ERIC - JANA - TAYLOR

Happy Anniversary!

2010-10-11T20:26:00.002-05:00

WOW - 6 years together already!! Happy Anniversary Eric and I am loving every minute of it. We had a great memory of our wedding from 6 years ago this past weekend, October 9th. We were celebrating our friends' wedding and reliving our day in many of the same ways. Father Lieser did the wedding mass, the entire wedding party and guests took a bus to the local tavern, Scooters, for some drinks, then off to the Greenwald Pub for great food, drinks and dancing. Like I said, reliving our wedding day in so many ways...Congratulations Kayla and Eric Meyer!

Pumpkins AND Pizza

2010-10-03T19:45:00.005-05:00

Today we went to Hwy 101 Market to the Pumpkin Farm in Elk River. There was lots to do and Taylor loved every minute and wanted to stay longer. They had tons of pumpkins of all sorts: big ones and little ones, smooth ones and bumpy ones, orange ones and white ones. At the end Taylor picked a tiny baby one!! Taylor played in the corn pit for a long time, she was jumping and swimming, laying and walking in the corn...she had it everywhere! Then we wanted to try the Corn Maze, so Taylor started by leading us through the maze. Eric and I didn't really know what to expect, once we were in the maze for awhile we looked at a map and say how BIG the maze really was. We also decided we would help Taylor in deciding which way to go a little more. We did find our way out, but it took some time and some shortcuts! At the end of the maze was the giant Jumpy Pumpkin...of course Taylor wanted to do that too. She finally came out because she was hungry!!

We went to Broadway for some Pizza....we were at the right spot at the right time. Our table was by the pull tabs. As we were waiting for our pizza, some random guy playing pull tabs dropped off a 20 dollar bill at our table. We gratefully said thank you and also asked WHY? He said I once had a family too. Within 10 minutes, another trip to the pull tab box and another $20 on our table. As we were eating he made one last trip to the box, dropped off $10 and said he wanted to make it an even $50!! Must have been our lucky day :)

Taylor leading the way

Taylor AND Daddy leading the way

Corn Pit

No More PULL-UPS

2010-09-27T09:28:00.002-05:00

Taylor threw away her pull-ups last Friday morning...she has been dry for a number of mornings so we told her she could start wearing underwear this weekend. She could also pick out a new comforter for her bedroom, she insisted on Dora but I convinced her to go the Princess route since she has so much other Dora stuff. There is a big fuzzy blanket that is Dora that she would really like - I told her maybe Santa would bring it for Christmas.

Friday night we tried big girl underwear for bedtime, Eric and I didn't have a lot of faith since we were at the neighbors, she had more to drink late into the night than usual, and she went to bed later than normal....BUT in the morning she was DRY and so proud of it. Saturday night we went back to our normal routine and bedtime, but she had one little accident. Sunday night she was DRY, so we are 2 for 3 and we will see how she does this week.

She is getting to be our big girl. She is so fun to hang out with, play games with and teach grownup things. Sometimes she is really interested and others she could care less. I guess that is why kids are kids.

She is anxiously awaiting Halloween, her costume is ready to go and so is she...too bad she has to wait 4 more weeks. I am happy Halloween falls on a weekend this year, I think we will be able to take her more places because of it. I know all the grandparents and great-grandparents enjoy seeing the little ones.

Fall FUN

2010-09-21T19:30:00.006-05:00

FALL is here...I just love the smell of the leaves and the air this time of the year. Hopefully this weather will stick around for a while, this is one season that I think is too short.

We started celebrating fall a few weekends ago at mom's with the kids. Mom and I took Taylor, Drew, and Raegan to Nelson Farm by Litchfield. They had a day of fun planned for everyone....the kids were petting all kinds of animals (chicks, sheep, goats, turkeys, and more), going on lawn tractor train rides, eating mini doughnuts and had their faces painted. There was HUGE playset with a long tunnel slide that Taylor and Drew absolutely LOVED. I lost count of how many times they raced up the ladder, only to stand in line patiently, then zoom down the slide and run around to do it all over again. They laughed so much. Raegan was busy on the slides that were her size, altho she would have done this big one too if someone would have brought her to the top! Next year...
We went on a tractor ride where we rode in the hay trailer, through the corn field and the pumpkin patch, the kids thought we were going to get stuck! I cannot forget about the wagon ride Taylor, Drew and I did...down a big hill and I had to steer...again the kids just laughed! At the end of the day we all had to pick out a pumpkin to bring to grandmas for painting.
No more than 5 minutes into the car ride home, all 3 kiddos were sleeping!!

Running through the corn tunnels

Raegan turned 2 last week, we celebrated this weekend with a party at their house. She is becoming such a big girl, so independent and follows her big brother's every move. Taylor loves playing with her every time they get together. The weather was so nice we were able to run off some energy outside. The kids played baseball while the male adults shot some bow and arrow and pellet guns!! We ended the day with gifts, a meal, and birthday cake. Happy Birthday Raegan - I am so happy to be your godmother!

We've had a busy fall so far....we went to our 2nd Twins game in earlier in September also, the outdoor baseball is just so much fun and the stadium is amazing!! That same weekend we were at the Vikings game, even though they lost the game was still lots of fun and the atmosphere was just great. We went with Rick and Brooke and we had so much fun people watching more so than watching the game!! Thanks to both our companies for getting us tickets to these games.

Fun Photo Shoot

2010-09-07T15:48:00.004-05:00

We had so much fun shooting these photos...thanks Erin!!

Happy Birthday Taylor

2010-07-20T21:14:00.003-05:00

Taylor is 3 Already!!!

We celebrated with a birthday party on Saturday...most of our family was able to make it and some friends!

Tuesday, July 20 - her actual birthday, we celebrated again with our neighbors.

Sunday we went to the Sherburne County Fair in Elk River. Taylor really enjoyed all the animals and loved most of the rides.

Happy Birthday America!

2010-07-12T21:19:00.003-05:00

Making mud pancakes for daddy

We celebrated July 4th, wishing Happy Birthday to America. Taylor thought it was so fun to have a party for America.

We spent some time at the lake in Alexandria with G&G Spanier. The day was gorgeous, lots of sun, lots of water time! Taylor had so much fun with everyone, including the dog - Belle! We ended the night with a campfire, fireworks, smores and one big slumber party in the living room of the cabin....all 5 of us. Taylor thought it was pretty neat to sleep with everyone together!
Sunday we came back to Elk River to spend the day with our neighbors. The girls had a blast playing in the sprinklers, on the wet slide, making smores, and doing fireworks!
Monday we played outside all day, set up the pool and enjoyed the sun and weather...what a great weekend!

Taylor loved the slide at the park.

At the park at the lake with the cousins

WOW Fireworks!!!

Spring is here....

2010-05-05T12:35:00.007-05:00

It has been a busy spring for us, we've been working on a lot of house/yard projects. Things seem to be coming along just fine. We put a fence up on one side of our yard, by the swamp. Eric also built a garden for me earlier in April. Taylor and I have planted a few things, potatoes, strawberries, carrots, onions, radishes, kolrhabi....so far the radishes have pushed through and the strawberries are doing wonderful. Taylor had lots of fun helping me plant, Eric even learned a few things about gardening and how it all works. Her favorite part was stepping the potatoes in and covering them up with dirt, then pushing the onion bulbs in and covering them up with dirt. She likes to go check on the garden each night to see what has popped through the ground! We have flowers, cucumbers, sweet corn, tomatoes, and peppers still to plant....just need another nice day and some warm weather that will stay.

Taylor is becoming such a big girl...she is now in PreSchool at daycare and LOVES it. She has been re-united with some of her "older" friends and does really well with all the other kids. She and her best friend Kacie are back together again. There isn't as much detail with the reports we get from PreSchool but I assume she is doing great with all the important things otherwise they would tell me. We are still working on the potty and naptime and bedtime routine. Some days she gets it and other days she gets wet!

With the weather being so nice we've been enjoying lots of time outside. Taylor has been busy with the neighbor kids, Allie and Zander. Allie is the same age as Taylor and they play really well together. They run over to each other's houses and back, have snacks and juice boxes at either house and just have a great time! We have also been able to have a few campfires with our neighbors. It is fun for all of us, enjoying smores and a few beers.

Taylor is busy planning her birthday party. She has been asking for a Barbie jeep for a couple of weeks now. We told her for her birthday maybe! We also said she would be able to get it early if she conquered this potty at naptime and bedtime time issue. She has a good understanding....when I pick her up from daycare, if she had an accident she tells me - no Barbie jeep today. Allie just got a jeep which she is sharing with Taylor, but of course she wants her own. Maybe this will help with the training.

The girls had a lot of fun driving the jeep around but they need driving lessons. As usual they just sit in the jeep, play the radio, and not worry about paying attention or steering. It is quite funny actually.

Bella the Bunny

2010-03-16T15:02:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, Taylor was able to take pictures with Bella the bunny! She had a great time and was even brave enough to touch her. Thanks Erin, you did great work!

Happy Easter!

Potty Training

2010-03-16T14:57:00.003-05:00

We have been busy working on potty and poopy training AND for the most part we have succeeded!!! It has been a long road, one thing at a time, but Taylor is potty and poop trained, except for naps at home and bedtime! It is so nice not to have to worry about packing diapers, pullup, or even extra clothes for her if we go out and about. Just need to worry about her!

Taylor was very good about the poopy training, once she was interested she had it conquered in a week. She then got to pick out a toy and her request was the pink vacuum at Target!! It really sucks up some dirt - gotta love a little girl who is willing to clean for her mommy. She really loves it and has been doing really good ever since!

Eventually we will be brave enough to let her do naps at home with no pullup, then go all night - for now, she likes her pull up!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2010-02-27T15:43:00.003-06:00

Is what I woke up to this morning, my sweet little Taylor wished me a happy birthday before anything else this morning! She then proceeded to tell me she had a "bucket" for me!! Her and daddy went shopping last night at Target....she picked out a "pink" present for me!! My present consisted of a pink bucket, pink gum, and a big bag of peanut M&Ms. It was adorable. Eric said he let Taylor pick everything out...she new she needed a pink bucket, then went for the pink gum, and when they got to the candy isle, she told Eric that mommy likes M&Ms so let's get her some of those!!! Too fun. Gotta love turning 30!!

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and cards and gifts!

Mexico 2010

2010-02-17T19:59:00.005-06:00

Just the 2 of us

Eric and I spent 5 nights in Cancun, Mexico at the beginning of February...what an awesome time! It was so good to get away for a few nights, spend time with each other and friends, enjoy beautiful sunny weather, and lots of good food and drinks. We went to an all-inclusive resort about 20 miles from Cancun...actually it was between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The weather back in MN was cold and snowy; which made our trip even better.

Our view

Maranda, Jana, Alicia

Some of our friends were there also: Thieschafers, Eveslages, Fischers, Humberts, Fuechtmanns, Eibensteiners, along with friends and family of the Eibensteiners. There was a total of 34 people in our group....which meant there was never a dull moment.

Our resort was located on the ocean by itself but we didn't need a lot of places to go to or see; really why leave the resort when all the food and drinks are included?? Most days by 9 a.m. we were on the beach or at the pool waiting for the bar to open. For the most part we relaxed and hung out at the pool and ocean. No excursions and only one night of shopping. There was a variety of food at the resort also. We tried a Mexican, Italian, and Caribbean buffet; Italian restaurant and room service. We usually hit up the breakfast buffet in the morning, walked the beach or hung out on the balcony until the sun was a little warmer, then claimed our spot at the pool! Lunch was served right at the pool bar, we didn't even have to leave the water. After a day at the water, we usually met for dinner then to one of the bars. One evening we did go into Playa del Carmen so us girls could go shopping at the markets and the guys did some bar hopping. Everyone had a great time and us girls were successful shopping. We really enjoyed the shopping and drinking!!

Janel and Jana

Kim and Jana

Our last day there was a bit of an overcast so some of us decided to go into Puerto Morlos, a small town close to the resort. It was a very poor town but interesting to see. We did a little shopping at their markets as well, but it was nothing like shopping at Playa.

Playing cards and dice during the rain

Thanks to our parents we were able to relax and enjoy our vacation, knowing that Taylor was in good care back home. I actually don't think she even missed us. She was so excited to spend time at Grandma's house.

I am already looking forward to next year's vacation; at least hoping there is one!

3 More Sleeps, 2 more days of Work, 2 more days of Daycare....

2010-02-03T21:05:00.003-06:00

Until we are on Vacation to Porte Moroles, Mexcio BUT I am not sure who is more excited, Eric and I to go on vacation OR Taylor to sleep over at Grandma's house!! We all have the count down going.

It has been long overdue since we have been on vacation, so this year we are taking advantage of it. We booked a trip to Porte Moroles, Mexico with a group of friends last summer. Eric and I have never been to an all-inclusive resort, nor have we gone on a couple's trip. Should be LOTS of fun. We are looking forward do it very much. Check back for pictures.

Taylor has a full schedule planned with both of the grandparents. We are very thankful to have such great parents to help out in situations like this. I cannot wait to hear all about her busy days once we get back. I know she plans to bake cookies, watch movies, have coffee with G'mas friends, and go visit Drew and Raegan to play! She has been helping me pack her bags...making sure all her favorite toys are in there as well. Only a few of them need to go along though.

We have been hanging out around home since Christmas, enjoying time with our family. Taylor has accomplished potty-training, but is still working on the poopy-training...she is a bit scared of going?? Any ideas??

Things are going great at work for myself, year end is always a busy time of the year, especially at a new job. I am still learning as I go, but it seems to be working out great! I really do like what I am doing also. Eric is still at Manor Concrete. The snow plowing part of the business is helping get through the winter months. Soon enough it will be spring and the thought of coming home early is gone!!

The Vikes had a good run, it was especially fun to watch the last game, too bad they couldn't pull it off. It would've been fun to watch the superbowl with the Vikes in it while we were in Mexico! I still get excited about the Superbowl, the commercials, and the chance to win money. We have numbers 3 and 7, for a chance to win $1000-2000. And number 5 for a chance to win $20-40. This is what keeps me interested in the games! Good Luck and enjoy the game!

Christmas Fun

2009-12-28T21:03:00.003-06:00

Singing Christmas songs on Gma's piano!

Does your family do the Christmas Pickle tradition?

Tina was the most observant adult and Ethan was the most observant child.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T20:59:00.015-06:00

We hope everyone had a great Chirstmas this year. Did you all make it through the storm to see your family?? We did! WE packed our bags and the truck (just in case) but made it safely to our destinations over this Christmas season.

Taylor had a Christmas concert at Daycare....it last 12 minutes, but was great entertainment. Her class sung We Wish you a Merry Christmas and danced to another song.

We started out celebrating with the extended Lieser and Spanier families the weekend before Christmas. It was great to see all of the family again and Taylor just loves playing with all of the little kids.

The Lieser Great Grandkids that were present!

Dad was teaching Taylor to hang on to her "monies"

G-Gma Lucille and Taylor

Christmas was extremely FUN this year with Taylor - she really got into her presents and was so excited for the parties! Santa found Taylor's house on Wed afternoon, so Taylor got to open her presents Wed evening after dinner! Santa brought her Dora Dominos, Tinkerbell underwear, Dress up clothes, Barbie or as Taylor says it "darbie" movie, candy, and a high-chair for her dollies.

Christmas Eve we always spend with my family at mom's in Paynesville. We had a great evening of family, food, fun, presents, and laughter. Again, Taylor had a blast with her cousins running and jumping and dancing in the basement! Raegan was after everyone's present after they opened it, but once she opened some of hers - she was enjoying them as well - even if they were supposed to be for her babies!

Godmother Brooke

Christmas morning when we woke up there was 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground. Eric suited up and headed out to help blow and shovel snow with dad. Not long after Taylor and I were out there, playing and sledding. The temperature was nice so we were able to stay out longer, Taylor had lots of fun, we even had a snow ball fight!!

Christmas Day we traveled to Melrose in the late morning, the roads were horrible but we managed to make it with no problems. We actually drove past the barn fire near Greenwald, very sad site. There was an outpouring of help from the neighbors and other passer-bys.

Once Taylor woke up from her nap, another party started at Gma and Gpa Spaniers. It was a great afternoon with Eric's family as well. The kids had tons of fun, as did the adults. They played piano and sang songs, opened presents, looked for the pickle in the Christmas tree, and watched movies!

Sunday we had one more Christmas party to go to. Taylor and I headed up to Paynesville to celebrate with G-Gma Schaefer.

We ended our long Christmas weekend playing with all our new toys. Taylor, daddy, and myself had lots of fun.....

Thank you to everyone for celebrating with us this year. Thank you for all the Christmas gifts and money. We are lucky to have all of you as part of our family!

Happy New Year!!

Long overdue....again!

2009-12-13T21:31:00.003-06:00

The holidays are here, everyone is as busy as ever. Thanks for visiting our blog if you find the time!!

It has been awhile again since I last updated so I will do my best to stick to the important details...Taylor is busy as ever with her babies and dollies. She loves changing their diapers and giving them stroller rides. She is enjoying daycare every day and surprises us everyday with new things she learns and brings home from there. Her little mind is always going, has an excuse for everything, and makes us laugh all the time! People say her vocabulary is really great! They are amazed at how well she can talk and all the words/sentences she says. Right now she is busy learning Christmas songs, she loves singing Rudolph in the car. I am excited to see how she does at her Christmas program at daycare this week!

We are also in the process of potty training, she is doing OK. Has a few accidents but at least she is interested! I have to give her credit with this busy time of year and traveling, she is doing good with all the foreign toilets!! We'll see how she manages through Christmas.
Grandma sent her "underwears" in the mail!

Eric is still busy at work. Their concrete crews have slowed down for this time of the year, but they are hoping for some snow so their plowing crews can keep busy! If it is going to be cold, there might as well be snow.

I am very busy at work as well. Once I get through my first year, I think things will be better and not so crazy on a daily basis. But that is what I love about my job - it is never boring and never the same day twice! We are both just happy to have jobs.
Big helper with decorating this year!

We hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year! Hopefully Santa brings you everything you were hoping for. We look forward to seeing any and all of you over the holidays! Happy Holidays!

Happy Birthday Drew

Jessica and Taylor

Raegan Turned ONE!!

2009-09-21T20:01:00.004-05:00

The kids' first Twins game.

We made it until the 4th inning! Not too bad.

Happy FIRST Birthday Raegan!

Taylor was giving Drew a ride in his Truck!

Hang on!!

Pictures...Pictures...and more Pictures of Summer 2009

2009-09-21T18:35:00.007-05:00

VACATION AT THE LAKE

So things have been a little BUSY!!

2009-09-03T20:55:00.004-05:00

It seems I have forgotten about this blog but really I have a hard time fitting it into my day. Maybe it was just because I didn't know where to start.

We celebrated Taylor's birthday with a great party with both of our families....that was the last of our quiet weeks and weekends!!

The following week, I was offered a full-time job, which I accepted at Gopher News Company. After 7 great years at SNG Construction, it was time to move on, simply because I needed full-time work! It was a very hard departure; which just showed how much I loved it there! I am now settling into my new position at Gopher as the Personnel Director/HR. It is quite challenging but I am working through it and love every minute of it.

Check out the website at http://www.gophernews.com/

My hours are different from the early morning rise I have been doing for the past 7 years! We are still up early but not quite as rushed as we used to be and best of all, I get to spend time with Taylor in the morning! She is getting used to the laid back mornings as well....she enjoys milk, muffins, cartoons, and cuddling with both mom and dad on the couch before we need to head out the door for daycare! I do think I can get used to working this shift.

Taylor is growing and changing every day as well. She is becoming her own little lady. She loves to wear her dress up shoes around and make noise on the floor, carry a purse, have beads, play with her babies and dollies, still loves to do puzzles and lots of other things.

We were able to go up to the cabin that Spanier's had rented for a week in August. Altho, Eric or I couldn't take any time off of work, we managed to get there both weekends, which also happened to be the best weather days also. I will post pictures later this weekend (hopefully)

Eric and I were able to enjoy a weekend at the lake with a group of friends as well. At the end of August we had a great time with Thieschafers, Althaus', Frielers, Meyers, and Eveslages at the T's cabin on birch lake. No kids - need I say more!! This was actually the first year we had decent weather.

Last weekend, Eric and I went to see Johnny Cash in Greenwald, MN!! Turned out to be a great show and a very fun night!! The next day, my parents, Taylor and myself went to the Nelson farm by Litchfield for their harvest fest or so. Taylor got to pet and hold a baby chick, see all kinds of farm animals like, goats, chickens, bunnies, turkeys, pigs, horses, ponies, and more. She also ran through corn mazes, and hay tunnels, and crawled through other tunnels. She was having lots of fun, as was mom and dad watching her.

This weekend we have Raegan's FIRST Birthday party already! WOW that went fast. Happy Birthday Raegan - se eyou on Saturday.

Sunday, Taylor and I, Rick and Drew are going to the Twin's game - shoudl be interesting!

My next post will be ALL pictures....check back!

Happy Birthday Taylor!!

2009-07-20T14:41:00.002-05:00

Our little girl is 2 today!!

Summer is going GREAT!!

2009-07-13T10:21:00.014-05:00

Taylor is almost 2!!

Melrose Parade June 27th

Ben Taylor Emma

Family weekend at the T's cabin.

The kids did great!

House projects - stained the sidewalk

Water fight at Gma and Gpa Spaniers

Taylor pushed Ethan out....or was it Eric!

We headed to the COMO zoo Friday July 3rd - Taylor loved it!

Playing piano in the garage.

Parade in St Joe with my family on July 4th.

Fun at the lake on July 4th.

We are having Taylor's party on Saturday, she LOVES DORA so we are spoiling her with everything DORA for her party!!

Check back for pictures of that next week.

Only 19 more days until our baby turns 2!

2009-07-01T09:40:00.002-05:00

Summer is going GREAT!!

2009-06-25T09:06:00.008-05:00

Taylor in her Pool!!

Mom and Taylor

Summer is definitely here.....a conbination of hot days and busy weekends is the definition of summer, to me anyhow!!

We've had a lot going on over the weekends which has been great. Now that I am working PT, we are more apt to doing things all weekend long. I have a few days during the week to get things back on track and/or pack for the next weekend! I am making the most of my days at home with Taylor. She is enjoying her new sandbox that dad built, and new playset that we got from a co-worker. I am currently working on painting it, then I will post a picture of it! She loves the SLIDE. The other day, I ran the water hose on it and she thought it was the best.

Lieser Cousins

Kids eating

Last weekend we had a busy 2 days! Saturday we celebrated father's day and dad's 60th birthday with a SURPRISE at his house. Mom had everything planned out, except the amount of beer she needed. Towards the end of the party, at 9:45, Eric ran to the liquor store to get more beer for all of his friends. He was definitely surprised and just cannot believe he didn't know about it! Great work MOM!

Taylor with G'ma and G'pa

Taylor and Jessica checking out mom's garden

Brooke and Taylor at the party

Sunday we celebrated Grandma/Mary's birthday and father's day at Ryan & Tina's. It was a rainy day but everyone had fun, especially the kids in the bounce house.

Happy Father's Day to all you dad's!!

This weekend we are heading to the lake with the Thieschafers and Althaus' at Birch Lake. The weather looks good, there will be food, beer, pontoon rides, good friends and fun with the kids....should be interesting.

Memorial Weekend

2009-05-26T14:27:00.017-05:00

I'm doing this a bit backwards since this is the way my pictures from our GREAT Memorial weekend are uploaded.....I came back on Monday to do some yard work and flowers with Taylor when I came a cross a BABY DEER in our back yard. As you can see he was cuddled up by our house and retaining wall right behind the garage. I wasn't sure what to do with him so I called my friends, the zookeepers - Heidi and Chris, they said to leave it alone. The mother will come back for it at some point. So periodically throughout the evening we would check on it, Taylor loved saying "baby deer." Eric checked on it one last time before we went to bed and he seemed hungry and lonely but we left it alone. First thing Tuesday morning, Eric went to check on him and it was gone???!!! We are assuming his mommy came back to get him!! I was home yesterday with Taylor and she didn't forget about her baby deer....she kept asking about it and wanted to go look, but he was gone! Maybe he'll come back someday.

ON Sunday we had Courtney's birthday party. Taylor and I spent the afternoon there have treats, juice, and going down the SLIDE!! She had a blast.

Happy Birthday Courtney!!

Saturday night Taylor and I headed to Paynesville to spend the night at Gma and Gpa's house. Mom was at work so we stopped in to say hi and get a treat from her work! After getting settled at the house, dad had a great idea to bring us to the DQ. Taylor's first DQ treat, a cone!! She loved it, but I think Gpa was more excited to get this for her and watch her enjoy it.

Saturday afternoon Taylor and I met Drew, Raegan, and Brooke at the Hemker Zoo in Freeport. We all had a great time. The kids enjoyed seeing all the different animals and being able to pet them, thanks Heidi! Taylor was a little scared of the animals, she is only used to seeing them on TV or in her books, not in real life. She did like the little ones though.

What a great weekend. We wished daddy good luck on his fishing trip Friday morning as he left until Monday for his annual father-son weekend.

Hope you all had a fun and safe weekend.

What a GREAT Surprise!!

2009-05-18T09:11:00.003-05:00

On Saturday I had a surprise birthday party for Eric's 30th!! He was definitely surprised...that day he went with Taylor and his parents to Brynn's dance performance. After the dance they stopped back at our house to check out our landscaping work, there he found lots of people waiting for him in his garage. Throughout the afternoon more and more people stopped by at their convenience. The weather was a bit chilly and windy but that didn't stop anyone from playing outside or starting the campfire. Thank you to everyone who helped me pull it off and for all that brought things to share.

It was a great time for all!!

Taylor's first PHOTO SHOOT

2009-05-01T10:46:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday Taylor had a TUTU photo shoot at the neighbor's house....she took some wonderful pictures!! Thanks Erin.

Anyone else have STRESS...Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T10:32:00.003-05:00

We've had a few stressful weeks at the Spanier house. Tuesday April 21, Bill had open heart surgery...after a long day of waiting, everything turned out great. He was still sleeping when we left on Tuesday night but by the time we went back to see him on Wednesday he was up and around a little. Taylor wanted to see Grandpa as well, so we brought her on Wednesday after work. We told her Grandpa was sleeping because we weren't sure if he would be awake or if we were going to bring her in his room. All turned out great and she wasn't scared. After a bit of warming up she was giving him bumps and high fives! Bill came home on Friday and has been doing wonderful ever since. We are so grateful everything turned out good. Even now when we talk about Grandpa, Taylor says "sleep?" She doesn't forget easily!!

Thank you to all the nurses and doctors at St. Cloud Hospital....they were great throughout Bill's stay! So grateful to have such wonderful family and friends that think about us also. Thank you!

More changes at work for me at SNG. I will be starting PT work as of 5/11. Hopefully this doesn't last too long and the construction industry picks up or storms roll through! I will be pursuing other PT work to fill in for the off days, but if I don't find anything I will be enjoying my days off with one of my favorite people - TAYLOR!! At least it is summertime.

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-04-23T12:38:00.000-05:00

Simple Skirts GIVEAWAY!!!!

Work Day

2009-04-20T08:06:00.009-05:00

Saturday we spent the day helping out Mary and Bill with their spring yard clean up. With all our help we were done by lunch time on Saturday already!! We did some raking, trimming the bushes, thatching the lawn and mowing it, and leaf blowing. Now we just need some rain to green things up!!

Brynn and Taylor cooperated in their own way....Brynn wanted to stay in the house to sing and play piano....Taylor snuggled up to watch a movie OUTSIDE!

Tuesday, April 21st....Bill is having bypass surgery. Please think about him and wish us all well!

Born 2 Impress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-04-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

Born 2 Impress GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Happy Easter - What a great weekend...

2009-04-13T10:04:00.014-05:00

We really couldn't ask for a better weekend of weather! We spent the majority of the day outside on Saturday, cleaning the garage, washing the vehicles, going for 4-wheeler rides, playing in the driveway, and raking/mowing the lawn....Taylor even helped by kicking my grass piles apart!

Easter Sunday we headed up to Melrose for the afternoon for the Easter egg hunt at Spanier's. The kids had a lot of fun looking for eggs, the only rule was each kid had their own color, Taylor - purple eggs, so they could only pick up those eggs. Gma and Gpa did a good job hiding the eggs all over the yard. After the egg hunt the kids played baseball and did bubbles in the backyard. Despite the wind and chill in the air, the kids were outside for a LONG time....Taylor's favorite place to be right now!

Thank you to everyone for celebrating Easter with us the past 2 weekends. Thanks for all the great Easter treats for Taylor also!!

Hippity Hoppity, Easter's on it's way!!

2009-04-07T07:30:00.007-05:00

Finally the weather is getting nicer and just in time for Easter.

We celebrated Easter last Sunday with my family at Rick and Brooke's...I never remember Easter being so much like Christmas but it was this year. The kids had a great time digging into their Easter baskets, treat sacks, and finding eggs on the Easter egg hunt. Brooke was hoping to be able to hide them outside but it was a little too chilly for that. Instead we did it in their basement which worked out great!

Taylor wasn't too into the egg hunt - just all the new toys of Drew's. But I helped her find a few and so did grandma - she was excited then. Once she figured out there were treats inside the eggs and she could eat them it was even better! As of now her favorite Easter treat are her sunglasses from Brooke....she was modeling them for all.

Drew got into it a bit more than Taylor, but once he figured out the treats and little gifts, no more egg hunting either. SO we had to rely on Courtney and Jessica to find the remainder of the eggs. Altho we even stumped them...there is still one egg hiding in Rick and Brooke's basement. No one can find it and we cannot remember where it could be.

Raegan was adorable also during all of this....she just sat in the middle of the room - chewing on anything she could get to. I think everyone enjoyed watching all the kids and their reactions on Sunday.

Thanks for hosting Easter this year Rick and Brooke - you did a wonderful job!

Tomato Winner!!

2009-03-31T07:54:00.004-05:00

After holding the Tomato crown for a few years, I passed it along to my fellow contestant on Saturday - Mary had just a few more tomatoes this past year than I did (I am blaming the deer for eating my crop). I only lost by 6 tomatoes! It was close....Mary=59, Jana=53, Tina=12. Despite the fact that the night ended with me having to split the bill the day was great...thanks girls. We started out the day on Saturday getting pedicures, what a surprise by Mary! She had everything arranged, from the appt, to the host (Debbie) who served us Martinis and almonds, to the bill, then off to the Martini bar and finally dinner! Thank you very much for the fun day and for arranging it all.

So we've put a few new rules into place for this year's contest.....the winner, Mary, gets to choose the type of tomato plant. The loser, Tina, gets to plan the revealing dinner next winter! The middle loser/winner, ME, just needs to study how to grow the most tomatoes this coming year!! How do I keep those deer away??

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-30T09:23:00.000-05:00

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Miss Piggy

2009-03-25T07:53:00.003-05:00

Taylor's first set of piggies

She loves feeling her ponies and saying "PONY"

She was entertained by Eric's phone
She took 26 pictures and thought it was so funny!

One of her favorite things to do while I am cooking
Rearrange my silverware drawer!

A weekend with Friends

2009-03-23T14:52:00.005-05:00

We had a great weekend with friends...
On Friday night I met some college girlfriends in St. Paul for dinner. We had a very nice time, celebrating one of our friends' recent pregnancy - Congrats again Anne and Justin, and just spent time catching up with everyone...of course sharing stories about the kids, and what it used to be like in college!

Saturday we all headed to Apple Valley to spend the night with Kurt, Lori, and Emma Althaus. The girls were going to go to the MOA for a while in the afternoon, but since the weather was so nice we decided to skip that and play outside with the kids, they rode trikes, cars, and went to the park! Later Kurt grilled for all of us. Everything was very yummy! It was very fun to have the girls play together, they are 2.5 years apart but actually played very well together. Kids will be kids, but we didn't need to come between them two very often! Taylor was so excited to play with Emma...she just followed her every move. It seemed Emma was more than excited to have Taylor down to play as well. They loved every minute of it. We will have to definitely do that again!

Sunday we ended up going to Gma and Gpa Spaniers in Melrose. Eric needed to get a cabinet that was finished so we drove up there. Had some burgers on the grill then headed back home to start the week.

I am looking forward to the weekend already....Eric has the night planned on Friday night (we are redoing our date night from my birthday!) Taylor is riding to Melrose with her cousins (thanks Tina) to spend that night at Gma and Gpa's.
Saturday Eric and I will be going to Melrose. We are celebrating our Tomato Contest - still don't know who the winner is. The 2 losers have to buy the winner dinner....I do hold the title from last year.....check back to see who has the crown this year! Good Luck Tina and Mary!

Spring is around the corner.....

2009-03-16T10:40:00.012-05:00

What a great weekend? It was so nice to be able to spend lots of time outdoors this weekend. We were able to get the garage cleaned and brought a few of Taylor's toys up from the basement to play outside. She was in heaven being outside so much this weekend. Let's hope it stays now!

Friday evening we had dinner with Ben & Kim Sieben. They are anxiously awaiting for the arrival of their baby boy in a few weeks. Taylor cannot wait for a playmate when we have dinner with them either. Thank you!

Saturday late afternoon a few of us girls and families got together for a house warming and grill out at Stacy & Eric Stine's new pad. WOW, their house is beautiful!! The kids played fairly good together considering they don't see too much of each other. It was great to see all the kids and everyone else. Janel and Stacy will be welcoming a new baby within the next few weeks also, we cannot wait for more playmates!! Thank you!

Keegan - Addie - Ben - Taylor

"this ended badly"

Keegan was putting out the vibe to Taylor

Why are kids so happy in their diapers?

Sunday, Rick, Drew, and Raegan made a trip down to see us. Drew has been talking about playing with Taylor for a while now, so Rick thought why not, load them up and bring them down. They had a ton of fun playing together outside. We colored with chalk on the cement, flew a kite, went for wagon rides, and played with the inside toys. Raegan even had a good time watching the other two. She just smiled and giggled!! It was great to see them too and we'll have to start doing that more often with spring here now!! Drew and Taylor played so hard that she slept through the night last night.....maybe the new outside air will make her do this every night!!

Taylor's first Bowling Experience

2009-03-09T07:24:00.006-05:00

Taylor pushing the ball off the ramp, then saying "go, go, go - all the way down"

She had LOTS of fun bowling and running around with all the other kids.

Taking a break for a "treat - cookies and water"

Final score - TAYLOR = 79

Not bad for her first time bowling!

Picking her ball

We had the kids' birthday parties at a bowling alley this year. It was LOTS of fun. I helped Taylor bowl while Eric got a few games in himself. Yes he was sore on Sunday!! Taylor put on a few miles running around the bowling alley. She was really good running from the game room to the bowling area and back again.

After bowling we went to back the the house for some lunch, presents, and cake. Taylor even got to blow out candles and open a gift!! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

We all had a great time at the party, Taylor even slept through the night on Sat!

Happy Birthday Ethan, Brynn, Brandt, and Max!!

On Sunday, Taylor and daddy spent a little time outside, it is still quite chilly out but she insisted on putting her boots on. So her and daddy went out to fly a kite!! Taylor only liked to look at the kite, not hold it. She also found the mud and enjoyed walking through that!

Taylor's new favorite activity - being wrapped up in her blankie and flying around the house....yes a daddy invention!! She just laughs and giggles.

Taylor is feeling much better....

2009-03-06T06:43:00.004-06:00

As soon as Taylor started feeling better on Tuesday she was back to her fun-loving self!

I didn't feel very well on Tuesday all day, but made it through. I went to bed early and Taylor and daddy played all night without me......
Eric says this was Taylor's idea!!

We all feel much better now and are ready for this weekend.

We are going bowling and celebrating Taylor's cousins birthdays on Saturday! Should be interesting. We'll see if we can find a ball light enough for Taylor.

A Birthday to Remember...

2009-03-02T06:51:00.002-06:00

It wasn't my 30th birthday yet but this was sure a birthday to remember! Taylor was sick with the flu from Thurs eve until Sunday. She still isn't back to her fun-loving, playing self but maybe with the change of scenery today at DC she will spring back. So much for the 24-hour flu bug, Taylor had it for 3 days!
On top of being stuck at home all weekend - our washing machine broke. Great time to break down - with a houseful of puke laundry!! So needless to say Eric made a few trips to the laundromat this weekend. I think we both have had our share of cleaning up the messes! Lets just hope it is over for this year.

Thank you to everyone who tried to help celebrate my birthday and all those who called, sorry that I didn't get back to most of you....maybe another weekend Eric and I can celebrate!

Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-16T12:03:00.005-06:00

Happy Anniversary Rick & Brooke - 5 years!!

Look at her hair - it is growing and growing - at different lengths! She loves to have ponies in now - but I need more practice. She moves too fast for me to get one in! It is getting better though. Dad hasn't tried yet!!

She loves to dance and jump around. Sometimes we have to put her POOH "dress" on.

We had a busy weekend celebrating Valentine's and birthdays. We started out the weekend shopping for a BIG GIRL bed for Taylor. After finding one at the furniture store we took it home and had Taylor help us set up her new bed and take down her crib. Now the transition for Taylor. She seems to be doing OK. She does know how to get out of her bed and open her door, but the gate stops her from leaving her room - so she just starts to holler and cry for us!! Hopefully after a week of adjusting she will LOVE it. Altho, she thinks it is pretty fun to jump on her bed already!!

She is dong - pretty well - no falling out yet!
Taylor and Grandpa in her tent!

Saturday afternoon, G&G Spanier were down to celebrate Valentine's day. Eric and Bill did a little work then we had some cocktails, played with Taylor and had a nice dinner.

Taylor and Grandma at lunch.

Sunday we had lunch with everyone at BW3s for Grandma Lieser's birthday. Taylor had fun running around the restaurant the entire time.

Sleepless nights...BIG GIRL BED

2009-02-11T09:54:00.003-06:00

Taylor has graduated to a BIG GIRL BED. After numerous nights of her waking up screaming and scared to go back in her crib we thought it was time to try a Big Girl Bed for her. For now we are making due with a mattress on the floor. If this is a hit - we will find her a bed.
Last night was the first night in her bed...she did alright - woke up 2 hours after getting her to bed, then slept til morning. We'll see what tonight brings...

Anything is better than the last few nights....I am too old to sleep on her floor again.

Happy Birthday to MOM/Grandma TODAY 2/11. Good luck at the casino!

Happy Valentines Day to all this weekend!

SUPERBOWL.....

2009-01-30T10:09:00.001-06:00

It's time for the Superbowl already....we bought a square on a board...hoping to win some money. The payouts are good - not sure if our numbers are so GREAT! Cards - 8 Pitt - 0
Let's hope for the best! Enjoy the game and commercials everyone!

CONGRATULATIONS to Chris & Theresa

2009-01-30T09:59:00.004-06:00

The happy couple!!

A week has past, I have recovered and here are some pictures from the wedding...Taylor didn't have a chance to dance her little butt off because she was not in the mood on Saturday. She didn't want anything to do with church, pictures, or the wedding. So after pictures she went to Grandma and Grandpa's and that was the end of her wedding celebration. Eric and I had a great time on the other hand!! My feet were sore for 2 days, apparently I never left the dance floor!

All the "Lieser daughters"

Taylor turned 18 months

2009-01-20T08:29:00.004-06:00

Our little baby has grown up....she is 18 months old today - where has the time gone?
It is so fun to see her grow and change into her own little person everyday. She is so busy with everything and anything. At her Dr's appt last night she weighed in at 20 lbs (3rd %) and was 31 inches tall (48th %). She is just our little peanut!!
The Dr says she is doing very well for her age and she has no concerns about her weight, height, or develpment at all.
At this point in her life, she loves to dance and jump around to the TV or to her music CDs. She loves to copy whatever you are doing. She enjoys playing with you and reading lots of books. And every night we have to play in her new tent, some nights she insists that all 3 of us go in it!! She is just starting to play pretend and her imagination is growing everyday.

Things we are working on....counting - one, two...?
Changing her clothes...she can get her hat, shoes, socks, and jacket off most days, we are working on her shirt.
Body parts - knows all of the major ones about 12 total.
She has lots of new words...she attempts to say almost anything we ask her to - most come out pretty funny.

Last week Taylor was home most of the week because she had bronchitis. Eric and I took turns staying home to be with her, by Sunday we were all ready to get out of the house.
SO we are very much looking forward to this weekend. My brother Chris is getting married to Theresa on Saturday. I know we are looking forward to a good time, as is Taylor. She wants to show off some dance moves at the reception....check back for pictures next week.

What a Great Christmas!!

2009-01-03T14:02:00.010-06:00

So I'm a little behind............but I will catch you all up!!

We enjoyed the snow before heading out for the annual Christmas sing-a-long in Greenwald. Taylor thought the sledding was pretty cool but loved her stroller rides in our driveway even more!!

Sunday Dec 21 we celebrated Christmas with the extended Spaniers in St Cloud. Taylor had a great time playing with her cousins and extended cousins. It was a late night when we got home and to our surprise someone else tried getting into our house as well. Needless to say we were fortunate no one did get in, we weren't home, and now we have a security system!

Christmas 2008 was GREAT - we continued this Christmas season with gifts at home with Taylor on Dec 22. Santa found Taylor's house early so yes she got to open her gifts early!! She LOVED ripping them open, and yes even giving expressions by the time we were done unwrapping! Taylor got a new kitchen set from Santa and she loves it...makes bubbles for daddy every night.

Off to Grandma's house on Christmas eve. We spent the afternoon and night at my mom's house in Paynesville. We all had a great time with the family and the kids had a blast playing with each other! Taylor got a lot of great gifts from everyone there! They stacked up taller than her...THANK YOU!

And to no surprise the kids LOVED playing in the paper more than their new toys!

Christmas day we went to church in Melrose with Grandma and Grandpa Spanier. Taylor didn't make it through the entire mass without making sure everyone knew she was there!! We left at communion time!! The rest of the day and night we spent in Melrose with the family. Again the kids had a great time playing, coloring, and watching movies. Taylor received great gifts also and loves all of them...THANK YOU!

With Christmas Season over and the New Year started...we hope you all have a wonderful 2009.

HAS TAYLOR BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE??

2008-12-17T13:53:00.014-06:00

Santa Claus came to daycare last night for their holiday party - so we went to see him and tell him what we wanted for Christmas. Well - at least we saw him!! Taylor of course didn't want to get too close to him, but she did give him a HIGH FIVE! She cried when she sat on his lap, so he doesn't know what she really wants for Christmas.

Every room had tables set up with games, treats, and activities. We had a lot to do in one hour but accomplished it all and some twice!!!

Taylor started out in Santa's room. There she got to pick a duck for some candy and pin the carrot on the snowman for a toy. Taylor and her BFF Kacie danced and played. Then we went to the infant room where Taylor went fishing. She had a few bites and reeled in some bubbles from her favorite teacher, Heidi!! Off to her room where we had cookies and punch, but that didn't last long, she wanted to get her face painted. So Kristy painted a candy cane on her cheek. She sat very still and didn't smudge it at all!! She also played twister and danced with some of the older kids.

We tried one more time with Santa but still no go...maybe next year!!

2008-12-08T10:37:00.006-06:00

mommy & taylor

taylor

Taylor Graduated!!!

2008-11-26T06:44:00.002-06:00

Taylor has graduated from Infants to Tods at Daycare!! She is so excited to get there each morning to see her friends and start playing. Eric says she hardly says bye-bye to him anymore, her jacket comes off and then she's across the room to her favorite toys!! It is so great to see her enjoy being at Daycare and with all her friends there!!

We are 2 days into being full time in the Toddler room and we have 2 accidents already!!
DAY ONE - Monday I picked Taylor up and she just wasn't herself, she didn't come running to me with her arms in the air, she didn't let me put her jacket on....she just wasn't happy. After being at home for a while, trying to play, she wouldn't use her left arm at all. I tried to look at it, she cried. I tried to have her grab something, she used her right hand. Very odd for her. Once Eric got home from work we decided to take her to the ER because there was obviously something wrong. After hours at the ER, turns out her elbow was dislocated. Ouch! We did some X-rays, after seeing nothing the Dr. twisted and turned her arm to pop it back into place - thankfully it worked (the second time) otherwise she would have a splint right now!! She seems to be doing just great and it doesn't seem to bother her at all.
DAY TWO - Tuesday I picked Taylor up and she had a swollen lip. Apparently she was playing outside and had fallen and hit her mouth. But that too didn't seem to phase her as she continued to play and have fun.
DAY THREE - We'll see what could possbily happen today!

No Deer for Daddy!!

2008-11-10T13:37:00.003-06:00

Daddy didn't have any luck hunting this weekend. He only saw one - it wasn't what he was looking for! The weather was really crappy all weekend for hunting...so he decided to let them grow one more week, until we both go up!! Hopefully they start moving then.

Taylor and I had a great weekend at grandma and grandpas....she may have even learned a few new things from her older cousins!!!

Halloween.....now Hunting

2008-11-05T10:27:00.009-06:00

Carving Pumpkins with Mom!

Running up to the house for candy!

Getting a ride to the neighborhood

Trick or Treating at our first house

Friday was Halloween, some friends, Kurt - Lori - Emma Althaus came up to go trick-or-treating. Emma and Taylor had a blast. I think having Emma lead really helped Taylor understand what was going on. They both got some candy and got a little scared at some of the houses. Our neighborhood does a great job getting into Halloween.....apparently our house wasn't the hot spot this year. The only trick-or-treaters we had were Taylor and Emma!!!

This weekend we also went up to the hunting land in Orr (3.5 hour drive) to check out the deer stands. Taylor came along and did great in the truck. We stopped about 3 hours into the trip at a Target to let Taylor out to run, and that she did. After getting a new ball - we got her back in the truck for the rest of the way. Once we got into the woods, we looked for deer and went for 4-wheeler rides, she loved it and it tuckered her out - she took a 2 hour nap!! Later that night, she got to go swimming at the waterpark at the hotel. She loved the little kiddie slide but cried when she went down the big slide.
Looking for Deer in the woods - didn't see any!!

This weekend is the start of hunting...we are sending daddy off Thursday after work - hoping he is as lucky as he was last year. He claims he will only shoot a buck first weekend - we'll see. While he is off hunting, Taylor and I are going to Grandma's for the weekend - the other girls will be there and the kids! Hopefully someone around there is able to get a deer - Taylor would love it!!

Good Luck Hunters!

Baptism

2008-10-28T09:56:00.005-05:00

Happy Baptism Raegan!

Raegan after church - she was so happy all day!

We asked Taylor where she was - "I don't know"

This past weekend we had Raegan's baptism - I am honored to be her godmother - another niece to spoil...Rick and Brooke did and great job with all the people and the meal. Taylor had A LOT of fun playing with all her cousins....her and Drew play so well together - it is fun! They even dressed up and went trick-or-treating. They collected some candy, snacks, and money!!

Taylor and Drew were playing CHASE.

trick - or - treating after baptism

Taylor helped Eric get the food ready for the fall/winter.

Taylor does really good at watching for deer out the windows and finding them - she hollers "DEEE"

10 Year class reunion

2008-10-20T20:31:00.008-05:00

KIM - JANA - ADREA

ALICIA - JANA - JANEL

Eric and I had our 10 yr reunion from high school on Saturday night. I was a part of the planning committee so it was a must that we go!! We had a GREAT time and a great turnout. Ten years out of high school there are a few changes with everyone - some are married, some have a kid or seven, some are still living the single life but most of all, the majority still like to party. That was the case with our class....we mingled, enjoyed a good dinner, then we danced the night away and had a number of drinks while doing so!!

While Eric and I were out reminiscing, Taylor got to keep Grandma company....I think they both had a great time!! Taylor was so excited to play with Grandma, she thought she should start early Sunday morning, so she was up at 3:45 AM playing already!! Thanks Mary for watching her and playing with her, especially at that time!!

Fall 2008

2008-10-10T11:28:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday Taylor and I went to the Pumpkin farm after work and Daycare. We had a lot of fun running around the place. Taylor first thought she should carry all the orange balls around....then we went to the straw pit. She had a hard time walking through it but it was a lot of fun watching her and throwing straw up in the air!! Next we moved to the corn box....again we had fun walking and throwing corn - surprisingly she didn't even try to eat any. I did find corn in her pants and diaper later that night!! Turns out we forgot to buy a pumpkin so we will have to go back another time.

Which Pumpkin should I pick......

Weekend of Laughs...

2008-10-06T08:00:00.006-05:00

We had a great weekend with a lot of our friends at Treasure Island Casino. Rodney Carrington, a comedian, was there on Saturday night; so Eric and I and 6 other couples planned a weekend of fun with no kids! Josh & Alicia, Kurt & Lori, Steve & Sara, Eric & Kayla, Troy & Kelli, and Tony & Maranda all joined us for the weekend.

I started out Saturday by playing BINGO, with no luck moved to nickle slots. I won a little bit but not enough to stop playing, just enough for another couple of beers!! Eric tried his luck at Roulette, he was having some good luck but as the day went on he kept trying and soon enough he lost it all. Before the show we hung out in the hotel rooms with a some beer, chips, and great conversation with friends! The show was great...even though my cheeks were already sore from all the fun us girls were having at BINGO. After the show we wandered around the casino to try our luck a little more. No luck again! So we hung out at the casino bars where there was live entertainment and did a little dancing. We had a great night and didn't have far to go to find our beds!

Lori - Jana - Kelli - Kayla - Alicia - Sara

Thanks to all the grandmas and grandpas and babysitters that made it possible for all of us to have this weekend - we really appreciate it. I am sure all the kids had a great time with whatever they did!!

Welcome Raegan Marie Lieser

2008-09-22T09:19:00.006-05:00

RAEGAN MARIE

HAPPY MOM - FEELING AND LOOKING GREAT!

PROUD DAD - HIS LITTLE GIRL

TAYLOR'S NEW COUSIN

Rick and Brooke and Drew welcomed their little girl on Saturday September 20 at 1:40 PM.

She weighed 9 lbs 14 oz and was 21 3/4 inches long. Raegan Marie. She is so cute, has chubby little checks and legs. Congrats guys and thanks for another adorable niece!!

MY FIRST PONYTAIL...

2008-09-19T14:17:00.006-05:00

My Ponytail is blowing in the wind!!

FIRST PONYTAIL
I went to pick Taylor up from Daycare on Thursday and she had her first ponytail in - no idea how they got enough hair together to make a ponytail, much less how they wrapped it, but it worked, looked cute, and she didn't mind!!

BIG GIRL EATING WITH A FORK
I AM CRAZY

Supporting Daddy's company - MANOR Concrete

Grocery Shopping with Mommy - there was still room in the cart for me!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-01T19:48:00.010-05:00

the official end of summer...thankfully it was so nice out!! We enjoyed every minute of the great weather this past weekend.
We started the weekend at the State fair with Josh, Alicia, and Benjamin Thieschafer and Kurt, Lori, and Emma Althaus.

Had a great experience with the kids. We rode the BIG slide, saw lots of animals, and ate a variety of state fair food. Then we enjoyed an afternoon and evening at our house in Elk River. We ended the night with a slumber party and all the kids and adults did GREAT!!!

The big slide with mommy - Dancing at the fair

Walking with daddy - Tuckered out after the fair

Sunday, Taylor and I went to the lake for some afternoon sun, fun, and water...and to let daddy take a nap from the night before! Taylor loves the water and isn't afraid to walk in up to her chin. There is a great little lake about 2 miles from our house in Elk River, the beach is very nice, the water was warm and clean. We will definitely be going back there next summer!
HI
Dragging her pails around
Dunking her head in her pail of water
Playing on the beach

Monday, both sides of grandparents came down to visit and play with Taylor. Mom wanted to see our lawn and Mary wanted to check on my tomato plant!! Again we had plenty of outside time even in the hot afternoon - but that is where Taylor loves to be - OUTSIDE!!

Taylor is so busy right now...always playing and reading books. She knows a few words (kind of)
Puppy - and what the puppy says- ROOOOOF! More - Thank you - I don't know - Nose (and where it is on everyone)
She is becoming such a big girl. In just a couple of months she will be transitioning to another room at Daycare...once this happens she will really be a big girl, doing all the big kid things.

VACATION

2008-08-21T09:56:00.007-05:00

The past 2 weekends we spent some time at a cabin on Lake Amelia near Villard. Spaniers had a cabin rented for the week so we took Taylor on her first mini vacation. She LOVED it!! We had a great time at the lake as well, even though it isn't much of a vacation with a one year old. A few late nights at the campfire and early mornings because Taylor is on an early morning routine, left mom and dad a bit tired after vacation!!

Taylor had her first lake experience. She loved the water and wasn't afraid to walk in up to her chin!! She also loved playing in the sand, walking on the dock, and the pontoon rides.

Thank you Spaniers for the great week at the lake - hopefully next year we can come and stay longer!!

a YARD finally!!

2008-08-04T15:14:00.006-05:00

It has been a busy week...but it all pays off. We have a YARD!! And we LOVE it!

We had the yard graded and some dirt brought in on Tuesday and the sidewalk raised. Eric, myself and Taylor put in some edging and block Wed and Thurs. Fri the sprinklers were put in and Fri after work we laid the sod. With the help of Rick we were able to complete this project before dark on Friday night. Taylor was our little water girl, mainly trying to drag the water jug around and licking the spout!! It was cute!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Rick for taking the time after a long day of work to come help us lay sod. And sacrificing his night with his little guy and Brooke!! Also THANK YOU to G'ma and G'pa Spanier for coming to take Taylor Sat so we could finish the yard and celebrate.

Eric and I were sick of grass and our yard by Sat so we met up with Kurt at the horse races at Canterbury Park. It was a first for both Eric and I....needless to say we need more advice on how to bet on horses, we didn't win. But had a great time with Kurt and Lori that evening - even though we were tired and went home!

Happy Birthday Taylor

2008-07-20T16:02:00.011-05:00

Our little girl turned ONE today!! Hard to believe that a year has gone by already...it has gone so fast. Everyone told me it would but you don't really think it will until it does!! We started out our weekend early, at least Taylor and I did. Friday we went to the MOA to get her 1 year pictures taken. Taylor did as well as a ONE year can do. While waiting for the pictures we met some friends, Brandee and Jayden then headed to WI to visit another friend who just had her baby, Stacy and Rylee. We also met Tammy and her kids Abby and Jack there. It was a great afternoon of catching up with a few of my college friends and their kids!

Jack - Rylee - Abby - Jayden - Taylor

Stacy & Rylee

Saturday was Taylor's big party day....most everyone was able to make for what turned out to be a CRAZY day. Her Beach party took place in the garage and in the house, including the basement. About half-way through her party the weather got a little scary so we headed for the basement. The guys stayed outside and upstairs to watch the clouds. Nothing but rain, but we did lose power for the rest of the party! Taylor received some very nice gifts from all...she wasn't too interested in ripping the gifts open this year. She also wasn't that interested in her cake, so dad had to help her get messy!
After the storm passed!!

Sunday - Taylor turned ONE!! She started the morning by helping dad put her four wheeler together that she had gotten from Rick, Brooke, and Drew. Wow did she love that!! It may take a few days but soon she'll be going on her own! We took Taylor to the fair in town that afternoon for her first experience of rides, fair food, and a petting zoo. She wasn't sure what to think of the zoo - certainly NO petting for her. She held onto one of us pretty tight! Her first and only ride she could go on wasn't the best experience either. We went on the merry-go-round. It started out fun, she sat on her horse, clapped, and was having fun, BUT then it started to move and she was scared. So I held her for the rest of the ride, but it didn't get over fast enough for her!!

Hard to believe that she is ONE already. It is amazing to see how they grow up, learn new things, and change every day. We have her one year appt Mon night...check back to see how big our little peanut is! Well Taylor is in the 50% for her height 29" and head size. She comes in at the 6th percentile for her weight, 17.8 lbs!! But the Doc says she is doing great and is growing and advancing like a 15 month old!!!!!

She's Walking....

2008-07-11T06:37:00.015-05:00

Sorry for the delay in the updates....it has been a busy summer! Well in case you haven't heard or haven't seen it yet - our little girl is on the GO!! Yep - she's walking, most of the time. Still loves to walk with us and crawl sometimes. She started walking June 27 at daycare...took a few more days to walk for us at home but now she goes everywhere. I think she has become MISS INDEPENDENT now - likes to ONLY feed herself food. She has no idea how to use the spoon so we battle with her on how to do that. Most of the time more food ends up on the floor than in her tummy. She continues to babble all the time and is just a bundle of fun these days!
Her favorite word is HI. That is all we hear at night when we get home.
Daddy - How do you play Baseball?

Jana - Taylor - Isaac & Anne Hess

Our 4th of July weekend was a little rough for the family. Taylor was sick from Wed-Sun. Doctor says it was just a viral infection, but then it led to a rash so I diagnosed Taylor with Roseola. There was no treatment, except TLC. Even though she was sick that weekend we did manage to get her into her pool and she enjoyed it for a while. We had to test the waters before her Birthday Beach Bash!

Eric worked on our retaining wall that weekend as well. Everything looks great....now we just need some grass!!

Wedding season is here for us, so Tayor will be spending some time at the G'ma and G'pas houses in July...I think everyone is pretty excited about this!! This weekend we are celebrating Troy and Kelli's wedding in Greenwald. Eric is a part of the wedding so he is hoping for a cooler day on Saturday!! Taylor is spending one night at each of the G'ma and G'pas houses.
ONLY 9 MORE DAYS UNTIL OUR LITTLE GIRL TURNS ONE!!

2008-06-24T12:20:00.004-05:00

Taylor is ALMOST One!! Can you believe it.

July 20th is her BIG day...we are planning her birthday party for July 19th

26 DAYS UNTIL

TAYLOR TURNS ONE

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2008-06-17T10:25:00.003-05:00

My first parade - Munichfest!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!

Happy Father's day!!

BUSY BUSY Weekend...

2008-06-09T09:01:00.015-05:00

We started the weekend out by celebrating Bill's 60th birthday with a SURPRISE party at his brother Scott's house in St. Cloud. He was surprised...his whole family was there and as many of his in-laws that could make it. This worked out great for Taylor too, she got to spend the night at Rick, Brooke, and Drew's house and since it was so close, Eric and I went back there as well. We kept the birthday boy up late, headed over to Rick and Brooke's and routinely were up again by 6 AM. Eric and I thought...this is going to be a long day. We ventured back to Elk River for the weekend with 2 kids, Taylor 10.5 months AND Drew 18 months!!!!!! All we could think about was...how can we get both kids to nap at the same time so we can nap too!!! Amazingly, after all the playing together outside, all 4 of us managed to get a nap in at the same time!!

TAYLOR WORE HIM OUT!!

The kids had a great time playing together, fighting over the same toys, sharing the wagon for rides and rides and rides. I have blisters on my feet from all the rides...Taylor might need new tires for her birthday!! Thankfully the weather was gorgeous because both kids wanted to be outside all the time and that we were. We had snacks and juice on the picnic table, fell asleep outside, picked rocks, played, played and played. Drew and Taylor played very well together for the most part of the weekend. Eric and I did decide 7.5 months between kids is way too close - at least at this age, both are too mobile and demanding. There were times both were crying and times I was holding both!! Drew was pretty surprised and happy to see daddy when he picked him up Sunday night. Being so tuckered out from Taylor chasing after him, he was sleeping before they got out of Elk River!! Drew you can come back anytime!!

DREW WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE WEEKEND!

June News...

2008-06-02T12:31:00.006-05:00

May turned out to be a busy month just like all the rest. I got to celebrate my first official Mother's Day this year with Taylor and both families. It was great!! Eric celebrated his golden birthday this year, we didn't do much but he had a great time with his fishing buddies and his friends the past 2 weekends. Grandpa Bill turned the "BIG 60" as well....we will be celebrating that too. Courtney is 8 years old now...seems like just yesterday she was a baby!!
In Taylor's news, she is crawling all over the place, pulling herself up onto everything and walking along the furniture. She stills loves to walk with our help the most. Grabs our fingers and goes...takes a few steps on her own once in a while but is a little scared. She loves it outside...she evens knows to go to the laundry room to point to her shoes then point to the door because she wants to go outside. The wagon she got from Uncle Chris is her favorite while she is outside. She sits back and enjoys her rides!!
We are so excited for Rick and Brooke, they found out they will be welcoming a baby GIRL in September. Taylor will have another girl to play with!! A few of our friends are coming upon their due dates and we are anxiously awaiting for the birth of their children. Some being it their first and some their second. More friends for Taylor to play with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!

2008-05-29T06:33:00.002-05:00

2008-05-20T06:44:00.007-05:00

Loves to cruise the garage!

Likes to work - anyone hiring!!

Stacy/Connie's baby shower - she is so cute!
Jana - Brooke - Stacy- Tara- Anne- Jill - Alivia

Loves to Smile!

And crawl!

Bathing at Grandma and Grandpas!

Her little Smirk!

Doesn't mind the grass!

April News...

2008-05-01T07:38:00.006-05:00

We are anxiously waiting for the WARM weather April is suppose to bring....let's hope it comes now in May! We would like to start the yard work someday...

We've kept you up to date with Taylor's big news, she has mastered crawling and pulling herself up. So we need to do some major baby proofing around the house. She has no interest in the stairs yet, which is a good thing! She has also accomplished eating crackers but that is it for food other than her baby food. She is not a fan of any "chunky" foods. We have started giving her mashed fruits and veggies, as long as they are not too chunky, she does OK with them. And the BIGGEST accomplishment for her - she's sleeping through the night!! It feels so good to get a full nights sleep again. We decided to do "Baby boot camp" with Taylor one weekend when we had nothing going on. We started Thursday night (thinking we could handle one day of work being tired), as I was feeding her we talked and I told her the plan for the night and the weekend, Let her cry! Letting her cry wasn't an issue and hasn't been for 3 weeks now....oddly she slept through the night that first night, that entire weekend, and every night since then!!! Apparently we should've had this talk months ago!

Other family news.......Chris and Theresa are getting married. They've set a date for Jan. 24, 2009. They will be getting married in Spring Hill. We are so happy for the both of them that they were able to find each other. And Rick and Brooke find out the sex of their baby next week - we are so excited to hear if Drew will have a little brother or sister!

This weekend Taylor is spending the night at Gma and Gpa's house in Paynesville. Gma is so looking forward to having her - I hope her and Gpa are ready to play and walk with Taylor!

A few things we celebrated in April...Kari and Tim's 14th anniversary.

She can Crawl!!!

2008-04-24T18:39:00.003-05:00

9 months and growing...

2008-04-21T10:58:00.022-05:00

Finally we had a nice weekend, well one day! Taylor absolutely LOVED being outside. She waited all morning for the sun to finally come out.

We grilled lunch and dinner outside as Taylor played. Also, we started some of our long list of yard projects for this spring/summer.

We had Taylor's 9 month check up...she is our little peanut. She is 28 inches long (68%) and 15 lbs 13 ozs (4%), but she is growing good and developing well. The doctor says she looks great. Her favorite thing to do now is walk with our help....from the time we get home from work until she goes to bed - she insists that we walk with her. We are trying to get her to stick to her walkers but holding our fingers is much more fun!!

I CAN WALK....WITH THE HELP OF MOMMY AND DADDY!!

2008-04-07T08:49:00.006-05:00

I LOVE PLAYING OUTSIDE!

March News...

2008-04-02T14:39:00.019-05:00

Happy Spring - can we say that yet?? Why is it that every year it seems like we have to end winter with a storm. Let's hope that was the last one for this year. March was an EXTREMELY busy month for us.....

Taylor continued to have problems with her ears, so we saw the ENT doctor, she set us up to have tubes put in Taylor's ears. March 20th was our big day - a little nervous - but everything went great! We had a very good experience at Children's Hospital in Mpls that day. We were back home by noon. We can really tell a difference in Taylor - she seems much happier, talks so much more, plays and jumps by herself more. Let's hope this is the only time she will have to get tubes, but since she was so young she is a good candidate for them in the future if needed.

Taylor is learning so much month to month...she loves to talk and scream and has such a cute little voice!! She has conquered rolling, going from a sitting position to all fours then rolls to her back, standing by a table, chair, or toy; walking with our help...she like to march as she walks!! And Spitting!

We celebrated our first Easter with Taylor. It was a lot for one weekend but we all survived. Saturday we had the Lieser clan down for dinner. Sunday we headed to Eric's grandma MJ's for dinner. The Easter bunny, godmother Brooke, and the grandparents were very good to Taylor. She has a few new toys to play with again! Taylor and Drew didn't know what to think of the grass. They sure enjoyed all the attention though. Drew participated in his first Easter egg hunt, with the help of Jessica and Courtney. He thought is was pretty fun to find an egg and he loved opening them to see what was inside!! The Easter bunny made it easy on Taylor and hide all her eggs in her basket!

Let's all hope the snow is over for this winter. We have a long list of things to do this spring, starting the yard, landscaping, and lawn is only the beginning!! Maybe by Taylor's birthday party we will have grass??!!

We had a few things to celebrate in March besides Easter...Ethan's 5th birthday, Brynn's 3rd birthday and Tina's birthday.

2008-03-16T15:34:00.005-05:00

February News...

2008-02-28T12:00:00.005-06:00

February was a busy month for us....Taylor seemed to have an ear infection for most of the month. Because of this we were referred to a PED ENT Dr for getting tubes put in. As most have told me, this will be better for her and everyone in the end - she may be a different baby, BUT it is still scary knowing what is going to happen.

Besides that, Taylor turned 7 months and has become her own little person. She is busy talking and screaming back at us. Still trying to accomplish rolling all the way over, seems to get her butt in the air but her arms are stuck - she gets very frustrated very quick. Taylor is also eating baby food 3 meals per day, not a fan of any finger food yet!! She likes to try to pick it up but doesn't put it in her mouth. When we try to get it in her mouth her lips are locked. Soon she'll realize the fun and mess she is missing out on with finger foods! She really enjoys bathtime now that she sits up in it! Laying down to play isn't much of an option anymore either.

Besides Taylor's news...Eric surprised me with a night out for my birthday. He tried to keep it a surprise until the weekend but I managed to find out by Wednesday what was going on. I need to know everything!! He got us tickets to see Lisa Lampenelli at the state theatre in Mpls. She is a very popular comedian who travels all over. She has some great material, most of it being a little crude! We stayed at a hotel on E-block that night so both of us could enjoy a handful of cocktails. Before our show, we went to the Shout House (dueling piano bar) had dinner and a great time for a few hours then headed over to the theatre. The weekend turned out to be great, he did and awesome job of planning everything. While we were out and about, Taylor was at grandma and grandpa's in Melrose entertaining them. I think everyone had the best time ever. Although it was great to see her again on Sunday when they brought her back home....we were like little kids waiting for grandma and grandpa to show!!

On another note...there will be a new additon to the family - extended family that is. Rick and Brooke are expecting their second child at the end of September..maybe a girl cousin, maybe a boy cousin??

A few things we celebrated in February...Grandma's 61st Birthday - Rick and Brooke's 4th Anniversary - Jana's 28th Birthday

This weekend is the start of the wedding season for us. We are celebrating a Mankato's friend's wedding so the reunion should be interesting. A good mix of old friends and college friends.

Taylor will be spending the night at cousin Drew's house....hope all goes well!! Drew and Taylor had a blast together...looks like Brooke and Rick may have had their hands full!!

2008-02-07T07:32:00.001-06:00

Taylor is 6 months...

2008-01-24T15:07:00.000-06:00

Our little girl is growing and growing....so busy with sitting up and tipping over, rolling to her side (not quite over yet), still smiling and always talking. It won't be long until she can totally sit on her own and grab her toys without tipping over. It is truly amazing watching her figure things out on her own. Just need to figure this sleeping thing out now!! She is trying new foods every day, some are better than others!! Our rule is that we, mom and dad, have to try the foods as well - haven't found anything we like yet. As long as she likes it that is what matters.

Deer Hunting

2008-01-10T13:29:00.000-06:00

Not that we need to go back in the past but I wanted to share the success of our Hunting trip this year. Jana and I made our annual trip to northwoods in pursuit of the elusive whitetail, and had some luck once again. Jana started out the action with a nice 5 point buck on Saturday. She did however have to make 2 shots.....not sure what happened the first shot but the deer didn't even flinch?? I was lucky enough to harvest a nice 9 point buck the following day only about 300 yards from where Jana shot her deer the day before. Very odd and also lucky to take two bucks in the same area 2 days in a row.

While Mom and Dad were out hunting Taylor got to have her first sleep over at Grandma's house. I know she had a great time and I am pretty sure Grandma Spanier had a good time too!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-04T19:12:00.000-06:00

Well, 2007 was a year to remember! We welcomed Taylor Ann Spanier to the world on July 20, and our lives are for ever changed....for the better of course. At the same time we were in the middle of building our house. Jana was able to help out as much as possible at the house and would try anything to get that baby out early!! The few weeks after Taylor was born were very busy, learning how to be parents and take care of a newborn, late nights out at the house, and oh yea, our day jobs! Finally on August 30, we were able to move into our new home. Quite a relief since we had to be out of our rental townhome on August 31 - nothing like cutting it close, no stress either!! We are slowly getting settled in and look forward to putting in the yard this spring.