Ski Trip 2012

The kids started a new class three weeks ago. They now take a swimming class at the high school every Wednesday afternoon. They are almost the entire class, as there is only one other kid in the class. They all enjoy playing the game where they collect rubber duckies almost as much as the free suckers at the end of class. This past weekend we took our annual trip to Boyne Mountain. It was quite the change from our normal trips of the past. For starters, my mom and dad were unable to make the trip due to the fact that my mom's been sick and was in the hospital. She seems to be slowly getting better now due to some breathing treatments and antibiotics for pneumonia. Katie's been sick as well and had a doctors appointment on Friday morning before we were able to leave and head up north. She's off her nebulizer but has a new medicine we are trying out for her allergies. Let me tell you how fun it is trying to convince a 3 year old that she needs to use a nasal spray every day. Thanks to Aunt Kim though who's on the same meds for her allergies, Katie thinks she's a big girl when she takes it and is actually pretty cooperative once we remind her of that on a daily basis. The trip itself was a blast! We got up to Boyne on Friday afternoon and Pat was able to borrow my dad's skis since he couldn't make the trip. Stephen and Pat skied for an hour or so while the kids hung out at the awesome condo with Uncle Mike, Aunt Kim and me. This year we stayed at a condo right off the slopes which was great! We were a 20 foot walk to the chair lift and the kids could go sledding right outside the door. Becca and her family as well as Steve's friend Nathan made it up later in the evening. Saturday morning Clay and Drew went to ski school while Pat and I took our trio to the water park Avalanche Bay. It was a ton of fun. Everyone tried the water slide at least once and Katie and Seamus went down countless times by themselves. That evening Katie got sick... not enough sleep, too much excitement, and new medicine did her in. The poor kid puked for about 24 hours straight. She was so sad that she couldn't swim a second time that evening. All the kids did get to enjoy a viewing of the movie Tangled though while Pat, John, Steve, and Nathan all went skiing. Sunday after very little sleep we packed up and started a very snowy trip home. Getting out of Gaylord took a while since it was practically white out conditions until we hit the freeway. Two days later we're still recovering from lack of sleep but are really happy we went. Hopefully next year everyone will be healthy and we can do it all again! Our trio are already planning on going to ski school next year. Seamus thinks he already knows how to ski, he just need "sticks" aka poles. Can't wait!


Seamus Sledding at Boyne


Katie Sledding at Boyne


Helena Sledding at Boyne


Aunt Kim pushing Katie down the hill at Boyne


Katie, Seamus, Clay, Helena and Drew watching a movie at the end of a long day

Christmas and New Years 2011

The past couple of weeks have flown by in the Murphy household. We had a great Christmas and New Year's and hope all of you did as well. Our Christmas break started on Dec 22,which was the last day of work for Pat and I,and also the day that Aunt Kathy Murphy came into town. We got to spend some time with her before all of the craziness of the holidays fully hit. The evening of the 22nd we went to visit the Dressigs. Chris was in town from Texas and we wanted to see him and give them their gifts. The kids had gotten presents for their soon- to- be-born twins and were excited to give them to them. We went out to dinner with Pat's family and had a pre-holiday celebration the 23rd. On Christmas Eve,we went to church and then to my Aunt Marianne and Uncle Nick's house for our traditional meal. The kids loved seeing their cousins and getting lots of presents from the extended family.


Kids grabbing their presents for each other on Christmas Eve


Katie opening her present on Christmas Eve


Seamus opening his present on Christmas Eve


Helena opening her Present on Christmas Eve


Katie in Reindeer horns on Christmas Eve at Aunt Marianne's house


All the kids destroying the Ginger Bread House at Aunt Marianne's house

Christmas Day was great! For once we didn't have to rush out the door and
actually got to spend some time at home as a family opening gifts and having a nice breakfast. The kids were so excited about what Santa brought them. Around noon we packed up and went to dinner at my parents. From there, we made a trip to my Aunt Carole's and then on to Pat's parents house for dinner. Overall, it was a great day. A few days after Christmas my parents came over with a train table they got the kids. The trains and table are by far the biggest hit of the gift giving season! I think they have been played with constantly since...


CHRISTMAS MORNING!


Checking out the stockings


Seamus with one of the trains Santa got for him


Helena with the purple dress Santa brought for her


Katie with the baby furniture Santa got for her


Seamus with his new sled (and Bulls Eye)


Katie and Helena with their new sleds


Seamus, Helena and Katie playing with their new trains


All the kids running around Grandma Murphy's house like crazy


Making Christmas tree ornaments out of sand dollars from Hilton Head SC


New Year's was relatively quiet. We had my parents and brother over for a lamb roast on New Year's Eve and then in the evening did a mini sleep-over. We popped some popcorn and got the kids sleeping bags out to watch movies. They were in their own beds and asleep my 10pm. The rest of the week flew by for us including an attempt at sledding. We haven't had much snow here so it didn't go very smoothly, but the kids were happy to be able to try out their new sleds from Santa. Well, we're back to work again and counting the days until our next vacation. After we got back to work we found a new home for our pet snake Percy. Hope you had a great holiday!


Katie trying out her new sled


Seamus trying out his new sled


Helena trying out her new sled


Percy's last day at our house

Church Play and Party

After Mass today we had a Christmas party at Church which included a short play put on by the catechism classes. The preschool kids were cast as angels, so Katie Seamus and Helena along with Drew were dressed as Angels. They did not have a speaking role, but they walked around, sang along, and took a bow at the end of the performance. Clay had a speaking role as a shopkeeper. After the play we had a pizza lunch, although I think they ate more cookies, cupcakes and candy then anything else. After the lunch the kids all got together and sang their best to see if they could get Saint Nicholas to visit. They sang their best, and Saint Nicholas brought all the kids a present! Yesterday Mary's dad and I went shopping for Christmas dinner while Mary and the kids helped Grandma, Aunt Becca and Aunt Christi make cookies. This year Mary told me all of them were very helpful, although by the time I got there only Helena was still busy painting her cookies. She was sampling as she went and looked like she was wearing war paint on her face (obviously she takes decorating very seriously). I can't believe we are already a week from Christmas! The kids get more excited each day! Mary and I work through Thursday, so the countdown is down to four days...


Triplet's acting debut


Saint Nicholas and Katie


Saint Nicholas and Helena


Saint Nicholas and Seamus

Preschool Party -Time

On Thursday the trio had their Preschool Christmas Party. I took half the day off work so I could go the the festivities with Grandma and Grandpa Huddas and Drew. After all the kids had lunch, we got to go into the classroom where the kids made Christmas cards. Helena made it for me, while Katie and Seamus made theirs for Santa. The kids had a blast showing me around school. They showed me where they put their back packs, did calendar time, they showed me the projects they had hanging up, and I even got to see the "Happy Helper Bell." They then went into the back to make "Reindeer Food" then preformed a concert for the visitors. After the concert we all had some cookies and punch while they got presents from their teachers, Miss Sallie and Miss Jaimie. The kids then gave their presents to their teachers, and we packed up all their stuff including presents they made for Mary and I that we decided to open at home when Mary got home from work.

Katie making a Christmas card at preschool


Helena making a Christmas card at preschool


Seamus making a Christmas card at preschool


Seamus making "Reindeer Food"


Helena making "Reindeer Food"


Katie making "Reindeer Food"


Class Concert


Opening presents from the teachers


Gift for Miss Sallie


Gift for Miss Jaimie

It was a really fun day, I don't know who was more excited about all of us being at the party, the kids or me. The present they made for us was an ornament of them wearing a reindeer suit, We put those on the Christmas tree. Unfortunately the tree fell that evening, and many of our ornaments broke , including some of our Baby's First Christmas ones (One of Katie and Helena's and both of Seamus') on Friday we bought a studier stand and cut a bit off the tree. It is sturdy now, although just a bit crooked.

Oh Christmas Tree

Last Saturday Mary, the kids and I met up with Grandpa and Grandma Huddas, Uncle John, Aunt Becca, Clay,Drew, Aunt Christi and Uncle Wayne to hack down this years Christmas tree. This year we let Katie pick out our tree, and she picked out what seemed to be a nice, but wide, tree. After Seamus helped me cut it down, we noticed that the trunk was somewhat crooked, but figured it would work just fine.


The Kids and I cutting down the tree


Murphy family Christmas tree

After we all selected and chopped down our tree, we proceeded to complete the yearly tradition of returning to Aunt Becca and Uncle John's to have a pizza lunch, then squeeze their monstrosity of a tree into their living room. After their tree was wedged into place, Grandpa and Grandma drove our tree back to the house and we put up and decorated our tree. Every year the kids do more and more, and were actual participants in decorating the tree. I had to tell Helena not to put three ornaments on the same branch a couple of times, but they had a ball hanging the ornaments with their names on it. All three of them are very excited about Santa and Christmas this year. Every year is more and more amazing, they all wrote their first "Letters" to Santa this year, and came up with the idea to put them by the fireplace on their own so he could come and pick the up. On Thursday they have their first ever school Christmas party. Since Mary went on the field trip, I am lucky enough to be taking a half day at work to go to their party.


Katie helping Mommy put up the lights


Helena hanging an ornament


Seamus hanging an ornament


Christmas tree


Mary with Helena, Katie and Seamus


Pat with Helena, Seamus and Katie