The Turner Triplets

Rare Family Portrait

2012-02-13T18:47:00.001-08:00

It is close to impossible to get the entire family together for a picture. We are almost always running late for church and then it is chaos when we get home, but with Amelia's friend Ana helping us we actually got a photo of the whole family this Sunday. Everyone is even looking at the camera-a minor miracle!

John-Mark

Triplets in the Angel Choir

2012-02-13T18:20:00.001-08:00

The little girls were all dressed up for their singing at Church on Sunday morning. Carlyn (who if you remember at a previous Angel Choir appearance grabbed the microphone and shouted "THANK YOU") was at it again and had the congregation laughing and clapping. This time between songs she would point to a bald man in the balcony and walk up to the mic and yell "That's my Daddy up there". I was actually off to the side taking video. Ava saw me and Mom and waved at us, but she stayed in her place and sang on cue.

They are so precious at this age!

John-Mark

Amelia's High School Dance

2012-02-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

Amelia had a dance this weekend where she dressed up and attended with some of her girlfriends. Fortunately Dad didn't have to deal with a teenage boy taking his "not so little anymore girl" out to this dance. I remember as if it were just yesterday when Amelia was the same age as her sisters. It is astonishing how fast they grow up! She has been practicing her driving and Mom let her be at the wheel as she went through her first drive-through restaurant this weekend. KFC in Blairsville is still standing so I deem it a success.

John-Mark

Daddy's Birthday Visit at MeMas

2012-02-12T12:09:00.001-08:00

Flowers in early February! Well it's not warm today-which is only a few days later.

One of my 4 year olds took this photo. She is definitely related to MeMa since Emma has taken pictures without getting the whole head in the frame for years.

I took two of my daughters to visit MeMa this past week on my Birthday. Carlyn was still at Egleston although she came home later that same evening. MeMa had balloons, a cookie cake and presents for everyone. She then took us out to eat and then we did a tour of her old home site on New Liberty and went driving through the Lake Rabun area on Bear Gap road.

John-Mark

Carlyn Home

2012-02-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

Carlyn and Mom returned home after a 2 night stay at the Children's hospital. They do not know exactly what has caused her recent GI bleeding. They plan to recheck her soon, but thankfully she was able to come home and get back to her normal schedule for now. As my birthday was this week, it was a great present for me to have the entire family together again.

John-Mark

Triplet Tea Party

2012-02-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

TEA PARTY!!

Guess who has discovered "My Little Pony"

Mrs. June helps Carlyn with her therapy.

The girls got out just about every stuffed toy they had and put it on the rug in Jillian's room to have a big tea party this past weekend. Ava had a fever over the weekend and missed church, but it was Carlyn who ended up in the hospital on Monday.

Carlyn had several tests today that found the location of the GI bleeding, but they are running more tests to determine the best treatment options. Hopefully she and Mom can come home tomorrow.

John-Mark

Carlyn at Egleston

2012-02-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

Carlyn started having bleeding from her GI system over the weekend, so she is down at Children's Hospital in Atlanta to have some tests. A GI scope is scheduled for this afternoon. Please remember her in your thoughts and prayers today. She is a tough little girl and she generally handles these hospital visits better than her parents.

John-Mark

Turner Sisters Biker Gang

2012-02-03T05:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a biker gang that won't scare anyone. The girls enjoy going outside and playing whenever the weather is good. They all love to ride bikes-just like dad!

John-Mark

Young Harris College Basketball

2012-01-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

i
We took the girls to our local college basketball game at YHC last week. It was a rainy night, but the girls enjoyed a night out of the house. Thanks to Kelsey for helping out. Both the YHC boys and girls teams won their games over Tennessee-Temple.

John-Mark

Dinner Time

2012-01-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

The girls enjoy a nice dinner at their own table. I have not posted to the blog much recently since we have not been taking many photos this month. January has been fairly uneventful so far and that is just fine with me. All the girls are healthy and continuing to grow in size and knowledge every single day. There has not been much opportunity to get outside with the girls, so we are all wishing for warmer weather.

John-Mark

First Snow of 2012

2012-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

The mountains of North Georgia received its first snow of the new year. Although it wasn't much, it caused the schools to close for one day. The dogs really seemed to enjoy the snow as much as the kids or maybe they just enjoyed having the kids home to play with them.

John-Mark

School Pictures 2011-12

2012-01-03T05:29:00.001-08:00

Everyone in the family except me had their picture taken at school. Jen brought the triplets in on picture day to get photographed with her and Amelia had her picture taken at the high school.

John-Mark

Christmas at Home-Santa was here!

2011-12-29T16:59:00.001-08:00

We got the girls(all 4) to bed after getting back home from MeMas and we went to work preparing for Santa. The crew was excited the next morning and had a great time opening their gifts from Santa. They all got solid wood toy boxes with their name on it, large toy horses, unicorns in a purse and other assorted gifts. Amelia got UAB Blazer car tag, car mats and fatheads(she likes dragons). A case for her Kindle Fire and to order new linens of her choice for her bed.

John-Mark

Christmas at MeMa's House

2011-12-29T14:45:00.000-08:00

We all went to MeMa's on Christmas Eve to enjoy a traditional feast. I had gotten another turkey from Jim's Smokin' Que in Blairsville for the meal. We also had a spiral sliced honey baked ham and all the fixings. MeMa had prepared 2 large pans of her signature dish--fried okra.

Both the kids and adults gifts were opened without too much mess this year. MeMa was able to see everyone open their presents instead of the usual free for all. We were headed back over the mountain in plenty of time for the girl's to fall asleep before Santa's visit.

John-Mark

Christmas at Granny and PaPaws

2011-12-28T16:22:00.001-08:00

Granny and PaPaw were up first for the celebration of Christmas 2011. The cousins were all present and our girls were excited to get their first crack at gifts under a Christmas Tree this year.

John-Mark

Christmas Visit from Aunt Jan and Uncle William

2011-12-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

Aunt Jan and Uncle William made their Christmas visit to our family and brought the girls some great gifts.

John-Mark

Visit to the Space and Rocket Center

2011-12-28T11:28:00.001-08:00

Before Christmas, I took Amelia over to Huntsville, AL to visit her cousins-Matthew and William. We visited the US Space and Rocket Center and let the kids go through the whole place.

John-Mark

Santa and the Crew

2011-12-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is the girl's visit with Santa at a local bank that was used for our family Christmas Card. I waited to post them until after all the Christmas Cards were sent out this season.

John-Mark

Christmas Cards Present-Home and Office

2011-12-20T09:02:00.001-08:00

Here are the 2011 Christmas cards from the Turner Family and Mountain Eye Care, PC.

Merry Christmas!!

John-Mark

Christmas Cards Past-Home

2011-12-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Turner Family's previous Christmas Cards. The girls get a lot more comfortable with Santa as the years go by.

The Polar Express

2011-12-19T20:28:00.000-08:00

We went to Bryson City, NC again this year to ride the Polar Express Train. Santa visited all four girls and gave them a Jingle Bell from his Sleigh. We enjoyed hot chocolate with cookies and sang Christmas songs. They even read the entire "The Polar Express" book over the train's PA system. It was a special holiday trip for the entire family.

John-Mark

Magical Nights of Lights at Lake Lanier

2011-12-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Jennifer with some help from nannies and friends took the girls to see the lights at Lake Lanier. They also enjoyed the rides and a visit with Santa.

Biltmore by Candlelight

2011-12-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

I took my office staff for a visit to the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC for our office Christmas party this year. Amelia works at the office part-time, so she got to tour Biltmore for her first time. The rest of the ladies that work at Mountain Eye Care, PC also enjoyed our Christmas outing this year.

John-Mark

Barnes Family Christmas and Church Play

2011-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the girls got to see Granny's side of the family and then participate in the Children's Christmas program at our church. Carlyn won over the congregation by walking to the microphone after each song and yelling "THANK YOU" very loudly.

John-Mark

Trimming the Christmas Tree

2011-11-30T20:22:00.001-08:00

We continued our family tradition of putting up the Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and letting the kids decorate it. Amelia was the lead elf and helped her sisters with placing the ornaments and assembling the toy train that circles the tree. As four year olds this activity was a major highlight and a really big deal. They had a wonderful time listening to Christmas carols and wearing Santa hats while working on the tree.

More Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is the same exact swing(well the frame part)that I used as a child. I'm amazed it is still standing after all these years. It has not moved from that spot in over forty years.

It was also PaPaw's Birthday party in addition to our Thanksgiving dinner. The girls sang a very loud "Happy Birthday" song to him.

We went to both sets of grandparents for big traditional Thanksgiving Feasts. First up was Granny and PaPaw along with the cousins. Then we went to Clarkesville to MeMa's where there were even more cousins running around. We enjoyed turkey and ham with all the fixings at both meals. As I get older I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into putting together a big family dinner.

John-Mark

Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T20:31:00.001-08:00

The girls have been quite busy recently. They sang in the Children's Choir this past Sunday, got their picture made with Santa and dressed up as Pilgrims.

John-Mark

Cooking Greens and Carlyn's Weekend

2011-11-09T20:50:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Amelia went to her first high school dance while Ava and Jillian attended their first college football game. Carlyn went to the movies with Mom to see Puss in Boots and visited Aunt Betty and Uncle Edward. The family was quite busy going in all directions.

The girls helped Mrs. Carol fix a mess of greens last week. Next up is fried chicken and grits to make them true southern cooks.

John-Mark

Amelia's First High School Dance

2011-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Amelia went to her first high school dance this past weekend. She and mom enjoyed finding the right dress and the whole getting ready thing. Amelia went with a group of her friends and got to spend the night with one after the dance.

My baby girl is growing up!

John-Mark

UGA and UAB Football Games

2011-11-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

The last two weekends I have gone on road trips to neighboring states to watch football. First was the classic Georgia vs. Florida game in Jacksonville, FL. It ended well with a solid UGA victory that I enjoyed with my older brother and our friend Mark.

This past weekend I took my Mom and 2 of the triplets to see UAB play the undefeated rated #14 Houston in Birmingham, AL. The game did not end well for the Blazers, but the girls enjoyed their first college football game and an adventure with MeMa and daddy. UAB's Homecoming is small enough that the girls got to play in the "Blazer Village" which had games and inflatable jumping toys for the kids. They also got their photo with the UAB mascot Blaze and a cheerleader. They caught(with some help) footballs thrown into the stands after a UAB score. That could never happen at my seats at a UGA game unless they were using a cannon to launch the balls.

John-Mark

Halloween-Part 2

2011-11-03T04:59:00.001-07:00

We went Trick or Treating at only 3 houses on Monday, but the girls loved it. As you can see everyone had a great time. Amelia, Ava, Jillian and Carlyn dressed up as Rainbow Dash, Bat-girl, Super-girl and Wonder Women respectively. No costumes for mom or dad this year.

John-Mark

Halloween-Part 1

2011-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent Fall photos of the girls and them getting ready for some Halloween fun.

JMT

New Kitchen Table and Granny's Birthday

2011-10-24T20:50:00.001-07:00

We recently added a new large table in the kitchen which easily handles our entire family, so we can now all sit together and eat. The girls all got dressed up to go visit Granny for her birthday. Happy Birthday Granny!!!!

JMT

Everyone Home Together

2011-10-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

Carlyn was able to come home late Thursday and she is doing well. Her sisters are so excited to have her home.

JMT

Dad's Visit

2011-10-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

I went down to Egleston(Children's Healthcare Of Atlanta) after work today to see how Carlyn was doing. She and Mom were both in good spirits. It looks as if we may be past the worst of this latest health concern. Carlyn is now allowed to eat and she is going to the bathroom normally again. She should be released soon if all goes well.

John-Mark

Mom's Update-Carlyn feels better!

2011-10-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you to all of the wonderful people who have been praying for Carlyn! God is so good and has heard your prayers. They ran the dye through her this morning and didn't find any blockages. So, now they think it may be just a build up of bad bacteria. Possibly this is what caused the blockage in the first place. This may even have played part in all of her previous hospital stays. She... will now take a daily probiotic and once a month for a week take an antibiotic that will kill the bad bacteria. If she can make it past Thanksgiving without going back to the hospital then we are on the right track. If she has to go back to the hospital. Then we will have to come up with a new game plan. She should be here for a few more days. Please pray the antibiotics will solve the problem. You have no idea the relief I feel that there is not a blockage. Thanks to everyone again and please have a wonderful day. God bless!

Jennifer

Elgeston Update

2011-10-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

Carlyn came through her procedure yesterday without any problems. The surgeon did not find the expected GI narrowing using the scope. They are going to do more barium imaging of her GI system today to find the cause of Carlyn's GI distress. We hope to get her(and Mom) back home as soon as possible.

JMT

Carlyn in Surgery

2011-10-18T12:18:00.001-07:00

Carlyn is in surgery to fix a narrowing in the intestine where she was reconnected this summer. The same surgeon that has operated on her twice before is performing the procedure. Please remember Carlyn in your thoughts and prayers.

JMT

Carlyn Update

2011-10-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Carlyn (and Mom) were lifeflighted(helicopter ride) from the local ER to Egleston in Atlanta due to an GI blockage. They were able to remove the obstruction without invasive surgery and Carlyn is now sleeping and is under observation. Hopefully she will be able to return home soon and Mom can get some sleep too.

JMT

Carlyn to ER

2011-10-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

Carlyn missed out on the Sorghum Festival today due to being sick. She continued to be sick as the evening progressed, so Jen called the pediatric GI doctor on call and was told to just take her to the local ER for evaluation. They are still there waiting on test results. Please remember Carlyn in your prayers as she has another round of GI issues.

Parent's Trip and Sorghum Festival

2011-10-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

Jen and I had the opportunity to get away for a 2 night trip to Abingdon, VA at the Martha Washington Hotel and Spa.(Thanks to all those who helped out with the kids-Granny and PaPaw, Aunt Betty, Rachel, Mrs. Carol, Grandpa and Mary Carol plus more) We went to two plays at the Barter Theater right across the street from our room. During the day I biked over 70 miles on the Virginia Creeper Trail in the intermittent rain while Jen had a massage at the Spa. I know what you are probably thinking-that Jen got the poor end of the bargain. It's OK-to be fair next time I'll let her ride in the rain while I get the spa treatment.

We also took the girls(minus Carlyn who was feeling sick) to the Sorghum Festival at Meek's Park. The girls shared a funnel cake and spent most of their time on the inflatable slide.

John-Mark

MeMa's Birthday Lunch at Lake Burton

2011-10-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

I took MeMa up to the new Chop's Restaurant at LaPrades on Lake Burton. We also visited mom's home site where she grew up on New Liberty Road in Clarkesville. She showed me the chestnut tree her dad had planted when she was little. She even enjoyed her first ever volcano Birthday cake with ice cream on top. Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

John-Mark

Triplets in the Kitchen

2011-10-02T20:05:00.001-07:00

The girls are enjoying the changes Mom has made to the kitchen recently. We can now all comfortable sit together and eat a family meal with the new larger table. It has a bench on one side for the girls that they really like.

JMT

Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Trails

2011-09-25T19:47:00.001-07:00

Amelia and I rode our new Co-motion tandem bicycle from Mableton, Georgia to Jacksonville, Alabama with an overnight stay in Cedartown. The combined trails are about 100 miles in length end to end, but we actually rode about 125 miles total for the 2 days since we did an out and back route on Sunday into Alabama(50 miles on Saturday and 75 on Sunday). Amelia did great as the stoker(backseat rider) although she was mentioning frequently(ie complaining) that she was getting sore from the narrower saddle on the new bike. She really enjoyed eating an Italian lunch on Saturday at Frankie's in Rockmart, Mexican food for dinner in Cedartown and swimming at the hotel pool. Ron and Mike also enjoyed the food, biking and fellowship this weekend. I was very excited to watch some of the UGA/Ole Miss game on TV while having an awesome spaghetti lunch on Saturday. A big "thank you" to Mike's better half, Jill, who drove the car for us so we had luggage waiting for us at the hotel after the bike ride.

John-Mark

First Days of School

2011-09-24T04:42:00.001-07:00

The triplets recently started Pre-K which is taught by their nanny, Mrs. Carol. It keeps Carlyn away from potential "bugs" at public school and really makes it easy for them to make it to class on time. We set up a classroom in our basement complete with old school desks than Jen had saved. The girls are like sponges soaking up all the knowledge that is presented to them.

They also made a birthday cake recently for Kelsey who helps out after school.

John-Mark

Kris and Dan Visit

2011-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

We had friends from south Florida visit this past weekend. The kiddos have really grown since the last time they saw the triplets.

John-Mark

Go Dawgs!

2011-09-19T19:57:00.001-07:00

There have been 3 UGA football games this season so far and I have attended all 3 of them while Amelia has gone twice. Her cousins were with us for the last game after enjoying a homemade MeMa breakfast. This year I have tailgated with my college friends from NGCSU(and the Griffin area) and been in a Sky-box(Thanks Ray and Lamar!). Now if the Dawgs will just keep winning it will be another awesome football season. I love this time of the year!

JMT

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

Labor Day at the Lake

2011-09-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

We gathered MeMa and the 3 Turner Brothers and along with their families plus Jennifer's parents with her aunt and uncle at Lake Nottely for a Labor Day feast of hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, homemade peach ice cream and all the fixings.

A Very Long Day-Dragon*Con and UGA game

2011-09-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

Amelia and I went to Atlanta this past Saturday to attend both the Dragon*Con Science Fiction event and UGA football game. We were downtown early to see the parade and then waited in a very long line to get one day passes to Dragon*Con. Amelia had(like many of the attendees)dressed up as her favorite character. She made her costume of Edward Elric of Full Metal Alchemist herself. She was excited to have her picture made with someone dressed as a character(Roy Mustang) from the same manga/anime(Japanese cartoon) story(Yeah, I was lost at this point too. JMT). Later the same day we walked to the Georgia Dome to see the UGA opening day football game. It was a long day, but it gave Amelia and I a lot of quality time together.

John-Mark

Look Who Is Home!!!

2011-09-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Carlyn was released from Egleston earlier today and she hit the ground running when she got home. The three small girls giggled and played together all evening until time for bed. Jen and I are glad to have everyone back under one roof again. Thanks to Granny for staying in Atlanta with Carlyn for much of the week.

John-Mark

Egleston Report

2011-08-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier today Carlyn was taken to Egleston (Children's Healthcare) ER due to vomiting and diarrhea. She was admitted and Jennifer is staying with her as she receives fluids to treat a suspected stomach bug. This is her first GI issue since her re-connection surgery last month. We are hoping it will be a quick stay and then back home.

John-Mark

Barbie Jeep, Barbie Bug and a Trackhoe

2011-08-26T04:23:00.001-07:00

The girls are now old enough to drive around in their small electric cars. They also got to sit in the big digger that was working at our house. We are adding additional living space to our home. In a couple of months we should have a new bedroom, bathroom and a bigger living/family area. Carlyn will be the one to benefit the most of all the kids, since she has always slept in mom and dad's room or the in vanity area of the upstairs bathroom. She will also get access to an additional bathroom which should be helpful for her GI issues. Home is now a busy place with all the work being done around here, but the triplets love all the activity.

John-Mark

Playing in the river

2011-08-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

We had 4 girls, 2 dogs and a dad all playing in the Nottely River this past weekend. Our raft has a leak so I just let them play in the shallow sandy area. They liked it about as well as the beach and it is a lot closer to home.

John-Mark

Remembering Loved Ones

2011-08-24T19:51:00.001-07:00

I visited the cemetery with Amelia to remember the recent anniversary of losing her mom when she was only 2 years old. Amelia brought a new arrangement of flowers that she had chosen herself.

I also attended a "Deploying to Iraq-Again" family gathering hosted by Beau and Anne Marie Wingate for my close friend LTC John McManus. I went with him and one of his sisters to visit his father's grave. Big John was a character who is missed by all who knew him. Little John emailed me today from his base in the desert.

John-Mark

Birthday announcement for local newspaper

2011-08-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Turner Triplets Turn Four-Ava, Jillian and Carlyn

The Turner Triplets recently celebrated their 4th birthday with a Hawaiian themed party. The girls are the daughters of Dr. John-Mark and Jennifer Turner of Blairsville and the younger sisters of Amelia. Maternal Grandparents are Vivian and Ervin Martin of Blairsville and Emma and the late Bo Turner of Clarkesville.

John-Mark

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY

2011-08-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Turner Triplets just celebrated their 4th birthday with a Hawaiian themed birthday party. Thanks to all the friends and family who helped make the party a success. Amelia and her friend Ana made smoothies for the guests and then served them. Various games, the princess playhouse, the swing set and a "moon walk" were all enjoyed by the girls and their guests. Ava, Jillian and Carlyn all got new bikes from Granny and PaPaw.

John-Mark

Rainy Summer Days

2011-08-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

John Varner and his sister Sissy along with their kids came up to Helen to do the tubing on the Chattahoochee river. I only took Ava since Jen wanted me to keep up with one child on the river.

The girls love their dogs. The puppy startles them sometimes since he is so hyper. Beethoven is the perfect dog for kids because he is so calm.

Mrs. Mona with a very excited Carlyn.

The girls played in the rain before I took them rafting in the Nottely river. They are into playing in the water this summer.

John-Mark

The Ohio Cousins Visit

2011-07-31T20:02:00.001-07:00

The girl's cousins from Ohio were down last week and got to play in the new playhouse and on the swings. Carlyn has progressed from diapers to pull-ups to panties(most of the time) in just 3 weeks post-op. The only major issue now is the frequency of the bathroom visits. That is suppose to improve with time, but for now we don't get very far away from a restroom. It's a small price to pay to be rid of her ileostomy(bag).

Carlyn is very happy and shows off her scar to everyone she meets. Mom is doing a bit better too, but it has been a slow recovery from her surgery.

John-Mark

More Myrtle Beach

2011-07-28T20:18:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the girls enjoying the beach, putt-putt golf and the paddle boats at Lakewood Camping Resort. Jennifer even rode her bike a little during our vacation.

Jennifer and Carlyn are still home recovering from their surgeries. Carlyn is probably feeling better than Jen is at the moment, but we hoping that both are feeling great soon.

John-Mark

Turner Brothers in The Keys

2011-07-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

My brothers and I recently went scuba diving in the Florida Keys. We enjoyed getting to spend some time together while pursuing all the ocean activities and eating a lot of seafood(plus Key Lime Pie).

John-Mark

All Home and getting better

2011-07-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Carlyn is recovering at home from her GI surgery and is now learning how to go to the bathroom all over again. We are changing her up to 15 times a day and this will continue for a long time while her body adapts to the new way of going.

Jen also is home and recovering from her surgery as well. She has 2 weeks strict bed-rest which explains my lack of blogging recently. We do have some great help with the girls and especially at night with Carlyn. Thanks to Felycia, Rachel, Granny, Aunt Stephanie, Aunt Betty, Julie, Carol and other friends who have provided a tremendous amount of assistance this past week. The meals provided this week were greatly appreciated.

Both post-op patients are getting better and I look forward to a return to our normal routine soon.

John-Mark

Sisters in Egleston's Garden

2011-07-09T12:20:00.001-07:00

The girls really enjoyed playing in the hospital garden. They were very happy to be together after a week apart. Carlyn will likely stay in Atlanta until sometime next week.
John-Mark

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Clifton Rd NE,Atlanta,United States

All sisters together

2011-07-09T11:37:00.001-07:00

Carlyn was up and walking when all her sisters came down to visit today.

Location:Clifton Rd NE,Atlanta,United States

Visiting Carlyn

2011-07-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

Carlyn is recovering but she is in a lot of pain due to the extensive surgery. Her ABR hearing test they did while she was under anesthesia yesterday showed new hearing loss, so that is another concern. She is needing rest but a hospital bed is a tough place to sleep with nurses and others in and out all the time.

John-Mark

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Haygood Dr NE,Atlanta,United States

Carlyn's Surgery Update

2011-07-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

Carlyn came through surgery today with no complications. The doctor said that the next week is critical to determine if Carlyn's GI system will start functioning normally. She will be an inpatient at Egleston for about a week while she recuperates.

Carlyn's Surgery

2011-07-05T04:52:00.001-07:00

Carlyn is scheduled for surgery this morning at Egleston to reconnect her GI system. The same surgeon that operated on Carlyn when she was only one week old will be performing this operation. Please keep Carlyn in your prayers and thoughts today.

John-Mark

Myrtle Beach 2011-Tenth Wedding Anniversary Vow Renewal

2011-07-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a week of vacation in Myrtle Beach with my brothers and their families. Granny and MeMa were in our rental house to help with the girls. Jennifer and I also celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal ceremony on the beach. My late dad's close friend Vaughn Earl officiated the exchange of vows and a family sand ceremony. It was a very fun and busy week. It will be even busier for the rest of the summer since Carlyn and Jen are both scheduled for surgeries in July.

John-Mark

More Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding Dresses

2011-06-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

Leaving the house to go to the wedding.

These are the dresses that the girls wore to the rehearsal dinner. Each girl has her favorite stuffed toy with them. Ava has "Purple Puppy", Jillian has "Unicorn" and Carlyn has "Sheepie".

John-Mark

Katlin's Wedding

2011-06-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

The triplets were in their first wedding as Flower Girls this past weekend. Katlin was one of our teenage helpers when the girls were infants. Tosha was also a helper and a bridesmaid in the wedding. The girls behaved pretty well during the wedding even as it began to rain. Although I'm sure Katlin would have preferred it not to rain, it made for a very memorable wedding. It was one of the nicest wedding ceremonies I have ever attended and the Flower Girls were beautiful.

John-Mark

Barnes Reunion and Summer Fun with Friends

2011-06-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

The girls are enjoying their summer with the help of their friends. Kristen and Rachel have been helping out in the evenings sometimes. The girls like having someone young and energetic enough to keep up with them.

PaPaw, Granny and Aunt Betty took the crew to the Barnes Reunion again this year where the little girls had a blast.

John-Mark

Cades Cove-Wedding and Biking

2011-06-12T19:15:00.001-07:00

We loaded up and went to Cades Cove for the past weekend. Jennifer's cousin Treva got married in an old historic church in Cades Cove on Friday. Jen prefers short trips(we did a one nighter at Fontana Village for spring break), but the cabin rental required a 3 night minimum stay so we got a mini-vacation for the family.

Saturday morning Jen dropped the rest of the family off at the beginning of the 11 mile Cades Cove loop road. Amelia rode her mountain bike and I was pulling the triplets in the sidecar and trailer. The loop road had plenty of deer(Bambi's as the girls call them)to keep the girls excited. We biked back to our rental cabin via the unpaved Rich Mountain Gap road. It involved 3 miles of climbing a steep dirt road pulling 100 lbs.+ of kids. Amelia was able to pedal away from us going up that hill. After getting us all back to the cabin and having lunch, Amelia and I went back and did the whole loop again on our tandem bicycle. We also had the chance to rent trikes in Townsend and ride around in town. We took the crew to Maryville to eat at the Cracker Barrel and the girls were very, very active. I ended up bringing a new family-specific tandem home after going into a bike shop to just get tubes.

We had an extremely exciting trip that let us enjoy some time together away from our normal schedules. These girls(especially Amelia) are growing up too fast. It should be a great summer for the Turners.

John-Mark

Granny's Homemade Dresses

2011-06-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Granny made these beautiful green summer dresses for the girls. We don't always try to dress the girls alike, but it sure is cute when we do!

John-Mark

Mountain Gymnastics Center

2011-05-27T07:49:00.001-07:00

The small girls recently had a gymnastics event to show off their new skills. We got photos of them doing the balance beam, uneven bars, floor exercises and also tumbling on the mat. They all enjoy gymnastics and it is helping them develop coordination and flexibility.

JMT

BRAG Spring Tune-up and the Georgia Tandem Rally

2011-05-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Tandem Rally was in Macon, GA this year. It was Amelia and I's second tandem rally. It was cool to roll out with over a hundred other tandem bikes and tour Juliette, Home of the Whistle Stop Cafe where the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" was filmed. Amelia wanted to try the green tomatoes, so we stopped and ate them on the porch. We got a picture of the red-eyed 13 year cicadas(the last time this group's parents were out Amelia was 1 year old!) which are making a lot of noise in middle Georgia right now. There was a nice banquet held at Wesleyan College on Saturday night organized by rally hosts Roger and Eve.

Amelia and I recently attended two biking events that we rode together on our Trek T900 tandem. The first ride was BRAG's Spring Tune-up in Madison, GA where we rode a "century"(100 hundred miles in 8+ hours) on Saturday. On Sunday we rode with our friends Medium(sometimes Big) Mike and his wife Jill who were on a recumbent tandem. Amelia has become quite a proficient stoker(the person in back on a tandem bike) and we enjoy spending quality time together.

JMT

Puppies, Dogs and Kids

2011-05-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

The kids all love our dog Beethoven and he is really a good, gentle dog. A neighbor's yellow lab just had puppies, so we took the girls to visit. Before you know it, we had another dog in our family. We all love the mother dog, so it would have been hard not to take one of her pups when it was available. Amelia has a birthday coming up soon and getting a new puppy was one of her fondest wishes. Hopefully Beethoven(who often plays with the momma dog) will like the new addition too.

JMT

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day I loaded up ALL the kids and headed to Habersham to see MeMa. This was a gift for both MeMa who loves to see her granddaughters and Jen who loves the rare opportunity for some peace and quiet at home. Everyone was happy! Both my brothers were at MeMas too. We should have thought to get a group photo with all of us together, but we forgot. We probably won't have everyone together again until our big extended family vacation this summer.

JMT

At The Fair

2011-05-04T20:19:00.001-07:00

We took the girls with Granny's help to the local Kiwanis Fair this past weekend. For the three year olds it might as well been Disney's Magic Kingdom. They were not shy or hesitant about trying all the different kiddie rides. We saw Destiny and got to enjoy some fair rides with her too.

JMT

Easter Egg Hunt and more

2011-05-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

The girls enjoyed hunting for Easter eggs. They would find them and ask us to hide them again.

Blog Books

2011-05-01T13:16:00.001-07:00

Instead of traditional scrapbooking or photo albums, I use a company(Blurb) that will take my blog and put it in a book format. The photo quality is pretty good and I am able to format the picture, text size and location on each page. It still takes me a while after each new year to get the book ready to publish. I order a master copy to proof, then a copy for each child to keep(although they don't get to have it quite yet). This year I also ordered a large format blog book to compare to the standard size.

I did not have to watermark these photos since they are clearly the Turner Triplets Blog Book. I still am surprised that someone used my kid's images for their own purpose, but I will watermark my images and keep aware of that type of activity. I like the ability to make the blog books, so I would hate to have to shut down this site due to online identity thieves.

John-Mark

Around the Neighborhood

2011-04-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

We have been spending more and more time outside since the weather is now warmer. The girls love to explore the yard and the rest of the neighborhood.

John-Mark

Glasses

2011-04-26T20:12:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed that 2 of the triplets were wearing glasses during the Easter Bunny visit. Of my four daughters, two now need to wear glasses full time. The third three year that did not have to get glasses wanted a pair too. Fortunately I know someone in the optical business.

Hippotherapy

2011-04-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

All the little girls got to ride the horses recently.

Easter Bunny 2011

2011-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

The girls recently had their pictures with the Easter Bunny. No crying at at this year! As you can see 2 of the girls got glasses this month. More about that in a later post.

I have not posted recently since I found out someone was using pictures of my girls from this blog to fabricate a false Facebook page with an elaborate story of woe. I am undecided on how I will handle the blog going forward if this type of thing continues.

Spring Break At Fontana Village

2011-04-10T18:07:00.001-07:00

We had our Spring Break this past week. Jen had packed in several doctor's appointments and other needed things, so we only had a one night trip to Fontana Village near Robbinsville, NC. The girls got to bike around the resort, tour the highest dam east of the Mississippi, ride the Cherohala Skyway and see Fields of the Wood. We did a lot for such a small trip and it still took a trailer to get all our stuff there and back(most of it was our bicycles-Jen packed much less this time). We also went by our own local dam(Lake Nottely) to see the water being released through the spillway on the way home. It was a great trip and I loved spending time with my family.

Carlyn has also started a new therapy to help with her balance issues-hippotherapy (therapy riding a horse). We are very fortunate to have this available locally.

John-Mark

Cousins Visit

2011-04-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Aunt Stephanie brought her girls to play with our girls last weekend. They had a blast riding on all the toys and chasing each other.

John-Mark

Bike Picnics

2011-04-04T04:49:00.000-07:00

The girls enjoy loading up a picnic lunch(thanks Mom!) and biking over to see Mr. Bob's cows or going to view the river on a friend's porch. We will also simply take our lunch to the play area behind the house or inside the new "Princess Playhouse". We are taking full advantage of the great spring weather.

John-Mark

Princess Playhouse

2011-03-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Princess Playhouse is now fully complete and operational. It was built by Jacob and Mr. Timmy(Nanny Carol's son and her husband respectively). Then PaPaw and Granny finished the inside walls, trim and floor. It was financed by mom and dad and officially delivered by Santa Claus. Now it is run by a very happy group of little girls.

John-Mark

Playing Outside

2011-03-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

With the return of warmer weather we are able to spend a lot more time outdoors. The girls really like playing outside and love the area we have fixed up for them in the backyard.

John-Mark

Weekday Dresses

2011-03-10T18:36:00.000-08:00

When I came home from work today the girls were all wearing nice dresses, so I quickly pulled out the camera to get a few impromptu shots.

John-Mark

It Takes a Village...

2011-03-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

It may take a village to raise kids, but we have a dedicated group of people who help out with our girls. Besides our great nanny, we have several wonderful therapists that work mostly with Carlyn. Also we are blessed with friends and family that assist in many ways(check out Julie's cupcakes she baked for the girls yesterday). We appreciate all our helpers and the girls are lucky to have so many people helping to raise them right.

John-Mark

Visiting MeMa

2011-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

I took Jillian to visit MeMa. It was easier to take only one girl to visit since it gave MeMa the opportunity to talk to her granddaughter without distraction. I plan to rotate some solo visits in with the regular full triplet visits.

Jillan and I took MeMa out for lunch and then visited the old homestead where Emma was literally born and raised. The house is gone, but the old oak tree that MeMa played on as a little girl and that even I can remember having a tire swing is still there and just as big as I remember.

The weather was glorious this weekend, so the all girls got to play outside. The "bug" from last week seems to have passed on. We had a picnic at the playhouse and I took Amelia mountain biking at Jackrabbit.

John-Mark

Everybody Home and Sick

2011-02-21T04:54:00.000-08:00

The Girls and Beethoven before all the coughing began.

Carlyn came home on Friday, but she is still not at 100% yet. Ava and Jillian have confirmed RSV(a respiratory virus) and are not well. They are taking taking breathing treatments to help them breath easier. It has been a long week, but it is starting to improve.

Carlyn's illness is probably not much different than what her sisters have, but her preexisting GI issues cause her to dehydrate when she gets sick. Mom and Dad both have sinus/upper respiratory issues at the moment. Only Amelia has escaped(so far) any illness this time. Our nanny is out sick today and Carlyn's therapist is also sick. Granny is filling in today, but she is not feeling 100% either. I AM READY FOR SPRING!!!! I've had enough of the cold weather and sickness for 2011.

Carlyn at Egleston for 1st 2011 Visit

2011-02-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

PUCKER UP !!!!

Well we finally have our first bout of illness in the new year. It has caused Carlyn to dehydrate so she is hospitalized in Atlanta with mom getting fluids. Ava and Jillian started low grade fevers and are also under the weather at the moment. Amelia and I are doing OK for now and I hope Jen is OK too. It really strains the family when Carlyn and mom are gone and then having the other two get sick increases the stress. Hopefully the 2 here at home will feel better tomorrow. As for Carlyn, these hospital stays vary in length depending on her condition. I pray for them to be home soon.

John-Mark

Birthday and Valentine Weekend

2011-02-13T18:40:00.001-08:00

Jennifer and I went to Asheville last weekend to celebrate both my birthday and Valentine's Day. It was our first ever 2 night trip since the triplets arrived on the scene. We have done a few one night escapes, but with Granny's help keeping the kids we enjoyed a 2 night stay at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate. We ate well, did the tour, used the spa, rode a bike(well I did), slept well and generally just relaxed while enjoying each other's company.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY JENNIFER! I LOVE YOU!

John-Mark

More Dress-up

2011-02-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Carol and the crew.

The girls enjoy trying on different outfits and they also love dressing up as princesses. Clothes are constantly being taken off and put on all day long. It makes it very busy around here!

John-Mark

Gymnastics and Dress-up

2011-01-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

The girls look a lot different when their "big sissy" does their hair, nails and sometimes even lipstick. Amelia is enjoying being the triplet's older sister and she is spending more time with them. The younger girls are also enjoying gymnastics as it gives them the chance to get out.

John-Mark

Cousin Christopher Visits

2011-01-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

The girls enjoy the recent visits from their cousin Christopher since they are the older kids for a change. Amelia has taken interest in fixing the girls hair and playing with make-up.

Snow Days

2011-01-11T04:34:00.000-08:00

The girls enjoyed getting outside to play for a while with Beethoven.

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

We are back and ready to tackle the new year. The girls enjoyed the holiday season since they are getting old enough to start understanding it. I am looking forward to a great 2011. Hopefully there will be many less visits to the hospital for Carlyn(or any of us) this year. Carlyn may have her GI surgery this summer if the doctors all agree and if she is ready. Otherwise 2011 will be a year of tremendous growth and changes in all our children including our teenager.

John-Mark