what makes you happy?

I've been "tagged" by Ashley and here are the rules:

1. Mention and link back to the person that tagged you.

2. List 6 little things that make you happy!

3. Tag 6 other bloggers and let them know "They're it".

Here are just a few of the many things in my life that make me happy.

1.My hubby! I'm married to my best friend, and I am so glad that I have him by my side everyday. I love him very much and he makes me happy,most of the time (JUST kidding, babe)! :)

Us on our wedding day. Oct. 13, 2007

2. Family! I LOVE my family! I got the pleasure of spending a lot of quality time with some of my family members this past week. My brother, and sister-in-law came to FL this week with their 5 kids and we had a blast together. We all spent a lot of time riding around of my Dad's golf cart, sitting around the campfire and we even had a sleepover at my house. It was great reconnecting with the kids again. My brother, SIL, Josh and I even got to have a night out too, and we had a calorie fest at The Melting Pot! Happy times!

Neil, Clarie, Avery, Hannah, and Ian at the sleepover!

Josh and I at the Melting Pot.

3. Friends! My friends a just like family to me, and I love them dearly. They've been with me through the good times and the bad. My friends are a huge part of my life and they definitely make me happy!

Some friends at one of our Poker Nights.

4. Seven and Romie! This kind of fits into my family subject, but I decided to separate them out. Seven and Romie bring so much joy to my life. I love cuddling with them on the couch while watching TV, and I love that they get to hang out with me all day at my feet while I work from home. They are such loyal companions.

Romes!

Seven!

5. Vacation and Traveling. I'm sure this doesn't come as a shock to anyone, but vacations and traveling makes me happy. As long as I am doing this with my hubby, family and friends, I am trilled to go anywhere. I've been fortunate enough to travel to a lot of places already, and I plan to do a lot more. Josh and I have taken some great trips that bring a lot of happiness, and create lifelong memories.

Josh and I in Antigua on vacation!

6. Shopping! It may sound a little superficial, but shopping definitely makes me happy! I work hard for a living, and as a little reward to myself, I enjoy shopping for new clothes, purses, shoes, gifts for others, house decor, etc! I love it all; and a good purchase or a good deal puts a smile on my face.

I could go on and on about what else makes me happy, but I'll keep it at just this 6.

What makes YOU happy?

Tag! You're it:

1. Allison

2. Josh

3. Seraphim

4. Melanie

5. Jenna

6. Sandra

heidi michelle

I've been struggling with this post about Heidi a little because I didn't get a chance to "know" her like I did the other 3. Heidi PPROM'd at 17 weeks and then I had her at 19, and I never saw her or got to hold her. What I do know about Heidi, is that she is a very special girl. She came into this world a few weeks before my other 3, and when this happened we were of course very sad to lose her, but I felt that is was meant to be. We were at peace with it. She made the ultimate sacrifice to give her brother and sisters more room to grow up and be strong. It was a really courageous thing to do. After we lost Heidi I had a few weeks at home, feeling so good. I spent that time on strict bed rest, just eating and sleeping and the babies were thriving. For the weeks after we lost Heidi, and I was still pregnant with the others, I felt like God had given us our own personal angel to watch over us. Heidi, you are our first angel and will always be remembered for what you did.

Heidi Michelle

Our little "Baby A" was named Heidi Michelle because of a couple reasons. First is because of her demeanor; she was the first of the quads to be conceived, and was very active and seemed determined. Her profile shot at 16 weeks resembled me a little, so we felt that she was best suited to be named after me, so we passed my middle name on to her. Heidi was another name that I've just always loved. For years, I've talked about my girls, "Heidi and Paige" that I'd have one day. I just knew those would be their names. I always pictured Heidi having blonde, curly hair and big blue eyes. I knew that they would be my daughters one day, I just never imagined that they would be angels...

Heidi at 16 weeks.

I never really saw Heidi, and we don't have any pictures of her. Honestly, I was a little nervous of what a 19 week gestation baby would look like, but I imagine her being just as perfect and beautiful as the others. Heidi, you were always meant to be an angel. You did a wonderful thing by giving your siblings a better chance at life. You will never be forgotten. Your Mommy and Daddy are so grateful for the time we did have with you. We miss you more than words can say... And we'll see you one day in heaven.

A picture of Heidi's actual footprints act as the background image to our 'Remembering The Green Beans' button.

lillian nicole

This is part 3 of Remembering my Green Beans, and it's all about my sweet, little Lily today. This has been a tough week for me; I've been thinking about my babies so much lately. My sadness and grief is unpredictable. Just when I think things are getting easier, I have a bad day (or week) for no apparent reason. It doesn't worry me though, I realize these feelings are normal and will be with me forever. I'm learning how to deal with it and how to incorporate it into my daily life.

Once known as "Baby B", our calm and compliant baby girl was given a very special name by her Daddy. Lily was named after Josh's grandma, Lillian, who was very influential in his life growing up. I unfortunately, never got the pleasure of meeting her, but I know she is up in heaven holding our babies and enjoying them.

Lily Nicole

Lily, Josh, and I got to spend the most time together the night she was born. Lily was the first of the 3 that came on February 23. Lily held on for as long as she could, but eventually had to come just a little too early. Lily was our largest and longest baby measuring 1 pound and 11" long. She seemed so close to being able to intubate, but her lungs we not developed enough yet. I wish it was meant to be that you were still with us, Lily. It's just not fair that you were so close. When we met you were so calm and angelic. Our memory of you will always be perfect.

Lily, you are so special to your Daddy and I. I cannot wait to see you again one day. You are missed more than words can say.

rylan otto

I loved reading all your sweet comments about my Little Paige. It was really nice to just highlight one of my babies for a day, and to remember and honor just her. It is also nice to give you all the opportunity to "get to know" my babies the way I do.

Rylan is my sweet little boy. He was the youngest and smallest. He was the last to be conceived, and contently stayed in my upper, right side throughout the whole pregnancy. When I think about Rylan I feel guilty because I feel that my body pushed him out long before he was ready to enter this world. If it had been up to him, he would have stayed in there all 40 weeks. I know that I couldn't do anything about it, and since all his sisters came, it was inevitable that he would too. As I delivered Heidi, Lily, and then Paige, I grasped on to the very small possibility of Rylan being able to make it. I daydream of you still being with us, and I wish that at the least, you could have survived this and still be with us today. Even though you were our smallest baby, I just know that you were going to grow up to be a big, strong boy. I am at peace knowing that Rylan wanted to take care of his sisters in heaven, so that is where he is meant to be.

For the longest time, Josh and I were undecided about his name. I had mentioned the name before, but it was never really decided on, until the night he was born. Your Daddy and I looked at you, and we just said "Rylan". It was perfect for you. Otto has been a family name for many generations in Josh's family, so without question, we passed that name on to Rylan.

(I found this clip in the magazine I was reading after we picked his name. Some celebrity had just named their son Rylan too. I thought that was quite a coincidence since it's a pretty unique name.)

Rylan, we hope that we will be blessed with another baby boy one day, and when we are he will have your middle name to carry out your legacy.

Rylan never gave me any trouble. He was a perfectly sweet baby, and just wanted peace and quite in utero. Every time the ultrasound techs would try to measure him, he'd flip around or cover his face just to get some sleep. I have a feeling that he was going to be very confident and independent, like his Dad. Like I said, he contently stayed in his own corner as far away as possible from all the commotion the girls were always causing.

(Here he is covering his face)

Rylan, you are angel who was meant to be in heaven. I hope you are having the best time. We love you a miss you more than words can say.

paige elise

I think about all my babies all the time, but for some reason today, Paige was really sticking out in my mind. I have no idea why, but I enjoy thinking of each of them individually and remembering why I love each and everyone so much. It's probably just because I'm their mommy, but I felt like I knew each of my "beans" individually and we each had a special connection. Since I was thinking about Paige a lot today, I decided I'd write about her first. So, in no particular order, I plan to post about each of my babies...

I just really miss them, and talking about them helps me hold on to their memory. I remember them all together, and I try to also remember them separately, because to me they were all so unique and special...

PAigE ElisE

I have thought of naming my daughter Paige since I was a little girl. I started out naming my baby dolls Paige because I loved the name so much. You are going to be so beautiful, I just know it. When I met you, you had your little hands in your mouth, and all the ultrasound pics you were always sucking your thumb. You were also known for having the biggest feet and hands, just like your mommy :).

Aside from me loving the name Paige all my life, her middle name meant just as much to me. Elise was a name I got from one of my favorite Cure songs (A Letter to Elise). When I was pregnant, I used to drive around in my car and sing this song to my babies. That song has always been a beautiful love song to me, and it reminded me of how hopelessly in love some guy would be for her one day. The song describes your eyes as being so blue, like I'm sure they are. If only I had the opportunity to look into your open eyes when we met.

In your memory, we hope to have the opportunity to name another one of our daughters after you one day.

I hope you are having a wonderful time in heaven, Paige. You deserve the absolute best. Your Mommy & Daddy love you and miss you more than words can describe. We look forward to the day when we'll meet you in heaven.

wine tasting results

I thought it'd be important to name our favorite wines that we tasted at the party, so you all can try them too and let me know what you think! The overall favorites seemed to be:

1. 3 Blind Moose ~ Cabernet Sauvignon (Allison and I both brought this one to the party. It was on sale for $6.99 at Target and quite a tasty Cab)

2. Bramblewood ~ Zinfandel (My neighbor Kasie brought this one, and it was de-lish!)