date night...

I have tried to make a concerted effort these past several weeks to actually go on a date with my hubby. This is a major feat considering our schedule. It seems that when he is off, I am working, I am off, he is working... So we need to actually plan this WAY in advance! My goal is to schedule one date night a month. We even found the BEST babysitter when we are staying at Grandma's, Miss Chelsea. She & I go WAY back! In fact I hold the distinct honor of being the only adult invited to her birthday parties! Yes, I was there at the roller rink skating away. What can I say I have always been one of the kids! Now that I am BIG, haha, and have kids of my own it seems only fitting to have her come over to babysit the tribe. This babysitting thing is new to us because we never get to go on "dates". But I know how important it is for our marriage to stay strong, for us to get "alone" time. The very first night she babysat we decided to have dinner & a movie. We tried out Bonefish Grill. I know, that place has been around forever & why is it that we are just now trying it out!? Well, like I said we don't get out much! Let me tell you we had a great time! They have some YUMMY food! I was SO excited that I got to "date" my husband, WOO HOO! We spent so much time at the restaurant chatting up our bar side neighbors that we missed being able to catch a movie! )= The only good part was that I knew we would not have to wait long for our next...

date night...

I've been replaced!

We have a visitor for Thanksgiving this year. My niece, Sarah, brought her best friend Alexis with her to share Thanksgiving with us. Well, Camryn took to her right away. It seems as if she has known Alexis her entire life. She ONLY wants Alexis to hold her, to feed her, to cuddle her, etc. It is BAD! No longer does Camryn want me ALL the time! It is a STRANGE feeling not to have her attached to my hip! I try to get a little snuggle time & she has no use for me! )= Last night we all went out to celebrate Dustyn's 13th birthday. Dustyn got to choose the restaurant & he chose J Marks, it just happens to be down the street from my Mom's house. The weather was perfect so three fourths of us decided to walk there. Of course Camryn wanted Alexis to carry her. Once inside we had to decide where each child should sit. This is important so you have enough helpers by each child. Sarah made the comand decision to place Camryn ACROSS the table from Alexis. It was SO funny to watch her stare at Alexis. She watched her EVERY move. Alexis even helped get her to eat her food. What a great help! It worked out really well UNTIL she had to use the restroom. You would have thought Camryn was hurt by the way she cried for her. Uh oh! I do not know what I am going to do when they all leave on Sunday. I definitely know who Camryn would like to babysit her when we are in Atlanta! For now I just feel like...


I've been replaced!

irish eyes were smiling....

Yesterday we went "out" for the first time in quite a LONG time. It was my cousin Patty's 50th birthday & they had a blow out bash for her at an Irish pub. Patty's Dad, Uncle Nelson, is my mom's brother. Her mom, my Aunt Pat, might as well be a leprechaun because she is SO Irish. To have the party at an Irish pub was very fitting! We were VERY lucky to have "Auntie Debbie & Karen" come over to watch them so we could actually celebrate with her. THANK YOU GUYS!!! I worked till 6, rushed home & left with no time to spare. It was SO nice chatting with my relatives & some new found friends. Ever since we have had the babies we have been blessed with "new" friends who have watched our children's growth. They became sort of celebrities once their commercial for St Mary's NICU aired. It is so nice to see that they have "fans" out there. hehee! I spent the evening eating Irish fare, having my Black and Tan & chatting away. It was like a Reunion, aka a "cousins party" like we used to have. Most of my relatives live in S Florida so it was great seeing them all! My cousin Richard, a Realtor, is going to help us find a BIGGER house. I love when family helps family! YAY! & cosuins Monika and Don who have a four year old son & 2 1/2 year old daughter brought us TONS of hand me downs! It was like Christmas in August! I LOVE hand me downs!! (= AGAIN we are SO blessed! We left the party happy & excited about what the future may hold for us! I really do feel that all the bumps in our journey are leading us towards the path God has for us! There really is a reason for EVERYTHING! Well, we arrived to a quiet home, the babies were fast asleep. A good sound to come home to! I asked if the babies were good, Did they eat all their food, drink all of their bottles, etc. They told us they were very entertaining. Yes, that they are!! They said that they told them it was bed time around 8pm & they just followed one another into their room. Then they gave them their bottles, IN BED! Debbie said each one of them took their bottle & they laid right down to drink it. I laughed so hard when she told me this because they NEVER get their bottles in bed! Well after hearing this I decide I better go check on them to see if the bottles were strewn all over OR if there was puddles of milk on their floor. They were fast asleep & low & behold Camryn, Brendan & Lindsey drank EVERY ounce of their bottle & Avery had half left! Those little stinkers! I am sure they thought this was a cool thing to have their bottles in bed and probably hope Mommy & Daddy go out more often! hahah! After retrieving their bottles I go back to show Debbie & Karen who were now watching the end of a Sandra Bullock movie (I just love her!). They thought it was funny too! (We still love you guys! (= ) I decided to pull out all the bags of hand me downs so I could sort through them & we all watched the rest of the movie. Debbie's hubby was not too happy that she was late coming home. Sorry Jim! (= AGAIN I have to say how we are SO blessed to have such WONDERFUL people in our lives! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Each and every day that people ask me how I do it I remember each of these "moments". It is because of great people that have "adopted" us that help me in this journey! After quite an evening I really do think that....

Irish eyes were smiling....

you gotta have friends...

We have the most AMAZING friends! From the beginning of our quad journey we have been blessed. I must say that the first 6 months were a blur. We did not know which end was up. We had some family, friends but most of all our church, Christ Fellowship, there for us. They moved mountains! We do not live near anything & they enlisted so many volunteers to help feed me, feed the babies, do house chores, etc. It still amazes us at how they helped us. We had complete strangers turn into some of our best friends. Isn't that what the Lord tells us, to love one another like he has loved us. Well, They really showed us his love. We thank you SO much! We met Auntie Jody through CF. She started coming when the babies were a few weeks old & stayed till after their 1st birthday. She would come once sometimes twice a week just to help out. She was our BEST babysitter!! When she moved to SC we all cried! We miss her tremendously!! Now that the babies have gotten older & WILDER (hehee) I have 2 of my best girlfriends help me. It's hard to believe that I have known them both for over 20 years!! This ages me! (= I think about how God had us cross paths & I am so grateful that he did! You can see from previous posts I not only am a SAHM but I also get to work part-time too! I am a police/fire dispatcher (in my 19th year! Yikes!). In the beginning I would only work on the weekends but that was making daddy weary. So I decided I would try & work a few week days so I could have part of the weekend off to spend with daddy & the babies. So Auntie Debbie & Auntie Delia come to Grandma's house to watch the babies. They ask nothing from me & are SO good with them. Taking care of four 18 month's old can be quite exhausting yet they enjoy it. The babies LOVE them too! I have such WONDERFUL friends! I just hope that one day I can repay them for all that they do for us!

oh you gotta have friends....