And then there were 3...

Cole's 8th Birthday 

Cole's first time at Green Lake 4 months old

When John and I got married we knew we wanted to have kids right away....okay well, maybe I wanted to more, but regardless, starting a family was something we both really wanted and looked forward to.  I'm not sure if John and I ever really sat down and discussed how many children we hoped to have, but rest assured, we definitely did not plan to have 3 of them in 3 1/2 years!  We were both in our mid-twenties by the time we had Jack and Hunter, and we were still fumbling and finding our way through life and the chaos of 2 little ones.  It was a lot to navigate as young parents and our two munchkins were already keeping us on our toes when we realized that yet another little human was on the way to join our brood.  

Shock is the probably the best way to describe John's initial reaction to the news, of course, I too was in a kind of disbelief...I was pregnant yet again and I was going to have to give birth for the 3rd time in as many years. Cole was definitely what I would call a blessing in disguise, the reality is that life was just all happening a little faster than we had anticipated, we were hardly prepared, and for the most part, we were flying by the seat of our pants!

Cole was born at 5:30 pm on New Year's Eve 2003, and the next day John and I celebrated our 4 year Wedding Anniversary surrounded by 3 little boys, it was insane and perfect all at the same time! Cole was a very easy going baby, he smiled all the time and it seemed like he was always happy and content. When he started walking he was fiercely independent and got into all kinds of mischief. I don't know if it was a combination of Cole being the youngest or the fact that his free spirit was the opposite of John's, but John was so enamored by him. Being a new dad at this point was old hat, and John relished in the baby snuggles and opted many times to cart Cole around with him in the baby carrier, it was definitely the easier choice than rambunctious toddlers. As Cole began to grow he was taller than most kids his age and very coordinated. John was able to teach him how to ride a bike by the time he was 3 1/2 so long bike rides with all the boys became a regular family activity. By the time Cole was 5, John could take the boys on hikes and runs, he also began his infamous marathon training and was able to convince the boys to run in some smaller races with him. Cole didn't really have a choice but to keep up with all of this, but like John, he loved it and thrived on it...this made John extremely happy, having kids that were active and game for any adventure was what he always hoped for.   

For John, it was a dream to have sons. When they were little he loved taking a step back just to observe them, how they played and interacted and what they might say to one another...he was fascinated by their distinct personalities but loved that they had many similarities between them as well....and of course, he could see pieces of himself in each one of them. John never got the opportunity to know his own brother, Michael. John was just a baby when Michael passed away but he always felt the void of the brother he never got to know and he would tell me that he often wondered what it would have been like to have had the chance to grow up with him. Seeing the boys together filled John's heart with so much joy.  He knew the boys would always have each other, that as they grew older they would have one another's backs and appreciate what it meant to have that kind of special relationship.  

Today Cole turns 15...it seems like in a flash he went from being our little boy to sprouting into a towering teenager!  And while John may no longer be here on earth, I know he is watching over each of them, observing, listening, and beaming with pride.

Happy Birthday Cole...We love you so much! 

The 3 Ninja Turtles