Carnival FUN....

Thursday evening held a little carnival fun for Trey & Ty. Their daycare/preschool center (Indian Hills) put on a little end-of-the-year carnival for the preschool class and their families....

We appreciate all their efforts and are so glad the kids got a chance to get together with their school friends and enjoy fun games, food, and a bounce house. (Although Trey & his friends were hard to round up for pictures. They were having too much fun running around in all directions!!! Kiddie carnivals are so fun!!

Trey all ready to take us to his school carnival....

Snake Time.....

Taylen enjoying the carnival in her own little cute way :)

STRIKE! Tylee doing a little bowling....

Ty and her buddy Elliott having fun with their prizes.....

Trey guessing how many M&M's were in the water bottle....he picked 1,000

Carnival SuperStars.....

Ty decorating her visor....

And, showing off her crafty work...LOVE it, baby girl!!!

Bounce House FUN!!!

Grubbin' on hot dogs, chips, and lemonade....

Thanks, Indian Hills and all the wonderful teachers for putting together this event for the kiddos! They had a ball....

My baby is....

TWO months old!! (Actually, yesterday was the official day...May 13, 2011) Yeah...I'm a little late! Sorry, Baby Girl!!!

12 lbs 2 oz & 23 3/4 inches

Dear Miss Taylen....

You are getting bigger and more alert by the second!!! You are starting to babble and "coo" and always keep us smiling. Actually, you are really smiling a lot yourself and becoming quite a cheeser!!! Sleeping is going well for you...about a 6-7 hour stretch each night!! YAY! Trey & Tylee are still in love with you and are wonderful at showing it. Trey stops and give you a kiss each and EVERY time he passes by and Tylee Jean sings you at least 10 songs a day and tells you ALL about all the things she's going to teach you when you get bigger, including how to talk, brush your teeth, do puzzles, paint your nails, play in the bathtub, drink out of a sippy cup, color, tuck yourself into bed, etc... She's going to be the best teacher!! I know you can't wait ;) Your not tootin' as much, but your newest thing is to go a day or so without a poopy diaper and then have a major BLOWOUT to clear your system!!! Yesterday, I actually threw away an entire outfit and a blanket because the mess was soooooooo big. Needless to say, you went straight into the tub and got all cleaned up!! Hopefully this trend passes quickly :) Although, you could have 100 blowouts a day and I'd still love you to pieces!!! Happy 2nd Month Birthday, Peanut!!

Lots of Love, Snuggles, Hugs, and Kisses,

Mommy

What great tribute video footage....

of the 2011 Dylan Meier "Get Busy Livin'" Foundation Run/Walk....

Click Here to See the Video... or view below..... (be patient and let it load..it's worth the wait :)

As I was browsing facebook this afternoon, I ran across this YouTube video that Shadley shared on his page. It does waaaaaay more justice to this past weekend's 5K Fun Run/Friendship Walk down in Pittsburg, Kansas than my few candid photos on the last blog entry....my pictures featured mostly us and this video really shows you just how many supporters showed up that day to Get Busy Livin'....

The video also just happens to capture Shadley, Adam, and Kerry honoring their brother, along with Trey & Tylee enjoying the kids' fun race at the end. I'm really hoping I can find a way to save this YouTube video for Trey, Tylee, and Taylen to one day have to go along with all the wonderful stories, pictures, and articles I want to share with them about Dylan and his amazing way of living!! (So any input from all you "techies" out there would be greatly appreciated!!!) They had fun racing that day and eventually will be able to realize the entire reason we were there to show our support.....

Here's to the success of the foundation and for everyone to really GET BUSY LIVIN'......

#9, You TRULY will NEVER be FORGOTTEN

and your tremendous zest for life will continue to live on in all those that you touched! Just one look at the picture below and you can begin to see just how many people turned out for the Get Busy Livin' 5k & 1 Mile Friendship Walk. 

Whether people turned out for the run, a little walking, to volunteer, or just to show support, everyone was there to honor the beautiful life of my 1st cousin, who tragically passed away last year in a hiking accident. Although his life was cut entirely too short, Dylan did more livin' in his years than most people could do in a hundred years.

In Dylan's memory, the Get Busy Livin' foundation has been established by a few of his long-time friends. (Visit www.getbusylivin.org for more detailed information) And, we were lucky enough to be able to make the journey down to Pittsburg, Kansas this past weekend to participate in their first big fundraising event.

We (the hubs, Trey, Tylee, Taylen, and I) hit the road on Saturday morning about 3 AM, ready to face the 6 hour drive and arrive just in time for the race. The weather was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous and the atmosphere could not have been better.

Grandfather, Grandma Jean, Dad, Donna, Cory, Calie, and Haley all came down from St. Louis and met up with us to spend the day celebrating Dylan's Get Busy Livin' outlook on life. We changed into our shirts, lathered up in sunscreen, and headed to the high school stadium to get our walk on......

It was great to see everyone else who made the trip and we know those who weren't able to make were definitely there with us in spirit!! The kids had a blast and the rest of us spent the entire day reliving all of our favorite Dylan memories.....

Jason and the kiddos ready to hit the track....

Starting the 1 mile walk....hand in hand! LOVE it!!!

Ty walking with her Great Grandparents.....too cute!!

One of my faves!!!

This is where we ended up after the first lap...Trey had to go!!

Working on our second lap...Taylen even joined in the fun!!!

Trey & Grandfather getting the fruit ready for the runners' table....

Trey & Ty getting lined up for the Kids' Fun Run.....

Trey finishing the last leg of the Fun Run with Shad right by his side....

Ty hustling across the finish line...Way to Go!!!

Aunt Calie holding Taylen while the rest of the kids were running....so comfy!!

Taylen hanging out with her Great Grandma Jean and Great Grandfather for the first time...she was checking them out and loving what she was seeing!!!

What a fabulous day and, Dylan, we will continue to get out there and live life!! You are a true inspiration and I look forward to sharing all of your little "Dylan-isms" with my three little ones....We love and miss you!!!

Happy Baby!!!

I just captured this pic of my baby girl in between laundry, picking up around here, paying bills, and balancing the checkbook! How sweet of her to let me get a few things done around here!!!

Love you, Taylen Jae!! You are such a sweetie!!!! We'll count this as your FIRST official SMILE! Woo-Hoo!!!

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!!! Make it a great one!!!

What a PERFECT....

day with my three munchkins!! With all that is going on with the house, we (the three kids and I) had to be out of the house so about 10 realtors could come take a tour...Here's a little run-down of our day together...

We hit the local grocery story (HyVee) for a little breakfast and grocery shopping. The kids were fantastic! Tylee drove the "police car", Trey sat up in the seat and reminded me what we needed, and Taylen snoozed away in her carrier. They each got to put items up on the checkout belt...which is always the best part of the grocery store visit for them. The poor checkout lady has to scan at our pace and the poor people behind me have to wait a little longer than expected, but it's important to them that they get to help out, so I'm all for it. The way I look at it, the people behind me can switch lines if we aren't moving fast enough for them. Why ruin a grocery store trip just to save a few minutes for the people behind me that I don't even know?!?! Isn't that what the express lanes are for?!?!

After the grocery store trip, we ran by ProLube for a quick oil change, where I opted for the premium oil change...the one I only have to have every 6,000 miles instead of 3,000. I figured it would be just one less thing to have to worry about for a while...the kids, once again, were great. They have these foot massage machines in the waiting area, so that kept them busy for the entire time...and Taylen continued her morning snooze! (Here's a quick thank you to the sweet lady who was waiting as well. She was kind enough to allow them to talk her ear off...)

After the oil change, we pit-stopped at home, where Trey proceeded to put the groceries away while I fed Taylen. He totally offered to do it, all on his own, and did a great job...anything he couldn't reach, he set on the counter. I was super impressed and super proud of him for helping out while my hands were full. While Trey put the groceries away, Tylee kept me company and we had the most interesting conversation about this past weekend's Easter activities...so cute to hear her putting all those thoughts in her head into words. I LOVE having discussions with little kids! They have the BEST outlook on life and have a great way of bringing their own cute little sense of humor into whatever it is we talk about...

At this point, I decided that I'd take the kids to Jumpin' Jim's, which is a little bounce house business that the kids absolutely love. The weather has been so cruddy here lately that I thought it would be a great way to burn off some energy and let them know how much I appreciated them being so cooperative all morning long.

We headed over and, to my surprise, it wasn't open. Apparently, Jumpin' Jim's isn't open on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesday. These are little things I'm learning while I'm on maternity leave...usually I'm at work and don't get to do those fun things during the weekdays. The kids were bummed to say the least...Tylee even wanted me to get out of the car and try to open the doors. She obviously needed more proof than the "closed" sign on the door and the fact that it was pitch black inside. But, despite their disappointment, they didn't throw a fit at all....just a "Shucks, we'll have to come back later...." Music to my ears....

We decided to head home and have a slumber "nap" party instead....featuring Tangled, Tylee's new DVD, and popcorn. It was VERY relaxing to say the least...and a super cute movie, by the way!!

Daddy arrived home from school and working out shortly after the movie....and we hit HyVee again for kid's night...featuring Dizzy the Clown, who the kids hadn't seen in a while. The kids love to get all painted up....

Tylee opted for the tiger face....So.Cute.

After we got home, we had a little family Silly String fight in the (neighbor's) yard....don't worry, we cleaned it all up!!! LOL....

Trey after Tylee and I got him while he wasn't looking! Fun.Times.

After our fun evening, I met a friend at the YMCA for a fun Zumba class and a little weight lifting. What a great way to end a great day!!! I have to say it was fairly productive and very fun at the same time....we need days like this more often!!! 

Trey & Tylee...I know this whole having to keep the house clean and picked up isn't much fun, but you two are doing a great job of helping out and keeping things from getting "junky" as you say!! We are proud of you both and can't wait until things settle down again, your toys are all unpacked, and you get back to "playing" like you love to do. LOVE you both, TONS!

Happy Easter!!!

What a FABULOUS day...Our 1st Easter together as a family of FIVE!! I know I've been all about the family of five thing lately, but I truly cannot believe Jason and I now have three children. Our family is now complete and we enjoyed celebrating Easter 2011 with Jason's family over in Bloomfield, Iowa, where his sister, Lori, lives. There is about 12 years difference between her kids and ours, but Trey and Tylee still LOVE spending time with their cousins when they get the chance. Damen and Caden both are in high school and are super busy, but when we do get a chance to get together, our kids get pumped, and I mean PUMPED! Trey and Ty love hanging out with them, following them around, and doing whatever they do. They just don't get enough of those moments, so they took full advantage today!!!

Marcia and Lori cooked up a yummy dinner, including everyone's favorites. (My cooking isn't even in the same ballpark as those two, so I don't think there's ever been a time that I've brought something to our family dinners...at least nothing I've made from scratch....but, then again, I've never claimed to be a good cook!!)

After dinner, the kids headed out for an Easter egg hunt....SO.MUCH. FUN.

We wrapped up the evening with a lot of playing, visiting, and even some snoozing for those that needed a nap.

As usual, I waaaaaay over did it with the whole picture thing. But, I just had a heck of time narrowing it down to a few favorites!! Go figure, huh?!?!

Our family pic as we headed off to Bloomfield...it was definitely SUNNY! Yay!!

My two bucket heads ready to hit the yard for the big Easter egg hunt!!!

Trey and Ty with Aunt Lori....

Ty showing off what she found...it was a pink one!

Looking for more eggs! Jason and I totally think this picture and the one before it are straight out of Alice in Wonderland...so cute!!!

Trey J....Getting so big...I can't believe he'll be five in less than a month!!!

Daddy and Taylen watching everyone hunt a few eggs!!! Did I mention that the weather was BEAUTIFUL?!?!

Taylen with Mommy & Daddy on her first Easter.....

Trey scoping it all out and making sure he found them all...even though we later discovered we were two eggs short. The lawn man will have a nice surprise sometime soon!!!

Ty picking up the orange one...looking sooooo cute in her Fancy Nancy dress!! A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!

Ty still looking so stinkin' cute!!!!

Trey J too!!! So handsome!!!

One more from Miss Ty....You are one beautiful girl, and definitely a princess!!!

Had to capture this shot of her....checking out Trey and watching him finish grabbing the rest of the eggs!

I'd say they scored big time!! Thanks Grandma Marcia for filling all those eggs and making the hunt possible!!

Ty emptying her eggs....and eating every other piece of candy she found!! Good thing we ate dinner before the hunt!!!

Ty and Aunt Lori being silly with the bunny masks....

And, Miss Taylen with her FIRST smile!!! Awwww....pretty baby! Happy Easter, Cutie!!!

Gnawing on that hand...tastes soooo good!!!

Thanks, Lori & Doug, for having us over to celebrate Easter with you guys!! It truly was a perfect day...It was nice seeing grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, and cousins...the kids loved everything and we enjoyed spending time with family!!!

To all of those we didn't get to see...thanks for sending cards, goodies, Easter messages, and phone calls to the kiddos. They truly are blessed to have such a wonderful and caring family. We may not have been able to spend the day with you in person, but we were definitely thinking about each and EVERYONE of you!!! Happy, Happy Easter and know we are sending Lots of Love and Hugs!!!