Hello Old Friends!

Beautiful Tulum


I see (and hear) that 2009 has not gotten off to a good start in my blogosphere world - so here I sit to catch up on the past 2 months of life with the VanTol crew!
A few weeks after the New Year, Rich and I were blessed to be able to take a vacation to Mexico (without kids!) to celebrate our recent 10 year anniversary. We had been anxiously awaiting this trip for quite some time - and it was made possible by the selflessness of my parents, and Rich's sister and her family who watched the kids for us. We enjoyed every sun-soaked minute of our tropical getaway - and we enjoyed spending some adult time away with 3 of our close couple friends!

Ava and Elaina have started walking, and we are now just waiting for their very content older sister Addison to join them. I think we may be waiting awhile! Ava has been walking since before her 1st birthday and Elaina has really started to get the hang of it this past week. Time will only tell when sister #3 will join the ranks. We are now looking at formula and bottles as a thing of the past - and can barely believe how fast our girls have grown. Thankfully for our older two - we know to savor each of these precious moments because they go so quickly!

We have enjoyed a winterfull of watching Emma play basketball on Saturdays. I never knew how much I could really get into and enjoy sports when they are your own kids playing. I was always the cheerleader on the sidelines who really had no clue what was going on! Leave it to my second grader to teach me a thing or two!

Luke is looking forward to soccer and T-ball in the spring. This will be his first year for t-ball and he can't wait! Not much else to report here on the home front, so I will end with a few pictures of the past month or so!

My main squeeze

With friends in Riviera Maya

Emma and her basketball buddies

Luke and Ava

Elaina

Addie Roo

Ava

Addison

Birthday Girls!

The girls had so much fun at their parties ! I think after the third time around, they were getting used to the idea that cake might be one of their daily meals! We sure didn't have to force any of them to eat it (as you can see in the pictures!). What sweet blessing these girls have been to Rich and I (and Emma and Luke)! We are overwhelmed with gratefulness to all we have been given!They love their gifts! Although I think wrapping paper would've suited them just fine, too!
Addison
Elaina
I think she liked it!
Ava - stops to say hello!
Addie's a big fan of cake
Ava's cupcake cone

Elaina Marie.....

Our dear sweet Lainey Lou came into this world at a wee 4 lb.13 oz. and quickly let us know that she was no underdog! She may be the baby of the bunch, but little she is NOT! She rivals her big sister Addison in weight ( just proportioned differently), and she's definitely the toughest crew member. Rich and I often wonder if she has a magnet for a head since she leads with it and seems to bang into everything. As a newborn baby, she was quickly claimed by her brother, Luke, as "his girl" because she was (and still is) bald. As a baby, we spent many a night (okay - every night), holding her and patting her on the back for hours on end, to get her settle down. Thankfully that only lasted for 3 months and she has grown into the sweet and social one of the bunch (probably because she was held so often)! She loves to flirt with anyone who glances her way and gives them the sparkly eyes and sticks out her chin to reveal her 2 precious teeth! Lainers is the one you will find who always wants to be in on the action and is often found climbing on top of/over/under/or around her sisters to jockey her way to the center of attention. She has a hearty, gleeful laugh that makes us roll! It is amazing how God has created each of our children so differently. We thank God for the wonderful blessings he has given to us.

As you will usually find her............getting right up in your face!

One Month to GO!

I can't believe the girls are 11 months already!!! How can life pass by so quickly? Here they are holding their newly unwrapped Christmas ornaments from Grandma D (a holiday tradition in our family)!

Addie Roo........

It's only fair to give equal blog time to all the girls so today I will focus on my dear sweet blue-eyed girl, Addison Rae..........aka: Addie Roo, Rooster, Adders, Addie Girl, Chubbers. Addie is the oldest of the triplets (by 3 minutes), and the biggest. She was born at just under 6lbs (a whopping size for a triplet). She has held the heavyweight title since then! As a tiny infant, she was the apple of her mother's eye - content as can be and never made a peep. She quickly learned from her sisters, that this was not working for her, and in order to get the attention she so much deserved, she developed the a very hearty, throaty - "ehhhhh!". Whether happy or sad - this is the sound you will most often hear from her! She is quick to smile and flash those sparkly blue eyes and little dimple your way. She was the first to crawl and now has 4 teeth (her sisters have 2). We had to chuckle when we tried to squeeze her chubby cankles into these cute little cowgirl boots from a friend. We're not in Texas anymore - so she won't be walking far in these, but she sure felt like hot stuff as she posed for her picture! You go Girl!

Happy Fall!

We have been enjoying this gorgeous fall weather so much - I haven't had time to think about blogging! This is my absolute favorite time of year - the cool weather, blazing colored leaves, cider and doughnuts, football games, pumpkin carving, and of course the occasional sneaking of the kids Halloween candy! Did I say occasional...........ooops! Anyway, here's a bit of what we've been up to lately.

Mike Wazowski and "Boo"
The triplets were troopers all night!
Cousins Elizabeth and Ryan
The Three Little Kittens
Keeping the girls occupied while carving pumpkins!
The finished masterpiece
Pumpkin Patch
Hayride Fun!

10 Years of Wedded Bliss!

Today marks the 10th anniversary of our wedding day! It's hard to believe that 10 years can fly by so fast. Imagine if we had known back then, what the next 10 years would bring us - 5 kids, 4 moves, 1 back surgery, 2 parents who beat cancer (one of them - twice), TRIPLETS - we would've never believed it! God had it all in His plan when He chose us to be together for life. I am so thankful that my best friend, Rich, decided to move down to Texas in 1997 to "go to grad school". Ten years feels like just yesterday............I'm looking forward to what the next 10 years will bring us!

Then "1998"

Now "2008"