I just like this picture...

Luke's baby blessing

We had such a nice gathering for Lucas' blessing. We are so lucky to be around so much family and have such a great support system! Here are some of the pictures that I have managed to get my hands on so far...

here we have my dad, Jacob's dad, my hubby with my precious baby boy, snoozing away!

here we have (in order from left to right):
Becca (my brother's fiance), Jeremy (my brother), Me, Lucas, Jacob, Craig (Jacob's brother), and Rachelle (Craig's wife)

and of course there is Taylie "walking" her elephant, which is tied on a string, while riding a longboard while being pulled by Jeremy and Becca after swiping Becca's jewelry

Thanks to all of our friends and family for coming in support of us and out kids! We love you all so much!

the pools is open !

So grandpa has gotten the pool all opened up and ready for the summer, now all we need is for it to warm up! My brother Jared was in cleaning and vacuuming out the pool and of course my little Tay baby wanted to jump in with him. He was so great and held her for a minute or so until she was freezing (the water was only 70 degrees!!) and I MADE her get out because she was shivering. She was pretty bummed that I made her get out.

just chillin' by the pool...hoping someone will let her get in!

I have decided that I have the most spoiled children alive. My brother and sister-in-law called and begged me to bring Tay over because they bought her a slipin' slide!! Wow. They really spoil her rotten! Jeremy tried to get her sit down so he could push her down but she wasn't really going for it, she just wanted to play in the water.

so then Jeremy tried to demonstrate how it works...

and that still didn't work so then auntie Becca came to try and help...


she let them push her, maybe once, and then just wanted to splash in the pool and have a grand time. Like I said, spoiled, but so very loved!! We love our aunts and uncles!!

coloring with markers, take #2:

You think I would have learned my lesson the first time, but apparently one year worth of growth was not quite enough for Taylie:

I had to take her to the doctor when she was sick a little while ago and the doctor said that since she was sick and couldn't go play with any kids he would give her the roll of paper from the table so she could go home and draw. Draw she did! On herself, and the kitchen floor, and my freezer, and oh yeah, there was some on the paper as well! She had a good time even when she had to help clean up her own mess.

Easter 2009

You know, I am getting kind of tired of commentating on my posts. I am sure you will figure this one out. It is pretty simple: Taylie getting distracted from the Easter egg hunt by many pairs of shoes, she does not get the concept of putting them in the basket so she hoards them in a corner instead, Luke is just cute!, her during the first and only 2 successful minutes of a true Easter egg hunt, and last by not least her in her special Easter dress. That sums it up in a nutshell.

Easter Pictures

As I look through my blog from time to time, I notice that there are things that I forget to put in. I was realizing that I have not put in anything about Easter! So here you go:

Easter pictures with both the kids:

I'm so NOT lovin' this

Well, many of you out there will be so happy to hear this: I am trying to buy and eat more healthy foods. I know, I know: good for me. SO not the case! I am trying to get my family to eat better food because we do get so busy that we eat quite a bit of junk/crap food. I want my kids to grow up eating good food and I am really trying to filter out these "food jags" that Taylie has been on for what seems like forever. I know that in order to get everyone else to eat better, I need to as well. (I had always hoped that the phrase: "because I'm the mom, that's why!" would work out better for me that it has) and eating good is so not fun. The reason I post this is to get some good tips and recipies on food that I can make that falls into that "good-for-you" category. I have found a whole wheat bread that does not totally taste like sandpaper and an all natural peanut butter and some of those things. Any suggestions are appreciated. NOW, I am not interested in things that will require me to stock up on a pantry full of twigs and gravel and excess amounts of plant life and things like that. I am looking for relativly "normal" things. Thanks for the help!

"bye bye alligator!"

Taylie loves to go and play with Grandma Linda and she is always teaching Tay new things. Yesterday as we were pulling out of the driveway I heard Tay yell out to her grandma:
"bye bye al-di-ga-dor!" It was so cute!!! So Grandma taught her how to say, what was supposed to be: see ya later alligator, but turned into: bye bye aldigador! I love watching my kids learn new things, it makes the world so exciting!

Taylie's day out

My kids are so lucky to have so many aunts and uncles that just want to come and play with her and take her to do so many fun things! Last Friday, Tay's Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Becca came and took her to a place called "jump on it". It is filled with trampolines and blow up toys and slides and all kinds of fun stuff. She had so much fun! After they played, they took her to dinner and then Auntie Becca painted her fingers and toe nails and gave her some very blue eyeshadow. It was so blue. We are so lucky to live close to family who loves us and our kids so much. Here are some pictures from her fun day.

Did you notice that the first things she found was a pink elephant? She is so funny and has this thing for "ellies" as she calls them!

Thanks for such a fun day!!!

Rice Cereal, TAKE 1

I know that he looks oh-so-miserable here, but he loves his rice cereal! He totally porks out on it every chance he gets. I was wanting to wait and start him on it around 6 months old, but he is just so hungry all the time. I was feeding him every 1- 1 1/2 hours, and he was so cranky. He did much better than Taylie's first attempt. He will eat as much as he can get! Another milestone, he is growing way too fast...