Our Little Spartan....Go Geen!

Yes, I realize that I spelled green wrong in the title, but that is how Kylie cheers for the Spartans! She just started saying it this past Thursday. Last week was the first game that Kylie was able to watch with Todd, and he kept trying to get her to say "Go Green." Thursday night at Grandma and Grandpa's she was playing with her MSU football that plays the fight song and when it finished, I told her to say "Go Green" and she didn't even pause and blurted out, "Go Geen" then I couldn't get her to stop saying it. I called Todd and left him a voice mail that our daughter said a new word and when he got home from bowling I told him what it was. Friday we kept trying to get her to say it, and she finally started saying it again. Today while watching football after MSU scored for the first time, Todd and I both clapped and said Go Green, and then Kylie said it too, she is so proud of herself when she does it, so it makes it that much cuter!
Here are the pictures from last Saturday. After the Race for the Cure we came home just in time to watch football with Todd. Of course we had to change Kylie's clothes from her pink outfit to her new MSU shirt that daddy picked out for her. While watching the game she found Todd's shoe, my purse, and my new pink scarf from the race. She is not wearing any shorts in the first picture, we had just changed her diaper and her new favorite thing is to run away from us before we can get her pants on her.
When we were at the mall after the Race for the Cure Nana bought Kylie a new back-pack, she loved wearing it around the house. She actually was going to spend the night at Nana and Papa's again and we actually used her back-pack for her clothes.
I know this picture is a little dark, but this is to show the new back-pack, and yes it is full of clothes, for her over night trip.
Kylie was wandering all over the house, blowing kisses and playing with Mia before she left, then she found my scarf again and decided to put it on. She is so goofy and fun!

Race for the Cure......A lot of pictures

On Saturday September 27th I participated in the Susan G. Komen race for the cure. The race in Grand Rapids, starts at Rivertown Crossings Mall and goes up Wilson to 52nd st. and then to Canal and through the high school parking lot and then back to the mall. It is about 3.1 miles.
I think I have done about 5 or 6 times, I have lost count. It originally started with Amy and I only, well with the thousands of others. We missed the year that Amy and Josh got married, due to the fact that our hair appointments were at the same time as the race and we couldn't figure out how to do both.
Every year we invite our friends and family to join us and every year we end up with different people to walk with. Last year Kylie was able to make her debut walk, she was dressed head to toe in Pink and rode in her stroller, she slept the whole time. This year she also came along and was dressed in pink....I can't imagine her walking in it, there are just too many people, plus three miles is a long time for those little legs, she loved being in her stroller this year and stayed awake the whole time, she kept clapping and cheering and talking, she loved it and was entertained by the huge crowd of people.
This year we did things a little differently, we actually walked on a team captained by the wonderful Breast Cancer survivor, Kelly Anglim. Our team name was Hakuna Ma Ta Ta's and we plan on walking or running again next year. If there is anyone out there who would like to join us you are more than welcome, the race will be on Saturday September 26, 2009. This year our team raised about $1800 and we would like to double that amount next year.
We all need to be reminded that Breast Cancer is just not about the women, men are affected to. We all know at least one person that has been affected, whether it be a mom, aunt, grandma, friend, sister, or cousin. I hope you enjoy the pictures, sorry there are so many in this one post.Hillary, Kylie, and me getting ready to start the walk. It was a little chilly, but we all warmed up quickly, it was a beautiful day!
My mom, Kylie, and I before the race. Some how I did not get the picture of Amy and I that I always get. She was there and so was my mother-in-law, what a better support group than my closest family and friends....I love them all!

Team Hakuna Ma Ta Ta's

Paul and Kelly Anglim and the back of our wonderful shirts, "Faith, Strength, Hope"

Jason O'Callaghan and Paul Anglim getting ready for the race!

Paul and Kelly just before the gun went off....

The back of our team shirts again.....Paul has been Kelly's Strength and she has been his, through the battle against Breast Cancer.

The next photos are just to show the sea of people....I believe it was something like 56,000 people...every year more and more people walk or run....just look at the sea of white and pink! It is an amazingly breath taking sight! Come check it out next year ;)

Kelly finishing the race.....it is amazing, all of the survivors wear pink numbers and the announcers call off their names as they cross the finish line, it was very emotional.
The survivors also get pink roses after they cross the finish line...also very emotional, but an amazing thing to experience!

A Day at the Park.......

We actually had a family day this past Wednesday!!! Todd was finally able to take a vacation day and we ended up just going to the park. We played on the playground for a little while, but Kylie isn't a big fan of the swings so it didn't last long. Then we decided to wander over to the pond and look at the ducks!! This was the high light of our afternoon. The first picture is Kylie and Todd walking to the pond.....I love this picture!
Here is Kylie running to the water, I was afraid she was actually going to go in, thankfully we were able to catch up to her!
Kylie loved watching the ducks splash and swim, she kept saying, "Duck, Quack"

"Quack, Quack, Duck, Quack"
Kylie also was a fan of saying, "What's that?"Another great picture of Todd and Kylie, they had a great day together.....I could tell that Kylie was loving our family time!
We were trying to get Kylie to look at the camera and smile at mommy, but she was so distracted with the ducks......maybe if it is nice next week, we will take bread for her to feed to the ducks.I love this picture of their feet!
These are the best pictures of Kylie just by herself......she loves being outside, and loves quacking at the ducks! I think she is pretty cute!
After hanging out at the park and watching the ducks for a while we decided to get out of the sun and go home. Our original plan was to go pick apples somewhere, but after our failed attempt at that, we decided to just go to the park, and it was a great decision. Todd made the decision to go to Whistle Stop park in Byron Center, and it was a good decision......the play ground wasn't a hit, but the duck pond was fabulous!!! It was such a great family day, one that was long needed! Todd worked so much this summer and was unable to take time off, Kylie and I were so happy that he decided to take such a beautiful day off, we all had so much fun together!

High Heels.......What a girlie girl

Kylie has decided to start wearing my high heels! Every day she finds a pair to put on and then walks around the house in them. I actually have video because it is way cuter then the pictures can do it justice, but I was having difficulty loading the video, so maybe another day! She is becoming a girlie girl and at the same time loves sporting goods!! When ever she is in the garage, she always grabs the basketball and throws it around and yesterday my mom and I went to the Disney store and the first thing she grabbed was a soccer ball, then the baseball stuff, and then the golf clubs and then she went for the stuffed cars and "rockets". What a little person she is becoming, it is much fun right now. We had her 15 month check up this past week and she is doing just fine, she is right where she needs to be in developmental stuff and is growing just fine! She didn't change in height and only gained a few pounds, but she is right where she needs to be!
I think she looks like her Aunt Amy in this picture, as far as face shape, she still has my blond hair and blue eyes though!
Mel and Todd

Here are the wedding pictures!

Here are the beautiful flowers......Barb's are the blue ones and the the bridesmaids carried the white ones!
Here is my Beste on the morning of her wedding, ready to become Mrs. Weintz! She is stunning! Below is Lynnae and I, all five bridesmaids had the same dresses, but in different shades of blue, it was simply beautiful!Here is Barb and Elton getting pictures taken, I believe that Barb stood in the same position for about an hour and the photographers just moved different people in around her! Just kidding, but it did seem like it, she had the perfect pose down and was absolutely stunning! They saw each other before hand so they got all of the pictures done, they had a private moment with only photographers when Elton saw Barb for the first time, nobody else was allowed to be around!

CHEERS!!!!!

Here are the bridesmaids in the back of the limo toasting to the happy couple, I think they were out of the limo taking pictures, we didn't care we just kept drinking the champagne, I think this was the 2nd glass, thanks to Bob (one of the groomsmen) for making sure our glasses were never empty!
Here is Barb and Elton, finally back in the limo after many pictures. They took a ton of pictures outside at the church after the wedding and then we drove to Kalamazoo college, where Elton asked for her hand in marriage and they took a lot of pictures just the two of them and then we were able to get out of the car and have our pictures taken! Barb and Elton were very happy to return to the limo and be able to have a little drink. It was a very hot day, but very beautiful outside!
Here is Todd and I toward the end of the evening. This was a self-portrait taken by Todd. This was shortly before my camera battery died, so I didn't get very many reception photos.

Mel and Todd

September has been a blur....

On the 20th of September my Beste got married. Barb Beste that is, she married Elton Weintz. I was actually given the honor of standing up for the happy couple. Friday night the 19th of September we had rehearsal. Here comes the bride....oh wait that is the wrong direction!

Here is the happy couple practicing becoming Mr. and Mrs. Weintz!

This is Todd and I at the rehearsal dinner, it was held at the Black Swan in Kalamazoo, MI. We had a great time. As our gift for being in the wedding Barb gave us brooches to go on our dresses and then also gift cards to spend on our favorite things....I got one for a pedicure!

Where do I begin....I'm so far behind!

The first day of school, Kylie is going to Mary and Sandy's in P.J.'s this year, and yes I took this at a red light!

The end of the first day of school, I think someone was tired!

The Birthday boy and me....welcome to the "Old Ducks" Buday!

Buday's new house, notice all the beer cans in the spindles :) I think his mom and sisters did this, something about pay backs!

This is the outfit Kylie had on when we went to pick her up and I thought she looked so cute, I needed a picture and I liked how this one turned out even if she wasn't looking at me, I thought this was a cute one of her getting into her toy box when we got home after a long weekend away from her "home" toys.So happy playing in the rain
If you look carefully you can see that she is watching the softball roll down the driveway

She had water running down her face....she wanted to get her bike out, we drove it around the garage.

Gracie and Tia with their seatbelt on....it was humorous, Gracie was basically dragging Tia.

So I am only a couple of weeks behind for posting anything, sorry. We have been very busy around here. Todd has gone back to school on Tuesday evenings, Melinda has gone back to work and Kylie is settling in at the baby sitters. She actually has been doing really well and loves being with her friends again.
The first week back to work flew by and the weekend was here before we knew it, Kylie went to Grandma and Grandpa's house and Todd and I went to Cleveland to celebrate Jeremie's birthday. It was a long ride, but we had a lot of fun and it was well worth it.
This past week at work, I actually had to go every day and by Friday, Kylie didn't want to go anywhere and threw a big fit getting into the car. Of course once I got her in her seat and gave her some toys, she was as happy as can be and was just fine when I brought her to Mary's. When we got home it was raining and Kylie decided she wanted to play in the rain....this was fun for both of us, as it something I enjoy and it was warm outside. We were both soaked, but had so much fun. She found a softball (go figure we have one of those around here) and she was rolling the ball out of the garage into the driveway and I would chase it, then she would come out of the garage and laugh and I would say while laughing, "Hey get back in the garage, it is raining out" and she would laugh harder and then turn around and penguin "run" back to the garage. At one point she threw the ball and followed it right away and then stood in the middle of the driveway throwing the ball to the grass, of course loving every minute. She had water dripping down her face, what a cutie :)
We actually got to stay home this weekend so we dog sat for Grandma and Grandpa and all the dogs behaved. On Saturday night Todd and I decided to go to our neighbors adult gathering so Nana and Papa came over and watched Kylie and all three dogs.
This week should be a normal week of work for me, so I will have Wednesday off, which will be nice, and then next weekend is the big wedding weekend in Kalamazoo (Congrats Barb and Elton ) it will be fun and busy, I will try to post sometime this week if I get more pictures, otherwise I will post a wedding weekend update next week! I hope everyone is well!


Mel and Todd