Kaelynn and Jay

Summer 2010

2010-08-27T21:49:00.020-05:00

Don't give up on us yet!!

The summer has been busy, but I convinced Mommy she should make a little time for the blog for those of you that are still checking on us!

We had a few cabin trips, a fun party and of course just some regular, relaxing, fun summer stuff!

Our most recent trip was to Lake Osakis with Daddy's family. Since it was our first time at
this lake, we took a little boat ride to check out the lake.

After ALOT of encouragement and some help from Mommy, I made my way to the top of this slide in the lake. The trip down was pretty fun!

The Ryan cousins: Jay, Kaelynn, Lily and Wesley

a paddle boat ride with Daddy and Lily

Jay and Daddy lounging at the beach before heading home.

movie night under the fort on a cool, summer night

Bubbles at Papa and Grammy's cabin the end of July.

Jay loved making and chasing bubbles!

Swimming lessons with Aunt Missy:

learning to jump into the water, some floating and kicking too

(very unlike my cousins Jacey and Morgan who have no fear and do this at their own will!)

Yay! I passed!

Snapper taking a rest from chasing ducks

Jay's favorite way to get a ride

doing a little fishing off the dock

a big hug from Aunt Missy on the pontoon

enjoying our hammock...always lots of laughter on this!

breaking in our new sandbox

The family about to celebrate Daddy's golden birthday

Jay and friend Cameron Agenten playing during the party

me and the cousins: Morgan and Jacey taking a break from our meal to take a picture.

a pontoon ride at Papa and Grammy's cabin over the 4th of July

Jay testing out the water

Papa getting one giant hug

so excited to have the whole weekend with each other!

sharing a little love!

What's been keeping us from blogging

2010-05-28T22:22:00.009-05:00

Don't worry, we're still here!

we've just had a busy spring!

I had my first gymnastic meet this spring.

I couldn't wait to show everyone what I learned at gymnastics

My #1 fan came with to cheer me on.

one of my teachers helping me finish my floor rountine.

on the bars

the gymnasts showing off their medals.

Ta-Da!

Aunt Missy came with to cheer me on and she was also very proud of my medal.

Then, since Grandma and Grandpa Bremer live so close by to the gymnastic center, we had to stop by and show them my medal too!

a close-up of the medal

We also had a fun wedding to go to this spring. It was Daddy's cousin's wedding so we got to visit with lots of family.

Cousin Lily and I dancing.

Me and my bud, Avy

Jaybird wasn't feeling to well the day of the wedding (he had a DOUBLE ear infection!), so he stayed home with Aunt Missy and from the looks of it had a good time and got to do all sorts of things Mommy wouldn't let him do.

like take all the videos out of their cases,

eat ham by the slice,

and practice his Evil Kenievel moves on his tractor.

and as usual, every spring time we're busy fixing up the yard and planting. I helped Mommy plant this pretty pot.

We had a little party for Mother's Day at Papa and Grammy's

the crew with Grandpa and Grandma Bremer

Jay and Lexi like to "chit-chat" and grab toys from each other.

and bedtime story from Mommy to end her Mother's Day.

and inbetween everything, we just keep being our silly selves!

Easter

2010-04-05T14:50:00.006-05:00

A big hug for cousin Lily. We sure are liking playing together more and more every time we see each other!
Me and Lily with Uncle Tanner

I found my Easter basket! Mommy and Daddy...oops, I mean the Easter Bunny is going to have to get a little more creative with the hiding spot next year! I found my basket in less than a minute this year!

Jay was trying his hardest to open some chocolate he found in his basket before Mommy found the Easter Bunny's mistake!

Our best picture together of all Mommy's attempts on Easter. Someday Mommy will get a nice picture of me and Jay. . . someday.

Jaybird

getting ready for the Easter egg hunt in Papa and Grammy's backyard.

a blue egg to add to my basket

Jay getting some help from Papa. Jay wasn't near as excited as me, Morgan and Jacey were about the hunt.

Daddy says the rule is you're done when your basket is full.

now the sorting begins...

Jay's already up to something and Lexi seems to know better.

Egg painting with Aunt Missy

We even tried to do a little kite flying.

My new fish kite.

Jacey and I watching Daddy get the kite started.

LaCrosse Children's Musuem

2010-02-28T14:33:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago, Mommy and Daddy took us to LaCrosse to meet our friend Aidan and his parents, Roz and Dan. We visited the Children's Museum and had a blast! All of us kiddos had so much fun checking everything out that we made it impossible for our Mommies to get a picture of us together. As you can see below, Jay (as usual) was not happy about the family picture. I think he really wanted to see how high that tree behind us was to see if he could climb it!

As you may remember, I love hats, so I was thrilled to find this fire engine with hats for Jay and I to borrow!

I got to check out all sorts of things that GO!

a fire engine

an airplane

a boat with my sailor buddy, Jay.

and a car!

I was even such a nice girl that I filled up my Daddy's coffee for him while at the mini Kwik Trip.

Then Mommy took us all over to this massive set of teeth to teach us about the importance of good oral hygiene, especially after drinking coffee!

Jay and Daddy found some fun things to check out in the infant/toddler area

Jay and I were excited to find an indoor slide!

We found some other fun things to check out that we had never seen before!

We also found a little imaginary river that we loved watching our boats float down.

Winter Playtime

2010-02-05T13:27:00.006-06:00

We've had plenty of nice snow this winter to make for good outdoor playtime!

I tried to give Jay a little ride in his sled, but I didn't get too far...

so Daddy took over. This was way more fun anyway!

I'm quite the little fashionista and have many different hats to wear, depending on my mood!

the nice, cold (or freezing!) air puts Jay right to sleep for naptime...if he can make it that long!

When it's too cold to be outside, we have to find lots of different ways to keep us entertained inside...

Jay used to be scared of this tunnel a couple months ago. Now he loves to crawl through it or bring some toys in to the tunnel and hide from me.

sometimes we play house and I am "the mommy" (of course) and give Jay "the brother" rides to school on his scooter.

cold winter nights are a perfect time for treats and movies, especially when we have overnight stays at Grammy and Papa's.

and who doesn't love snuggling in a warm blanket on a cold winter day!?!?

Hide and seek is one of my favorite games to play. Jay is really good at finding hiding spots. I wonder if he doesn't get a little help???

and of course there is always football to watch on Sundays in the winter!

2009 Holidays

2010-01-15T14:37:00.007-06:00

Once again, we're pretty late on posting, but even after the holidays, the hussle and bussle didn't stop! We were blessed with another happy and healthy year. Mommy started a new job last spring, which meant that when the holidays arrived this year we were able to make it to more gatherings as a family. We enjoyed all the time spent with family and friends over the holidays to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is the reason for this majestic season!

our (almost) happy little family on Christmas Eve.

checking out our new books on Christmas morning

time to check our stockings!

Jay and his stocking. He didn't quite understand yet why the stockings were fun.

A Christmas present at Papa and Grammy's on Christmas Day

Jay doesn't quite understand how exciting presents are yet either. He took time to open this present but otherwise he busied himself during gift opening time with climbing the stairs and running around the kitchen.

Papa and Grammy with their sole grandson

ohhhh! Aunt Missy must be opening a pretty exciting gift!

her gift made her so excited that she wanted to dance!

Grammy and baby Lexi

Daddy and Jay being silly

even after all the new gifts, some of the old toys are still the favorites!

Christmas with the Ryan family

Daddy with Lily, Jay, Wesley and me

Wesley and Daddy

Jay with Uncle Tanner

Grandma JoAnne with her grandkids

Jay and Uncle Brent

Christmas Cookies

2010-01-15T14:15:00.006-06:00

The decoraters

the sprinkler

The taste tester

taking a break while the cookies baked

the cookie snatcher

yummy!

The Elves and Their Tree

2010-01-15T13:47:00.007-06:00

Aunt Missy, with the help of her busy little elves, decorated this fine looking tree at Papa and Grammy's. This is "Papa's tree" that we help to decorate every year. Papa was very proud of us! ;)
The elves: me, Jacey holding Lexi, cousin Lily, Jay and Morgan
A picture with Aunt Missy and each of the elves:
Lexi

Morgan

Jacey

Jay

Cousin Lily's Visit

2009-12-24T14:36:00.008-06:00

This past weekend, cousin Lily came to visit with us while her Mommy and Daddy were on a little trip to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary! We had so much fun playing with Lily and were lucky to have all that time to spend with her.
we snuggled into our pjs and watched movies together...

we played house...

(I did still take some time to play with my little brother too)

Mommy even let me keep my tent up all weekend so we could 'camp out'.

Lily came with to watch my Christmas program. Mommy tried to take a picture of all of us by the Christmas tree but "you-know-who" was uncooperative AGAIN! So instead it was just me and Lily (with our colorings)

I had a wrestling match with Jay (Lily was the ref) and if I won then he had to be in the picture with us...

Jay won.

Then it was time for a race. We all had a scooter or trike and raced around the dining room table.

Lily on the Winnie the Pooh tractor

Jay is still faster on his feet, so he preferred just to run.

Peek-a-boo with Santa Lily

Lily was so helpful. She even helped Mommy wrap presents. We had such a good time with Lily and Mommy says she was so well behaved too. Looks like Uncle Brent and Aunt Lori might have to take more trips and leave Lily with us!

Christmas Photo Shoot: Take 1

2009-12-12T15:57:00.007-06:00

Mommy has been trying her hardest to take a nice picture of me and Jay for Christmas. She has recently named this experience, Mission Impossible. Jay doesn't care much for sitting still...

and especially sitting still to get a hug!

He didn't like standing still either, so Mommy decided to give Jay a break.

and let me have all the attention!

This is my 'taking standing still very serious' picture notice the ornament I'm standing next to? That's a picture of me 3 years ago during my 1st Christmas!

I had all sorts of interesting faces to try out for Mommy!

Finally!

Uh oh! Look what Jay got caught doing while Mommy was taking my picture!

turns out Jay smiles best when he's getting into mischief!

Mommy says it's hard to scold such a cute smile like that. Guess I'm going to have try harder on my 'getting out of trouble face'!

Christmas Photo Shoots: Take 2

2009-12-12T15:22:00.009-06:00

This time Mommy was atleast able to get the two of us together, but getting us both to smile together...that was a different story...

Feeding Jay puffs... Mommy's attempt to get Jay to stay still.

I'm blaming the cooperation issue on Jay this time. As you can tell, I was 'all smiles' for the most part!

Mommy finally gave in and decided to do her best at catching us smiling during some actions shots.

Prepping for Christmas

2009-12-12T14:31:00.007-06:00

These past few weeks we've been doing some of our holiday prep. We've been decorating the house and tree, visiting santa and working on Christmas cards.

Jay and I were Mama's little elves, except I was much more enthusiatic about it than Jay was.

Daddy helped get Jay and I psyched for decorating the tree!

Once again, I got to do the coveted job of putting the star on top of the tree. Jay doesn't seem to understand yet how neat this responsibility is... next year could be a different story!

Jay just enjoyed playing while watching Daddy and I put the star up.

We went to see Santa also to tell him want to fill our stockings with. Well... we SAW him, but neither Jay or I wanted to talk to him quite yet.

so Mommy and Daddy had to help us! Hope they remembered to tell Santa EVERYTHING we wanted!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-12T14:19:00.003-06:00

Jay and I both had double ear infections on Thanksgiving, so we weren't really all that interested in taking pictures, yet Mommy insisted! Since we're little and don't know any better, Mommy says we can get away with not cooperating. But she also likes to frequently remind us that it won't last and she'll eventually always win that battle. Good luck, Mommy!!
I was in much better spirits during the Ryan Thanksgiving. Here's Grandpa Ryan and his girls!

and Grandma Jo Anne and her boys!

Jay's 1 year pictures

2009-12-12T14:08:00.004-06:00

Mommy's late, as usual, on posting again. But here are some cute pictures that Mommy's friend Jes Flotterud took of my cutie pie brother. Isn't he a little ham?!?!

Jay's modeling pose.

Tractor Ride

2009-12-04T14:25:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we made it out for a tractor ride with Daddy and it was just in time because now it's too cold out!

Last year, I was scared of the tractor. This year, I even tried driving the tractor all by myself!!

Jay loved it too! He sat on Mommy's lap and stared out the windows the ENTIRE time!

We can't wait till spring!

Fall Playtime

2009-11-10T23:14:00.010-06:00

Since we had such a beautiful fall weekend, we tried to spend as much time outside as possible before it gets really chilly! Jay loved watching me go down the slide. He cheered me on every time!

Here is our one and only kitty! We call her Mama Kitty.

We all had so much fun and since it was a nice, warm day, Jay and I decided to try sunbathing like Snapper loves to do!

Who is this little guy?

2009-11-10T22:58:00.005-06:00

Baby Jay seems to have gone from baby to toddler recently and Mommy thinks it happened overnight!
I'm not sure if it happened overnight, but his 1st haircut sure did seem to turn him from my baby brother to my MUCH OLDER LOOKING baby brother!

Now, he thinks since he looks older he can get away with more. I think he was saying "haha" in this picture!

Jay thought next time he should get a bowl cut!

A VIKINGS Sunday

2009-11-10T22:38:00.004-06:00

Two little Vikings fans getting ready for the big game against the Packers! Can you tell how excited we are?!

Jay thought it was a great game!

I was feeling pretty sure about a win, so I decided to call up all my Packers friends and razz them a little! I did think a disguise was a good idea though. . . just in case.

Jay seems a little unsure about my disguise.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-10T22:17:00.003-06:00

Jay made a pretty cute puppy, don't you think?
some of you might not recognize who I dressed up as. . .I'm Abby Cadabby! She's a princess fairy monster on Sesame Street- much like me!

Abby Cadabby and the puppy

Trick AND Treating at Papa and Grammy's.

The Big Birthday Bash...Finally!

2009-10-29T16:15:00.008-05:00

We finally got to celebrate our birthday last weekend!
Party hats make us have silly faces!

Some of the attendees at the big bash: cousins Wesley Ryan, Jacey, Morgan and Lexi Majerus. Cousin Lily Ryan wasn't able to make it, but we can't wait to see her soon and have some playtime with her.

Time for presents!

I think Jay liked the surfing outfit!

There was no shortage of help from me and my cousins when it came to opening Jay's presents!

Jacey and I showed Jay how this new toy worked.

He likes it!

Jay wanted to keep this present just the way it was.

I guess so he could climb on it!

Such a happy birthday boy!

He was pretty excited about this present too.

Morgan was so nice. She read me a new Halloween book that I got at the party.

Jacey and I modeled some new wigs we got for dress-up.

Here's our nice Halloween birthday cake!

and Jay had his one little one to dig into, but it took a lot of encouragement. He didn't seem quite sure what he was suppose to do with the cake.

Yummy!

Jay says, "It's FUN to be ONE!"

Birthday Boy 10.19.08

2009-10-20T12:56:00.007-05:00

Jay's 1!

Jay is very excited about being a 1 year old! Here are a couple pictures of him from yesterday- the big day!

Jay got to open a couple presents, even though the party isn't until this weekend. Since this was his first birthday, I had to show him how to open presents.

He really liked his new toys. Thanks, Erica!

Daddy and I have been busy planning the party. . .

We told Jay there was going to be cake . . .

He can't wait!

He told me he wants to get ready for the party now!

So I said I'd help him. I can't wait too!

mommy forgot to brush my hair before this picture was taken. oops!

Jay-Walking

2009-10-07T21:22:00.005-05:00

Mommy hasn't been so good about keeping up with mine and Jay's happenings. She forgot about this little video she took of Jay almost a MONTH ago! I better start helping her. I've started taking pictures and I already narrate the blog so she only needs to teach my how to use the computer now!

When Jay first started walking, he couldn't keep himself from giggling hysterically. He also doesn't really know how to put the brakes on yet. . . just crashes into the floor! I better give my little brother some credit though, he's learned quickly and is doing a pretty good job of keeping up with me!

Family

2009-10-06T13:54:00.002-05:00

September sure way a busy month! Jay and I were lucky to have some nice family get-togethers and visits!

Grandpa Bremer celebrated his 80th birthday on September 19! So we had to have a birthday picnic to help him celebrate!

Here is Great-Grandma and Grandpa Bremer with all their great-grandkids (12 total) plus a couple grandkids. Baby Chloe, on Grandma's lap, is their newest GRANDCHILD! Baby Chloe came special to celebrate Grandpa's birthday all the way from Georgia with her mommy and daddy! Baby Lexi (in the carseat) is the newest arrival to the Bremer family.

and what is a birthday celebration without cake??? My cousins and I enjoyed sharing cake. . . and making a disaster out of it!

Here is Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Bremer with Aunt Missy, Uncle Jason and Mommy.

Jay and I also had a nice little visit at Grandma Liz's with Uncle Ken who made a little trip home. I was very good at showing off how goofy I can be!

Birthday and Cabin Trip

2009-09-11T21:14:00.007-05:00

Turns out I get to have 3 parties this year since I'm 3!!!

On my actual birthday, I got to have a little party at daycare with a yummy fruit pizza from Erica and then when I got home, Mommy and Daddy took Jay and I to the park and dined on my favorite . . . McDonalds! Plus I got to open some presents.

Then Mommy took Jay and I to the cabin for a long, holiday weekend.

The weather was great!

Jay liked practicing walking on the dock with Mommy

and

I was so happy to be out in the sun, enjoying the sand and water one more time this summer!

Jacey, Morgan and Lexi were with too.
We liked to watch all the boats on the water from the pontoon, while we waited to go out on the lake too.

We loved going really fast and shouting "faster" in the speedboat while Uncle Jason went tubing.

Last year, I was terrified of the boat . . . not anymore!

Jacey is so brave, she even went tubing with her daddy. I'm not near that brave yet!

Jay LOVES to swing . . .

but is not nearly impressed with his lifejacket!

He liked trying to drive the boat with Papa's help a little better.

Grammy taught me how to use this fun squirter to have a waterfight.

Bad choice on Grammy's part. . .

since I chose to use it on her!

But she didn't even get mad at me.

Like I mentioned earlier, 3 parties . . . I got to have party #2 at the cabin.!

Mommy made me a yummy cake with sprinkles all over.

I had a little trouble blowing out the candle though. Luckly, Uncle Jason was great help.

Mommy caught Jay and I having a lovable sibling moment together!

Pretty soon Jay will be having his birthday party. That's when I get to have party #3 to celebrate with family. Look how big he looks next to cousin Lexi!

Remember that practice walking on the dock Jay was doing with Mommy earlier, well at the end of our trip, he finally took a couple steps for Mommy to snap a quick photo of it!

Jay thought the stairs at the cabin were great for climbing too. He even convinced Aunt Johanna to climb with him!

Birthday Girl 9.2.06

2009-09-01T21:09:00.012-05:00

Guess who's 3?!?

ME!

Look how much I've grown the past few years . . .

(almost) 3

2

1

1 month

Climber

2009-08-29T15:33:00.004-05:00

Since Jay has started crawling, he has also started CLIMBING onto, out of and over everything!

the couch . . .
the tub . . .

and the stairs!

Dress Up Fun

2009-08-29T15:12:00.004-05:00

Morgan and Jacey came over the other day to play with me for awhile and they brought some fabulous dress up clothes! A dress for each of us. . .
and fortunately, I had plenty of accessories: jewels, scarfs, purses, and shoes!

Cousin Lily came to play with me one day too. We're starting to have lots of fun playing together!

Favorite Foods

2009-08-29T14:31:00.004-05:00

I love digging into sweetcorn and it's SOOOO GOOD this time of year!
Jay loves to snack on Puffs and one day Mommy let me be a "big girl" and help. Lucky for Jay, I dumped nearly the whole tub out! Well, after all, 60 some pieces equals 1 serving!

Here's Jay with his stash before Mommy cleaned up!

Jay- 9 month pictures

2009-08-04T21:47:00.007-05:00

Summer Time

2009-08-01T22:48:00.005-05:00

A few things we do during the summer . . .

hang out at the lake and cabin

play with cousins

pretend to be monsters

summer is tiring!

4th of July Cabin Vacation

2009-07-06T15:24:00.005-05:00

Mommy and Daddy both took a couple days off of work so we could take a little mini vacation to the cabin. Then, luckily, Mommy even got the 4th off so we got to stay a little longer!

Jay and I were both very happy to be on vacation!

The weather was a little cool the first couple days, but we still managed to find enough fun things to do. We took a little trip to Hayward one day to visit the book store and the yummy candy store. I even got to see how they make some yummy chocolate candies!

We stayed up late and slept in . . . well, we all tried to, but Jay wasn't game to the idea. He's such a happy guy for so early in the morning!

Daddy made us some yummy egg breakfasts.

Poor Jay had to have his rice cereal instead. He didn't seem to mind though!

I tried to teach Jay how to climb stairs but he just liked to watch me.

One day, I was determined to play out at the beach, so Mommy and Daddy caved and let me.

it was a little chilly . . .

but I didn't care. I was just so happy to finally get my feet in the water!

So happy!

Jay was also happy to be out by the water and appreciated the view from Daddy's shoulders!

The Cousins Are Here!

2009-07-06T14:48:00.005-05:00

Time to hit the beach!

looks like trouble already, doesn't it?!?!

Jay is very excited to be playing at the beach!

he didn't really appreciate Mommy trying to stop him from eating sand though!

We all wanted to help Jay play in the sand . . . since this was his first time!
I helped bring him sand toys to play with.

Jacey showed him how to scoop up sand.

Morgan helped fill his shovel with sand

and we helped fill his bucket.

Mommy was so proud of me that she gave me a big hug!

Jay liked to hang out in the shade and "rest" with Papa when he was tired of the sun and sand.

One of my favorite things to do was collect shells. My cousins were great helpers!

A Bicycle Ride for Four?!?!

2009-07-06T14:35:00.004-05:00

Uncle Jason took me and Morgan out for a bicycle ride in this fun little cart. Uncle Jason, Morgan, me- that makes three . . .
oh, wait! look who else tagged along?!?!

Jacey makes four!

Batting Practice

2009-07-06T14:17:00.004-05:00

Aunt Missy would be impressed! On vacation and still working on my swing!

I still have a long ways to go but Mommy and Daddy say there's been improvement since last year!

I'm not sure if Aunt Missy would be impressed with the crocs but she might like my stance (and if not, take it up with Papa- it was his coaching!)

Pinata

2009-07-06T13:42:00.007-05:00

Now I get to put that batting practice to good use. . .

with a pinata!We all took turns trying to break it open. It took us a long time, but we were motivated. We knew what was inside!
We did recruit some help. Some little neighbor boys also helped us. They didn't care as much about the candy as we did. They were just really excited to be allowed to use a bat to break something

Jay says "just wait until next year!"

Tube Time

2009-07-06T13:16:00.006-05:00

We had fun playing on all the different tubes.
Jay liked the alligator

Jacey and I floating away

relaxin'

Grammy and I liked the fun island tube. It's great for napping, especially if you can get someone to give you a little pull on it.

8 Month Old Jay

2009-06-23T21:04:00.004-05:00

Can you believe Jay is already 8 months old??!!
He's such a big, happy, baby boy!

One of his favorite toys right now is the learning table. I used to love it too and now I like to play on it with Jay!

The piano is one of his favorite parts. He's wondering if you have any requests?

He likes to sing along while he plays.

Time for a new song!

A Zebra and Some Kittens

2009-06-22T20:54:00.003-05:00

Quite a few weeks ago, our family took a little trip to the Como Zoo. Mommy forgot (or was too busy trying to keep track of me) to take pictures, so it looks like only cousin Lily and Mommy came with me, but Daddy, Jay, Aunt Karla, Uncle Brent and Aunt Lori also joined us.

Lily and I loved looking at the ducks and swans.

and Mommy and I thought the zebra was really funny!

Over six weeks ago our Mommy cat had a couple kittens. A couple weeks after that her litter grew when she adopted Grammy's kittens, who needed a Mommy. I've had a lot of fun playing with the kitties.

A MEMORable Weekend

2009-05-29T13:49:00.008-05:00

"WOW! I'm so excited to be at the cabin for the first time!", says Jay.

Morgan and I tried sharing the car. . . it wasn't easy or very fun.

Jay found all sorts of new, fun places to hang out at the cabin. Like this little lawn chair. . .

and the sink! Perfect for baths, besides the cousins and I hogged the bathtub.

Time to test out the new pontoon. Who thought it was a good idea to let Jacey drive??? Hold on Morgan!

I like the boats and water already a lot more than last year.

Me and the cuzs sporting our cool shades.

Time for swimming! Well, the water was a little cold so we mainly just played on the beach.

Time for a popcorn break!

We even got a visit from cousin Rylie and her mommy, Maggie and daddy, Aaron. She had a fun time playing in the sand and taking wagon rides with us.

Aunt Missy tried to help us feed the ducks, but there were no ducks then, so we just threw the leftover buns in the lake at Chewy (Jacey and Morgan's dog)

We even practiced with sparklers, so we're good and ready for the 4th of July! Papa helped show me how to make circles!

Jay cuddling with Aunt Missy.

Bedtime stories with Aunt Missy.

What! How did these pictures get here???

Uncle Jason washing dishes . . .

and cooking! Even Papa was in shock!

Mommy says she never saw either of these chores being done by Uncle Jason growing up! Hmmm. . . .

A Trip to the Park

2009-05-16T10:46:00.007-05:00

Last weekend, we visited the park in Zumbrota. It has a big castle/fort that is great for exploring.
Daddy helped me check it out since I'm a very cautious little girl.

Jay liked watching me when he wasn't busy swinging.

Snuggling to keep each other warm on a cool May day!

Jay likes being outside but isn't very happy when he has to be bundled.

much happier now that he's inside and can find his hands again!

Feed Us!

2009-05-16T10:36:00.003-05:00

Jay and I are patiently waiting for supper . . .

Put the food right in front of me, Mom.

Jay's trying to convince Mommy that he can have some too, as he tries to tell her, "put the food right here, Mom!"

Squeaky Clean

2009-05-15T21:15:00.004-05:00

Jay loves his baths.

maybe it's because he gets to giggle with this cute little baby

Jay looks like he just figured something out!

Though Jay has such a fun time in the little tub with the mirror, Mommy decided it was time for him to graduate to the big tub (especially since he recently learned how fun it is to splash!)

Some New Fun Stuff

2009-04-22T14:17:00.004-05:00

Jay has been experiencing a couple new things over the past few weeks. First- his diet has been advanced to include cereal!

He's excited to finally try something other than Mommy's wonderful milk.

Jay giggles alot when Mommy feeds him. I think either the rice cereal tickles or he thinks Mommy makes some funny faces.

Mommy and Daddy also took out some toys that had been stowed away since Christmas. Apparently, they were afraid that I would wear the toys out before Jay was big enough to use them. If only I knew where they hid them!

Jay and I like this basketball toy from Aunt Missy. Daddy thinks this might be as close as Jay ever gets to a basketball hoop.

Jay loves to sit up like a big baby boy and play with his toys now. He's starting to find toys really fun now. This could be trouble for me shortly!

Mommy thinks Jay is growing so fast, but don't worry Mommy, Jay has a lot of growing and learning to do yet!

Belated Easter

2009-04-22T14:04:00.004-05:00

Well... Mommy got us dressed up a week late for Easter church. We didn't mind and honestly, we wouldn't have had a clue if Mommy hadn't told us we were a week late!

I prefer Mommy's baseball hat over my Easter bonnet. Mommy wouldn't let me wear it to church though. Such a party pooper she is!

sitting pretty

What a handsome little man my brother is!

An Almost EGGcellent Easter

2009-04-15T13:46:00.006-05:00

We have to say "almost" because little Jaybird got sick with a nasty double ear infection, so we didn't get to get dressed up in our Easter outfits or go to Easter service. Mommy says she has a plan to make up for it though. Hmmmmm????

We did get to enjoy Easter dinner with Mommy's family and supper with Daddy's though, but Jay just wasn't his usual happy self. Like he is in this picture below. . .

As we were preparing for the Easter Bunny's arrival by decorating Easter eggs, Jay watched and I decided to dress him up. I like to play Monster right now, so I decided to dress Jay up as a monster. Mommy says he's a luvable, huggable monster though, not very scary, even though he tried to be with his growl!

I got to put the finishing touches on the eggs and I only broke 2 in the decorating process.

Mommy told me that if we put the eggs in a basket the Easter Bunny will replace them with nice little presents and treats. So, I filled my basket with as many pretty eggs as I could find.

Here's my own special egg with my name on it.

A lil' Easter bunny and lamb . . .

lambchop!

Waiting

2009-04-15T13:26:00.006-05:00

Last week, we had a pizza playdate at our place. Jay and I couldn't wait for our friends to come!

Jay even wore his "PLAY" outfit while he practiced sitting up. I can't believe he's already sitting . . . soon he'll be chasing after me!

I kept watch out the window and let Mommy know when our friends came.

Silly Mommy forgot to take pictures of all our other friends, but she did get one cute one of Jay and our friend Brennan.

Bye Friends!

Let's Roll

2009-03-26T13:40:00.004-05:00

Jay seems to be enjoying his tummy time more these days but I think it's because he figured something out. . .
he can just roll right onto his back, where he is happier!

#1 Fan

2009-03-24T13:02:00.003-05:00

I've been hearing talk of all this "March Madness" stuff lately and favorite teams and well, I don't know much about that but I do know that I just might be Jay's #1 fan and I'm pretty sure he's my #1 fan! Mommy says I can hold his attention better than anyone. Mommy and Daddy say they are also our #1 fans, but I don't know. . . look how much I adore my baby brother! I love to hold him (when I can convince Mommy and Daddy to let me.) Sometimes we snuggle together in our pjs to watch cartoons. Well, I watch cartoons and Jay usually just squawks and giggles.

Sometimes I like to cheer Jay on while he plays in his exersaucer. Why would I need to cheer him on, you ask? Well, because sometimes he gets a hold of his toys on the exersaucer and squawks at them like they are in a fight.

And at bedtime, we even like to snuggle together with Mommy or Daddy and read bedtime stories!

Aidan's House and The Waterpark

2009-02-25T08:46:00.005-06:00

This past weekend, we went to visit our friend Aidan and his Mommy, Roz and Daddy, Dan. They even have a dog, Mugsy. Jay was amazed with Mugsy. I think he thought she looked like a nice, big, cuddly stuffed puppy until she started moving. They even shared a kiss!

We also got to visit our friend Cohen and his Mommy, Melanie and Daddy, Andy. They stayed at a fun hotel that even had a waterpark! So we were sure to go play with them there.

Mommy says she thinks this is the only time she's ever seen Daddy play basketball!

The slides were really fun but I NEEDED to have my daddy with me to go down them.

Splash!

I tried to show Aidan about the fountains but he just wanted to walk around and be cute!

By the end of my play time at the waterpark I even ventured to try the slide on my own . . . but I just sat at the top and thought about it.

Poor Jay has wintery dry skin so Mommy didn't let him go in the pool. They just hung out poolside and supervised. Oh, and took pictures!

After some nice long naps, we all hung out at Aidan's house for supper and some more playing. The mommies tried to take a picture of us kiddos. Well, atleast we're all in the shot. Aidan and Cohen were pretty interested in baby Jay.

GymTastic!

2009-02-25T07:59:00.005-06:00

Last week, I ended my first session of Parent-tot gymnastic class. I was a little skeptical at first, but once I realized how much there was for me to run around and jump on, there was no stopping me. Running around and jumping, that is. As to actually following instructions . . . I'm not quite onboard with that idea yet. But I still have a lot of fun!

Jay likes to watch me "practice" at home, so last week he and Daddy came to my "show day".

Here is my class getting ready for our show!

Sometimes I just like to hang out and hog the mats (this is when I don't like to follow instructions!)

I was a little scared of the beam at the beginning of the classes after I realized how high up from the ground I was, but by the end of the session, I was almost a pro!

But it especially helped having Mommy help me along and I loved jumping to her at the end.

I even got this pretty ribbon and got to stand on the podium! I can't wait for next session!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T15:57:00.002-06:00

LOVE

2009-02-14T15:41:00.004-06:00

Mommy says she's afraid the day may come when Jay and I might not get along so well- something about not sharing toys, tattling, and teasing each other. So Mommy said she better take a lot of pictures of us together right now to prove to us one day how much we once enjoyed each other's company. I'm not sure what's she talking about. For right now, we LOVE each other. There are lots of hugs and kisses being shared between us.
Oh no! Mommy caught us hugging!

No matter what, we will always LOVE each other!

For you, Aunt Missy and Happy Belated Birthday, Papa!

2009-02-04T15:40:00.006-06:00

Aunt Missy felt that our blog was suffering, so I told Mommy she better get to work!

I love Mommy's rocking chair and I love rocking on it with Jay. So far, this is my favorite place to take pictures for Mommy

Papa celebrated his birthday on the 2nd. We had some yummy strawberry cake to celebrate! He told me he turned 49! I told him he's older than dirt!

Playing naptime with my cousins on Papa and Grammy's stairs. Funny that we would want to play naptime, huh?

Diva Queen

2009-02-04T15:25:00.006-06:00

As you probably already know, I love to dress up! Hats, shoes, purses, you name it- I want to wear it!

Aunt Missy found this perfect dress up trunk for Christmas for me, Jacey and Morgan to play with at Papa and Grammy's.

It's fabulous!

Three little Diva Queens!

(Do you see Uncle Jason napping in the background??? It's because we beat him in our snowfight!)

How Jay Keeps Busy

2009-02-04T14:59:00.004-06:00

One way Jay keeps busy is hanging out in his swing. One day, I thought Jay might like some company, so I gave him all my dollies to swing with him . . . He like the company at first. . .

but then he just got mad! I think he either wanted his space back or didn't like being surrounded by so many girls. You'd think he be used to it with how much he gets mauled by me and my cousins!

Jay also keeps busy by enjoying his baths.

He seems to like the little friend he always smiles at on the other side of the mirror!

Jay's been working on this tummy time, but

he loves being on his back, where he can see, the best He's been keeping very busy with passing out so many smiles and giggles lately. He also loves to tell us "stories". Mommy calls him Talker McSquawker!

Baby, It's Cold Out There!

2009-02-04T14:30:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, I was able to spend a fun day with Grammy. She took me shopping, to my favorite restaurant "Donald's House" aka McDonald's, and then to her place. My cousins came over after my nap and we had a great time outside!

Grammy helped us build a snowman . . .

a very interesting snowman.

Then we had a snowfight- girls against Uncle Jason.

Should we really be letting the enemy help us build our snowfort???

Morgan and I discussing our plan of attack!

Then it was time for snowangels!

I like playing outside in the snow, but. . .

forget about sledding!

Mommy says she doesn't understand why last year I loved sledding and swimming and now I don't. I'm a very cautious girl. It takes a lot to encourage me but if you encourage me too much, I'll just get MAD! Everyone tells Mommy that this should come as no surprise to her, since I'm her daughter. I just laugh at Mommy, along with everyone else!

One Last Christmas Celebration: A Very Belated Posting

2009-01-05T13:47:00.006-06:00

Well, it seems our computer also came down with a little virus after the start of the new year. But now it's feeling better, so Mommy is finally getting a chance now to post some pictures from Christmas with Daddy's family. It was a fun time but I sure was sick of taking so many pictures by the end of the Christmas celebrations.

Jay had so much fun at Christmas that it wore him it out!

I enjoyed playing a little trick on Uncle Trevor. I told him I was going to give him a kiss but instead . . .

I stole his hat!

We had a nice Christmas celebration at Grandpa Ryan's house. Mommy says she wishes she could get more pictures of me and Jay with cousin Lily but we still don't cooperate very well. Maybe next time, Mommy.

Christmas Day

2008-12-27T13:25:00.015-06:00

Well, Christmas day we planned to spend with Mommy's family, but I ended up getting sick with the stomach flu so Daddy stayed home to take care of me while Mommy and Jay went to enjoy the festivities. Jay told me all about what I misssed though.

Papa and Jacey thought that Jay made a pretty cute Santa.

Jay got a lot of snuggle time in with everyone. . .

while he watched his cousins opening all their gifts.

Later that night, I was feeling a little better so Papa, Grammy and Aunt Missy came out to visit me and bring me my gifts.

At first all I wanted to do was snuggle.

But I couldn't resist all those nice looking gifts waiting to be tore open!

Mommy kept trying to interupt me from gift opening by taking pictures- it didn't work.

After gift opening, I, of course, had to try out some of these great presents.

I had a nice time that night and it gave me a good distraction from feeling crummy. Which was especially nice since I didn't feel so great again in the following days. I had to miss some other family Christmas parties along with Daddy and Mommy since we all got sick over the weekend. We were all bummed, but Daddy's family Christmas is coming up this weekend so we can't wait to all be healthy and enjoy the day!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T11:53:00.004-06:00

We got all dressed up at our house to go to church on Christmas Eve so Mommy said we better take some pictures . . .

I think Mommy was tickling me in this picture

"Do you want to know a little Christmas secret, Jay?"

A big kiss for Daddy. I think Jay was wondering where his kiss from Mommy was.

Daddy read me and Jay a little Christmas story but I think Jay was more concerned about where his milk was. He likes to eat ALL the time!

Time for presents!

I even got to open Jay's presents this year. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get away with that next year???

trying out my new robe. It makes me feel a little bit like Super Kaelynn so I had to run really fast in it!

Ways to Prepare for Christmas

2008-12-17T08:58:00.017-06:00

The past few weeks we've been preparing for Christmas at our house. I bet you have too. Since it's Jay's first Christmas, I gave him some helpful hints.

First, make a visit to Santa to tell him what you'd like for Christmas.

Jay already didn't listen too well and he fell asleep on Santa's lap! Now, who knows what he'll get for Christmas!

Well, as you can see, my jammie shirt says "I love Santa" but not enough to sit on his lap. So who knows what I'll get for Christmas too!

Rest when you can. Christmas is a busy holiday.

Bake some cookies. Morgan and I weren't sure about this at first. We couldn't understand why there was all these cookies in front of us and we were just suppose to decorate them, not eat them. Jacey is pretty clever though, so she went for the sprinkles instead.

I thought this cookie looked really delicious . . .

and all of these. . .

so I ate one up!

Also, find some time to snuggle with family and watch some movies (or the Survivor finale)

Play with your cousins. . . or let your cousins play with you!

Make some Christmas cards.

Find some nice boxes to fill special presents with.

Take time to take some cute pictures.

Put on your Santa hat to decorate the tree.

Find the perfect spot for all those pretty ornaments. Remember, keep the breakable ones out of my reach.

Have Daddy help you put the star on top of the tree

Lastly and most importantly, find some time to spend with family and friends. Jay listened really well about this. He and Mommy went to visit our friend Aidan and his mommy, Roz all the way in Tomah one day! Jay told me he really likes Aidan and he can't wait till he gets bigger and can be a Star War fanatic with Aidan like their daddies.

Miss Kaelynn, the Teacher

2008-12-10T13:57:00.005-06:00

reading stories to my dolly, Jasmin
and teaching Jay his ABCs

Jay's Baptism

2008-12-05T13:50:00.006-06:00

Last Sunday (November 30th), we celebrated Jay's baptism. We had a nice service at church, which all of us kids behaved very well for, and we had a yummy dinner of lasagna that Daddy made. Lasagna is one of my favorites!

Here is Jay with Pastor Krause, Daddy, Mommy, me and his godparents- Uncle Tanner, Aunt Johanna and Uncle Jason.

Did I mention we also had a delicous cake???

One of our first family photos since the hospital. Too bad Jay slept for it.

Jay with Daddy (Kenneth Jason) and Grandpa Ryan (Kenneth John)

and here is the other Kenneth that Jay was named for, Grandpa Bremer (Kenneth John also). Don't they match nice!?!

Papa and Grammy holding Jay.

Grandma JoAnne and Jay

The Majerus clan

Papa with his grandkids- on their best behavior!

Aunt Missy stayed a couple days with us after baptism. It was her first time meeting Jay. The last couple days, after Aunt Missy went back, I've been waking up in the morning asking for her. Mommy keeps reminding me that she had to go back to Mayville. Bummer! She's so much fun!

Go Comets!

A Bunch of Turkeys

2008-12-03T12:13:00.003-06:00

Jay and I were so lucky this Thanksgiving that we were able to enjoy two nice Thanksgiving meals! Well, really just I got to have two meals. Jay had some delicious milk though. We had Thanksgiving dinner with Daddy's family. Jay slept the entire time though so we missed getting pictures there. Then we went to Papa and Grammy's house for supper and I got to play with the other little turkeys (my cousins Jacey and Morgan). We definately are a wild bunch!

Jay almost had enough of picture time but he saved some cute little smiles for us while Grammy was holding him. He just started smiling last week and he sure is a cute little turkey!

Fall = Fieldwork + Football

2008-11-18T11:30:00.005-06:00

In order to spend some valuable time with Daddy on the weekends, I've been helping him in the field with chisel plowing.

Mommy even found these old coveralls from Grammy for me to wear out in the tractor. They used to be Aunt Missy's and Uncle Jason's. I doubt Mommy ever wore them. I think I've already outgrown them though so now it's time to hand them down to Jay for next year.

So, when Daddy doesn't have to be out in the field we spend Sundays watching football- the Vikings, of course. Daddy has taught me well how to cheer "Go, Vikes!" and also how to make the horn sound "Barooo". I have become quite the growing little girl lately so I had my last wear of the Vikings cheerleader outfit (even though the Vikings cheerleaders skirts are this short too) and have moved on to my Vikings jersey!

I like this just as much!

So far Jay has slept through all the Vikings games so I think he is going to be more of a Twins fan!

Playdates

2008-11-15T11:32:00.007-06:00

Since Mommy is on leave from work right now, Jay and I have had a lot of fun playdates.

Uncle Brent, Aunt Lori and cousin Lily brought us supper one night and we got to play with Lily.

One day my friend Avy came over to play. We took turns wearing the pretty play shoes and sharing juice cups.

Jay's friend Hailey came to play that day too. Jay and Hailey slept through most of the playdate though. Hailey is 11 days older than Jay.

Jay also had a playdate with Hazel while I went to daycare to celebrate Sophie's birthday. Hazel is about 5 weeks older than Jay. Jay slept through most of that playdate too, until right before Hazel had to go home. Sometimes I think these playdates are more for Mommy than me and Jay!?!

Raise your hand if you filled your pants!

So Adorable!

2008-11-13T11:53:00.002-06:00

Mommy's friend, Jessi took these first two adorable pictures of Jay. Isn't he a cutie!

thinking about smiling!

thinking about crying!

My New Little Buddy

2008-11-13T11:15:00.002-06:00

Jay has become my new little buddy. We go just about everywhere together (except when I get to visit my friends at Erica's) and do just about everything together.

We go to visit Papa and Grammy together and share their laps for stories or rocking. I think Jay is amazed by how much bigger Papa is than him.
Jay still is in awe of Papa's size ( that's who Jay is staring at in the picture). I think he wonders if he will ever grow to be that big.

We have story time with Daddy together. Daddy looks a little tired, doesn't he?

We nap in the car together.

and we play with Jay's toys together.

2 Pumpkins, 1 Kitty and Jay

2008-11-03T22:36:00.007-06:00

Jay really enjoyed his first Halloween. First, he and I got to dress up as pumpkins. Jay's jaundice helped him look even more like a cute little pumpkin! I got this cute shirt from Erica and Aunt Missy gave Jay the hat I'm wearing, but I liked it so much I wanted to borrow it. I even took a nap in the bat hat one day. Then for our Halloween evening, Mommy and Daddy took us to a little Halloween party at the school.

Daddy helped me with the games.

Fish pond was one of my favorites, but instead of catching fish I caught candy! Which is kind of too bad since I'm dressed as a kitty and kitties love fish!

So much fun and the night's not over yet!

I think the kitty costume suits me prrrrrfect!

Jay woke up to take atleast one picture for his first Halloween. He's trying to look like a little Halloween gangster with his bat hat.

Good Company

2008-11-03T14:44:00.006-06:00

The past 2 weeks, we have had some nice company that have come to meet Jay. I think this has been just great! I love visitors! Here are some pictures of some of the company that have come to visit me and Jay.

Grandpa Ryan and Jay. Grandpa has been busy out in the fields but he snuck away for a little while to meet Jay.

Aunt Marie and Great-Grandma Joyce came to visit us too and snuggle with Jay for a bit. Great-Grandpa Lloyd must have been out golfing.

Jay got to meet almost all our great grandparents these past 2 weeks. Above is Jay with Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Bremer. Below is Jay with Great-Grandma Liz. Jay still needs to meet Great-Grandpa Herbert too. Grandpa Herbert is a busy guy.

Uncle Jason, Aunt Johanna, Jacey and Morgan came to visit too. Holding Jay even forced a smile out of Uncle Jason- way to go Jay! or it might have been Mama's threat to keep taking pictures until he smiled.

Me and Morgan. Don't we look like trouble makers???

Aunt Karla and Uncle Trevor have been busy with field work too but they also came for a short visit too to meet Jay.

Some friends have come to visit also. This is Jay with Brennan Flotterud. He's a bit older than Jay but I bet they'll have fun together in a couple years. Jay's friend Ethan Diercks came to visit too but Mama didn't get the camera out in time. I've been asking Mama since Ethan's visit where Ellie (Ethan's mom) is. Maybe Mama should take me to visit with her again.

Brennan's big sister, Lydia, came to visit too, which is great for me since she's my friend.
I was excited to see her.

a hug goodbye!

He's Here!

2008-10-24T13:33:00.015-05:00

Jay Kenneth Ryan was born on Sunday October 19 at 4:28 a.m.

7lbs 2.8 oz

20 1/2 inches

So it's time to share the blog! It's okay, though. I really like this little guy- my "baby Jay" and Mommy said that I could still do the story-telling for the blog.

So here's how Jay's first couple days have been. He hung out in the hospital with Mommy and Daddy for a couple days, while I had an extended visit with Papa and Grammy Majerus after a weekend trip to the cabin. They really like him too.

I think he's trying to look like a little tough guy here or he just really needs a nap.

Mommy is really happy Jay is here now instead of having to carry him around in her belly. She said she feels much more comfortable. Daddy is really happy too because now he only has to listen to Mommy complain about being tired, not tired and uncomfortable.

Here is our first family photo. Don't we look . . . tired!

Jay had some nice friends and family come visit him in the hospital. Here he is with Mommy's friend Roz and Aidan. Aidan is a really busy little guy. I think Jay will enjoy trying to keep up with him. Grandma Ryan came to see Jay too.

I think Jay is upset that his big sis isn't in the picture.

but I gave him this nice puppy (named Spunky after me) so that he can always have a reminder of me near him

We've also had some fun visitors since Jay came home. Here I am with one of my favorite uncles- Uncle Tanner.

Everybody in our house is also a little tired this week, but it's worth it- Jay is a wonderful addition to our family!

My New Purple Room

2008-10-13T14:32:00.004-05:00

A couple months ago, I moved into "my new purple room" and I sleep in my "big girl bed". I love my new room! Mommy and Daddy love it too! I sleep much better here than I did in the "baby's bed". I love to show off my new room. I'm very proud of it. It's still missing a few finishing touches but it has lots of butterflies and is VERY purple! Aunt Missy even painted the bed and nightstand for me!
I have a little table in my room perfect for tea parties!
So, I invited my friend Cow over for a tea party.
Hmmm, something doesn't look right???
Cow needed more to drink!

What I've Been Up To Now That I'm TWO

2008-10-13T13:58:00.003-05:00

Hi! So you've been wondering what I've been up to lately??? Well, mostly I've been patiently awaiting (much more patiently than Mommy) the arrival of my new brother or sister. I've grown pretty accustomed to Mommy's growing belly. The baby will just stay in there forever, won't it? I'm okay with that arrangement. Sharing is still not one of my best skills but on the other hand, I am eager to have someone else to boss around. I am very good at being "the boss". Daddy says I get that from Mommy's side. Mommy agrees.

I've been practicing many of my "big girl" skills, like drinking out of my own cup and dressing myself. It's not uncommon, if you're fortunate to be in the pleasure of my company, to hear me say "I do it myself".

Yes, I am full of all the attitude a 2 year old can muster,

but I am also the sweetest little girl full of love who warms her parents heart every minute of everyday!

Birthday Party!

2008-09-14T05:17:00.009-05:00

Last week I celebrated my birthday with family. It was a good time. . .

What's a birthday party without balloons?!? The cousins and I had a good time playing with these. Uncle Jason had to supervise since we would tend to get a little rough at times. Hard to imagine you can get rough with balloons, I know, but we did.

I even got this great big princess castle balloon from Jacey and Morgan. I'm showing Grandpa Ryan all my favorite princesses.

Time for presents!
Look at this great tea pot and kettle set. So much cooking I can do now!

I even got some fun Dora sheets to go on my "big girl" bed.
With Mommy and Daddy's help, I even blew out both my candles.
The cake was delicious and we made a terrific mess!
What was Mommy thinking giving us chocolate cake? I think it has something to do with how much she loves chocolate cake, especially with that growing baby brother/sister of mine.

With Uncle Jason's and Snapper's help supervising again, we spent some time outside to wear off some energy.

What a fun birthday party I had!

2008-09-14T04:52:00.003-05:00

A few pictures that Mom forgot to post earlier. . .

Mommy made me some cupcakes to take to my daycare party at Erica's, so Papa and Grammy helped me decorate them. I also got to open a couple presents that day, since I had to wait until the weekend for my party.

Cheesy Smiles on my Golden Birthday

2008-09-09T09:48:00.003-05:00

I celebrated my Golden Birthday last week on the 2nd! I've been practicing my "cheese" smiles a lot lately so I had many silly smiles to give the camera.

More pictures from my party to follow soon. . .

Catwalk

2008-09-08T13:45:00.005-05:00

I've heard Daddy say that girls change their minds a lot. Well, especially being a toddler, I'm no exception to that rule. Remember how I used to love hats, purses and then sunglasses. . . now my favorite is shoes!

Here I am modeling Mom's work shoes- a favorite because of their obivious simplicity of getting on.

These boots are much more difficult. These belong to Aunt Missy and I think she usually prefers her flip flops over these. I struggled a bit with these but it was worth it.

and one of my all time favorites now is these great rain boots I'm borrowing from cousin Jacey. I think they look especially great when paired with this flashy cowgirl hat.

As much as I love modeling my favorite accessories though, I also still love helping my Daddy whenever I can. Here we are cooking up some stuffed peppers.

My Visit with Aunt Missy

2008-08-22T12:20:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, Mommy and I made a trip all the way up to Mayville, North Dakota to visit Aunt Missy for a few days. It was great. It started out like Christmas- I woke up and found this perfect little tricycle that was just my size!

It even has a horn! It also came with an awesome helmet and knee/elbow pads.

I had to show Aunt Missy all the characters that I knew on my helmet. My favorites are Elmo and Zoey.

I worked on my pilates and other ball exercises with Aunt Missy's help.

My favorite part of the trip was this fun water park close to Aunt Missy's house that I got to go swimming at 2 days in a row! I don't actually swim too much yet but I loved the slides. There was a slide there that was also just my size. Mommy would help me up the stairs and send me down the slide and Aunt Missy would catch me.

Would you believe I even went down this huge slide behind us with Aunt Missy TWICE!?!?

Aunt Missy took us to this pretty flower garden in Mayville also. I couldn't believe all the pretty flowers!
There were some other great finds at the flower garden also. This nice swing and look what else I found. . .
a perfect little playhouse! It even had a spot just for me to sit and color. I would have stayed there all day if Mommy and Aunt Missy had let me.
Mommy said there was so many perfect spots for cute pictures but I didn't have time for pictures. There was too much to explore.
My trip to visit Aunt Missy was so much fun. I can't wait to go and visit her again. I miss her already! Thank you for such a nice time "Mamey". We love you!

Hanging With The Boys

2008-08-21T16:13:00.003-05:00

Recently, I've been able to enjoy a few play dates with my young boyfriends. A couple weeks ago, Mommy and I went up to visit my friend Cohen and his mommy, Melanie. We went to a park and had a great time on the swings- you can tell by our smiles and giggles.

Earlier this week, Mommy and I took a mini vacation to North Dakota to visit Aunt Missy (more pictures to follow from this visit) and on the way home we stopped in Fargo to visit my cousin/friend Aidan and his mommy, Roz. We spent our time learning to share and even got to eat out at Space Aliens.

Aidan was trying to be very serious in this picture,

but I was pretty good at making him giggle!

A Special Birthday Message for Daddy

2008-07-31T08:48:00.003-05:00

Family Weekend at the Cabin

2008-07-28T21:38:00.006-05:00

We spent another weekend this month up at the cabin for "family weekend". We decided to try out Wilderness Walk in Hayward. Mommy hadn't been there since she was little but she said it hadn't changed much.

There were tame deer and goats all over the park. They even let you come right up to them to pet and feed them.
There was also lots of other neat animals, like the camel. Morgan really liked the camel . . .
I, on the other hand, didn't care so much for it!
There was a neat little Merry-go-round that was just the perfect size for me and my cousins.
Daddy and I pretending to be old Westerners.

Back at the lake. My likeness for the water comes and goes as my mood does. I liked it right away, so I even took an alligator ride out in the lake with Daddy's help. (If you remember from the last cabin trip, the alligator didn't make it off the beach.)
We even went way out to visit Grammy and Papa.
Getting a congratulatory hug from Mommy for being so brave.
Back on dry land, hanging with Aunt Missy and modeling her shades (another favorite accessory of mine and I especially like to wear them upside down.)
Modeling one of Grammy's many funny pair of sunglasses.

Geared up for a boat ride- complete with my life jacket and upside down sunglasses.
Aunt Missy even let me help her drive.
Uncle Jason and Jacey taking a silly picture.
Water fight with Morgan.

Bye Bye Tree

2008-07-22T21:30:00.002-05:00

It's been almost 2 weeks now (Mommy has been really slacking on getting my blog updated), but we had a big storm out our way one day. Fortunately for us, it didn't do any damage at our home. The very next night, we had another storm and this storm didn't cause any damage either but it did manage to blow down a big tree in our front yard right across the road! That night when it happened, Daddy thought it was just a really big branch (it was dark out). Little did we know until that next day, that it was the whole tree! Daddy had been saying for awhile now that some of our trees didn't look so good anymore and that they needed to be cut down, so Mother Nature just helped him out a bit. Good thing we have such nice neighbors like Dean and Diane to help us clean up the tree and clear the road!

Cabin Trip #2 : 4th of July weekend

2008-07-15T13:18:00.006-05:00

I had a great time over the 4th of July. I got to go up the cabin early with Grammy and Aunt Missy since Mommy and Daddy had to work.

Aunt Missy is already coaching me for softball. I love it! Maybe she'll recruit me in a couple years (as long as I inherit her softball skills and not Mommy's!)

Enjoying suckers with my cousins by the lake as we take a break! Do you notice that my cousins are in their swimsuits while I'm chillin' in my shorts and shirt? I didn't really care to play in the lake at the beginning of the trip. In fact, everytime the lake water would touch me, I'd say "Owee". I loved the water last year as a baby but as I've aged I've become quite the cautious little girl (They say I'm a lot like what my mom was and nothing like my dad at that age)

Morgan was a good sport and played with me on the alligator, even though I think she would have preferred it to be in the water.

Okay. . . I give in. Here I come lake!
On second thought, this is close enough. I'll just hang out on the beach with my sand toys

Good thing I have these shades to look cool in while I people watch from the beach.

After playing down by the beach, it was time to get ready for the picnic.

This is my Daddy. He's pretty cool.

The Majerus family

Morgan and Jacey love watermelon!

Guess what???

The next day I tried playing in the lake! It happened after a lot of encouragement and help from Aunt Missy and Daddy! The slide was a favorite.

Morgan offering a hand. She loved playing in the water and wanted me to try it too.

Another favorite was this waterfall Daddy created for me.

I'd better make some calls to spread the news that I went in the lake!

What a good time!

Oh, The Silly Things I Do!

2008-07-04T11:38:00.003-05:00

Hello, sunshine!

I am loving being outside more, especially now that I have my swingset up and all my toys out. As you can probably tell, my favorite thing about my playhouse is the windows.

You'd think from this picture that I was stuck in some tough traffic but I'm really just unhappy with my mother for pestering me with the camera. I was trying to look cool with Daddy's mowing shades while driving my snazzy car but my mom kept embarrassing me!
My parents will let me get away with just about anything if it means I'll eat my supper!

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy 4th of July! Check back later for some pictures on how I spent my 4th of July weekend!

Cabin Trip 2008 #1

2008-06-13T14:44:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Mommy and I went up to the cabin with Papa and "Gammy" Majerus. Daddy stayed home to work. We missed him but he got a lot done! The weather was nice but not great beach weather, so I got some good play time in with Papa while Mommy and Gammy went garage-saling, enjoyed Papa's cabin pancakes, and just did a lot of playing

Here is the fun car that I remembered from last year.

I did not learn this from my parents. I promise! I just love to talk on the phone wherever and whenever.

I'm a little annoyed by this conversation. I think someone is trying to convince me to go to bed.

Papa was really surprised by what happens in this story. Not me though, I read this story almost every night and it makes me a little sleepy.

Daddy and Mama's Little Helper

2008-06-03T09:01:00.004-05:00

I've been assigned my first chore this summer- watering the plants!

So Mommy gave me some new Dora gloves to wear when I'm doing my chore. Here they are!

All decked out in my gardening attire. . . sun hat and gloves!

and this watering can is just my size.

Sometimes I just want to get back to playing so I try to finish my chore fast and just dump the water. The plants are thankful that Mama, Daddy and the rain have helped me out lately. Now, if I could just get Daddy and Mama to let me pick these pretty flowers!

Put Me In The Zoo

2008-05-28T08:53:00.006-05:00

Over Memorial Weekend, I got to take my first trip to the zoo with Daddy and Mama. Uncle Tanner, Uncle Brent, Aunt Lori and Lily came with too.

See the monkeys holding us, oops I mean behind us!

Uncle Tanner and I found a huge turtle. Turtles are one of my favorite animals. We even saw real ones.
Check out these pretty birds behind Lily, Aunt Lori and Uncle Brent.

I couldn't get enough of them. I wanted to go down and swim by them but Mama wouldn't let me.
Lily had such a good time, she zonked out before we even finished!
I found some cute little goat friends at the farm. Mama used to have one of these for a pet when she was little. I wonder if I could get one too???
I wonder what everyone is staring at???

I really like this little chick too but it took a little encouragement to pet it. It's so little!
We found some camels
and some bison.
What was your favorite animal at the zoo, Lily? I think all the animals were great too! What a fun day!

Rice Krispie Treats

2008-05-25T13:34:00.002-05:00

This past Friday, I got to spend the day with my cousins Jacey and Morgan, Aunt Missy and Mommy. Aunt Missy helped Jacey and I do some baking. So we made an all-time favorite- Rice Krispie Treats!
I helped pour the Rice Krispies.
and of course, while we waited for our treat to be ready, we did what every good baker does. . . eat off the spoon!

My first real haircut

2008-05-25T13:04:00.002-05:00

Can you believe I'm almost 20 months old and getting my first haircut? This past week, Mama took me to visit Abbie for my first cut. I was excited about it but I didn't really know what I was getting into. . .
It was a little scary so I wasn't going to let go of Mommy or my cup.
Plus Mamey (aka Aunt Missy) was there but she looked a little strange.
I don't think haircuts are as fun as Mama says yet, but I'm sure in time I will think differently. As scary as it was, I do agree with Mama and Daddy that Abbie did a nice job and I look "booful!"

Hangin' at the Park

2008-05-20T09:44:00.003-05:00

A couple weekends ago, Mama and Daddy took me to the park. It was a windy day and a I was a little crabby so I was very particular about how I wanted to be pushed in the swing. Really, I just wanted to sit in the swing and have Mom and Dad look at me. After I was done crying a river from Daddy and Mama taking me out of the swing, I decided to try out the slides with Daddy's help.
It's a little scary! Hold onto me tight, Daddy!
Weee! That was fun! Way to go, Daddy! Check out my crazy hair.
After the park, we went to Grandma and Papa Majerus'. I've had a little more practice in their swing, so this time I loved to be pushed high and again got really upset when it was time to be done. This is a major improvement for me though. The beginning of the spring, I went through a phase where I was pretty scared of the swing. Now, I've pretty much become a swing hog.

The many hats I wear

2008-05-07T09:32:00.003-05:00

I love hats!!! Lately, Daddy's cowboy hat has been my favorite hat. I think I look pretty good in it too!
Just a little big for me!

They say every girl has a favorite accessory. Some like shoes, some like purses. Me, I'm definately a hat girl! I'd even rather use my purses as hats! I've actually been a little sad lately that Mama won't let me wear my winter hat anymore. But I guess that just means we get to go shopping for summer hats! You can find anything to use as a hat. You'd be amazed how resourceful I am!