So many firsts, so little time......and SO incredibly THANKFUL!!!

Pics: Emma in the walker. Kendall and then Clark in their jumpy swings. Kendall actually fell asleep on Chris' leg when she was in there playing with the girls. Lynn and Clark having some cuddle-time. Clark and Kendall watching Baby Einstein at Grandpa's for our family Thanksgiving. Daddy and Ems at the beach. Clark sleeping at the beach and Kendall getting in a power nap as well. Mommy, Daddy and Ems at the beach. Daddy, cousins David and Marshall and Ems. The Priesters. Daddy and Kendall kickin' it in the Kelty. Ems bundled in the stroller on the beach. The whole Louis party at Battery Park in Charleston. All of us at the pineapple fountain in Charleston. Ems, Kendall and Clark (separately) in their strollers during a day in downtown Charleston. Aunt Marsha, cousins David and Marshall and the Louis party of 5 at a park in Charleston.



OK, OK, OK...I know that it's been a while since I posted pics and I am getting your hate-mails. But, in my defense, it's been crazy around here as we are all recovering from colds/coughs (babies, parents and extended family too). Plus, we just got back from our first trip to the beach (thanks to Aunt Marsha and Uncle Bill). We headed to Isle of Palms, SC on Sunday with the entire Priester clan (including cousins, David and Marshall). Normally this is a 6-hour drive, but it took us 9 and 1/2 hours. We aren't experienced traveling triplet parents, so everything just took longer. This was the first time we had taken the babies anywhere outside of our area and neither of us are particularly skilled at the art of changing babies in a bathroom changing area or feeding them when not in high chairs. We had no idea what we REALLY needed and tried our best to scale it back. Mommy is not known for being a very minimalist-type packer, so we were worried that we would have to rent a U-haul to get it all there. Fortunately, Aunt Marsha was able to bring three pack-n-plays and took a few other things that wouldn't have fit in our van.

So, about that drive. Yes, 9 and 1/2 hours. And the last 30 minutes was the WORST ever as they had definitely had enough of the car, the car seats and Baby Einstein videos. Mommy was at wits-end also, but Isle of Palms was really a nice place. The house that Uncle Bill and Aunt Marsha rented was really nice and it worked out great with the babies. We brought along a smaller (not by much) version of the baby super zone which was good since Kendall is now climbing and not sitting still if she is unrestrained. Ems is also crawling anywhere when she has the opportunity. We learned a valuable lesson about traveling with triplets - drive when they should be sleeping. We KNEW this was probably a good idea, but didn't want to spend the couple of days trying to catch up on lost sleep from staying up all night during the drive. Our drive home (we left at 8pm - just as the babies were ready to fall asleep) took 6 hours. NO feeding and NO diaper changes. ***sigh*** It was heaven!

We enjoyed walks in downtown Charleston and one beach stroll at Isle of Palms. We all hit the Christmas light display (which is awesome) one evening. We had a really nice time at a new bakery/coffee shop, Baked, in downtown Charleston and had some of the most FABULOUS hot chocolate I have ever tasted. They had great chairs where we could change diapers (sorry but no changing tables in the bathroom) and large tables with bench/picnic table type seats that made it easier to feed babies. It was quiet and we had a huge room all to ourselves. It's fun to visit someplace with people who have lived there. Aunt Marsha and Uncle Bill could give us lots of info and had many stories to tell (including the place where Bill popped the question).

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving together yesterday. Most of the day was spent recovering at home after the long drive Wed night. We did have a meal at 5p with my family (we had celebrated with his family last weekend) and then headed home to get the munchkins to bed. They, of course, had their turkey, green beans, carrots and bananas so that their meal was sort of similar to what we had.

I will have more pictures to post soon, but wanted to get this first "round" of pics out there since I had been bombarded with emails about seeing the babies. :)

We did take some time on Thursday to reflect on the blessings we have been given this year with the addition of three wonderful children to our family. It's been a crazy year, but one that we wouldn't trade for anything. I can't imagine how we lived life without Kendall, Emma and Clark and can't wait to make handprint turkeys next year with them!
Beyond that, there are so many things we are thankful for: again, Kendall, Emma and Clark; our wonderful family; our amazing friends; the incredible people who continue to help out with the babies each week/month by showing up, praying for us, or just doing something nice; our warm home; Daddy's job; our crock pot which provides numerous hot, yummy meals for us after a long day; and for God giving us this life of ours.
Happy Thanksgiving!!