A Weekend Away/Samantha's Wedding

Last weekend, Josh and I were lucky enough to have an overnight get away by ourselves. This would only be the second one since the kids were born. We had a great time. We went to our cousin, Samantha's wedding and it was beautiful. An outside wedding with a terrific view. The ceremony and reception were fabulous and the day couldn't have gotten any better...at least that we could tell. Josh and I stayed at The Gerber Inn which is a bed and breakfast type place. It was our experience with a place like this and we were thrilled with how things turned out. We'd certainly stay there again if we couldn't make arrangements to stay with family. I didn't get a ton of pictures, but enjoy the few I did get. The Gerber House...It was only fitting to stay here since this is Gerber country. :)
This was the side of the house we stayed on.

A gorgeous fountain in the back yard.

The room we stayed in.

Our bed.

A beautiful sunset on the lake below where the wedding ceremony took place. Just me and my hubby down on the beach during this incredible sunset. :)

Samantha and Dan (her dad). She couldn't get any more beautiful and glowing.

Proud parents, Dan and Kris.

A special thanks to Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jim who kept the kids so we could have a night out. We appreciate it.

A Great Loss.....

We are saddened by a loss in our family. A loss of someone who brought many hours of entertainment to us, offered babysitting needs when needed, and offered Josh and I a little bit of sanity at times.

Our beloved DVD player!

In his final days the power button stopped working the majority of the time and then he finally gave up. He nearly kept one of our Backyardigans dvds, but Josh was able to pry his mouth open to get it. He's left to be buried with his mouth hanging open.

Dear DVD player....you've given us so much. You'll be missed!

Chuck E. Cheese

On September 13th, we were treated with an early birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese in Ann Arbor. Grandma Ketola is having double knee replacement surgery at the end of September and isnt' sure she'll be able to make the triplets' actually birthday party so she and Grandpa Ketola planned a special party for the kids. It was our first experience with Chuck E. Cheese and we were thrilled with how the day went. The kids had a blast and so did mom and dad. We even got a few minutes to play some of our favorite games. :) The trio at work managing the camera for the show.
Malachi and Aiden opening presents. Aiden got the newest Wiggle dvd and you can tell by the smirk on his face that he was happy with it. Since then, we've watched it a million and one times.

Aiden opening presents. So glad they can finally do this by themselves.

Malachi opening presents.

Madelynn opening presents. She gets the most excited I think.

I love the way that Malachi was wearing his crown. It fit better that way.

Mmmm....Cake! Yummy, Yummy!

A rare group photo. Not too bad, but Grandma Ketola has a better one. I'll post it once I get it.

Blowing out the candles. I think they might be able to do it by themselves this year.

Aiden playing a shooting game. Why is it that he looks so comfortable with a gun in his hand? He's never been exposed to guns to play with or on the shows they watch. Interesting......

Aunt Jenna riding a jet ski with Madelynn. Aunt Jenna was quite surprised how much it moved. She struggled to keep her belly and Maddie on the ride. :)

Grandpa and Madelynn on the jet ski. She loved it so much she rode it with whoever she could get.

The cake....I'm not sure why this one didn't stay the correct way. I guess you just have to turn your head to look at it. ha ha ha

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the great party. We had a great time and the kids still play with their crowns, medals, and the other awesome things they got that day. We love you!

Happy 1st Birthday Brooke!

My great neice Brooke turned one year old on September 18th. We celebrated with a party the weekend before. She's so cute! "Thanks Grandpa"
Stylin' Samantha!

Yum! Much better with a small piece.

"This is fun!" Daddy pushed the cake in her face. :)

Daddy got Brooke a pink motorcycle. What fun!

Malachi decked out for the party! Always a party animal!

Brooke and Great Grandpa Callahan.

Enjoying her toy.

"How do I look?"

Opening presents.

A look that her daddy used to give!

Madelynn...taking the time to pose and look like the princess she is.

Yummy cake!

We went to the annual Mothers of Multiples picnic in Saline a couple of weekends ago. Every memeber of this group has at least triplets, but some have quads and one has four surviving quints. I belong to the group, but I don't get to attend meetings on a regular basis because they normally don't work into my busy schedule. This was a fun way to get to meet some of the people I've talked with online and see some that I've met in the past. This was the second year we've gone and we always seem to have a nice time...until the kids begin melting down based on no nap. :) This was the clown that did a show with live animals for the kids. Our trip lasted about 10 minutes or so and then it was enough. Josh and I were bummed because we wanted to watch the remainder of it. Our attention span seems to be a bit longer than a 2 year old's. :)
Not a great picture, but it's hard to get pics of them jumping in a bouncy house.

Miss Madelynn looking like a princess. My very talented friend made the hat she has on.

Daddy and the kids on a slide big enough for multiples! None of those around here!

Ready, set, go.....

Unfortunately we missed the group shots because the trio was melting down and we still had to go to my dad's house after the picnic. We opted to get the car nap started ASAP. I'm guessing that there were 15 families in attendance (ages from just a few months old to 12 or 13 I think). Multiply that by triplets and quads and that makes one awesome group shot! Maybe we'll be there for next years picture.

Bryan and Cyndi's wedding

Okay, so I'm running really behind now. I'm trying to catch up...be patient. :) These are the best of the pictures that I snapped the day of the wedding. Josh and I enjoying our time together.
Old friends...Josh and Andrew. It was nice to see them together again.

The wedding party taking pictures outside where the ceremony was supposed to be. It rained so hard that day! At least they were able to get some nice pictures after the ceremony when the rain slowed to a sprinkle.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the wedding. I just think it's so sweet...minus Andrew's face on the right. (Josh will have to help me crop it.)

The bride and groom. Don't they look so happy? It's amazing how positive their attitudes were that day despite the rain. No showers could keep them from treasuring their wedding day.

Congrats Bryan and Cyndi! We wish you all the best in your marriage.