Pause Please...

I just want to hit Pause and take it all in right now... Reagan is growing up so fast I feel like I can't keep up. Everyday there is a new word, a new gesture, a new "thing" she is into.... she is

changing into a little girl...

Right now at 1 year 10months this is what she likes:

• She still loves to play with her hair, your hair, any ones hair when she is tired
• She can sing every song on the radio after hearing the verse once
• She loves playing with her dollhouse and tells us what is going on with all the people/pets
• Loves to swing and play on her swingset
• Likes to eat popsicles and would have the entire box gone in one day if we would let her
• She uses her left hand to do most things (Jon is still hoping she will be right handed)
• She likes to color on the windows (with window markers) and does a good job ONLY coloring on the window
• She can count to 10, but always leaves out 7
• She can sing her ABCs
• She knows most of the main colors and will point them out to us
• She likes to talk on the phone
• She loves to read books
• She now sleeps with her "B", Blankie, Plopper (a puppy) ,and Vincent (a bear) and we have to carry them everywhere with us
• She likes to tell us "no" and "shh, be quiet"
• She LOVES to dance and will dance whenever she hears music, it doesn't matter where we are
• She is becoming more of a picky eater
• She has a UTI right now :(
• She has a 4T swimsuit that is too small (I think it was mis-marked)
• She likes to laydown next to Brandy and talk to her (at least 3 times a week)
• She has realized that she does not have a penis and we have to talk about why she doesn't everyday (She became aware of this after spending a month with her cousin, Michael)
• She figured out that Butters has a penis
• She likes to play outside
• She still wants to cuddle up with us when she gets tired
• She gets excited to see us in the morning and almost always wakes up happy
• She likes to climb up and sit at the kitchen table, and she will stay there until we acknowledge that we see her
• She has been taking toys at daycare, but they said she gives them right now
• She has been in to hitting and kicking- usually just me and sometimes Jon- she is quickly learning that she can't do that!
• She will talk for 3 minutes straight and we only know about half of what she says
• She likes to wear ponytails
• She tells everything good-bye when leaving a room
• She tells us she loves us everyday!!

Happy 4 years!

Jon and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary this week. Because of his work schedule, we went out last Saturday night. I was so excited to get dressed up and go to a movie and out to eat. We ran a few errands in Ankeny, bought a generator, saw the Hangover (absolutely hilarious), and went out to eat at Waterfront. It was a nice evening. I can't remember the last time Jon and I got to spend that much time together, alone, outside of this house. It was very nice! I can't believe how fast 4 years have gone... they have been full of ups and downs, hard times, good times, and everything in between. All I know is that we are very lucky to have each other and I love him more and more everyday!!

( On our actual anniversary- Jon went to work, I took Reagan swimming, Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson died...what a day!)

Happy Fathers Day!

We had a great Fathers Day! ( We celebrated on time, I am just behind on my blogging). Top ten Reasons Reagan loves her daddy:

• He lets her watch any movie she wants
• He plays with her
• He gives her suckers and will keep digging until he finds the color she wants
• He takes her to the park and swimming pool
• He pushes her in her swing instead of mowing the lawn
• He gives her hot dogs at least 3 times a week
• He lets her pick out her own clothes
• He gives her a bath and lets her splash all the water out of the bathtub
• He calls to talk to Reagan everyday when he is at work
• He loves Reagan with all that he has!

Reagan is very lucky to have a great daddy!

Why we love our neighbors even more...

One Sunday afternoon I went to lay Reagan down for her nap and came downstairs to find this!!

Our neighbors children have outgrown their swingset, so they just GAVE it to us!! They hauled it over on a trailer, lifted it over the fence, and got it all put together. This is why I love our neighborhood. Reagan has spend endless hours on this swingset! (I still need to get pictures of her on it) I can't thank our neighbors enough for this gift for Reagan. I hope someday we can pass it on to someone else!

More pictures from Colorado

Grandparents with the kiddos

Nice Shades...she doesn't go anywhere without them!

Owen chillin in the swing

Michael Man

Me and Owen- he looks thrilled that I am riding with him.

Smile!

Fun at the park!

Strike A Pose!

Cousins heading to the swimming pool!

Relay for Life 2009

On Friday, June 12, we headed back to Lake City... We were so excited to get there, but also sad on the drive. We headed back to meet up with all of Jon's family to walk in the Relay for Life in honor of Jon's grandpa Cecil. Cecil lost his battle with cancer in February of this year... it is still hard for all of us to think of him as being gone. We were excited to see the entire family. Almost all of Jon's cousins were there with their kids. This means one thing: CHAOS!!! But it is good chaos: cousins happy to see each other, little kids trying to keep up with big kids, moms running after kids, grandma Phyllis smiling taking it all in. The Relay was moved indoors because of rain. We weren't really sure what to expect, so we just stayed flexible. It was very emotional seeing everyone there, remembering the ones who weren't there, and looking around knowing everybody had a story. We all wore shirts that said Team Remsburg and on the back " In Memory of Cecil Remsburg: Gone, but not Forgotten". There was music playing, people laughing and crying. We walked laps around tables and no one seemed to mind. The kids had fun holding hands and dancing their way around. I am pretty sure Reagan would have walked all night! As I walked holding Reagan's hand and Jon holding her other hand, I imagined my grandpa's up there with Cecil smiling down on us. I looked around all of Jon's family and was glad that is where I was...with them, honoring Cecil and for me my grandpa's as well.

They are missed and they will NEVER be forgotten!

Here are the Remsburg Cousins with their kids... I am not sure what Jenny was doing, but this was the best picture I got!

Here are the great-grand kids (Minus Macy who unlike the rest of them, took a nap!)

Reagan's 1st Road Trip!

Uncle Chad and Reagan at the Aquarium
Alisa, Owen, & Chad

Cheese!!

Sweet little Owen!!

Taking a break after a long car ride, swim, and jumping on the bed

On May 27 Reagan and I spent the night at my parents in anticipation for our trip the next day. We got up at 2:30am, loaded what was left into the van, changed diapers, and took off on our 10+ hour trip! My dad drove, my mom rode shotgun, Michael and Reagan sat in the middle, and Shanon and I were in the back of my parents mini van. Michael and Reagan made the transition well. We were hoping they would just go back to sleep and stay that way for a while.. they did not. They stayed awake until about 4:30am, then they went to sleep, which meant we could go to sleep!

They slept until Omaha, then the fun began. We packed little things for them to play with. The best purchase for the trip was the $.99 pop open brush from Walmart. Michael brushed my hair a lot! We made a short pit stop at a rest area, we let them run around for about 15 minutes, then back in the car we went. Our next stop was at Fort Cody in Nebraska. I remember stopping here a few times as a kid. It was nice because it is tourist place with lots of things to see and a fence!! We were there about an hour. While we were there Michael and Reagan:

• Got their picture taken with an Indian, a bear, in jail, in a tee-pee
• Michael got a rubber band gun
• Reagan got a purse
• Ran, Ran, and Ran some more
• Watch a little train go around

It was not easy getting Reagan back into her car seat (this became a theme over the trip). We loaded back up and hit the drive through at Wendy's. Ate lunch and then it was nap time... Reagan took a 3 hour nap and slept most of the way into Colorado. Michael took a 30 minute nap and kept say "Mona, hey Mona!" trying to get my mom's attention. We finally made it to the hotel at 2:30pm!! We let them get out and run free. My brother and sister in law weren't home from work yet, so we decided to take the kids swimming. They had fun, but it was more work for us as the pool was not kid friendly. Then we showered and got ready and headed to Chad and Alisa's. Here are some of the things that happened while we were there:

• Seeing Owen and giving him lots of hugs (he learned to pull Reagan's hair quickly)
• Seeing Chad and Alisa
• Teaching Chad and Alisa all the things two 2 year olds could get into at their house
• Reagan never sitting still
• Michael calling Merlin Mer and always trying to find him
• Going to the Denver Zoo on the busiest day of the year, so then we went to the Denver Aquarium instead
• Reagan crying from the zoo to the aquarium because she wanted out of her car seat
• Playing with Owen's toys
• Taking walks and looking at all the Million dollar home about 3 blocks away from my brothers house
• Visiting with Alisa's family
• Taking the kids swimming
• Reagan sleeping in bed with me at night
• Michael trying to climb out of the pack-n-play
• Playing Rummicub
• Going to Pratt Park and Wash Park
• Me falling on my a$$ as Pratt park because I slipped on sand while trying to catch Reagan at the end of the slide. It was quite humorous and my mom was video taping (I don't think she got it though because she was laughing too hard!)
• Tired babies and adults
• Alisa and Chad's yummy cooking
• Reagan always wanting me and screaming for me
• "Mooonnna, Hey Mona!"(this is what Michael calls my mom)

It was a fun trip with lots of memories. I always get excited to see my siblings and nephews. I get equally as sad when it is time to say good-bye. We headed back to Iowa on June 1. The drive home was pretty good, we did have to break out the DVD player and suckers for the kids. We got home at 7pm. Jon was excited for us to be home... ok, for Reagan to be home :). I am sure my dad had fun cleaning the van windows from where the kids were sitting.

All in all it was a great trip and the kids did great all things considered!!

(there will be more pictures posted from this trip!)

Where did May go??

Where the heck did May go?? Really, it is already June... Here is what we did the last part of May:

• Celebrated Mother's Day
• Shanon and Michael got here
• Babysat Parker
• My friend Amy had her baby- Olivia Anne
• Angela, Dalton and Devin came up for a long weekend
• Played the Wii
• Celebrated Parker and Henry's Baptism
• Went to a Memorial Day Service where they awarded a silver star to my best friends family in honor of her grandpa
• Had a bbq at my grandma Tjelmeland's
• Celebrated Michaels 2nd Birthday
• Packed and went to Colorado ( more to come on this later)

Reagan kissing Michael for the 100th time
COUSINS!!

Hugs for Michael!

Reagan and her grandmas on Mothers Day!

Me & Reagan on Mothers day

(there are more pictures to come, but I can't get them to upload right now)