My heart is filled with...

I have been married for 5 wonderful years to the love of my life!!! We have encountered many blessings and hardships in these past 5 years, but we always manage to stay in love with each other along the way. Some of you may know our love story, but for the ones who don't, here is a recap of the fairytale we lived and continue to live...

Just thinking about these moments gives me butterflies all over again...

June 2nd, 2004 the day I saw my husband (accidentally) for the first time. He was the fourth profile down on an on-line dating site called Cupid Junction/Single Me.

June 3rd, 2004 the first time I heard my husbands voice... a conversation that lasted for 2 hours and left us both wanting more. We continued corresponding through cell phone calls that would last for 3+ hours a day which nearly every minute was filled with conversation.

Fast forward...because that is just how we are. :)

July 15, 2004 the first time I saw Steve in the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. I had my Grandma Miller by my side (just in case), but no worries Steve was a complete gentleman. I fell in love completely!

July 17, 2004 Steve and I head to Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake and then spend an amazing time in Toronto, Canada. That night he officially proposed in front of an amazing view of the Toronto skyline! It was perfect!

July 21, 2004 we fly to Nevada for his business conference in Lake Las Vegas. We got spoiled for 2 days at the Ritz Carlton. I love that place!

July 23, 2004 Steve and I finalize last minute details (flowers, my hair appointment, etc) we completely had a stress free wedding.

July 24th, 2004 Steve and I officially say I do! A wedding neither one of us will ever forget! Sorry, no details because that day was meant for just the two of us!

And as they say, "the rest is history."

We are enjoying raising our beautiful daughter, Taidyn and continue to live happily ever after!

I love you, Love!!! Thank you for being a wonderful husband, an amazing father and my best friend! I am so thankful we are together! Happy 5th Anniversary to us!

Jumpin' and Skatin'

We wore out Interstate 80 from Laramie to Cheyenne over Memorial Day weekend. And Interstate 25 from Cheyenne to near Denver wasn't safe, either.

With unpredictable springtime weather hanging around Laramie all weekend -- and a little girl who didn't want to sit around the house -- we decided to get out of town Sunday and Monday for a few fun-filled firsts for Taidyn.

Our first adventure began Sunday morning, when we all piled into the green sub -- Taidyn's name for our green car -- and drove a few hours into the Denver area. Our destination was Jump Street, an indoor trampoline park in Thornton that promised an afternoon of excitement for Taidyn.

Once there, Taidyn had a blast, bouncing high in the air and landing on her bum inside one inflated playhouse and tumbling down a huge slide inside another. It was tiring just watching her! :)

From Jump Street, we headed to the nearest McDonald's with a play area to let Taidyn burn off more energy. It worked, too. She napped for the entire drive home and, get this, until 9:30 a.m. Monday. Wow!

After breakfast on Monday -- Taidyn helped me make muffin tops -- we took off on the second leg of our weekend adventure. The drive was shorter this time, a 50-mile journey over to Cheyenne's Taco John's Events Center.

There, Taidyn went roller skating for the first time. And Cass and I donned skates for the first time in, well, a very long time! Typical of Taidyn, she didn't want to hold on to the wall or our hands. She's our Miss Independent! For a first-timer, Taidyn did remarkably well. She only fell twice, I think, and brushed it off both times. We had lots of fun!

All of the driving was worth it! Taidyn had a great weekend -- and so did her mommy and daddy. :)

Flying High!

So, wow, where have the last few months gone? Our last post here was in February?!?!?! Shame on us!

But, today, we're back with a bang! :)

With the best weather of the year (so far) as our inspiration, Cass, Taidyn and I spent a fun-filled few hours in the sunshine today. This is sure to be a day we won't ever forget since it was the first day that Taidyn flew a kite. And, get this, she turned out to be better at it than me or Cass!!

But before we flew the kite -- a Barbie kite, of course! -- we hit up one of Laramie's great community parks. It had been a few months since Taidyn had hit up the slides and swings, but she picked up right where she left off. She has graduated to the "big kid" swing now and, if it weren't for other kids wanting to use the swing, I think she'd stay on there all day!

As much as she loves the swing, Taidyn's first love right now is her new big-girl bike, with training wheels and all! After we coaxed her off the swing (lol!), Taidyn hopped aboard her bike and pedaled all the way around the park. At one point, we stopped and threw bread to a bunch of hungry sea gulls who were just hanging out around the pond. Yep, sea gulls in Wyoming. Go figure! About 15 minutes later, we ended up right back at the playground, so, of course, Taidyn headed right back to the swing! Smart girl, huh?

It was tougher to get her off the swing a second time, let me tell you. But with the promise of flying a kite, she finally agreed. We left the park and headed to the recreation fields at the University of Wyoming. Lots of open space there, perfect for kite flying.

We weren't sure what to expect, to be honest. Was Taidyn going to hold onto the string? Was she strong enough to hold the kite in the wind? Turns out we had NOTHING to worry about! As soon as I handed control of the kite to Taidyn, she was a kite-flying pro! We were stunned and proud at the same time.

We already can't wait for our next kite-flying adventure! Wonder if Cass will let me get a G.I. Joe kite? :)

Open Up and Say Hi

We went to Cheyenne on Monday for Taidyn's second dentist appointment. And, boy, was she excited!

As soon as we walked into the reception area, Taidyn began speaking to the receptionist and this is how the conversation went ...

Taidyn: "Hi, I am going to see Christine and she is going to say, "Ooh, Taidyn, you have beautiful, shiny, white teeth."
Receptionist: "Oh, you are?"
Taidyn: "Huh-huh."
Taidyn: "Then I am going to see Dr. Clark and he is going to say, "Ooh, Taidyn you have beautiful, clean, shiny teeth."
Receptionist: "Oh, I think he will say that, too. You are so cute. You just made my day."

Taidyn then made her way to the play area and started to build towers with wooden blocks. She made a new friend, named Phoebe, while she waited for her turn to see the dentist.

When Christine called Taidyn's name, you could see the excitement in her eyes. During the appointment, Christine treated Taidyn like a rock star. She let her try on all her gear (glasses, face mask and gloves) and let her play with all the dental instruments. Nothing was off limits to Taidyn that day. Enjoy the photos. :)

Afterward, Steve and I took Taidyn to the mall for a special treat and let her run and play in the indoor playground. We have made that our little tradition!

Best Friends: Today, Tomorrow and Always

A friend for life is hard to come by, but these two girls (and their mommys) share a bond that is once in a lifetime.

We made the 10-plus hour drive to Cedar City, Utah, this weekend to spend some quality time with good friends. When we arrived early Friday afternoon, Brittney ran up to Taidyn! The girls gave each other the biggest hug and then walked away hand-in-hand. Steve and I couldn't believe it!

Taidyn was having such a blast that she didn't even care her daddy had to leave for a few days for business. Brittney and Taidyn immediately started playing Barbies in Britt's room ... Taidyn was in heaven! She even told Britt's brothers, "I think we need some privacy, please." Too funny!

On Saturday morning, Brittney wanted to show me her dance recital video. The girls and I watched the whole video together and Taidyn was hooked. A ballerina was born! Afterward, Brittney was inspired to get her ballerina slippers on and perform live for me. Taidyn joined in on the fun, using an old pair of Britt's black "ballerina look-a-like" dress shoes. The girls danced and danced and danced. It was a tear-jerker moment.

On Saturday afternoon, Tonya and I decided to take the girls shopping in St. Goerge. We hit TCP and with help from us, the girls found some great outfits. We also made a few more stops, including one that included a pair for ballerina slippers for Taidyn (Tonya insisted on buying them!).

It was so cute to watch them shop together. Here our little girls were shopping together ... just like Tonya and I enjoy doing together. Since we were leaving the next day, we decided the girls should get their pictures taken together. Here are a few from our amateur photo shoot. The girls had a blast with a little encouragement/promise of a peanut butter cup in the their future. :)

The weekend went by so fast, but not with out some good times and A LOT of laughs. Thanks to my best friend Tonya and her wonderful kids, we all had a blast! We miss you already. See you in Wyoming!

A Reese's Kind of Love ...

First came this along with these ... yummy treats below

Then came this ...

Finally, came this and ... oh boy was it worth the wait

Happy Heart Day Everyone!!!!

Taidyn Words ...

And a few words from your favorite (soon to be) 4-year-old ....

"AS HIGH OF THE SKY, AS DEEP OF THE OCEAN ... NEVER ENDING!"

Braided Heart Head ... ADORABLE

So ... I attempted to do something really creative with Taidyn's hair last night after coming across this "super easy" style on line! I thought it would be the perfect look for her to support today at Preschool for her Valentine's party. Here is what we ended up with .....

Another side shot ....

I will let you be the judge. Taidyn, Steve and I thought they turned out great ... "perfect" double heart braids!

It Wasn't Me!

When I went to wake up Taidyn this morning, I found something I didn't expect. A wet bed.

For the first time in a long time, Taidyn had an accident while she was sleeping. I think she was as surprised as me, actually.

But, get this, Taidyn said she didn't do it. ;)

After she felt her wet pajamas, Taidyn picked up her two favorite Barbie dolls, Liana and Alexa, who, of course, sleep with her, and looked up at me.

Then, she smiled a little smile and said, "Daddy, Liana and Alexa peed in my bed."

I couldn't help but smile back at her. I love that little girl!

The Story of the Snow Globe

So, the other day, I talked myself into a corner with Taidyn. At least it was an affordable mistake. ;)

Taidyn's infatuation with Barbie has led to many desires -- among them dolls, dresses and, most recently, a snow globe. Her interest in a snow globe comes from the "Barbie in A Christmas Carol movie, in which Barbie shares hers with her little sister, Kelly.

While visiting my family in Oregon last month, Cass and I found a cute little snow globe at Walgreens a few days after Christmas. It was .75 cents, I think, because the store was trying to clear out all of its holiday merchandise. We bought it and surprised Taidyn with it.

"Oooohhhh, a snow globe!!!" she squealed. A moment later, she said, "Now I have my very own snow globe just like Kelly."

That lasted, well, about five minutes. As Taidyn was romping around my parents' house, she tripped and fell in the kitchen. The snow globe shattered on the wood floor.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I picked up Taidyn at day care and asked her if she wanted to go help me pick up a few things at the store.

"Probably they have snow globes at the store," she told me.

"Maybe," I said. Thinking that snow globes were a Christmas-only type of thing and that no store would still have any in stock, I mistakenly added, "If they have a snow globe, you can get one."

As soon as we got into the store, Taidyn went on her mission. She searched aisle after aisle, shelf after shelf. She told a few shoppers, "I'm looking for a snow globe!" On the second-to-last aisle, Taidyn hit paydirt, proudly looked up at me and announced, "A snow globe!"

Of course, I couldn't say no because I had made her a promise. I'm glad it was only a $1.

She toted the snow globe, an Easter-themed one with a bunny inside of it, to the checkout lane. There, Taidyn ran across a woman whom she had seen in one of the aisles.

"You found one!" the woman said to her.

Taidyn looked at her and said, "I told my daddy they probably had a snow globe at the store."

Did she just stick it to me, or what?

JOB WELL DONE, DADDY!

This weekend daddy went to the annual Wyoming Press Association convention, while mommy and I spent some quality time together.

While there, daddy found out he won two first-place awards for his writing and press releases.

We are so proud of you!

Thanks for coming home so early today! Mommy and I missed you A LOT!!!!

Christmas Wishes Granted

We just wanted to blog about our holiday celebrations.

We traveled to and from Oregon this Christmas. We visited with family, went to the Portland Children's Museum, had a photoshoot, saw an incredible holiday light show and had a few (needed) date nights! (see photos)

Thank you to all of you who spoiled our daughter this year with love, hugs & kisses and pressies. She is enjoying all of her new wonderful toys, games and books.

We played one of her new games (Cat in the Hat: I Can Do That) for the first time last night. We all thought this game was hysterical! We all had a blast trying to complete our different challenges. Surprisingly, Taidyn was the winner in both games ... even though her daddy had to slide under the trick-a-ma-stick, on his belly, with a cake balanced on his head. Wow, what a challenge, but he did it!!! In the end he ended up with a score of 23 and Taidyn 24. Sorry daddy, you lose ... again! ;)

The most prized pressies this year ... The Alexa purple dress with long dark hair wig and purple necklace. (see photos) That's our silly little girly girl.

We hope that everyone enjoyed the holiday season as much as we did.

Happy New Year ... 2009 has begun!