Zoo Lights

So every year the zoo, as the title implies transforms into a zoo of lights! We wanted to go last Saturday because it wasn't raining and relatively warm but we didn't get around to it. Then again we meant to go on Sunday but that did happen either. I had given up on the idea at least for now when on Monday Phil suggested we go that night after he got off from work. We rarely go out at night during the week so this was quite the adventure for us! And we were sooo glad we didn't come over the weekend because it was so packed out we could barely find parking. And we waited a good 45 min in line for the train, I can only imagine what the wait was like on the weekend!

Watching the ocean display doing circles as we wait in line for the train.

Thomas so happy to be on the train finally!

Crazy Eli and I

Caleb on the train

Warming up with some hot chocolate, although we were anything but cold.
I think we all over dressed, ha! 

Caleb and I

Riding the wolf pack

The train looked so cool!

Eli metamorphosized

Here is a little clip of us on the train and our view...

Eyes

Most of the time you can't appreciate the boys unique eye color...or shall we say pattern since it's two different colors? But then there are times when the light strikes their eyes, just right and they sparkle like little emeralds : )

Eli right after poking himself in the eye with a stick

At the children's museum the boys excitedly ran to the "construction zone" and dawned all the gear.

This construction worker has a soft side : )

Caleb was digging the new dig pit, haha!

Eli

Thomas

Caleb

I'm always surprised at how much they like the vet station

Thomas riding Dorothy's bike at the new Wizard of Oz exhibit.

CTE, evidence that not all our group pictures turn out well.

But some are funny : )

4 yrs 2 mo!

This weekend we finally saw the light of day after being stuck at home for so long! We are all feeling 100% better, yay!

CET 50 months old!

Under the stairwell at the library

Sleepy triplet dominos

1000 legos doesn't look like much : (
We took advantage of all the good sales and bought the boys a bunch of "little" legos (aka not duplos). Phil and I are the first to admit that they are SO MUCH FUN! We ALL played with legos all weekend long, but seriously...we need to bulk up our stash!

Our first outing since being sickos was Burgerville which after not eating much for several days this tasted like prime rib, ha!

Sickos

We spent the last week in pure misery. We caught either some epic cold or the flu. It knocked Caleb, Eli and I OUT! We had low grade fevers off and on, we sneezed non stop, our noses ran constantly, the bright lights burned our eyes and even now we are still coughing and hacking up unidentified matter. I seriously can't remember when I've felt worse! Thomas seems to have caught it too but his only symptoms are a runny nose, what gives?! And for now Phil seems to have escaped getting it but he shouldn't celebrate just yet, there is still a chance he could start up!  The worse part is that it has thwarted our plans for the long weekend, stay-cation it is : (

The boys couldn't seem to peel themselves off of the couch
to do much of anything but sleep and watch tv

Caleb and Eli easily polished off half a bottle of children's tylenol

The only nice thing was lots and lots of snuggles

Perturbed, Frigid, and Elated!

Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks!

Perturbed, frigid, and elated!

TEC

Thomas getting a special treat when he went with dad to run errands. Thomas always wears his fireman jacket when he goes with dad since he knows he won't object to it. I won't ever let him wear it when we go out in public, ha! (mostly bc they always wear it at home and it gets kind of dirty after a while)

The boys have learned several site words (oso=bear in english), and Thomas loves to see if he can write them too! I'm impressed at how well their penmanship has gotten just in the last few months.

Lock up your daughters when these three are around!

Eli and papi at an assembly last weekend : )

Here are a few cute videos of the boys, mostly for the grandma's and aunties : )

Eating noodles is hard work!

This one is from summer and the boys are arguing about how to assemble their new bikes. 

Eli is vicious!

National Preemie Awareness Day!

It is very sad that so many babies are born way too soon. Many lives lost and others with long worry-filled hospital stays before they are able to come home. We could have lost our boys at any given time during our high risk pregnancy. When I think back I was a bit naive and shutter to think that it could have easily happened to us as it has for so many. We are just so very grateful that we came out of this on the other side with three boys as healthy as any parent could wish for!

Papi with TEC 1 week old : )

Sauvie Island Beach

Last Saturday we took the boys to Sauvie Island beach (about 20min from our house) and the boys had so much fun that I kept asking myself why we don't come here more often since it's so close! We come often to the island since it's full of u-pick farms in the summer and pumpkin patches in the fall but for some reason we just never make it out to the beach. We will try harder once winter is over : )

Thomas
I couldn't get a straight face on anyone that day!

Eli

Caleb

The boys never play with this car at home but on the beach it was a hot commodity!

Get ready for some big waves!

CET, I don't know why I thought they wouldn't get wet! At temps in the low 60s (maybe high 50s, can't remember) they didn't want their sweaters and were more than ready to wade in the frigid waters of the Columbia river!

Caleb and Eli 

Another boat went by, waves coming in!

ECT

It was a beautiful day albeit a bit chilly.

Caleb