To fill you in...

Just some pictures of our week, and what a fun week it was! We had a birthday cheeseburger at Fudd's and Benson's skidsteer party on Friday. We were so lucky to have a whole crew of his friends. I think they had a ball.

Beezy Turns Threezy

Can you believe it? I can not.

He is....

a lover of dirtbikes
a big brother
a night owl
fan of nursery
really handsome
very ticklish
just like his dad, but at the same time a Mommy's boy
a delightful singer
gum chewer
a super big jumper
a movie lover
popcorn eater
sometimes crazy
a good kisser
but not a snuggler
a future missionary, Montana Grizzly, Sledneck, and Supercross Champion
a good friend
nighttime story reader
always thirsty
usually hungry
fast runner
a helper and a fixer
more than we ever imagined.

We love you so much, Benson.

More Famous?

Update. Al Roker and Matt Lauer throw to Benson, Elliahna, and Shay. See it here. Yes, the kids were on the TODAY show.

Famous?

Last night, Monday, we were on the news. Yay!!! It was so fun. Check it out here.

Best give-away evah....

OK.... I hate to do this because it slims my chances to win but.... a friend at church has started a crafty blog. I know, as if I need another blog to check everyday. Every time I see her she is sporting a new, super cute bag over her shoulder. I have been begging for months to have her teach me, and am filled with bag envy every Sunday. This is my chance. Head over to her new blog, and try your luck at winning. The coolest part is her partner is also her mom. http://runiqueboutique.blogspot.com Here's to hoping I win and you don't.

A quickie

You just have to love her.

Just Peachy

My monday was....

just peachy. Some friends and I canned 142 jars of peaches. Only 24 were for me but, what a day. It feels so good to do something huge and accomplish it.

Darn it.

Benson took a spill this morning and bit through his lip. Shucks. Stick around to hear about my killer day yesterday. It was just peachy.

By way of announcements...

Since then... let's see.

What a blog-slacker I have been. Most of you are probably wondering what ever happened with our girl, Shay. Probably not, the only people who read my blog are people that would have called and asked by now. And you would have found out that she is great. The doctors called her tumor a venus malformation, meaning a cluster of veins and vessels that get mixed up and form a little mass. They still are puzzled as to why hers was growing so rapidly but we are relieved to have it out and moving on. She is left with a bit of a gnarly scar, especially for such a sweet, pretty girl.

Now, let's recap. June brought us days at the squirt park, a visit to Pompeys Pillar where we found Shay's tumor and stressed about that for the next two weeks, her little birthday party (very happy that two very special guest attended... G-ma and G-pa Leavitt) I can't believe my baby is one, a lot of playing with the hose, and messes. Unfortunately Shay too discovered she likes to make a mess so now my work has doubled.

July (my favorite month of course) started with a bang. No not fireworks, a blast of a good time. We met my parents and Travis and Anna and my aunt Amy at an awesome place called Pipestone, located just outside of Butte. We were hoping to meet up with some of AJ's family there as well but they are all work-a-holics, so it was just us and a ton of fun. Pipestone is a campground with over 200 miles of 4-wheeler trails. Just up our ally. We had fun on the quads and had great food and jumped in the lake and ate smores to our hearts content. It definitely goes down in history as one of my favorite camping trips EVER. I loved it, the kids loved it, and everyone had fun.

Then, on a whim, some awesome friends of ours from Cody stopped by and asked us to go boating at Yellowtail. It was amazing. A perfectly sunny day and cool water and scenery that put me in awe. It was our first time boating as a family and Benson was a little nervous about the water but loved the boat going fast. If you ever have a chance go there. Amazing.

We then set off for Hamilton for a wedding of one of my closest cousins. It was every cowgirls dream, overlooking the mountains surrounded by sage brush and wild lupin. The kids had a blast with their Meuchel cousins and were, of course, spoiled rotten by their Grandma.

I got back just in time for the greatest day of the year. July 25th. I turned 25, my golden birthday. AJ and I had a great date out on Friday. We went to Applebees for my fave, quesadillas and molten cake. Then, he took me shopping and I probably could have gotten anything I wanted because he still remembered how much he missed me the week we were gone to Hamilton, but I didn't take advantage of him too much. Saturday was spent at the Great American Hillclimb..... every girly-girl's dream birthday right? Actually, it was a dream, here on earth watching the two coolest boys think they were in heaven. That's what it is all about. That is why I am wife and mommy.




August..... by now I would settle for a slowdown, but still in the swing of summer. Benson and Shay got to go to a birthday party at Chuckie Cheese.... they both had fun.

August 8th was a big day. My brother married his love, Anna. I know 99.9% of you will think this is weird, but I felt a little sad, don't get me wrong, if it was anyone but Anna, I wouldn't have gone through with it, I have just been Trav's favorite girl for soooo long. He is more than a brother to me... a best friend. Thanks T for always being my buddy.... I hope we keep watching out for each other. Anna, you are one lucky girl, you will never know anyone truer than Trav... and I am so happy that you are taking over as his best girl.

The next weekend was their reception in Hamilton. It was a blast, a blast of cold air. Chilly that weekend but a beautiful party. I love them two.

Now we are back and trying to recover from the whirlwind. It has been the craziest summer of our lives but has brought a ton of memories. We were lucky enough to see AJ's sister, Merielle and her 5 kids on their way to Canada, it is so fun when cousins are together. Benson is always missing one of them it seems. Speaking of cousins, we have a new one. My oldest brother and his wife, Brandon and Kristie, had a baby boy on Tuesday. That makes 3 boys and 1 princess. I can't wait to meet little Colt... he is adorable.

I can't wait to catch up with those of you who I haven't seen and have neglected... we miss you. Until then when you think of us, picture this.... and smile.

Update

Our appointment with the surgeon went really well. He is very optomistic that Shays tumor is not cancerous, but just a cell malformation that is growing very rapidly. We will meet with a pediatric surgeon on Monday and he will see what he thinks and probably set up a MRI. I guess we will go from there, but we are feeling so much better. Thanks for your prayers and concern.

Other than this drama, we are enjoying the sunshine!

This girl...

This girl....

just had her first birthday.

is walking more and more everyday.

has the sweetest smile.

loves watermelon.

needs your prayers.

10 days ago I found a lump in Shays leg. We were hiking around in the sticks so I thought she had been stung or bitten, but thought I should take her in to have it checked out. After a week of just watching it the doctor had us come back and run some tests. It is indeed a tumor so she will see a surgeon tomorrow and then either stay here in Billings for surgery or we will be heading to Salt Lake asap. I know everything will work out but we are nervous right now. Please keep her in your prayers. We are so greatful to those of you who have called and are praying already. I will try to keep everyone updated. Thanks.....

What've you been up to?

Who me? Well let's see.....

Jasey: Mostly just being a momma. What else is there? June is our last month before the storm hits. We have the busiest summer I have ever heard of so I am just bracing myself for the reunions, weddings, receptions, bridal showers, birthdays that are upcoming. I can't wait to take the kids and do all of the fun summer things,.. the pool, the squirt park, picnics. If the weather would just cooperate. I have all of my flowers planted and they are going to be really pretty... I love to go take care of them. They are the highlight of my day sometimes.

AJ: Working, working, working, occasionally getting in a ride on my dirt bike, working, digging for gold.

Benson: I am currently as cute as ever. Especially when I am happy.... which is most of the time. I had a great day yesterday. I went to play with my friend Elliahna while Shay got shots. Then me and mom had lunch..... don't tell anyone but mom laid with me while I took a nap and I think she might have dozed off too! One of my favorite things right now is to sing silly songs with her. I am a pretty good singer you know. As soon as dad got home we had hot dog's with ketchup and then took a walk. I played with dirt for awhile cause mom and dad were talking with their friends, then, we went and threw rocks in the water. I made a BIG splash, but daddy made the BIGGEST splash. Dad had to help a neighbor move some dirt with his geester (skidsteer) so I told mom, "I've got work to do," and I was off to help. I am a pretty good little worker. I have jobs too. I take the diapers to the garbage and put the dishes in the sink and pick up my room. So, after my chores, I had a bubble bath and was off to read a book and sing some of those silly songs. These are my favorites: Eansy, Beansy Spider, I am a Child of God, The Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, The Temple Song, If You're Happy and you Know It, Sunbeam Song, The Dirtbike Song which my mom made up. It is a really good song. What a great day!

Today was good,
today was fun,
tomorrow is another one.

Shay: I hate to brag, but I am a good girl. I smile a lot.... I cry a little. Life is just beginning to get a little more fun for me. I started walking on Tuesday. My dad had a cookie and if you have ever had one of those, you know, it is worth walking across the living room for.

I love to play pat-a-cake, I give the sweetest kisses, I am learning a lot. I only know two words, but they are good ones, MaMaMaMa and DaDaDaDa. I love the summer sunshine and mom says that shopping for swimming suits is a lot more fun when the size is 6-12 months. I make mine look pretty good! Someday I will show you........ I am a swimsuit model. Life is good, except when I hear, "No-No Shay." What is it about this contraption that just says, sit on me and make a mess?

He got caught in a blizzard.

I got out of the shower to find that it was snowing in May... bummer. What made it an even bigger bummer was that the snowfall was indoors not out. My sweet son had a now empty can of baby formula in his hand. The contents were spread nicely over every surface in my house. Yes, the couch, the chair, the TV, the table, the bar stools, each kitchen chair, the carpet, the end table, and there was even enough to cover his blond head. It was like a December morning. Everything coated in freshly fallen snow, Bensons footprints right through it.
This was after he had stayed up way too late saying,"Mom" from his bed. I now ask myself why I ever thought that word (mom) was so sweet. This morning he successfully picked every raisin out of his outmeal without actually eating any oatmeal....ugh, frustrating. And when I told AJ about the incident, his response.... "Yeah, he's two. That's what they do." Thanks for the sympothy, hun.
So if mother's day wasn't just around the corner I would definately be putting in my two-weeks notice. I guess I'll go have a good cry and then see if I can survive, no thrive, another week.

I know you are asking where I was during the blizzard..... a girl's got to shower. And luckily I had Shay with me or I am sure she would have been caught in it too. No, she was innocently stirring the toilet water with her pretty polished fingernails. Hey, isn't this what dreams are made of. Pray for me.

Kick the bucket....

Not this bucket. No, please don't kick this bucket!

We have had a long week... especially Benson. Monday night he started feeling pretty crummy and it has only gotten worse from there. Tuesday night I mowed the lawn and could tell be his curious face that he wanted to check out the lawn mower. I told him not to touch but in true Benson fashion he had to find out for himself. He burned his finger and got a little blister. I am sure that is pretty dramatic for a 2 year old, a hurt that mom can't seem to fix. Wednesday night he was outside playing and tripped and skidded on his face. He skinned up his nose and bit through his lip. Poor little guy. It's sad to see such a cute boy look so pathetic. Skinned up nose, dripping snot down his swollen bloody lip. What do they say? LiFe aiN'T aLWaYs BeauTiFuL.

Hop, Hop, Hooray!

What a beautiful Easter weekend... especially when I am so eager for the sunshine!

We spent the week at home, in Hamilton. It was so green and clean there...ironic that the earth looked like it had been resurrected.

Grandma insisted that Benson color some eggs even though I was telling her that he was too little, he would just make a huge mess. I was wrong... although there was a bit of a mess, it was worth it to see him explore something new.

What do you think? Will he be embarrassed when he's 14 and sees that his favorite color was PINK? Really, I don't know why he said that, usually his favorite is yellow. We were trying to get him to say yellow cause he does something cute with his tongue... but just our luck... he wasn't cooperating.

The kids were lucky enough to have two little egg hunts. One was at my Grandpa's ranch... down by the river before a little hot dog roast, and the other in my parents yard. At first, Benson just ran like crazy. I don't think he knew what he was looking for... but once he got the hang of it and realized that the eggs had candy inside he got serious. It was fun to see him having fun!

Our friends came down from Alberta and the boys attempted to go snowmobiling but the snow in April was a little disappointing... but it was relaxing and fun. Brandon and Jana are the kind of friends we want for life so it is good every time we are with them. I look forward to watching our kids grow up together.

We spent the rest of the week back at moms house... just trying to figure out how we can make a living there so we can be around family more. It is hard because we have to split the free weekends between the Leavitts and the Meuchels... so we don't get to see either of them as much as we would like. It is going to be a summer full of events for the Meuchels... I hope Grandma and Grandpa Leavitt will be patient. Hopefully we can make it up to them. We miss them. Lucky for them, they are too busy having fun right now to miss us.... A long holiday in AZ and then off to Hawaii. How could they leave us behind?

We're back home now. We always say that we don't really love Billings but we LOVE our life here... our house, our friends, our ward, our family, and that is still true. It is good to be home.

List of things to do today...

1. Run.... I have fallen off of my good routine this week due to some shin splints but the Womens Run is fastly approaching so "run through the pain" will be my motto.

2. Fiberworks.... I came up a little short on the white fabric I need to finish a quilt top.

3. Hobby Lobby.... do I really need to explain this one?

4. Clean up.... my house was sparkling earlier this week for a showing (it is for-sale) and somehow has lost it's shine.

5. Basketball.... I know.... I am the only girl on the planet that really loves the NCAA tourney.... but I do.

6. Look hot.... my hubby and I have a date tonight for the first time in years I think, a real date.

What did I do instead? I scrapbooked, I made lunch, and now the day is gone. I did get a good run in, and still have a chance at #6. Wish me luck.

Anxious for Summer

I must be anxious for the warm sun, spring flowers and green grass cause all I want to scrap are these fun summery layouts. I loved this day with Benson. All of the animals at the zoo were napping in their little houses, but we still had a good time enjoying the sunshine!

On the other hand, this photo is a little more realistic.... too bad.

And why is it that Bensons nose itches whenever the camera comes out?????

Latest...

We have had a rough week. Both of the kids have RSV and have been feverish and whiney and sick. On the plus side... I have been home bound so I've gotten a few projects done that I've been wanted to finish, and we had company this weekend. Yaaaaahhhh!!! It was so fun.... except for Shay who is the sickest but she was lucky to have a Grandma and Grandpa to snuggle up with! Thanks to Trav and Anna for the double-date on Saturday!

Yes,.... I have to admit we ended up at Chucky Cheese..... and no we didn't have the kids as an excuse.... and yes it was actually fun.... and no I wasn't the best at Ski Ball or Arcade Basketball or anything else.... who was?...yes it was Travis....this time....and yes there is a funky smell in the place... and maybe we will go back if we get desperate enough.

Here are the latest scrappy pages. I love the one of monkey. I hope this means that in 20 years we will still remember him and how much we loved him! The one of Shay and I was just for fun. I took the picture while we were snuggled up on the couch and thought it turned out sweet.

Hope all of you are good... we are lovin the sunshine!