Goerlich Quadruplets

Rolling With My Hommies

2011-07-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

The Dirty South will never be the same after the Sweet Sixteen took to the streets!

Back Row: Jenn Suz Moni Amy Jo Sandra Charity Mari Kelly Gen

Front Row: Beth, Jenna Kami Casey Heather Jac Misty

Quad Mommas 2011 Shirts:

Front:

Back:

No. I won't. Nope. Uh-uh. Noooooooo!

2011-02-22T08:19:00.000-06:00

Request denied is the status quo these days. The tantrums are louder and even in public now - talk about humiliating. The whimpers and whines have replaced "big kid voices" and it's making Chris and I want to beat our heads against the wall. And isn't it funny how this works? These unpleasant seasons always last longer and cut deeper when God has a bigger lesson that he's been trying to teach me while I was too busy trying to get some naughty little toddlers to listen to me.

So the lesson this time? As often as I hear my kids say no, I am telling God the same thing. It was so loud and clear one day that it had me laughing out loud. I was asking the kids to wear some cute, coordinating outfits that I'd picked out for them that day and they absolutely would not put them on. They were throwing themselves on the floor in full tantrum mode. They were not having it and I wasn't either. I was so tired of fighting over every. little. thing. I flipped into my 'freak out mommy' mode and yelled, "Listen to me! You need to obey me when I ask you to do something, do you hear me?" It was like God spoke right into my ear and said, "Exactly." It instantly made me start laughing at how hypocritical I was being. I expected, without fail , for our kids to listen and obey us yet I can't do that even half of the time with God. In an instant I felt the tiniest bit of what He must feel when I constantly deny His nudges. I'm too busy, too tired, too comforted by something else to just follow some simple things He is asking me to do.

These days I'm trying harder to say yes more and as I do, I have more energy, more patience, more yes's from my four little teachers. I can't tell you how much better I feel when I stop fighting Him over every. little. thing.

"Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck." Proverbs 1:7-9

We're ALL growing up so fast!!

Noah Sporting His New Helmet

Noah & Sophia - Best Buds Lately

Finn & Cohen Show Some Brotherly Love

Sophia - Our Little Goofball

Washing Jaz - So Doggone Fun! (For Them)

Cohen Taking Daddies Longboard For A Spin

Finn Showing His Excitement Over the New Helmets!

The Two Musketeers (Noah & Sophia) Going for A Ride

Christmas Conversations

2010-12-19T08:19:00.002-06:00

Some of the best times around our house are those little conversations that you get to have with four 3 year olds. It's hilarious to see what they will tell you that's on their minds. The other week, I thought I'd quiz them to see if they were retaining any of the stories I was telling them about Christmas and what the true meaning of it is. Our conversation went like this:

Mommy: Do you know whose birthday it is on Christmas?

Kids: Becky! Auntie Alaine! Auntie C! Grammie!

Mommy: No.....here's a hint: It's mommy's very best friend.

Kids: Jo Ann! Gen! Suz! Rebecca!

Mommy: No.....here's another hint: We talk to Him everyday before we eat.

Kids: THE PIZZA MAN!!!!!!

Eye opening, right? I guess I need to step up my cooking around here! Here are a few more Christmas conversations I captured on video. I hope they warm your heart as much as they do mine!

Christmas Conversations 2010 from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Crazy Eighteen

2010-10-20T13:14:00.001-05:00

1 crazy idea .

3 families of 6.

18 friends getting together.

88 hours of driving (each way) - putting 2,847 miles on 3 cars (each way).

126 meals and over 200 more snacks eaten.

758 digital photos.

Unmeasurable number of memories made in 4 short days.

We just got back from driving over 1,000 miles across Texas, New Mexico and into the desert mountains of Tucson, Arizona to meet up with some of our best friends whom we never would have known if we all weren't blessed with having quadruplets just a few years ago. We've gotten together with Gen & Conor McNulty and Joe & Suz Steece on several occasions and have always dreamed of getting all of the kids together too. This last weekend we were all just crazy enough to stop dreaming and start doing.

It was a weekend we'll always treasure. The kids made friendships that will last forever, the parents made plans for future family trips and arranged marriages in the years to come. Chris and I were in awe of how much fun it was to be in a house with a dozen little ones and started to make plans to fill our house with more pitter patter of little feet. While we're still dreaming - enjoy a few snapshots from the adventure.

The Tucson Twelve from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

How Can This Be?

2010-09-02T07:56:00.004-05:00

Our babies turned three! Last weekend birthday celebrations were in full swing. Chris took off Friday from work and we brought the kids to their favorite place on earth, Chuck E Cheese. They all got their own "money" and were running like crazy spending tokens on driving cars, riding horses and shooting guns. Saturday was spent at the pool with Daddy and partying with friends, Jack, Kate, Chris and Rebecca that evening. Then on Sunday {the official day} we woke up early and had a mini party at breakfast before heading to church and then off to visit Busha. After a fun lunch with her we all headed down to Galveston to visit Grammie, Mema and Pepa. By the end of the weekend we all had sugar highs and rough throats from all the renditions of "Happy Birthday To You!"

It's hard to believe they are three already. The terribly terrific two's came and went so fast. We wish we could freeze this time somehow and let it last just a little bit longer. And since we can't literally....at least we can make a little video, right?

Thoughts from Three Year Olds from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Summer Snapshots

2010-08-17T08:51:00.002-05:00

We just spent a month in America's Heartland with my gracious family who entertained us, fed us and helped me to parent these terrific two year olds the entire time. We drove this time - 18 hours straight through the night on the first leg and broke it up a little on the way back. The kids did amazing - only stopping once to eat and twice to potty in that amount of time. And without a car DVD system, they were left to entertain themselves with the sites and sounds of the road. This might be the first time I have ever thanked the Lord over and over for summer construction! The kids were easily entertained for miles and miles as we passed all sorts of tractors, dump trucks, steam rollers and workers.

We had a blast while staying at my sister and brother-in-laws' beautiful family home in the country. We fished, swam in the pond, rode the tractors and four wheelers, chased the kitties and fed the horses. It was like being at family camp with just your family! We are all missing them like crazy. I wish the miles weren't so far between us but am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to spend so much time with them and for all of the summer memories our families made together.

Here are some snapshots of our trip.

Summer Snapshots from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Holy Momcation!

2010-07-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

16 Best Friends

Front (left to right)

Kelly, Heather, Amy Jo, Misty, Casey, Beth, Mari

Back (left to right)

Charity, Suz, Sandra, Kami, Jenn, Jenna, Jac, Gen, & Moni

mom·ca·tion [mom-key-shuhn]

–noun

a period of suspension of all mommy duties, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: 16 moms of Quadruplets met in Austin, Texas for a 5 day momcation.

a part of the year, regularly set aside, when normal activities of wiping bottoms, administering time outs and referring to yourself in the third person are put aside

freedom or release from preschool activities

an act or instance of vacating with 15 best friends who are collectively called mom by 67 children

Quad Mommas 2010

We, as always, had the time of our lives and encourage all of you ladies to do the same. When you have unconditional friendships like these, life is so much sweeter. We can't wait for next year!

Summer Is Here

2010-06-17T22:48:00.004-05:00

Summertime is here and it's blooming hot! Since we can't spend every waking hour at the neighborhood pool, we hunker down inside. These four walls are closing in most days but we can't complain much since we get to sit in the cool air conditioning. Hallelujah for AC! I find myself pushing Nick Jr. and Sprout on the kids a least a half a dozen times a day - hoping they'll sit still for a full 30 min. No such luck yet. So we color, play playdough, paint toe nails & finger nails, read books, play dress up and blocks and then wonder what we'll do for the next 8 hours!

I guess in the monotony of the day to day I have forgotten to take photos while we're inside. I'm mentally adding that to the list of indoor activities to keep us busy. In the meantime, here's a quick slideshow of some of the outdoor fun we've been having the last month!

Summertime Fun from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

We're Big Kids Now!

2010-05-28T18:38:00.007-05:00

It's been nearly a month since we gave away all of the diapers and plunged feet first into the 3 Day Potty Training booty camp. It was exhausting but absolutely exciting to get rid of the ever growing diaper fund. The weeks that followed have been challenging to relearn how to live in the outside world without diapers. Our first big outing was Art Car Parade in Downtown Houston. We had a blast but definitely shocked some passers by when we'd let the kids drop trow and go in public on their personal port-a-potties.

Long Lines At the Porta Potties?

Not For Us!

(Noah & Sophia)

But We Could Really Use One of These (Notice the "Crapper" is Driving the Art Car!)

One of These Wouldn't Be So Bad Either...

Since we had two good weeks of training the kids' little bladders, we thought it appropriate to convince Grandma & Papa to come down and take over so we could go use up some of that extra diaper dough burning a hole in our pockets and enjoy a quick vacation with some great friends in Seaside, Florida.

Enjoying the Ocean Breeze

Chris & Rebecca Before Our Big Dinner Out at Fish Out of Water

Amazing Views, Incredible Food and Even Better Company!

Rebecca, Chris, Mari, Chris

Cooling Off Our Sunburns While Boating in the Bay

Toasting the Sunset

Rebecca & Mari

Once we got home the vacation kept going since Grandma and Papa were staying another 5 days! We celebrated Grandma's birthday with a day at the Galveston beach and an evening at Mia Bella in Vintage Park. What a blessing to be able celebrate such a beautiful woman and all that she contributes to all of our lives! I love you, Mom!

Since we no longer have babies anymore, here are a few pics of our Big Kids...

Cohen

Finn

Noah

Sophia

What's Really Goin' On

2010-04-27T20:56:00.005-05:00

Are we cleaning up after a fun-filled weekend with our buddies, the Steece's ? (check out her site for a great recap)?

Or is it potty training mania?

A Colorful Spring

2010-04-18T12:56:00.013-05:00

Spring is definitely in the air in Texas! The weather has been beautiful leading to some serious spring fever. We have enjoyed the outdoors at Grammie's house, the zoo and the International Festival in Downtown Houston.

We celebrated Mema's 88th birthday at Grammie's house. Once the rain stopped (after the grilling was finished), we had tikes on trykes, tikes in swings, and a mad game of kickball.

Cousin Madeleine and Mema

Madeleine, Cohen, Noah, Grammie, Sophia, Finn

With a severe case of spring fever, I took off work one day for a family outing the zoo. This was the first time I had been to the zoo without the kids in a stroller or wagon - just hand in hand. We stopped to enjoy a tasty pretzel and view the blooming azaleas. We ended the day with an awesome dinner and fun time at Clay's Restaurant. This place is a must-go on a nice day with kids!

The Beautiful Azaleas In Full Bloom At the Zoo

Munchin on Pretzels With the Munchkins

Clay's Restaurant's Proud Peacock Giving Us a Dinnertime Show

Finn aka Mr. Social finds a new buddy at Clay's
No mechanical bulls at Clay's but these will do

(Finn and Noah)

We headed downtown for the International Fest - the Caribbean. We walked all around, danced to the steel drums, and dreamed of dancing like the colorful ethnic dancers on stage. Afterwards we walked over the Hard Rock Cafe for a bite to eat and couldn't leave without a brownie a la mode.

Super tall Caribbean dancers

The kids are all smiles after chowing down

Cohen

Sophia

Finn

Noah

Daddy and Sophia share a moment

The root of all happiness?

Cohen

Just Believe

2010-04-06T08:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, so let me be honest. That last post had the highlights of March. To every highlight, there were at least a dozen low lights. I keep questioning how I am ever going to get through the tantrums, the fighting, the jealousy, the miscommunication....the list goes on and on. I am run down, angry, frustrated and have been searching for strength for quite a while. Meanwhile, a friend emailed me asking me to find a verse to help her get through her tough week. So as I'm paging through my Bible for a truth she can hang onto, low and behold, I find one that was just right for both of us. It read:

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 1:19 & 20 (New Living Translation, emphasis added)

I read that verse over and over and realized I was reading it all wrong. I was reading it, "for us who believe IN him". I'm thinking, "well, I believe IN him but I don't understand this great power nor do I feel like I have it. What's wrong here?" But believing IN him and believing him are two different things for me. Yes, I can say I believe that Jesus is the Son of God but do I simply and truly believe him when he says things like "he gives us the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead?" Say what? That same power is within me? Amazing!

I picture the scene in Matthew where Peter starts to walk on the water and then a wind comes and he gets scared and starts to sink. Then Jesus says to him "you of little faith, why do you doubt?" Jesus must be saying this to me over and over everyday. I have the power within me to have joy and strength in every situation but it's hard to believe that. I want to know more. I sent that one to my girlfriend and I'm posting it here because it is my prayer that all of us who read it will truly believe in that power and learn to rely on it. Think of the things we could do, the joy we could have if we actually believed that the very power that we celebrate this Easter is available to all of us who accept that it's there.

Celebrating Easter 2010 from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

March's Top 10 {a Springtime Rhyme}

2010-04-01T14:06:00.017-05:00

Cool shades for any style,

Talking with best friends for quite a while.

Fire trucks,

and horsies.

Playing ring-around-the-rosey.

Cheering at the St. Patty's Day Parade,

chillin' with Daddy in the shade.

A visit from cousins - what a blast!

A balled python in our playroom; what can top that?

Turning off the computer for some backyard sun!

Oh, March was so much fun!

A Few Photos From February

2010-03-07T09:40:00.006-06:00

February was a busy month - so busy that I barely took any pictures! Here are a few I did manage to get.

We Enjoyed A Visit From Papa & Grandma

A Weekend in Austin....

....with Ansley

....and cousin Madeleine

(Finn & Madeleine)

and finished it off with anniversary celebrations with Suz & Joe Steece!

(they celebrated 7 years a day after our 8 year anniversary!)

Now that February has come and gone - March potty madness is in full swing! Well, nothing major yet but we have introduced the potties and they all quite enjoy trying them out a few times a day.

Noah & Cohen's New Reading Nook

If You Can't Beat Them - Join Them!

2010-02-22T12:40:00.002-06:00

It has been a busy month this February with visit from friends, a week with Grandma & Papa, a weekend in Austin and fighting colds & breaking 2 year molars all throughout. I haven't taken the time to upload photos yet, but when I do I'll post some pics of February's festivities.

In the meantime, I saw this hilarious video at MOPS last Friday that I had to share. I laughed so hard because the night prior I had done almost the same exact thing. The whining and tantrums had gone on all day long and continued into bath time which is usually the best time of the day for all of us. I simply couldn't beat them - so... well .... I sunk to their level. Funny enough, the tantrums stopped and we had quite a pleasant evening after that. Watch for yourself, I hope you get a chuckle out of it too!

Top 10 Reasons Mommy Checked Into the Looney Bin

2010-02-09T20:23:00.001-06:00

10. There was a baby doll roasting on ol' smoky.

9. Walked in to greet the kids good morning and found Noah and his pillow smeared with blood.

{Noah Busted His Chin On Who Knows What}

8. "No Mommy! I do it!!"

{Sophia Attempts to Make Us Coffee & Everyone Else Wants to Help}

7. Wrestle mania which quickly turned to mayhem.

{Cohen Crushes Noah - All Giggles Until...}

6. Naked wrestle mania which led to peeing on their mattresses.

{No picture for that one - I was too far over the edge to think to get the camera!}

5. Got a report that the kids asked the sitter if she had a 'penish or a ja-jine-ah?'

{No pic for this one either - just picture my cheeks as red as Noah's bloody chin!}

4. "No Mommy! I do it!"

{Finn decides to make some toast of his own}

3. "Mommy, watch this!"

{or}

2. Five toddlers and a turd in the tub.

{Noah, Finn, Sophia, Cohen & Ansley - Who done it?}

1. "No Mommy! I do it!"

{Mr. He-Man Noah tries to open the "gum drawer" all by himself and rips the thing off the hinges!}

One Greight Slumber Party!

2010-01-25T09:00:00.002-06:00

It was sunshine all around this weekend as the temps read 77 degrees and the Steece family came to visit with their three little boys and one little girl. Two sets of quadruplets all just over two years old sleeping soundly in one room is a sight to be seen! We all had such fun watching them play together, their new little friendships warm our heart....see for yourself - we're sure it'll warm yours as well!

Eight Little Amigos from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

All Dressed Up...

2010-01-17T21:25:00.002-06:00

....with no place to go! (Thank goodness!) The kids love dressing up in our shoes, my jewelry, my purses and Sophia has now convinced the boys that their play power tools are much better suited for beauty salon equipment. If you have a moment, all the kids will pull your hair out free of charge! Check it out for yourself....

Why is Daddy Losing His Hair? from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Stop the Clock!

2010-01-07T08:44:00.002-06:00

Where does the time go? It seems like we blinked and it's already a new year. We spent Christmas in Galveston with Chris's family and had a wonderful time. In between eating and visiting, we went to the beach, to the aquarium and even took in a little shopping on The Strand. It was nice to see the island getting back to normal just a year after Hurricane Ike.

Here's a short video of some of the Christmas memories we captured.

Christmas in Galveston 2009 from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Magical Evening

2009-12-19T08:59:00.010-06:00

We were blessed with such a magical evening last night. Lately we've been making Friday evenings family night. I'll pack up the kids and head up to Daddy's office and we'll all go out to dinner. Last night we decided to try something different and went to find out what Ice Cutters Christmas was all about. We headed north to the Silver Star Ranch and were greeted as if we were old family friends. A warm inviting bonfire was roaring outside the barn.

Inside was beautifully decorated for Christmas and full of yummy sweet and salty treats and hot chocolate.

We arrived around 7:30 and they scooted us outside where a crowd was gathering to watch Jay Maclaskey entertain with a live ice sculpture carving. In less than 30 minutes, using a chain saw and an ice pick he transformed a 300 pound block of ice into jolly old St. Nick. The kids in the front of the crowd would scream with delight as the ice shavings would sprinkle over their heads.

There were goats, sheep, ponies and a big Texas longhorn in the stables.

A jingle bell hayride pulled by a big red tractor got us up close and personal with the light displays at the back of the ranch. They had a craft table for making personalized Christmas ornaments and a snow ball battlefield where the big kids battled it out. No lines, no big crowds, it truly felt like it was just us and a few good friends.

If you are in or around the Montgomery, Texas area (near The Woodlands & Conroe) you have got to take the time to check out Ice Cutters Christmas. They are open Friday & Saturday nights from 6 pm - 10 pm. It's $5 per person and kids 6 and under are free! It's nights like these that I hope the kids will remember as fondly as we do.

Snow Much Fun!

2009-12-07T20:34:00.004-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here - we even had snow last week which is almost unheard of around here! It was fun to watch the kids enjoy the wonder of the cold. What was not fun was to try to get four opinionated two year olds (who see no need for things such as socks, hats, coats, pants) bundled up for only a couple of cold wet minutes of play. My hats off to you mamas north of us who do this day in and day out all winter long - what a job! Other Christmas traditions we enjoyed this week; hot cocoa with jumbo marshmallows, butternut squash soup, decorating the tree together, redecorating the tree alone and taking family Christmas photos. What a fun time of year this is, especially through the eyes of three boys and a little girl!

Snow Much Fun from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Thursday's Truth

2009-12-03T00:00:00.001-06:00

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.

Psalm 34:4-6 (NLT)

B is For....

2009-11-30T08:20:00.019-06:00

Blogger Bums!

Where has November gone? It definitely got away from us and we've been major bums on blogging. Here's a quick review of what happened this month!

Birthday Weekend With Best Friends!

A few of my beautiful girlfriends helped me celebrate my 32nd birthday by spending a night at the Inn at the Ballpark downtown Houston.

Shannon, Colleen, Mari & Jo Ann

We hit the Nutcracker Market for some holiday shopping,

Appropriately Posing In the Dog House

as Our Hubbies Were Manning the Kids While We Shopped!

enjoyed a delicious dinner at Sambuca, then back to the hotel for some goofing off and lots of gab!

What slumber party would be complete without a pillow fight?

Big Boy {and girl} Beds!

Our little monkeys have been able to climb in and out of their cribs for months now. We were able to teach them to only climb in and out when we came in to get them and during the day when we'd let them play in their rooms. So the next step was to take the sides of the crib off. Nervously we disassembled their beds and prayed they'd still nap! It took about 3 days before we didn't have any midnight visitors in our room but they did it! It's been great ever since and especially helpful to not have to travel with pack-n-plays!

Cohen Kicks Back in His Big Boy Bed

Traveling Light With Bedrolls Made by Grandma!

Back to the Beach

We spent a week at the beach for a Glass family Thanksgiving along Florida's Emerald Coast just outside of Destin. We packed the car to the brim, drove 9 hours overnight meeting up with my sister and her family of 5, my brother and his daughter and my parents; 15 of us in all. The four bedroom beachfront condo fit us all comfortably and provided us with a week full of breathtaking ocean views from sunrise to sunset.

Cohen, Noah, Sophia & Finn

Grandma & Cohen Make Sandcastles

Papa & Finn Talking Man to Man

Sophia Picnics on Her Bros Food as They're Busy Playing

Noah's Sandy Smile

Thanksgiving Lunch on the Beach

Bikes {with and without motors}

Florida's scenic Highway 30A hugs the Gulf of Mexico and has some beautiful paths for bicycling. All 15 of us spent Thanksgiving day enjoying the scenery on two wheels.

Now That's a Pack of Bikes!

Our Very Own Thanksgiving Day Parade

Sophia & Noah As Close As They Can Get

Cohen & Finn As Far Apart As They Can Manage

For the more adventurous (Uncle Jim & Aunt Em) you can see a whole lot more of the coast with a lot less effort. Cohen and Noah were both up for this loud adventure around the parking lot but Finn & Sophia wouldn't have any part of it. Finn even tried to talk Cohen out of getting on the motorcycle at all. Thank goodness we have one little boy who's going to assess the potential risk for the group in any given situation.

Uncle Jim, Aunt Em, & Noah

Cohen Gives It A Try

Boats {with and without paddles}

We had a few days of incredibly calm water and were able to take a kayak out from the beach outside our condo. Once again, Finn & Sophia were hesitant to try it out but we forced them on kicking and screaming and once they got out with us they were loving it. The water is so crystal clear you can see straight to the bottom.

Finn, Mommy, Noah & Daddy Paddle In With Jakob's Help

Last year we rented a pontoon and were able to see dozens of dolphins out in the bay. We ventured out again with no luck on spotting any dolphins but did catch a really neat Sheep Fish!

Jakob's Catch of the Day

Papa, Cohen, Noah & Grandma Cuddle to Keep Warm

Finn Getting Sophia Pumped For a Day of Boating in the Cold Weather

Boogie Boarding

The big cousins loved to get the boogie boards out into the water and ride the waves.

Makenna Rides the Waves

Even though we love our new Puddle Jumper life vests which are US Coastguard approved and kept our little non-swimmers afloat in the big heated pool, we thought it'd be best to have them stick to boogie boarding on dry land for now.

Boogie Boredom from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Wiggly, Giggly Wednesday

2009-11-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

Mr. Caterpillar from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:15:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Grammie came to visit us and help to take the kids trick or treating. We dressed the kids up for the first time and paraded around the neighborhood. We had our own little zoo on the loose with Cohen & Sophia being monkeys, Noah as a tiger, Finn as a lion and Chris and I as animal attack victims. It was a great time and we all wish we could do it over again! Next year can't come soon enough.

Trick or Treat from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

The Colors of Fall

2009-10-28T20:22:00.003-05:00

Four eager artists, a handful of washable markers and four little pumpkins are the makings of fall colors around here. The best part is that the markers wash right off (the pumpkins and the artists) and we can color the same canvases all season. I'm loving that!

Sophia

Finn

Noah

Cohen

Thursday's Truth

2009-10-22T07:25:00.002-05:00

Jesus replied, "What is impossible for men is possible with God."

Luke 18:27

More Thursday's Truths

Horsin' around with Daddy

2009-10-17T22:41:00.012-05:00

With Mommy out of the house shopping with a friend, it was due time for a little mano y mano y mano y mano y chica time. The absolutely perfect weather gave way to lots of outdoor activities. After hanging out in the backyard re-organizing the "rock garden", we headed for the neighborhood park and trails. After a few rounds on the slide, we decided to see if the horses were enjoying the fall temps as much as we were. I guess they were feeling frisky too because they were all out in the pasture and right up to the fence. Surprisingly, the kids were not at all frightened of these big, beautiful creatures. Finn especially loved the horses and has to be the biggest animal lover of the crew. They couldn't get enough of petting the horses and "neighing" at them. After that we strolled down the dirt trail really just doing nothing. I truly cherish these "one-on one" moments with the kids as they see the beauty in all the little and ordinary things around us.

Noah & Cohen

Finn

Sophia

Finn, Noah, Sophia & Cohen

Noah

Sophia

Cohen

Finn

Thursday's Truth

2009-10-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

It seems like my mind is constantly in a fog. There are lots of distractions around here and I am constantly being pulled in many different ways.

Sophia will follow me around saying "Mommy, hair?" "Mommy, hair?" "Mommy, hair?" She'll persist for an hour just for me to look down to see that all she wants is for me to put her little pigtails back in for her.

Cohen will walk around the house and request over and over "Up.....up.....up....up..." to see if I'll give in and finally pick him up. Which will then create a domino effect of three more little ones insisting, "Mommy, up..."

Finn likes to ask to go outside and then once he's outside he likes to ask to come back inside. It's to see if I'll pay attention to him and open and shut the door for him for as long as he sees fit.

Noah's new one is "Mommy, look! or "Mommy, watch!" No matter if he's just sitting on the couch or about to go down the slide - he wants to see if I'll look his way - all eyes on him.

I've gotten really good at tuning out the requests so I don't start a domino effect and so I can try to stay on course and get my next task done. The problem with this is that I've started to tune out that one clear voice who should be directing my path throughout the day. God, the Holy Spirit, my BFF; I'm sad to say that voice has been giving very clear instructions lately and I've simply been ignoring it and going on to the next item on my checklist.

The God who has given me the miracles that these four little ones are, the God who provides in abundance for our family of six on just one income, the same God who created this entire universe. How could I just ignore what He is asking of me? How did I make His plan so insignificant and my pursuit for order and pleasure so much better? I let my mind get clouded by everything around me. I fill my schedule with meaningless tasks and activities that leave me too tired and worn out to do what He's asking. I get in a hurry and forget to really listen and I justify that there's always tomorrow. I don't want that to be my life. As our pastor often says, God's plan is not always easier but always so much better than our own plans. I've got to choose who it is I am living for and then learn to listen to that clear yet quiet voice in order to live it out.

You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes.

Deuteronomy 10:20 & 21

More Thursday's Truths

Too Sweet!

2009-10-10T22:40:00.006-05:00

With Texas's first cold front of the season, we were feeling frisky to check out the Scarecrow Festival in Chapell Hill. We made so many memories today and are beginning to realize how grown up our babies are becoming. We loaded them up in one wagon (yes, all four in one wagon) and navigated the crowds. Halfway through, we ditched the wagon next to a fence and were walking and holding hands with the kids wandering the festival grounds on foot. Not once did they try to bail on us, run or touch any of the tempting merchandise at just an arm's length from them.

We hunted down the petting zoo which we were bummed to find was $3 per child to enter. With only $10 in cash on us, we ignored the dirty looks and let them pet all of the animals on the outside of the fence for free. This included the sassy pony who must've been kicked out for bad behavior. We let the kids pet her during which she whinnied so loud it about knocked Sophia over! That marked the end of the free exhibit for our little family.

After meandering through the fairgrounds with such a well behaved bunch we thought it was appropriate to reward them (and ourselves) with sugar. We had $10 burning a hole in our pocket. So we stood in a line one dozen deep for a Texas sized bag of some killer kettle corn - $7.

Right next door they were dishing up some massive cotton candy cones - $3 - perfect! It was worth every penny as the crowd was entertained by the squealing delight of our four two year olds trying cotton candy for the first time. Finn, who is a little guy that likes to put everything in his mouth just to see what it tastes like, feels or does once it's in there was going crazy for it! It was too sweet for words - check it out yourself!

Too Sweet! from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Tailgates N More

2009-10-05T14:26:00.005-05:00

Chris, Mari, Conor, Gen, Joe, Suz

Texas is known for an abundance of trucks so when it's football season, there's no better place to tailgate. With the help of a few brave souls to watch the kiddos, we were able to travel up I-45 to spend the weekend with some dear friends and fellow quad parents - Joe and Suz Steece and Conor and Gen McNulty. Joe and Suz hosted us and hunted down tickets to the A&M game at Jerry's World. The light rain couldn't stop us from having a blast out there!

Suz (The Hostess With The Mostest) & Mari

Suz, Mari & Gen

After the game (3rd quarter actually), we met up with some more friends and fellow quad parents, the Gerwers to show the McNultys (who came all the way from California) how we roll in Texas. There's no better place to do this than at Billy Bob's Honky Tonk. This place is massive! It has 2 dance floors for some good ol' 2-steppin', pool tables, a BBQ restaurant and a bull riding arena. You won't fit in here if you don't use the entire bottle of starch on your jeans - it's the real deal!

Some Photo Booth Fun

Casey, Mari, Suz & Gen

Proud Quad Papas

Robbie, Joe, Chris & Conor

We worked up quite an appetite on the dance floor so we checked into the Waffle House. This place quickly became Conor's favorite restaurant and might just be the reason he moves here.

The Waffle House Meal

We had a great time and truly appreciate being able to get away and spend time with such wonderful friends. Be sure that we weren't the only ones who had a blast - the kids played hard too. Here's a slideshow that Alaine put together of some of the highlights from her weekend with the Goerlich Gang, it's precious!

Busy, Wet Day from Alaine Schlechte on Vimeo.

Thursday's Truth

2009-10-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 4 - 7

More Thursday's Truths

And the Winner is...

2009-09-28T21:56:00.003-05:00

Noah, Cohen, Sophia, Finn

We've all been "on the fence" about the voting results. Thanks to good voter turnout, the Crazy Redneck wins the contest. Funny thing is, I wasn't feeling crazy enough at 5:30am to pull it off. However, someone else had the same idea, but took it to a whole new level - old NRA shirt with a huge hole in the side and matching camo hat and shoes. And it worked! He was the 1st one kicked out. Pretty sure he was driving this truck we were following on our way to Austin this weekend....

Yes, there's a duck in the truck

There's a quack in the back

This goose ain't gettin' loose in the caboose

Delivery truck with Peek-ing duck

Travel feather bed

World wide webbed feet

It could keep going and going if you allow it....

And you question my sanity

2009-09-24T21:30:00.013-05:00

I need your help to decide what makes me look more crazy to ensure I get sent home quickly from jury duty. (voting poll on the right)

Crazy Redneck

Crazy Cowboy

Crazy Dude Lady

Crazy Judge Wannabe

Crazy Quad Dad

Thursday's Truth

2009-09-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Those who wait for the Lord - they will soar on the wings of eagles. They will run and not get weary they will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

More Thursday's Truths

Thursday's Truth

2009-09-17T07:00:00.002-05:00

We walk by faith not by sight.

II Corinthians 5:7

More Thursday's Truths

Fun Times With Papa & Grandma

2009-09-15T19:54:00.004-05:00

Papa & Grandma flew down for a visit a couple of weeks ago. When we pick them up we usually wait in the car in the loading zone. This time I thought we'd surprise them and meet them inside the airport as they came out of the terminals. The kids were so excited and kept watch for them as everyone passed by.

We took advantage of the warm sunshiny days we were having and the extra helping hands and went to explore downtown Houston. There's a new park called Discovery Green that I'd been too chicken to check out on my own during the week when it was rumored to not be crowded. The rumor is confirmed, we had the entire playground and splash pad to ourselves. Not a soul in site!

Finn

Noah, Grandma & Sophia

Cohen, Noah, Sophia & Papa

Cohen

Grandma Picnics With Her Little Chicks

We were all spoiled to pieces. Chris and I got to enjoy a weekend away and recharge while they spoiled the kids even more at home. Life is definitely a whole lot more grand with them here! Grandma & Papa, come back soon!

Thursday's Truth - Every Time is Story Time

2009-09-10T07:00:00.006-05:00

Everyone loves a good story, especially kids. One of our kids' favorite books is called "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" by Jane Yolen. They act out all of the silly things the dinosaurs are doing to get out of bedtime. They can remember what's next by hearing just one line before the anticipated naughty behavior they are so eager to mimic. They can listen to it over and over and never tire from it. As a mom, I know it's my job to tell our kids lots of stories. And not just the colorful, glossy-paged ones. I tell them stories that show what miracles they are or specific stories about how God has helped us that day. Like today when it was pouring rain while we were driving in the car, I told them how God is our umbrella and He is always right there with us helping us to see even in the rain. Right now they are so young the stories are pretty short and simple but I'm getting practice telling the tales that might be passed down through the generations. Stories our kids will roll their eyes at after hearing the first line because they've heard it a hundred times or more. But if they listen enough just maybe they'll start acting these stories out too.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

More Thursday's Truths

Party Time!

2009-09-08T09:37:00.002-05:00

The kids' birthday party was a week ago. We kept it a small, family function but still had a big time! They didn't know what to think at first but warmed up to all the food and fun in no time. Here's a quick video with some birthday party footage.

It's My Birthday Too! from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Thursday's Truth - A Kid At Heart

2009-09-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

What are your favorite memories about being a kid? Mine include laughing out loud over almost anything, having best friends live next door, feeling rich with ten pennies in my pocket and even richer once I had bought half a dozen pieces of candy with it. The simplest things made me happy. It's the moments when the box that wraps a present brings as much delight as the gift itself. Or when you never worried about how a home was run only how fast you could run through it to the backyard of opportunities. When did we complicate things as grown ups? Why are we looking for happiness when it's all around us? Why are we worried about taking care of ourselves and everyone else when God is already doing that for us? Being a kid at heart is what God intends - trust in Him to take care of you like He's the only Daddy you know, laugh out loud, be silly, find joy in the simple things that have always been right around you, meet some new best friends next door, live each day as if you've never lived it before.

Finn

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 18:2-4

Previous Thursday's Truths

Happy 2nd Birthday, Cohen, Noah, Finn & Sophia!

2009-08-29T09:57:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Our little babies our 2 years old today! I know we slept through the 1st year but what happened to the 2nd year?

Here's a quick glance at their personalities right now...

Cohen aka "Coco" - sensitive little dude with a sweet, sweet heart (especially for his momma)

Noah aka "NoNo" - all boy, never stops moving, playing, banging things, squealing; he is quite polite, always saying "thank you" and "please"

Finn aka "Finnster" - Mr. social, always the first to say "Hi!" and "Bye!". He is by far the most talkative and also the most strong-willed

Sophia aka "Sophia Mia Bella" or as the boys call her "Pepia" - she is all girl but can hang with the boys. She loves to make you laugh and entertain you.

Cohen, Noah, Sophia & Finn - thank you for the most terrific years of our life so far. We're looking forward to many, many more! Happy 2nd Birthday!

Terrific Twos from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Thursday's Truth

2009-08-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

You know those moments when you find out a bit of information that changes everything you thought was true? Growing up, we had an old console television that you turned on and off with a pull or push of a button and to turn channels you had to get up and turn a dial to one of four different stations. One of my girlfriend's lived in high style and viewed TV with a remote control and a lot more than four channels. While visiting her one afternoon, she taught me how to use the remote. In my first and only lesson, she firmly instructed me where the volume, channels and power buttons were. She said that it was very important to know that I could push any of the buttons except the sleep button. When I questioned what would happen if I hit the sleep button she informed me that the TV would blow up. Gullible as I was, I put that bit of info in my mind for all future encounters with a remote control. It wasn't until I had my very own 13 inch television with remote control that I learned the truth about that sleep button. Whoa! What an eye opener! What else had I missed? How long would I have gone on believing this? Was this a joke or did should I be informing her of this new information?

I had another one of those moments this year during a bible study. One of the discussions was on worshiping. When I think of worship, I think of singing and praying, going to church or having a bible study but I was missing out on another kind of worship, one that is far more powerful for me. Using God's Word to worship in truth. It means to worship in Jesus, using God's word and believing it over and over again in the same breath if that's what it takes. When my spirit is exhausted and my heart is just not into worshiping, I can still worship because I always have the truths in my Bible that can give me the peace, energy, courage and joy my soul needs. For me, it means taking God's word and believing it, using it to fight off doubts, depression or temptation. Using it to praise God when my heart just doesn't feel like it. So in light of my new discovery, I'm going to attempt to start Thursday's Truth. I'll post a Bible verse that is on my heart for the week or maybe just one that goes with a fun picture for the day. My hope is that it will speak to at least one of you as much as it speaks to me.

Sophia & Cohen

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:31&32

Austin Adventures

2009-08-18T12:51:00.012-05:00

The kids and I headed to Austin a couple of weeks ago and invaded our friends Jenn & Ansley's house. We packed more outings into two days than we've done the entire time back from our Iowa trip!

Noah & Ansley Play Peek-A-Boo

After our little Texas Tornadoes blew through Ansley's toy room, we packed up and headed to Tuesday Kids Night at the Nutty Brown Cafe.

If you haven't been there, it is an Austin gem! The expansive patio is shaded by huge Live Oaks and surrounds a gigantic bird cage which houses a large talking Parrot named Cheeto. On one side of the patio is a sandbox the size of our backyard for the kids to play in and on the other side there is a stage with live local musicians jamming out. Kids night (every Tuesday night) featurs silly children's songs and kids ate for 99 cents! It was a blast!

It Was A Good Thing We Got There Early -

We Cleared Out the High Chairs!

The late night of dancing and getting down and very dirty in that sandbox did not deter this bunch from waking up with the sun the next morning. So we ate some cereal al fresco and planned another fun day.

Jenn suggested checking out the fire department down the street from their house to see if they'd let the kids get a close look at the fire engines. The fire fighters were so gracious and let us play in the garage for quite a while - everyone taking turns driving and riding in the back of the truck.

Finn Mans The Wheel

Ansley, Cohen, Sophia & Noah Hang In the Back

Not So Fast, Finn!

(Caught Him Trying To Sneak In the Back on The Other Side)

Sophia & Cohen Take A Turn At the Wheel

Ansley In Awe

Suckers Work Wonders to Get

Them to Pose for a Group Shot!

After the fire trucks, we went to play at the park. Then headed home for lunch & a nap. The pool was next on the list. Unfortunately there are no pictures at the pool - I haven't figured out how to relax enough while they are "swimming" to take photos around the water! It was a fun trip and we can't wait to do it again.

Jenn, thank you so very much for letting us crash your pad. I know we left you with a million messes and toys hidden in places you never thought of! You and Ansley are such sweet friends and we miss you terribly! Please come visit us soon!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-08-11T14:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to you, sweetheart! Our best days are spent with you!

Happy Birthday Daddy from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Staying Afloat

2009-08-09T18:49:00.008-05:00

One of the many blessings that comes with having four babies entrusted to us at one time is that we have learned quickly that very little is in our control when it comes to raising these precious children. We went from a high risk pregnancy to months in the neonatal intensive care unit in the hospital, endured three surgeries and then went home with heart monitors for all four babies. If there was anything to learn from all of that it was that God is in control and protects our family every step of the way. Still, there are numerous times I have to be reminded of that as I catch myself worrying daily. Worrying whether the kids are eating enough, or if they are going to be cranky all day, if their tantrums will ever end, or if I'm capable of keeping them safe from darting into the street while they ride their trikes & cars in the driveway.

Daddy and "Blonde Daddy"

Noah

All this Water and Still Dry?

Noah, Cohen, Mommy, Finn, Sophia

Yesterday was one of those worry-filled days and funny enough, I started my morning reading a chapter from The Bathtub is Overflowing but I Feel Drained by Lysa TerKeurst. It was entitled "A Mom's Greatest Fear" which talked about how God tells us not to fear (the phrase "fear not" or the equivalent is in the Bible 365 times!) but instead turn our worry over to God and trust in Him to provide and protect. So when we took all of our little ones to a family reunion in Galveston, which was on the water and also around a pool, I was trying my best to give up all of the worries and just enjoy the day. We hadn't been there more than 30 minutes when the kids found the pool and wanted to check out the water. I let them sit by the pool and put their feet in while Chris went to get their swimsuits. Sophia was kicked back, striking the cutest little supermodel pose on the pool deck. I was laughing at her and then turn to check on Noah & Finn who had walked back behind me - sticking their hands in the hot tub. As soon as I turned back around I saw Cohen floating face down about 3 feet out into the water. Of course I squealed and jumped in to grab him. He looked at me with confused and startled eyes like as if I had pushed him out there. I was shaking, he was shaking, we were both soaked! Right here is where I should've been singing Hallelujahs and praising God. Instead I was thinking I knew, I just knew it - this is dangerous, this is all my fault, there is no way we can ever get back into the pool nor around any other pool...ever! Chris came back and interrupted my little worry-fest with swimsuits in hand. He was hardly phased by my story, just said "well thank god you were right there" and then went on putting the bathing suits on the kids. There were no more incidents all day - Cohen got back in (with his swimsuit on this time) and was a happy little fish.

Taking in the View

Daddy & Sophia

Holdin' on Tight

Noah, Daddy & Cohen

We came home with an exhausted group and put them to bed. I was trying to go to sleep but couldn't get that image out of my head. I just kept thinking - what if this or what if that had happened? So now I was worrying about the past also! Worrying about something that could've played out but didn't! "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:27 That verse popped into my head and I thought, what am I doing drowning myself in fear? I started my way overdue hallelujahs and praised God instead; for protecting us, for comforting me with Jesus's words. My mind quieted and I was able to join Chris in sawing a few logs before morning.

Love Fest

Sophia, Mema, Noah, CJ, Pepa, Madeleine, Cohen & Finn

Mema's Candid Cookies

CJ, Finn, Cohen, Noah, Jordyn, Madeleine & Sophia

Blackened Feet are a True Sign of a Great Day

Finn

Beating the Heat

2009-07-29T07:49:00.000-05:00

Escaping the heat in the middle of a Texas summer is sometimes difficult with 4 energetic tots. So far, this is what we have come up with:

Turn off all electricity except the AC so the energy bill won't be so bad. Actually the electricity went out Sunday night for about 3 hours after a thunderstorm moved through.

(Mari trying to get through the fourth and final Twilight book...will it ever end?)

Cool the palate with a refreshing popsicle

Paint our toes. Even the boys love it.

(Noah's blue piggies)

Watch the neighbors' lawn guys do their thing.

It's all about lawnmowers right now.

Pretend we're Jazzy (or daddy) in the "doghouse"

More popsicles after an afternoon in the pool

Yes, we watch Jon & Kate

(it's one of the few shows the kids will watch for more than 1 min)

Pick and smell the plumeria

Relax with a good book

The Dallas Dozen

2009-07-19T17:24:00.010-05:00

We just returned from an amazing weekend in Dallas. We packed up our munchkins to head to the Big D for a marriage conference and to spend some time with the Steeces'. We had planned to take over their house for the weekend, but unfortunately their AC went kaput; luckily a cool front dropped the temps to 96. With some good ol' help from Priceline, we scored 2 hotel rooms for the price of one for weekend. All 8 of our kids finally met and took over the Westin by storm. It was so fun to see them interact and mimic each other and sleep in some pretty cozy conditions. We decided to put all the kids in one room (5 pack-n-plays and 3 "tents") so the padres could hang out in the other room at night. It all worked out so well with the rooms right next to each other and being able to use the video monitor to watch the kids chit chat way past their bedtime. We are amazed that all the kids did so well, being in a new place, around new people, missing naps, and staying up late.

We also had the opportunity to go to the Gerwers' one-and-a-half birthday party. There were children galore - 4 sets of quads (Gerwer, Urech, Steece, Goerlich), and several sets of triplets and twins. I wonder what the neighbors would think if they peeked over the fence.

We are so thankful to have the Steece's in our lives and we can't wait for our next family reunion, complete with hugs, kissies, and high fives.

Pool Party!!

(Savannah and Noah)

Ice Cream Eating Contest

(Cohen and Sophia)

Can You Imagine?

Party of 12 - 4 Adults, 8 Kids

Flirting Finn Makes His Move

(Savannah and Finn)

The Dudes

(Chris, Robbie, Joe)

The Chicks

(Suz Steece, Mari Goerlich, Casey Gerwer, Misty Urech)

Room Service

You Expect Us to Sleep?

Precious Cargo Aboard the Luggage Cart

***All photos are courtesy of Suz Steece - of all weekends to forget to charge the camera:)***

Back To Reality

2009-07-10T07:37:00.008-05:00

Parents Night Out

Papa, Grandma, Mommy, Daddy, Auntie Em & Uncle Jim

Our Sparkling Cousins!

Jakob, Makenna, Josh & Hannah

After spending nearly a month away with our family in Iowa we are home at last! The kids and I had such a wonderful time and we didn't want to leave. What a gift it was to be with the family and to get so much help with the kids. We kept busy and the time flew by too quickly. We are so thankful for Auntie Em and Uncle Jim giving up their house for the past month and for Jakob, Hannah and Josh for loving and entertaining our little guys. It is funny how much kids learn from other kids. Every night, Hannah, Josh & Jakob would throw on their favorite tunes and dance their hearts out. Yesterday, we turned on some music and all the kiddos started bustin' a groove and shouting "Hannah! Hannah!". Sophia is even trying to do some of their breakdancing moves - although it looks more like some Jane Fonda leg lifts to someone who hasn't seen their cousin Makenna's hip hop routine!

After this great adventure, Chris and I, the toys and dishwasher are back to reality (and only being able to play outside between the hours of 7:00am and 7:30am). We miss everyone like crazy and can't wait to get together again.

Barefooted Bus Ride

Sophia, Mommy, Noah, Finn, Cohen & Daddy

Postcard From the Heartland

2009-06-28T19:18:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends,

We're here in the heartland of America, enjoying some cooler weather (yet only a couple of degrees cooler this past week) and playing with our four older cousins.

We are having such a blast! So far we have been to 2 splash pads and 1 pool, attended story time at the local library,

gone skinny slipping (I think Noah was the only one who actually went down the slip-n-slide in the buff), caught tadpoles in the pond,

took over the Children's Museum, went on a nature walk and climbed some rocks, picked strawberries or really ate strawberries from a strawberry patch,

had our first DQ cone and attended 2 parades with one more on the books for next week!

I'm pretty sure there's more but I'm so tired I can barely remember what we did just a day ago and without Daddy we have limited photos to document our activities. Speaking of Daddy, we miss him terribly and can't wait for him to come back up here so we can drag him along on all of our adventures and actually get some proof we were there!

Hope you are enjoying your summer and your family as much as we are!

Sending our love,

Mari, Cohen, Noah, Finn & Sophia

Father's Day Fun Times

2009-06-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

Chris, I can never tell you enough what an awesome dad you are. You were made for this gig. You can (and do) run circles around me any day. You rarely grow tired and never lose your sense of humor. It's incredible to watch you with the kids and see the genuine delight you get from being with them - and them with you. Happy Daddy's Day, sweetheart! Thank you for all that you do for the entire family - we would be lost and so bored without you!

Daddies Are More Fun from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Leaving On A Jet Plane

2009-06-17T22:17:00.009-05:00

Don't know when we'll be back again....

It's that time - our annual dose of complete insanity as Chris and I attempted to maneuver the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport for a long visit with our family in the Heartland. This flying business is quite the challenge with four very energetic toddlers who still don't speak the same language as we do. Try explaining to a 21-month-old strong willed little one that their shoes, blankets and wagons need to go through the security x-ray machine and we'll pick them up on the other side. I was dragging a screaming crying bunch through the metal detector as fast as I could to try to show them that we were in fact getting their precious belongings back. I must've been as red as their wagons while trying to nod a little thanks for understanding and yes, we hope we're not on your plane either to the passersby who were all giving me long looks of pure pity. We made it through and managed to get everyones clothes back on and head to go get breakfast. Again we had a communication error where Cohen assumed Daddy had left us for bad behavior at the security gate and we were never going to eat again. And again I turned a few shades of red as I tried to calm Cohen down while praying the half dozen customers in front of Chris were just ordering a cup of water. It was 3 minutes that felt like an hour but we got our breakfast and everyone was happy and ready to explore our terminal. We let the kids run around a bit before boarding the plane in hopes they'd be tuckered out and ready to sit still.

An Attempted Game of Ring Around The Tree Trunk

(Mommy, Cohen, Sophia, Noah - Finn was taking the Photo)

The games didn't quite prepare the whole bunch to sit still. A few screams of protest that echoed throughout the plane were quickly translated as my little travel companions way of asking me to sit with Daddy instead. So once we had those seating assignments rearranged were on our way and had quite a pleasant ride.

Goofing Off

(Mommy & Sophia)

The layover was short but long enough for diaper changes and some lunch. By lunch I mean running around the terminal to finger paint a few chairs with the pizza we were trying to stuff in them before the next leg of the trip. Once we were in the air we had a nice gift of four little nappers on that next two hour plane ride! (Shout Out to Moni - Thank You!) We have never had so many compliments on how sweet and good our kids are as we did on that flight! Thank goodness they didn't see them in Houston!

Crusing In Style

(Cohen)

My Sweet Snoozers!

(Finn, Daddy, Noah)

Cuddle Time in the Clouds

(Sophia & Mommy)

Traveling Together

2009-06-15T19:11:00.005-05:00

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Friendships are some of the most precious gifts God gives to us. He designed us to yearn for relationships. To need friendships. Friends to laugh with, grow (and shrink) with, friends to help to guide us on the right path and pull us back over when we're headed down the wrong one. When you find friends who will do just that they are truly a blessing like no other. My girls, my quad momma sisters, I love you dearly! I wish we lived much closer but am so very grateful for the time we are given together! My boys, my quad papa brothers, you are so precious and so darn hysterical. What a joy it is to have all your jokes running through my head days after a weekend trip together! I thank God daily for each of your friendships and truly feel so blessed to travel this journey He placed in our laps (or bellies, I should say) with each of you!

Mari, Chris, Conor, Gen, Jen, Brad, Suz & Joe

Suz, Gen, Mari & Jen

Warning: Do Not Try This At Home

2009-06-06T11:00:00.006-05:00

In a burst of ambition, or maybe it was temporary insanity, I decided to show the kids how to make chocolate chip cookies. We all gathered around the island and we baked Food Network style, with a play by play of what was going on. It wasn't long until the play by play was just playing and flour was everywhere. They kept getting into the dry ingredients bowl taking out the flour with the spoons I'd given them for when it was their turn to stir. So I thought, I'll just give them each their own little cup of flour and they can play with that and not the actual recipe. It was hysterical. I told them "do not eat this, just play with it with your hands and spoons." As soon as I said that I turned around to get something and when I turned back everyone had little white beards from taking a big "drink" of the flour. The laugh I got from that surprise was worth all the mess! Speaking of mess, it's been a few days since the cooking show and I still can't get all that flour cleaned up. This is definitely a project that should always be done at Grandma's house!

Our Future Patissiers

"Mom, you should totally use this for teeth whitener, look it works!"

(Sophia)

Coco Sports A Distinguished Chefstache

"I'll take it from here..."

(Finn)

Even Jaz got in on getting floured!

Almost Done!

Aren't they beautiful, Grandma?

Excuse Me!

2009-05-30T21:28:00.005-05:00

The kids have been playing with each other more and more lately. Earlier today Chris and I watched Noah feed Sophia some imaginary cereal. Finn walked up and intercepted an imaginary bite out of Noah's hand and Sophia cried out in sadness. It was so funny! They are competitive little ones even in their make believe world.

I caught another one of their games today. They often play the "excuse me game" at the front door window which is a long, slim windowpane only big enough for one little set of eyes. This afternoon they all wanted a front row seat to watch Daddy working outside the backdoor window and the "excuse me game" was on in full swing.

Excuse Me! from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Disclaimer:

No kids were hurt during the making of this video. We can't speak for any future emotional scarring that might occur from Noah being caught in a tutu. He is one mean ballerino, isn't he?

And as for our dog, Jazmyn, she is just playing in this video and the kids love it. The kids bite her far harder than she ever mouths them. She is truly one of their favorite friends.

S.O.S. (Save Our Stomachs)

2009-05-25T19:05:00.008-05:00

After we came home from vacation I had confirmation from my parents (who lovingly took care of the kids for the 9 days while we were gone) that this gig is indeed hard and I need help. I finally took their advice and have lined up some wonderful relief each week. Miss Becky has watched the kids for me once a week from the time we brought them home and she still comes over one afternoon for a few hours so I can get out and run errands. Another friend, Miss Debbie, is so graciously giving me her only free afternoon each week and comes over to play with the kids and helps me keep the peace around here. And Miss Jody is my very own Mother's Day Out program customized to my schedule! I take the kids to her house for few hours once a week and she does all sorts of fun things with them!

It has made a real difference to have some breaks to our normal routine and to just feel like I can breathe a little. The kids seem better and my mood is definitely lighter because of each of these precious ladies who share their love with us. I am so thankful for each of them - I just wish I'd asked for more help earlier! If I had, maybe I wouldn't be going to the doctor tomorrow to check on what I'm almost positive is an ulcer!

The pics below are all courtesy of Jody who shot these while the kids were at her house. If you live in our area and need a sitter - she's your gal! She has a true gift with children which thankfully she shares with the rest of us! Check her out on her website, www.GotBabysitter.com.

Miss Jody & The Goerlich Gang

Finn's Fantastic Face & Body Painting!

Sophia Circles Her Tickle Spot

Noah Paints a Target

Coco Sticks to the Free Food

Splashing Around

2009-05-17T19:54:00.003-05:00

Saturday brought buckets of rain in the afternoon giving us some much needed relief from the hot and humid temperature that's been reaching over 90 degrees most afternoons. The kids loved jumping in the puddles and riding through them with their "cars" was definitely a splashing hit.

Cohen & Noah Race Through The Water

Sophia Attempted to Wash Her Hair

A Little Push For The Ultimate Soak

(Noah)

Why Can't I Take My Clothes Off In the Front Yard?

(Finn)

Happy Mommy's Day

2009-05-10T13:36:00.006-05:00

Cohen, Finn, Sophia & Noah

"We love you, Momma!"

This is such a special day to honor you. You are an absolutely amazing mother, who puts your heart and soul into raising our kids. While I might like to think it, I know for a fact I could not do what you do every day. Our kids are blessed to have you as a mommy.

To make this mother's day even more special, we attended the baby dedication at church this morning. Busha attended the service with us and spent some time lovin' on the babies. We topped the day off at the pool. It's fun to see the kiddos splash around in the water and play with other kids. The best part of the day (any day for that matter) is seeing the smile on Mari's and the babies' faces.

Daddy, Sophia, and Noah enjoying a snack

Cohen, Finn & Momma playing with "Lizzy"

We hope all you mommas out there had a great day!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

There's No Place Like Home

2009-05-04T11:46:00.006-05:00

We are back from the beautiful caribbean ocean - a 9 day vacation that was such a treasure. We were on Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas. Most haven't heard of it simply because there's hardly anything there. It's a very lazy little island with the most beautiful beaches we've seen. I knew this when we booked the trip but still found myself looking for something we could go do or see. It was so hard to just relax. By day 3, I think we had it down and parked our behinds on the beach to read, sleep, apply sunscreen and repeat. It was a wonderful gift of refreshment that was much needed for Chris and I. I'd encourage all you parents to get some time away alone. Even if it's just somewhere local for a couple of days, it's so good to do and really will re-energize you.

The Plane From Florida To Exuma Island

The Airport Was The Size Of A Small House!

Passing Time In The Sand

Golf Carts Were the Preferred Mode of Transportation

Just Remember To Drive On The WRONG Side of the Road!

Fresh Coconut Milk Straight From The Tree!

Trying To Capture The Amazing Color Of the Water

Pictures Don't Do It Justice

The Wind Was Crazy The First Few Days We Were There

I have to say, I missed the kids terribly and made Chris vow to never let me spend so much time away from them. They barely recognized us when we got home. Cohen, Noah and Sophia all looked at us like - who are you again? Finn ran around the house squealing with excitement so I'm guessing he remembered us or was just happy to have more people to socialize with (he is his daddy through and through).

What's Better Than A Beach Vacation?

Having ALL my loves together.

Vay-cay-tion

2009-04-25T09:39:00.004-05:00

Wishing you were here!

Emerald Cay, Great Exuma Island, The Bahamas

Sunshine Fun Times

2009-04-17T07:30:00.001-05:00

Lets celebrate the weekend with some Friday Funnies! I've been meaning to put together this video of the kids trying out the water hose for the first time. We tried it out back in March and it was hysterical fun! Just praying we don't have a water ban this summer so we can have some refreshing entertainment while our average temps reach over 100 degrees!

Our Lil' Hosers from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

2009-04-14T12:13:00.011-05:00

Easter weekend is definitely a celebration in our household. Celebrating the miracle of Jesus's resurrection which means eternal life for all of us who believe. But something else has been speaking to my heart this weekend. Just ponder the sacrifice that Jesus made for us and how we, as parents, should be prepared to do the same for our children and surrender daily. Take, for instance, the holidays. I used to get so excited about them. It meant hanging out with extended family, playing games until the wee hours, having a late breakfast and just relaxing together all day. Now it's filled with the normal daily tasks that need to occur to get the kids ready, fed, cleaned up, disciplined and entertained - not much of a "holiday" for us parents. I can even remember thinking what a bummer it is that I spent my few hours of free time shopping for the kids' outfits and I didn't get anything new for myself. Or how disappointed I was when the kids all came down with coughing-runny nosed-can't-hide-it colds and I couldn't bear to drop them at the church nursery and chance getting everyone else's little ones sick. So now we weren't able to enjoy the Easter services like we'd been looking forward to all weekend - and it wasn't just for a free hour sans kids ;). It was in that selfish moment that God spoke to my heart to tell me times have changed and I need to rise to the challenge. My dinky sacrifices will never compare to that of Jesus, but these little things that we do put on hold while raising our children mimic His character and our kids will see that He is very much alive in us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your ultimate sacrifice - may we celebrate it all year long.

Sophia Waits Patiently For the Egg Hunt

Finn Taste Tested Every Egg

Noah Runs With His Loot

Cohen Dutifully "Cleans Up" All the Eggs

Cousin Madeleine Wears Her Basket Like A Purse

Our "Casa-Noah" Gives Busha Some Love

The Break in the Rain Gave Way to a Beautiful Lunch Outdoors

Easter...on its way

2009-04-13T08:55:00.003-05:00

We are still savoring Easter weekend....will update soon.

We hope everyone had a great Easter!

A Wild Path

2009-04-02T22:37:00.006-05:00

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

The Texas wildflowers are in full bloom right now and we hadn't ventured out to see them yet. Rumor has it they aren't going to last much longer so I thought I'd better take advantage of the overcast afternoon - thinking great natural lighting for outdoor photos. It wasn't until I was aimlessly looking for a private field of wildflowers where the kids could safely play and pose for photos, that it occurred to me that I might get lost. I had no map, no GPS, and four toddlers in my car which meant no stopping and running in somewhere to ask directions. Chris is not available for the "can you mapquest something for me and tell me if I'm going the right way?" type of calls at work, so I started to pray. It was something like, "Okay God, sorry I didn't really prepare here, could really use your help". I decided on trying to locate the field we'd found with my parents last year. I traced our drive from a year ago, praying continuously, "Lord, please tell me if I need to turn." Nothing was looking familiar, nothing felt right until I needed to turn and then, suddenly I'd remember. Then another straight away and I'd doubt some more, but yet again, a turn I needed to make would come up and again I knew I was back on track. We got to the field and man, what a disappointment. I had passed a dozen or more fields that were far brighter, prettier than this one right off the highway. But the kids were sick of being in the car so I parked next to the sparsely-flowered field and decided we'd picnic under a tree and plan to find another photo-op with a map and Daddy on another day.

Still, it turned out to be a perfect afternoon. The boys were so excited about all of the abundance of sticks that they barely noticed the lack of flowers while Sophia loved every flower she could find and simply running up and down the hill. I enjoyed the safety the spot allowed and the shade under the sprawling oak trees was pretty nice too since the sun decided to poke out after all.

All said and done, I couldn't help but ask myself if I truly am trusting God to direct my path. Am I leaning on my own understanding too often? Not allowing things into my life that might look like a bust yet be just the place God needs me to be? I'd like to think he'll direct my path in spite of my strong will to be in control - it'd just be a lot easier if I'd trust him the whole way.

And so there I was in a field enjoying my kids in full bloom...

"We're free!"

(Cohen, Sophia, Noah & Finn)

"Awe shucks, picking just one bunch won't hurt..."

(Sophia, Noah & Finn)

"Look, Mom, I can touch the sky!"

(Noah)

"Flowers are yummy...."

(Finn)

"I think I found one of those flowers you were hyping up the whole way here!"

(Cohen)

"Blue skies, bluebonnets and the wind in my hair - doesn't get much better than this!"

(Sophia)

Say What?

2009-03-27T21:52:00.003-05:00

With the grandparents graciously coming all the way from Iowa to babysit the kiddos while Chris and I go on vacation, I thought a lesson in the language we speak around here might be helpful. The kids say lots of simple words that are pretty clear. It's the more obscure words that I thought they'd like a little practice with. The video below should have them fluent in no time. Just 26 days to study!

Learning Baby Talk from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

A Lesson in Patience

2009-03-24T22:03:00.013-05:00

With little ones running around all day, patience is at the top of our prayer list. In fact, I thought I was patient - I could patiently drive behind the person driving 45 mph down the highway, wait in line at the store - until having kids that is.

"Momma, when is this thing coming?"

The most recent test of patience was purchasing and assembling their new Step 2 Adventure Lodge. We waited for our tax return to buy this online back in February, was back-ordered until March, and finally arrived after much anticipation and one day of Mari sitting at home waiting for the package to never arrive (UPS must have called the wrong number - ours - telling us a package - not ours - was being delivered and someone needed to be home). On a gorgeous 80 degree Saturday, we excitedly began organizing the 8 million pieces and started the assembly process. This thing was going up in no time and we hadn't even had an argument yet. Then came step 35, which called for a U-bracket. "Honey, where's the U-bracket?'' So I call Step 2 on Monday to have them overnight the U-brackets to us. We were pumped to finish this project the following weekend, but it was 40 degrees and raining so it didn't happen. We finally got it all finished this past weekend after a trip to Lowe's to buy a bolt that was already attached.

The finished product (with a few tweaks)

"Can you believe we thought this thing was fun?" (Sophia)

Now, we try to exercise patience every time one of the kids walk in front of one of the others swinging and gets kicked in the side of the head. It is so hard not to laugh sometimes.

"Woohoo! Walk in front of me I dare you!" (Coco kicking up his heels on the big boy swing)

"I will conquer this great slide!" (Noah)

"I'm not so sure I'm supposed to be doing this." (Finn)

We felt like we needed to celebrate our huge accomplishment and the fact that we are still married so we grilled some steaks, ate al fresco and downed some ice cream on an absolutely perfect spring evening.

A beautiful memory

Patience was conquered for the moment ... until we booked our first week-long vacation for just the two of us. It is way overdue and much needed. Now we just have to sit and wait and try not to eat pizza and cupcakes every night.

St. Patty's Day Green?

2009-03-17T12:30:00.009-05:00

We've been seing a lot of green around here lately, though we weren't voluntarily wearing it and it certainly wasn't from too much celebrating. A stomach virus hit our house and spread like wildfire.

3 Down For the Count!

(Finn, Sophia & Noah)

It was halfway through the epidemic that I realized it was time to have an official Goerlich throw-up bowl. We all know the bowl we had growing up - the one your parents would make you carry around with you in hopes for easier clean-up. Thinking back, I remember that big orange tupperware bowl vividly. The disturbing thing is I remember it as the popcorn bowl as well. Anyway, here's a quick video of our throw-up bowl bootcamp.

The Bowl from Mari Goerlich on Vimeo.

Girl Scouts - Friend or Foe?

2009-03-09T22:31:00.007-05:00

Okay, Girl Scouts, why oh why do you have to sell such delicious cookies during get-back-in-shape season? I can't tell you how many of those scrumptious thin mints I've eaten and I'm definitely NOT getting any thinner as the name would imply. But, I'm a step ahead this week. Now that the kids can eat just about anything, I've decided to pass the calories onto their little hips, I mean lips.

Look What You're Missin', Mom!

(Noah)

Finn Tries To Force Feed Them To Me

Cohen, You've Got A Little Something...

...Ahh, Nevermind!

This is awesome, Mom, looks like dirt,

feels like dirt, but tastes so much better!

(Sophia)

And since we're on the subject of Girl Scouts, I thought I'd pass along a little tip that a troop leader offered when I told her Finn was having horrible diaper rash from teething. A bit of Corn Starch on the bum will do wonders! She failed to mention not to let him look at the can as a distraction while changing the diaper - it just doesn't work so well when it's all over his face!

A Berry Fun Weekend

2009-03-01T22:40:00.002-06:00

With springtime in the air, we decided to pack up and make the hour drive to King's Orchard to pick some fresh strawberries. Busha joined in on the fun and we were so thankful to have her help! It was fun to see the different personalities coming out as we tried to get the kids to pick the strawberries to take home with us. Sophia went right for the berries but was very hesitant to give any up. She decided dining on her picks and making the biggest mess of her clothes and ours as well would be a better idea than collecting them. Noah would gladly pick the leaves and the flowers and dutifully deliver them to Busha's strawberry bin. It wasn't long until he figured out that the strawberries tasted delicious and he would nibble them straight from the vine like a little bunny rabbit. Finn would squeeze the berries in his hands, seeing if he could destroy them and watch the juice run everywhere. At one point, he was trying to see if he could pick the entire plant with his might. Cohen was our little helper and would hunt for the ripest berries, pick them and plop them straight into the bucket. When it was all said and done, I don't think there was an ounce of strawberry juice on that boy. What a joy to see just how unique they all are!

Sophia Savoring the Moment

Finn Plans His Next Victim

Noah Nibbles from the Vine

Silly Sophia Shows Off Her Art Work

Farmers in Training

Busha & Finn

Cohen Checks Out His Pickins

Finn Finds A Good One!

Mommy's Little Helper (Cohen)

Busha & Noah Inspect their Loot

Yummm....

Simple Pleasures

2009-02-22T19:41:00.002-06:00

It has been nice and warm here in Texas and we were lucky enough to enjoy a warm winter rain the other day. The kids and I had so much fun splashing around in it. I took a little video while trying not to get the camera too wet!

Peeping Toms

2009-02-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

The awful nap time "incident" has changed things forever around the house. We went back to putting on onesies under the kids' outfits - they have yet to figure out how to rip these off. As the paranoia set in, we considered covert ops for surveillance, complete with infrared cameras we could operate from the computer. However, times are tough so we had to get creative.

Enter the era of the reverse peephole. Now we can spy on them from the outside looking in without ever entering the room. Grandpa Glass thought of this genius idea, effortlessly installed the peephole and coined Mari as the "peeping mom."

Apparently this spying thing runs in the family because we've seen evidence of little proteges popping up all over the place.

Cohen & Noah Doing Backyard Surveillance

Undercover Ops For HOA Compliance

Noah Works On His Agility Training

Sophia's Puppy Dog Stakeout

Finn Screens The Living Room

And apparently we need to heighten surveillance on Jazmyn since she devoured Mari's Valentine chocolates without leaving a trace of evidence behind!

Hallelujah!

2009-02-04T21:04:00.004-06:00

There is a bible verse that I often repeat over and over to myself which is more of a coaching mechanism for me than an act of worship. "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God..." (1 Thessalonians 5:18). That's a hard one to remember at times but we truly have a lot to be thankful for so I thought I'd list our top 3 hallelujah moments of the week:

3. 3 Hour Naps!

We changed the schedule up so the kids only have one nap a day. This has been tough to keep them occupied with minimal meltdowns for the longer wake time stretches but a 3 hour nap is well worth it! I really don't even know how to fill all of that time yet!

2. Time Outs Are Working!

We've been doing timeouts for months now and they never seemed to sink in. We put them in the little nook outside our bedroom door and have them sit there until we come back for them a minute or so later. The kids almost thought it was a game or extra attention time that they'd get to have once I returned for them. Threatening time out was like offering them a cookie, they were all for it! I've seen a dramatic turn around this week where they clearly see that time out isn't any fun and they are starting to stop the behavior with a simple time out warning. It's amazing to me! All the persistence is paying off - (well that, or they are finally getting to an age where they can comprehend it - whichever it is, I'll take it!)

1. Family

Grandma and Grandpa Glass came to visit last week and let us parents have a weekend away in San Antonio. Oh, how nice to enjoy some time away, if only to appreciate all that we truly miss when it's not right in front of us. Plus, my dad has some work to do in Houston and is staying through the end of this week. It surely is nice to have some extra hands around here - especially when changing up the schedule, thank you, Dad!

Picnics in the Backyard = No Cleanup, Yippee!

The second broken pot of the week and no one was hurt!

Mr. Clark

2009-01-31T13:33:00.003-06:00

Our good friends, The Murrays, need your prayers today. Please pray for their little Clark who is in the hospital and having difficulty breathing. If you have a moment, hop over to their blog and let them know you are praying for them.

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20

Sure, Finn, Rub it in! Kick me when I'm down!

2009-01-29T20:46:00.007-06:00

Mari has been feeling pretty worn out lately and was worried she hasn't been enjoying the little things (see previous post). During the day, she has always looked forward to nap time for a little peace, to clean up, prepare for the next awake time, and, if there is enough time, catch her breath.

Skip ahead to today's afternoon naptime....

It is time to wake them up, see those beautiful grins and hear the sweet giggles when you open the door. A certain smell, though very familiar, waded through the air. BUT, something is different this time. Today, Finn decides he would like to sleep in the buff and, you guessed it, do a little "poopy painting". Our little artiste doffed his pants and diaper and painted his body, his face, the crib, the curtains, and the floor with his POOP!!!! Where do you even begin?! Unfortunately, I was at work (bummer) so my baby was flying solo with the Bleach brigade.

We have been dreading this day and hoping it would never come. Thankfully, we have good friends who have forged the way. McNulty's - the pallet of duct tape is on the way!

At-Home Workout

2009-01-28T22:10:00.006-06:00

People often ask me if I workout. And yes, I do. I sweat my butt off every day. I think I sweat more working from home than I do working out at home. This mom stuff is hard work. There is no frilly apron or high heeled shoes over here. Most days, I feel like I am in a full-fledge workout - forgetting to put a smile on my face for hours at a time, I just put my head down and do my best to get through the routine. I have over 80 pounds of children that I am lifting, tugging, pushing, pulling all day long. And when they're off to nap, I'm left with a mess which requires a lot of sweeping, scrubbing, folding, lugging...

How did this childhood dream of being a mom turn into a dreaded home workout? I've been asking myself this so much recently and I've realized it's my own choice. I am simply forgetting to have fun. Chill out about the mess and just be silly. Ask God for strength and accept it. Take time out for myself and let the laundry go. It's a mindset that I have to work at daily (minute by minute at times!) and one that I can control.

A book that has helped me tremendously to put the silly back in my day is the Toddlers Busy Book. There are so many fun activities that I would never dream up. For instance, today I turned to a page with an activity called "Trampoline Fun". Basically it said to pull your child's crib mattress into the living room and let them use it as a trampoline. At first I was like, really? That doesn't seem like a good idea - they'll ruin the mattress. They'll learn how to jump right out of their crib and then I have a bigger problem. All of these excuses ran through my head. But then I thought, why not? So I jammed some music and pulled out two crib mattresses and we danced and jumped and did somersaults and wrestling matches. We all laughed and had such a great time and I didn't think one time about how much I was sweating.

For the Lord God is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2

Silly Sophia Spots the Camera Lens

Cohen Can't Understand Why Anyone Would Make A Stroller For Just One Baby

The Boys' Nightly Post-Dinner, Pre-Jammies Wrestle-Mania Match

Mercies New Every Morning

2009-01-20T10:04:00.003-06:00

Thanks to each of you for responding to our urgent prayer request post yesterday! Sophia perked up so much this morning. She finally ate a little breakfast and drank some fluids without us having to force it on her. She was playing happily with her brothers this morning and seems to be bouncing back wonderfully. A big change from yesterday when she wouldn't eat or drink anything and slept the whole time she was at home. The boys are still well and not showing any signs of feeling sick. We have a well check for all four of them tomorrow so I'm happy to have the doctor listen to all of their lungs to be sure we're not missing anything. We are dancing around here praising God for such a dramatic turnaround! Thanks again for your prayers.

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

Prayer Request

2009-01-19T19:12:00.004-06:00

A pleading post to see if you prayer warrior sistas (and brothers) could please pray for Sophia. We found out today that she has come down with pneumonia. Please pray with us that she'll be healed quickly and protection for the rest of the family from coming down with it. Praise God with us that they found it so quickly and that she is still at home getting breathing treatments and antibiotics at this point.

Sophia has had a fever for a few days and woke up this morning with it again. She had no other real symptoms other than being pretty lethargic on Sunday afternoon where she sat on the couch and barely moved for over an hour - very strange for her. So when she wouldn't eat this morning and still had fever we called the pedi to see if we should take her in. They got her in quickly and heard some congestion in her chest which prompted an immediate visit to the diagnostic center where they took x-rays and blood work. By the time we got home, they called with the results that the x-rays proved a small infection starting in the lungs and the blood count test also came back with some concern. So back to the pedi's office we went to get an antibiotic injection. We are able to treat her with further antibiotics and breathing treatments every 4 hrs (followed by light patting on her back to try to get the mucus to break up).

This is so disheartening for us. It's RSV Season and we're hunkered down like every other family with a preemie who is still younger than 2 years old. We stay in our little cocoon at home, take walks protected in our stroller, occasionally go to the park to swing (which means I clorox wipe the swings out before they ever touch them). Still, with all of the precautions we can't protect our kids thoroughly. We know that God is taking care of them and are so thankful for His protection. It's still hard to take and feels like somehow there was something more we could've done to prevent this.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We'll keep you updated on how she's doing.

Uh-Oh, Spaghetti-O!

2009-01-18T07:44:00.002-06:00

The kids are communicating more and more with signs and a few recognizable words now and then. The favorite and most used word so far is "Uh-Oh!" It has many meanings like, Uh-Oh something fell, Uh-Oh you left the door of your non-baby-proofed room open and I'm about to go in it, Uh-Oh my brother is doing something wrong over there, Uh-Oh please help me - I'm stuck. Here's a little montage of Uh-Ohs that we've captured on video in the past few weeks. We think it's pretty darn cute.

Leftover Wrapping Paper = Instant Entertainment

2009-01-08T13:39:00.006-06:00

Do you have a bunch of leftover wrapping paper left from the holidays? I always end up buying new wrapping paper each year and then I'm left with rolls that never get used. This weekend, we used some of it up and taped it over our entire kitchen table and let the kids practice using crayons. Most of the coloring was on their teeth but they'll get the hang of it and we had fun coloring with them.

Have other ideas for fun with wrapping paper? Send them my way - we're always looking for fun things to do around here with things we already have around the house.

A Mother's Prayer

2009-01-06T14:15:00.004-06:00

Dear Lord,

So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or very indulgent. I'm very grateful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen.

Oh, that should be my prayer every morning. I can't even tell you how much help I am in need of these days. These kiddos are growing up way too fast and I just can't seem to catch up. Here are just a few candid shots and a few good reasons that I need so much prayer throughout the day.

Sophia's Macaroni Mask

Noah's Mac Beard & Mustache

Christmas Present Rivalry - It's Mine, I tell You!

(Cohen, Noah & Finn)

"Come on, Sophia, let's Make A Pond On the Dinner Table & See if Mom Freaks!"

(click to enlarge & see the pools of water!)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T10:36:00.004-06:00

We rang in 2009 with our dear friends, Jennifer, Jason and Ansley here at our home. We started the night off with a yummy meal of mac-n-cheese.

Next, we watched the daddies' fireworks spectacular in our PJ's in the front yard. (Finn was not too sure about this, at one point he jumped and grabbed ahold of Cohen for comfort)

Sophia and Noah were intrigued with the show!

When our kids went to bed, the show went on...

...and on. We finished the night on the back deck by the fire.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2009. We cherish each of your friendships and the support you give to us throughout the year. Love to all of you!

Our Little Elves

2008-12-30T20:21:00.002-06:00

Cohen

Finn

Noah

Sophia

A New Playroom!

2008-12-21T20:24:00.000-06:00

What did the two photos from the previous post have to do with each other? Both rooms have been a mess lately!

With the help of Grandpa's carpentry skills we turned our front sitting room/office into a playroom. We can now easily store and find all of our toys and our main living space no longer looks like a Fisher Price showroom.

What Do These Two Photos Have In Common?

2008-12-15T21:35:00.008-06:00

Copy Cats

2008-12-08T20:19:00.003-06:00

One of the most frustrating things about having four babies that mimic each other throwing food, crying, biting, spitting water (the list goes on and on) is also one of the most entertaining things. We love watching them learn from each other and goof off together. It's so interesting to see who initiates and who is the first responder. Here's a short clip of our little cats in action.