they picked me up from school told me where we were going!  Wait until you see how surprised and excited I was (*wink**wink*)  This trip to Disney World was so very extra special because we got to go with the twins!!  It was AWESOME!  We spent four days there!  Our first two days were in Magic Kingdom - our favorite part.

 Matias dressed up like Buzz Lightyear and Sofia was Princess Aurora!  Love these kids!  Doesn't Matias look so much like Uncle Sean?

 Jacky wore his Buzz Lightyear t-shirt to boot!  We got this picture of him right before he could run off.

 To infinity!  And beyond!

 The start of our very magical trip -- and our very VERY magical day!  Especially for Mommy!

 Because just look what Daddy did!  He got on one knee, said to Mommy, "I love you and I want to give you your happily ever after.  Will you marry me again?"  and Mommy stood there like a dummy and said, "Get up!  GET UP!  WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?"  And Daddy laughed and pulled out a big, new honking diamond ring.  To which Mommy said -

 "To infinity!  And beyond!"

 Do you believe in magic?

Uncle Sean was all, "What just happened?" and Mama said, "Magic!  Look!"
Do you see it?
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

Love Thy Neighbor

Hebrews 4:16 - "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

I believe in LOVE.  I believe people are mostly good.  I believe in God's grace.  If it were my child, my prayer would be that her legacy of LOVE live on in the heart's of all those affected - which is ALL of us.

Here are some ways we can help:
http://secure.diamondmindinc.com/wcsu/memorial.php
https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/
https://www.everribbon.com/ribbon/view/10076

Send them a message of condolence:
 Message of Condolence
PO Box 3700
Newtown, CT 06470

And of course, pray.
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

QUIET!!!!

Merry Christmas!  You won't see this picture on our Christmas card - want to count the reasons why not?
1. Jack has no shirt
2. We don't match - not even a little bit
3. The candles on the mantle are still Thanksgiving candles and will stay that way until Spring, probably
4. Mommy's hips look big
5. I'm the ONLY one dressed for a Christmas picture
6. You get the idea...
Mommy is so tired.  She has been farting around on the internet for the past hour with all the rest of us asleep and even Garpy asleep on her lap.  Why doesn't she go to bed?  Because it's QUIET.  It's so quiet she just wants to sit here with the 'puter, buy stupid shit off the internet and listen to NOTHING.  Then she thought - give the people what they want!  Update the blog!
So, we've been on vacation for the past 10 days for DI-DI-DISNEY WORLD annnnnnd Uncle Matt and Aunt Nikki's wedding!!!!  Mommy isn't sure she can get the pictures downloaded what with the computer being broken and all but she will try!
The wedding was fun, and beautiful, and came a close second to our Disney trip with the cousins.  Ha!  Really, it was all great!  It's hard to decide which part of our trip was our favorite!  That's like asking Mommy which kid is her favorite (which her answer directly correlates with our behavior on any given day). 
Now that we're back we're getting ready for our Christmas pageant on Friday and for the big fat man himself to come tumbling down our chimney.  IF we behave that is - and Oopsie the Elf is watching us!  (Damn, Oopsie the Elf almost forgot he has to cause some mischief tonight).  Maybe Mommy should go commiserate with Oopsie and then get to bed.  6:00 AM comes awful fast, y'all!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

UH, OH!

 So what the honky tonk has been goin' on y'all?! Well, since we have been out of commission we thought we'd give you a high level update!  Why have we been out of commission, you ponder? Because Daddy dropped the Mac.  It will cost $1240 to fix.  Not twelve dollars and forty cents.  Twelve HUNDRED dollars plus forty!  Who dropped the Mac?  Daddy dropped the Mac.  The helpful hipster at the Mac store said to Mama, "You may want to consider a desktop - they're harder to break with younger children."  Young children or young at heart 30 something year old Daddy's?  Good news is Homeowner's Insurance covers it!  Bad news is we have a $1500 deductible!  Merry Christmas, Daddy!  You're getting a new Mac!
Let's get to the important stuff: Jack is walking! Can you believe that?  He is also climbing up (and even trying to go down) stairs! He has also learned the ubiquitously useful phrase: Uh oh! 

 What else happened?  Daddy had FOUR days alone with us nuggets while Mommy went to NYC with some BFF's from for-eva ago.  She spent a lot of money on food, and clothes.  CLOTHES.  And that is what she brought us.  Some cheesy, stupid "I heart New York" tshirt.  "You got us clothes?" and I said it disgustedly.  I even added a sneer.  Then I said, "Not even a book?  You got us a shirt and mine is not even yellow."  Strike for Mommy.  Now she knows how Babi felt when she would come home from vacation with cheesy touristy t-shirts like the one she got Mommy when she went to Puerto Rico with Duda that said, "Lifestyles of the Young and Useless."  And Mommy was 12.
Daddy had a great weekend with us.  We went to pick up Mommy at the airport with our homemade "MOMMY" signs and it was the sweetest thing ever.  It's harder and harder to leave her little nuggets.

 I'm still precious.  I still talk back.  I'm still full of sass.  I'll still get in your face.  'Nuff said.  Dude.

 I got to try my first sucker a couple weeks ago.  It's awesome.  Freakin' awesome!

And me?  Well, I have the biggest news of all.
"Mommy," I said last night in the car while the two of us went to Target to buy me some Ugg knockoffs because Daddy NIXED the real ones ("They cost how much? No, NO, that is just too much - take them back!") anyway I liked my Target ones better.  I really did.  I digress, back to what's important here, "Mommy, I think I'm in a crush with Wade."
Ummm...WHAT?
"We can't stop looking at each other."
Oh.  God.  I'm not ready for this.
NOT READY.
"Well, Lilly - look!  Over there!  A zabamamoose hanging from the tree!"
Think!  Think!  Think!  Mommy!  THINK!  What do you say to your 5 year old who tells you she has her first crush!?!?  Got it!
"Lilly, let's turn on your Barbie movie and talk about this with Daddy when we get home."
YESSSSSS!  Daddy will know what to do!
At home: "Daddy, I think I'm in a crush with Wade."
"I'm calling his father."
"Why?"
"I'm locking you in your bedroom."
"Huh?"
"Ummmmmm...WHAT?"
"I said, I think I'm in a crush with Wade."
"Oh.  I don't know Wade."
"He's a boy at school.  He has blonde hair and blue eyes like me.  And that's really pretty together.  And I think we're in a crush because we can't stop looking at each other."
Uh oh.
The rest of it is all kind of a blur.  Joke as we may, we have to be careful with this, right?  We can't get mad, upset or CRY LIKE MOMMY DID because what if Lilly gets to thinking she did something wrong or she's scared of telling us these things?  She needs to tell us these things!  So Mommy can call his mother and chew her out for her son taking advantage of my sweet, precious, baby!!  I mean, seriously - we weren't at all prepared for this!  There are no freaking books on this (or are there?!) - not for your just turned 5 year old talking about crushing, looking at each other, making out and moving in together!  It's all happening too fast!  TOO FAST!
So today - both Mommy and Daddy came to get us from school.  Daddy wanted to see this Wade character.  Mommy thought it would be a good idea because she saw him this morning and guess what?  He's a sweet, goofy 5 year old who's all ears and clueless.  So it would be good for Daddy to see he doesn't have tattoos and drive a motorcycle (yet).  Daddy picks us up, maybe gives Wade an "I'm her Daddy don't mess with my daughter" look which would mean nothing at all to a 5 year old.  Either way, I'm so excited to see Mommy and Daddy pick me up from school that when we get out to the parking lot I can hardly contain myself when I say to them (and this is a direct quote - no artistic liberties here):
"Daddy, I figured it out.  I'M IN LOVE WITH WADE."
UH OH!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

Happy Birthday Teti!

(HOW PRETTY!!!)
Happy (belated) birthday, Teti!  We wanted to wait to post your Happy Birthday until we got pictures celebrating with you!!  We were so excited all weekend to give you the presents and the cards we picked out on our very own!  Do you like your flauxers?  They stay pretty and they don't die.  They're better than real flowers.  When Daddy buys Mommy flowers they die and that makes us sad, we go for flauxers!

 We had so much fun going to Publix today to buy you a cake and decorate it with my favorite candy - SKITTLES!!!  Mama says both you and Uncle Mark love Skittles.  She also says that is just wrong because everyone knows chocolate is the best candy there is but I'm team Skittles, Teti!

 Living close to you is so awesome.  You are the best Teti in the whole, wide world.  You really, really are.  Now that you are in our lives so much Mommy doesn't know how she ever did it without you.  Really.  REALLY.

 The crew!  We are literally a handful!

And look at this sweet picture of Jacky!  Ah, he's such a ham!!!  (Hey Babi & Duda - look!  We're wearing our Christmas dresses!  AGAIN!)
Teti - for your birthday Mommy is making a donation to her favorite charity called World Vision.  We are actually combining your gift with Uncle Dan's and will be able to buy a family a Goat and 2 Chickens!  You know that makes you smile!  A goat and a pair of chickens will provide a steady supply of milk, eggs, meat - and even poopy to help a family grow crops!  We take for granted how much we have but to think what an impact somewhere else in the world we can make by donating a goat and 2 chickens!  Click the link and read about it!
When Mommy and Uncle Dan were little they would watch the commercials about the "starving kids in Africa" and Mommy pledged that when she was older she would give "just a dollar a day" to help a child on the other side of the world - and in 2013 we are going to honor that commitment.  Each one of us is going to sponsor a child our age in another part of the world.  We will share their names with you when we get them and we would ask that you pray with us on our journey of sponsorship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TETI!  We love you so very, very, VERY much!!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

Jack's 1 Year Stats and Stuff

 Here's MY birthday post!  It's pretty late, because I'm the 3rd kid and I'm pretty lucky I even got a party!

 For my birthday we had a few friends over and my favorite supper - PIZZA!  Babi said she couldn't believe Mama lets me eat pizza.  What is pizza but bread, cheese and sauce?  It's a wholesome meal in one convenient, triangle shaped slice.  Not only am I getting three levels of the food pyramid - I'm learning my shapes, too!

 Pizza rocks.

 Know who else rocks?  My Teti.  She rocks!  Her birthday is tomorrow!  That's what made Mama think she better get my birthday pictures up because hot on the heels of Teti's birthday is Uncle Dan Man's birthday!

 Oh my goodness, these girls are so pretty and sweet.  Aren't I lucky?  You know how many kids are going to want to be friends with me just so they can come over to my house and make googly-eyes at my big sisters?

 Uncle Mark knows all about that.  He had this friend named Warren who used to love to come over and stare at my Mommy's goozie.  And shoot things with his BB gun.  And cause and all around ruckus. And do other.  Um, stuff.  You know.  Boys.

 This was the cutest picture of ME.  Look how happy I am.  I'm a pretty happy boy.  It's fun for Mommy to watch me live in this kids' world I live in.  It's fun to think how different things were for Lilly when she was 1 and still (for only a short time) the only one.  And then when Anna turned 1 and how Lilly was only 2.  And Mama thinks she must have been crazy to do that but we survived and had so much fun we went for Round 3!  Lucky Mama!

 My sisters had a lot of fun opening my presents.  I had a lot of fun actually getting toys made for boys.

 What I enjoyed playing with the most was the glow sticks!  The 50 cent glow sticks.  Go figure.

 I love this picture.  Look how excited Lilly is to have a big truck to schlep her My Little Pony crap all over the house!

 

 Cake time!  Behold the store bought cake.  Thanks a lot, Mom!  I guess 2 homemade birthday cakes in 5 days was too much to ask, huh?

 Makes me no difference.  Cake is cake and mmm, mmm dat's gooooodddd!!!

I checked out with a clean bill of health!  I'm 20 lbs which is 25%.  I'm little but I *think* I'm Mama's biggest baby!  I'm also 49% for height but for the life of her Mommy can't remember how tall I am.  I got a toe prick, a finger prick, and four shots.  Mommy was not my favorite person at the Dr's office yesterday.
I still do not sleep through the night.  I still do not talk.  I still only have my 2 bottom teeth.  However - my top right incisor has cut through!  That's it!  I hope it comes all the way in before any of the other teeth because then I will look like a baby hillbilly from Kentucky and that will be HILARIOUS.  Here's to hoping for 99 more years as good as the first!
Cheers!
Boots

Call Me Baby Mary Lou - Just Don't Be Mean to Me!

 I miss Mary Lou.  I wore these glasses all night and told Mommy and Daddy to call me Baby Mary Lou.  When they forgot and called me "Anna" I'd say, "No, you forgot - I'm Baby Mary Lou!" and then roll my eyes.  A move I have per-fec-ted. 
In other, way more important news I had a moment made for bloggin' today!  Mommy loves moments like that, especially when we get to share them with Daddy and we know we've got to get that one down on the books!
We went to a friend's birthday party today.  His name is Burke and he turned 5.  Burke has 3 brothers, 9, 6 and 2.  Can you call crazy a color?!  Well color this family crazy y'all because that's a lot of boys in a short time frame and they are ca-ray-zy!  But fun, and you know we love fun.
Anyway Burke's Mama rented TWO bouncies for the party!  One was a slide!  Bouncies are way more fun when grown ups aren't there to kill your buzz with silly rules such as, "Don't jump over the top!" and "Watch out for the little kids!" or the always stupid, "One at a time!  Down the slide!  Up the ladder!"  PSHAW!
Well Mama noticed I was on the slide (of course) with NINE (she counted) NINE BIG KIDS!  I'm talking ages 7 and up!  So Mama walked over to make sure everyone was playing nicey nice.  Well they weren't because there were 9 of them and there were no grown ups giving a shit and they were having FUN y'all!  They were like little monkeys let out of their cages!  Mommy could hardly even keep an eye on me!
So I'm coming down the slide and 2 big girls are bouncing down right on top of me, laughing and pushing.  This would give most Mommys a minor coronary but my Mommy knows better.  She knows ME.  So I say to these girls:
"Are you two being mean to me?!" and then I lower my head, I stare up at them, I make growly face and say, "Dammit!" and then I go up the ladder, down the slide into a pile of monkey children, laughing all the way.  And Mommy and Daddy just laugh and agree to "let that one go."  I even got a high five from Daddy.  Babi is right when she says I'm full of piss and vinegar, y'all!

We're good girls, aren't we?  Very special and a lot of fun and a blessing every day.
Enjoy your weekend!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

October is Party TIME!

 Party time for Lilly!  These pictures are all out of order - oh well.  You get the picture though, right?  Heh heh.  I'm out of one liners, what can I say?  I can only think on my feet so much and it's Sunday evening, Mommy is waiting for the Walking Dead to come on (nothing settles the mind like watching zombies eat people's faces off!), we thought we'd just get these up for you and try to hop back on the blogging train.  We've just been so BUSY eating bon bons and getting our nails done there's hardly time for anything else!  But there's ALWAYS time for a BIRTHDAY PARTAY!!!

 This here is the favorite present of the evening (score one for Aunt Kimber and Uncle Mark!)  Sorry everyone else, but this is the one I love the most (I still love everything else I got too!  Especially all the things Babi bought me! ;-)

 It is Pinkie Pie the talking My Little Pony!  Rocks!

 Even Anna loves her!

 Is there anything better than capturing "happy present face"?  Nope.  Methinks not.

 Being the very sweet and generous big sister I am, I even let Anna open some of my gifts!  Isn't that so big of me?!  Well, I'm 5 now!  And 5 is a big number!

 This present moment was priceless!  Just so years from now we don't forget, Mommy is going to record it here for posterity:
Babi had just finished telling a story of how ungrateful Mommy could be when she was younger and would get gifts...like she'd just poo-poo them off or something.  Babi said this was embarrassing (which turns out is a hard word to spell, just took Mommy a Google search to figure correct spelling) - anywhoo you see the picture above?  This was the moment before I said, "Oh, Blair from Barbie Charm School!  I already have this.  That's yours, Anna!"  Ha!  Then I opened a few more boxes of things I already had from Babi, "I have this, I have this...hey, I already have this!"  I told Mama days later that Babi played a trick on me for my birthday.  Mommy says chalk it up to Babi has good taste and just didn't know that Mommy had already gotten me those things.  No worries, Babi hooked it up later.  Still, a funny moment.

 Duda says, "Don't worry, little Dude, your birthday party pictures are coming up!"

 Here's the cake Mommy and Anna made me!  I wanted lemon this year.  We went with lemon frosting on yellow cake and it wasn't half bad!  Mommy loves making our birthday cakes, it's a special tradition (and one she broke on Jack's birthday because really - it is birthday party extravaganza in the M----- house and Mama just needed a little break from the bakin'!)

 Make a wish!

 After presents we played some at "Candyland"!  Had a blast!

 We were very, VERY excited and happy to have Grampa and Grammy down to celebrate with us this year!  Thanks for making the trip!  We love you!!

 I don't know where Mommy gets her silliness from?  Really, Mommy, tone it down...

 Like, Anna, please...can't we be serious for just a minute?

 HERE'S the picture with Grammy!  Sorry, I told y'all they're out of order - not sure why???
In all, a GREAT PARTY for a GREAT little girl!  Thank you Grampa & Grammy; Babi & Duda; Uncle Mark & Aunt Kimber; Teti & Mr. Bryan (in absentee); Uncle Dan (in absentee) and Grandma (in absentee) for making it so special!!!  Even though we couldn't all be together we thought about you all and loved the presents!  Thank you so much!
Lotsa Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack