The Taetsch Family

Rockstar

2011-03-24T11:37:00.002-04:00

Need we say more?

Sure to make you smile :)

2010-09-14T15:42:00.002-04:00

Conner - 3 months old...

New Milestone and Updates

2010-09-01T20:49:00.000-04:00

So it's probably time for an update about the kids, huh? Both of them are doing great right now! My maternity leave ended mid August and I'm back to working 3 days a week...which means the kids are at day care and I get a little time away to do adult type things again! Kylah loves being with all her friends at day care (aka Grandma's house), and Conner has no problem what-so-ever with me leaving either, which is actually rather comforting. Yesterday I got a phone call at work from my mom saying that Conner rolled over! WHOO HOO, we've reached an exciting milestone! So last night he must have performed his new trick another 10 times for me :)

Conner is just under 3 months old, weighs 14.1 lbs and is the happiest little man. He rarely cries - if he does, it doesn't last long, and he smiles more than any little baby I've ever met. He's been scooting around on his back recently so we have to keep a little closer eye on him now. He sleeps through the night (knock on wood) and absolutely loves his big sister.

We're preparing now for Kylah's birthday - I can't believe our little girl is going to be 3 years old soon!! She's growing up so fast, and has the cutest little personality. Her sense of humor is unreal, Craig and I find ourselves laughing so hard at some of the stories she tells. She constantly tells us that Conner and Jake are her best friends - most of the time Mommy and Daddy are too, but Jake and Conner are always first on the list :) After 3 sessions in Gymnastics we've taken a break and are considering enrolling in Dance this fall with the neighbor girl. She loves music and dancing around the house, so hopefully she enjoys dance class too!

Thanks for waiting patiently for this post - and thanks to all of you who keep reminding me that I'm long overdue! I'll be sure to post pictures and/or videos again soon.

Very behind...

2010-09-01T20:32:00.001-04:00

I know I'm way behind on updates to this blog... Everyone always says you'll find it much more difficult to keep up with things like scrapbooking and housework when you have two kids...everyone was right! I don't take any less pictures, in fact I probably take more now of both kids than I ever would've thought possible - I just don't seem to have time to post them like I want to! We were finally able to slow down for a family photo session in August though. Marty and Michelle Lenger met us out at Holland State Park on a beautiful Sunday evening and took a ton of pictures for us - family photos, Kylah's 3 year pictures, and Conner's 3 month pictures. I was so impressed not only with how great the pictures turned out, but with how well both kids cooperated that evening! I couldn't have asked for a better evening all around. And a special thank you to Marty and Michelle for your time and talent, again!

**I have no idea how to get rid of the "Adopt a Pet" add on this slide show, so just click on the little x in the upper right corner when it appears to get rid of it. And - if the slide show isn't showing pictures for you, click on View All Images to see them. Sorry for the inconvenience!**

Kylah can swim!!

2010-07-18T09:56:00.005-04:00

After being highly recommended by the Stuck's, we enrolled Kylah in survival swim lessons. Ms Rita runs the 1 week program at her home pool with the help of her 3 children, and has earned the nickname "the Swim Nazi". Thankfully I had Melody's support through this - she warned me ahead of time that Kylah would cry during the first few days of the class, and that she'd probably throw a tantrum before even getting in the car to drive there. She was right! In fact, had Melody not been there with me, I probably would've cried right along with her! On day 1 Ms. Rita worked with Kylah in the shallow end - dunking her (and every kid) in the water repeatedly until she stopped crying. Then she worked with her on keeping her head down in the water, eyes open looking at the pool floor, and kicking her legs.

By day 2, this is what she was doing already!! (See video. For some of these kids, it's their 2nd or 3rd session, and some are also a little older than Kylah. For being 2, we were SO excited for her!)

Days 3 and 4 went really well too. Kylah cried as we put on her swim suit in each morning, saying "I don't want to go yet Mommy!!" She would calm down on the car ride there, and then do really well during the session. By day 4 she was jumping in the pool by herself and swimming to the stairs over and over again. She was so proud of herself for jumping in all by herself - she told everyone! (See video, Kylah is in the blue suit with white polka dots)

On Friday, day 5, Kylah was tossed in the pool and swam across all by herself! She could use a little work on technique yet - but keep in mind she's only 2 years old and this was the first swim class she's ever had - let alone it only being the 5th day of it! We've since practiced in our neighbors pool and will continue to do so the rest of the summer. We're so proud of her - she worked hard and is so proud of herself too now! (See video below)

If anyone reading this is interested in sending your young children there, please let me know! I highly recommend Ms. Rita's class now, just as Melody does. And I will definitely be sending Kylah back for a refresher course with her next summer too!

Are we siblings, or what?!

2010-06-09T23:26:00.002-04:00

Craig and I were going through Kylah's baby pictures tonight, and comparing how closely Conner looks like she did when she was born. We came across these two in particular that really show these two are siblings. Check out the arm positions, even the fingers... Crazy!!

Conner Taetsch

2010-06-07T22:24:00.005-04:00

He's here!! Conner was born the first week in June. He was 8 lbs. 9 oz and 21.5" long. He's absolutely adorable, and looks a lot like Kylah did when she was born actually! We couldn't be happier with our new bundle of joy, and Kylah's been such a great big sister already. Here are just a few pictures of the hundreds we've taken so far... I'm off to get a little rest while he's sleeping - all you parents out there know how important that is to sneak in any time you can!!

Our new happy family of 4:

Peak-a-boo!

Baby Update

2010-06-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

Well, against everything 2 doctors suggested would happen with possibly delivering early, I still have not had this baby yet. We've had several false alarms over the course of the week, one that even brought us into the hospital for a few hours last night only to be sent home. The timeable contractions that last a good 2-3 hours and then just stop have contributed to the emotional roller coaster we're on, but have also taught us that we definitely have no control in any of this process. Little Conner will get here when he's ready...I just hope it's sooner rather than later! I'm ready to meet our little baby and Kylah's new little brother...

So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and hopefully my next post will contain pictures :)

Meet our newest family member...Jake

2010-04-13T07:23:00.000-04:00

About a month ago Kylah started asking us for a "new doggy". She wanted one to come live with us, and her specifications were that it be big and brown. The more she talked about wanting one, the more Craig and I started really considering the idea. With a baby on the way and Craig traveling a lot for work, I was really hesitant. However, after 1 trip to the Muskegon Vector Clinic (the pound), I was easily convinced getting a dog would be good for all of us. I was reminded again of how much love we felt for Riley, and how much closer he brought us all together by keeping us home more and teaching us about unconditional love. Plus, having a dog would not only serve as protection when Craig's gone, but as a playmate for Kylah as she patiently waits for Conner to arrive and then be able to really play with her.

So on Thursday, April 1st we took a drive to the clinic in Muskegon to "look" at our options. We spent hours playing with four different retreivers, the first 3 were Labrador Retrievers each about 1 year old. The 4th dog was a Chocolate Chesapeake Bay Retriever about 3 years old who instantly won my heart over. He was great with us, great with Kylah, didn't jump, lick, or bite, knew several commands (sit, stay, leave it, shake with both paws, etc), LOVED playing fetch with a tennis ball, and could also lay down and just relax. We learned all of this in the 45 minutes we had with him. Upon leaving, we signed the paperwork and paid the fee to adopt him with the intention of going back Saturday to pick him up, as we were no where near prepared at home for his arrival. So guess what we spent Friday doing? Picking up a dog kennel (thanks to Craig's List, we got a steal of a deal on a new one!), dog food, toys, a new collar, etc. Kylah was SO excited for her new doggy to come home and live with her - she helped daddy with EVERYTHING.

Friday - preparing for Jake's arrival:

Saturday - picking up Jake and bringing him home:

Kylah calls Jake her "best friend" and tells him she loves him every night before going to bed. He is so good with her, let's her play in his food, pull his tail, lay on him, etc. Every night before we put him in the kennel for bed he goes into her bedroom and falls asleep next to her bed. Every morning he goes in her room and lays quietly next to her bed just waiting for her to wake up. Her eyes light up when she sees he's in there with her - it's honestly one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

I'm convinced that Jake was only a stray because he ran away, and not because someone neglected or abused him. He is extremely well behaved, house broken, great with both kids and people, and is very relaxed with us. He's not jumpy or easily agitated, and he's very cuddly - loves to have his belly rubbed. He's in really good condition - solid muscle, but could stand to gain about 10-15 pounds over time. We're happy with our decision to adopt him; he's been a wonderful addition to our family and I know he'll do well with Conner when he arrives too!

Craig's 30th Birthday Present

2010-03-31T17:42:00.004-04:00

2010-03-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

*Michelle and Kylah

PJ's!

2010-03-23T17:30:00.000-04:00

So how cute are little girl's PJ's these days? Kylah absolutely loves the new pajamas she picked out from the store the other day... Can you tell?!

DORA!

MINNIE MOUSE!

Growing Up

2010-02-28T22:00:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how fast our little girl is growing up. It feels like not long ago I posted a video of Kylah as she had just learned to sing her ABC's...now that's completely second nature and she's moving on to doing other big girl things. Such as - sleeping in a full size big girl bed! About a month ago we moved her crib into Conner's room and bought her all new bedding for her new bed - and she loves it!

Not only is she sleeping in a big girl bed - but we got rid of diapers all together about 10 days ago. She's doing better than we could've ever imagined with potty training, she loves feeling like a big girl, and even hates pull-ups so we've completely moved on to underwear. We're so proud of her!

If she could stay at this stage forever, Craig and I would be very happy with that :)

FINALLY...

2010-02-17T17:15:00.000-05:00

Here's the post I've been meaning to get to all month, finally :)

In January we took a family vacation with Grandma & Grandpa T and Uncle Mark up to Boyne. Although I had a terrible cold, we still had a lot of fun together. On Saturday, the sun was shining, it wasn't very cold out, and the guys decided to take Kylah skiing for the first time. She was excited to put on her snow gear, but definitely wasn't happy about the ski boots. I can't say I blame her, they aren't the most comfortable things to wear! Once we got outside, she perked up right away - until we clipped her into the skis. Again, awkward for a 2 year old to be trapped on something like that...

However - once daddy got her comfortably situated on the "magic carpet" and they got to the top of the hill, she stopped crying and actually had fun going down!
She made it down the hill twice, and had enough. She was all smiles when we told her she could take the skis off :)Since watching skiing on the Olympics, she's let both of us know that she wants to ski again herself. We'll have to get her back on the hill before winter ends to see how she does the second time around!

On Sunday the boys skiied again, while Grandma and I took Kylah to Avalanche Bay, the indoor waterpark. Kylah absolutely loved every minute of being there. Her favorite was the lazy river, trying to avoid the waterfalls while watching Grandma get soaked! Unfortunately our pictures from this didn't turn out so well, but we did get a few to remember the experience by.

A little nervous at first, but she quickly got over that once we got in the water! We stayed for 4 hours, until her little fingers and toes looked like raisins :)

Overall, it was a great little vacation for us all, and Kylah still talks about it all the time. She's so excited for the summer now when she can swim some more, and I know we are too!

Update

2010-01-19T20:05:00.004-05:00

I know I know... It's time to post an update! I've been meaning to, honestly, but we've been so busy (and sick) lately that I just haven't had a chance to. So much has happened the past month, between Christmas parties, New Years, a trip to Boyne Mountain (Kylah's first ski adventure, and a fun day at the indoor waterpark!), and our most recent ultrasound results, just to name a few things. I promise I'll post pictures soon, but in the mean time, I'll provide a short update...

Craig, Kylah and I are THRILLED to announce that our baby on the way is definitely a BOY! The ultrasound showed he's doing very well, heart rate is 140, and he weights 13 ounces which puts us one week ahead of schedule. Our due date is June 7th - but a week ahead means it's more like June 2nd. Unfortunately most doctor's won't change the due date on paper unless the ultrasound shows at least 2 weeks different. But - we're happy either way, and he'll be a great 30th birthday present for me! Kylah was with Craig and I during the ultrasound appointment, and she was excited to see a baby on the monitor, even though she doesn't completely understand the whole situation yet. She kisses my tummy and says hi to baby though - it's adorable. She's going to be a fantastic big sister, we just know it!

As I said before, I'll post pictures when there's more time. But thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers with our new little one on the way!

Decorating for Christmas

2009-12-07T15:06:00.003-05:00

We put up our Christmas tree and decorations last weekend, and Kylah was all about helping us. Christmas is going to be so much fun with her this year!

Holy Snow!

2009-12-07T14:53:00.005-05:00

After some pretty good fall weather in November, December has officially kicked off winter with our first massive snow storm! On Friday we woke up to 12-14 inches of snow, and we've been told there's another storm on it's way this week. So brace yourselves Michiganders!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-12-07T14:35:00.003-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year with Craig's family, and had a great time together. Craig's family from Wisconsin came to visit, as well as his Uncle Duane from Nevada - such a great surprise! Dad T made a fantastic Thanksgiving meal for us all at their house in Lansing, and then Uncle Carey, Craig and Duane cooked a fabulous meal for us on Saturday at our house. We definitely ate well, and enjoyed each other's company all weekend. Can't wait til we see you all again!

Halloween!

2009-11-04T14:06:00.003-05:00

Halloween was fun this year, cold - but fun! Kylah had her day care party on Thursday, and she refused to wear her costume. Grandma had all kinds of snacks, balloons, and bubbles for the kids to play with!

On Saturday, she had a much better attitude about wearing her costume. She let me do her hair, and then ran around the house yelling "Go Tigers"! She's like a little "mini-me" :)

We took her to the Elk's for their kids halloween party, and met up with her cousin Caleb. Caleb was a pirate, and won first place for his costume!

After a nice long nap, Kylah was ready for her first night of trick-or-treating! We all bundled up and spent a good hour collecting candy from the neighbors, while the Wibbeler's and Lefevre's passed out candy for us at home. Kylah and our neighbor Shannon had a lot of fun trick-or-treating together!

Wearing gloves and grabbing candy from a bowl is not an easy thing to do :)

Brrrr! After about the 15th house we started to head back...

Our last stop was at the next door neighbor's house, where Rusty thought Kylah was bringing him treats!

It was a fun night...hopefully next year it's a little warmer though!

Kylah's 2 year photos

2009-10-22T14:40:00.004-04:00

I know, these are long overdue. But now is better than never, right? :)

We took Kylah to Marty & Michelle Lenger's photo studio for her 2 year pictures back in September. Kylah was very shy in the beginning, but warmed up after Michelle gave her a pencil and allowed her to draw all over the backdrop! They did such a great job, it was difficult to narrow down our favorites! Thanks again for your time and talent Marty & Michelle.

2009-09-23T10:34:00.001-04:00

We love you so much Kylah, and are so proud of you!

*Mommy & Daddy

Our little gymnast

2009-09-20T23:05:00.002-04:00

Kylah had her first gymnastics class at Alpine Gymnastics last week Monday, and she absolutely loved it! She was a little hesitant at first, as were the three other students (all her same age), but it didn't take long for them to warm up and have a great time. We started with stretching:
The first activity after stretching was to follow a little circuit learning things like walking across the beam, somersaults on an inclined mat, hanging from the bars, and backbends. Kylah loves to hang from the bars - she swings back and forth, and can pull her knees up to her chest. Kylah's new friend Sonya caught on right away too!

Time for a backbend! This one was slightly more difficult...she kept wanting to put weight on her head, instead of her hands.

The second circuit included jumping on three different types of trampolines, jumping into the foam pit, and jumping through hoolahoops. Jumping on trampolines was by far her favorite thing to do, and I guess I'm not too surprised that she's really good at it! She jumps around the house all the time, but jumping on a tramp brought about a whole new level of excitement.

The goal was to jump on the smiley face. She fell a few times, but she'd pick herself right back up and keep jumping!

The trampoline below is the highest tramp they have. One jump on this sent me flying super high. Again, Kylah had no problem on it - higher just means more fun!

Her class is about an hour long every Monday for seven weeks. She's so excited for tomorrow's class - she keeps saying "I jump trampoline!" Too cute :)

Heaven on Earth

2009-09-17T10:15:00.006-04:00

These pictures represent exactly why Craig and I love West Michigan. It doesn't get much better than this.

Summer in September!

2009-09-14T14:35:00.010-04:00

We are absolutely thrilled that summer has returned this month... After a not so great July and August, we were finally able to use our boat three days in a row over Labor Day weekend. Be prepared, this is probably the largest post I've made in months, but it was too perfect of a weekend not to capture it on camera! It all started...

SATURDAY, September 5th: Boating with the Winkler family

We started our day at 11am, still a little chilly towards Lake Michigan. Nothing but clear skies though! We turned around at the end of the channel, picked up Brian & Ashley, and then headed down the Grand River all afternoon.

Kylah helping daddy drive!

We ended our trip around 5:30pm, after everyone had enough sun for one day. It was fun to spend all day together though!

SUNDAY, September 6th: Boating with the Wibbeler's

We started this day on the water at 11:00am too! This time we took the boat through the channel, into Lake Michigan, up through Muskegon Lake, and into Bear Lake. The water on the big lake was very calm, and again - the weather was perfect (80 degrees, no clouds).

The water in Bear Lake was pretty cold, but it didn't stop us from swimming. Kylah loved it!

Family photo :)

Stacy and Larry

Drying off...only to get wet again when Daddy decided to take her tubing for the first time! She was super excited to do it at first, but I think her life jacket got pretty uncomfortable while they were out there. She was ready to get back on the boat after only a few minutes in the tube. Hopefully we can figure out a better way for her to sit with us and try again before boating season comes to an end...

Larry pulled Craig by himself afterwards, and Craig was reminded again that he's not 21 anymore. He was sore from his ride the next 3 days!

Feeding the ducks with Aunt Stacy

Nap time! This is how Kylah spent each afternoon on the boat this weekend.

MONDAY, September 7th: Boating with the Taetsch Family

We attempted a family photo, but Kylah was too busy trying to get my glasses on straight that this was the best we could do :)

Spending time with Grandma T - they got to feed the ducks again, thank goodness we brought lots of goldfish crackers...

Another nap on the boat after another 4 or 5 hours in the sun.

One last trip down the channel in Grand Haven before the weekend came to an end.

It truly was a great Labor Day weekend with our friends and family!

ABC's

2009-08-27T13:32:00.006-04:00

Kylah is now 23 months old - which means that in only 1 month we'll be celebrating her 2nd birthday already! We're so amazed at how far she's come in the past few months, let alone the past year. She's counting, using full sentences when she talks, and can sing her whole alphabet now. She hasn't quite figured out the end of the song (after Z) but she's trying at least!

Copas Wedding - August 15th 2009

2009-08-27T12:47:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago one of my best friends got married. Nikki and Jeremy celebrated their big day with a beautiful ceremony on the shore of Spring Lake, and the reception at the Spring Lake Country Club. The whole day, from start to finish, was perfect and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather. I'm so happy for Nikki and Jeremy, and know they are going to share so many fun, happy years together as husband and wife. We love you guys! :)

The beautiful bride

Bride and Matron of honor (me)

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy and Nikki Copas!

Nikki and her bridesmaids (Andrea B, Alison, Andrea K, Me)

Family photo :)

Daddy & Kylah dancing

Kylah & me dancing with Nikki. This was Kylah's absolute favorite part of the night! As long as she was out on the dance floor, moving around to the loud music, she had a massive smile glued to her face!

Grandma & Grandpa Winkler took Kylah home around 9:30pm, and Craig and I were able to have a little time on the dance floor with our friends before the party ended. Such a fun night!

Scrapbooks & Stickers

2009-08-13T09:55:00.002-04:00

It rained all morning and afternoon on Saturday, so Kylah and I got out the craft projects. I worked on my scrapbook of her, and she decorated paper with Disney stickers and markers. I couldn't resist taking pictures - her concentration on getting the sticker exactly where she wanted it was unbelievable for only 22 months old. I was very proud of her paper half way through, and so was she! (See last picture)

Just a couple of cute pictures

2009-07-02T12:34:00.003-04:00

You'd never know it today, but it's summer, our favorite time of year! Kylah, being the outdoorsy person she is, has spent every sunny day playing outside and has developed quite the tan - even through SPF 50. Here are just a few pictures I couldn't resist posting from one sunny day in June:

And another, totally unrelated one, just because it's cute :) We put her to bed the other night and pulled her door partially closed. I was in the kitchen and could hear Kylah up and walking around in her room. I grabbed Craig and we peaked in, to find that she had collected all of her stuffed animals laying on the floor. She had to cuddle with them all before she could fall asleep - especially the dogs!

Weekend at Silver Lake

2009-06-18T22:02:00.006-04:00

It's finally summer! We spent last weekend camping with the Wibbeler's at Silver Lake and had a great time! The weather was perfect for camping, riding in the dunes, bonfires and sleeping at night...the water could've been a little warmer, but no one's complaining. Between the fun things we did, the little mishaps we have to look back on and laugh about, and bonding with best friends - we're ready for lots more weekends like this one!

Our campsite...Fortunately we had a very BIG spot - large enough to cram the truck, the boat, the motorhome, a tent, AND the bonfire pit on :)

Taetschs...Wibbelers...

Larry's truck at the top of a sand dune!

Test hill???Enjoying the sun by Lake Michigan:Two men and a baby... or just one lucky little girl :)The next Chex Mix advertisement:Think Kylah's having fun too?!Sunset cruise on the boat in Pentwater(Yep, she still hates the life vest)Our last night's bonfire:Can't ask for much more than this, right?!

Kylah's new bedroom

2009-06-07T22:03:00.004-04:00

Last weekend we moved Kylah over to a bigger bedroom - one that will hold all of her toys and stuffed animals so they stop taking over our whole house! She's now across the hall in our old master bedroom, which is way more space than she needs but we love having our living room back. We randomly decided to take away the crib rail and give her a big girl bed, with just the half rail so she can climb in and out by herself. She absolutely loves it! And fortunately for all of us, she doesn't get out of bed after we lay her down for the night. (I thought for sure the first night we'd find her up at midnight playing with all her toys...I was pleasantly wrong!)

I know I say this all the time, but it's so true. I can't believe how fast my baby's growing up!!

"Choo-der"

2009-05-18T21:08:00.005-04:00

This right here proves that although Kylah will always be our "baby", there's no part of her that's truly a baby anymore. I bought a little scooter at our neighbor's garage sale, thinking that maybe by the end of the summer she'd be able to use it. I was planning to let my mom have it for her day care kids in the mean time - but the minute I got it home Kylah wanted to ride it. She calls it her "choo-der"and she knows exactly how to use it. It's so cute to see such a little body using a scooter!

5 Year Anniversary

2009-05-15T14:19:00.004-04:00

Five years ago today, we stood face to face,
You wore a tux and I wore lace.

We exchanged our vows and confessed our love,
As everyone witnessed, including our God above.

From that day on we've been husband and wife,
And I've been the happiest I've ever been in life.

Every day you make me laugh and smile,
You always consider me by going the extra mile.

Life isn't always easy, sometimes it's rough,
But there's nothing we can't handle, easy or tough.

We've created memories and have had so much fun,
We have pictures to show for it, but we're no where near done.

We hold each other, we cuddle, we hug and kiss,
And when one of us is away those are the things I miss.

I look into your eyes and know this much is true,
I'm so blessed you agreed when I said "I do."

I tell you I love you all the time,
And I really do mean it, it's not just a line.

You are my world, my love, my best friend,
And I know that these feelings will never end.

Almost 20 months ago we added to our life,
We became so much more than just husband and wife.

Our little girl Kylah, she is sweet as can be,
For she was created from the love between you and me.

As I watch you with her, I can easiliy see,
That you are the best father there ever could be.

1 year, 5 years, 10 years and more,
I will always feel honored to be called yours.

You are my husband, you're my best friend,
And I will love you forever, there is no end.

Play Dates

2009-04-28T17:07:00.003-04:00

It's so much fun having close friends with little girls about the same age as Kylah! On Friday Kylah and I met Sarah and Trinity for breakfast, and then went to Millenium Park. The weather was perfect and the girls had a great time running around! Give them about 6 more months and I think they'll actually play "together"...

Peak-a-boo!

Then on Monday, Amy and Olivia came over to play! The weather wasn't quite as nice so we stayed inside and got out Kylah's Dora tent. Again, Kylah had fun - she must have because she slept like a rock that night!

The girls, saying goodbye!

Golf!

2009-04-22T10:09:00.005-04:00

Helping dad put together her golf bag:

Kylah's first golf lesson with daddy!

Kylah loves everything and anything that has to do with being outside. She typically goes for the soccer and basketballs first, but she loved her new golf clubs we got out last weekend. We're looking forward to the warm weather this weekend so we can go out and play again! Maybe she can show mom a thing or two about hitting the ball ;)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T13:08:00.007-04:00

After a few days of Easter celebration, Kylah is completely wiped out! She went down for a nap at 10:30am today...it's now 1:30pm and she's still sleeping. Although we've been very busy, we've had a lot of fun with all sides of our family the past few days.

Easter started with Kylah's day care party. Eating cookies, decorating hard boiled eggs, and then the ultimate easter egg hunt with all her friends!

She found the first egg, but didn't understand to put it in the basket. We switched her basket for a zip lock bag and she started to get the idea. She found about 3 eggs by herself, and the rest of the kids filled her bag for her.

On Easter Sunday, we got up early and went to Church. Afterwards we met my mom's side of the family for brunch, and then spent the rest of the day with Craig's family in Lansing. The Easter bunny visited Kylah twice yesterday! She's one lucky little girl...

All ready for church!

Kylah and Caleb after breakfast...he was fixing her hair (or petting her?)!

Kylah got a camera and a phone in her Easter basket, along with a whole bunch of other things she loved!

Fortunately, the weather was beautiful so we were able to take a family walk in the afternoon too. It was so nice to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine again!

Hopefully you all had a great Easter holiday too!

Update

2009-04-02T11:03:00.005-04:00

Craig and I want to say thank you to everyone who's been here for us the past week. Your phone calls, emails, messages, visits, and edible arrangements have meant a lot to us, and really re-emphasize how wonderful our friends and family truly are. Your encouraging words and advice are greatly appreciated.

It's still very quiet at our house. It's hard to come home from work and not be greeted at the door, and it's hard to fall asleep at night without the sound of Riley breathing beside our bed. We are constantly reminded of him all throughout our house, but are in no rush to put any of his toys or blankets away.

We are hanging in here though...and are enjoying the time we're spending with Kylah. She never ceases to amaze us with her fun loving personality and innocence to life in general. She recently started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, her ABC's (although she skips quite a few letters), and can count to 4 by herself. At only 18 months, I think that's pretty good!!

Anyway - thanks again to everyone for your support. We love you all. (And we love you too Riley!)

Saturday, March 28th

2009-03-30T22:08:00.006-04:00

On Saturday Craig, Kylah and I said good bye to our best friend, our first baby, and our family pet, Riley. Saying good bye to him has been nothing short of the most difficult and painful event we've ever been through. Although we are completely heart broken with his absense, we know that he is enjoying heaven, free of pain, discomfort, and infection.

As those of you who met him know, Riley was one of the most well behaved, emotional, loving, and happy dogs around. He certainly kept our life interesting, and from day one we made memories with him that will last a lifetime. We can look back and smile at all the fun times we had together, and fortunately we have a lot of pictures to show for it. He made us better people, brought us closer together, and taught us that the simplest things in life can make you happy.

It's been a very difficult past few days for us as we learn how to get through the sadness we're constantly feeling and adjust to our quiet home. I heard a song today on the radio that helped me feel a little better, and now has new meaning for me: Sarah Mclachlan's Arms of the Angel. "You're in the arms of an angel, may you find some comfort here." We know Riley is in God's hands, running in the grass, eating food that contains corn, and looks fantastic. Even still, we miss him, love him, and will always wish something could've cured him.

Please pray for Riley and for us as we get through this.

In loving memory of our best friend, and first baby - Riley Taetsch. We will always love you buddy.

18 Months Old

2009-03-26T10:46:00.003-04:00

Here is our collection of "18 month pictures" that truly represent just how fast Kylah is growing up!

Spending Time with Grandpa T.

2009-03-26T10:28:00.003-04:00

Kylah loves her Grandpa! They read books and played all morning on Sunday, and Kylah enjoyed every minute of it.

Happy Birthday Craig!

2009-03-26T10:25:00.002-04:00

A day late, but definitely not a dollar short...Happy 29th Birthday Craig!

We love you :)

Daddy's Shoes

2009-03-03T10:28:00.006-05:00

Kylah is 17 months old, and just keeps getting cuter by the day. She constantly makes us laugh, so we're trying to capture as many of these moments on tape as possible...

Lovin' the Outdoors

2009-03-03T10:20:00.002-05:00

Since day 1 Kylah has loved the outdoors. The first couple of months after she was born, we knew that taking her outside would immediately make her stop crying. Now that she's old enough to really understand, she constantly wants to put her coat and shoes on and go outside - whether at home, at day care, or anywhere else. My mom bundled her up so she could play with the daycare kids and said that Kylah cried when it was time to come in. She'd stay out there all day if we let her!

Snip Its

2009-02-16T22:23:00.002-05:00

After weeks of debating, I finally caved in and took Kylah to get her hair "trimmed". I emphasize the word "trimmed" for all of you who keep telling me to just stick it out and let it grow, because that's really all we had done today! We went to Snip Its on the East Beltline where all the stylists are trained to work with young kids. When we walked in, there was a little boy squirming like crazy during his first hair cut experience, so I didn't feel so badly when Kylah cried when it was her turn! The place is super cute inside, the stylists are very friendly, and the hair cuts are a little overpriced, but I got cute pictures for her scrapbook out of the deal at least :)

They gave her a sucker to calm her down - and although she was in no mood to eat it, it did help her to stop crying!

When she was all done, she got to turn in her "passport" where it says card on the machine behind her, and out popped a toy (a sticker inside a plastic container). She held onto it tightly all the way home, and was very excited to show daddy what she got!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-16T22:08:00.002-05:00

Grandma & Grandpa T. came over Saturday to spend Valentine's day with us. They brought Kylah a gift...she loves her new clothes!

Her face is healing very quickly - you can hardly see the scratch now!

Uh oh...

2009-02-12T21:03:00.004-05:00

It was bound to happen eventually! This is the first significant boo-boo, but I'm sure it's not the last. Kylah is one tough cookie, after 5 minutes of crying she's been fine the rest of the day! She is going to have one big fun colored eyelid for the next few days though...

Poor Kiddo!!

Winter Fun

2009-02-12T13:08:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, before most of the snow melted, we bundled Kylah up in her snow gear and played outside. We tried to take her sledding, but her sled isn't ideal in deep snow, so we spent most of the time rolling around on the hill and letting Riley chase us. Kylah LOVED her boots so much that she wanted to wear them around the house for a while before putting the rest of her snow gear on :)

After the weather we just had though, we're entirely ready to bag winter and have spring now!

Can't forget this one!

2009-02-12T12:48:00.004-05:00

I know, I know... It's February. I should've posted these pictures back in January, but I honestly lost track of time. Just after New Years our family from Texas came to visit. We had another Christmas celebration, went out to dinner, saw movies, played pool/rock band/bowling/catch phrase for hours, and just had a really good time together. Kylah loved spending time with her cousins Caleb and Brent again!

Basement Project COMPLETE!

2009-01-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

Remember this? A little over a year later, our basement project is now complete! Craig's blood, sweat, and tears have really paid off this time...everything looks fantastic, and I couldn't be happier about the new addition to our house. See for yourself what we're so excited about:

Thank you to everyone who helped along the way!

Presents, presents, and more presents!

2008-12-30T15:45:00.008-05:00

Did I say 5 Christmas parties? I meant 7 :) Here are a few pictures from each one:

#1: Kylah's day care party

#2: Christmas with Grandma & Grandpa T, and Uncle MarkUncle Mark got Kylah a sled - which she loved so much she had to open the rest of her presents while sitting in it! Unfortunately, just after Christmas the snow all melted so we couldn't use it. The forecast looks good for this weekend though!

#3: Christmas celebration with Grandma W's side of the family

#4: Christmas with Mom, Dad, and Riley

#5: Christmas with Grandma & Grandpa W, Uncle Brian & Aunt Ashley

#6: Celebration with Mom and Dad's best friends (picture taken after Kylah went to bed)
#7: Christmas brunch with Grandpa W's side of the family (not all pictured)Thanks again to everyone who made Kylah's Christmas so much fun, and so special. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives. Again, we hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-29T23:09:00.003-05:00

After 5 Christmas parties, we've wrapped up the first holiday and are preparing for the next. Kylah is at a great age where unwrapping gifts was the most exciting part of each day - so of course we took hundreds of pictures and videos! Because it's late, I'll start with posting just a few and finish up the rest over the next couple of days. We hope your Christmas celebration was wonderful too!

...Oh what a night

2008-12-11T22:59:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Yee Hah!

2008-12-11T22:36:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Best Friends

2008-12-07T22:50:00.001-05:00

They really are best buds!

Dance like no one's watching; Laugh like you've never laughed before.

2008-12-07T21:17:00.006-05:00

She gets her moves from her daddy.

If this little laugh isn't contagious, I don't know what is!

When you think they're not watching/learning...

2008-11-18T10:00:00.008-05:00

Michelle and I are amazed at how much of a sponge Kylah is and how attentive Riley is with Kylah. A note to all our friends who are, want to be, or may be parents - when you think they're not watching they are and they're learning. These videos are proof - we didn't "teach" her this she picked this all up. Even trying to talk sentences now! (2nd video is a continuation of the 1st - camera stopped on us, but we got it going again just in time)

Fun with Dad

2008-11-18T09:57:00.005-05:00

Mom went to get her hair cut, so Dad, Riley and I did my hair. What do you think?

Enjoying Fall

2008-11-06T11:25:00.004-05:00

We found more leaves to play in the next day too!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:40:00.004-04:00

Kylah has always been "daddy's little princess" - so how appropriate that she dress as a princess for halloween? She was definitely the cutest little princess I've ever seen :)

Her halloween fun began on Thursday with the kids from her daycare (grandma's house). They all dressed up, played outside, had lots of snacks, and each got to bring home a pumpkin!

On Friday Kylah got dressed up again before our neighborhood trick-or-treating began. She sat down to read princess books before it started. Appropriate, yes?
Kylah waiting patiently for the trick-or-treaters to come to the door:
Brian & Ashley helped us pass out candy, and the weather was so great that we were able to do it outside. Kylah and Riley loved it!

Kylah and our neighbor Shannon, who also recently turned 1:

Hope you all had a great halloween too!

Helping Mom Make Dinner

2008-10-30T10:16:00.004-04:00

Kylah figured out a while ago how to open the cupboards and pull all the tupperware, pots and pans out. I was just waiting for the day she would explore the food pantry... Just as I was about to get dinner started on Tuesday night, she got a head start.So Mom, which one should we have tonight? The one up there looks good!

Can you just imagine what she's saying here? "Wow!" (Everything is either "Wow" or "Whoah" right now!) Ok Mom, Riley and I want these tonight!

MSU v. UofM

2008-10-28T15:35:00.004-04:00

For those of you who don't know, we are a "house divided" cheer team. I say GO BLUE, Craig says GO GREEN...so every year around this time we battle it out during the MSU-UofM football game. I so badly wanted to dress Kylah in a Michigan t-shirt for this weekend's game, but Craig would've killed me :) Instead, she supported both teams by wearing blue AND green!

Kylah and Uncle Mark, watching the game together:

Snack time with dad: Yes, we all know how the game ended, unfortunately. But I'm not giving up on my team - we'll bring home the win next year! And Kylah will be right there cheering along side her mom for the blue team...hopefully :)

Play Date at the Mall: Friday, 10/17/08

2008-10-28T15:18:00.004-04:00

Kylah and I met Amy and Olivia (almost 10 months old) at Rivertown Mall on Friday. We took the girls to the play area, and even though they didn't really play "together", they both had a lot of fun! Now that Kylah is walking everywhere, she kept leaving me to go play with all the kids. It was so cute to see her waddling around with them. Pretty soon Amy, Olivia will be too!!

Another quick video of Kylah walking...sorry it's sideways, I didn't catch it in time!

The girls, all tired out!

Promised Videos

2008-10-23T12:09:00.005-04:00

Hi Everyone:

We apologize for how long it has taken to get some videos up on the blog of Kylah walking and doing some "neat" things, but she has an act for seeing the camera and forgetting what she was orginally doing. That said, we've caputred some fun times. Enjoy the Videos:

Kylah eating a popsicle:

Kylah getting up by herself in the middle of the Living Room (notice the clapping afterword):

Walking, talking and reaching

Perfect Fall Day

2008-10-12T17:01:00.005-04:00

The weather is absolutely perfect in Grand Rapids today, 80 degrees and sunny. You'd hardly believe it's fall if it weren't for the trees turned beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow. It was way too nice of an afternoon to be inside, so we spent a couple of hours at Robinettes with the Lefevres. We enjoyed fresh apple cider, watched all the kids play on the slide, and picked out our pumpkins to carve. This is my idea of a perfect fall day!

Pumpkins almost the size of Kylah!

These are the pumpkins we'll be carving this year. One for dad, one for mom, and one for Kylah!

1st Steps!

2008-10-07T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sunday was a big day for Kylah! She started taking her first steps...started out just two or three, and eventually became 5 or 6 on her own. Once she hits 5 or 6, she realizes no one is holding on and plops down to her butt - and crawling is still the faster way to get around - but she keeps trying! Now she'll just have to work on balance when Riley plows past her :)

As soon as we get it on video, we'll post it for everyone to see.

1st Birthday Party

2008-09-25T10:06:00.001-04:00

Finally - pictures of Kylah's birthday party! We spent Sunday afternoon in our front yard celebrating Kylah's 1st birthday with tons of friends and family. We couldn't have asked for a better day! We took lots of pictures, so prepare yourself for a long slide show. Thanks again to everyone who helped make her day so special!

Happy Birthday Kylah!

2008-09-23T09:02:00.003-04:00

Our little princess turned 1 today! Unfortunately she's celebrating with some sort of flu/cold- yesterday her temperature reached 105 degrees. Yes, Craig and I were both scared to death so we took her to the doctor and she's back on the good ol pink bubble gum medicine again. Hopefully it was just a 24 hour thing; she seems to be feeling a little better today. I will post pictures of her birhthday party soon, but in the mean time here are her 1 year photos - taken by Marty and Michelle Lenger at Wedgewood Park in Grandville. They turned out fantastic!

Happy Birthday Kylah Lynn! We love you SO much :)
Mom, Dad, & Riley

BOXES!!!

2008-09-17T09:33:00.005-04:00

We thought real hard about what to get Kylah for her first birthday, and although I know she'll love what we bought her - we could probably get the same reaction from her if we just gave her a bunch of boxes to play on! (Thankfully, our gift comes in a large box.) Look how happy she is!!

She must have crawled up and down from this little box 50 times - that's how exciting it was for her! And then a couple of days later, and even larger box appeared...

Hours of entertainment right here!

11 Months Old

2008-09-17T09:20:00.006-04:00

It's been another fun month for Kylah!

Kylah's new place to play...the back of the truck.

Best Friends

Another beautiful day on the lake!

So Cute :)

Kylah and Grandpa W.

A look back...

2008-09-08T09:01:00.006-04:00

As we're getting ready to celebrate Kylah's 1st birthday (already!) I thought it would be fun to look back and see how much she has grown the past 11 months. It's amazing how much she's changed since the first time we held her in our arms!

11 Months

10 Months9 Months8 Months7 Months6 Months5 Months 4 Months
3 Months

2 Months1 Month1 Day!

She is truly a miracle.

We did it! Well, almost...

2008-08-25T20:44:00.004-04:00

We followed through with our "planless" weekend, just as we wanted to! Friday and Saturday were filled with lots of family bonding and time spent relaxing so Craig could get better. But you all know us, and you know we couldn't stay cooped up in the house the entire time! Craig felt a little better by Sunday so we spent the afternoon picking out all of the tile we're going to use for our basement project. Success!

Here are some random pictures from our weekend...in place of those that would've been from the cottage :)

Kylah mastered brushing her teeth (notice all the cold medicine behind her!):

Then she read the newspaper to Craig:
Notice her newspaper of choice - Craig is so proud!
She also played Doctor and checked to see if Craig's lungs were clear yet:
I took Kylah for a ride around the house in a rubbermaid tub, and we've never heard her laugh and squeal as much as she did during this. Again, who needs toys!?
Mommy-Daughter bonding:

And most importantly, Craig is feeling better - although he isn't at 100% quite yet. Thanks again though for your phone calls, emails, and thoughts over the weekend!

New Look!

2008-08-22T22:11:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone...as you've noticed, our blog has undergone a recent facelift. The black with colors was fun, but this template fits the time of year better. Even though it was 85 and muggy today, the evenings feel as though fall is just around the corner. And I have to say, I would love for the weather to be like this all year round. T-shirts, shorts, and bathing suits by day. Sweatshirts and jeans at night...perfect!

If all had gone as planned, this post would not have appeared until Monday, and it would've included tons of pictures from a fun filled adult only weekend down at the Stuck's cottage. It probably would've also included pictures of Kylah and Riley hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Taetsch, who were planning to babysit for us... Unfortunately, Craig picked up a nasty cold, one that's kept him at home and in bed for several days now. Rather than making it worse or passing it on to anyone else, we decided it was best to stay home.

We want to extend a great big THANK YOU to all our friends down there right now for your concern about Craig's health. We also want to thank Curt and Melody for the invitation to attend, and to Melody and Kelly for all your hard work preparing for this annual event. We'll be there next year :) And last but certainly not least, Craig's parents deserve a Thank You for offering to babysit both of our "kids" all weekend; I know they would've had fun with you.

As Craig and I were talking this evening, we realized that maybe this was God's way of telling us to slow down. We've been so busy this year that we forget to just relax once in a while. Heaven forbid we have a weekend during the summer that contains zero plans! So as Craig recovers, our plans are to not do anything the next two days but stay home and enjoy time with each other, our baby girl, and our dog. (And pray that Craig isn't miserable the whole time!)

Enjoy your weekends!
*The Taetsch Family

A very busy weekend

2008-08-19T09:13:00.006-04:00

Wow - between Thursday and Sunday this past weekend we were extremely busy! All fun things going on though...our Aunt Tami and Uncle Randy from Texas were in town so we spent a lot of time with family.

It all started on Thursday with a bath for Kylah, one which Riley tried to join:

Then the whole family (all 16 people!) came over for dinner, and Kylah got to play with her cousin Caleb:

Friday night we went to a Whitecaps game together:

Saturday Craig and I went to our friends wedding while Grandma and Grandpa Winkler watched Kylah. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was so much fun!

Congratulations Jeff & Ashley

On Sunday we took our whole family out to the marina for the day. The weather was absolutely perfect for boating and swimming - we swam in both the pool and Spring Lake!

Last night we all went to Blue Water Grill for dinner out on the back porch overlooking the water. Great food and great company, as always. The fun isn't ending yet though - tonight we're going to Bonefish Grill for Ashley's 21st Birthday :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY!!

Kylah and Trinity

2008-08-13T10:08:00.005-04:00

Last night Kylah and I hung out with Sarah and Trinity, and the girls had so much fun! Trinity was born exactly 6 months after Kylah (on Easter Day actually), and you can already tell they are going to be good friends as they grow up together.

Ice Cream!

2008-08-13T10:04:00.002-04:00

What can I say? She loves ice cream, just like her mom and dad!

A day at the beach

2008-08-04T10:46:00.006-04:00

On Sunday we took Riley and Kylah to the beach, instead of on the boat for a change. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and perfect for swimming all afternoon. We love going to this particular beach in Muskegon because dogs are allowed, and you can't see it from the road so not many people know about it. We definitely enjoyed the family time together, and were exhausted afterwards!

10 Months Old

2008-08-04T09:25:00.005-04:00

Kylah is 10 months old, and on top of getting her fourth tooth she's crawling everywhere, cruising around holding onto furniture, and getting into things she's not supposed to! Here are just a few pictures of her 10th month and some of the things she loves right now:

Playing under her jumperoo, rather than in it!

Getting into trouble!
And playing with everything BUT her toys! Uncle Brian's delivery of cardboard boxes full of paper plates provided entertainment for hours.

Each month passes and Craig and I both say "This is our favorite stage". Then she does something new and we think, "Now THIS is our favorite stage!" As time passes Kylah becomes more and more fun to play with and laugh with. She loves to smile and even though she's starting to test our patience, we love her more and more every day. We couldn't imagine our lives without her!

2008-07-30T10:47:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday was another beautiful day at the lake. We took the Lefevre's out and had a great time enjoying the sun, the warm water, food, and good music. It's turning out to be a great summer afterall!

Kylah sporting daddy's shades

Afternoon siesta

The Channel in Grand Haven

Kylah looks like she's up to something mom wouldn't approve of!

Swimming in the water, now that it's finally warmed up!

Vacation Up North

2008-07-21T22:51:00.008-04:00

On Thursday we traveled up north to Cheboygan to spend quality time with family. We had a fantastic time, spent two days on the boat in the sun, and ate some great meals out each night. On Sunday we traveled slightly further north to Mackinac City for lunch and a little shopping, and then made our way home. It was a great vacation, and one that we're looking forward to for next year already!

If you're interested in seeing more pictures from our trip, please visit the following link:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcuG7dizauH0Q&emid=sharshar&linkid=link4

58 Feet of Gas Guzzlin' Fun!

Inland Waterways - Cheboygan River

Family fun in Mullet Lake

Kylah loves the water!

Kylah & 4 of the 5 most important men in her life (missing: Uncle Brian).

Mr. Mom

2008-07-15T11:47:00.006-04:00

Since Friday, I've been playing Mr. Mom and trying to get as much as I can on camera as well as on video. However, lately Kylah has figured out that when the camera comes out, look cute and stop talking ;)

I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Kylah over the past 5 days and I have to say this is the most fun I've had with her ever. She has such a personality, she's moving (she'll follow me from room-to-room crawling now), climbing all over things (including me when I'm on the ground with her), and she LOVES the remote controls.

I've put some pictures and video I've been able to capture up - hope you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed my time working at home and being Mr. Mom.

First Tooth!

2008-07-06T20:11:00.004-04:00

Although I should've posted this update a week ago, now is better than never... Kylah got her first tooth last weekend! You can't see it in this picture, but it's easy to spot every time she smiles, screams, squeals, roars like a lion, and cries :) Bottom row, right side. My baby is getting so big!

9 Months Old

2008-07-02T17:39:00.005-04:00

Kylah is just over 9 months old now, and she's still as cute as can be! Look at all that hair :)

I have been playing around with the idea of digital scrapbooking lately. I can't seem to keep up with Kylah's book any other way, so I'll be posting some of my test pages over the next couple of months until I decide to make the switch or not!

John Ball Zoo

2008-07-02T17:16:00.006-04:00

Grandma and Grandpa T spent last weekend with Kylah, and on Sunday we all went to the zoo together! It was a perfect day for it, and although I was bummed the camera battery died before the trip ended, I still was able to take quite a few cute pictures of her first zoo experience.

Entering the zoo...

Kylah with Grandma & Grandpa:
Grandpa pointing out the Parrot to Kylah:
Too cute :)

Kylah's favorite part of the whole day - the fish!
Family photo time!
Petting the sheep:

Dad pointing out the Bald Eagle: Taking a break to walk:
Mom, Kylah and Grandma watching the Wallabies: Mom's favorite part - the Monkeys!

Kylah had so much fun watching the penguins and fish swim around in the aquarium. I guess we'll be taking a trip to Sea World in a couple of years!

Family Night

2008-06-23T23:58:00.003-04:00

We spent the evening in Grand Haven, and even though it's summer, we could've considered this a great "spring" day. The sky was clear, the sunset was beautiful, but it was only 67 degrees and it's almost July... Doesn't matter, we still had a great time with our family in our favorite city!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-18T13:21:00.006-04:00

Craig's father's day started with a big hug from Kylah, and two new flags for the flag pole. We then surprised him, my dad, and his dad with a packed van and tickets to the Nascar Race at MIS. Supposedly they had such a great time together that it's going to be an annual event!

Happy 1st Father's Day Craig!

More fun on the boat

2008-06-18T13:07:00.003-04:00

If you haven't noticed yet...majority of our photos are centered around our boat right now :) Ben and Emily came up to visit this past weekend, and of course we took them out to the lake! Unfortunately our time out there was limited due to the rain, but it was still fun to hang out with everyone all day. Kylah even got to splash around in the pool for a little bit, and she loved it!

Our beach beauty:

Emily, Stacy, Erin, and Me:
Matt, Craig, Ben, and Larry:
Great friends, great times together - as always. Can't wait to do it again!

First Family Boat Trip

2008-06-18T12:49:00.004-04:00

Last week we took the boat out as a family for our first sunset ride. We went through the channel in Grand Haven and out to Lake Michigan. The weather was perfect and the sunset was beautiful, even with a few clouds overhead. This is just the first of many sunset cruises we'll take over the next several years together.

More from the Water

2008-06-09T20:52:00.002-04:00

Arriving at Barrett Boat Works, our Marina...
Captain Craig... And his crew...
Sooo much fun, can't wait for more weekends like this!

Our New Boat!

2008-06-08T21:18:00.003-04:00

On Thursday we picked up our new toy. Craig and I took it out on Spring Lake and Lake Michigan to test drive it, and then brought it back to the house to get it ready for the weekend. We were so excited about it, that we sat on it all evening in our driveway with family and friends...we even had pizza delivered to it! A little redneck, yes, but we wanted to celebrate :)

Despite the bad weather we've had lately, we still were able to enjoy it all day Saturday - I'll post pictures when I get copies from Stacy!

Congratulations

2008-06-08T21:07:00.005-04:00

I'm long overdue for this post, but better late than never right? In May, a good friend of ours got engaged! Her boyfriend proposed to her just after she completed the 5/3 River Bank run, which ended up making it on the local news. Congratulations Katie and Steve, we're so happy for you!

To celebrate and formally meet Steve, the Lefevres and us had them over for dinner. Fun times, as always! And Katie - we approve ;)

Katie and Kylah:
Katie and Steve:Erin and Matt:

Summer BBQ's

2008-06-08T20:54:00.004-04:00

Finally, summer is here! We've enjoyed the warm weather with our friends by getting together for cook-outs...first at the Wibbeler's new home over Memorial Day weekend, and then at Johnson Park the following weekend. It's always great to see everyone - we're looking forward to many more this summer!

Kylah's Day Care

2008-05-26T20:48:00.005-04:00

Craig and I made the decision when I went back to work (part time) to send Kylah to day care. My mom runs a day care from her home and we contemplated whether or not we wanted Kylah to go there. We wanted Grandma to be "Grandma", and I didn't want to take advantage of my mom in any way. She finally convinced Craig and I that sending Kylah to her would be her dream come true, and promised she'd treat Kylah the same as she does all her other kids.

From day one it's been the best decision we could've made for Kylah. Obviously, Grandma gives Kylah more love and affection than any other day care provider could ever give her. But the attention she receives from all the kids, the fun environment, and the learning activities they work with her on are more than I could ever give her at home. We are so happy to send Kylah to Grandma's house for day care - and from the pictures below, you'll easily see why!

And this is my mom, Kylah's Grandma and day care provider, who we are so thankful for...

We love you!

Family Vacation: TEXAS

2008-05-20T21:55:00.005-04:00

Craig and I decided it was time for a family vacation over our 4th anniversary to one of our favorite, most relaxing locations: Galveston, Texas. Kylah did surprisingly, and thankfully, very well on her first plane ride. I'd travel again with her any day, and fortunately for us - she's free until she's 2 years old!

After a long afternoon of travel, the airline losing our luggage, two broken car seats from the rental company, a fast food order gone wrong, a very large bee in the car that stung Craig, and learning of our friend Emily's rollerblading accident, we FINALLY made it to our destination! Even though the trip started on a sour note, it quickly turned around and we had a wonderful family vacation together. Eight days of relaxation, a few glasses of wine (or margaritas!), fabulous meals, and great times with friends and family...it doesn't get any better than that!

First day in Galveston

2008-05-20T21:31:00.007-04:00

My Aunt Tami and Uncle Randy (Kylah's Godparents) have a beautiful beach house down in Galveston that they've welcomed us to the past 3 years now. It was so nice to bring Kylah with us, and for all of us to spend time with them again. Aunt Tami, I know you're reading this! Thank you again for everything you did for us last week. We had a fantastic time, and can't wait to see you and your family again soon. Love you! Kylah and her "second" cousin, and new buddy, Mark:
Ben and Emily drove from Friendswood - 25 minutes from Galveston - to hang out with us and my family the first day too. It was so great to see them again, and relax while watching a gorgeous sunset. Em, I know you're reading this too! Thanks for spending two weekends with us - we love you guys!

Thanks Grandma!

2008-05-20T21:18:00.006-04:00

Grandma Taetsch made this dress for Kylah, and she looks so cute in it! It was perfect for our trip. She's lucky to have such a talented grandma!

Enjoying some family time

2008-05-20T20:58:00.007-04:00

Kylah and Mommy (Happy Mother's day to me!) Kylah and her Daddy
Kylah is learning that when you hide behind something, you don't actually disappear. She leans forward to find you - which is what she was doing during a game of Peak-a-boo with Craig:
I see you!!!

Such cute little feet!

Beach Baby

2008-05-20T20:46:00.003-04:00

Kylah had no problem with the heat down in Texas...just give her a water bottle and she's a happy camper!

(What do you think, could this be the next Ozarka Water Ad?)
After daddy dumped it on her head... It doesn't look like it in this picture, but she loved it! It's a good thing, because she's going to be in the water all summer with us :)

San Antonio

2008-05-20T20:22:00.006-04:00

While down in Texas we made a trip to San Antonio with Ben and Emily to see Jamie, Krista, and their son Chase (friends from college). It was so great to see them again, and go to the River walk!

We stopped for lunch at the Mexican Manhattan...if you're ever in San Antonio, do NOT eat there! The food was terrible - and this was their idea of queso - we thought we were getting a dip! Who would eat this much cheese???
Em was so disappointed in the queso above that when we stopped for drinks at the next Mexican restaurant, she ordered their version of queso dip. MUCH better!
60 ounces of Margarita on the rocks....mmmmm :)

Brent William Klibert

2008-05-20T20:04:00.006-04:00

Kylah and Caleb have a new "third" cousin to grow up with now! Ryan and Debra welcomed Brent William Klibert into the world on Monday, May 12th. Although Debra wasn't due until the 26th, we were excited he came early so we could meet him before heading home from Texas! He's absolutely adorable.

Sleeping peacefully...The proud father (my cousin)...
Congratulations Ryan, Debra, and the new Grandparents!

That pretty much concludes the main events of our family vacation to Texas! And although we had a great time, it definitely feels good to be home now :) Can't wait to see you all again soon!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-19T22:57:00.004-04:00

I am so blessed, proud, excited, and thankful that I was able to celebrate my first Mother's day this year. Being a mom to Kylah has been nothing short of a dream come true. The love I have for that little girl, as well as for my incredible husband and our dog is stronger than I could ever explain. I couldn't be happier, that's for sure!

I got to celebrate Mother's day early because of our vacation to Texas. Craig, Kylah and Riley surprised me with a beautiful jewelry box that matches our bedroom furniture!

It's just perfect, and I was so happy to receive it that I couldn't wait to fill it. So at midnight (the night before we flew to Texas) I filled 'er up!

Brian and Ashley also gave me these beautiful flowers - Thank you!!

And to both of our Moms (Kylah's grandmothers), Happy Mother's Day! We love you Y

Afternoon fun at the park

2008-05-07T10:04:00.007-04:00

Uncle Mark, Craig, Riley and I took Kylah to the park by our house for the first time on Sunday. Riley loved playing 'monkey in the middle' with the guys, and Kylah loved the swing! It's going to be great having the park so close as she grows up!