Update #2 - Read SECOND!

(Please read the udpate below FIRST, or you will be all confused!)

Friday April 11 - the day it all began!
Well at 4:30am Friday morning/Thursday night, we are all sleeping peacefully in the quiet, dark house when...RING RING RING! There is someone ringing the doorbell adamantly. I shake Tim, 'Wake up, someone is here!' He rolls over, pulls on some pants and runs downstairs. I am shaking. What is going on? I run into each of the girls' rooms to make sure they are ok and still sleeping. Thankfully they were blissfully unaware of what was going on. Meanwhile, Tim steps outside into the dark with whomever had been ringing the bell and I am left upstairs, scared and wondering what the hell is going on.
About 10 minutes later, he comes back inside a bit shaken up. I proceed to ask him a million and one questions. It turns out, it had been 2 police officers at our door. They were very vague, but stated that our next door neighbors were having 'an issue' and that the police were looking for someone. They needed our permission apparently to look through our cars and all around our yard. WHAT?!?! It turns out one of our car doors was open, wide open, but luckily nothing was missing. They searched in, around and under both cars. Under our deck, in our play ship, all through the yard and shed. But they would tell Tim nothing than what they had already stated. They did, however, suggest that we keep our cars locked, as well as our doors and windows. Thanks for making us feel better Mr. Officer.
Of course I couldnt get back to sleep - I was still shaking and my heart was pounding. I was up until at least 6:30am before I crashed of exhaustion, then went on to have horrible nightmares. By morning, we proceeded to get Kaitlyn to school as usual and then I had Tim call the police station. They told him to go down to the station and they would tell him more. After all that, they really didnt give him much more information then to say there had been a break-in right next door and again reminding him to keep all doors and windows locked. Tim asked if we could expect more police activity and patrols on our street and the officer said 'Of course'. Later in the day, the neighbor from next door came to knock on our door, to say she wanted to inform everyone on our street what had happened to her. She was alone with her 5-year old son and heard rustling downstairs. She went to the top of the steps, hollered 'I am coming down, you better leave.' And they left. Then she called 9-1-1. They had broken into her Dining room window and taken her purse. She said that she does not know anything about the perpetrator(s). Still so much up in the air, but very scary indeed. Tim is now going to install a home security system here (hopefully with his next paycheck), to help put our mind at ease. I am also thankful now that we have a large dog, although he would probably lick an intruder to death, maybe his bark would scare them away?
Meanwhile, around 10:00am Friday morning, my cell phone rings - it's Pops. He had been driving for 2 days from Florida to PA, as he was scheduled to start back with the Post Office (as a temp) on Monday. His voice sounded shaky and he wanted me to put him on speaker phone. He asked if Tim and I were sitting down. Oh NO. My heart starts thumping again. Thinking the worst. Was he in an accident? Was he hurt? Please tell us. He proceeds to explain that he had woken in his hotel room in Maryland, ready to complete his journey to PA when he got a call on his cell phone. It was from one of the jobs he had applied for during their stay here a few weeks ago. A job at ... Tim's airport here in NJ!! They offered a nice position with better pay, benefits and a regular full-time working schedule. He was going to continue on his journey...to NJ instead of PA! Of course we were/are thrilled. However, it was bittersweet for us all because he had been on his way to stay with my brother Sean and his wife Holly. So he was changing plans and upset that he was not going to be with them. Also that changed their thought process of living near my brother, to now living 2 hours away from them. My mom and pops had to weigh all of the options before jumping into this decision, but in the end, it all came down to the fact that this seems to be a better, more stable position for them to build their future on. Although the opportunity to get back into the PO was a good one, he would have made less money, no chance for benefits (which would lead to expensive COBRA bills) and a varied schedule, all hours with no guarantee of 40 hrs/week. All of that sacrifice, for the chance of getting re-instated at some point in the next 2 years. It was a gamble at best. Now, he may still get re-instated, which if he does, he would have to make the life changing decision again whether to leave the airport in NJ to move to the PO in PA in order to regain his salary, benefits and better retirement. So much to think about. But for now, Pops is living with us and waiting to hear about his official start date with Millville Jet Center. Very exciting! Mom is still in Florida, packing up their house and getting things closed up. She plans to fly up to NJ the end of May to search for a job and start looking at apartments for them. Most likely, she will not be able to move to NJ until June or July, when their house is completely sold.
Also on Friday, in the evening, we took the girls to an Animal show at their school. It was a bit chaotic and the children were loud, but everyone had a lot of fun and it was a nice time to socialize (both for us and the kids). After most of the people left, we took the girls up to see the animals more closely. The leader of the show let everyone wear a huge yellow snake around their necks. Kaitlyn did it with one of her friends. The triplets said 'No thank you!' Then I turn around and BOOM, the man is wrapping that big, slimy, heavy snake around my neck. Ewww... That is the first (and last) time I hope to experience that! We have some pictures on Tim's cell phone (he 'wore' the snake too) so I will try to get them uploaded to show you.
We got home from the show around 9pm and shortly after, my cousin Karen and her family arrived for their weekend visit. Yep, it was a full house! They were expected to arrive a bit earlier, but unfortunately, they hit traffic and ugly weather along the way.

Saturday, April 12
Tim left at 4:00am on a trip to Florida for the weekend. It looked like it was going to be sunny and nice so we began to make outside plans for the day. However, that all changed when the clouds darkened and the rain began. So, we made our day full by going to the OC Library Used Book Sale (25 cents! can't beat it!) Then we got lunch at McDonalds. And then drove to Hamilton Mall with that great indoor playground. The adults took turns sitting with the kids, as the others got things done and checked out some of the stores.
Julio (Karen's husband) is very technologically savvy, so he went into the Verizon store with me to help me find the cell phone that would be best for me (since my contract is up and I have a $100 credit toward a new phone). After the mall, we drove to Friendly's for dinner. Another TWIST... Julio had been feeling pain the past few hours and by the time we got to the restaurant, he couldnt take it anymore. So Pops and I stayed with all 6 kids and Karen took Julio to our local ER. After several hours, it turns out that he had an infection and needed antibiotics. By the time they got back to our house, it was late, all of the kids were sleeping and the stormy weather had gotten much worse (strong wind, heavy rain, thunder). So they decided to stay another night.

Sunday April 13
I was so sad to miss church this week. We overslept. I guess it's because of all the activities the past few days. But there are only 2 more weeks with my music leader at church and now I've missed one of them :( Karen, Julio & the kids left to go home around 11am. Pops and I decided to take the girls to the Cape May Zoo because the weather looked nice. As with the past several days, the weather changed quickly and got dark and cold. But, we were lucky to have at least a full 2 hours of fun! We had a great time. We got to see a completely white peacock fluff up its feathers, beautiful! Also, we heard the lion roar (right before going to the bathroom), a swan had just laid eggs (probably close to 10 of them) and the zoo keepers were taking them from the mom to put into an incubator. Of course we saw zebras, giraffes, camels, buffalo and all of the other large animals. The crocodiles were inside to keep warm, which was nice to see them up so close. We had a really nice day and thankfully the girls were very well behaved. After the zoo, we went to eat dinner at the Point Diner.
Tim got home from his trip around 10:30pm and we crashed into bed. Around 12 midnight, I hear a girl crying 'Mommy' at our doorway. It was Kaitlyn. She said, 'My belly doesnt feel so good.' I brought her over to snuggle next to me in bed. We got her set up with a bowl next to her just in case. Within 2 minutes, WOAH... Yuck. Her head turned and (sorry...TMI) spewed everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE! Sheets, pillows, carpet, nightstand, books, radio, on and on. So we jumped into action cleaning up, just in time for her to do it again. It was a lo-o-ong night. Just when I needed sleep the most. Sigh...

OK, so that wrapped up our weekend. I promise to update more often now. I pray that things slow down a bit now. And also that the weather will even out and warm up!