The First Birthday Party

Wow. I can't believe it was here and over.

 Here are a few pictures:

Natalie pre-partying

Me with Natalie as she squirms away. Gorgeous photo of me I must say

 This is Rose! She was our sweet night nanny and babysitter. So glad she was able to come. 

We couldn't have survived without her.

 My brother, Ryan, with Caroline

 Townes playing with his new cars

 Thanks for the slap. When do we start the discipline?!

 The girls in their new ball pit!!

 Their first taste of sugar (not counting fruits of course)

 Umm... this is not very dainty

Natalie doing what we thought she would!!

Townes was not into getting dirty either

Rolling around the ball pit

We had a great time!! It was stressful, but who wouldn't expect even a low key triplet birthday party to be easy during this crazy year?? :) They got tons of presents and are set up for awhile. We got them this huge ball pit with a tunnel they can climb out of.  Not too sure they get it yet! I ordered these really cute T shirts off Etsy from a lady in Georgia. They were soooo cute. Little blue and pink 1's with monkeys.

It was awesome being surrounded by those who helped us so much our first year. Of course, missing from this group, were Nate's parents. They made it to Boston to help with Ann's hospitalization. We have a new nephew, Micah! He was born at 34 weeks and is 5 lb 12 oz. I believe everything is fine, and he should have a little bit of NICU time. Thankfully they were able to give her steroid shots before birth so his lungs had a head start. Micah is the SIXTEENTH Jennings grand baby! So wild. I really don't know where we will do holidays from now on.

 

So although we didn't have everyone over, I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us survive this past year- the babysitting, meals, hand me down clothes and toys, prayers, hugs, and anything else that I have not included. No one can understand how much the help has meant to us.

I'll write a more poignant "One Year" post, but I'll leave you with The Message translation of Romans 8:22-28:

^22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

 ^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.