The Snyd's

September 2010

2010-12-27T00:31:00.007-05:00

Our friends the Groff's have a zoo membership and let us go with them every now and then. I fed the kids donuts while we were there... they weren't quite hyper enough! :)

We met the Savages there as well, and Uncle Isaac went with us too!

Daddy was trying to prove to me that Levi needed a haircut.

Help... someone...

Levi's first bike ride with Daddy and big sis.

Jack ready for his bike ride.

Levi loves Pop-paw's corn!!!

Levi with Mommy at Culver's on his birthday.

This is where you find Kayla most days... reading!

Mommy and her big kiddos

Daddy and his buddy

Love... for the moment...

We took Jack and Kayla on a "date night" with mommy and daddy to Max and Erma's on family night. They enjoyed the lion the most I think!

August 2010

2010-10-23T23:42:00.006-04:00

I finally got brave enough at home and they both can sit for almost an hour and paint picture after picture.

Levi's favorite spot in the house is at his sister's kitchen!

We went to the State Fair with the Pituch's and had a blast!

Jack and Kayleigh are major buds! They were waiting to fish!

Blue eyed Emmett...

And their off to fish!

Watching the animals

Towards the middle of the month we celebrated our friend Emily's birthday.

Swingin' babies.

Kayleigh was telling me about her pink car.

Emmett was quite confident he was going to make that shot~!

Noah...

Mr. Z..

Emily...

Ben and Levi...

July 2010

2010-10-14T01:06:00.005-04:00

Silly Bandz...

I still don't quite get the fascination with silly bandz, but Jack and Kayla sure love them. The like to 'trade', which means they take which ever one they want from each other even with the other person doesn't consent! :)

Watching the rain and Nana and Umpaw's.

Steeler boy and Nana

Steeler boy and Umpaw

Family four-wheeler ride!

Levi loved the whirlpool tub in Mommy and Daddy's hotel room!

My buddy...

Now that's one tired baby...

Drool boy practicing his etch a sketch skills...

Fireman swimmer...

Levi loved the slip n slide this summer. He would just crawl up and down it trying to catch the water.

Oh that smile..

June 2010

2010-08-14T22:44:00.002-04:00

June brought lots of excitement. I was the VBS director again and preparations filled most of the month. Other highlights included Levi learning how to crawl, Jack learning how to ride a big bike, and Aunt Brandi and "Aunt" Ginny coming for a visit.

Moviestar kiddos!

This picture was not posed, every now and then they are caught liking each other! :)

We attempted to pose the pictures and of course that didn't work out quite like I planned!

Jumperoo fun

Kayla asked me to put her bow in like Minnie Mouse! This is typical Kayla, when she is not bossing her brothers she can usually be found with a doll and a book curled up somewhere.

The tongue and tooth #3 appear!

Levi often crawls outside his siblings' rooms during naptime or bedtime looking for his playmates.

Cheesin' already!

Bunny Ear Brothers

2010-08-14T18:08:00.002-04:00

Levi with the bunny ears April of 2010.

Jack with the bunny ears April 2006.

National Geographic Home Video

2010-08-14T17:47:00.002-04:00

While we were all outside a Mama Bear and her 4 cubs stopped by for a visit. The coolest thing I have ever seen! But it was still a little too close for comfort!

National Geographic Home Video Part 2

2010-08-14T17:38:00.004-04:00

Cubs #3 and 4 running to catch up with mom.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-08-14T17:29:00.005-04:00

Over Memorial Day we traveled to PA with my family to the Snyder Cabin in northern PA. It also happened to be over both of Brian's parents birthdays so it was great to spend it with them!

On the way to the cabin we stopped to visit Brian's great Uncle Bob and Aunt Velma.

Levi cut his first two teeth while we there and spent most of the weekend with his tongue out!

Fishing with Daddy.

Happy Birthday to Umpaw...

Jack on Uncle Mark's Harley!

The big fish!

Embarassing...

Seriously...what are these things in my mouth?!!

Mama bear with 4 cubs that came to visit. A little to National Geographic for me. This picture was not zoomed!

Love...

Kayla and Mom-maw

A fun weekend!!!

Slip n Slide Fun

2010-08-14T17:04:00.003-04:00

I love that Emily was trying to be sooo careful and still ended up on her tush! Slip n Slides are such a great invention!!!

May 2010

2010-08-14T16:42:00.004-04:00

Handsome Froggy...

We spent a lot of May at the Groff's house. Here is Emily waiting "patiently" for Jack to get off her new vehichle. Despite the look on her face the kids play very well together!

Slip n' Slide!!!

Here are Benjamin and Levi. Ben is Emily's younger brother and he is also 4 weeks younger than Levi. They absolutely love to play together and seem to already have their own little grunting language!

April 2010

2010-08-14T16:30:00.003-04:00

Once again I am playing picture catch-up! Life is busy with three kids, but each day is a new adventure. April included Kayla's 3rd birthday and Easter!

Here is Jack eating Kayla's head off of her birthday cake...it's the piece he requested.

Easter Morning...

Playing in the nursery on Easter

Family pictures are hit and miss these days, but here we all are on Easter!

We went to Mom-maw and Pop-paw's to celebrate Easter and Kayla's birthday.

I love her face in this picture. She was very excited about her new dress-up shoes from Uncle Isaac!

Kayla and Pop-paw

Two of my handsome men!

Levi loved Kayla's birthday balloon from Phoebe!

At the end of the month we took Levi with us to North Carolina to visit cousin Meadow. A picture turned out to be a little difficult as Levi was very fasinated with the bows on Meadow's shorts!

2010-04-26T01:09:00.002-04:00

What does every good parent give their newborn son to teethe on?

Why a sweet pickle of course! If only it wasn't so slippery! :)

More from the Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-02T00:42:00.002-04:00

Levi and Pop-paw at the Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-27T22:56:00.001-04:00

Levi was very "egg"cited for the easter egg hunt!

More pics to follow...

"The Two Tribes"

2010-03-23T16:49:00.002-04:00

What fun is it to have babies close in age if their mommies cannot coordinate their outfits? Levi and his friend Benjamin are 4 weeks apart. His mommy and I like to get together every week or so, so all of our children can play ... ok mostly so we can enjoy adult conversation. :) These picture we taken on Sunday at church.

Smiling...

Awww look they are holding hands....

Or maybe Benjamin has something else in mind....

Little help Mom...

They boy's with their big sisters. I wonder if Levi is thinking, "Hey, are you checking out my sister?"

Levi almost 6 months

2010-03-23T16:30:00.002-04:00

At the end of February we celebrated Daddy's and Uncle Isaac's birthdays. Levi loves his uncle Isaac and was smiling big for him in the picture.

Reading with Mom-maw

I decided to go ahead and start Levi on cereal a little earlier than I did his siblings. At his four month check-up he was about the size his siblings were at 9 months old. He loves eating and found mommy sticking a spoon in his mouth hilarious. Everytime I put a spoonful in he would giggle so much most of it came out!

His favorite time of the day seems to be when Jack and Kayla are in bed and he has Mommy and Daddy all to himself. He is by far the happiest baby of all three of our children. Most days you just have to look his way and errupts in giggles. He has also recently started rolling and is enjoying his new freedom. Jack and Kayla are not enjoying it as much because now they have to really watch what toys are in the floor!

An even later Christmas Entry

2010-03-02T15:55:00.005-05:00

We spent 6 days over the Christmas holidays in PA with Brian's parents. Both of his siblings were able to come in too and we had a great time! Jack and Kayla's cousin Meadow is the same age as Kayla so there was lots of activity while we were there. Nana and Umpaw had a new appreciation for "quiet" after we all left! :)

Jack's new train set.

Princess Kayla. Yes Kayla had her first black eye over the holidays. It shined pretty on her white skin!

Meadow and Jack were pretending to be lions while Kayla observed.

Umpaw's deer he killed this year.

Kayla and Meadow were pretending to be sailing on a boat...

Watching videos with Aunt Brandi.

Levi getting some love from Meadow while Aunt Krissy supervised.

Meadow, Levi and Aunt Brandi.

Giggling with Nana.

Jack having a serious conversation with Daddy about why he was pushing a princess stroller....

Uncle Barry and Aunt Krissy bought the kids a gingerbread house kit which I think was the highlight of Christmas. They all three had a great time making the house and nibbling on it the rest of the visit.

Busy little hands.

Jack and Daddy admiring their work.

A very late Christmas Entry

2010-03-02T00:59:00.004-05:00

We had Christmas with my parents the weekend before Christmas since we spent the actual holiday in PA. So the kids got a full week of Christmas and it was also nice to spread things out a bit.

Kayla opened her new veggies before she got the kitchen and was content with just her new frying pan!

The kitchen mom and dad got for the kids... so far the main things that that are cooked on it are pancakes and chocolate milk!

Deep in thought

Daddy and his big kids.

Pop-paw smiling as Kayla shoves her cheeks full of peanut brittle.

My favorite picture from Christmas. Levi loves his Daddy!

"Too much Christmas" as Mom entitled this picture.

2010-02-25T17:20:00.008-05:00

No one can make Levi smile or giggle like his big brother Jack.

Practicing my french braiding skills one of the days we were snowed in.

Jack and Kayla "napping"

My very happy, and drooly boy

"Sleeping Boobie" as she calls herself

Family Picture

2010-02-16T00:21:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we had our picture taken for the church directory. After looking through pictures this week I realized this is the first family picture with all 5 of us. Sad I know! There are plenty with Me and some of the kids, or Brian and some of the kids, or just the kids, but this is the first to capture us as a family of 5. I guess it is another reminder that things are busy around the Snyder household...but lots of fun. The picture also tells a story... Levi is constantly chewing these days. He chews on his hands, burp cloths, toys, or anything else he can cram in his mouth. He is only 4 and a half months but I wouldn't be surprised if he is an early teether. Kayla's hand is mid air and mine is reaching up to hold her hand down because a few seconds before this picture was taken she was picking her nose! Yes, my little princess likes to dig! Jack was being a good boy and decided to smile! And unlike the other families that wore coordinating outfits, we are not. You see, as I told a friend the other day, I think Levi has sucked my short term memory away. I forgot we were supposed to get our pictures taken until the very end of the service that day! But here we are and we are so greatful God has blessed as a family of 5.

4 Months Old!!!

2010-01-27T22:03:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that Levi just turned 4 months old! He is such a good baby and seems to go with the flow around our very busy household. He loves to laugh at his big brother Jack. We are finally starting to settle in a bit as a family of 5. He is just now starting to really reach for his toys and hold onto things. His favorite "toy" right now is his frog blanket Aunt Brandi got for him. Just like Jack was he wants it right by his face to go to sleep. He is also by far our largest baby! He was 17lbs at his 4 month check-up! My mommy muscles are quite impressive these days!

December Catch-up

2010-01-27T17:04:00.005-05:00

It seems I am always playing catch-up now when it comes to posting pictures! December was a busy month with lots of time spent with family and friends. Things are finally starting to calm down a bit in the new year and I downloaded 360 pictures of our camera yesterday from December and January!

Kayla is wearing one of the dresses my mom-maw made for me when I was about her age.

They were playing "train" in the front room and Kayla actually let Jack strap her into the carseat. Jack and Kayla have quite the imagination these days while playing. They make regular trips to the store, the library, Arkansas, and to space....mostly by train or the occasional space ship.

Considering I was pregnant 9 months in 2009 I made quite the impression on Jack and Kayla.

This was Jack completing his first real puzzle!

Jack's new Car slippers!

Bathtime critters...

We spent New Year's Eve with our good friends the Groff's and also the Savages. Kayla was very excited to find a wedding dress in Emily's dress-up box. If you ask Kayla where she is going these days she will say, "I'm going to the chapel to get married"!

Jack playing Wii for the first time...he actually did really good. Much to their parent's surprise the three amigos went strong until 12:30am!

Merry Christmas from the Snyders!!!

2009-12-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

2009-12-14T01:15:00.001-05:00

Merry Kiss-mas!!!

Franklin Park Conservatory

2009-12-14T00:43:00.008-05:00

Over the weekend we took the kids and Uncle Isaac to Franklin Park Conservatory. Jack and Kayla had a great time following Uncle Isaac around and picking the occasional leaf. (shhh, don't tell!)

They had a really neat ginger bread house display. Thomas was Jack's favorite of course.

This was Brian's favorite.

This must have been Kayla's favorite as she pulled the pig off before mommy could stop her! Brian called it the barnyard massacre.

Watching Uncle Isaac run around outside...

Two peas in a pod!

2009-12-09T16:42:00.003-05:00

Kayla thought Levi needed a friend in the baby swing with him.

Jack is our resident Lego expert these days.

Levi is a very happy baby. He is learning to talk and smile more and more every day.

Kayla was "feeding" her horse in this picture.

Christmas card?...

Daddy likes to give Levi a bottle every now and then in case I ever have to be away. We were laughing at him in this picture because this night he wasn't drinking the milk (maybe because we added fish oil to his milk)...he just kept sticking his lips out.

Over thanksgiving we decided to stay home instead of travel. We had a great weekend as a family. On Friday we took the kids to Fort Rapids...an indoor waterpark. It was 40 degrees outside that day but a warm 85 inside! Kayla had to stay in the "kiddy" section but Jack and Daddy braved the bigger slides and had a blast.

Levi enjoyed the waterpark too...happy two months buddy!

Kayla refused to go down any slides but she like watching Daddy and Jack go down!

Cheeks....

2009-11-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

...more pics coming soon!

New Patient to Work On...

2009-11-05T17:06:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: No babies were harmed in the making of this post.

In fact, Levi seemed to enjoy himself.

Or maybe he was thanking Jack for protecting him from Dr. Kayla!

Smiling boy

2009-11-05T16:01:00.002-05:00

Fall time fun...

2009-11-05T15:53:00.005-05:00

Kayla loved throwing the leaves over her head.

Dreaming of whatever little boys dream of...

What is so funny about Kayla chasing Jack you might ask...?

...she was trying to put a leaf up his nose!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-10-29T17:01:00.004-04:00

The second week after Levi was born Aunt Brandi came from NC to visit. While she was here we carved the pumpkins from Pigeon Roost Farm.

Ready to get messy.

Kayla was not sure if she enjoyed cleaning out the pumpkin.

Ewwww.....

Jack on the other hand was an expert seed-puller-outer.

Pirate pumkin.

Scared pumpkin.

Pigeon Roost Farm

2009-10-29T16:42:00.005-04:00

On the weekend after Levi was born Brian took Jack to Pigeon Roost Farm with Uncle Isaac, Pop-paw, and Umpaw. They had nice weather and fun was had by all.

What happens when you send your 4 year old with 4 other men?... They buy him a wooden sword!

Jack's Birthday Party

2009-10-29T16:27:00.003-04:00

Since Levi arrived on a weekend we celebrated Jack's birthday the following weekend while Brian's parents were here. I made him a spaceship cake because he has been so fascinated with space since our VBS this summer.

Random Picture Update

2009-10-29T16:08:00.005-04:00

It is hard to believe Levi just turned a month old on Monday. He is already up to 11lbs 110z and 22.5 inches. His siblings didn't weigh that much until their two month birthdays! As you can imagine I am finding it harder to update the blog these days...or shower on a regular basis for that matter!

This was Jack and Kayla's first chance to hold baby Levi. Most days they like their little brother although they both want to know why he sleeps and eats so much!
A little help from Daddy...

This was Levi's first Sunday at church at 2 weeks old.

Chillin' in his rocker.

Jack and Kayla playing superhero's.

Brian found them holding hands one morning, under a blanket on the couch.

Another hospital pic.

On my way upstairs to have baby #3.

2009-10-11T23:26:00.002-04:00

Aunt Brandi took these photos when she came for a visit last week. The bear was actually a gift from Aunt Dana and Kayla insisted that it needed to be next to Levi while he was sleeping. She was just looking out for her little brother! :)

The shirt came from the Ericsons. Just in case you can't read it it says,

"I got my muscles from my daddy!" Daddy wanted to make sure this outfit made a blog appearance...

Wide awake hangin' on the boppy pillow.

2009-10-09T23:06:00.001-04:00

2009-10-01T23:38:00.000-04:00

Pictures of Jack and Kayla

2009-09-27T20:37:00.000-04:00

pictures of Levi will be posted soon

Baby Levi Reagan has arrived

2009-09-26T09:36:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Aunt Brandi!

2009-09-23T23:24:00.003-04:00

New pet?

2009-09-23T10:11:00.002-04:00

More puppy dog fun...

Kayla does not make the most complient of doggies!

That is a smile on her face...our wood floor makes for some good sliding fun.

Jack had his turn too!

What do you do on rainy days?

2009-09-22T22:17:00.004-04:00

Yes that is my daughter wearing a baby harness and running through our house. It has rained all week here in Ohio and we have been forced to get a little creative in our activities. The best part has been that Jack and Kayla have come up with all of their ideas on their own! This day they started the morning playing "train" by lining up rubbermaid drawers in the living room. There were three drawers lined up, leaving an empty one between Jack and Kayla. Jack turned to me at one point and said, "you're too big to fit mommy". Thanks for the reminder buddy!

They ended the morning by playing "doggy". Jack had his turn too but I didn't capture it on video. I will post some pics later but for now enjoy this video! It sure made me smile! :)

Some days they truly love each other....

2009-09-19T00:15:00.002-04:00

I had to leave the room for a moment and returned to find them snuggled under the blanket watching their video. If only every day was this peaceful.

Baby #3 Note: Obviously Snyder #3 has not made his entrance yet. Mom-maw says he keeps hearing all the noise on the outside and decides to stay in another day! We will keep you posted!

Have you had your daily serving of fruits and veggies?

2009-09-18T23:53:00.003-04:00

Our neighbors dog got loose the other day while I was picking some of our tomatoes. I laid the tomatoes on our mail bin on the side of the house while I walked the dog across the street. I returned to find that Kayla had taken a bite out of every tomato I picked and then had gotten her brother to share in her bounty. So like every good mother I went and got the camera and let them eat till their bellies were full! And then I had to promptly strip them in the garage and bathe them before lunch...not that they were very hungry after their snack!

"Uh-oh Kayla, I think we were caught!"

The Columbus Zoo

2009-09-08T22:49:00.004-04:00

Today we got to go to the zoo with Laura, Lenda, Emily, and Noah. This was Kayla's first time to the zoo and only Jack's third visit. All of the kids had a great time watching the animals! One of the highlights of the day...at least for Jack..happened right after we got to the zoo. Mommy and Jack had to make a 'pit stop' and while we were in the bathroom I noticed a baby frog in the stall with us! I carried it outside for the other kids to see and then released it. After that Jack checked for frogs everytime we went potty!

Checkin' out the baby elephant. He is now 5 months old and weighs a whopping 752 lbs!

Baby elephant shot for Aunt Brandi! :)

Kayla cheesin' after she noticed the camera.

All of the kids loved the little model train in the Asia quest building.

This is Kayla at the petting zoo...petting the animals with Laura.

This is Jack at the petting zoo perched on the highest spot he could find!

Kayla and Emily peaking through a tunnel.

In the manatee building...

Jack enjoying the Dragon, and Emily reminding him it is her turn to ride up front!

Checking out the turtles, and no we did not line the kids up, they did that all on their on!

2009-09-08T22:33:00.005-04:00

While we anticipate the arrival of baby #3 I thought I should update the blog with some more pictures of summer!

Our little Diva

My attempt to capture her pigtails...

Playdough fun...

Jack and Kayla have really been developing their imaginations lately. And for the most part they play together very well....for the most part... Here they are reading their big truck book and pretending to drive.

Eye level with Jack

Eye level with Olive

Lego fun

Daddy playing with the camera...

everyone seems to be deep in thought.

This is how we found Jack one night when we went to check on him. My internal thermometer has been a little high with this pregnancy and Brian has been accusing me of freezing him at night. Apparently Jack has been cold as well!

Jack and Kayla being silly. Note: The white shirt Kayla is wearing is part of a newborn outfit. She thinks that all of the baby clothes that are around now are for her and her baby dolls!

Summer Fun

2009-08-11T23:00:00.005-04:00

"Wow this water is cold!"

Aunt Brandi came to see us in June and we went to the Groveport Rec center one day while she was here.

They had a froggy slide that Jack spent most of his time on. We only convinced Kayla to go down a couple of times while holding someone's hand.

Jack and Kayla modeling their Jamaica shirts Aunt Brandi got them on her cruise.

When Brian gets home from work the kids like to help Daddy "drive" his car into the garage.

It is team effort...

This is how Kayla walked around the house for a day or so after skinning both knees. She refused to straighten her legs all the way! Yes we felt bad for her, but it was hilarious to see her waddle around the house.

In July we went to Nashville for a few days and got to meet our new nephew George. His big brother Michael is very proud of him!

Our Swimming Beauty

2009-07-17T00:48:00.003-04:00

Jack has been in PA all week with his Nana and Umpaw so Mommy and Kayla have had lots of girl time.

All greased up and ready to head outside!

When she got tired of swimming she decided to water Daddy's plants with her shoe!

Family Park Fun

2009-07-07T23:38:00.002-04:00

We discovered this beautiful waterfall and park in downtown Gahanna last Friday. We had a great time just walking the trail and enjoying nature!

Jack's "cheese" pose.

I warned you in my last belly post that I had "blossomed". 28 weeks....

Our little princess.

Congrats Pittsburgh Penguins!

2009-06-21T23:44:00.002-04:00

Here is our little man the day after the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

Finally a Picture Update!

2009-06-05T16:06:00.004-04:00

I love watching my children sleep and sometimes I can't resist taking a picture. They always look so innocent when they are sleeping...

I have "blossomed" futher since this picture was taken. I am about 17 weeks pregnant in this picture.

Aquadoodle fun with daddy.

I have been asked many times since we announced pregnancy #3 if I wanted a boy or a girl. We didn't really care but we are very excited to be having another boy. Kayla is about all of the "princess" I can handle right now. Why is she wearing this outfit you ask?...because she has started to want to pick out her clothes and dress herself. Now you might be thinking this is a good thing, but if you know Kayla it has turned out to be a problem on a few occasions. In this picture she is wearing clothes she pulled out of the bin I had set aside that were too small for her. And knowing that mommy wouldn't let her wear them, she took the clothes to daddy to put on her!

I call these our Ronald McDonald shoes. Brian got these crocs for free and usually keeps them in the garage for yard work. Kayla insisted on wearing them around one day.

Daddy with his yard "helpers"

Kayla and the shoes again...just look at the "innocent" face

Try to refrain from any Wizard of Oz references when looking at this picture.

These quiet moments are precious in our ever busy household.

Easter Pics

2009-05-05T16:12:00.001-04:00

My Doll Baby

2009-04-23T23:32:00.002-04:00

Birthday fun

2009-04-14T22:42:00.006-04:00

We had our Easter Egg Hunt a week early since Brian's

parents came to town for Kayla's birthday.

Yes Jack is holding a Halloween bucket...but he didn't seem to mind.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor.

Kayla likes to read the mail when it comes!

Princess cake....

for my princess!

mmmm cake!

Kayla was a pro this year at opening all her gifts!

Hanging on to her new baby while Jack and Isaac enjoy the new aquadoodle.

Dr. Jack

2009-04-14T22:34:00.004-04:00

This year Brian took Jack to the car show and they both had a great time!

Brian said it took some convincing for Jack to believe the lion was not real.

Jack was very excited this was like the car on his shirt.

Oh the thoughts a little boy can think...

This was Jack's "Are you sure the motorcycle is off Dad?" smile.

Nightlife with Daddy :)

Our Sunday School class recently went bowling and all the kids had a great time!

What's gonna happen Daddy?

Mommy and a very squirmy Kayla

This picture is a little fuzzy but it still makes me smile. Kayla was very proud of herself for getting to help push the ball down the alley.

Randomness

2009-04-14T22:18:00.004-04:00

Mommy's big helper.

Blue eyes

Cheesin' for daddy.

What do you mean I need a bath mom?...

Bath time bubble fun :)

Will Update Soon...

2009-04-07T22:47:00.004-04:00

I usually have a rule that I will not post to my blog unless I have some pictures to go along with the post, but I thought I would make an exception tonight. Part of the reason we have not posted in a while is that Jack broke our digital camera and we had to get a new one. Apparently camera lens should not be closed manually! But we were able to get a new camera and I will hopefully have some pictures to blog soon.

Kayla turned 2 on Saturday which is hard to believe. She is still our child with the most "personality"... as we like to call it. She enjoyed her time with Nana and Umpaw that came in from PA and with my parents as well. And she ripped through all her presents like a pro! She also had her two year check up today and is up to a whopping 27lbs and 35.25". Tall and skinny, I am looking forward to summer when I can put dresses on her and not worry about finding a pair of pants that will stay up on her! She also LOVES to sing! While the average person may not understand the words she is saying, she can belt out the tunes perfectly. Her favorites are "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Blessed Be the Name", and "Praise Him", along with many others.

Jack is now 3 and a half and getting bigger everyday! We are working on potty training, but he much prefers to just keep playing than be bothered. He is very excited about mommy having a baby and has to rub my belly almost everyday. He keeps asking if the baby is big enough to come out yet... He also told me last night that he thought the baby had grown...I think that was his nice of way of telling mommy I had grown!

Funny Story: Today after we got home from running errands all morning Jack was having trouble getting his second shoe off. He looked at Kayla and said, "baby, you do it". And she replied, "otay". So she bent down, took his shoe off for him, and put it away on the rug. Jack then said, "baby, there's the other shoe". (Which he had tossed accross the floor) She said "otay" again and ran over and picked up the other shoe and put it away on the rug as well! If you knew how much "spunk" Kayla can have the story becomes even more funny. I guess we will just have to see if it happens again!

2009-03-12T11:34:00.002-04:00

Jack has been playing a lot in the floor like this lately. He likes to be eye level with his toys.

What to you build with blocks when your Daddy is a chemist? You build molecules of course!

Inspecting Daddy's work.

Fishy Lips...

We changed the molecule into "Noah's Ark"

Kayla on the phone during her morning chat with mom-maw or daddy.

New Additions...

2009-02-28T14:53:00.004-05:00

We have two new arrivals to the Snyder household. Well one is still in the oven, but one is in the garage...

Addition #1 is our new mini van. Well it is new us, it is a 2005 Buick Terraza or the "fun van" as Jack calls it.

Addition #2 to be arriving at the end of September...

When we told Jack that mommy was going to have another baby he looked at me for a couple seconds, then his eyes lit up, he gasped, and said "AGAIN"! He also says mommy is having a girl, I guess because the last one was a girl it only makes sense to him that girls come out mommy's belly! Until today I thought Kayla had no idea what was going on. But at naptime while I was laying her down she stuffed her baby doll up her shirt. Somtimes I forget just how observant children can be!

Steelers Victory

2009-02-12T22:44:00.005-05:00

Both of the kids were overcoming colds the night of the superbowl so we had our own little party at home.

The boys were a little more excited than Kayla!

These moments never last too long.

Watchin' the big game.

2009-02-04T15:31:00.003-05:00

Action shot

Macoroni and Cheese Face

Kayla has been expanding her reading lately...

Bedtime stories with Daddy

Snow Day

2009-02-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

Isaac and Pop-paw came over to play in the snow with us last week when we had one warm day amidst the very cold weather!

Fair fight?

Kayla wasn't sure what to think of Pop-paw's snowman.

Why not to poop in the potty...

2009-01-28T19:05:00.003-05:00

We have been working on potty training Jack for a while now. He still has good days and not so good days. Today while trying to convince him to poop on the potty he said, "No mommy, I don't want my poop to get wet!" After pulling myself off the floor from laughing so hard, I put his diaper back on him. He does make a good argument!...

"Tinkle, Tinkle, Little Star"

2009-01-26T10:31:00.002-05:00

More of Krazy Kayla...

2009-01-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

While it is true that we limit the sugar

intake in our household, one night Brian let Kayla have his little bottle of Maple Syrup when he was done with it.

Cabela's

2009-01-13T14:49:00.004-05:00

On the way home from PA we stopped at Cabela's so the kids could see the animals. They had a great time looking at all the animals together.

This is Jack in front of the "The Snyder Buck"

This picture is mainly posted for Aunt Brandi...and she will know why! ;)

Christmas in PA

2009-01-13T14:20:00.006-05:00

Jack enjoying his new books from Nana and Umpaw.

Kayla and Aunt Brandi.

Why is Kayla giggling you might ask...because she had just got caught picking her nose!

Kayla and Jack were talking to Uncle Barry and Cousin Meadow over the computer on Christmas evening.

Aunt Brandi and "Ninny"

Jack and Umpaw playing computer games.

This is Cousin Aiden and Jack enjoying some of Nana's cooking.

Goodtimes in Nana and Umpaw's room...

Picture of the day

2009-01-06T15:58:00.002-05:00

Christmas in Columbus

2009-01-06T15:21:00.004-05:00

We had Christmas morning with my parents on Christmas Eve morning. We didn't tell Jack and Kayla ahead of time so they were pretty excited to see presents when they ran in to the living room that morning!

Kayla has become our little mother these days!

Jack recieved a hot wheels track as his big present and didn't really understand what it was at first...

Then Pop-paw explained it to him and you can see his and Isaac's reaction... ooooohhh.

Playing with the track after we set it up.

This year I let Jack pick out a present for Kayla. I hadn't actually thought about it before hand but he was in Children's Place with me one day and saw this purse hanging on the wall and asked if "we could buy one for baby"? He was so excited to give it to her he opened the bag and said, "look, it's your new purse baby!"

Smiling at Isaac...

Kayla recieved a baby buggy from mom-maw and pop-paw. We didn't have to explain how to use her present. She threw her baby in, said "bye-bye" and off she went...

Pop-paw with an armful!

A few random pictures...

2009-01-05T21:58:00.004-05:00

Before I started adding Christmas pictures I thought I would catch up on Nov and Dec pictures...

This was taken at our hotel on the way home from Arkansas. Jack would turn on the air and watch Kayla's hair blow.

Extra luggage... :)

Here is Kayla all ready to go to church in her Sunday coat. This is the first Sunday she wore it, and she was quite the little Diva!

"Cheese"

This picture is a little blury but it still cracks me up.

Stylin'

Attack of the baby Kayla...

Hamin' it up with the cowboy hat on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas from the Snyders

2008-12-24T22:16:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving Update

2008-12-24T22:06:00.003-05:00

I figured before I started editing christmas photos I should update from Thanksgiving. We traveled to Arkansas to be with my Mom's side of the family. There were about 20 of us together at a resort along the White River in the Ozark Mountains. It was beautiful and a great time with family.

Kayla with cousin Paige.

Kayla with cousin Wyatt.

Jack, cousin Michael (my nephew) and Wyatt watching the Daddies fish out the window.

Play-do fun! :)

We stopped at a museum about the local dam and Jack and Kayla posed with a fish in Umpaw's honor! :)

Jack and Wyatt became best buds while we were there, they are about a year appart in age.

Wyatt, Paige, and Meredith

Snoozing on the way home

I'm in the Lord's Army

2008-12-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

Our children love to watch Cedarmont Kid videos. They are collections of classic Sunday School songs. One of their favorite songs is "I'm in the Lord's Army". If you listen closely to Kayla singing you can hear her say "amry" at the end.

Cherub Choir

2008-12-15T00:00:00.004-05:00

Our Cherub Choir sang tonight and all the kids did a great job! Jack remembered all of his motions but he is still working on singing at the same time. He did of course sing his songs all the way home tonight! :)

Sock Puppets

2008-12-14T23:37:00.003-05:00

Over thanksgiving we traveled to Arkansas to see my family. The trip was about 14 hours spread over two days of travel. Overall the kids did a great job, and Kayla even learned a new talent! I will have more pics to post of our trip later but for now enjoy the puppet show!

Krazy Kayla

2008-11-22T23:05:00.003-05:00

I continue to be amazed at how much personality can be balled up in our Kayla. She is not aware that she is less than three feet tall, and is not easily intimidated. For example, after watching her older brother climb in and out of her crib she decided she could not be out done and proceded to follow suit! So naptime this week has been pretty interesting. Jack was 2 1/2 before he even tried to climb out, and his crib was much lower to the ground then hers. She has also learned..from her older brother...that when mommy places something out of reach you just push up a chair and get it yourself! We have recently decided that by the time we have another child we will not have to do any parenting. We will just turn the child over to Kayla!

I think you can guess how long her pig tails stayed in...

Her hair has grown in all of a sudden and can get pretty crazy...

Like my Elvis hair...

I have a feeling we are going to have to keep an eye on her. Ryan was her latest victim!

She loves to wear her winter hat around the house.

Halloween Night

2008-11-22T22:56:00.004-05:00

We spent the first part of Halloween night at the McCain Rally at Nationwide. Arnold is speaking in the picture below.

Afterwards we rushed home to put the kids in their costumes. We didn't take them trick-or-treating, but we dressed them up to go see their babysitter who lives about 5 doors down. The decision to go to the rally was last minute so we didn't get to pass out all of the candy I bought. Needless to say the kids were pretty happy to have a bucket of candy they didn't have to share.

Jack is "roaring" in the picture. He sounded more like a pirate saying, "yarrr".

Hypothetically we may have shown Kayla that she had a tail to see if she would chase it...and the answer is yes...hypothetically of course! :)

2008-11-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

This is only the kids second bubble bath ever. The first bubble bath did not go so well...they kept trying to get to bubbles off...but this one they seemed to enjoy! :)

Sometimes this is the only way I can get the laundry done without "helpers".

Jack has a rather large melon, and his shirts often get stuck while trying to get them off.

I was trying to get the kids out the door to run some errands one morning. I had to run back in the house to get something and Kayla had gotten a bag of fish out of the garage pantry and made a run for it!

Jack and Kayla really had good time playing in the leaves this year!

Jack and Mom-maw

2008-11-16T23:20:00.002-05:00

Campain Add....

2008-10-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

2008-10-15T21:56:00.002-04:00

Jack and Kayla helped Daddy carve a pumpkin last Saturday. The pictures that follow crack me up. Our children are quite adorable in my eyes but they take the funniest pictures sometimes! :)

This looks like it should be on the front of a Halloween card!

This is what I call planting a kiss!

Kayla and her "B's" as she calls them. This was right after she got up one morning and I am not sure she was quite awake yet.

Why you ask did I include this picture?...Because Jack took it while I was in the other room.! The first time we realized Jack knew how to use our camera was when we downloaded a bunch of close ups of his eye!

Dishes is one of my least favorite household chores. Probably because I have to do it at least twice a day. So every now and then I let Jack and Kayla help. Yes, it takes quite a bit longer, and yes I usually have to mop the floor afterwards, but a fun time is usually had by all! :)

Turning 3

2008-10-15T16:35:00.005-04:00

I still cannot believe that Jack is 3 years old now! I mentioned in an earlier post that he loves school buses, so I made him a school bus cake. I know it's not the prettiest but Jack sure enjoyed it!

Jack was singing happy birthday to himself in this picture... :)

We invited our friends the Groff's over to celebrate with us. I think Emily's favorite part was the cake!!!

These pictures of Jack just cracked me up!

Once again Kayla stole my necklace and was helping Jack open his presents.

Jack's main present was a radio flyer tricycle. It was a combined gift from mom-maw and pop-paw and mommy and daddy. My favorite feature is the handle bar in the back so we can help him stear. It also comes off easily for when he is ready to peddle completely on his own.

All three of them loved the bell on the handle bars!

Photo Catch Up...

2008-10-13T15:46:00.004-04:00

I am happy to report our computer, complete with photo software, is back up and running! I am sure it will take me a little while to finish editing and posting all the pics we have taken the last couple of months, but here is the start!

Brian and I took Jack to the zoo about a month ago. It just happened to be the day that Hurricane Ike rolled through Ohio so we did not get too many good pics. We also had to leave the zoo a bit early. As we left the zoo that day we realized the power was out at the zoo and I began to have Jurrasic Park flash backs! But in the end we had an overall fun day and returned home safely before the weather got too bad.

This is Jack all tuckered out on the way home. Brian pointed out that if you zoom in on the picture you can see drool coming off Jack's lip! :)

Jack and Kayla like to lay on the couch together. It never lasts very long, but I am glad they like each other...most of the time!

Kayla already has quite the flare for the dramatic. I was pulling out their fall clothes one day and she insisted on wearing this hat. Then she put my beads around her neck and stayed dress like this for over and hour.

We recently converted Jack's bed to a toddler bed and life has not been the same since. We never quite know where we might find Jack when we go check on him after bedtime. One night he was reminded once again not to get our of his bed. This is how we found him, in the drawer of his bed, Daddy pointed out that technically he did not get out of bed! :)

2008-10-13T15:36:00.002-04:00

If you haven't figured it out by now my children make quite the pair. They have already learned teamwork and are quite efficient at working together to reach a common goal. One morning I put in a sing-along video for them to watch while I took a quick shower. Why you ask would I brave leaving them alone? Well because up until this morning they would watch a video for at least 10 minutes without getting off the couch. Well this morning I left the pantry unlocked (yes we have to lock it) and Jack remembered there was a bag of M&Ms in there calling his name. Mommy returned to the living room to find happy little chilren running around like they had just eaten a whole bunch of sugar....

This summer my children fell in love with "Mamatoes"...as Kayla calls them. One morning I went outside to check the mail and Jack and Kayla ran around back. By the time I got around back they were feasting away! A bath followed soon after these pics...

A Trip to the Wilds

2008-10-13T15:26:00.004-04:00

Back in September we went with my family to The Wilds for AEP day. A fun time was had by all, but by far the highlight for Jack was getting to ride on a school bus while we toured the grounds!

We thought this sign was funny...

There were all kinds of wild and crazy animals there! :)

3 Year Old Jack

2008-10-08T22:03:00.004-04:00

First I must appoligize for my lack of blogging lately. We are still experiencing computer problems but hopefully they will be resolved soon.

I cannot believe my little boy is now a three year old! And not just any type of three year old, but a busy little boy! Overall he is a very good little boy. Like any toddler he has occasional outbursts, which often end with a requests to go to Mom-maw's house. He has quite a vocabulary these days, although there are still times when Daddy likes to call him Dutch. He loves to sing, and his favorite songs are "Father, I Adore You", and "Jesus, Name Above All Names". We have to sing them both every night before bed. He also loves "Twinkle, Twinkle" which he pronounces, "Tinkle, Tinkle" :) He also loves vehichles of all types, he likes to name different types as we drive along. His favorites are "airpanes" and "motorsickles" as he pronounces them.

Jack also adores his little sister...on most days. They are still sibblings so they have their fights, but they truly love each other. We went to a family reunion this past weekend and all four of us ended up in the same room. I think sharing a room was the highlight of Jack and Kayla's weekend. On the first night they spent over an hour giggling back and forth. As soon as Kayla would start calming down and stop talking Jack would yell, "Wake up baby, I wanna tell you somethin!" It was so cute it was hard to be mad at them. The next night I got smart and put Kayla to bed first! :)

I could go on forever about my little boy...which actually is not very little! He brings such joy to our lives. And I am often reminded how precious a gift our children are. Sometimes I am even overwhelmed at the responsibility we have been given by God to raise our children up to love and serve Him. Some days it is so hard to be a patient mother, but God never loses His patience or fails in His love.

A New Post!!!

2008-09-05T16:41:00.007-04:00

Sorry it has been so long since I have been able to post anything. We have had a bit of computer troubles but alas we are up and running again. We have had a very fun summer this year and the kids have really enjoyed spending as much time as possible outside. Jack actually spent a whole week in Pennsylvania with the Snyders, Nana and Umpaw, in August. Both kids continue to grow up before our eyes. Jack will be 3 next month which is sooo hard to believe! The week in PA with Nana seemed to completely open up his vocabulary and he talks almost nonstop. His favorite new phrase is "I wanna tell you sompin". We are still working on going potty, and he usually goes once or twice a day. Kayla is the one truly in charge of the household. She is 17 mos old going on 10! She already talks a lot, with her favorite words being, "mommy, daddy, Jaaaaack, Isaac, Mom-maw, Pop-paw, ball, tank you, and lots of sqeals...."

Kayla kept handing me grass out of the pool saying, "tank you"

I was trying to get Kayla to come see me and Jack thought he would help mommy out by dragging her by her collar.

Kayla loves shoes!!!

In the car on the way to PA...

Flyin high with Daddy in Nana and Umpaw's pool.

One night we were able to go to a picnic with a bunch of families Brian went to high school with. The couple who hosted the cookout lives up on a hill and it made for some great photos!

Jack also discovered motor vehichles while in Pa. It didn't take him long go get brave enough to drive one. Right after I took this picture I had to chase the boys down the driveway to get them to stop!

Watch out worlds...here come the Snyder kids....

The Creation Museum

2008-07-18T15:00:00.006-04:00

Last weekend my parents watched the kids so Brian and I could get away for a night to celebrate our 5th anniversary on July 12th. It's hard to believe it's actually been five years...and two kids.
We went to Cincinatti to go to The Creation Museum. My parents actually got us the tickets for Brian's birthday. The museum was awesome! I highly reccomend it to anyone. It has only been open a year and they have already added a petting zoo, and they were extending the outside gardens. We were so grateful we were able to go without the kiddos so we could really take our time and enjoy the museum. Not that we don't love taking of kids places, but they don't exactly like to pause and ready captions yet...

Self portrait on the deck overlooking the pond.

This picture is from our hotel room. If you notice the counter has a single burner. The part that cracked me up is that the cabinet below did not have a pot or pan. So apparently you have bring your own pan to hotels now! :)

This is the entrance to the "garden of eden". The animals were so lifelike...

This is our self-timer portrait in front of one of the waterfalls.

Bumble bee...
Butterfly...

The gardens were so beautiful! There was even a swinging bridge that crossed over a creek.

2008-07-17T15:51:00.003-04:00

Jack and Kayla...in a box

Brian put this monkey around Kayla's neck and she wore it all over the house.

Jack likes to chill out a bit after Kayla goes down for her nap.

Animal Lovin'

Mommy's "helpers"...

I asked Kayla if she wanted to go swing, so she took off on a mission to the back yard!

Warning, objects may be larger than they appear...

This is how I found Jack's ear when he got up one day last week. Obviously this is not normal...so we were off to the doctor. They think he got a spider bite on his ear that got infected. That same afternoon he got his first bee sting. He is one little trooper for sure! They gave him antibiotics for the bite and his ear is back to it's normal size now.

A Fun Fourth...more pictures to come

2008-07-12T22:09:00.003-04:00

Summertime fun.

2008-06-30T15:37:00.003-04:00

It was so muggy last week we decided to get the pool out one evening.

Laughing while her brother spashes.

Kisses from Jack.

Kayla has discovered the valves on anything that blows up, so I spend most of the evening trying to keep her from deflating her pool....

...then Jack decides to help her deflate the pool...

I was home by myself so I had to get the kids inside one at time.

Kayla got tired of waiting and decided to entertain herself...

Crazy Kids

2008-06-30T15:28:00.004-04:00

One night last week we took a trip to the park. Jack went in the bike trailor while daddy rode, and Kayla and mommy spent some time at the park...

Electric baby...

Kayla being a cheese....

This is Kayla showing her true colors. She is such a fun little girl but she also has some spunk to her. There were some teenagers at the park being rowdy and Kayla let them have a piece of her mind. I am not sure it is appropriate to repeat whatever it is she said to them! :)

Jack had babysitter last Monday night and on Tuesday he insisted on wearing his swim hat and Mr. Potato head's glasses all morning. Goofy boy!

Kayla has finally deciding it is more fun to walk than crawl. She spent all last week with her buddy practicing her walking skills.

This picture just makes me laugh.

VBS...

2008-06-30T15:04:00.004-04:00

This year I was the VBS director for our church. We really had a great week and I think the kids had a great time as well. We used the Answers in Genesis program called Amazon Expedition...which I highly recommend! It was a great biblical based program that gave the children practical applications they can use at school or in discussions with friends. It also meant that my children were at the church for 7 days in a row last week. The first thing out Jack's mouth this morning was if we could go to church and see his friends!

Here is a shot of our Sanctuary. Those are 10 foot palm trees made out of carpet rolls!

This was Jack's first time singing in front of the church. All the kids did a great job!

It's not VBS without craft time!

This came off of one of Jack's crafts. He is still carrying around his "bwower" ... as he calls it... this week.

Picture Catch Up

2008-06-09T16:43:00.004-04:00

We have had a very busy past few weeks. Over Memorial Day Brian's parents came to visit us and both of our families went on a picnic. Unfortunately most of our pictures were of the kids and not so much adults! Jack seems to be maturing every day. He is speaking in paragraphs now and is quite good at telling us what he wants....and what he doesn't! Kayla continues to be the mischievous one! When she enters a room she quickly climbs to the highest point. And she takes pleasure in picking on her older, and much larger, brother. She still spends most of her time crawling but today I looked up and she was walking all the way across the living room. Of course she wouldn't do it again once I caught her.

Kayla and Nana during their visit.

Waving to the camera.

Jack discovered cheese curls...

And he stole Um-paw's pop.

Just bein' a boy.

The bubble salute...

Do you think Jack saw me?

Daddy's big helper!

More proof that Kayla is finally getting some hair!

Brian said he left the room just a minute and came back and found Kayla chillin' on the couch.

Are you sure the ball's are supposed to come out?

2008-05-23T16:32:00.003-04:00

This is our little monkey girl in action. At the end of the video you can hear the phone ring. If you listen closely you can hear her say "wow" before I had to cut the video short.

No, Kayla is still not walking but she doesn't let that slow her down. In case you can't tell she is on top of the table. And no, I didn't put her there! She can also climb on top of the toy box (see above video), on to the couch, on top of the printer, on the end table, and she almost made it on top of Jack's changing table! Needless to say, I am not encouraging her to walk...who know's where she can get then!

These pictures are for Mrs. Prince. Jack is very proud of the craft we made in mission friends! :)

Jack is such a fun little boy. He tends to have a favorite activity each week. Last week he spent every day lining up all of his toys with wheels. He was quite protective of his toy "choo-choo". He would move all of his toys to the couch when Kayla would start messing with them.

This week his favorite activity is singing "Deep and Wide". Only Jack doesn't sing yet, he makes mommy and daddy do it for him! And one time is never enough..."more deep and wide mommy"..."more"

2008-05-12T10:51:00.003-04:00

Kayla and Daddy enjoying a banana.

Now that's a kiss!

Swinging with mommy.

Kayla thinks she is big stuff now that she can crawl up on the couch by herself.

Kayla got a new car seat for her birthday but of course her and Jack had much more fun with the box all week!

Jack in the box...ha ha

Kayla in her big girl car seat.

Jack likes to "drive" already!

2008-04-25T16:41:00.002-04:00

Brian and I find this video to be evidence why it is always better to have more than one child. Jack and Kayla are quite the partners in crime. On Wednesday I had the gate up in the kitchen and left the room to check on the other baby that was staying at our house. I suddenly heard giggles coming from the kitchen and returned to see what they were up to. Kayla had figured out that I had not secured the bottom of the gate and she was holding it up so Jack could crawl through and escape with her!

2008-04-25T16:28:00.002-04:00

Sleepin like a baby...

This is Kayla's ornery face!

Even though Kayla is not walking yet she gets around just fine. In fact, she might just be the the missing link that we evolved from monkeys!...ok, maybe not...

Campbell's...good to the last drop.

My Tulips

2008-04-25T16:24:00.001-04:00

Fun Times outside

2008-04-08T10:54:00.010-04:00

This picture was taken a few days ago. Jack has been quite independent lately and insisted on blowing bubbles all by himself.

The rest of these pictures were taken yesterday. We had an absolutely beautiful, sunny day in the 70s. Jack and Mommy spent most of the morning outside, and then in the afternoon Kayla got to play outside.

Just bein' silly...

This picture is proof she has hair!!!

I realized Kayla never really touched the grass last summer since she wasn't crawling yet. She had fun crawling on and off the blanket yesterday trying to figure out if she like the feeling of it or not.