My little swimmer man!

I finally made it to a swim practice of Robbie's tonight with the intention of solely watching him (and taking pictures, of course) without the distraction of 2 other little ones. I was so happy to be there and I enjoyed every moment of seeing how very much he has progressed in such a short time! I got some great action shots of him diving and swimming the back stroke ... which he is learning to do without his flippers. He swam almost the whole length of the pool on his own, with a little help from Coach Laurie, so he was super excited tonight and his mommy was quite proud. He's been working so incredibly hard these past few months and it's really beginning to show. He loves being a swimmer now and is looking forward to being like the "big kids" someday. Best of all, he was the only little kid there tonight so he received a ton of 1 on 1 attention from Coach. We missed all of his teammates though! Here are a few photos of my cute little swimmer superstar ... I'm having a hard time believing that he will soon be 5!

Warm-up time!

His Daddy, who is training for a triathlon, is trying to keep with his 4 1/2 yr old son in the pool :)

His best dive yet!

Walking back after his great dive ... he was SO happy :)

The wonderful HOT shower after practice is through ... he stays there for at least 5 mins :)

A very MESSY situation!

I'm pretty sure I nearly had a heart attack today ... funny that I actually stopped to pick up my camera to take a picture of such a scene, but it was truly 1 of those moments as a parent that you never want to forget (at least I think that's the case)! I had to laugh, otherwise I probably would have cried!

Ok, so here's the story ... I'm not sure the picture will do it justice so you'll just have to use your imagination!

I stepped upstairs for a few minutes in search of something. Robbie was engrossed in some school work at the kitchen table, literally, and the little guys were busy playing (and yes, the gate was closed this time). I heard lots of laughter and running around so I just assumed everything was ok. When I came downstairs (a few minutes later), I was greeted by 2 little boys giggling (cackling almost) covered in cocoa powder ... the floor was covered in cocoa powder and little footprints with tracks of cocoa powder were ALL OVER my house, including our new sun room's carpet. Yeah, so this is where the heart attack happened! I stopped to take a picture (for memory's sake ... I'm crazy, I know) and then scolded the boys. Daniel was quite upset that he made such a mess and Sammy, well ... he's only 16 months so I'm pretty sure he was clueless. I gave both big boys jobs to help Mommy and they literally scrubbed, vacuumed, and cleaned our entire 1st floor while Sammy boy sat in the high chair eating a snack. Fortunately, thanks to lots of hard work (and the rental of a carpet cleaner) we got every last stain out ... and my home is back to normal!

Such is life with 3 little boys, right?! Needless to say, I am grateful for times like these ... they make life exciting, never boring, and full of surprise! Had I reacted with anger (something I probably would have done in the past), I'm pretty sure I would have left a lasting negative imprint on my children. Sometimes, ya just have to laugh, roll with the punches, and make the best of situations that, at the time, aren't very pleasant. Another lesson learned today (# 1052) ... never leave a 3 year old and 16 mo. old alone while big bro is busy and engrossed in something ... makes for an absolute mess for Mommy! Oh, and I guess I failed to mention that I left the cocoa powder out since I had been baking earlier that morning. Lesson #1053 - never leave cocoa powder (or any substance like that) within arms reach for young children to grab!

I sure do love my boys! God blessed me with them for a reason, even if it was to make my house smell like a chocolate factory on this given day! :)

A FUN afternoon at Penn Park ... what a glorious day!!!

The boys and I ventured into town this morning to Penn Park ... we had a cute little picnic on the lawn and enjoyed lots of playtime on all the fun play gyms. The boys had a blast and I did, too! Though I quickly came to the realization how very different things are this year compared with last year. Sammy boy is 16 months and nearly running - everywhere. The stroller was simply not a possibility this time. He wanted to be right where his big brothers were. I can't say I blame him. My body was being pulled in 2, sometimes 3 different directions as I was trying to keep an eye on my clan. I even received some funny (yet cute) comments from folks who were  probably thinking ... phew, that woman is brave for having yet another! Perhaps I am, but it's almost hard for me to imagine life any other way. They really were wonderful and they pretty much stuck together like glue. Daniel, who just turned 3, was SO much fun and was just fascinated by all the play gyms and his big bro, who I'm pretty sure he idolizes! He even did a little song and dance for us on the grass ... which pretty much had his brothers and I in tears! Robbie was my very BIG helper ... keeping an eye on his brothers with me yet still having so much fun being himself. I'm so grateful to have such a responsible and sweet almost-5-yr old! The years are flying and I'm trying to savor every last drop as I know that, someday, my full plate will be empty ... though I guess that's when Rob and I get to enjoy the fruits of our labor ... and being empty-nesters! I won't go there, at least not right now! As crazy busy as life is when its just me and my clan of boys at the playground, or anywhere for that matter, I couldn't feel any more blessed! These are the special times!

Did I mention how incredibly thankful I am to finally have my 3 healthy boys back?! After a challenging 2 weeks, we have been so grateful for some amazingly beautiful spring-like days to spend outside. Here are some pictures that truly capture the joy on my children's faces on such a glorious February day! How could I not enjoy photography?! My camera and I are buddies and probably will be for many years to come! :)

Spring is coming!! Yippieeee!!! :)

I am thankful yet another crazy week has come to an end! Our big guy, Robbie, came down with the flu this past week and I received a call yesterday morning from the pediatrician telling me that his strep culture did, in fact, come back positive. Double whammy! Fortunately, after a few good doses of antibiotic, he is a new kid and is nearly back to his happy, sweet and playful self. I hadn't seen him that sick in a very long time so, needless to say, we are singing praises tonight to have 3 healthy boys in the Maloney home! We had a great day with some good friends of ours who came into town for the day and we enjoyed lots of play time outside. There is nothing quite like boys and their bikes and a fun play gym in the backyard! I even got to enjoy a nice long walk with a friend while pushing a sleeping little Samuel in the stroller. It was so nice and made me itch for spring even more. Rob and I did a bit of spring cleaning this morning and we felt very blessed to enjoy a nice dinner out as a family this evening ... something that doesn't happen often, so a treat for sure when it does. The boys think it is such fun to eat some place other than home! Here are a few pictures of the Maloney trio enjoying the amazing sunshine we were blessed with today, in mid-February no less. Amazing! So looking forward to being back at church tomorrow with my family after too many weeks away. I have missed it immensely!

Oldies but goodies :)

Thought I'd do something fun and post a few older pictures of my kids (especially of Robbie and Daniel since its been a little while since they were babies). Even Rob and I, from back in the day ...well, almost 6 years ago if you can call that back in the day! Time sure has a way of changing us! Hopefully 6 years hasn't changed us too much! :) Rob is defenitely more physically fit as he is biking and currently training for a triathalon. He is doing awesome with it and it tends to be such a stress reliever for him. He also has a few great friends who keep him company on the roads and in the gym. I, on the other hand, have simply been busy popping out babies and raising 3 little boys (with the help of my husband, of course! I could not imagine being a single mom!) I do very much look forward to the day when our kids are a little bit older so I can go biking with Rob around the lake and possibly even do some training with him. I'm not sure I will ever get to his level, but I will keep the dream and vision. He is my biggest motivator and always has been. Someone told me recently that I am, in fact, training for a little marathon of my own ... I just need to look down at my growing belly and remember all that my body is doing to grow yet another precious little life. Thank you, Lord! I am so very grateful! The gift of being a Mother (and a stay-at-home one better yet) is priceless!

Robbie - 2 wks old

Robbie - 5 months old

Robbie - 6 months old

Robbie - 10 months old

Robbie 23 months & Daniel 2 months

Robbie 2 years & Daniel 3 months

They were buddies even back then!!!

Daniel - 4 months

Daniel - 4 months 

Daniel - 9 months

Daniel - 15 months

Samuel - 2 wks

Samuel - 2 wks

Pretty amazing that it all started on this very day - 4/29/05 - The Lord SO blessed me!

Rob and I had a beautiful slate sign made by a dear friend of ours a few years back that we have visibly displayed in 1 of our front flower beds. This verse is truly 1 of the verses that Rob and I have desired to live by .... and always will. I pray our children will follow our example. We are not perfect by any means, but we love the Lord and desire to live by His word.