Tag archive for "birthday"

Three Years…But Who’s Counting?

Good Times

Three Years…But Who’s Counting?

12 Comments 25 January 2012

First of all, happy 3rd birthday to The Fab Five – Brooklyn Faith, Britton Grace, Jack William, Lila Addison, and Ryan Elizabeth!!!

Three years.  Has it really been that long?  Wait – has it really been that short??  The answer to both questions is yes…resoundingly!  When the doctor told us 3 years, 5 months, 9 days, 2 hours, and a handful of minutes ago (who’s counting, huh??) that we were going to be raising quintuplets, we knew we were in for the biggest challenge we’ve ever faced.  And we were right – the Quintuplet Invasion left no stone unturned in its mission to force change, challenge, defeat, and triumph into every aspect of our world – and the invasion continues today.

We also knew on that day that in facing this challenge – these challenges – win, lose, or draw, we were going to be richly rewarded for our efforts.  And again we were right – the 5 little blips on the TV screen that day turned into 5 little miracles, 5 little blessings, 5 enormous personalities, and at times 5 little tyrants……..

But we were also wrong about a few things, too…our crystal ball must have been a little fuzzy that day (and so were our heads and our hearts and our spirits and our perspective and our…ok, pretty much everything was fuzzy that day!).  Mostly, I think we were wrong about the scale of things.  The challenge has been far greater than even we imagined and the change these challenges have wrought has been far deeper and life-lasting.  And so too have been the rewards…in which case, the changes have been life-everlasting.

 Yep – three years.  And countless smiles.  Three years…and more wiggles than you can imagine.  Three years and………..

More imagining than we’ll ever again experience…

More surprises,  good and bad, the memories of which will never fade…

More anguish over the color of a sippy cup than any man should have to be a witness to…

More sweet little voices than a man can bear saying things like, “I love you, daddy!” and “You’re beautiful, Mommy!” and “You-you-you getting your boogers out, Daddy?”…

An endless supply of lost shoes, missing stuffed animals, messy floors, messy mouths, and messy clothes as well as broken crayons, broken toys, and sometimes broken hearts and broken dreams…

An expert knowledge of the negotiating tricks and skills of a two-year-old trying to avoid bedtime as if their life depended on it…

A lifetime worth of pull-your-hair-out frustration after a night-after-night routine of facing the negotiating tricks and skills of 5 two-year-olds trying to avoid their bedtimes as if their lives depended on it…

Countless diapers, countless middle-of-the-night wake-up calls, endless drama, endless chaos and countless picture-taking opportunities for my endlessly crazy wife!!!!  But I digress…

A steady supply of warmth, care, and love from friends, family, and once-upon-a-time strangers who have carried us through some of the most difficult times we have faced along this path…

An overflowing of pride and joy and gratitude at the sight of Eliot McKenna being everything a big sister should be and becoming more and more of what a big sister should be with each new passing moment…

Not enough date nights, vacations, and moments of peace with my endlessly crazy wife, but more longing for each than either of us can stand at times…

 

Never enough hugs and cuddles from our oftentimes too busy tots…

A continuous loop of the subtly-maddening choruses of Barney and Friends…and Toddler Tunes…and Little Einsteins…and Wonder Pets…and Dora and Diego…and Disney princesses…and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”…and…ok, I’ll stop now…

A never-faltering faith in God’s hand at work in the life of this family…

Three years.  5 little miracles.  Life…abundant.

God bless,

Ethan

For more photos of the birthday celebration, follow us here:  JonesLife on Facebook!

Happy Birthday to The Fab Five!!

The Fab Five

Happy Birthday to The Fab Five!!

25 Comments 17 January 2011

Wow, has it really been two years since The Quint Invasion began its all out assault on our once quiet little family??  YES, it most definitely has!  And while some of the times seem like they just happened for us yesterday, most of it seems like it was ages ago.  We’ve packed more activity and change and joy and struggle into these last two years than anyone would ever guess possible, but somehow we’ve found ourselves happier, healthier, and hopefully a wee bit wiser at the end of this 24 month journey than when we began…

So happy birthday to The Fab Five!!  Happy 2nd anniversary of quint sisterhood to Eliot McKenna and happy 2 years of survival and memory making to Casey Ann and me!!  It has been surreal almost all of the time, stressful much of the time, joyful and memorable every last second of the time……………..and here’s to many more years ahead filled with much more of the same!!!!  We love you Brooklyn, Britton, Jack, Lila, Ryan, and of course Eliot!!

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn Faith!!  First born of The Fab Five, the sweetest of the bunch (not an easy title to hold with this crew!!), and a much needed dose of calm amidst the storms that roll through our home on a regular basis!

Happy Birthday, Britton Grace!!  Call her Baby B, Itty-Bitty, Little B, Little Mighty, or Britt-Britt, but don’t call her a wallflower!  Second born, first to let you know it doesn’t matter!!

Happy Birthday, Jack William!!  In the middle while in utero, born in the middle, and likely consigned to a life of being in the middle of all of these crazy girls, but still keeping his cool!  Yep, he’s still “Laid Back Jack”…most of the time….!! :)

Happy Birthday, Lila Addison!!  Our Eliot clone in appearance and in deed, mischievous and adventurous, the fourth born is usually the first in line for any new adventure, though Lila is often the one to form her own line leading to the adventure she prefers to embark upon!!

Happy Birthday, Ryan Elizabeth!!  Ryan the Lion is now simply “Ry-Ry”…last born, but star of the show; quick to smile and quick to cry…always a joy!!

Happy 2 Years of Quint Sisterhood, Eliot McKenna!!  A little unsure of things at first, now she’s a pro!!  Her star continues to shine just as bright even with five little understudies vying for the spotlight!!

Thank you to Ella Bella Photography for continuing to provide our family with incredible pictures to help us tell the story of life as a Jones!!

**Due to our filming commitments with TLC, we unfortunately cannot share pictures or other details of the holiday season, the Quints’ birthday party, or any other events that have happened along with filming new episodes of “Quints By Surprise”.  It is sooooo hard for us not to be able to share more, but once the new episodes hit the air, we will definitely post pictures of all of the activities involved!!**

A Birthday Celebration and So Much More…

Giving Thanks

A Birthday Celebration and So Much More…

3 Comments 16 January 2010

Circle of Life

I wrote this letter to the JonesLife volunteers to thank them for all they have done over the last year, but we wanted to share it with everyone out there who has been involved in even the tiniest way in helping us to survive and thrive in this, year one of the Quintuplet Invasion…

Dear JonesLife Volunteers,

Can you believe The Fab Five is turning one tomorrow?!  We are so excited to celebrate their birthday with all of you!  I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for what you have done for us over the past 12 months and in that regard I’d like to share a quick story with you.

As part of the filming for the documentary that is being filmed about our life with the five, I was being interviewed the other day when I was asked a question that I had not considered, only because to me, the answer was obvious.  However, in answering the question, I realized that the answer may not be as clear to others as it was so in my head and in Casey’s thoughts as well.

The question was simple:  “The birthday party…why are you guys throwing such a big party?  Why are you inviting this chaos into your home…I mean, 100 people?  Why would you do that?”  And this was my reply…

Are you kidding me?  This is a CEL-E-BRATION!  I mean, think about the history of what a birthday celebration originally meant – it was a true recognition of the fact that you had survived in this world another year.  This day and age we’ve lost the meaning of that because surviving another year, especially in America, is pretty much a given…it’s expected.  But this day is different; this birthday truly is recognition of what these babies have been through and what we have encountered as a family in the last 12 months.  Think about it, these five babies faced a life and death situation on the day of their birth.  I mean, we never really questioned whether they would live or die, but if they hadn’t been born where they were born and been under constant care for nearly three months and been given the most advanced treatments that the gift of medical science would allow, they likely would not have survived.  Truly, truly this is a birthday celebration like most families have not experienced!

On top of that, think about what this family has faced since the babies were born – the NICU days where they were strapped to every machine imaginable for their simple survival was not an easy thing to endure.  The sleepless nights, the constant feedings, the complete upheaval of every aspect of our lives, the challenge to our marriage, the challenge to Eliot’s state of mind, the strain on our close relationships, the crossover from being virtually needless to being incredibly needy…those things are not easy to overcome in a lifetime, let alone a single year on the calendar!  In spite of all of that, this family and this marriage is not merely surviving, we are thriving!

And, of course, this day is also a way of saying thank you.  We are doing this not only to celebrate the babies, but also as a way to honor the people who have helped make our family’s survival a possibility!  We have met some amazing people who have put their own lives on hold so many times and in so many ways just to help our family feel a slight sense of relief from the magnitude of all of this…change, challenge, stress, LIFE.  There is absolutely no way we would be where we are today without the help of our family and the volunteers, most of whom were complete strangers before the babies were born, others we barely knew.  This party is as much about thanking them as it is about celebrating the birth of our babies!

This party, this birthday celebration, this gathering is about so much more than cake and ice cream and a simple song.  It is about God’s blessings and God’s gifts and about God’s guiding hand on these five tiny lives, on this family’s pulse, and on the hearts of the great many people who faithfully provided sustenance and rest and relief.  Given all of that, how could we not celebrate?  How could we not give back this one small moment to recognize what this period in our lives has been and what it could not have been without?  I don’t see how it could be any other way…

So again, we say, “Thank you!” to all of the volunteers, family members, and friends who have helped us get through year one of the Quintuplet Invasion!!  It has been a challenging year, no doubt about it, but more importantly it has been a fun year and a year of incredible growth – literally and figuratively!  When we say we could not have done it without your help, you probably know better than us that we mean exactly what we say!

God Bless,

Ethan, Casey, and The Six Pack

From the Birth Day to the Birthday

The Fab Five

From the Birth Day to the Birthday

11 Comments 14 January 2010

In honor of the fast-approaching 1st birthday celebration for The Fab Five, I thought I’d share a little bit about each of the little crazies that make our world so joyfully unpredictable…emphasis on the unpredictable part!! In what will forever be unfair to Lila and Ryan, I’ll go in birth order for this little tribute… :-)

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Faith, what a beauty! If I had to choose one to be the pageant queen, it would be Brooklyn, hands down. She has the most striking features of the five – big hazel eyes, full lips, super long eyelashes, and a killer smile! She is also, without a doubt, the sweetest of the bunch.  Quick story:  my “alarm” goes off every morning around 6:15 – the sound of babies laughing, squealing, and hollering at each other and at me, signaling the day’s beginning. So I trudge upstairs and take them out of their cribs one-by-one , change them, hand them their morning bottle, then head back in for the next one in line. When I start pulling them out to get the process going, I am greeted with pained shrieks of anguish from all but one of the remaining babies left bouncing in their beds. “How could you not pick me, Daddy?!,” they seem to be saying. But Brooklyn? Nothing but smiles! And that sums up Miss Brooklyn’s persona – sweet, patient, loving, and absolutely adorable!

Britton

Britton Grace – that smile says it all, doesn’t it? What would have been as appropriate and equally telling is if I had posted a picture of Angry Britton right next to this one. Yes, the little one, the one we most commonly call Little Bit, is also the uncontested diva of the bunch. Remember that story above about pulling the babies out in the morning – Britton usually goes first! She definitely has her moods – angry, fussy, inconsolable – but she also has a delightful feistiness that more than compensates for some of her less than delightful moods! She is still so, so tiny (she wears size one diapers!), but do not underestimate the might of this little one – I am certain she will be the first to do the many “firsts” among The Five!

Jack

Jack William – my boy! My lonely, mistreated, helpless little boy! Poor Jack has the unenviable fate of having six women determine his every move in life…every.single.move…Girlfriends? Only if the six approve. Dressing himself? Not without the girls’ consent. Thinking for himself? Not a chance! Fortunately, Jack seems to be well-designed for the gauntlet that awaits him in life…laid back, content, happy-go-lucky, easy as it goes…that’s Jack. No kidding, Jack is just happy, seemingly all the time. We are literally surprised when he is upset about something as if that is something babies are not known for! While the rest of our world swirls about at the pace of a chicken on crystal meth, Jack doesn’t seem to notice, or care for that matter. He is as content as content can be…for now, at least, and we are going to enjoy it while it lasts!

Lila

Lila Addison – the one we thought was as laid back as Jack has proven herself to be quietly mischievous. When Lila is quiet, something that happens less and less these days, she is probably venturing off to explore and get herself in trouble! She is our only babbler, was the first to say ma-ma and da-da (and mean it!), and I’m pretty certain will have no trouble competing with Britton and Ryan for the personality award! She is also the one that seems to be most connected to Eliot McKenna – read more on that here: http://www.joneslife.net/2009/10/a-special-bond/.  Her tongue is always waggling like you see above and her blue eyes absolutely sparkle…what a cutie!!

Ryan

And then there was Ryan. Actually, if you are keeping up with this blog you are probably most familiar with Ryan Elizabeth, otherwise known as Ryan the Lion, as she has been the subject of many, many videos and blog updates…what can I say, she’s an easy subject for camera and keyboard alike!  She was the only one making any noise on the day of their birth and she hasn’t piped down yet! She is without a doubt the most colorful of the bunch! From her lightning quick smile to her equally ferocious roar to her collection of facial expressions and the accompanying sound effects, Ryan keeps us Smilin’…and laughing…and usually shaking our heads in bewilderment! First to crawl, first to walk, and she will probably be the first to pitch herself headfirst off of some high place, sending the whole gang of us off to the emergency room to watch her be the first to wear a cast…Ryan, Ryan, Ryan…oh my!

Eliot

Happy Birthday, Eliot McKenna!!

2 Comments 14 July 2009

Eliot turned 5 years old today…we can’t believe our baby girl is all grown up now!!! Well, I guess “all grown up” is a relative term – I guess grown ups don’t put on singing shows for their parents while wearing a princess night grown and singing to “A Whole New World” from Aladdin like Eliot did last night. And I guess most grown ups don’t request pumpkin pie for their birthday treat or pout for half an hour because one of their party balloons floated away while unpacking the car. And I would have to say most grown ups do not spend their evenings drawing pictures of their family, complete with rainbows, sunshines, smiley faces, and Daddy’s spikey hair.

But she’s definitely not the tiny six pounder who came into our lives five years ago today and instantly turned our lives upside down for the first of many times to come! She’s not the little one-year-old that I used to call “Two-Toofers” because of the two front bottom teeth that she flashed with every smile. She’s also not the toddler who used to run around the house on her tiptoes, used to use my stomach as a trampoline, once spread diaper rash cream all over her face and her stuffed tigers face because they had a rash, and each night at bedtime was never satisfied with just one book. And she’s not the four-going-on-thirteen-year-old who developed a taste for independence early on in life and made sure everyone around her respected that freedom. Nope, as all who have kids know, the changes come fast in the first years and with them new joys and an almost equal amount of headaches – headaches that only appear when you forget to laugh first! We’ve loved every minute of it, Little Miss Sunshine, and can’t wait to see what the next chapter in our lives brings!!

Happy Birthday, Eliot! We love you!

God Bless,
Ethan

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