Wild little D

I love that I have friends that let me steal their kiddos for a shoot!  I love this little boy, and his wonderful family.  He is the busiest little guy I know.  I am so excited for him to get a little brother in a few months too!

 

Farewell Grams

I had just got home from an activity at the church where I got pied in the face.  I received a phone call and my grandmas cell # popped up.  I excitedly said hello expecting grams to say HIIII, until i heard an unfamiliar voice. 

"Tayler....this is your dad" 

My heart sank.  I cant tell you a time he has ever called me.  I knew something was wrong.  Why would he call me with good news?

Grandma quickly passed away later that Wednesday night from a massive stroke.  She got one last lunch date with gramps, and it was her favorite, Mexican food.  I broke down and cried so hard.  I couldn't sleep, let alone eat. 

As devastated and emotional as I was, I flew across the USA solo with Bug and busy busy 8 month old E.  People thought I was crazy, and quite frankly, I, myself thought I was nuts.  I couldn't have asked for more well behaved kids.  Prayers were answered during my flights. 

I got to go with my Aunt Nancy to the funeral home and prepare grandmas body.  We dressed her in her temple clothes.  VERY descreetly painted her finger nails, did her hair and makeup and became the biggest perfectionists I never knew I had in me.  The experience was so special to me.

The next day at the funeral, I knew I needed pictures. 

I am still quite a beginner...but I am having so much fun learning with my camera!

 

 

 

Even though Im so sad to see grams go, I am so happy it was a perfect time of year at the cemetary.  It was just after memorial day, and she loved the beautiful flowers EVERYWHERE.  The day couldnt be more perfect, for a wonderful lady!
And for the record, the lighting in a funeral home is a photographers nightmare! 
Until we meet again....

updates on us all

 Jase applied to get into the kingsville institute to get his masters degree.  We should be finding out any day now if he gets accepted or not.  If he does get in, this means ANOTHER move, this time to Texas.  I hear they have amazing mexican food there.  I also hear there is lots of crime since it is right by the border.  Although I am very excited, I am thinking these snakes in my garden are sounding quite harmless. 
I have been busy being a mom and a taxi.  Jase and I have been playing in a softball league in town on tuesday nights.  We play double headers and sometimes dont get home until way late.  People think we are nuts having a 3 yo and a 6 month baby out that late.  My age is getting to me and I have been so so so tired lately.  I think I need a giant nap.  Giant as in maybe an entire day.  Being a mom is rough but so rewarding.  Sometimes I dont even get breakfast myself until noon. 
Kendyl has been doing gymnastics on Wednesday mornings.  See that, after being up late tuesday night, we get up extra early to make it to gymnastics!  She LOVES it.  Although she is the slowest to walk across the balance beam, she makes sure to do everything the teacher says, exactly how she says.  She is the best helper with little Easton and sometimes thinks she is the mom herself.  She is FINALLY adventuring out and trying more foods.  Finally it isn't chicken nuggets, mac and cheese and fruit snacks all day long.  She even tried an avacado today, and asked for a banana!  I love her HUGE heart and she constantly makes me laugh. 
Easton, Easton, Easton....Stop Growing!  All in one week he got his first tooth, learned to crawl and went to the beach for the first time.  UGH!  We just entered the disaster zone where my mom says, "you need eyes in your butt and tennis shoes on!"  He rarely sleeps through the night and I am about sick of it.  If his smile wasnt so sweet and he didn't give perfect hugs, I would be a lot more mad.  Some nights I think he really does hate me though.  He adores his sister, bouncing and being outside. He loves the bath and playing with toys.  He still isn't the biggest fan of normal food, but he is getting around to it. 

 This picture above, I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Little Natalie is one of my very best friends little girl.  She was diagnosed with cancer a week after Easton was born and a week after her 6th birthday.  She is the Sweetest, smartest and most beautiful little girls ever.  To the left is her very very sweet little sister Evelyn, who shaved her head so that Natalie wasn't the only little girl without hair.  Get ready for it, the girl to my left, is their mom!  She shaved too!!!  Isn't she stunning!?  This family is so so so sweet and I hold them so very close to my heart!  Arent they just perfect!? 

Every once in a while....

I get the over whelming feeling of how blessed I am to have two great kids.   I sometimes get a great feeling of the luckiest mom that Kendyl was my little girl who made me a mom.  I must have done something right to get such a sweet, tender hearted, hilarious little girl.  She genuinely cares about anybody and everybody.  She is quick to find me a blanket if she thinks I may be cold.  She insists that I eat with her in our living room picnics.  She is always giving hugs and kisses.  She makes sure to tell Cinderellas mice not to eat me at night. 

The morning after the race, she had woke up pretty early.  She came in to snuggle, she watched the school kids get on the bus yelling for them to have fun at school. She was dancing, singing "let it go" from the top of her lungs and being a great little girl to let me rest a bit longer.  When I woke up from my in and out of consiousness there was something next to my face.  She had drawn the best picture of Olaf, with arms 3 x his size.  Next to Olaf she had set a nice pointy carrot. 

The imagination of this little girl is incredible.  She can transform from little mermaid, to cinderella, to Elsa in a matter of minutes and NAIL their characters. 

The other night she was eating grapes and making us eat ours as well.  Jase was on his third or fourth grape when Kendyl said, "Dad, dont eat too many, these will make you poop."

She tucks her baby doll into Eastons cradle.  She feeds her baby a bottle, changes her bum, swaddles her, puts her to bed with a little toy then literally tiptoes out of the room and whispers the rest of the night. 

I think the thing I love to watch most is how she loves her brother.  In the car she holds his hand.  She is first to want to feed him a bottle.  She checks on him while he is napping. She reads him books.  She is careful of who is "allowed" to hold him, or even comment about him.  I know she cannot wait for him to grow up and play.   

 

So sweet Kendyl, never forget how much We love you. Stay a little girl forever! 
ps, arent these pictures amazing by Renee Jacobsen Photography?  We love her and she did such an amazing job!

Disney Princess Half Marathon 2014

While I was pregnant with Easton I made the decision to run a half marathon.  I have always wanted to do one.  Plus I gained more then enough weight with him, I thought it would be great motivation to lose some LBS! I knew I ALWAYS wanted to run a Disney race. All the stars lined up because the race sold out rather quickly.  I found a way to buy into the race through a travel agency  ( runwiththemouse.com ) (thanks Jim).  I rounded up my friend Cassie to do it with me and we did it. 

Everything that could go wrong while training did.  I already couldn't train until 3 months before the race because I was still recovering from Labor.  I caught cold after cold.  Then I got a stress fracture in my foot. UGH.  Then I have had some major pelvis/uterus pain.  Still need to go to the Dr.  Anyway, training was less than ideal and I was getting really worried.  I had heard about the "Balloon Ladies" and getting swept and not finishing.  To say I was nervous was a serious understatement.

The corral placements went to P and I got amazingly lucky and scored C.  For Real?  I was the 3rd leg to start the race!

We woke up at 1 AM to get going.  I had to pump, makeup, hair, get ready, eat and then it was an hour drive to Disney.  I thought I would be dead tired, but i wasnt.  I didn't even nap when I got home!

 

 Getting to the race wasnt bad at all.  We read everywhere that traffic was going to be awful.  I dont know if we got there early enough or what, but it wasnt even backed up.  There was a big party going on when we got there and it was so fun.  I have never seen so many port a potties in my life.  ha ha.  Of course it is Disney and you have to stand in lines, so we picked one and took this picture.

Everywhere you looked there was a Sea of people.  Over 25,000 runners!  To be honest, they make YOU feel so special, like it is YOUR big day.  Plus Disney is so used to tons of people that it didn't feel like there were that many there.  It sure showed in the energy and excitement though.

 The Fairy Godmother did her bibbidy boppidy boop to send us off...Not to mention the fireworks as well! 

 Here I am before the race!!

 See those spots in my pictures?  It was beyond humid. I almost cried when all my pictures were starting to do this.  My hair did not stay straight at all!

 Running through Magic Kingdom I think was my most favorite part.  I would dare say it was a favorite for most.  I either ran fast through it, or I wish it was longer through the park.  Running up mainstreet I could feel the magic of Disney.  Every emotion was right there.  THIS right here is why I chose to run this race.

 Magic happened more because I have never got a picture with them both at the same time.  More magic happened when the himidity cleared up and I got no spots in my picture.  I think I will frame this picture. It means so much to me.  Am I getting too sappy?  #sorrynotsorry!

 After Magic kingdom you came around to these handsome fellas.  One of them was in the middle of the road singing magical songs to the runners.  Seriously, is this real life?

 I loved the army guy.  He was so in character.  He kept yelling move move move and was very entertaining.

 They had trumpets playing at the castle.  they played the royalty entrance thing.  Seriously, still real life is going on here.

 Sophia was in Epcot.  I knew Kendyl would be so sad if she found out I didn't stop at her.  So here is ms Sophia the first.  (Ironically, were watching this show right now!)

 Running through Epcot was so fun.  I have never been there.  This ball was HUGE!  I never thought it was really this big.  It was also quick in this park too.

 THE FINISH LINE!!!  My time was 3:18  not bad for stopping at characters, and walking a little more then I wanted from the achillies flaring up.  This is not a race to want to PR in anyway.  It is all about the magic and nothing to do with time.  Just cross the finish line and that is ALL that matters.

 They then sprinkled you with magic fairy dust, because we are all PRINCESSES.

 They had row after row of these Medals. 

 I earned my medal through and through. When I crossed the finish line I started crying like a baby.  Never in my life have I done something so hard.  Never in my life have I wanted to accomplish something and I did it.  The Disney magic was amazing.  I hurt like crazy and all my emotions just flowed out. 

Then I finallly found Cinderella!  She was at the after party where everyone was taking pictures.  I wish I would have known that because I kept saying, I wont stop at this character because I want to wait for the princesses. 
There was woody, buzz, the Heroes, Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White, Mary Poppins, the Genie etc.  I never did see Ariel, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto. 
I would 100% recommend this and any other Disney race to ANYBODY.   They even have Diaper Dashes for the babies.  Disney magic is so real and it is the best.  I cannot wait until I can do another race.