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There was more than a smile, in THIS box! | A Kitchen Aid Mixer

October 8, 2010 By Laura 16 Comments

The other day, I got the surprise-of-my-life. The kind that left me in a daze for the rest of the day. And into the next day. OK, seriously……I’m still kind of in a daze about it. I don’t even know where to start with this little story! I feel speechless, and yet, you and I both know this post will probably end up ridiculously long, once the words start flowing.

<Deep breathe.> So, many of you know I had a birthday last Sunday. My birthday to me is really no big deal, and never has been. But my family always makes me feel special, and we always spend any of our birthdays together all day, doing something fun or enjoyable. We did that, and they were all so sweet. I had a beautiful day with them.

Well, my best girl friend, Teri, sends me a message titled ‘SAD’ on Saturday. Which got my attention right away, because frankly, if you knew what I was like with her…..well, I just don’t like her sad. Or mad. Or sick. Or upset. Or just anything BAD. lol. So seeing SAD just made me so…..SAD!! And worried. So the message said she had something shipped for my birthday, but it looked like it wasn’t going to get to me until the 5th. This upset her. Now, I wasn’t expecting her (or anyone else for that matter) to send a thing for my birthday. I mean, I’m the type that is genuinely touched when I get a card in the mail (I am awful about sending cards out, so that may be why too. I’m always like….”Awww! That was so nice!) I don’t even expect people to send me cards! But o.k., she sent a package…… she’s the boss. (And she is, Folks. And believe it or not, I’m ok with that! Which is just…weird for me. ) So….over the weekend and on Monday, she was sending me little messages that the package she had shipped was in PA, because she was watching the tracking. Then another update that it was in CT, seemingly stuck in CT….oh, moving again….and finally on Tuesday she lets me know it is ‘Out for delivery!’. Her excitement was building mine (and the kids!) – she’s always so cute about this kind of stuff.

I can tell you exactly how I was feeling on Tuesday, because I posted it in my status on Facebook, and I’ll cut and paste it right here:

“It’s nice to know there is a “package out for delivery”, with my name on it, that is not client stuff from my photo lab! Imagine that! I feel the love already. I don’t even have to open it, to feel so….thought of, and special, to someone special to me. (But you know I will tear into it the second it gets here!!)”

So, I was excited…..and really just could not imagine what she sent. She’s always sending stuff anyway. Especially for the kids. Packages from Teri are not unusual around here. (But they sure never get old!). So….the kids were waiting as much as I was. But we had lots to do that day, too. Running out to the store was one of them. So the kids and I all get into our car, I started it up, ask if everyone is buckled, they say yes, I put it in reverse and turn around to start backing out…..and doesn’t the FedEx truck pull up behind me and block the drive-way. (Like I was going to leave now anyway, right?) So we all unbuckle, and pile out again, and we’re waiting for the guy to come out of the truck.He comes out with this big huge box on his shoulder! I didn’t have any expectations of the box size at all…..never even thought of it….but the way he had it up on his shoulder carrying it, I said to him…..“Oh my gosh. That’s big! Is it heavy?” He was smiling a friendly smile, and very naturally said, “Nooo, it’s not heavy at all.” So he brought it up to the door and Michael opened the door and took it I guess. I think I was talking to the kids and telling them, “Let’s all go back in for a minute.” So we did.

So by this time, I am like, “What in the heck”, and I pulled out that right chair at the table, because it was in my way to reach. I wanted to slide the box closer to me, so I grabbed it with my right hand to push it to me, and it didn’t move! It WAS heavy! Sneaky FedEx guy. Now I am really curious. I mean……rocks are heavy. Right? So I find the edge of the tape and rip it off the box, and there is a wrapped present in there, that Michael lifted out and put on the table. I’m thinking, “For me? Really?”

I read the little tag, and I start unwrapping. Little did I know this was a moment in my life about to happen, that I would never forget. I pull of the paper, and this is the first thing I see. At the sight of these little photos on the side of the box, my brain just turns into a mass of a tornado of thoughts, and my heart starts beating 1,000 miles and hour. The little photos I see, put me on a thought track that really start ‘messing with me’, as the saying goes. I start to think….”Oh my gosh, …..is it?…..there’s no way….”……

…..and than I pull off the paper……and I start YELLING! …..”NO WAY!!” “NO WAY!!” “SERIOUSLY??!!!” “NOOOO WAAAYY!! OH MY GOSH!!”…..

…..and I am seriously just FLIPPING OUT!! Michael, all the while, is mumbling, “WOWWWW….This is so awesome.” And the kids are like….”Cool!! You wanted that Mama!!”.

Oh, you all have no idea. I have wanted a Kitchen Aid Mixer for years!! Very, very badly. Hey….you all probably have one. I would not doubt if the rest of the world did. We’re pretty simple Folks, who don’t have the best of everything, and we’re alright with that! But…. I have pined after a Kitchen Aid Mixer. It would make our kitchen activities so much faster, and easier. And enjoyable. I have dreamed about one. I have tried over, and over, and over…..to win one at Pioneer Woman! And every time we go to Kohl’s Department Store, I stop in front of them to look at them, and touch them, and indulge in a momentary daydream in my kitchen. And then kids always draw me back to reality, from my dream, with their little voices, saying, “MAMA!!! You stop and look at these every tiiiiime we come here!” And I say, “I know, Guys. But someday…..someday, I’m going to have one of these.” But you know, I’m not sure even I believed me. It’s just hard to buy things for myself. Stuff like this. Such a thing is really not on our affordable list. Not that it was ever impossible. There are parts of our seasons where Michael and I do pretty well with our businesses. But by then, there are bills to catch up on, and clothes the kids need, and, you know. It just wouldn’t feel….responsible. Michael reminds me of this, when I’ve been on the edge of giving in. When after all…..we could keep mixing everything by hand. Right?

So here we all are, in our sun room, in the same room as a Kitchen Aid Mixer of our very own!! And I am a crying, blubbering mess. And I cannot stop saying, “NO WAY!! I can’t believe this!!” Over and over. It really felt like….I was dreaming. I was not prepared….at all. I was fumbling all over the place, trying to find Teri’s phone number, and the phone….I ended up leaving her a mess of a message. And then carried on ranting. I was in such a fog. I was trying to get it together, because we still had to go out shopping, and I had to drive!!

We did leave to go do what we needed to……but I talked about what just happened, the whole time. {A} especially was aware, that I was in another world. I kept saying out loud, without even realizing I said it out loud, “I can’t believe it…”. And I was thinking stuff like, “When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I was going to get a Kitchen Aid Mixer today!” And, “This is just one of those things, where when I wake up tomorrow morning, it’ll be the very first thing I think of. And I’ll wonder if it was all just a dream.” Call me silly and dramatic, but nothing could even….get me over this. I’m still not over it. I can’t wait to use it, for a 1,00 things! ALL of us will love having this mixer. Because Michael makes lots of bread, and pizza dough, and {A} bakes a lot too. And I make all kinds of things, and the kids help. To not have to mix by hand anymore? To make double batches more manageable? And to just watch it, and hear this baby hum I’m telling you….sheer excitement around here!!

Later, when I got home, I updated my Facebook:

Remember in my last status I was all excited because there was a package for me on the way? I was SO excited, I mentioned I hardly cared what was in it, I just felt so loved to be thought of. Well I care what was in it now!! Package was delivered, and I CANNOT BELIEVE what was in it!! ♥ I’ve got the bestest girlfriend in-the-world! ♥ I knew that before. I really did. But I have just been in a daze since Fed Ex left. I’ll be bloggin’ this one, so stay tuned!! I cannot believe it. Oh…I already said that. OMG!!!

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In all honesty though, I don’t know why I am THAT surprised. I mean….it’s from Teri! Of course. This is not the first dream of mine, she has made come true, People. But she still continues to shock the heck out of me. She’s been like my own little personal wish-granter. I refer to her sometimes as our Guardian Blog Angel, and with dang good reason. Because she does watch it’s back, and fixes stuff, and helped build this whole place from the ground up, with me. It’s our blog in my eyes. But she’s so much more to me, than what she has done for me. We are like….6 states away from each other, at all times. But we never really are…..you know what I mean? I have cried more with this girl, and laughed more with this girl, and harder than I have ever in my life. She’s my Home Girl. My side-kick. My partner in…..er, well never mind that part. But she’s all that, and a case of chips.

<Please allow me to keep showing photos of my Kitchen Aid Mixer, while I ramble on. ‘MY’ Kitchen Aid Mixer….that is fun to say. Wow! I have a Kitchen Aid Mixer!! I just can’t believe it…..”> Anyway……Teri, she’s just been a God-send. I seriously have wondered, a million times since I met her, “Where did she come from? She can’t even be for real. She’s like….an angel or something. Don’t you think, Michael?” It’s not about what she does or gives, so much. But more specifically, where it comes from. Her HEART is just so beautiful. She is unbelievably thoughtful, and generous, and so unselfish. She has given me 100’s of hours working on this blog, for nothing. Days of her time. Hours of frustration, at times. This blog would not be, as is, without her. I could go on about her forever. I have. It’s hard for me not to.

The kids call her ‘Aunt TT’. That is what her own, real nieces and nephews call her. (They are her initials before marriage.) She is so good to them. She sends them stuff sometimes, and she has played word games with them on the computer through instant messaging She has really made quite an impression on them, being 6 states away. They talk about her all of the time. I was just telling her….at dinner time when we are all around the table (or even after I get up, because my family takes forever to eat!), the conversation always comes around to her. Actually, her whole family, means a lot to our whole family. We’ve come to care about each other like that.

The mixer is really mostly for me, but she knows and has said that it’s really for our whole family. Because she knows we cook and bake a lot together. (And we surely will even more, now!)

She’s a riot too. You American Idol fans will get a real kick out of this. This is the instructions that came with the gift:

Ok, LLR… well the package is there now… So first of all stop blubbering LOL… HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!

I know that you are not the only one that will enjoy this gift so it’s really for the whole family… but mostly for you 😉 I almost bought you a red one but I figured that if you ever painted your walls you would want something neutral. I know a moment of weakness… red would have been wild. But I went with a conservative choice.

I wonder what you’ll make first… surprise me!

Michael… you know what to do with that hook thing, right? Yes, you can put it in your sleeve and act like a pirate if you like, but I was thinking something more along the lines of making bread dough… but hey, whatever floats your boat, er, ship.

{A}… you know what to do with the other thingies… get to it! I’m imagining more president cookies. Oh hey, here’s a challenge… see if you can fit Tippecanoe on a cookie. First though, you have to do some investigation into why my 2nd grade P.E. teacher gave me that as a nickname. (hint: it’s not my only nickname.) Pixel can supervise.

Ok you three munchkins… listen up… you have very important jobs. I’ve given this some serious thought and we are going to old school American Idol with this and you are the judges. Anytime they use this contraption to make something to eat, you 3 get to judge the food.

{JM}: you are going to be Randy. So your opinions get to include a lot of the following:

Yo dawg!

Wha-what?! Dude! Way to start off the night!

Good looking out!

See, here’s what I love about this meal…

I’m a fan!

You’re in it to win it!

This is a cooking competition so for me, for you it was just ok for me… for you.

You blew it out of the box!

You’ve got mad skills!

I wasn’t feeling it toward the end of the meal.

It was a little pitchy.

You can boo and argue with {S} if you disagree with him.

{O}: you get to be Paula. So basically you get to LOVE everything anyone cooks. You can dance wildly around the kitchen while they are cooking. You can blather on incoherently after each meal to the point of tears. Oh and don’t forget to compliment the cook on how well his/her apron looks on them. Just gush over them and then tell them you plan to be the first guest at their restaurant when it opens up. And feel free to also argue with {S} after he gives his opinion.

{S}: You have it sort of easy. You get to be Simon. Fetch a quarter and flip it after each meal.

Heads: the meal was Brilliant! Well done!

Tails: Total Rubbish. Sorry.

So that should do it 🙂

Enjoy it. I sure hope you don’t already have one (eek!) Please tell me if you do and I’ll figure something else out.

Again happy birthday girl! OXOXOXOX

Ok now…..just a few more photos! I’m almost done…..really! I know you all know what it looks like, but you haven’t seen one in MY house. OH the Vittles posts to come!!

This where she will rest, when we are not working her like a horse. Oh…..you know I am over the edge, when I start giving something a gender. lol. I suspect she won’t sit here much. OH!! Look what we see in the photo in the background! My Pioneer Woman Cookbook! I truly do love Pioneer Woman. Regardless.

“HELLOOOOO REE!! All set with that Kitchen Aid Mixer! I’ve got one now!! Thanks anyway!!”

I don’t believe I’ll get over having one of these. And I don’t believe I will ever stop knowing how blessed I am, that I have a friend like Teri. She’s more like a sister. I seriously love the girl, and I tell her so. Again….not because of all she has done, or given me, but because of who she is. Because of her heart. Because there is a connection between us that leaves no room to doubt, that that is the gift, in and of itself. This heart knows, when God puts people in my life.

I can never repay her…..for her presence in my life. She’d never let me anyway. She always blows off my sentiments, but I know she takes them in. Because I need to tell her, all of the time, about my over-flowing gratitude. ‘Mush’, as she calls it. She lets me, and I love her for that too. I love her for a million reasons, and she never expects anything from me at all. Though I try.

I do think we’ll be sending her and her family a good load of Christmas cookies. ; )

Wow. Happy Birthday to me. And XOXOXOXOXO to you, Teri (and family!)

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Heading Home from Martha’s Vineyard | Ferry Island Queen at Sunset

October 4, 2010 By Laura 2 Comments

Finally wrapping up the 3 kiddo’s birthday posts here! But I had to share with you all the gorgeous scenery on our ferry ride home, from Oak Bluffs back to Falmouth. It was dusk, and it couldn’t have been more beautiful.

marthas-vineyard-ferry-island-queen We did get to the ferry stop in plenty of time, and made me realize I probably could have chewed my Fettuccine Alfredo a little better, after all. But we just didn’t know how long it would take us to get back by foot. So a chew or 2, and then letting it just slide down, is pretty much what I did.
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Waiting for the ferry. They were so tired, but still smiling!
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The ferry pulling in. Time to head home from a beautiful day on Martha’s Vineyard.

My handsome boys…

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My beautiful girls…

0061 –

<:swoon:>
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I love my kids. <sigh>
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Pulling into Falmouth port, after 45 minutes of being awestruck by God’s beautiful paintings in the sky.

I couldn’t get a good shot, but we all noticed a boat named “Bonaventure”. That’s the name of our church! We wondered what the story was behind the name of the boat. Was it too, named after the saint? Did the owner belong to our parish?

Michael letters tons of boats, every spring, and the names are always interesting. There’s a post right there! Funny stuff sometimes.

And still smiling. But trust me, they were dragging, and so were we.

On the way home, the kids said it was their best birthday ever. But they say that every year, and it hasn’t always taken much! I’m glad they are always so happy though.

It was a day with blessings written all over it, for sure. But the biggest blessing on this day, and every day, are the kids themselves. We will forever thank God, it was His will to bring them into this world, and into our life and family. Each of them are blessings, joys, and responsibilities that we never take for granted. We praise and thank God every single day, for them.

Thanks so much, for sharing in our celebrations of the kids birthdays! It’s a lot with the 2 dates so close to each other, and a 3 in 1! We’ll be moving on to other things now, in many sections of the blog here, and really great stuff, so stick around! And if you haven’t visited the Home page, I strongly suggest you do. ; )

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Surprise Destination – Martha’s Vineyard| Continuation of Triplets’ Birthday

September 29, 2010 By Laura 10 Comments

Continuing sharing the triplet’s 8th birthday here. Get ready for a whole lot of photos! (Let them all load before scrolling like crazy, ok?)

Following a birthday kick off at home in the morning (as posted in ‘They 8 and 8 and 8’…), we had big plans for the rest of the day! Well, you know, big in our world. It was going to be a great surprise for the kids. A whole new adventure, and I knew they would excitedly enjoy every second of.

But first, believe it or not, we had to deliver our home schooling package to the town, as this day was the deadline! Ugh. The office was in the complete and distant opposite direction of our adventure, so it was a mad rush, as we had transportation to catch!

In our travels, the kids tried to guess what we were doing, and eventually voted that they wanted to know, so they could be excited on the way. So I told them.

(Imagine the announcement here, Oprah-style:

“We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!” “We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!” “We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!” “We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!” “We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!” “We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard!!”

Ok enough. They were about as excited as that audience too!! And no, I don’t really watch Oprah much. But is there anyone in the world, who hasn’t seen that clip?)

Sometimes, knowing what you are about to do is half the fun! They chatted excitedly the rest of the way, all the way to………

marthas-vineyard … the Island Queen Ferry. We were indeed going to Martha’s Vineyard!

It was about as close to (and as exciting as) a cruise ship experience, that we were ever likely to have.

You’d think, where we live, we would have been to Martha’s Vineyard by now, if not 100 times. But we hadn’t. I think I do recall going as a kid with my family, though. But not since. Have you been? If not, you can ‘come along with us’ through these photos. And if you have, you’ll know it’s well worth the re-visit!

Just about to deport.

The sea was so calm that day, and the temps were mildly warm…..perfect for a nice cruise, and a beautiful day on the island.

They stood a lot of the time. They didn’t want to miss a thing.

A few days later, someone asked {S} if he saw any dolphins or whales out there, and he said,
“No. All I saw was a dead bass, and a jelly fish.”

This mother’s heart gushed at the sweet sight of this.
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Another motherly heart sigh.
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Pulling into port!!

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A little welcome from the shores.
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An Osprey nest, perhaps?
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We got walking on the island, and every where I turned around, there were fun photos to take. Who’s birthday was it, anyway?

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Looking at the pamphlets available, there was one ‘must see’ that jumped out to us, and we were on a mission to find it.
(Dropping in on little shops as we went along of course.)

We found it!!

I can tell you, it was hot as hell in this old wood structure. (Or so I would imagine. Hopefully I’ll never know, for sure.) You could literally smell the warm wood. And believe it or not, so dark in there I had difficulty taking (good) photos. But it was so charming anyway!

Ready to go!!
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The coolest thing about this carousel, was trying to get the brass ring, as the carousel went around. These next 2 photos are awful, and you’ll need to look carefully to see what I am talking about. But, do you see that thing {JM} and {A} are reaching towards? That’s a metal ring dispenser.

You could try and grab one out of the dispenser, every time you went by.

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Most every ring was silver. But the one who got the ‘brass ring’, got a free ride!! It really added such a fun element to the whole carousel experience. There was also a dispenser on the inside of the carousel.

None of our kids got the brass ring. But hey…they are lucky enough, right?

More strolling around, just enjoying all of the charming little shoppes and restaurants.

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This place looked like fun!

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Just a quick glance around, told me this place had some great games to play! And none of the smutty and/or violent animated graphics I deem inappropriate for my little one’s eyes.

marthas-vineyard-20 But nothing in this amusement arcade place, was more exciting than the site of PLINKO!! Seriously?? I could not have been more excited!! That was always my favorite game on the Price Is Right. We were good at it too!

I was busy playing myself, and not taking as many photos in here.

Racking up the tickets!
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Oh what to get……decisions, decisions.
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I am sure all of you parents out there, know how long this can take. Have mercy!
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In the end, they all happened to settle on ‘silly bands’. It’s their first ones, believe it or not. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone wear them more than once or twice, since. But they sure do like to collect stuff~ Oh my gosh, do they ever. (All of them. Trust me!)
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There are a lot of great signs at Martha’s Vineyard. Being in the sign business, we really notice and appreciatethese things. For anyone reading and not aware of these things, a sign is one of the top most important elements of your storefront business. It’s a first impression. It’s creates all kinds of sub-conscious messages about your business, and it definitely effects the flow of people that come in your door. Or not.

This sign, Sharky’s Cantina, drew us in. It was just a great sign. Well laid out, fun, high quality. So it gave those same impressions of the establishment as a whole, too.

The margarita might have been calling me in also.

But……there was just no room for us in there. It looked like a great place, but it was small, and packed with people. (Because of the sign. no doubt. ; ) See? ) We sat at a teeny-tiny table, in the very back corner, and I immediately felt trapped. Need-to-get-OUT!! I guess ‘Cantina’ was a clue there. But I was hyper-focused on the, well maybe the margarita. We had to find somewhere else to eat.

As we looked for somewhere else, we happened to look down a pathway, that really, really drew us in. As hungry as we were.…..

Walking through these gates, was seriously like walking straight into another world. Martha’s Vineyard as a whole, is pretty peaceful. But this…..this place….offered an indescribable feeling. All we could hear, were our own soft steps on the sidewalk, and the occasional tweeting of birds. As we walked along, I had to look back behind me to the gate I had just walked through, trying to figure out what just happened.

marthas-vineyard-32 The little walkway, led to a street lined with the quaintest little homes, that all seemed to surround a big green. Just looking down the little street, with the row of little houses, almost dumbfounded me. I almost felt like I was in Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Can you imagine that? I really wanted to go there, as a child.

This is the green that the we came upon, surrounded. What you see there in the center of the green is what is known as ‘The Tabernacle.’ We had to check it out.

It definitely had elements of a place of worship. It seemed like such a lovely place, to hold an outdoor Mass.

(To us, because we’re Catholic.)

As I looked around, I think I said, “This place is so cool, ” 20 times.

But it really was!!

One of the kids took note of the banner sign hanging, and read it out loud:

“Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place.”

Yes, surely. It seemed to us, that the ‘presence of the Lord’ was all over Martha’s Vineyard! The beauty of it all….how could one not feel God everywhere?

But, we didn’t see ‘the Tabernacle’ as us Catholics best know it. And thus, ‘the presence of the Lord’ as we know it, either.

Still, it was cool! And I did feel Him everywhere, all day.

I guess concerts and such are held there. I got the impression, some non-denominational celebrations as well.

Over yonder, from ‘the Tabernacle’ looked like what might be a Catholic Church. But the family was all talking about their ‘bellies grabbling’, and they all wanted to eat. We all needed to, really.

So we continued on our quest for a restaurant, which really got to be quite the task! There were little places around, but by this point in the day, I really wanted the kids to eat some ‘real food’, as I like to call it. (In other words…healthy.) Time was ticking, we were all dragging by now, and pretty warm too! When finally, we settled on an Italian Restaurant. By the time we got in, got a table, and ordered, we were in a slight panic waiting for the food, worried we would miss the last ferry at 6:45, to home-land! So we were scoffing down our meals by the time we got our food. Can you imagine missing the last ferry of the day? An overnight at MV was not at all in the budget, and we had nothing with us!

Can I just say, Fettuccine Alfredo is not easy to eat quickly!

Nor is high-tailing it to the ferry with a belly full of it!

(The fettuccine was what I ordered. The kids made healthier choices on their own, thankfully.)

I just had to grab a shot of this place. It’s an Inn. Michael knows some folks who stay there every year.

See? No heavy fettuccine in those bellies. “Hey, wait for me!!”

We did make it to the ferry in plenty of time. We ended up sitting and waiting for it. But we were happy to just sit, and chill. No rush anymore. Just a sweet evening ferry ride for us all, at dusk. SO BEAUTIFUL! The cool evening breeze……the smell of the sea…..the colors in the sky…….God everywhere, still. Not to mention our beautiful children, I was especially, especially thankful for on this day.

So….I took lots more photos on the ferry ride home. And that, my friends, will be the final Trio Birthday post, coming up next. You just have to see how perfect it all was.

Now tell me, have you ever been to Martha’s Vineyard? Once? Many times? For a day or an extended stay? Recently or a long, long time ago? As I said, I think I had been as a child. Michael never had. Nor our kids, of course.

But we’ll all be going back.

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They 8, and 8, and 8… | The Triplets Turn 8!

September 21, 2010 By Laura 4 Comments

00_triplets-birthday
As many of you know, our trio babies had yet another birthday at the end of August, and they turned 8.

EIGHT!!

I really wish they would knock it off. :\

You know. The whole growing and growing and getting another year older thing.

I think it’s the food?

They eat a lot!! More than me. They love to eat. And eat. And eat.

And then they get bigger, and older, and smarter.

It seems to be a phenomenon of some sort.

I just wish they would stay little babies.

But, we always love a reason to celebrate!

And x3 is even better!

Which brings me to my excuse about all of the photos coming. Well you all know how many photos you take on your child’s birthday; with the cake, and the gifts or party, and what have you. So imagine having 3 to celebrate on the same day. My shutter finger is plum-tuckered-out by the end of the day! But it sure is fun! Anyway, I tried to be easy on you, and make some composites, so your scrolling finger didn’t get plum-tuckered out too. I also am diving up their birthday posts, so this is only the first post on their birthday, which may not be all that exciting, for you. But oh how it all was for them.

If you’ve been coming around here long enough, by now you know that a birthday-number breakfast just comes with the birth-day. It’s Daddy’s specialty.

They love pancakes. They had way more than their number. 😉 They had like…8 pancakes after they ate their number. And sausages. And juice.

triplets-birthday-2 They never ask for a thing for their birthday, except a balloon. At one point or another, each one of them says, “Do you think I can get a balloon on my birthday?”

It’s the least we can do.

But we do a little more. We’re simple people, but come on. Everyone deserves surprises on their birthday.

I can’t tell you how perfect these little kits were for each of them. They were thrilled. And have gotten a whole lot of fun out of them since.

Big sister had surprise gifts for them too. A little something she bought for each of them. Then, she also gave them her big Magnetix kit from when she was their age, that they have wanted so badly. (So, like a Yankee gift. Lol) She was so sweet, because we had no clue she had any of this stuff for them. She loves planning surprises.

We totally lucked out with the cake thing this year! They all really wanted the same kind of cake. “Coffee cake”, as they call it. It’s cinnamon struesel.

I resisted asking them, “Nothing with chocolate?? Are you sure?”

“PLEEEEASE!!?? ANYONE? “

It’s so easy to make these 3 happy. We could have been done right there. But……we had so much more in store for them for their special day. A big surprise we knew would really make their 8th birthday very memorable.

It’s all coming up, right here.

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{A}’s 13th Birthday | 4th of July Weekend 2010 | Final Part at CatholicTV

August 1, 2010 By Laura 4 Comments

{A}’s birthday wish, was to visit the CatholicTV station, in Watertown, MA. Now, some of you may or may not know, that we are a little familiar with CatholicTV, by having become friends with Fr. Bob Reed, who is the director of CatholicTV, and who also helps out with presiding over Masses at several parishes, including our own.

{A} was the first to develop a real friendship with Fr. Reed, as a result of the frequent masses she served, and the time spent with Fr. Reed in the sacristy. That led to Fr. Reed asking us to be part of the pilot episode of a new show at CatholicTV called House & Home, which was filmed in the fall of 2008, and aired in the summer of 2009. (It was a new show; they had a lot of ducks to get in a row. So we embraced our last bit of anonymity in those months. lol) Since then, Fr. Reed has remained a treasured friend of our family. He’s such a cool guy. So, when {A} e-mailed him (as she does on occasion), to request a tour of the CatholicTV station for her birthday wish, Fr. Reed responded quite quickly with her granted wish. He also said he would personally give us the ’25 cent tour’ himself. He said that the actual 5th would not work, but the 6th would be great. He also asked that we be there in time for the ‘This Is The Day’ morning show taping. We soon realized (when he called us later) that he wanted us to be part of the show too. Oh. lol. Now, one might think I’d be getting used to this being taped for television business, but no so much. A little racing heart comes along with knowing your children will be taped for live TV….you know? As we said, we really are not like that mylar balloon family. But..anything for Fr. Reed.

As a side note, {A} and Fr. Reed have had another special connection, in that her actual birthday is his anniversary of ordination into the priesthood. This would be his 25th year!! So, we were happy to go the day after, or whatever day worked for them. The 5th was a legal holiday anyway.

On the set of ‘This Is The Day’. Now….I had never been on the set before, but I had watched the show. I assumed, (and you know how that goes…), that there was a small audience whom we would be part of. You know, maybe a few rows of those seats like at the movies.

No. Six folding chairs, set up just for us. Oh my. Right next to the cameras, lights, and overhead microphones recording the live show. As I sat there next to my 4, occasionally spontaneous children. Yes, I had given them a brief pre-chat in the car on the way. But looking around, and as I heard the director countdown to the live taping “6…..5…..4…..3…..2……1…..<point of finger>”…..it warranted a moment of eye contact with my little blessings, that said “This is alllll business, Kiddos, but go ahead and enjoy it too! <wink>”….without saying a spoken word.

Here is Jay Fadden, host of the show, and side-kick of Fr. Reed (or is the other way around?)……who is as smooth as ice, with cameras rolling, just like his side-kick. I tried to listen, observe, and learn all I could through the first few segments, before WE were up there. No, I hadn’t necessarily learned all I needed to know (or would be nice to know!), the first time around, with all of this TV business.

But I digress. (Or..did I? I forget now.) But see the Mayflower on the side table there? They put that out in honor of us being there on the show that day! How sweet is that? I’m not sure what it meant, that it continued to be there for several following shows but….still!

So how and in what way were we part of ‘This Is The Day?’ Well, if you have ever watched the show (because CatholicTV is a nationwide cable television station), you might know about the ‘Catholic Treasure Box’. At the start of this show, that airs Tuesday and Friday mornings, Fr. Reed presents a riddle, to give clues to what answer may be in the Catholic Treasure box.

So this day, the riddle was as follows:

Parents and children, in home secure, we find the church’s most humble form.

The answer is: FAMILY. That would be us….<enter family>. We did not fit in the box. We didn’t even try.

We sat on the couches, did a little segment chit-chat, they took several photos of us, and then we got on with our tour. I’m not going to link you here, because really…..I wouldn’t assume you want to see it. And you shouldn’t assume I want you to, either, lol. But the show itself is a great show! Just as the other is.

This a shot taken in the master control room. Fr. Reed showed us the whole place….no stones left unturned. Well…would we know if there was? Maybe not. But, we saw a whole lot of the place, and it was incredibly interesting. Also, we can’t really express enough, what really wonderful people, work for the CatholicTV station. Seriously….so friendly. A real sense of family there, at that network. I almost longed to go to work there every day, myself. lol (Behind the cameras, of course.)

After seeing so much of the station, what they do where, and how it all works, Fr. Reed let us into this conference room, which I think, he thought, he had planned for {A}’s birthday. However, the joke was somewhat on him……as his CatholicTV family had this celebration planned for him, for his 25th Anniversary of Ordination. You can’t see in the photo, but the room is full of people. Clapping people.

He. Was. Surprised. I think he thought he had the whole day planned in detail, himself,….and this room full of people, for him, was not on his agenda. (Notice the sweet blush.) He said something to the effect of, “Well weren’t we going to sing Happy Birthday to Alexis?”. Jay explained they would, but they wanted to thank him for his many wonderful years of service as a priest, and the difference he has made in everyone’s lives….and he added how, “The Richard Family was in on this the whole time… .”

Ok…horrible shot here…..the camera actually went off by accident as I tried to hurry and GET this shot, where he was saying to our giggling trio, “WHY didn’t you TELL MEEEE???!!!”

So it seemed, he wanted to celebrate {A}’s birthday, and we were all there to celebrate his milestone anniversary. See, after he had made tour plans with us,, we got a phone call from the staff, saying they were planning a surprise celebration for him, and could we keep him in “Studio A” for as long as possible. Of course we were happy to! We were SO HONORED, to have been there with him to celebrate.

It’s just kind of comical, because it seemed he thought he had some special surprises set up for {A} in this room, which none of us knew about at all!! But there was actually a celebration planned for HIM in this room, that HE did not know about at all, but we did. So….in the end, we were all surprised on some level.

Fr. Reed, cutting his 25th Anniversary cake.

Soon enough, the focus turned on {A}, as the room full of people/staff (off camera)….sang her Happy Birthday, ….

….and presented her with these sweet surprises.

I was going to edit the red of her face out of this photo, but I think it is so cute. She was as embarrassed as the dickens. I don’t recall ever, having seen her blush like this. So much attention. But still grinning from ear to ear.

I really loved how the cake was decorated. It seriously was so perfect for her personality.

Cake…fresh flowers, and gifts……really. She just asked for a tour, so she was SO surprised by it all.

So here she is, just before we left, with her dear friend, Fr. Reed. Who incidentally….truly did give her a birthday she will never forget. To be there, for HIS special anniversary, meant more to her in the end, than anything. She really thinks the world and a 1/2, of him. He’s been a powerful and loving influence in her life, in many ways.

{A} made this bracelet for Fr. Reed. It is the branding colors of CatholicTV. She has made him these before in other colors, and he really wears them! He wore a red, white and blue one she made him, for the longest time.

He had a very special personal gift for her too.

Ok first, on a side note, something I have seen on TV happened to me. Someone said to me, (in this case, Fr. Reed), “Would you mind if I had a moment alone to talk to your daughter?”. “Uummmm….Sure! We’ll be at the car.” lol

Then he talked to her, and gave her this unbelievable treasure of a gift, which has been a personal treasure of his own…..

…a relic of Maria Goretti.

See, St. Maria Goretti is a 12 year old martyr, who was attacked on July 5th, {A}’s birthday, and also Fr. Reed’s 25 Ordination Anniversary. She died on the 6th, and this was her Feast Day. You can read all about St. Maria here, or watch the little video.

Wow, wow, wow. {A} treasures this, so very much, and we know she always will.

$18_FrReed{A}$

(Here is a closer cropped shot. I really love this photo of the 2 of them.)

Thank you Fr. Reed, and everyone at CatholicTV, for making our girl’s birthday so very special, and memorable. We also thank you for how warm and welcoming you always are to our family, and all you do for the Catholic and Christian community. You are a true light to us all, as we continue grow in our faith formation, be it in person, or the glow of our televisions all over the nation.

And one more HaPpY BiRtHdAy to you {A}. You truly carry a light of your own, and we are blessed to have you as such a big part of our life, and our family. We love you, more than you know.

Thanks to all of YOU, our faithful blog readers, for your patience in waiting for this last post! I was SURE I would have it out before July was behind us anyway, but I missed that boat. Nonetheless, we hope you all enjoyed sharing in our celebrations. {A} thanks you all for the thoughtful birthday wishes too!!

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