The Heiple Happenins'

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T15:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We love you!

Olivia's Family and Friend Birthday Party

2012-01-25T12:03:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, we celebrated Olivia's birthday with family and friends. We filled the house with everyone near and dear to Olivia! The theme of the party this year was Hello Kitty. We served a taco bar for lunch and then had Hello Kitty cake for dessert. Olivia had a blast! She was so tired after the party.

When everyone left, Jas, Livi, Joey, and I decided to go to church and then take Olivia out for her birthday dinner. She chose to eat at Quaker Steak and Lube (the new place out by Scheel's). Olivia was treated to a birthday cupcake, which I have to say was delicious! Then to end the day well, we all went to Barnes and Noble and relaxed for a little while; then we headed home and went to bed! It was a fantastic day!!!

A BIG thank to all of our family and friends who helped to make Olivia's day so special...she is a very blessed little girl!

Olivia's School Birthday Celebration

2012-01-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Miss Olivia celebrated her birthday at school. She was beyond excited!!!! Olivia wore a new "fancy" birthday outfit, treated her friends to an ice cream treat at lunch time, and sent home popcorn treats with all of her classmates.

As an extra special treat, at the end of the day, the school had a dance off. All of the Kindergarteners and First Graders went into the gym and danced until they couldn't dance anymore! It was a great activity to end Olivia's birthday day!!!!

Elegant Day

2012-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

Last week, Olivia's class had an elegant event. All week long they practiced table manners and then on Thursday, they used their manners at the elegant event. The little girls dressed up in fancy dresses and the little boys dressed in nice shirts and pants. I was able to go and "waitress" at the event, and it was a really neat experience for the children. At the end of their dinner they even received a bill and an after dinner mint. They each had money to pay their bill...a big thank you to Mrs. Renshaw and Mrs. O'Brien for putting so much time and effort into this event!

Splish Splash I was taking a Bath

2012-01-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

Over winter break, Jason and I repainted/redecorated the master bathroom. It is one of the very few rooms that has not been touched up since we moved in 7 years ago. As one of the decorations in the bathroom, I decided to take pictures of Livi and Joey in a bubble bath and hang them on the wall. They turned out really cute and it was the final touch our bathroom needed!

Our Little Girl is Turning 6!

2012-01-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Over our winter break, Livi and I made and sent out her birthday invitations. I can't believe our little girl is going to turn 6 in a couple weeks. Not only that, but she is already half way through Kindergarten! I don't like how time is flying by! Here are some pictures we took for Livi's invitation...

Our Future Engineer...or Our Future Farmer?

2012-01-09T19:30:00.000-08:00

For a long time I thought that Joey was going to be some kind of Engineer. He absolutely loves trains, trucks, cars, monster trucks, boats...you get the point...anything that moves! He likes to see how things work and move. Lately, though, I think he is going to be a farmer. Joey is infatuated with tractors, combines, planters, etc. We have a John Deere factory line in our toy room. I can't wait to see what our little man becomes when he grows up!

Professional Painters

2012-01-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

One of my Christmas gifts was paint for our master bathroom. I have been wanting to repaint the bathroom, but have not had the time. So Jason bought the paint and painted it for me. He had a very talented helper :). Jas and Livi did a great job...I love my newly decorated bathroom!

Merry Christmas!!!

2012-01-09T19:01:00.001-08:00

On Christmas morning Livi and Joey woke up early and scurried out to see if Santa had come.

To their amazement Santa came and left them several presents under the tree and in their stocking. We slowly opened up presents and then sat down to our traditional cinnamon roll breakfast. It was such a nice morning, we were able to open presents, play with them, and then slowly get ready to leave for the day!

Later in the morning, we left for Grandma and Grandpa Sennott's house. We were able to spend the afternoon with Kelly and Rick, Mark and Jay, Mom and Jim, Jake and Stephanie, and Grandma and Grandpa. We sat down and opened presents, and then had a delicious lunch! Livi and Joey had a lot of fun visiting with everyone. Thank you to everyone for all of our gifts, we are truly blessed!

In the evening we left Grandma and Grandpa's house and headed to Bloomington to celebrate with the Dressler clan. We all gathered at Pattie's house. Dave and Denise, Dad and Pattie, and Jake and Stephanie were there. Everyone sat down and opened presents and then sat down to a light dinner (since were all so hungry :) It was so nice to have time to sit back and relax and visit with everyone. Thank you to Dad, Pattie, Dave, and Denise for all of our gifts...AMAZING!

After a long visit, we packed up the car and headed home with two extremely tired kiddos! We all had a wonderful day visiting with family, eating delicious meals, and opening lots of fun presents. Thank you again to everyone for all of our gifts, to say that we are blessed and loved is an understatement!...Thank you!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was very special for us this year! In the afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa Heiple came down to have lunch with us and spend time with us. Livi and Joey loved playing with them! Then we all got dressed up and went to Mass together. Mom, Jim, and Brittany were also able to go to Mass with us...having all of our family together made Christmas Eve Mass so special! I would love to see this become a tradition.

It was also very special because Olivia sang in the choir for the first time and did a fantastic job!

After Mass, we went over to Mom and Jim's house to have dinner. To our surprise, Santa had already made it to Mom and Jim's house, and left some presents for Olivia and Joey! I tell you what, they must have been REALLY good, because Santa was very good to them. Olivia received a Barbie dream house (along with many other nice gifts), and Joey received a John Deere pedal tractor and a drum set (along with many other nice gifts). Thank you Grandma, Jim, and Brittany for all of our gifts and for a delicious dinner! You were amazingly generous and we truly appreciated everything!

Finally, later in the evening, we packed up the Heiple sleigh and headed home so that Santa could come to our house. Livi and Joey placed Baby Jesus into our manger and set out Ho-Ho's (Olivia's idea since Santa says "Ho-Ho-Ho") and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

Our Little Reindeer

2012-01-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas we had a fun photo shoot to get ready for Christmas....man are my children tolerant!

Character Counts Nominee!

2011-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

Back in November, Olivia was nominated for the Character Counts Winner in her class. During the month of November they talked about integrity and were encouraged to practice it in class. Mrs. Renshaw said that Olivia always shows integrity by her constant honesty and that she always knew that Olivia would do the right thing.

The November nominees were treated to a delicious pizza party with Mrs. Keller (our principal) and Mrs. Turek (our Social Worker). Jason and I were SO proud of Olivia, and she was very proud of herself!

*I know that this post is late, but I just now got my hands on the picture!

Olivia's Christmas Program

2011-12-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Last night, Olivia performed in her class Christmas program. It was adorable. The class performed several songs, and then after the performance we went back to their classroom to view art projects and enjoy cookies and punch. Olivia also gave Jas and I an early Christmas present...a Christmas rug with Olivia's handprints on it. It is very cute...way to cute to use as a door mat! I will have to find somewhere fun to put it!

I know I say it often, but I absolutely love making all of these memories with Olivia and Joey!...but time is really flying by too fast!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Dressler!

2011-12-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, after the play, we celebrated Grandpa Dressler's birthday! It worked out perfectly since he came down for Olivia's play, so we treated him to dinner and yummy cake and ice cream. Olivia and Joey LOVE celebrating birthdays, especially when we sing and they can help blow out the candles!

Happy birthday Dad, we love you very much!

Olivia's Stage Debut!

2011-12-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Olivia performed in her very first play! She played the role of a Crachett girl in "A Dickens of a Christmas." Olivia was beyond excited to be in the play and did a great job! I was worried that she would get really nervous with a big crowd, but after she saw her family in the crowd she was fine.

It was so nice that Grandpa Dressler, Grandma and Jim, and Grandma and Grandpa Heiple were able to drive down for the performance. Mom has been working crazy hours lately, but she was able to sneak out an hour early and race home for it! It meant the world to Olivia to have everyone cheering for her!

The play was an amazing experience for Olivia, and she is already looking forward to next year!

Busy weekend filled with Christmas fun!

2011-12-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Heiple clan was busy! On Friday night, Livi, Joey, and I worked hard to put together treat bags for their class. We volunteered to help out with each party, and it worked out nice that we were asked to do treat bags for both classes. So we made up 27 treat bags...which Livi and Joey LOVED doing!

On Saturday, we woke up and cleaned up the messes from Friday night...BIG messes, and then Olivia had play practice for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Joey and I took the opportunity to go run errands and then come back in time to pick Jason and Livi up, and then went to see The Muppets at the movie theatre. It was a great show, and Livi and Joey are still singing some songs from it! After the movie, we hit the road and headed down south to Belleville. Jas and I took Livi and Joey to the mall to walk around and soak in the Christmas craziness, and then we went to Our Lady of Snow Christmas light display. The last time we went there I was eight months pregnant with Olivia, so it had been awhile. It is such a pretty light display with tons of activities to do!

After viewing the Christmas lights, we wearily headed home and crashed in our beds. It was so nice to have a family day out!

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

You have to have a little Christmas fun! My children (human and furry) are so tolerant!

I love how Joey and Ollie are looking at each other in this one!

A Visit with Santa

2011-12-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Last night Jason and I brought Livi and Joey out to see Santa Claus. We weren't real sure if Joey would want to get close to Santa Claus, but to our surprise he walked right up to Santa and started talking! Livi brought her bag of carrots for the reindeer and a nice picture for Santa. They both did a great job and we captured it with pictures!

Date Night with Daddy

2011-12-04T20:05:00.001-08:00

This weekend Olivia had a date night with daddy. The school was hosting a sock hop dance and Jason was Olivia's escourt. They began their evening with dinner at Steak n' Shake (it fit the 50's theme) and then they went to the dance. Olivia danced the night away and literally danced until she couldn't dance another step.

More memories for us to cherish with our little girl!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving break, we had mom and Jim over for an early birthday celebration. Mom's birthday is on December 15th, but she will be very busy with work on her birthday, so we thought we would celebrate with dinner and cake before the crazy schedules begin.

Livi and Joey loved having mom, Jim, and Sherman over for the evening and celebrating with grandma. Happy birthday mom/grandma...we love you!

The Heiple Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2011-12-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Here are my favorite pictures from this years Christmas card photo shoot. Everyone cooperated very well, and I think I got some good shots!!!

Happy Thanksgiving...Christmas

2011-12-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Heiple clan....and whenever we celebrate Thanksgiving we also celebrate Christmas! We had a great time! This was our first opportunity to meet our new nephew/cousin Abiti. (Ben and Jess adopted a little boy from Ethopia and brought him home in October.) We were also able to spend time with all of our family which is very hard since everyone is spread out in Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Illinois. It was so nice to have time to play games, visit, and let the cousins play, play, play!

A big thank you to grandma and grandpa Heiple for hosting everyone at their house, for all of the delicious meals, and for a fantastic Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Ronald McDonald House

2011-12-04T18:50:00.000-08:00

In November, Jason, Olivia, Joey, and I made a meal for the Ronald McDonald House in Springfield. Although we never needed to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, it is always near and dear to our heart. Many parents who have children in the hospital are welcomed to stay at the Ronald McDonald House. Jason and I met several parents up in the NICU who were a long way from home and had children in the NICU. We have always wanted to give back to the hospital in anyway possible and we now feel like we can. Every year we participate in the March of Dimes, but now we are going to try and donate a meal every other month to the Ronald McDonald House.

Seeing Olivia sitting next to Ronald McDonald brings back an ache in my stomach. It was tradition to sit with Ronald every day we went to visit Joey in the hospital.

The First Thanksgiving Feast

2011-12-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

This year Olivia was able to participate in the First Thanksgiving Feast! In our school, the Kindergarten class studies Native Americans throughout the month of November and the first graders study the Pilgrims. Then close to Thanksgiving time, the two grades gather for the First Thanksgiving Feast. It is a lot of fun for the children!

Olivia was able to dress up in her Native American outfit. She was able to give herself a Native American name and she came up with "Dancing Giraffee." Livi said that she loved to dance and that she loved giraffees; so she came up with "Dancing Giraffe."

I absolutely love experiencing all of the "firsts" with Livi! I always get teary eyed with each moment!

Baking Cookies with Grandma

2011-12-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

They each have their own baking technique !

The Christmas Train

2011-12-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, mom and Jim took Olivia and Joey to Monticello to the train station. Mom's company was holding a Christmas party there. Olivia and Joey had a blast! It was a lot like the Polar Express. They had cookies, candy canes, sat on Santa's lap, and even received an early Christmas present!

A big thank you to grandma and Jim for taking Olivia and Joey to their Christmas party and letting participate in the Christmas magic. I love this time of year and seeing the excitement in their eyes!

Where's my phone?

2011-11-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Whenever the question "where is my phone?" comes to mind I always know exactly who to look for...Joey! He absolutely loves to play with our iPhones and can be rather sneaky at times. If you can find Joey, you can find your iPhone!

Cookie Time!

2011-11-14T19:41:00.000-08:00

My assistant chef and I had a hunger for cookies, so Sunday afternoon we worked hard and made 2 dozen chocolate cookies, 2 dozen M and M cookies, and a dozen gingerbread men/women cookies. Olivia LOVES baking with mommy, and we had a lot of fun!

Let's Go to the Circus

2011-11-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, Jason and I brought Olivia and Joey to their first circus. From the minute we walked in the door, they were amazed! All of the decorations, clowns, balloons, etc just put them in awe. The show was very good. Livi said her favorite part was a tie between the elephants and the dancing dogs; and Joey's favorite part was a tie between the motorcycles and the jumping monkeys.

It was another fun family night out! Olivia is already asking when the circus will be back in town!

Fall Fun

2011-11-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! On Friday, Jas, Livi, Joey, and I spent most of our day outside. We did some yard work, put up our Christmas lights so they are ready to turn on Thanksgiving Day night, and Jason serviced the cars. Livi and Joey played, and played, and played some more. It was so nice to soak up the last of the nice November weather!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-11-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Jason's 37th birthday! Honestly I do not know who was more excited to celebrate...Jason or Livi and Joey. Jason's actual birthday was on Monday, but due to school and work, we celebrated on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we let Jason open our presents. He got the new Lego Star Wars movie, a Star Wars shirt, and a collector Star Wars tin with popcorn (hmmm....see a theme? :)

On Sunday, we brought Jason out to a birthday breakfast after church. Then when he came home from work, we treated him to a nice birthday meal at home, more presents, and a delicious birthday cake. It was a really fun weekend!

Happy birthday Jason, we love you to the moon and back. You are an incredible husband and father!

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-11-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Halloween day was so much fun! Livi and Joey woke up very early and found that the Great Pumpkin left them a little treat in the living room. This was the first year that Joey really got excited about the holiday and trick or treating. After opening their gifts, Livi had to get ready for her Halloween party at school, and Joey had to stay home and count the hours until trick or treating :(.

On Halloween night, we had an early supper and then headed out trick or treating. We visited all of our neighbors down the street and then we headed to Ms. Joan's house. Livi and Joey love visiting Ms. Joan, she is such an amazing woman! After Ms. Joan's house, we headed to Grandma and Jim's house to end our night with a little trick or treating down their street.

It was such a fun night!

Halloween Parade

2011-11-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

On Halloween day, Olivia had a fall party. She was able to wear her costume to school and walk in a parade. She was SO excited to show her costume to all of her friends and teacher!

Turkey...what turkey?

2011-11-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

Olivia and I had a fun homework assignment the other weekend; we had to disguise a turkey so that it wouldn't get eaten on Thanksgiving. Olivia decided that she wanted to make her turkey into a "Three Musketeer Barbie." We had a blast making the clothing and putting it altogether! These are the memories that I will forever treasure with my sweet girl!

Joey's Fall Party

2011-11-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

Joey had his very first fall party this year! Jason was able to go in to help at the party which elated Joey! At the party Joey made a fun pumpkin, played games, and had a delicious snack. He was so proud to come home after school and tell me about his day!

I can't believe how tall Joey is compared to some of his classmates...wow!

Sit...Good Dogs!

2011-11-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how attentive they are when food is involved?

The Heiple Pumpkins

2011-11-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

This year we had a blast carving pumpkins. Livi and Joey were both super excited to help clean out the pumpkins and carve them. That made it a lot easier on Jas and I! Joey decided that he wanted to have a "spooky" face on his pumpkin and Olivia wanted a haunted house on her pumpkin. They turned out great!

A Day at Rader Farm

2011-11-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

This year Jas and I brought Livi and Joey to Rader Family Farm to pick out our pumpkins. It was an absolutely gorgeous day filled with family fun. We went through a giant corn maze, jumped in piles of straw, jumped on a gigantic bouncy hill, went on a hay rack ride, played in corn filled grain bins, listened to music while having a picnic, and found some amazing pumpkins. Jas and I always try to find a different place to go each year, but visiting Rader Farm might have to become a family tradition...it was a blast!

Olivia and Joey's 2011 School Pictures

2011-10-11T18:00:00.001-07:00

Olivia Marie Heiple
Kindergarten 2011

Joseph Crane Heiple
Early Childhood 2011

Fall Pictures

2011-10-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jason and I took Livi and Joey out to Lincoln Memorial Gardens for a fall photo shoot. Olivia and Joey did a fantastic job and were very cooperative. I can't wait to put these new photos on my walls!

Here are a few of my favorites...

Cousins

2011-10-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Samuel, Luke, Abe, and Grandma Heiple came down to watch Olivia and Joey in the Homecoming Parade. Afterwards, we went to South Wind Park to have a picnic dinner and play at the park. They had so much fun! Olivia and Joey loved seeing their cousins!

Back on the Saddle Again

2011-10-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

This week was Homecoming Week at Rochester! On Friday, all of the Kindergartners were welcomed to be in the Homecoming Parade. They were asked to make a float using their wagons and to decorate it using the theme..."Back on the Saddle Again." Olivia and I decided to make her wagon into a BIG horse!

Olivia and Joey were able to ride in the wagon and threw candy to the crowd. They had a blast! Olivia has been looking forward to this time for two years. It was so neat experiencing another milestone with her! To make it even more special, Samuel, Luke, Abe, and Grandma Heiple were able to come down to watch the parade with Jason and cheer Livi and Joey on.

Star of the Week

2011-10-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

This week Olivia was Star of the Week!

Harvest Time!

2011-10-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Livi, Joey, and I traveled up to El Paso to help Grandpa and Dave harvest corn. To say that Joey was excited is an understatement! He is so into tractors, combines, and big machinery!

It was an absolutely beautiful day and so relaxing to ride in the tractors and visit the countryside. Livi and Joey had a great day with Grandpa!

Future Cheerleader

2011-10-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday and Friday Olivia participated in the Future Rochester Cheerleader camp. Livi LOVES dancing, singing, and performing; so I thought this camp was right up her alley! She had one practice on Thursday to practice a few cheers and then she performed at the football game on Friday night. Livi had a blast and is already ready asking about next year!

Curious Joey watching his sister!

Kindergarten Fall Walk

2011-10-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

A week ago Olivia had her fall walk. Four of the Kindergarten classes walked down to the Rochester Park to play and have a picnic. Jason and Joey were able to meet Livi at the park and spend the afternoon with her. They played SO hard that Olivia was wiped out for the rest of the night!

Homework!!!

2011-10-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a weekend full of homework. Olivia had a family tree project that we needed to complete for "F" week. She and I worked really hard on it all weekend and it turned out great!

Joseph had a "Brown Bear" project. Brown Bear came home and spent the weekend with Joey, and he had to create a journal page about Brown Bear's weekend at our house. He LOVED doing homework ( I hope that lasts for the next 15 years!)

School Picture Day!

2011-10-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

All snazzied up and ready for school picture day! I can't wait to see how they turned out!

Olivia's Fall 2011 Soccer Pictures

2011-10-04T12:43:00.000-07:00

Olivia's Fall 2011 Soccer Pictures!

Snuggle Time

2011-10-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

A nice quiet night at home...

with Mickey Mouse pancakes for supper!

Dancin' with Daddy

2011-10-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Olivia LOVES dancing with her daddy.

Memories to cherish!

Labor Day at Grandma and Jim's House

2011-10-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day, Livi, Joey, and I headed over to Grandma and Jim's house to swim and hang out for the afternoon. Mom and Jim were going to close their pool so we wanted to get one more swim in (even Sherman did too); then the kids played till they couldn't play anymore! It was a nice quiet ride home!

Off to class!

2011-10-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Every morning Olivia takes Joey's hand and walks him down to class. When she gets him to his teacher, Livi kisses him on the head and tells him to have a good day. She is such a little mom....I love them so much!!!

At last...Joey's first day of school!

2011-09-03T07:11:00.000-07:00

Joey was soooo excited to go to school! He woke up at 5:00 A.M. ready to go!
August 29, 2011

My sweet babies are growing up WAY too fast!

Joey's teachers Mrs. Puccetti and Mrs. Scribner.
Joey also had his monkey to help him not be nervous. "Monkey" is Joey's best friend in the whole world!

First Game of the Season

2011-09-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Olivia had her first game of the season last Friday. She did a great job! We just need to remind her to watch the ball, and not socialize :).

Sloppy Joe

2011-09-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

There is an adorable book called "Sloppy Joe" that I read to Joey a lot. This picture made me think of that book. Can you tell Joey was playing hard outside. His bath water was brown that night. I love it though...he is all boy!

School Days....School Days

2011-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful little girl is officially a Kindergartner!
August 22, 2011

Joey's school didn't start school until August 29th, so he was a little jealous that "ia" was getting her first day of school picture. So we let Joey get in the picture too! :)

This is Mrs. Renshaw, Olivia's Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Renshaw is the perfect match for Olivia...this is going to be a FANTASTIC year!

I absolutely LOVE having Livi and Joey in my school! I get to see them throughout the day in the hallways, eat lunch with them, and watch them play outside at recess. Here is a picture of Olivia lining up at recess (the view from my classroom). Can you find her?

State Fair 2011

2011-09-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Mom, Jim, Jason, Livi, Joey, and I headed to the State Fair for the day. It was a beautiful day! We walked around and looked at the exhibits, Livi and Joey rode rides, and we enjoyed some State Fair goodies!

A BIG thank you to Grandma and Jim for buying Livi and Joey their ride bands, and making the State Fair so much fun!

Until next year State Fair!

It's Soccer Time

2011-09-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Olivia has officially began her fall soccer season. She has the same coach from her spring season, Coach Gegen, and she also has two of her best friends on her team...what more could a girl ask for? Livi is going to have a blast this season!

Reaching Big Milestones!

2011-09-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

Miss Olivia has learned to tie her shoes! Prior to her entering Kindergarten, Jason and I worked very hard to teach Olivia our phone numbers, our address, and Jason taught her how to tie her shoes!!! Another exciting milestone to put in her baby book!

Take me out to the ballgame...

2011-08-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Jas, Livi, Joey, and I headed to our last St. Louis Cardinal game for the summer. I think it was my favorite game of the year. Granted the Cardinals didn't win, but the weather was gorgeous, Livi and Joey were so well behaved, and we just had a great time as a family! As summer vacation comes to a close, I love looking at all of the memories we have made...I truly cherish these times!

(Olivia took the picture of the Arch/Stadium...not bad for a 5 year old!)

Happy Anniversary Fun Shop

2011-08-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

This week the Heiple clan went to Lincoln Park for the Funshop Anniversary celebration. Fun Shop is a local pre - preschool program for children 18 months - 3 years old. Olivia attended Fun Shop shortly after Joey came home from the hospital as a way to give her more mommy one-on-one time. Joey attended the program last year to give him more socialization with other children. Livi and Joey LOVED going Fun Shop every week and having mommy's full attention!

The Fun Shop's 35th Anniversary celebration was a lot of fun. It was held out at Lincoln Park, and pretty much took up the whole park. They had all kinds of games, face painting, trucks/cars for the children to explore, jump houses, entertainment, food, swimming, ice skating, and much more! Livi and Joey absolutely loved it! I think their favorite part, though, was when they met Elmo in person. Livi still talks about how she met Elmo in person, and gave him a hug...too cute! It was a wonderful night out!

Car for Sale

2011-08-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

That is right...we are saying good-bye to the Jimmy. This loyal car has been in the family since I started college in 1998. It has been a faithful friend for many years! If you know anyone looking for a car for their teen driver, it would be a good vehicle for them. Despite it's age, the Jimmy is still a very dependable car.

Heiple Vacation

2011-08-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Livi, Joey, and I traveled home from Indiana Beach so we could get ready for the Heiple family vacation. We took off on Sunday morning and headed for St. Louis to see the Cardinal game. Before the game, we all met at the hotel and checked in early so the kids would have a chance to swim. It was a neat pool, half of it was inside, then you swim under a wall and you are outside. It was cool!

After cooling off in the pool, we had some supper and headed to the stadium for the game. It was a hot one! It was still an exciting game, but unfortunately the Cardinals did not win.

On Tuesday, Jas, Livi, Joey, and I traveled to Milwaukee and met up with the Heiple clan. On Tuesday night we all went to another Cardinal game. This was the first time any of us were in the Brewer's Stadium which is actually a dome. Again we saw a great game and this time we brought home a win!

On Wednesday, we all woke up and headed down to a small water park. The water park was conveniently located in our hotel. Olivia went down a water slide all by herself, and Joey went down his first water slide with Jason. Needless to say, our little fishies had a blast in the pool!

Then we all packed up, checked out, and headed to the local Children's Discovery Museum. I was really impressed by the museum! They had an amazing ocean/sea life exhibit with lots of aquariums, an old boat to explore, and an old submarine. There was also an area where we were able to pet sting rays and other fish. They also had A LOT of hands on experimental exhibits that had to do with weather, sound, motion, robotics, music, etc. Livi and Joey had a great time running around and exploring. The museum was right on the Lake Michigan coast, so the kids were also able to go out and see all of the sailboats, lighthouses, and just take in the largeness of the lake.

Finally around 4 we all packed up and started for home. I was really impressed with Olivia and Joey's patience in the car. After all of the traveling to Indiana, the Cardinal game, and then the 9 hours to and from Milwaukee, they did a fantastic job! We all had a wonderful time, and loved having time with our family. A big thank you to grandma and grandpa Heiple for treating us to an amazing summer vacation!

Chugga Chugga Choo Choo

2011-08-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

While in Indiana for vacation, Jason brought Joey to a train museum he found 20 minutes from Indiana Beach. Joey absolutely loved looking at all of the trains, "driving" the trains, and pushing ALL of the buttons! It was a great daddy and Joey time!

Indiana Beach 2011

2011-08-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Last week Livi, Joey, Jason, and I traveled to Monticello, Indiana to Indiana Beach. Every year we go on vacation with our family and have a fantastic time!

This year we had some brave children! At the pool Livi and Joey swam like little fishies! They put on their puddle jumpers and swam all over that pool. Joey was a little more brave than Olivia in this department. Livi is still pretty cautious in the water. When it came to the rides, Olivia was the bravest by far. She said good-bye to Kiddi Land and hello to the roller coasters! She rode every single adult ride but 3 this year including 3 large/fast roller coasters! She had a blast. Joey spent the first few days being scared to death of the rides, and then on Friday he decided they were cool and rode all of the Kiddi Land rides.

We all had a fantastic time, and loved spending time with our family. As you can imagine, Livi and Joey had a lot of attention and one-on-one time with Aunt Kelly and Uncle Rick, Great Grandma and Grandpa, Grandma and Jim, Uncle Mark and Jay, and Uncle Jake, Stephanie, and Nicholas!

We would like to thank everyone for such an amazing week, especially Great Grandma and Grandpa who make this trip possible every year! We truly appreciate everything you do for us! We love you!

Olivia's First Swim Lessons

2011-07-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks Olivia has been taking her first swimming class. Olivia has a big fear of going under water, and Jas and I really want her to become more comfortable in the water. She does really well with her puddle jumper on, we just need to get her comfortable with swimming without her floatie and getting her head in the water. She has two classes left this summer and then will take another class next summer. Hopefully she will become a little fish in the pool and get over her fears!

Our Little Barbie Ballerina

2011-07-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

This week Olivia took a Barbie Ballerina dance class at Dance Creations. She has only tried gymnastics and really wanted to try dance. She had a lot of fun and has a tough decision to make this fall as to whether she wants to continue gymnastics or take a dance class...we will see what she decides!

My Handsome Boys

2011-07-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

They look so much alike!

The new Smurfette

2011-07-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Our little Smurfette.
The other day, Build a Bear was giving away these free Smurf hats. Olivia was all about wearing her new hat, Joey politely declined and just stared at his sister.

Breakfast for two

2011-07-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

A girl and her horse.

Crazy Kids

2011-07-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Not a day goes by that Olivia and Joey don't brighten our day with love and laughter.

They our the light in our lives!

Southwind it is!

2011-07-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

We caught a break from the heat one day and I asked Livi and Joey what they wanted to do, and they decided they wanted to go out to Southwind Park again. This is a really nice park with a fun playground set, splash park, pond, bike/running trail, and now a treeless tree house. Our neighbors also came along with us, which made the afternoon even more fun!

Date Night at Scheels

2011-07-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

This week we decided to beat the heat and headed out to see the new sport's store...Scheels. Olivia loves to call any family outings we take "date nights." Scheels is a giant sports store that opened about a month ago. It is a really neat place to visit. We had a great time looking around, playing all of the virtual games, playing the shooting game, and riding the ferris wheel. Scheels also has a little snack shop that has the most rich (but delicious) cinnamon rolls and cookies. We plan to have another family "date night" out at Scheels soon. There was a fun bowling game and race car game that we would like to do. There is also a Kids Club with a lot of fun monthly kids activities that Livi and Joey would like to participate in, so I am sure we will be out there a lot in the future!

Watch out...Bear!

"I once caught a fish that was this big..."

Mr. Mechanic

2011-07-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

The other night Joey decided to tune up Mater (switch the batteries). It's amazing how observant this little boy is to know where to put the screwdriver and how to use it!

Go Cardinals!

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

Wednesday evening we headed to the Cardinal game. Livi and Joey always love going to a baseball game. They like being in the crowd, cheering, and of course, they enjoy the stadium treats too.

It turned out to be a great game. The Cardinals lost, but they fought in a 15 inning overtime game. We got to watch Pujols on his first game back from his 5 week leave and also got to see two home runs. Livi and Joey loved watching the fireworks with each home run.

It was a great day to be out at the ball park!

(We had a man take this picture with Jason's iPhone...didn't turn out too well)

Sprinkler Time

2011-07-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Jason and I brought Livi and Joey down to St. Louis to play in the splash park and go to the Cardinal's game. We discovered this splash park last year when we visited St. Louis on Father's Day weekend. It is so much fun for the kids, and completely free. Livi did not hesitate when she saw the splash park, she ran right in and got completely soaked! Joey did not understand why he did not have his swim suit on and mommy had to do a little convincing to get him in the water; but once he got started, he got soaked too! It was a great way to cool down on a sultry day!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

The Heiple clan had a great 4th of July! In the morning we were able to lounge around the house in our PJ's and watch cartoons. Then for lunch, we drove up to Lincoln and met Grandma and Grandpa Heiple. We ate some lunch, went to the park to play, and then had some delicious ice cream!

After lunch, we headed home to relax and have our own fireworks show!

Then in the evening, we met up with Grandma and Jim and enjoyed the Capitol fireworks show. It was such a nice relaxing day!

Sparks in the Park

2011-07-06T06:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Jason and I brought Livi and Joey out to the Sparks in the Park. Every 4th of July weekend, Rochester hosts a fair in the park. It has a lot of fun rides and games for the kids, along with good food and entertainment. Livi and Joey had a lot of fun riding rides with their friends and really enjoyed their funnel cake dessert (it was quite a treat for them)!

To end the night, we sat out on the grass and watched a great fireworks display. Olivia loved it, and Joey was a little scared of the loud booms. As long as Jason and I kept him distracted or covered his ears he was ok.

It was a great family night out!

Fourth of July Picnic

2011-07-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, mom and Jim hosted a 4th of July picnic at their house. They invited all of mom's extended family along with Jim's family. We had a great time visiting with everyone, eating delicious food, swimming, and playing games. Family cookouts is what makes summer great!

Thank you to mom and Jim for opening your home to everyone and hosting a great cookout!

Having fun with Sherman...he is so full of energy and orneriness!

Livi and Joey have Jim wrapped around their little fingers. He is so good to them!

Staying cool in the pool!

And then there were 4!

2011-07-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Denise (my Uncle Dave's girlfriend) dropped off her dog Ryley to stay with us while they go to Minnesota. Ryley is a good boy and gets along really well with Ollie, Bella, and Zoie. He is having a great time playing with Livi and Joey, Ollie, Bella, and Zoie! He definitely sleeps well at the end of each day!

Snuggle Bugs

2011-07-06T05:47:00.000-07:00

One morning I walked out of my office to find Livi and Joey snuggling on the couch watching cartoons. I absolutely love that they are at the age where they are best friends and love spending time together. I know that this will soon change and all of the snuggles will turn into arguments and torturing; so I will soak this time up now.

Our Little Picasso

2011-07-06T05:45:00.000-07:00

The other day Olivia came into the office to show me the picture she just drew on her Magna-Doodle. I was really impressed! I think we have a little Picasso on our hands!

Lovin' School

2011-07-06T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, Joseph began summer school! We we met with the school this spring they offered us the opportunity to enroll Joey into Early Childhood summer school so that we could keep him moving with his fine motor, speech, and social skills. I was a little hesitant to have him go to school five days a week for four weeks during the summer, but Joey absolutely LOVES it. The night before school started he said he could not "go ni-night because he wanted to go so school now." I finally got him to go to sleep, but the next morning he woke up at 6 am, walked out of his room with his backpack on and said it was time to got to school.

I hope that Joey always keeps his love for school and learning, I can not wait to see what God has in store for this little boy...he is amazing!

Off to the Museum

2011-07-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

Last week, Livi, Joey, and I went with some friends to the Illinois State Museum. I have been wanting to bring Livi and Joey for quite awhile, so one cold/rainy summer day we decided to go. They had a lot of fun exploring all of the animal habitats, looking at fossils, and Olivia was very intrigued by the Native American Exhibit. She couldn't believe the difference between how the Earth looked and how the Native Americans dressed, and how things are today. Livi and Joey also loved looking at the house exhibit that showed how households changed throughout time.

After looking at all of the exhibits, we went down the the museum's new discovery activity room. Livi and Joey liked dressing up like archeologists and digging for fossils. They also liked looking through the microscopes at different bugs.

Once we left the museum, we headed to Dairy Queen for a delicious blizzard treat and then headed home. We had a great afternoon out with our friends!

Relay for Life 2011

2011-06-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Livi, Joey, and I headed up to Bloomington to participate in the Relay for Life with Kelly and Rick. Every year Kelly and Rick work extremely hard to raise money for the Relay for Life and graciously invite us to come up and participate with them.

The event was amazing this year. It is always so heart-warming and scary to see all of the people affected by cancer and to see how many survived it! Our family has been touched by this ugly disease along with several friends. This year we walked in honor of...

Mal Pancoast
Joe
and several family friends!

This year we were able to stay and watch the survivor walk. Our good friend Joe walked in the survivor walk this year. He is celebrating his third year of being cancer free which makes him cured! I always get teary eyed watching the survivor walk. The strength and determination each of those people and their caretakers have to fight cancer is inspiring!

The rest of the day was filled with fun activities for Livi and Joey and a lot of walking. It was a great day! A big thank you to Kelly and Rick for including us in their team and letting us join them on such a fantastic and inspiring day!

An Afternoon at Southwind Park

2011-06-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

On Thursday Jason had the day off of work so we decided to bring Livi and Joey out to Southwind Park. This is a new park in the Springfield area, and it is really nice. It has a large pond, bike/running path, a great playground with musical instruments, a beautiful pavilion, and they are currently building a "treeless" tree house. Although is was chilly out, we had a fun afternoon at the park!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Livi, Joey and I worked very hard to make sure that all of the men in our lives, especially daddy, felt appreciated. Our day started with 8 a.m. Mass, and then we came home and baked Jason cinnamon rolls for breakfast. After breakfast, Livi and Joey gave daddy their presents. They gave him a pair of Cardinal flip flops, a Cardinal shirt, and a couple of dress shirts. Then unfortunately daddy had to work.

Around lunch time, Grandpa Dressler was able to stop by on his way through town which gave us the opportunity to take him out to lunch. Livi and Joey loved spending time with grandpa and treating him to a nice lunch! It worked out perfectly!

After lunch, we headed to grandma and Jim's house to wish Jim a Happy Father's Day. We brought him a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie. Then somehow Livi and Joey ended up swimming in grandma and Jim's pool in their undies...nothing like an impromptu swim! Oh well it gave mommy and grandma time to sit by the pool and dangle our feet in the water...that was nice! We also got to spend a lot of time with Sherman, which Olivia loved!

Later, after Jason got off of work, Livi, Joey, and I brought him out to dinner at Mario's. Mario's is a nice, privately owned, Italian restaurant in Springfield. They have really good food and prices. Mario's is just like Mona's (for all of you who live up North), although you can't beat Mona's ravioli and fried chicken, it is a close second.

To end the day, we brought daddy to Barnes and Noble and then treated him to some cookie cake dessert at home. It was funny, because we were having cake, Joey thought that we needed to sing happy birthday to daddy. Instead, we sang Happy Father's Day and then let everyone blow out one candle...it was cute.

It turned out to be a very busy, but awesome Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day daddy, we love you very much!

Welcome to the family Sherman!

2011-06-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Mom and Jim welcomed an new member to their family...Sherman! Sherman is an 8 week old salt and pepper Schnauzer . He is such an adorable and well behaved puppy! He is so tiny (compared to our horses)!

Olivia and Joey have fallen completely in love with him. In fact Olivia thought we needed to have Sherman come and live with us to make dog #4....yeah right!

Welcome to the family Sherman Huber...we love you!