I hate parking garages–well if I’m trying to finagle a large vehicle through one. I hate taking my kids to doctors appointments, waiting through a number of episodes of virtually the same show entitled “juggling three small children at a place they don’t particularly like at lunch time,” watching the helpless adoring eyes of my 8-week-old daughter as I assist in her unexpected torturous shots, trying to comfort two sad, afflicted little girls at the same time, waiting for an elevator that is slow and always too full for a stroller when it is going my direction, then settling for taking car seat, stroller and toddlers down stairs in shifts, then the inevitable, “YOU have your hands full!!!,” forgetting to bring change for the parking garage, and realizing upon arriving at home that I have somewhere managed to step in green bubblegum. Nevertheless I love being a mother to my precious children. Life is settling into a lovely new normal. I’m finding joy and fulfillment in the miniature joys of life like fixing myself yummy coffee drinks, crossing completed items off my list, being unpregnant and able to return to my favorite forms of exercise, and watching my two toddlers take such obvious delight in their little sister. We had a wonderful time on the east coast partaking in my dear friend’s wedding and enjoying recreating in Massanutten, Virginia with my dad’s side of the family. I look forward to the time when more of our friends and family also have children and we aren’t trying to keep up with everyone else or at the mercy of others to forego their desires to help out with our little ones. Aria is a joyful addition to our household. She’s a little more demanding than her older siblings were as infants. Her preference is to be held all the time. But since I still have only two arms, she is already learning part of the hard call of a Christian to die to self! She has been quite busy growing over the past few weeks to 150% her hospital size. She currently has one blue and and one brown eye. I don’t know whether she’s keeping us in suspense about which color will break the tie in our family, or maybe they’ll stay brown and blue. Chalice is a little character trying to keep up with her brother in some respects and holding her own in others. She and Joel are quite the duo. Joel recently told me, “Don’t be afraid, Mommy, Thomas is with you.” I know I should keep such sacrilege to myself. :)  I’m enjoying our new little community and the safety of taking walks right from our front door. There’s a nearby park and stores within walking distance.  Ironically my favorite asset or our new home is the attached garage or more precisely the potential to load and unload children safely without having to herd them around our condo complex along with armloads of groceries. It’s great having a small yard and being able to plant flowers, herbs, and a few vegetables, though I was a bit preoccupied during planting season this year. I’d better get on to other details of life, but after two months absence it’s nice to leave my little mark on cyberspace.