I just had to post these adorable pictures of my kids in their prime! As most of you know, my daughter is a ham and loves shoes. Imagine that!

I guess she was cold??????? Loves her new tap shoes and both of her stocking caps :)

Rylan's first swimming experience! He seems to be enjoying it!

Aaaaaahhhhh! Now this is the life!

Payton being the risk taker that she is in the water. She attempted sitting down in the water. She was tall enough (not usually a problem for Payton) to sit with out getting her face in the water, but it was a little too close for comfort.

This video is absolutely hysterical. She likes to look at the camera after I take a picture of her. I see dance lessons in her near future. I'm sorry that this video is sideways and that you have to listen to her annoying parents voices, but it was so funny that I had to put it on here. It's worth the neck ache.

Welcome to the World!

Yesterday, was yet another day that belongs in the super memorable category in my file. I got to help welcome my sweet nephew, Taylor Kale Oleson, into the world. As nervous as I was for my sister, I had tears to show that this little boy means something very special to me. My sister, Shauna, is by far a woman I have always looked up to and I still hope to some day endure all of the strength and goodness that she shares with every person that crosses her path. My "Marie" had some very strong contractions for about 24 hours and wasn't dialating for actual labor, so she and her husband, Shawn, elected to go the C-section route. Now, I did let my sister know that all my life I have lived and learned through Shauna's choices and sometimes mistakes and just when I think I have blazed a path for the first time for her to learn from me, she decides to take the other path. SHOCKING!! I don't know that I have ever worried about her more than when she was in the OR. I know that the man upstairs was watching over Shawn, Kale, and her the whole time. Her delivery went very well and Kale's stats show that he was 6 pounds 6 ounces and 18 3/4 inches long. He's just a little guy with a big heart. I look forward to holding my nephew within the next 24 hours. Here is a couple of pictures that I managed to get when he came out to meet family and friends.

Taylor Kale Oleson

6 pounds 6 ounces

18 3/4 inches

The one time when Kale will want to weigh as heavy as possible!

A new Daddy observing his good work!

Kale's (otherwise known as Snack Pack) perfect prints!

Happy Birthday to me!

Happy Birthday to me....I wish I were 23! Just kidding. I had a great birthday and celebrated with some friends and kiddos at Guadalajara's Mexican Restaurant. I got the royal treatment which included a margarita, loads of salsa and chips, yummy enchiladas, topped off with some spanish singing, a sombrero and my favorite sopapillas with whipped cream, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. How could anyone want more than that???? My day was complete with mowing and pulling weeds, playing with my kids, dining with friends and watching a super scary movie with my hubby. I got the best gift in the world which was some quality one on one time with my babies and to remind me that they grow up so very fast and it won't be long and we'll be celebrating their 23rd birthday too! ) I hope that my 29th year of life holds as much joy and accomplishment as the 28 previous years!

Here we are after we enjoyed some icecream cake!

Our walk to Amma's house in the rain! We got out the umbrellas despite the weather and enjoyed the cool temperatures.

She was sooo darn cute with her little umbrella. Cloud 9 (ha ha ha)

Belly Giggles!

Okay, so today our little man decided that his mommy was the funniest thing since sliced bread. I was rolling out our pizza dough and you would have thought I was on stage for Comedy Central. Finally, I couldn't wait any longer and pulled out the camera for some footage of the giggles that I live for. When my children laugh it reminds me of how much I absolutely love being a mom and having the two greatest kids in the whole wide world. I know that seems sort of cheesy, but until you have experienced it you wouldn't understand. So here is the footage I was telling you about only this time I was stomping my feet on the floor and that seemed to tickle his funny bone.

Chillin' on the pool side

So we decided that inspite of this incredible heatwave we would put water in the kids' pool and have some fun outside. Needless to say, we got all dressed for the occasion and it started raining. We waited it out and got about 5 minutes of sun to take some quick pics, before it started sprinkling again. Payton constantly talks about wanting to get in the "big drink" otherwise known as the pool, and all she wanted to do today is play in her sandbox. Whatever suits my 2 year old!

dazed and confused

bribed to smile for the camera

a little grin mixed with some spit bubbles in the "big drink"

all in a days work