Memory Lane Monday- Halloween

I have always loved Halloween. I don't think I can nail down one specific reason. Maybe it's the candy or the opportunity to become someone other than me for a night. It could be the pumpkins, apple cider or the hay rides. Or maybe the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet as I walked down the sidewalks in my quest for candy.

Now that I am a mom, I derive great joy from taking my kids to the pumpkin patch (and then bringing those pumpkins to "life"), drinking hot apple cider after spending an afternoon jumping in the leaves and, of course, dressing them in cute and creative costumes and drinking in their excitement as they run from house to house in THEIR quest for candy!

I have, of course, taken full advantage of the years where I have had the privilege of making the "BIG DECISION". . . . which of course is the choice of costumes.

Dressing triplets is always fun and the first Halloween was no exception. I had been milling over costume ideas for weeks. Three peas in a pod, the three little pigs, three blind mice. . .they were all good ideas, but I wanted something more original. Then one day, as I was browsing through costumes online for inspiration, it came to me. . . .

A hot dog, mustard and ketchup!

Starring Maren as the "Hot Dog"

Lukas as the "Mustard"

Jacob as the "Ketchup"

And the triple stroller as the "Hot Dog Cart"

The following year was not quite as creative, but it certainly summed up life with 21 month-old triplets:

The Rieben Family Zoo
Featuring Mommy and Daddy as the "Zoo keepers"
Jacob as the "Elephant"
Lukas as the "Lion"
Maren as the "Zebra"

The Rieben Zoo on the move. . .

Sadly, I was literally a world away (bringing Joshua home from Uzbekistan) the next year and missed the glorious event, but the festivities continued on without me. . .

Representing Griffindor:
Jacob as "Neville"
Maren as "Hermione"
Lukas as "Ron"
Will (our best buddy) as "Harry Potter"

Last year was another summary of life as we had come to know it:

Five Busy Little Bees

The Queen Bee

My Baby Bumblebee

My So-stinkin-cute-you-WANT-him-to-sting-you Bee!

*Note: The other two bees decided to buzz off before I could get a decent picture of them!

Sadly, I have a feeling that my years of choosing the costumes are slowly drawing to a close, BUT, I did manage to sweet talk them into one more year. I don't want to give away the surprise completely, but here is a hint. . . .



Have I mentioned how much I love Halloween!?!

7th Annual Rieben Family Founder's Day

September 21st is one of the most important and celebrated days of the year in the Rieben household. It is a day that we look forward to all year long. This is the day that our family was created. Today we celebrated our 7th Annual Rieben Family Founder's Day!

Seven years ago, I knelt across an altar in the Washington, DC Latter-Day Saint Temple and was married to my amazing husband for time and all eternity. As we walked out of the Temple that day, hand in hand, a brand new family of two, we knew that the Lord had great things in store for us.


As we began to welcome children into our family our anniversary became more than a celebration of our marriage, but a celebration of our family as a whole. We wanted our children to grow up knowing that marriage and family are ordained of God and so "Family Founder's Day" was born.

Each Founder's Day we celebrate where our journey began as well as each member of our family. We also introduce our family theme and scripture for the year. For the next year, our family will focus on serving our fellow man.

Theme:

"Because I have been given much, I too, must give."

Scripture:


"And behold I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom, that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)

We celebrate all of the different countries and cultures that make up our family:

Beautiful, handmade wall hanging from Uzbekistan

Sunflowers to represent our children from Bulgaria and Ukraine


And, of course, no celebration is complete without cake!

Finally, we celebrate the love, faith and commitment that our family is founded upon and we thank our Heavenly Father for His amazing and beautiful plan for our family.

Happy Founder's Day!

One of those days. . .

Ever have one of those days. . . . .

Life Lessons- Part 2

Wasps don't make very good pets.

Maren learned this lesson the hard way.

Life Lessons

Sometimes you get poop on your hands. That's what antibacterial hand soap is for.

2009 Mom's Choice Awards

Most "Detail Oriented"
This award goes to Lukas

I think he folds better than I do!

These books are stacked one on top of the other while leaning against a large piece of foam board

Most Nurturing
This award goes to Maren

Okay, so she is a work in progress, but despite her confusion in the diapering department, she does have a big heart and loves to take care of those around her.

Most Creative
This award goes to Jacob

This is a treasure map.

This is the treasure box.

This is where the buried treasure was found.

Most likely to be covered in dirt from head to toe by the end of the day
This Award goes to. . . .well, you be the judge!

Best Hair

This award goes to Maren and Evan

Need I say more?

Evan's "mohawk" on Hilarious Hair Day at preschool. . .I cut his hair the next day!

Best Legs
This award goes to Evan

He has worked hard for those good-looking legs!

Most Expressive
This award goes to Joshua

Most "Domestically Inclined"
This award goes to Lukas and Jacob

These boys are going to make some lucky girls VERY happy!

Wanna know a secret?

I've been keeping a secret. A BIG secret. Want in on it?

CLICK HERE

Secret Combinations

As I nestled the phone back onto the receiver after making a call this morning, I took note that it was eerily quiet for a house occupied by five young children. Immediately the red flag of suspicion was raised. I walked quietly through the house so as not to alert them (I find immense pleasure in catching them in the act). As I rounded the corner into the hallway, a trail of silver, leading from my open bedroom door to the boy's closed bedroom door, caught my eye.


The light bulb above my head suddenly shone bright.

I tiptoed the rest of the length of the hallway and then threw the door wide open. Three, startled, chocolate-covered faces looked up at me. The massive bag of Hershey kisses (stolen from atop the dresser in mommy's room) lay empty on the floor in front of them, silver wrappers scattered all about.


I collected what little candy had been spared and shuffled the kids off to their rooms while explaining that, because they had chosen to gorge themselves on stolen chocolate, they had forfeited snacks for the duration of the day. Once they were all within the confines of their own rooms, and I within mine, I burst into fits of laughter and laughed until the tears rolled down my cheeks.

The looks on their chocolate-covered faces had been priceless! And I could suddenly recall many a mischievous conquest in my own childhood. And the tears. . .well, I am sure I shed a few at the thought of what these three might be capable of as teenagers!

Ken's Demise

With so many boys in the house, it didn't really come as a surprise to find this in the hallway yesterday:


Imagine my shock, however, when I learned that, it was not one of my boys who had done the deed, but my daughter, Maren.

Apparently she and Ken were not seeing eye to eye on a particular issue (his fashion sense) and so she quite literally ripped his head off.

My husband will be happy to know that, he will not need to pull out his guns for cleaning when the boys come to call. Instead, we will just provide this wonderful visual of what she does to those who cross her.

Fabulous Five- Snowflakes and Cherry Blossoms

1. Bird watching in our pajamas. We have two bird feeders on our back porch and we love to watch and identify the birds. This morning we sat and watched many of our little friends come and go. Among them were cardinals, mourning doves, robins, crows and house sparrows. The kids are very good at identifying the birds and, long after they had flown away, we all sat on the dining room floor looking through our bird books and talking about all of the different birds.

2. Spending some quiet time reading with Joshua. He is really starting to enjoy books and being read to. Today I found him in the playroom alone, looking through the pages of one of his favorite books. After watching him for a moment, I sat down beside him and he climbed into my lap and together we read his book. I cherish those moments.

3. Catching big, cold, fluffy snowflakes on our tongues. . .in April. Although I long for the warmer days of Spring, it was fascinating to see snowflakes resting on the cherry blossoms.

4. Enjoying free cookies from the bakery at Sam's Club with my children.

5. See post below.

The Joys of Boys

Lukas: "Hi Mommy."

Me: "Hi Lukas."

Lukas: "I peed on your toilet seat."

Me: "That's nice."

I love little boys.

Words to Live By- What will you CREATE?

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

You might say, “I’m not the creative type."

If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.

You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us. The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.

Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.

As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."



(For a full transcript of "Happiness, Your Heritage" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, click here.)

Lemonade anyone?

I have seen many awards floating around blogland, but, of all of those awards, I feel most privileged to have been nominated for the "Lemonade Award" by my amazing friend, Jill.


It makes me smile to know that at some point, I have helped someone to make lemonade from the lemons in their life. Of course, much of the lemonade in my life is freshly squeezed from the love, encouragement and support of the many blessed friends that surround me, both physically and through the world wide web. So, it is my privilege to nominate ten of those amazing people to receive this award as well. In no particular order, the nominees are:

1. Melanie at "Melz Midnight Brew". I "met" Melanie about six years ago in an online forum. Melanie is an adoptive mom who also happens to have biological triplets, two of whom have special needs. She and her family are currently in the process of adopting a precious little girl from Ethiopia. She homeschools, knits, gardens, makes delectable meals and inspires everyone who has the privilege of knowing her. It is such a blessing to "know" Melanie!

2. Elaine at "Looking for George". Elaine is the mother of five incredible kids, two of whom are adopted from Korea and Vietnam. She was my international adoption mentor and kept me afloat during the tedious and often painful, paperchase and the wait to bring my boys home. She continues to keep me afloat with her wit and wisdom and she never fails to bring a smile to my face.

3. Kristy at "Purely Monkeying Around." I met Kristy shortly after moving to Ohio. I was on bedrest during my pregnancy with the triplets and Kristy came to visit me at least once each month (for those of you who are LDS, she was my visiting teacher). She has always been a ray of sunshine in my life and is one of my greatest friends. Kristy and her beautiful family moved to Wyoming several years ago and I miss them dearly, but, even from far away, she brightens my days with messages of hope and encouragement and continues to put a smile of my face and in my heart.

4. Charissa at "Country Living the Urban Way." Although we have never met in person, I feel like I have known Charissa my entire life! Charissa is the mother to five incredible children, one of whom was adopted from the same orphanage in Ukraine as our Evan. We rode the roller coaster of adoption together and she continues to inspire me every single day with her heart of gold and her zest for life and love of the Savior.

5. Jenny at "The Ramsey Clan." I met Jenny when I transferred to Southern Virginia University in my Junior year of college and she has been one of my best friends ever since. Jenny is a pillar of strength and has been my rock and support through some of the most difficult times of my life. She is always there with an encouraging word and reminds me to put my trust in my Heavenly Father, whose plan for my life far exceeds my own! Jenny has faced many difficult times in her life and she does it with such grace. You could say that she is an expert at making lemonade with the lemons she is handed!

6. Richard at "Eastern Impact." Yes, I am nominating my husband for this award! In the 7 years that we have been together, we have weathered many storms and we have always come out on top. Much of that is due to his amazing ability to always see the rainbows at the storms' end. He is a faithful friend, an amazing husband and an incredible father. He is compassionate, giving and inspires all who are privileged enough to know him.

7. Sara at "The Magnificent Seven." Sara has been an inspiration to me since the day that I met her four years ago. Sara is the mother of seven magnificent children, including a set of quintuplets. She is an amazing wife, mother and friend and, on my toughests days, her patience and strength gives me the courage to press on.

8. Stacey at "The Kirchner Way of Life." Stacey is my life preserver. She keeps me afloat when I feel like I can barely hold my head above water (yes, even I have days like that). AND, she is courageous and generous enough to take on my brood whenever I need her to (and that takes a very special person)! There would not be as much lemonade in my life if Stacey was not around to help me squeeze my lemons :-)

9. Megan at "The Happy Hippies." I went to school and coached cheerleading with Megan at Southern Virginia University. She is the mother of two gorgeous children, one of whom has autism. Megan is a beautiful person inside and out. She is passionate about her family and her life and her passion is contagious. She inspires me to be the best person, the best wife and the best mother that I can be, each and every day.

10. Jennifer at "Our Uzbekistan Adoption Journey." If anyone knows how to make lemonade out of lemons it is Jennifer. Jennifer and her family started their jouney to adopt from Uzbekistan at the same time that we did. They were scheduled to travel to bring their beautiful daughter home just a few weeks after I traveled to Uzbekistan for Joshua, but problems with paperwork and officials in Uzbekistan kept them from meeting their daughter for almost 16 months after their original travel date was issued. With patience, faith and an eye single to the glory of God, they hung in there and finally arrived home with their daughter on Sunday. Jennifer and her family are an amazing example of faith and perserverance and beautifully illustrate the phrase, "Good things come to those who wait."

These amazing people are only a few of those who lift and inspire me on a daily basis and I am deeply grateful for their presence in my life.

To nominate others for this awards:

1. Copy the above logo and put it on blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs that show attitude and/or gratitude (Those who add sweetness to life and/or inspire you by making lemonade.)

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on a post.

5. Nominate your favorites and link to this blog.

Memory Lane Monday- Sisters

I know, I know. I've been a slacker. And I am sure that you thought another Monday would pass us by without a Memory Lane Monday post, BUT, I didn't want to become too predictable!

I am the oldest of six children. As the first child, I spent two, wonderful years being the lone object of my parents affections, so, naturally, when my younger sister, Claire, joined the family, I wasn't thrilled. This tiny little person absorbed so much of my parent's time and attention with her crying, constant need of feeding and her smelly diapers. To spite me, she liked to wake my parents over and over throughout the night leaving them too exhausted to play with me. At least, that's the way I saw it. And so the plotting began to get rid of this undesirable addition to the family.

It took a few years for my master plan to materialize, but finally the day came. I was 4 and Claire was 2. While our mother was busy in another room I grabbed a child-sized suitcase and stuffed it full of clothes and other odds and ends necessary for survival. You know, crayons, coloring books, a stuffed animal and a blanket with "silkies" (an addiction that both Claire and I have always shared). Once the packing was complete, I checked to make sure the coast was clear, then I grabbed my sister's hand and we quietly tiptoed out the back door. With the suitcase in one hand and my sister's hand in the other, we walked quickly down the sidewalk towards our destination.

After what seemed like an eternity (two year old's don't walk very fast, you know), we finally arrived. The Super America Convenient Store seemed like the perfect place to leave my "unwanted goods." Upon arrival I promptly helped my unsuspecting sister up onto the bench outside of the store, placed the suitcase beside her and turned to head back home. Luckily our father, who was on his way home from work, happended to drive by right at that very moment. He continued on to our house, thinking that my mother must have been at the store with us, but he arrived to find her in a panic. She couldn't find us anywhere.

They piled into the car and drove down the street to the convenient store where my sister still sat upon the bench, completely oblivious. I had not made it very far when they pulled up to collect my sister and within moments found myself in the car as well, face to face with what I would eventually come to call my mother's "death stare."

Although the details are a bit fuzzy, I can imagine that I spent a good amount of time alone in my room that afternoon and chances are, my mother didn't let us out of her sight for quite some time after that (now that she knew that I was serious about getting rid of my little sister, she wasn't taking any chances). Fortunately for Claire, this was my first and last attempt at dismissing her from the family.



Although we didn't always see eye to eye growing up, we eventually learned to love and appreciate each other and now that we are older, we are the best of friends. To say that I am grateful that my plans were foiled that day would be an understatement. To not have had the privilege of knowing Claire would have been a great tragedy as she is one of the most amazing people I have ever known!

Into battle. . . .

Command Sergeant Evan Rieben will be going into battle on Tuesday, March 3rd at 1:00 pm.

For reports from the front lines, please visit us here.

A self-reprimand

I stood at the counter, mechanically slopping peanut butter and then jelly onto ten little pieces of bread. My mind wandered over each task of the day yet to be completed. In the deep recesses of my brain I could faintly hear a little voice calling my name. . .over and over again. It wasn't that I was ignoring the voice, it's just that, when you hear little voices calling your name all day, every day, it becomes almost effortless to let the other thoughts inside your head become louder.

Finally the little voice pushed it's way into the forefront of my mind.

"Mommy, mommy!"

Without looking up, I uttered my impatient response.

"What!"

There was a slight pause and then I heard the little voice say, sweetly and sincerely, "Mommy. . . .mommy, I love you!"

And then she was gone.

And as I stood there at the counter, my hand frozen in mid swipe, I realized that, no thought inside my head would ever be more important than that little voice.

I'm in love. . . .

Do you remember the intensity of the feelings you felt when you first fell in love? I do. Do you remember the butterflies you would get every time that person was around? The smile that took up permanent residence on your face? The excitement you felt as you rolled out of bed each morning in anticipation of even just a few minutes with that person? How about the electricity that would surge through you at even the slightest touch of hand? The way your heart would race every time they looked at you or the peace that would flow through you just hearing their voice? What about the complete intoxication of their smell? Or the absolute joy that filled your soul at that person's success and happiness? How that person made you want to be the very best that you could be?

I feel that way about my life.


It's incredible.

Fabulous Five

1. Taking all five kids to Evan's physical therapy session this morning. There is something energizing (and validating) about getting five young children up, fed, dressed and out the door by 8 am. And there is nothing more heart warming than watching my children offer Evan their encouragement and support as he works hard to achieve his goals. He has his own fan club and they motivate him to keep going when the going gets tough.

2. I took a long nap today. It was fabulous.

3. I love spying on my kids. . . .watching them when they don't know that I am there. I love observing how their minds work and seeing the intensity, focus and creativity that goes into their play. Today I watched from a distance as Joshua played alone in the playroom while the other kids were busy creating artistic masterpieces at the kitchen table. Watching Joshua always brings a smile to my face and it takes a lot of willpower to remain in my "hiding place" when all I want to do is eat him up!

4. The kids and I made chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. As we stood in the kitchen licking the batter from the beaters, the spatulas and the bowl, I was reminded of all the times that my siblings and I stood in the many kitchens of our childhood doing the exact same thing with our mother. It made me smile to think of all of the yummy memories we were creating at that very moment!

5. My "exercise buddy" came to visit me again tonight. Several months ago, while I was in Philadelphia with Evan, Richard called and told me about a mammoth possum that he had discovered on our back porch. A few days later, as I was sweating to the oldies (well, not literally, but I am sure it looks just as silly), I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and there, staring right at me through the french doors, was the mammoth possum. I can only imagine what he was thinking as we stared at each other through the glass. It made me giggle. Tonight, as I was once again getting my groove on, I looked out of the french doors to see that my buddy had returned. . .and he had brought a friend (I can imagine their conversation went something like this, "C'mon man, you've got to see this crazy lady!"). I tried to capture them on camera (yes, it really is amazing that I can keep pace with my workout while operating a camera), but my efforts were thwarted by the hundreds of tiny fingerprints on the glass (which I must admit, made me smile as well). Ah, the things that amuse me!

Memory Lane Monday

This is Johnny

Johnny (along with his brother, Frankie, who later passed away) joined our family shortly after Richard and I were married. You could say that he was our first "baby."

During my long days of bedrest, Johnny was my constant companion.

Around the 30 week mark, I hit a wall. Hit it hard. I was in constant pain and miserably uncomfortable, but I was determined to carry my precious cargo as long as I possibly could. One night, as I lay in bed, hot, itchy, uncomfortable and, once again, unable to sleep, I reached my breaking point. I could feel the sobs welling up inside of me and, not wanting to wake or worry Richard, I hefted my enormous body out of bed and waddled down the hall to the bathroom. Once the door was shut, the floodgates opened and I was unable to contain my misery any longer. Silent sobs wracked my body as I pleaded with God for mercy and strength. As I sat, sobbing and pleading, something flew under the bathroom door. It was a dead mole. . . followed by a frantic orange paw, searching for it's prey.

It was more than I could take. . . .I burst into fits of hysterical laughter. And as I sat there, laughing and sobbing, I peed my pants (not hard to do when you are 30 weeks pregnant with triplets). It was in that moment that I recognized and appreciated that God truly does have a sense of humor and knows exactly what we need when we need it. For me, it was a dead mole and a crazed cat, reminding me that, even in the most miserable of times, laughter truly can be the best medicine!

Last minute lover?

Are you a last minute lover? Scrambling to think of something you can do to show the ones you love just how much they mean to you this Valentines day? Do you loathe the consumerism surrounding this celebration of love and wish that you could do something straight from the heart without breaking the bank?

Why not give some oreo truffles to the one you love?


INGREDIENTS:
1 package oreo cookies, divided
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
16 oz. chocolate chips, melted

DIRECTIONS
Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs; reserve for later use (To crush cookies you can use a food processor or place the cookies in a sealable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin). Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Dip balls in chocolate (to make dipping a little easier, I usually chill the oreo balls for about 20 minutes and then use a toothpick to dip them into the chocolate); place on wax paper-covered baking sheet (you can also place them in mini baking cups that you can find at any craft store, such as Michaels). Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator. (Gift boxes can also be found at most craft stores).

Need an idea for a delicious Valentines day treat? Look no further. These homemade oreo cookies really hit the spot.

(Great recipe and tutorial can be found here.)

Decorations? This heart"felt" banner will make everyone who walks through your door feel warm and fuzzy.

(For a great tutorial, click here.)

Still have a few valentines you need to check off your list? How about an activity that the kids will enjoy? This sweet idea from "Family Fun" is the ticket:

YOU WILL NEED:
An assortment of bears (we used honey and chocolate teddy grahms and gummy bears)
Plastic bags
Ribbon
Cardstock
Hole punch


Count out your bears:



Put bears into bags. Write out your message (we said: "Bear hugs for "Katie" Love, Evan)
Punch a hole into your cardstock, thread your ribbon through it and tie it around the bag to close.

All done!

Sweet Freedom

It has been a cold winter in Ohio. Frigid really. And we have spent many a day staring longingly out of our windows into winter's gray abyss, wishing we could run free in the yard, take leisurely walks around the neighborhood and spend hours at the playground. But alas, it just was not meant to be. . . . until yesterday that is, when winter finally released her frigid grasp (at least temporarily).

When I opened the doors and let the troops run free, it was like releasing caged birds into the wild! It was a magnificent sight watching them run every which way and listening to the peals of laughter as they rolled on the soggy earth and dug their fingers into the dirt. Ah, sweet freedom! The warm air was rejuvenating and, I must say, the sunshine was very good for the soul.

Freedom!

Finally able to "hit the pavement!"

A triplet tree. Had I known that triplets grew on trees, I think I might've gone with that option!

A Naptime Project

Believe me when I tell you that I count my lucky stars that my children still nap (well, most of them do. . .for Maren, it is more like quiet time, but she stays in her bed and plays quietly with her dolls, occasionally drifting off to sleep, and of course, Evan is at school). I'd be lying if I told you I didn't need (and welcome) the break each day. Most days I allow myself to dabble in dreamland as well (sure there are dishes to be done, laundry to be washed and toys to be picked up, but I have every confidence that they will still be there when I wake), but every now and then I welcome the chance to tackle the many projects that sit, awaiting my attention. Yesterday was one of those days.

From the moment I laid eyes on this barn star project, I began daydreaming of all that I could do with it. You may recall that I made these magnificent stars for several members of our family for Christmas. I loved them so much that I decided I must have one of my own. I have had the stars and the supplies for months, but just could not find the energy or motivation to complete them. My vision was to create one large star featuring Richard and I (where it all began) and to make individual stars to represent each of our children. The results are in. . . . . and I LOVE it!

Memory Lane Monday- Go Fish

In the early days of our marriage, Richard and I enjoyed many shared hobbies, but none more than fishing in the Maury River together. On lazy Saturdays we would gather our fishing poles, bait and tackle and a nice, big tub of fat, slimy worms and drive down to the river. The Maury always bestowed her bounty upon us generously, at times yielding as many as 7-8, small-mouth bass to each of us. Of course, the irony in this beloved hobby is that Richard is allergic to fish. . .deathly allergic, that is. This being the case, our catch, obviously, did not accompany us home. This simple fact also required that I free the slimy, panic-stricken fish from the hooks that held them captive, a task that I quickly became quite proficient in.


It has been years since we have pulled out our fishing poles and spent lazy days waiting for the fish to bite, but this is one Rieben family tradition that will not be left to gather dust for long. Now that the troops are old enough to man a pole, I don't believe that there is a fish within a fifty mile radius that is safe!

#6

6. A night out on the town alone, enjoying Barnes and Nobles and studying Russian at TGI Friday's, while savoring a brownie obsession. Heaven!

Fabulous Five

1. Doing the hokey pokey with Evan while we waited for the school bus. Keeps us nice and warm and it always gives us the giggles!

2. Although I prefer NOT to have sick kids, I sure do love the snuggle time I am able to get in while they are down (because let's be honest, it is one of the only times they are still long enough to snuggle), especially with Joshua, who let me hold him and rock him like a little baby.

3. Knee hugs. You know, the kind where you are standing at the sink washing the dishes and a little set of arms wraps around your knees and gives you a good squeeze. I get lots of knee hugs when Aiden is around!

4. Homemade pizza. Yummy.

5. Richard's strong, comforting arms around me after a long day.

The Sick House

Seven

It occurred to me several years ago, that Heavenly Father's favorite number must be seven. As we know, the Earth was created in seven days. In Egypt, during the time of Joseph, there were seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. In the Book of Revelation, I'd be willing to guess that the number seven is the most commonly occurring number, with mention made of seven churches, seven angels, seven candlesticks, seven stars (you get the idea). Jesus even commands us to forgive seventy times seven (a parable teaching us that we must always forgive, but still. . the use of sevens!).

I have a certain affinity for the number seven as well and, this week, I have had the opportunity to experience many things in sevens.

Each morning I have woken to seven smiling faces, anxious for the adventures of a new day.

Seven servings of chocolate chip pancakes with seven cups of cold milk


Seventy wiggly toes on seven sets of feet


Seven personalities all different from each other

Seven little people having fun with one another


Seven peanut butter and jelly sandwiches


Seven sets of smiles and laughter (and some tears and frowns too)


Seven baths = seven, sweet smelling, huggable babies

Seven sets of snuggly pajamas fresh from the dryer (yummy)


One bedtime story read to seven eager children

Seven little prayers are said

Seven little kisses bestowed upon seven sleepy little heads

One happily messy playroom tells the tale of another day, where seven amazing children all played the day away!


Thank you, Stacey, for giving me a taste of seven this week! And I must agree with the Lord on this one. . .seven is quite a fantastic number!

The extra two kids belong to my friend, Stacey, whose husband had surgery several hours from home this week. Don't worry, we wouldn't have added two more children without sharing the good news!

Celebrating life's little accomplishments

We like to celebrate life's little accomplishments. When the kids learned to crawl, we celebrated. When they started to walk, we celebrated. When they learned to take their dishes to the sink, put their toys away and say their ABC's, we, of course, celebrated. So, it should probably go without saying that, when they FINALLY started pooping in the potty, we made a big deal out of it. I admit, celebrating this great accomplishment certainly achieved the desired results, but now, months after mastering this "skill," our kids still call us to the bathroom to marvel at their creations. Today was no exception. After Jacob had done his business he ran, enthusiastically, through the house calling my name, "Mommy! You've got to see this!" So naturally, I followed him back to the bathroom to survey his work and congratulate him on a job well done. As we stared into the toilet together, Jacob looked up at me, his face exuberant, and declared with pride, "I'm a great pooper!"

That you are Jacob. That you are!

Memory Lane Monday

This was our first home.

Richard actually purchased it (for $57,000) shortly after moving to Buena Vista (pronounced Byoo-na Vista rather than Bway-na Vista. . .we just refer to it as BV), Virginia where he had accepted a position at Southern Virginia University (I had just transferred there from a community college in North Carolina to complete my last two years of school). We were married in September 2002 at which point I had the privilege of joining him in this cozy little bungalow! We had so much fun making this house a home together. We painted, we renovated, repaired and beautified.

Looking into the living room from the kitchen

Looking into the kitchen from the living room

Our bedroom (I wanted this room to be "fun." We were newlyweds and definitely had romance covered! This is the "toned down" version of the bedroom. Prior to selling it, the trim and baseboards were the same color green as is on our bedspread. Knowing that the blue was probably going to be overwhelming enough for potential buyers, I decided to paint the trim and baseboards white again.).

The first winter we lived in this house, it was so cold that we slept on an air mattress in the den (the only room that did not have drafty windows (all of the windows were original to the home except for the windows in the den, which was an addition to the house). It felt like we were having a sleepover every night! Our next door neighbor had a mullet. He also had a band. We called them the "Mullet Band" and often found ourselves drifting off to sleep to their not-so-quiet tunes. Rather than feeling perturbed by the "Mullet" and his band (yes, we actually referred to him by this name. . .not when talking to him of course, we called him Jeff then, but between the two of us (and maybe some of our close friends) he was the "Mullet"), we often found ourselves laughing and even dancing, to their interesting selection of music and enjoyed our frequent, private concerts.

This is where we fell in love. This is where our family began. This is where our triplets were created. This is where many wonderful and cherished memories were made. I miss our cozy home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. I miss Southern Virginia University, where I graduated and then worked, with my husband, until October 2004 when we moved to Ohio to be closer to family prior to the birth of our triplets. I miss it, but I cherish every memory that was made there and look forward to telling my children and grandchildren about "where it all began."

Southern Virginia University (Winter 2002)

Fabulous Five

On this particularly long day, I felt it would be most beneficial to report my fabulous five, because, believe it or not, no matter how long the day may seem, there are always, always five wonderful things to report!

1. Warm chocolate chip cookies. Need I say more? So I am cheating a little with this one since we actually made (and devoured) the cookies yesterday, but just the thought and lingering smell of those yummy morsels brought a smile to my face today, as did watching my children delight in the last of them after lunch.



2. Stacey came to play today (and brought her boys Will and Aiden along as well). What more can I say, but there is nothing quite as refreshing as a good friend and light and easy GROWN UP conversation (not to mention the fact that the kids keep each other wonderfully entertained).

3. Before bedtime this evening, Richard called to tell the kids he had a surprise for them on mommy's computer. We all piled into the office to check my e-mail and there, in my inbox, was an e-card from daddy. This is what it said:

Evan, Maren, Lukas, Jacob and Joshua.

As I settle down for the night here in Atlanta, I want you to know how much I miss you and how much I look forward to seeing you again. Be good for mommy and sleep good tonight!

With Love-
Daddy

Have I mentioned just how much I adore my husband, who also happens to be the most fantastic father in the world?

4. When Richard called to say goodnight to the kids this evening, Joshua came full speed ahead from the opposite side of the house yelling, "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" He also does this every day when his daddy comes home from work. There just are not words to properly describe how sweet it is to see how much our little man loves his daddy. Some day, I am going to capture it on camera!

5. Although I hate that Evan was feeling ill today, it made me happy, as I snuggled with him on the couch this afternoon, to know that, now, when he is feeling sick, he has a mommy to hold him, love him and care for him while he heals. Before he joined our family, there was never any advantage to being sick. He simply felt miserable and lay there by himself with no one to cuddle him, love him or tell him that it would be alright. Now that he has a mommy, I think he is quickly learning that being sick actually does have it's advantages. Although misery is still a factor, who doesn't love a nice quiet afternoon watching their favorite movies while snuggled up in their mommy's lap? I sure do love making sure that he knows he is loved!