Our Sweet Blessings

Crazy Times....

2011-11-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Wow...things have been crazy lately, and I have fallen so far behind. In the last 3 months we have had a sweet baby boy, we have packed our house and moved and Chad had emergency back surgery! Let me just say I do not recommend moving with a 2 month old and especially one that prefers to be held! It has truly been crazy around our house and I am exhausted, but even through it all we see God's hand in everything that has gone on. God has truly blessed our lives with 2 beautiful kids and wonderful family and friends! I am so looking forward to Christmas and celebrating our Savior's birthday. My sweet friend Leslie had an Advent party and when I left her house I walked away with 24 amazing ornaments made by 24 amazing women and a devotional book. We started our devotions on December 1st and each night we have a new ornament to go with our devotion. We have the sweetest time each night during our devotion talking the true meaning of Christmas. Taegan can't wait each night to see what the ornament will be...we are looking forward to making this a tradition each year!

We moved...

2011-11-17T18:09:00.003-08:00

It has been a crazy few months! Right before school started we looked at a house...that wasn't for sale...and LOVED it! The man that owned it had thought about selling at times but really loved it too so just wasn't sure he wanted to, but knew it was really too big just for him. We talked with him and let him know that if he ever decided to sale to please call us. It really wasn't great timing for us because I was 8 months pregnant when we looked at it so we were okay with it being a while. We kept in touch with him and he wanted us to call when the baby was born so...Chad called him when Luke was 4 days old to let him know about the baby...at that time he said funny you called me today because I am going to look at a house tomorrow and I think it is the one. Wow...we were so excited but also a little overwhelmed. He called the next day to let us know he was ready to sell if we were ready to buy and of course we said yes! So I started to pack...not so easy with a baby that likes to be held all of the time...but it got done. Chad's mom came and stayed with me for a week to help with Luke and then my parents came the week of the move to help too...not sure what I would have done without them! So...we are now in a house we LOVE with our precious baby that still LOVES to be held with lots of boxes that will one day get unpacked!

2 Months

2011-11-17T18:09:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe how fast the time is going! Our sweet boy is already 2 months old...he is actually 3 months now, but I am a little behind! He is the most precious thing! I don't get a lot done during the day because he LOVES to be held! I know this will soon be over and I will miss the days that he wants to be held and cuddled. Taegan adores him and loves to help...most of the time! Luke is such a sweet blessing and we are so proud to have him as part of our family!

My Halloween Treats!

2011-11-17T18:08:00.002-08:00

50's Day!

2011-11-17T18:08:00.001-08:00

Taegan's school had "50's Day" in October and she loved it! She had a poodle skirt to wear and she was counting the days to get to wear it!

Our Sweet Ballerina

2011-10-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Taegan started ballet and tap class last Monday. She has asked on and off to take ballet and this year really wanted to do it! We thought with the baby coming this would be something good for her to do and something just for her. Last Monday was her first class and she LOVED it! She looked so sweet in her dance attire and was so excited when I picked her up. I think it is going to be a great year for our little ballerina!

One Month....already?!?

2011-10-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am very behind these days on blogging...I can't imagine why?!? On October 9th Luke was 1 month old. I can't believe it!! It has gone by so fast, and we have been enjoying him so much. I LOVE my snuggle time with him, and Taegan LOVES him...especially when he isn't crying! I am relearning what it is like to have a baby in the house again...I have to say it is very different when you have another sweet thing to care for too! I am finding myself to be very lazy because all I want to do is hold him! At 1 month he...weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces...is wearing newborn diapers and clothes...getting up every 3 hours to eat at night...and LOVES to be held!! We adore him and it is hard to imagine, even after only a month, what it was like before he was with us!

Some first and last pictures...

2011-09-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

One last picture before heading to hospital. Taegan was so excited when we woke her up and told her that it was time to have the baby!

Introducing...Luke Nickel born at 7:01am on Friday, September 9, 2011...weighing in at 7 pounds 2 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long...He is perfect!!

Big Sister Taegan finding out she has a brother...her response was "See...I told you so!"...she had been telling us all along that we needed a brother! She adores him!!

Lots has happened since school started...

2011-09-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

First, I will say Taegan is LOVING school..which is no surprise! She couldn't wait for it to start and looks forward to going everyday! Since she has started school I have been busy trying to get everything in order for the baby picking up last minute things and stocking up on daily groceries so I wouldn't get caught with an empty pantry and nothing for Tae's lunches. I have had weekly appointments since school started and everything has been looking good. Baby is growing beautifully and my doctor has been very pleased with what she is seeing. She has told me all along that I can electively induce at 39 weeks and that she wouldn't let me go over 40 weeks. So...my appointment on September 7th was a big one because we were going to set a date for baby! Chad was really hoping she would let us go in the next day on the 8th because we had some good friends going in to be induced that day but I wasn't 39 weeks yet so she didn't even consider it...which didn't really surprise me! So we set September 13th to be the day and we were to be at the hospital at 5:00am. With a date on the calendar everyone had been called and we had a plan! Well as most of us know when it comes to baby's they sometimes have their own plan! At 12:45am on Friday morning my water broke. I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest when I realized what was going on! I wasn't having contractions so we took our time getting things together and making sure this was the real deal...after all if I was going to wake Tae up and take her to someones house at this time of night I wanted to make sure it was for real...after many more gushes of water I was sure. So...here is a timeline of our events...

12:46 am Friday, September 9th....my water breaks!

1:15 am...we wake Taegan up and get her things together...she woke up very excited!

1:30am...Taegan gets dropped off at our precious friends, Joe and Cat's

1:45am...we are headed to the hospital and grandparents are called

2:15am...we are checking in the ER

3:00am...we are settled in and the contractions start

3:45am...dilated to almost 4 and requested an epidural

4:05am...epidural is going in

4:30am...epidural is complete and relief has hit!...dilated to a 5 and the nurse says she will be back in 2 hours

6:20am...I call for the nurse...fully dilated and time to call the doctor

6:45am...my doctor arrives

7:01am...Baby is born!!

It was a very calm night that Chad and I enjoyed together welcoming our sweet baby boy into the world! Yes...I said boy! I think we were both shocked and still are after 9 days!

First Day of First Grade!

2011-08-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Finally the day has arrived!! Taegan has been counting the days for school to start. She LOVED school last year and this year is starting out with the same LOVE! I cannot believe my baby is in first grade...the time has gone by so fast!! She could not wait to get there this morning...she was begging us to leave the house!

Taegan ready for a new year!

Tae and Mommy!

Tae and Daddy!

Taegan and Mrs. Davis....I know they are going to have a GREAT year!!

Sassy Saturday

2011-08-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our last day to sleep in and just have a lazy day at home before school starts tomorrow. Taegan enjoyed her day very much and came downstairs like this....

Oh how I LOVE this little girl full of sass!

36 weeks and counting...

2011-08-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

One last night away...

2011-08-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Chad had been needing to go to Dallas for quite sometime to look at something so last Friday night we decided go over to Dallas one last time before school starts. We didn't have any major plans but just to relax! We left early to beat the afternoon traffic so when we got to the hotel we all veged and watched a movie. A little later we walked across from our hotel and ate dinner and then headed back so Taegan could swim. It was a nice relaxing night with no plans and no where we had to be! The next day we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel where Taegan got to dress up her pancakes at the pancake station...I think she enjoyed decorating them more then eating them! After breakfast we relaxed a little more in the room before heading out to do one of Tae's favorite things...SHOP!! I tell you she can shop and would have gone all day if her mommy could have...I was worn out by the end of the day!

Our Little Painter...

2011-08-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my parents came up and spent the week with us. They worked all week long getting the baby's room done. They worked so hard I don't know how it would have gotten done with out them! Taegan LOVED having them with us and wanted to be a part of getting the the room done as well so when painting day arrived she went to work! She was a great help and is very excited about the room being done...well almost done it will get its finishing touches when baby arrives and we know to go boy or girl!

Baby is growing and growing

2011-08-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Baby is doing great! Taegan is so excited and has decided that we need to have a brother because we already have a sister. We will see what happens! We are having ultrasounds every four weeks through this pregnancy due to my pregnancy with Taegan. It is so fun to get see our sweet little one so often! The doctor is very pleased with baby's growth so far and says he/she is just right. This picture is from our 29 week ultrasound.

A week away....

2011-08-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

Back in July we took a little family trip to a little cabin on the river. We enjoyed some time together just relaxing and being together. We would go out in the evenings and fish and just walk around and explore. It was so nice just to be together and not have any major plans. Taegan is growing up so fast and with the baby coming it was just what we all needed!

Oh how I LOVE this girl!!

A night away...

2011-06-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

The day after Taegan finished school was Chad's birthday so we thought it would be fun to get away and celebrate his birthday and the end of a great school year! So Saturday afternoon we headed to the Ranger's game where we enjoyed very nice weather and Taegan's first "ballgame hotdog"! She has decided hot dogs aren't so bad and she couldn't wait to get one at the game!

After the game we headed to the hotel. The next morning we enjoyed a lazy morning before heading out to lunch and then for a little bowling. Taegan had never been bowling but loves to bowl on the Wii so we thought it would be fun. Taegan wasn't feeling great but she was a trooper and enjoyed the day!

Last day of Kindergarten...

2011-06-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this school year went by and that we now have a first grader! Taegan had a great year with a teacher that she adores and made some very special new friends! Taegan's class had a beach party on the last day of school and the kids had a blast! They were so excited when they came into the room and it was party time with beach towels, sand buckets full of goodies and ice cream sundaes!

First day of Kindergarten...

last day of Kindergarten!

Beach Party!

Taegan and Mrs. Winkler...Taegan LOVES her!

Our official first grader!

Field Day

2011-06-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Taegan had field day several weeks ago and it was a morning full of fun! Chad and I went to watch and it was so fun walking from activity to activity with her class watching all of the kids have such a good time!

Girl's Night!

2011-05-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

Friday night Daddy went to the basketball game so Tae and I headed out for a girl's night! She got some gift cards for her birthday so I took her to spend one of them and then we headed to get get our fingers and toes done! She was so cute sitting in that big chair just taking everything in around her! We had a great time and I look forward to many more girl's night with my sweet girl!

Just getting started....

the end result...zebra fingers and toes...with some sparkle of course!!

Tae's Tea Party!

2011-05-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

There is a little pink boutique in town and Taegan had her mind set on having her birthday party there. They do precious dress-up tea parties and there was no way we were going to change her mind! She was so excited about her party and couldn't wait for it to start! When the time came we couldn't get there fast enough for her! It was so much fun!! When all the girls arrived the fun began...they had their hair and make-up done, made a craft, dressed-up in dresses and hats, had tea in fancy tea cups, enjoyed some cupcakes and then had a dance party! All the girls looked like they were having so much fun! I have to say I enjoyed it too...I got to stand back, watch and enjoy while some one else did all of the entertaining! Daddy was a trooper too as he hung out with us...a pink boutique is not exactly where a daddy wants to spend his Saturday afternoon, but he would do anything for his sweet girl! It was a fun day of celebrating with our sweet girl!

Mommy and the Birthday girl!!

Getting glamorous...the more sparkle the better!

Dance party!

Sweet Birthday Girl!

All of the Princess Guests!

Taegan said it was the BEST day ever!!

Taegan turned 6!!

2011-05-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my baby is 6!! On April 29th we celebrated with our sweet girl!! Taegan was home sick on her birthday so we did lots of extra celebrating! She opened gifts throughout the day and then that night we enjoyed a nice dinner outside followed by some yummy cake!

God truly blessed us when he gave us our sweet Taegan Faith! She is such a precious gift that we have tremendously enjoyed over the past 6 years! She keeps us laughing and always keeps us on our toes, and she is as sweet and sassy as they come! I can't wait to see what our future holds with our sweet girl!

Easter Fun!

2011-05-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Taegan enjoyed an Easter egg hunt at school the Thursday before Easter. The kids had so much fun gathering the eggs and then sharing and exchanging them afterwards.

Taegan checking out all of her goodies!

Taegan and her sweet friend Kenzie!

Taegan and Abby!

On the Saturday before Easter we headed to Chad's sisters for some good food, egg coloring and egg hunting! Taegan always has so much fun when she gets to spend time with her cousin Emma!

Tae and Emma coloring eggs!

Tae decided to be Snow White while hunting eggs!

Taegan and her sweet Daddy after the hunt!

I did not take any pictures on Easter day...not sure what happened! We started our morning out by checking out what the Easter Bunny left while we were sleeping! Taegan had a basket full of goodies! We then headed to church to celebrate our risen Savior! It was a wonderful service enjoyed by all! After church we headed to the club for a nice brunch and of course ate way too much! With full bellies we headed home for a nice quiet afternoon nap!

"Disney Dazzle"

2011-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last week Taegan had her Kindergarten program. She has been so excited and singing the songs for me at home! There are 15 classes of kindergartners so you can imagine the kids! They all did a great job!! The program was full of Disney songs and dancing! Taegan's class performed to a Jungle Book song so they were dressed in safari...they all looked precious! My pictures didn't turn out great but I did get a couple at home before we left. She was soooo excited and just acting silly!!

Precious girl....so sweet!

She is soooo her daddy!!!

16 weeks and growing!

2011-04-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Taegan took this picture of my growing belly at the end of my 16th week...last week! She is loving watching my tummy grow and is constantly coming up with names for us! I am pretty sure at this point we won't be using any of her names, but who knows one day she might surprise us! Last night she laid her head on my tummy and after a minute she proudly said, "Mommy I heard the baby growl!". She is so precious!

We're still around....

2011-03-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while and I am sorry to say I do not have any pictures to go with this post. My camera batteries have been dead for quite some time now and I just haven't taken the time to charge them up. I just wanted to give a quick March update since the month is almost over! So here we go....

Taegan had her first official Spring Break! Boy does Spring Break mean more when you have a little one in school full time! It just reminded me of how ready I am for summer...although I know Tae will be missing school because she was ready to go back after a week! We kicked off Spring Break with a visit from my sister and her kids and grand kids. I LOVE being with them and it is always nice to have them visit! After they left on Sunday the allergy bug got me pretty bad and I spent the rest of the week in bed! I felt so bad for Tae because here she was out of school and I didn't feel up to doing anything! She had two request for the week...go to McDonald's and go to Chuck-E-Cheese...two things we don't do very often and both very doable in a week! We did drive thru McD's early in the week and by Friday I was feeling a little better so we ventured to Chuck-E-Cheese. We had a great time eating pizza and playing games! We made a few other stops while we were in town and I was wiped out by the time we got home! Even though I spent the week in bed sick it was nice not to have to be dressed and be anywhere!

Taegan headed back to school the next week and she couldn't get there fast enough! I had no problems getting her up that morning! I unfortunately was still not feeling all that well! Again I spent most of the week in bed resting and doing as little as possible! I was two weeks in of being down at this point and it was getting real old around our house for everyone to say the least!

I had my monthly doctor visit the next Monday and got to hear our sweet baby's heartbeat! There is just nothing like hearing that sweet sound! We heard a very strong heartbeat at a heart rate of 153. Chad and I think we are having another little girl, but Tae thinks it is a brother! I guess we will see in September! The doctor gave me an antibiotic since I was starting week three and it had now moved to my sinuses. By that night I was down worse than I had been and was so thankful I hd been to the doctor that day. The rest of that week was pretty rough but I gradually started feeling better by the end of the week! I think I am on the mend and feeling much better now! Thank goodness!!

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL here for the last week! Friday after school Tae and I headed to the park where we met Leslie, Grayson and Nellie Grace. We spent several hours just soaking up the beautiful weather. It was nice to get to sit and visit with Leslie while the kids played! Again Saturday it was just too pretty to be inside and so that afternoon we headed to lake to do some fishing. Taegan had fun riding in the boat and fishing on and off. It was so nice and relaxing to be outside soaking up the sun!

I can't believe we are already at the end of March! Time is just flying by! My precious little girl will be six next month and that just blows my mind! Where has the time gone?!? I am so thankful that God had blessed me with such a precious family that is still growing! I am looking forward to see what is to come because God has just overflowed our lives with sweet blessings!

Snow Day!

2011-02-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

We woke up Friday to a 5:30am phone telling us school was canceled! We enjoyed a lazy morning with some chocolate chip muffins and then we got layered up to go sledding. We had such a good time! Tae was soaked to the core but was as happy as can be! Once our fingers and toes were numb we headed home for a lazy afternoon. That night we enjoyed a yummy dinner with friends and made snow ice cream! We had a wonderful day just playing and being lazy together!!

Sweetheart Ball!

2011-02-03T08:11:00.001-08:00

For at least a month Taegan has been counting down to the Sweetheart Ball at her school. The Sweetheart Ball is a special night for daughters and their daddy and later in the evenings sons and their mommy. Taegan has been watching the decorations go up at school the past two weeks and I have to say it was precious! She has been so excited and as it got closer she would tell me how many more sleeps until the Ball. Well Saturday was the big day!! We had a pretty lazy day at home and as evening came it was time to get ready for her big date with daddy! She got dressed and then she proceeded to help her daddy get dressed by picking out his tie! Before leaving daddy surprised her with a beautiful wrist corsage made with her favorite flowers....roses! They enjoyed a fun night together dancing, having cupcakes and cookies and making memories!

Surprise!

2011-01-22T11:13:00.001-08:00

Snow Day!

2011-01-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we woke up to a very rainy cold day. We bundled up and headed to church and after Sunday School we headed back home for a quiet afternoon at home. As always after lunch Tae and I snuggled up in my bed for a Sunday afternoon nap. Much to our surprise when we woke up a few hours later there was a blanket of white on everything outside and it was still snowing! Taegan thought it was the best day ever! We bundled up and headed outside where she had a great time throwing snowballs and making snow angels! As for her mommy....she would rather enjoy it from inside a warm house under a blanket!!

Christmas Day!

2010-12-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas day was spent with family and lots of food and laughter!

Taegan and her cousins Grady and Grant

Sara, Tyler and Jacob

My mom and dad with all of their grand kids and great grand kids!

Tae and her cousins with her Great Grandpa!

Tae with her mommy, mom(her grandma), and her great grandma!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T15:23:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a nice quiet Christmas Eve day at my parents getting things ready for that night. That evening we met my sister and her family at church and enjoyed a beautiful candle light service together celebrating the birth of our Savior. When it was over we headed back to my parents to enjoy some yummy food and exchange gifts. I LOVE being with all of them and enjoy every minute I have with them!

Taegan was so excited about opening presents!

My sweet niece Sara and her precious Ayden!

Sweet Stacie and her new bundle Levi!

Tae loves her Aunt Ann!

Tyler took Tae out in the rain to spread food for Santa's reindeer!

Christmas at Uncle Chris's...

2010-12-27T15:12:00.000-08:00

This year we had Christmas with Chad's family at his brother's house. We stopped at his house and spent the day on our way to my parents. We were the last ones to arrive and it wasn't fast enough for Tae. She has so much fun playing with her cousin Emma! She started asking if we were there yet about 30 minutes into a 4 hour trip! Thank goodness for DVD players in the car!

Tae and Emma with their new dolls. Thank you Nonna!!

Tae, Emma and Uncle Chris!

Kindergarten Christmas Party!

2010-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well I can't believe it but Taegan has completed the first semester of
Kindergarten. I can't believe how fast it has gone by. The semester ended with a Christmas party full of fun! I am the room mom in Taegan's class and I had so much planning the party! I went to school with Tae that morning and before her class went to PE/Music we made gingerbread houses. I can't believe I didn't get one picture while they were making them. They had so much fun and all of the houses turned out really cute! I forgot what it like to be in the classroom on party day...so much excitement in the room when the day starts! After they returned from PE/Music the festivities began! I had so many great parents help me with all of the food and the kids had more than enough to eat. It was so fun watching the kids play and visit together during the party. After they ate they had a puzzle exchange and the kids enjoyed opening their present that one of their friends had gotten them. It was a great party and fun was had by all!

All of the kids after loading up on sugar!

Taegan's puzzle from her sweet friend Allison!

Tae and her precious teacher Mrs. Winkler!

Taegan's Gingerbread House

2010-12-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Early in December we were home one Saturday and Tae decorated a gingerbread house. I love Saturdays but I really love Saturdays in December. There is always so much going on and so many fun things to do! Tae had so much fun decorating her house. We constructed it together and then after it was set she went to decorating! I think she did a great job and it was a great addition to our Christmas decorations!

Tae's lost her first tooth!!

2010-11-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

About 3 weeks ago Taegan came out of school so excited that she finally had a loose tooth. For weeks now we have been wiggling it and watching the new tooth come in...yes there is already a new tooth coming in! Tae has been ready for the tooth fairy but not quite ready to pull the tooth out. So finally on Sunday she decided she was ready...her daddy tried to pull it then Tae gave it a try and then I had my turn but we all failed in our attempts! To be honest I probably didn't try to hard I just couldn't bring myself to do it! So today after I picked her up we went back to my school as we always do and Mrs. Leann pulled it for her! Tae was such a trooper she told Mrs. Leann she was ready and when it came out she ran down the hall to show everybody! She was so excited! So now we just have to wait for the tooth fairy to come tonight!

You can kind of see the blank spot on bottom, but you can see the new one coming in too!

Veterans Day

2010-11-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today at Tae's school they had a program to honor the veterans. The kids sang a few songs for them and then passed out some things that they had made for them. It was fun to see and hear the kids as they sang. Tae has been so excited about today and talking about the veterans.

A Turkey in Disguise?!?

2010-11-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

Last week Tae brought home a "Family Project". We had to disguise a turkey so Tae and I began to talk about how we would disguise her turkey. I came up with quite a few ideas which were all shot down by her, but only because she had one thing on her mind....her turkey was going to be disguised as a queen! So...we pulled out lots of stuff and got to work! I think it turned out pretty cute and Tae LOVED it!

Taegan's Pumpkin

2010-11-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

This year Taegan chose Dewdrop for her pumpkin!

Book Character Dress-Up Day!

2010-11-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

For Halloween Taegan's school had "Book Character" Day. The kids were suppose to choose a book and dress-up like one of its characters. Well who do you think our little sassy girl chose to be...I bet you can guess...Fancy Nancy! Fancy Nancy is the perfect character for her because she is always putting necklaces, bracelets and rings on in the mornings before school. So we went through her dress-up box and pulled out all kinds of fancy things for her to wear. We had so much fun that morning while she was getting dressed! I think she looked precious....although she is my sweet girl!

Our Fancy Nancy!

Daddy and his "Fancy Taegan"! Daddy surprised her that day for lunch...she loved it!

Just being silly!

Can we say Sassy?!?

2010-11-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

Taegan's First Field Trip

2010-11-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Taegan went on her first school field trip, and I got to go with her! We went to the zoo and had so much fun! The weather was perfect with a little coolness in the air. I think Tae's favorite part was riding the bus! She is always telling me I need to let her be a bus rider and my answer is always "No, but you can ride the bus when you go on a field trip" and that day finally came!! Yay for field trips!! I have to say it is a lot more fun going as a mommy instead of being the teacher...I really don't miss those days at all!! Mrs. Winkler, Tae's teacher, is just precious and so wonderful with the kids. Her husband met us at the zoo and he was wonderful with kids as well!

What happened to September???

2010-10-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know it has been way too long since I have blogged, but I do have a good excuse. My computer was in the shop the whole month of September...yes I know there are only a few days left in October and I have no excuse for not blogging during the month of October! I guess because I missed so much I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed so I just haven't blogged about anything...very bad I know! So much has gone on during the past two months and I am going to do my best to get caught up...eventually...I have to get my pictures off of my camera first!

I will start by saying that Taegan LOVES school!! She looks forward to going everyday and can't wait to get there in the mornings! It is so fun to see her learning new things and being so excited about it! She read a book to us today while doing her homework and we were so proud of her!

Here are some things that have happened during the last few months that I hope to expand on later.....

*Taegan got to bring Max the "Good Behavior" Bear home!

*Taegan started Awanas at church and is LOVING it!

*Taegan went on her first field trip which means she got to ride the bus!!

*Taegan has her first loose tooth!

So many fun things have happened! Time is just flying by....I can't believe it is just a few days from November...I can't wait to see what fun things November has in store!

It was a BIG day!

2010-08-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

Monday was a big day that I have been prepping myself for for quite a while! It was Taegan's first day of Kindergarten! Back in the Spring when I looked at the school calendar I couldn't believe what I saw....I was going to have to take Taegan to her first day of Kindergarten on my birthday! I couldn't believe it...I just kept thinking that is the worst birthday present ever! Well...it was something I couldn't change and it did happen! Even though I had to take my baby to school I had a GREAT day! After taking her to school my sweet friend Leslie came by and got me. We went to her house for a quick stop and then we headed to breakfast at Cracker Barrel where we met another friend and enjoyed a yummy breakfast. After breakfast we both needed a few things at Wal-Mart so we made a quick stop there. Leslie has a precious baby girl Nellie Grace and a precious little boy Grayson who were with us so we were not left alone and childless! I just LOVE Grayson he makes me laugh and we had a great time that morning! We got to pick our sweet babies up early so after Wal-Mart it was very close to dismissal time. Chad and I met at home and then we headed to pick up our sweet girl! After picking her up Chad told me he had made me a pedicure appointment at the spa in town and that he and Taegan were going to bake me a cake while I was gone. So...I headed off and they got to baking! I think they had a great time spending the afternoon together without mommy and I have to say I enjoyed myself while I was gone too! When I got home Taegan couldn't wait to show me the cake they had made....

I was so proud of them! They did a great job and it was decorated with princess sprinkles and safari candles! It tasted really yummy too! Overall it turned out to be a great birthday even if I did have to start out by taking my baby to school!

Taegan's first boat ride!

2010-08-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Some sweet friends of ours have a lakehouse not to far from us so we have been playing with them this summer. On Sunday they were so sweet to do an early birthday dinner for me. Before dinner we went out in the boat for a bit. I wasn't sure how Tae would like it because she is a pretty cautious little thing, but on the other hand she loves a little adventure! She LOVED it! She really liked watching her daddy wake board and then much to my surprise she went out in the water with him. This is BIG for her! We were so proud of her just kicking and swimming out in that water. When we got back to their house she got in the pool for a while but then wanted to get back in the lake! Thank you Mrs. Cathey and Mr. Joe for a fun night!

Taegan LOVES Mrs. Cathey!

She is pretty fond of her Daddy too!

Playing in the lake and loving it!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-08-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Taegan had a great day! She loves her teacher, and I think they are a perfect match!

We are on our way...

we are almost there...

we made it! Taegan and her teacher, Mrs. Winkler!

Praying for a spectacular year!

Taegan went fishing!

2010-07-23T09:01:00.001-07:00

Casting...

waiting...

she got a bite...

the BIG catch!

She's a shopper!

2010-07-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Taegan has had her eye on a Barbie fishing pole for a few months now. I'm not sure that fishing was that exciting to her, but the thought of having a Barbie fishing pole was very exciting! Chad was working in Tyler the other day and Tae and I had an errand to run in Tyler so when we finished up we were going to meet up with him to go buy a Barbie fishing pole. We finished up before he was done working so we had some time to pass so of course we passed that time where else but at the mall. As we walked through Dillard's Tae was pointing out lots of cute things and telling me what I should try on. I told her I was just looking and didn't want to try anything on which she didn't quite understand. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: I don't want to try anything on.

Tae: but it's cute!

Me: You're not being a very good shopping partner today....I just want to look...I'm not buying anything. Sometimes I just like to look!

Tae: Well....I'm the buying kind of girl!

Really?!? Where does she get this stuff?? Chad soon called and we met him to buy the Barbie fishing pole which made her very happy!

Tae and her new Barbie fishing pole!

Dancing Queen

2010-07-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to a reception honoring my niece and her new groom. They were married in Florida a few weeks before in a beautiful ceremony on the beach! We had a wonderful time at the reception enjoying good food, yummy cake and some dancing. Much to my surprise Taegan was one of the first ones on the dance floor and she never came off! It didn't matter what type of music was on she was dancing! At one point I looked at Chad and said this worries me a little to which he answered...as it should! At 11:15 that night I told Taegan that we needed to go and she was not happy because she informed me she wasn't finished dancing yet. I finally got her to agree to leave but only because we were taking her sweet baby cousin Ayden home with us to spend the night. A fun night was had by all!

Ready for the party!

Doing some dancing with her cousin Grady!

Wow...July already?!?

2010-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

What happened to June? June was a crazy but great month for us! Taegan and I spent the first week spending time with my family and college roommate and her sweet girl...so much fun! We then headed home so Taegan could take swimming lessons the second week....she still doesn't like water in her face so we didn't get too far in the swimming process. It is very hard to swim if you won't get your face wet! The third week was a week we had been looking forward to for quite a while...a week in Florida with my family! Taegan and I flew out on Monday and Chad joined us on Thursday so he could be there for the reason we were all there...my sweet niece got married on the beach on Friday night! It was a beautiful wedding and Sara was the perfect bride...beautiful as always! After a wonderful week in the Florida sunshine we headed home for a fun filled week of Vacation Bible School! We love VBS every year, but man it is an exhausting week! On Sunday after VBS we headed to Lake Charles to visit my sweet friend Becca and her precious kids. We enjoyed a few days with them and headed home on Tuesday. We have spent the last few days just catching up on rest and trying to get the house back in order..it became a dumping ground during the month with all of the coming and going!

Taegan being silly with her cousins Grant and Grady!

Enjoying some pool time!

Having some playtime with her precious cousin Ayden!

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Benavides....Beautiful!

Precious flower girl...she loved every minute of it!

Beautiful Bride....Love her!

Many fun memories were made during the month of June and as crazy as it was it makes me smile to think about everything that we did! Looking forward to many more days of memory making!

Taegan graduated....

2010-05-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

from Pre-k that is! I can't believe time has gone by so fast and my sweet baby girl has graduated from Pre-k and will be going to Kindergarten next year. Before we know it she will be graduating from high school! Wow...I don't even want to think about that one...I can't even drive by the Kindergarten campus without getting a lump in my throat! The past five years have been such a blessing and I can't wait to see what her future holds!

The graduates entered the gym not sure of all of the mommys and daddys and grandparents watching them. We had been telling them all week that lots of people were going to come see them graduate and they were so excited, but once the night came they weren't so sure what to think!

They sang several songs that they had learned throughout the year. Here they are singing "I'm in the Lord's Army"...they did a great job!

Each graduate was given a character award that reflected them throughout the year. Taegan received the "Most Gentle Spirit" award. I thought this was very fitting for her sweet little personality.

Tae was so proud to go up and receive her diploma and devotional book from Mrs. Debi!

Taegan LOVED her teacher! Mrs. LeeAnn was so great with her and made everyday so much fun! Thank you Mrs. LeeAnn for loving my sweet girl!

Cullen and Taegan after graduation. They are excited that summer has officially arrived and are ready to take on the world!

Taegan is a proud graduate of First Kids Day School!

Mother's Day...

2010-05-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

was the PERFECT day!

I started out my day by Taegan and her sweet Daddy bringing in these beautiful roses and sweet card while I was getting ready for church. I LOVE the card because it has a recording of my sweet girl telling me "Happy Mother's Day" and "We love you"...I love to hear her sweet little voice!

After church we headed to Arlington to watch the Rangers play. I love going to the ballgame...I just love the atmosphere, the food and the people watching! I especially LOVE going with my two favorite people!

We didn't make it through the whole game because Tae got a little bored with it, so we headed home. On the way home we stopped in Terrell for a little shopping which is always fun! I think riding the mini carousel was Tae's favorite part of the day!

It was a wonderful day and I LOVED every minute of it! Thank you God for for choosing me to be Taegan's mommy! She is "my sweet blessing"!

Taegan had a party!

2010-05-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Taegan had a birthday party! She was so excited! She invited all her girlfriends from school. She was so excited Saturday morning when she woke up! We got everything ready and got all of the balloons blown up and soon it was time for everyone to arrive. She was so sweet as everyone started getting to the house she would squeal with excitement and them introduce them to her daddy. the introductions made her daddy very proud! Once everyone arrived we got the party started we painted fingernails, we opened presents, we had cake and ice cream and then headed outside for the pinata. The girls were all so cute giving it their all trying to get it busted and success finally happened as the candy started reining down! They all then headed up to Tae's room to play. Taegan had a great time and was sad to see everyone leave! It has been a great few days celebrating with our sweet girl!

My baby turned 5!

2010-05-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

Five years ago God blessed us with one of the most precious gifts we have ever received....our sweet Taegan Faith! I cannot believe how fast the past 5 years have gone. Taegan has been such a blessing in our lives. She is so fun and full of life! She loves everything girly and is full of sass! I cannot even begin to imagine life without her. I thank God every night for choosing me to be her mommy!

On Taegan's birthday we had school. That day at school we were going visit the Kindergarten campus for a tour and to register her for kindergarten next year. I can't believe she will be starting school next year! I know she will love it I am just not sure what I am going to do without my little sidekick. She goes everywhere with me!

While at school that day my sweet friend Leslie was having her baby! It was such a great day celebrating Tae's birthday and then getting the message that Nellie Grace Bunt had been born! Leslie has two precious boys who have been in previous blogs and a third boy would have been just as sweet, but oh how exciting it is that there is now a baby girl in the Bunt family!

So after leaving school we headed home to get daddy and then we headed to the hospital to meet Miss Nellie Grace! She is precious! Her mommy and daddy were beaming form ear to ear when we got there and I think still in shock that they had a girl! After a short visit with them we headed to Build a Bear, one of Taegan's favorite places. She picked out a princess pony that she later named Chloe Rockstar! Before leaving the mall we stopped for a quick cookie break before heading to dinner...yes we had a cookie before dinner it was her birthday! We then headed to dinner to meet some our dear friends the Terrys. We enjoyed a yummy dinner and then headed home...all exhausted! It was a great day of celebrations!

Celebrating with Friends

2010-05-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

My precious girl had a birthday last week and one of my most precious friends, Leslie, had a baby! Taegan's birthday and baby Bunt were two very exciting events happening on Thursday, April 29th. Since Leslie and her boys were going to be a little busy on Tae's actual birthday we decided to have lunch the day before. We met at the grill to celebrate Tae's birthday and chat about the new sweet baby they would be having...would it be a boy or girl?!? Taegan loves Cullen and Grayson and it is always so sweet to see them together! We enjoyed a wonderful lunch and good conversation!

A tour of the town

2010-05-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

The theme for the month of April at Taegan's preschool was "My Town". On two different days the she got to explore "her town" with her friends. The first day we walked to The Donut Palace where they got to see where and how the donuts were made. After seeing how the donuts were made they got to make their own chocolate donut! After a chocolate donut and some chocolate milk we headed to the library where they had a story time and time to explore the library.

On the second day of exploring we headed to the cleaners where they got to see how the clothes are washed, pressed aand packaged for pick up. After the cleaners we headed over to Brookshires grocery store. While at the grocery store they got to explore the bakery, the BIG cooler and freezer, they even got to see how the meat is cut and packaged. Our final stop was Pizza Inn where they got to make their own pizza and have ice cream!

A fun time was had by all getting to see and do things that we aren't usually able to do!

Fun with Friends!

2010-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

We started our visit off with a yummy dinner at Pasado's! Becca and I relly enjoy good food and can always seem to find something yummy to eat!

On Wednesday we went to the Discovery Science Place. The kids had a great time exploring and playing together!

On Friday we went to the zoo! It was a beautiful day! We got there that afternoon when all of the school field trips were headed out so it was pretty quiet which made for a very nice day! The kids didn't care for the rhinos too much...they were pretty stinky...Taegan was gagging by the time we walked out of the rhino house! They did on the other hand LOVE the birdhouse where you can feed the birds! It was a great day with great friends!

A lifelong gift from God...

2010-04-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last week one of my best friends and her sweet kiddos came to visit! We had so much fun and the kids really enjoyed each other! I try my hardest all the time to get them back to Lindale...John you know you want to come back! I met Becca the year we moved to Lindale. Her and her husband had moved here about the same time we did. I met both of them at the new teacher breakfast for LISD. We were all new teachers to the district. I was going to be teaching 1st grade, Becca was going to be teaching 2nd grade and John was going to be at the High School. We enjoyed breakfast that morning and then set off for our meetings. Becca and I talked some after the school year began but really got to know each other later that year. You see her husband John found out in November that he was going to be shipped over seas because he was in the National Guard. As expected Becca was having a pretty tough time with this as any of us would. They both grew up in Louisiana and had moved to Lindale after getting married and getting jobs in LISD. So now not only was she in a new place but her husband was leaving and her family was in another state. It hadn't been long after John had left and Becca was trying to adjust to being on her own that I was talking to our sweet counselor one day at school. We were talking about Becca and how hard things must be...I couldn't imagine what she was going through. I was having a hard time adjusting to a new place and my husband was home with me. I had told Becca to call me if she needed anything but Mrs. Rouse quickly reminded me that people had told me that when I got here and she asked me how many had I called....of course my answer was none! So she told me to go to her house that night...I have to say that it is so not my character to just show up at someones house but I knew I couldn't go back to work the next day and tell her I didn't go. So...much to my surprise I found that she lived right around the corner from me. She wasn't feeling well so I just went in her house and sat down and started watching TV with her. The next night we went to dinner...and that is when it all began! Becca was and still is such a blessing in my life! I LOVE her so much! Even though we don't see each other as often as we would like we always have a great time together when we do. It is so fun to see our kids growing up with each other...Taegan LOVES Max and Landry and ask all the time if they can come play at her house...Oh how I wish this could be a daily occurrence!

My Sweet Blessings!

2010-04-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Easter!

2010-04-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Easter was filled with lots of fun this year as it always is! The weather was beautiful and perfect for egg hunts outside! Our Easter celebrations started with Taegan's egg hunt at school. She took her time collecting eggs and would stop and show her teacher and me every egg she picked up. We would quickly redirect her to more eggs, but she was really in no hurry!

That night we had some special visitors coming to see us! My sister, niece and her precious baby and my nephew all came to see us! We had a such a great time with them. We went to Canton, dyed easter eggs, made cupcakes and even did some shopping in Tyler before they headed home. Taegan LOVES when they come to visit...well I do too! My nephew is 12 but Taegan enjoys him so much, and he is so good with her. They pick on each other all the time but no one ever seems to get mad. It is so much fun to watch them together! Tae also enjoyed having baby Ayden at her house. He is the most precious thing you have ever seen and it was really nice to have a baby in the house again...the best part of him being here was that I got to enjoy him but I didn't have to get up at night with him!

Easter morning Taegan enjoyed going through her basket to see what the bunny brought and then we got dressed for church. We enjoyed a wonderful church service and then we headed to Chad's parents for a yummy lunch and more egg dying and hunting!

Can we say Sassy?!?

2010-03-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Taegan loves princesses and reminds us often that she is one! Well...after our trip to my parents I was unloading the car when we returned home and here is what happened...

Me: (I dropped something of Taegans) Taegan will you please pick that up and take it in the house.

Taegan: Well...princess' don't pick things up.

Me: Well...let me tell you something....Cinderella is a princess and she cleans house.

Taegan: Well...then I change my mind, I am going to be a mermaid because they don't have legs!

After having this conversation....first let me say she did pick up whatever it was and take it in the house, the following happened.....

I found her layed out on our bed like a goddess waiting to be fed her grapes. As I walk in the room I hear her clap her hands 3 times and then say....it is time to take care of me now! I was so shocked at what I had just heard that I just looked at her and asked her what she had just said and her reply was...nothing! Again I asked her what she said and again her reply was...nothing followed by I was just clapping my hands at my characters...that is a whole other story! I quickly let her know that she is not to ever clap her hands at anyone and tell them it is time to take care of her!

Oh....I think I am in so much trouble when she gets older! Prayers are welcome now...

A day on the farm!

2010-03-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday Taegan's class went on a field trip to a local horse farm. It was the perfect weather to be outside! Taegan enjoyed being there with all of her friends and as for the horses she admired them from afar or maybe a little closer as long as there was a fence between them and her!

A Day in Kemah!

2010-03-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Taegan and I went to my parents for a few days over Spring Break. We had a great time visiting with everyone, shopping and spending a day in Kemah. Kemah is a great place to be on a beautiful day. There are a ton of good restaurants and loads of entertainment. Taegan loved being outside! There is a ring of jumping waters that she loved and really wanted to get into but it was a little cool and windy that day to be getting wet. We also enjoyed a yummy lunch and a train ride around the boardwalk! We had a great day that ended with a big bag of pink cotton candy!

One of her favorite spots...the jumping waters!

Taegan and her cotton candy...pink of course! She said it tastes like pink fluff!

Baseball anyone?!?

2010-03-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

One Saturday Chad, Taegan and I were outside enjoying the beautiful weather and Tae found her bat and a ball. We got to playing ball in the backyard and Chad was quite impressed at how well Tae was hitting the ball. I think the conversation went something like this:

Chad: I think we found her sport...baseball.

Taegan: Girls don't play baseball!

Chad: No...girls play softball.

Taegan: Well....not this girl!

At this point Chad and I just look at each other and together ask well...what are you going to do?

Taegan: I am going to be an ice skater, a ballerina or a princess!

Family!

2010-03-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the special people in our lives....

My Mom and nephew Tyler,

Taegan and my niece Sara,

Taegan and her great great grandma,

and Taegan and her cousin baby Ayden!

We enjoyed our visit over Spring Break!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

It snowed...and we missed it!

2010-02-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have seen so many beautiful pictures of all of the wonderful snow that we had at home. It is amazing to see everything blanketed in 7 - 8 inches of pure white. I am sure it was even more beautiful in person! We missed it! I had gone with Chad to a conference in Florida and Taegan was staying with my parents in Pasadena. We were suppose to be home on Friday and if we would have made it we would have been here to see it all! But...we didn't make it. We ended up being in Florida a day longer than expected because of flight delays and cancellations. Everyone thinks being stuck in Florida...what a great thing especially when there is snow at home, but it was cold there so not as great as you would think. We finally made it to my parents but still didn't head home because we had no power at home so we stayed put until we new we had power to go home to. Saturday afternoon we headed home. Along the way we saw lots of melting snowmen and a few remnant's of the snow. At one point Taegan was holding back tears because she wanted to play in the snow and had missed it. Chad and I felt terrible since she will probably be 15 before we have a snow like that again. We were just hoping there was something left of it when we got home so she could at least see and touch it. Well when we finally arrived home we had a happy little girl. There wasn't much snow left but there was enough that she got to throw some snowballs and build a small snowman. Our little snowman looked like the typical Texas snowman....very small!

We might not have been home for the 7-8 inches of snow, but Taegan had a great time with the snow she did get to play in!

Taegan is such a funny girl!

2010-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

As Taegan gets older she continues to make us laugh!

Like a lot of people at the beginning of the new year I have vowed myself to the treadmill! I am not one to enjoy exercise, but as I get older I am finding I probably need to fall in love with it! I have been doing pretty good at getting it in 4 to 5 times a week...very surprising I know! Well Taegan is usually around when I am doing this and learning that exercise is something you should do to keep in shape. She seems to be keeping up with the days I do and don't get on the treadmill. One night I was sitting on the bed and she was standing on the treadmill the conversation went something like this....

Taegan: Mommy are you going to get on the treadmill tonight?

Me: No...I think I am going to wait and do it tomorrow.

Taegan: Well...your tummy is going to get big.

Me: (not sure what to say I just look at her...I guess looking pretty surprised)

Taegan: (very matter of fact) Well it is!

She is definitely making sure I stick with the program! She is such a hoot and I LOVE every moment I have with her!

Where did January go??

2010-02-14T10:57:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe January is gone and we are already half way through February. Where is the time going?? We brought in the New Year with some of our good friends in Louisiana. The kids had a great time playing together as usual. We really don't get together often enough these days.

Taegan and Max enjoyed playing some big kid games together....

but they also enjoyed being with Landry!

More Christmas Pics!

2009-12-30T16:17:00.001-08:00

Santa brought lots of fun surprises this year! Taegan couldn't really come up with many things to ask Santa for so she decided surprises are always nice!

Santa brought a doll house...

a stocking full of goodies and....

he even brought the Tinkerbell music box that she started asking for on Christmas Eve last year! This was her favorite gift of all even if it was a year late!

Christmas Day!

2009-12-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Christmas day at home...just the 3 of us! It was nice just to be home and let Taegan enjoy all of her things. Taegan slept until 10:30 that morning. Chad and I were up and waiting for her to come downstairs....I wonder how many years sleeping in on Christmas morning will happen?!? When she finally got up we all had a good time opening gifts and seeing what Santa brought!

My sweet girl always has a smile in the morning...especially when there are presents!

Finally a talking Jesse!

A Princess game for our sweet princess!

Some sparkly new clothes!

Taegan and Daddy relaxing!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Chad's family. We had a fun filled day of eating, relaxing and eating some more! The kids always enjoying being together and being able to play!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

We hope that your Christmas is filled with many sweet blessings and memories as you celebrate the birth of our Saviour! Wishing you and your family a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Much love from our family to yours!

We saw Santa!

2009-12-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Today at school Taegan and I had a Polar Express pajama day. We had so much fun reading the book, watching the movie and enjoying chocolate milk and cookies! We also had a very special visitor today....Santa himself came to visit us at First Kids! I wasn't sure if Taegan would go to him or not since she starting clinging to my leg as her turn came closer, but when it was her turn she crawled right up on his lap and started talking away! I was so proud of her!

So happy to see Santa!

Thinking hard about what she wants Santa to bring her!

Christmas...Part 1

2009-12-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas has begun! Christmas is such a wonderful time of year when we get to spend time with family and Celebrate Our Saviors birth! We spent the weekend in Pasadena with my family celebrating the birth of my niece's sweet baby boy and having our Christmas with them. We had a such a good time visiting and watching the kids play. The kids had a great time tearing into their gifts and lots of excitement filled the air as they discovered what was in each package! We always enjoy our time with them and can't wait for our next visit!

Taegan with her cousins Grant and Grady!

My Dad with Taegan and his new great grandson Ayden!

My Grandma holding her great great grandson!

The proud new mommy and daddy!

I'm a Great Aunt!

2009-12-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

We have been anxiously awaiting the birth of my precious great nephew for 9 months now. My sweet niece Sara delivered her sweet blessing at 12:09am on December 10th. Ayden Jacob weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. He is a very handsome, healthy little boy! Mommy and Daddy are doing great and adjusting to life with a newborn!

Becoming a Princess!

2009-12-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

On our last day in Disneyworld we took Taegan to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. While at the Boutique a Fairy Godmother transformed our sweet angel into a
Princess! Taegan had the sweetest Fairy Godmother. Taegan sat so still and talked to her while she was having her hair and makeup done. I have to tell you that every morning when I brush Taegan's hair it is a battle with some whining and crying, but as you can guess while at the boutique she sat so still and never let out a peep....imagine that!

After finishing at the boutique we let her pick out a princess dress and shoes....she chose pink of course! The sass began to pour out of her as soon as the dress was on, but I have to say she looked precious!

Once she was all fancied up we headed to Cinderella's Castle for lunch. We met Cinderella along with Belle, Snow White, Jasmine and Princess Aurora. We enjoyed a great lunch in the castle with our sweet princess!

What a MAGICAL vacation...

2009-11-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

We just got back from spending a week in Disneyworld! It was so much fun!! Taegan experienced her first plane ride....and LOVED it! I was a little worried about how she would do, but I soon realized there were no worries. She laughed during the take-off and landing coming and going. Her daddy has come to the conclusion that she is going to love roller coasters because of this! We spent 5 days in the parks and enjoyed every minute of it! Taegan LOVES Jesse from Toy Story 2 so we were definitely on a mission to meet her while we were there. On Thursday night we went to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and had a blast! We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas parade that included every character and even Santa! I didn't think Taegan would be able to talk the next day due to losing her voice from screaming with excitement as each character came by. After the parade we went to meet Jesse! Jesse and Woody were together and since we had already met Woody Taegan went straight for Jesse. She was in awe and smiling from ear to ear. As we finished our pictures fireworks starting going off so Jesse took Taegan by the hand and away they went to watch them. Taegan and Jesse laughed and played together while watching the show...it was so great to see her so filled with excitement!! I will say that this made my night for her to have so much one on one with Jesse! I have to add that Jesse has been and imaginary friend of Taegan's for quite some time and she goes places with us often so for her to get to meet her in person was a pretty great experience for her! Every night while she was taking a bath I would always ask her what her favorite thing was that we did that day, most days her answer was the Dumbo ride. Her answer was no different on this particular night so I asked her what about Jesse...her little eyes lit up and she said Jesse was awesome!! So precious! So many fun memories were made and will tell some more soon!

Loves of my Life!

2009-11-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

October fun!

2009-11-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

October has been a month full of fun! Taegan had "Fire Safety Day" at school. The firemen came to talk to the kids and then they got to climb into the fire truck. Taegan enjoyed them coming and seeing the truck! She even volunteered to show everyone how to stop, drop and roll. I was so proud of her! She also had "Trunk or Treat". It got moved into the gym because of the rain, but it was still loads of fun and she came home with a ton of candy! She got to wear her costume to school that day. She chose a pink fairy princess costume! My girl loves fairies and princesses and she especially LOVES pink! The night before Halloween Taegan and I carved our pumpkin. Tae chose to carve Tinkerbell into our pumpkin and it turned out GREAT! We LOVED our pumpkin when it was finished!

"Stop, Drop and Roll"!

The firetruck!

Our sweet fairy princess!

Our pumpkin!

Its been a while...

2009-11-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

I had some computer problems, but things are all good now. Taegan started back to preschool in September and is loving it! She LOVES her school and her teacher. She is always very excited and ready to go!

Summer Catch Up...

2009-08-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe summer is over and school is back in session! We had a GREAT summer full of fun activities! As I posted before we spent a week at the beach in Florida in June and had a great time. In July Chad and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. WOW...I can't believe it has been 10 years already! We have had a great time together over the past 10 years growing and learning new things. We have been through many changes together over the years we have bought houses, moved to a new place, gone through job changes, made new friends, visited new places and the BIGGEST change of all was becoming Mommy and Daddy! God has been very good to us and filled our lives with many blessings! We spent our anniversary in Seattle and had a wonderful time! Taegan and I went to a Tea Party with Chad's mom, sister and niece and had so much fun. The girls looked so cute and had a great time together! At the end of July Taegan and I spent a week in Galveston with my family. We had a great time that week with Mom and Pop and aunts and cousins! Summer was great and I can't wait to see what Fall brings!

Chad and I enjoying a boat ride in Seattle....it was beautiful!

Emma and Taegan ready for the tea party!

Taegan is such a "Glam Girl"!

Enjoying some watermelon at the beach!

Sara, Pirate Grady and Taegan at the Strand in Galveston!

A week at the beach in Florida!

2009-07-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

Taegan and I spent last week in Panama City Beach Florida with my sister and her family. Chad flew in and spent a few days...it was nice to have him there with us! We had a great time soaking up the sun, playing in the sand, ocean and pool!

Fun day at the zoo!

2009-06-17T08:10:00.001-07:00

Oh my...

2009-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

A princess must always wear her crown even if she is just looking at old photos!

Let the summer begin...

2009-06-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

with some fun at the lake with friends!

My girl loves shoes...

2009-05-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

Taegan and I went shopping and she found some shoes she just had to have. The shop owner was showing them to me and put them on her foot and that was it! We left the store with them on her feet! They are PINK and SPARKLEY so that is all it took for Taegan!

Taegan is 4!!

2009-05-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Taegan turned 4 last week, and I can't believe it! I think the past 4 years have been the fastest 4 years of my life. On her birthday Chad took the day off and we spent the day doing whatever Taegan wanted to. It was all about her and she picked up on that pretty fast. We had so much fun! We started our day at Toys R Us...so much fun with her! She shopped and looked and found lots of things she wanted so we did a lot trading things in and out of the basket as she found something new she would have to put something up. She did great and ended up finding a new baby that needed a home! She also got a basketball goal ...picked out by her daddy! I never thought I would have a basketball goal as part of my decor in my living room...it only gets to stay as long as nothing gets broken...so far so good! We have had lots of fun with it as a family! After the toy store we went to eat and then to Chuck E Cheese for some games. Taegan had lots of fun riding the rides and playing the games. We then headed home to play with our new toys and rest a little. We ended the night with dinner out and then back home to have cake. It was a great day...as is everyday with our sweet blessing!

Easter....finally!

2009-04-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

I know Easter has come and gone, but I am a little slow on getting my pictures downloaded. We enjoyed a wonderful Easter this year with lots of fun and family! We enjoyed the weekend before Easter with Chad's family at his parent's house and then Taegan and I went and spent Easter weekend with my family while Chad was out of town. Taegan had so much fun this year coloring eggs and having egg hunts. She was also very excited about "the bunny" visiting. She woke me up on Easter morning at 7 wanting to know where the bunny was! She was very excited to find her basket filled with goodies from "the bunny"!

Sweet tooth...

2009-03-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

Taegan woke up this morning wanting ice cream with sprinkles for breakfast. I told her she needed to eat something good for her before she had ice cream and gave her several choices. She then went into the pantry to get something and when she returned she had a package of sugar cookies! I guess she woke up with a sugar craving! So after mommy had a cup of coffee our little baker went to work! Taegan is such a good helper! She mixed...she rolled the dough and cut out the shapes...she got them ready for the oven...and she finished them off with icing and sprinkles!

Car talk...

2009-03-05T17:20:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday after MOPS Taegan and I had a few errands to run. While we were driving Taegan and I were chatting back and forth. I think she is so funny with some of the things she comes up with, but I thought this chat was pretty cute and wanted to share. It went something like this....

Taegan: Mommy who made the trees?
Me: God did!
Taegan: Where is God?
Me: He is in heaven.(I pointed up as I said this.)
Taegan: Well...he better flap his wings and get down here!

This morning as Taegan and I were getting in the car to go to school out of the blue Taegan says, "today is my day!". My reply to her was "Taegan everyday is your day!".

Taegan is such a happy girl! We have so much fun together, and I love to hear her perspective on things. She is a precious blessing from our amazing Saviour! I thank him everyday for allowing me have have such a precious gift!

Sweet answers...

2009-02-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

I think pretty much everything that comes out of Taegan's mouth is pretty cute! A lot of things she says I wonder how she came up with it or where she heard it. She is like a little sponge soaking everything in and it all seems to come out at some point in time. We have really been working on "Yes maam" and "Yes sir" lately and she pretty much has to be reminded every time. I am hoping that the day will come where it just comes out of her mouth without any thought. I had a very nice surprise today when she answered with a "yes maam" without being reminded. I am sure many reminders are still ahead of us, but today was a start. One of the sweetest things that we have been hearing lately is the answer to the question, "Taegan do you love me?". Her answer goes like this..."I love Jesus! I love Mommy! I love Daddy! I love Tiger!(the cat)" Does it get any sweeter than that?

Wedding bells already??

2009-01-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

...don't tell her daddy! My dear friend Leslie has two precious little boys Cullen and Grayson. Taegan loves them both and they all get along great. Cullen informed Leslie one day that he and Taegan were going to get married. So, one night they were over for dinner and I had some time to visit with Cullen. I asked him if he and Taegan were going to get married and he replied "yes". I then asked him if they had talked about it and again he replied "yes". After that he informed me that they were going to have a baby...no three babies. It was so funny because he was very serious in the conversation and very sure of his answers. They could make a very sweet pair one day, but if I want Taegan's daddy to be around a little longer we better keep it at playdates for now!

Could they be the future Mr. and Mrs. Cullen Bunt?? Only time will tell!

Such a sweet sound

2009-01-12T19:59:00.000-08:00

Monday I spent the day doing some "Spring" cleaning in January. It is never fun to do, but it sure does feel good when it is all done. As I was cleaning Taegan kept herself entertained with cartoons, her dolls and playdough. She even helped me clean for a little while. While she was sitting in the breakfast room playing with playdough I could hear her singing as I was cleaning. What a sweet sound it is to her little voice singing, but to hear her sing "Jesus Loves Me" makes it that much sweeter. I took some video to share, but can't seem to get it uploaded. I'll keep trying.

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas! We started the week out on Sunday in Kilgore with Chad's family. Taegan had a great time playing with her cousins Emma and Brady. We enjoyed lots of good food, good fun and good company. We left Kilgore on Monday and headed for Pasadena to my family. Again we enjoyed lots of good food, good fun and good company. We stayed at my parents until Saturday and headed home that afternoon. It is always good to enjoy a nice long visit! Once we got home Christmas officially ended as the tree and decorations were packed away for another year. Taegan loved Christmas this year...especially the presents! As another year comes to an end we have many happy memories to reflect on! I hope you and your family enjoyed Christmas as much as we did!

A pink guitar?!?!

2008-12-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

All throughout the month of December when Taegan was asked the question "What do you want for Christmas?" her answer has consistently been a pink guitar. She loves music and she loves to play and sing with her daddy. One night when he was playing and singing I asked her if she wanted to go listen to him not surprisingly she headed upstairs to him. While standing beside him watching she told us she couldn't play because she didn't have a pink guitar. Well, last night we exchanged our gifts and you will never guess what Taegan got...well you might. Taegan got a pink guitar! She was so excited. It needed a little tune up job so when she handed it to her daddy she told him to be very careful because it was very special. We had several mini concerts as the night went on with some beautiful playing and singing. Here is a little bit of one of her performances...the song is a Taegan original!

We rode the train!

2008-12-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

On Thursday Chad picked Taegan and I up school and we headed to Palestine to ride the Polar Express. Taegan was dressed in her Christmas pajamas and very excited about riding the train. During the drive over she would ask if we were going to the train and tracks. When I told her yes that we were on our way she would look out the window and say "I don' see the train and tracks." She was very excited when we finally arrived at the station. As we waited for the train to arrive she was very excited. When the train pulled in to the station it was a little loud for her, but with her fingers in her ears watching it pull up to the gate you could see the excitement in her eyes! We boarded the train and the adventure began. First, the conductor came and punched our tickets, Taegan couldn't get over the mess he had made on the floor, then we were served hot chocolate and chocolate Santa's. Soon we came upon the North Pole and saw Santa and his elves waving as we rolled by. Much to every ones surprise after a short stop in the North Pole Santa came in to our train car delivering reindeer bells! On the way back to the station everyone sang Christmas carols. You could hear the bells ringing and the laughter and happiness throughout the train. A fun time was had by all!

We saw Santa...

2008-12-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday Santa came to school to see everyone and take pictures. Taegan was excited that he was coming, but when it came time for pictures she didn't have anything to do with him. At the end I finally convinced her he wasn't so bad and she reached out and touched his finger. I think she did it just to please me, so I could get a picture. She is very excited about him coming on Christmas, but still isn't sure what she wants him bring. She said surprises are good, but the one think she does want is a pink guitar so she can play with daddy!

Where did November go?

2008-11-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is the end of November already. I haven't had any posts since Halloween...that is really bad...especially with a precious girl like Taegan in the house. She keeps us on our toes and in amazement with the things she comes up with. She told me the other day while trying to put her hair in my mouth that her hair tasted scrumptious...where did she learn that?!? Saturday she was helping me decorate the Christmas tree and she kept trying to turn the lights off on the tree because she told me it was wasting power. Our days are filled with lots of fun Taegan moments. We are so blessed to have her in our life.

Our little glamour girl loves to get in to mommy's lipstick! Isn't she gorgeous?

She loves bubbles...inside or outside!

Every girl needs her hat!

Our fancy girl...

2008-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Taegan dressed up as Fancy Nancy for her Halloween Day at school. The kids got to go "Trunk or Treating" with their class this morning collecting lots of candy from the many trunks of parents in the parking lot. The day was then full of fun activities ending with carving a pumpkin at home with mommy!

Here is our fancy girl ready to go to school.

She had to check out all of her candy on "daddy's" bed!

Our kitty cat pumpkin!