Brady's Blog

update on house

2010-05-01T21:21:00.004-04:00

Matt went to take a visit to our house that is being built. We decided that he needed to go and do some finishing decisions on the house. We are both glad he did. He got a lot done. He picked out tile, granite and cabinets. He was only there for a few days but he was on the go the whole time. He got to take some pictures of our house. I am getting so excited. It will be ready for us when we leave south bend. Here are some pictures he sent of the out side. The brick is not all the way done in the front but it will only take them two more days.

Birthday boy

2010-04-08T21:12:00.004-04:00

It was Lukes Birthday a couple of weeks ago. He is so excited to be three. We had a fun bday for him. I love this age still because you can still get away without doing much. Just as long as you have a few presents, cake and Ice cream. It was a low key bday but had lots of fun. It was also an exciting day because he got to wear the birthday hat. That was all he could think of for days but quickly lost interest when it kept falling of his head. The girls love that hat so naturally Luke loves it to. I love that his favorite color is Pink. What a guy!

Other brady news, We sold our house. We are so excited and blessed that everything has gone so smoothly. We have to be out by the end of April so we will be staying at an apartment until the end of June when matt is finished with his fellow. I will be sad to leave our home but getting ready to move on. We have been here for four years and have loved every day here. I hope we will have just as much fun in our next adventure. I will show updated pictures of our house that is being built. The brick is being put on and it looks great.

Eventful last few weeks

2010-03-14T20:24:00.010-04:00

I am having trouble getting pictures placed on my blog so I am telling the events of the last few weeks out of order. I also can't type exactly where I want on the blog so I am afraid it will be all over so hopefully you understand it. Anyway,

Lola's first feeding. She loved it. She actually did really well. She got a lot down for her first time. You can't see them but they are there. Her first two teeth on the bottom of her mouth.

Can you guess which kid is really sick? We had a week of sick days. Kacie had the throw-ups and Lola had high fewers for three days and then the next two she had a bad rash all over her body (rosaola) for the next two days. It was not fun. I love this pictures because Luke was acting like he was sick to. He would tell me his stomach hurt and then ask for something. "Mom, my tummy hurts, push it (he thought if I felt his tummy then it was for real) Can I have soup two? it was cute.

Ryan's birthday party was lots of fun. She wanted a costume party. Ryan was a princess fairy and Kacie dressed up as princess. We had a batman and jasmine also but I forgot to get out the camera when her friends were there. It was a small low key party and I enjoyed it. We played "Ryan" bingo (my mom made this up for the grandkids and they love it), Decorated Masks, and did face painting. As you can see they had more fun painting my face.

A few days before her seventh birthday her two front teeth came out. It was very exciting. She sang "all I want for christmas is my two front teeth" all day. She was loving her lisp.

up date on Lola

2010-02-12T14:23:00.007-05:00

I have been asked to put pictures of Lola on the Blog. No one in my family has seen her so I understand the demand. Plus she is cute. We think she is blossoming into a cute baby. here are some four month pictures of her.

house coming along

2010-01-24T22:23:00.005-05:00

Her are a few pictures of our house that is being built. We are very excited and can't wait to move in. It is boxed up for the winter and they will be working on the inside for the cold months. We are getting ready to put our house here up for sale and It is stressful. I don't like this part. I can't wait till it is all over. I think I like building a house instead getting one ready for sale.

Special Day

2009-11-29T22:14:00.007-05:00

Lola after her big long day. "Blessing days" can take it out of you.

We blessed Lola today. She was so pretty in her blessing dress and so well behaved. It was so special to see all our close friends in the circle. Matt gave a beautiful blessing. A sister in the ward wrote down the prayer was given prayer for Lola. I was very touched. I have tried before to do that and have always failed so I am very impressed. She does it for all the blessings given in the ward. I will treasure it.

I had Ryan and Kacie blessed in the same dress Lola is in. I posted pictures of them in there dress also. It was the dress I was blessed in when I was a baby. My Aunt made it for me. It makes it special. Luke's outfit, on the other hand, was the only thing I had at the time. When he gets older I will just tell him it was his dad's blessing outfit. (No, I am just kidding. I won't do that.)

Here are pictures of all of the kids on their blessing day. They are all around the same age when we took these pictures. two months old.

This is Ryan.

This is Kacie

This is Luke. (Look at those cheeks! He is my chubby monkey.)

Who's Who?

2009-11-05T19:52:00.008-05:00

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T20:28:00.004-05:00

because I usually only have one arm now, (Lola takes up the other) my blogging has been thrown to the bottom of my list. But I will soon post pictures of more Lola and kids. We are still adjusting to four kids. So really quick, here are our pictures from Halloween. I Made the girls costumes. They are indian princesses. Luke was grapes for our ward trunk or treat but Matt was not liking the mess that came along with it so he bought Luke a indian brave outfit. Lola was a flower. When my mom came out to help she got that for her. She was a cute flower. So here are some pics.

Lola Jordyn Brady

2009-09-28T11:22:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the quick, thoughtless blog here. I know it flies in the face of all the creative blogging that Tracy and her friends do. Unfortunately, I'm not a blogger. I am however, the proud dad of a new baby girl. She was born 9/27 at 0419. She weighed 6#80z and stretched out to a whopping 19 inches. We, of course, did name her Lola Jordyn after some of our family members. Here are some pics. Enjoy. (Sorry there is no Luke/Lola pic yet, we luv him to death, but not enough to hold our 6# baby yet). Thanks to Emily W., Kelly G. and Carissa G for all your help, good friends are as good as family.

Perfect Picture

2009-08-30T21:12:00.003-04:00

Ryan came home with a family picture that she drew at school. I think her picture reinforces my last posting of my pregnant belly.
As my good friend Larissa said "HOLY BELLY" The picture shows exactly how I feel. It just sticks out there.

Not "Done" yet

2009-08-23T20:22:00.004-04:00

Most frequently asked question and or comment about my beautiful pregnant body.

"When are you due? (when I tell them my due date, which is Sept 21st, then they say,) "you look like you are ready to pop!"

"the turkey is done" (if you can't tell my belly button sticks out really far)

"Holy Belly"

"you look like you have a basketball under your shirt"

"Your belly goes straight out."

For my family and friends who haven't seen me you might think those comments are out of line but I feel like those comments are how I feel. I was 35 weeks when Matt took the pictures. I still have five weeks left and I usually go at least a week over. I am not planning on having this baby soon. I have know idea how much more stretching my belly can take. (But I am very grateful that I don't have any stretch marks......Yet). I feel like I am going to Pop.

Ryan's Triathlon

2009-07-29T20:59:00.007-04:00

SUPER STAR

Ryan entered in a triathlon last Saturday. She was so excited and nervous for this event. She did so good. I was so proud of her. I had to wake up all the kids at 5am to get to the event on time. When I woke up that early I questioned if this was even worth it. It turned out to be so much fun for all involved and soooo worth it. My first picture should be of the Galbraith Family. They were the real troopers that day. They helped me out in so many ways. Sometimes I get a head of myself and get involved with things and then realize that I have to do things solo. Matt was, of course, on call that day and wasn't able to help out. The Galbraith's had there little girl, Madison, in the race also. Kelly and Mike made it possible for me to be with Ryan during the race while she took care of my kids and hers. (four kids that were up by 5am in the morning is not a good combo.) Thanks Guys!

Ryan living the dream. (I tried to get a message to but it was only for the athletes.)

Why are Moms so special?

2009-07-16T22:06:00.002-04:00

Ryan today said, "Mom, do you know why mothers are so special?" At this point my heart was already touched and was looking forward to her answer. I said "Why Ryan?" ..... "because they can spend money when ever they want and they get to do what ever they want to." .............I wasn't expecting that answer. (She has to be learning this from someone. I wonder who it is?)

Big Month

2009-07-05T21:21:00.009-04:00

What a month! Lots has happened and most important MATT HAS GRADUATED! WE did it. We are now through the Light. We are no longer looking toward the light..........................Oh wait, we still have a fellowship to finish. Then we will be all the way through the light and shutting the door behind us.

This is the nine other residents he worked with. They have gone through alot with each other.

Here are the nine residents and their spouses. What a group.

June was a month for Matt. I should have just named that month MATT. He had: Father's Day, Graduation, Aniversary (9 Years), And Birthday (well, his birthday was July 2nd, but it is so close to June.) What a month. I will just post pictures instead of me writing. You can see the events that took place.

I made Matt and Luke matching tie's. I accidentally made matt's tie to small. He still wore it to church. He managed making the tie look long enough until you looked underneath it and saw that it had a stubby back. I ended up sending it to my awesome nephew Tyson. I hope it works better for him.

I also made bow tie bows for the girls hair. They all looked great!.

The girls helped me make a tie cake and they made Matt a "hand" bouque of flowers. (you can see it above the cake.) I wonder what the theme for Father's Day may be?

On Matt's b-day the girls helped me make Matt an Oreo face birthday cake. He is now 32 years old. Wow! that is old! (I just want you all to know that I am still in my twenties.)

Snoppy Land one last time

2009-06-22T21:21:00.011-04:00

We went to are annual family adventure this last weekend. We have done this every year since we have been here. We love it! We think it is the perfect amusement park for our family. There are so many rides that the girls can go on and think they are big girls. We were so lucky to go with the Wells family. They have girls the same age as ours and it was fun seeing them have fun together. The adults did get to have some big ride fun and go on some fun rides. I am pretty sure that each one of them got sick at one point of the day. We played hard and had lots of fun. The weather was perfect and the lines to the rides were very short. We have know Idea how we lucked out. I am so glad the Well's got to go with us. It was lots of fun.

I love this picture of John. "Big man in a little boat." Little Bella got to go on rides also.
The frog hopper is my favorite. It is not so much Matt and John's favorite. I don't know why but it just makes me giggle. Emilee is giggling and Matt and John are more in pain. There smiles are a cover up.

Our Soccer Star

2009-06-14T21:56:00.004-04:00

Ryan had her last soccer game. She was my soccer star. I decided to coach this season knowing that it would most likely not happen next time. I did do it going into the idea that Matt would be able to help out. For all my resident friends I know they are laughing at me for thinking that. So yes, Matt wasn't there for 95% of the time. I had to ask my friends and babysitters to help out (thanks Kelly). One time I thought I had a babysitter and it fell through so I had to bring Kacie and Luke with me. I wrapped Luke to me with my moby wrap (love my moby wrap) and coached the girls on the field. I know I was a sight to see. I was obvouisly pregnant with a big belly and a two year old on me. I heard a lot of comments like "she has a lot on her plate." I just smiled and said "yes I do." The parents helped watched Kacie. She was good and just sat and read books and ate lots of treats. That was a long game for me. Luke was very heavy by the end of the game. I am glad that that happened only once. Practices were a little better. Luke loved to dribble in front of the girls thinking he was one of them. Some of the girls didn't like it but I was just greatful he wasn't running in the street.

Ryan was great! The parents were so glad to have her on the team because she was the only one who scored the whole season. They didn't know our secret. If Ryan scores then she gets gum. She worked so hard for that gum. It was fun to see. (please don't judge us. It works!)

I did enjoy it alot. I loved being Ryan's coach even under some stressful moments. GOOD JOB RYAN!

Family Walk

2009-06-07T20:42:00.004-04:00

Last year I entered in a race called the sunburst. Ienjoyed it so much that I did it again this year. I wasn't able to do the 10k like I did last year but I was determined to do something so I did the 5k walk. I am a little over six months pregnant (that is going to be a surprise to many since I haven't announced that to my friends outside of indiana) so the 5k walk worked well for me. I powered walked for a while, then my walking mucles where starting to hurt so I started to run and I was surprised that is felt better to run. I was able to run the last part of it in to the finish line. It was very fun! I am already excited to train for the 10k next year.

The night before we entered in the "family walk.' it was so fun!. We went with another family. Ryan and Olivia, who is her age, were determined to run it and win. They were a little confused when we just walked the whole way and no one was running. They still had fun.

I forgot to bring my camera so when we got home I took some pictures. That is why I couldn't get everyone in the picture. Ryan had to help and take some. I think she did a pretty good job.

What a fun weekend!!!!

Summer Begins

2009-05-21T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today was the last day of School, and the first day of summer for the brady's. Kacie was very excited to be done with "mommy school." We made graduation signs for her and Ryan. They both have come along way since the beginning of the school year. Ryan is very excited to be a first grader.

We got a head start on our pool. It has been really hot so it makes it that much easier to get excited about the pool. We were successful this year and it only took us two days to get it ready. All the other years we have had a few hardships with our (dumb) filter that it can take up to two weeks getting it together. The kids got to swim in it for a couple of hours today. They had lots of fun. This is our last year for this pool so I hope to make the most of it. All are invited to swim anytime.!

I guess what I am saying is I am so HAPPY that it only took two days that I am blogging it. HAPPY SUMMER!

fashion statement

2009-05-03T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today Ryan was very determined to not let me, Kacie and Luke see her today. We got up and took baths and then from there we were not to go near her. She was going to dazzle us with her ability to pick her outfit, put makeup on and do her hair. For the most part she does it all by herself anyway, but for some reason today was different. It was going to be magnificent. She was plotting her outfit. So when the time came to show herself this is what I found: (I have to say my "Ooh and AaaaHHHHH's" are getting really good.

Her top is actually a knitted dress that is tucked into her skirt. I think the dark and gray stripe socks bring her knitted dress out so well. It is perfection (in her eyes). Ryan I think has a great future in fashion. She is going places. I am not just saying that because I am her mom. Matt will say, as he rolls his eyes, her style comes from me. And yes we did go to church like that.

Utah Adventure

2009-04-26T20:20:00.007-04:00

We were able to visit family acouple of weeks ago. It was so fun to see family. I didn't realize how much I missed them.

We took part of our trip and went to Las Vegas for one of Matt's CME trips. (continuing medical education) It was fun but we were reminded very early in our trip how much Vegas is not a family place. There was to much skin for our little kids eyes.

We then went to price from there and stayed a couple of days. While we were there we bought some land and are building a house. We are very excited about it. We were so happy with how smoothly it all went. Once we got into more debt (I think our goal in life is to rack up as much debt as we can before we graduate from all the schooling we have done) we left to visit more family in Utah. We had our annual "tea Party" that my mom put on. This was quite a party. My aunt Lola funded alot of it and when she gets involved amazing things happen. The girls and the moms dress up in there most beautiful dresses and we talk about the weather and all the things one would talk about at a tea party. That was the high light of our whole trip.

It was so fun the see family. We missed them so much.

THANKS FAMILY FOR EVERYTHING. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN.

March Madness

2009-04-12T20:41:00.003-04:00

No I am not talking about Basketball. I am talking about having two birthdays in March. I now have a two year old and a six year old. I know I am posting very late but I have been under the weather and then we left to Utah for two weeks. It was fun, but that is another blog. So Ryan had her sixth birthday in March. I didn't plan to have a party for her this year but she still invited her friends over for cake and ice cream. The parents of the kids asked if there really was a party. I felt really bad but I wasn't prepared for a party so we just ended up having a family party. It was cute of her though. She did end up having a birthday party. This shows how neat my friends are out here. They planned a surprise party for her. I was very impressed with how fun it was. It was much better then anything I would have given her. They made her feel really special. (Thanks Emilee and Kelly). Kacie now asks if her parties are going to be at her friends houses.

Then came Luke. I love this age because I really can just have a simple birthday. We sang happy birthday all day and that was enough for him. He loved it. Thanks to Grandparents and our Aunt Lola, Luke had some fun presents on his birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN AND LUKE!

Los Cabos, Mexico

2009-03-15T19:34:00.007-04:00

I think I am ready to tell the tail of our most relaxing trip that I have ever had. Words can not describe how truly wonderful this trip was. We couldn't have done it with out my sister and brother in-law. They were the true hero's in this story. They have no kids and had to take care of three in one week. They are truly the one's who made this all possible. You all know who they had to deal with. Ryan who is so good at telling stories that make perfect sense but just couldn't be true and kacie who just looks so innocent but is the reason for Luke's tears. and then Luke who talks so much but you can't understand a word he is saying. So they had their challenges. the kids loved them and didn't even miss us while we were gone. That says so much. Thanks Camille and Clint.
Anyway, Matt and I took a trip for the first time in our history of marriage alone without kids. We went to Los Cabos, Mexcio. We went with another couple from our resident program. It was so much fun. I don't have a lot of details because lets just say what was done in Cabos stays in Cabos...........................Just kidding. I do have to say I can guarantee that Matt and I were probably the only sober one's there. Just some advice, never volunteer in a group of drunk people with music playing. It is never good. I was almost the victim and luckily they chose the girl next to me and they did some mouth dropping, cover your eye's things. Matt was laughing really hard knowing I was almost that girl. That is all I am going to say about that. Our activities consisted of sea fishing, whale watch dinner (way cool), and lots of time laying out on the beach reading a book. It was beautiful weather.
We are happy to be home and love our kids even more even though I can hear Matt crying at night repeating "Los Cabos, Los Cabos" sometimes.

Lost first Tooth

2009-01-25T22:11:00.003-05:00

We had an exciting day a few days ago. Some of you may have gotten a phone call. Ryan Lost her first tooth. It had been loose for awhile and finally Matt pulled it out with pliers. The anticipation was almost to much for Ryan. We almost had tears but Matt went quick and Ryan was so happy. Ryan was excited for the Toothfairy to come. I had a soccer game that night so I told matt I would be the toothfairy that night. Well, when matt came home from work the next day and Ryan came in excited to show him her quarter she got. His expression was very funny. He looked and me with a look of, "I can't believe you gave her JUST a quarter." No words were said, but I knew exactly what he was thinking. Matt laughed pretty hard at me (we both had a good laugh). I don't think I am going to live this one down. He might fire me from being the toothfairy. In my defense, this was my first time and I was just giving her how much I got when I was a kid. I guess times have changed.

"Santa Baby"

2008-12-30T21:35:00.008-05:00

This year was fun having two kids believing in Santa. Ryan and Kacie were on the naughty list a couple of times. A lot of times I really didn't think they were ever going to be on the good list. Ryan was very worried too. she would ask a couple of times a day (especially when she was doing something wrong) if she was on the naughty list. One night Santa called (it was really my dad, Grandpa Heywood) and told them they were on the good list. That was very good news to Ryan. She told me that she was so scared that she was on the naughty list. This made her extremly happy. She told lots of people, she didn't even know that she was on the good list. It was pretty funny. We had a great Christmas. My next blog will be about christmas day. Here are some pictures of the kids on Santa's lap. I think Luke sums it all up. That is a classic.

Kacie's Birthday

2008-12-18T23:45:00.006-05:00

Kacie had a birthday. We gave her her first birthday party and she was so happy. I have never seen her so happy. We had a big birthday party for her and she got so many wonderful presents. I think all her wishes came true. Thank you to all her friends for such fun gifts.

I do have to give a special THANKS to my good friend Emillee Wells for the wonderful gift that her kids gave. It was the gift that kept giving...all over. The next day as we were rushing out the door to church the girls were so proud of themselves for putting make-up on themselves and Luke. The sad thing was Luke loved every minute of it. He was loving the attention. He even was saying "Cheese" for us as matt took pictures. It was pretty funny.

OB Fellowship

2008-12-06T20:20:00.003-05:00

Hey we just wanted to announce that we got the OB fellowship and we are staying another year. We couldn't be more happy. We love it hear and look forward to another year! It will go fast so we will plan to be on the beach every day in the summer and look forward in continuing late night sewing. YEAH!

Luke's Everyday Hair

2008-11-30T20:13:00.003-05:00

I have been trying to grow Lukes hair out. I was trying to see if his curls would come back. Instead It just kept growing like a puff ball. Matt's hair does the same thing. His hair took alot more time then I was willing to give. He would wake up with wacky hair and it would take a lot to get it back down. So we buzzed it. He acted like we were cutting his arms off. Here are pictures of the moment I thought is was time to buzz his head. He just woke up from a nap.

Halloween

2008-11-07T20:48:00.005-05:00

Halloween was alot of fun with alot of to much candy! The girls finally decided to be Annie twins and Luke was a golfer. Luke stole the hearts of alot of folks in our neighboorhood. Once he found out that you get candy at people's houses he was off and running. He even out lasted Kacie. I brought the wagon for Luke but Kacie was the one who used it. The next day when we were outside he started to go house to house again. It was pretty funny.

This looks like a pretty bad mug shot.

The Annie twins. I like to go for costumes that make me laugh. This makes me laugh.

I love this picture. Ryan protecting her candy from Luke.

The Golfer. So cute! (thanks WWC sewing group. I couldn't have made the hat with out you)

Utah here we come

2008-10-26T20:27:00.003-04:00

WE SIGNED!!!! And the winner is.......PRICE, UTAH!!!!! Matt signed his life away a couple of days ago. He got an email from Price welcoming us (how nice of them). So it is official we are going back to Utah. We look forward to our next adventure. Matt has decided to apply for an OB fellowship, which will extend us another year. We find out in December if we get into the Memorial OB fellowship here in South Bend. In the contract with Price they said if we get the OB fellowship then they will see us in 2010 but if we don't then they will see us in 2009. Either way we will be happy with what is to come. We have really loved it out here so we would love to be here for another year but if that is not what our Heavenly Father wants then we will be happy to start our new adventure in Price. We are very happy with the contract and look forward to our new adventure when ever that maybe. We captured the moment. Matt in his Bronco's jersey, signing his contract with Price.

My Big Splurg!

2008-10-23T20:35:00.003-04:00

When Matt was away in Romania I got a little crazy with my (our) money and went and got me some nice new SOCKS! Yes, I did it. I splurged on some socks. I am a wild girl when he is out of town. I haven't bought socks since we have been married. I have always used Matt's old one's. (I know I am weird that way) Well, they were getting to the point were there wasn't even a bottom on the socks. I couldn't wait for more of Matt's old socks so I went and bought some. It was great. When I put on my new socks I felt like I was walking on a thick piece of carpet. They are so comfortable and I am loving life. Here is a picture of my old socks. Not pretty.

Communication through ART

2008-10-19T22:43:00.011-04:00

Ryan loves to draw!! She draws so much that now Luke will grab paper and a pin and draw along beside her (and walls unfortunately). It is like she has taught him that that is what life is all about and the only thing to do.

She also uses her drawings as away to tell me how she feels. When she is angry she will let me know. This is one of them. This was drawn when Matt was gone to Romania. I think I might have looked like that for two weeks while he was gone. It is probably a portrait of me.

She doesn't stay being mad at me long because she drew these quickly after. I don't even know why she was mad in the first place.

This is her drawing of a Temple. She was the "scripture story" for family night and she wanted it to be on Temples so she drew this. The funny thing is she told the story of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus while she held it up. Jesus getting baptised is her favorite story. She didn't have anything to say about the temple, only that she drew one. It was funny. I know there is a connection somewhere I just am still pondering about it......... She was probably connecting Jesus getting baptised story with doing baptisms for the dead in the Temple. Yeah! I bet that was it.

Anyway, I think she does a pretty good job. I think this is a drawing of her.

Back From Romania

2008-10-10T21:09:00.003-04:00

Matt was gone for two LONG weeks in Romania. He went there for one of his elective rotations. When we interviewed here that was one of the attractions for matt. It was a great opportunity for him. The crazy thought to me is that elective is usually one month long. He was able to just do two weeks and still make it count. I am very greatful for that. I would have had to sell my children by the end of the month. He went to Romania on his mission so he already knew the language. The best part of matt being gone was I took up some projects. I cleaned the upstairs carpets and painted the hall way upstairs (that was the one thing matt told me not to do) and had lots of fun watching romantic/cheesy movies that matt would have never watched with me (thanks Kelly). It was so nice to have friends who helped me out with keeping my days busy with lots of fun. He is back and I am so glad to have him home. Matt will have to post on the blog about his trip. He took some great pictures. He is still trying to get over jet lag and from just working as a resident everyday. So hopefully soon he can share his great experience.

Nursery

2008-09-21T20:52:00.003-04:00

It was Luke's first day of nursery. I can't believe how big he is getting. He is my little man now. He did as to be expected, cried and cried. I got reports from other mother's involved with nursery that he wasn't the happiest kid in the room. I was told by many mother's that he was having a hard time. I was torn on what to do. I knew that if I went in it would make things worse in the long run. So I guess you do the next best thing. Send in other parents to do the dirty work. My friend went in and helped Luke calm down and that made a difference. He still cried through out nursery but oh well this is something they all go through. I bet when I drive into the parking lot next week to church he will start crying. Just wait and see. Here is my cute LITTLE MAN!

Tired little Ryan

2008-09-01T22:02:00.004-04:00

South Bend is bright even at night time. The bright lights of South bend can be blinding to even the littlest of people. We caught Ryan preserving her pretty brown eyes as we found her fast asleep wearing Kacie's new Sunglasses. Kacie will be upset tomorrow when she can't find them.

And so it begins

2008-08-12T19:32:00.004-04:00

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN. This was a monumental day for Ryan and for me. The real life has started. We are locked in the education system. I have to admit I was a little shy to pull the camera out. You know, the only parent with the camera. It still didn't stop me. She had a great day. We all had smiles on our faces. The only bad thing is we are now waking up at 7am in the morning. That is new for me.

Summer Tradition

2008-08-10T20:47:00.006-04:00

Saturday we went to Michigan Adventure. This has been our summer tradition since we came out to Indiana. Our first summer Matt found out about a fun amusement park and we have gone every summer since. We love it. Luke liked it he just didn't like it when they came and checked his seat belt. He was fine until then so he only went on the rides that mommy or daddy could take him on. We also went to the swim park they had. Luke loves to blow bubbles in the water but for some reason he would only do it on the cement so the pictures of him on the ground are him blowing bubbles. It was really funny. Here are some fun pictures of our fun filled day. The girls were so happy. They have been waiting for this day for a long time.

Bad "A"

2008-08-05T21:05:00.005-04:00

Those of you who missed Lukes Mohawk my brother in law sent me the pictures of it. Since then I had to shave it. It got to long. But by popular vote I shaved him a new mohawk. I didn't get the same result as my brother in law did. His hair won't stick up no matter how much junk I put in it.

I didn't realize how grown out is hair got before clint cut it (look at the pics). His is just like his dad when his hair grows out. I call that the "mop head." Thanks Clint for the pictures. I love the look. He is a bad "A."

Could It Be?

2008-07-24T21:54:00.007-04:00

We recently returned from our family trip to Craig, Colorado. I was checking out a potential job there. Flying 2000 miles across the country with 3 kids is a little like doing a medical residency with 3 kids. The sweet moments become a little sweeter and the rough moments become a little rougher. All in all, they did pretty good. It's kind of nice when it's job interview time. All of the sudden, employers are willing to fit the bill for your travel. We took advantage and had them buy a seat for Luke. It worked like a charm. We had his car seat and eventually (after more chocolate chips than I could eat), the little guy would drift off to sleep. The girls pack their little totes that Grandma Brady gave them on the plane and color for an hour and then spend the rest of the time chillin' with Walt Disney on my laptop. He is the best babysitter of our time. After church on Sunday, we spent the afternoon in Steamboat Springs, CO. It is pretty there. It's kind of an older, ritzier looking Park City with a European flair. When we were there they were having a big hot-air balloon festival, art show in the park, and tube float down the Yampa River. People were crawling all over the place. We spent a little time at a local park where Ryan and Kacie (and probably mommy too, I couldn't see) watered the dandelions with a little homemade lemonade if you know what I mean. The next day I interviewed at the hospital. It seems like a pretty solid job. Mostly outpatient work, some inpatient and OB, as many procedures as I want to do and optional ER work. It's about 4-4.5 hours from family, so that's a little closer than we are now. I suppose that's good. Best of all, Craig is the self-proclaimed elk hunting capital of the world. Supposedly, even I am supposed to be able to bag a bull and I can't hit the broad side of a barn. Time will tell. A couple of good friends, Seth Spanos and Zack Bailey, are looking into the job as well. It would be a pretty sweet deal if we all signed together. The rest of our trip was checking out the sites around Craig. That took all of about 30 seconds. We did land at the wave pool though which was pretty nice. I wanted to post some pictures but when I went to download them from my camera they all included a fat white guy with a farmer tan that I didn't recognize so I'm guessing either we swapped cameras or my parents were just shooting pics of the wrong family. All in all it was alot of fun. Craig could be a good place for us. We'll see how things work out. As much as Tracy blogs here, you'll all probably find out where we sign before I do. Do me a favor and just let me know so I don't commit us anywhere else.

Moby Wrap

2008-07-06T20:38:00.004-04:00

This is a moby wrap. This is how I carry my babies. Kacie wanted to be just like her mommy. I thought it was so cute on her. If any mother out their is having trouble with theirs just look at Kacie model it. Maybe this can help.

catching up

2008-07-06T19:59:00.002-04:00

We have been having fun so far this summer. End of June and Beginning of July are big for us. June 30th was our aniversary. We have been married for eight LONG years and have loved every minute of it. (Matt put in the LONG and Tracy put in "loved every minute of it") Then July 2nd was Matt's 31st birthday. It was a fun day. Matt worked until 6pm so me and the girls had all day to plan his party. I asked the girls what they wanted to do for daddy's birthday and they said they wanted to have a party. So they picked out hats and decorations and a pinata. They picked out all princess things first so I encouraged them to pick the boy stuff. Ryan and Kacie got to invite a few of their friends. It was very exciting for them. So matt and the kids had a great Party. It was nice to have the families come on such short notice. I think the girls are always going to look forward to Matt's b-day.
Another exciting thing is Matt is now a third year resident. We only have one year left here in south bend Indiana. I already have mixed feelings. It will be so hard to leave. We have loved living here so much. It has been such a growing experience for us. We have made so many friends. We leave in a week to go check out Craig, Colorado. I am looking forward to seeing if it is really what we want. This is going to be an all business trip. I want to really get down and dirty and comb through Craig and see what it is all about. We will be taking the kids. I want to hear their input. Even though Ryan is only 5 she will have a lot to say and she will definately have her own opinion about Craig. We will keep all updated on our trip.

Soccer Star

2008-06-15T20:20:00.010-04:00

Ryan played her last game this last Saturday. She kicked some major BUTT! She hussled and played so hard. Every game she got better and better. It had all to do with our parenting skills. We practiced with her every day for hours. It had nothing to with bribing her with a pack of gum if she scored.

She was so determined to get gum. (No harm done with alittle persuasion, right?) Matt and I are so happy we found what makes her tick this early in her soccer career. She was so fun to watch. Here are some pictures of our soccer star.

Sunburst 10k

2008-06-05T21:56:00.004-04:00

I was debating on posting this blog but I decided to do it even though I look funny in these pictures. So last week I ran in a 10K. It is over six miles. It is something I have never done before and I am so glad I did. It was so much fun. When I first decided to enter this race I was going for time, but as it got closer my goal changed to MUST not stop running. I was so happy when I crossed that line and I didn't stop once. My time wasn't the greatest, 63 minutes. Remember I wasn't going for time. It was pretty cool to be running side by side with people you don't know and wondering what their story is. I bet I ran with pretty neat people. You also look at others and say "boy if she/he can do it then I sure can." I didn't think I would be one of those people but I have to admit when I got the pictures back of me the first thing I thought was "Oh No! I am one of the ones that people think "if she can do it then I sure can." I look pretty Funny. It is almost embarrassing so I post these only for proof that I did it. Here are some pictures of my "shining moment," Last Saturday.

Utah Vacation

2008-06-01T20:10:00.006-04:00

Can you believe that Utah is a visit state for us and not home anymore? We are amazed. We both never thought we would say that.

We loved seeing family. Ryan is a Utah fan all the way. She loved being so close to family. We stayed at my Mom and Dad's house for two days and then the rest at Teresa's (my twin). We stayed for a total of ten days. Mike and Teresa were great hosts and planned great fun activities for us. We had playdays, visiting family, racquet ball, shooting, fishing, job interview, going to the temple, seeing Thomas the train, girls night out (what we did at girls night out, stays at girls night out) , and of course the favorite part for Ryan and Kacie was the princess tea party. We did it all. If you want to have as much fun as we did stay at Teresa's and Mike's.

Traveling is still not so much fun. Our trip to Utah was quite miserable. We were flying out of Chicago so we had to get up and leave from south bend as soon as we got up. Well, Luke fell and split his lip open right before we left. To me it looked really bad but Matt said he has seen worse in the ER and we weren't missing our flights over it. So we left. He cried pretty much the whole way. Luckly I had a very nice lady next to me. She helped as much as she could. I just appreciated her smile. Anyone who has traveled with kids knows how difficult it can be. When we landed in Utah we went straight to the hospital and they put in three stitches. Not to bad but not fun for Luke. It was a heck of a day for all of us. The flight home went a lot better.

For all my years as being a twin I never had so much fun when I went to Teresa's church. Teresa's hair is long and I cut mine short before I came out to Utah. So we had different hair styles. Everyone I saw thought I was Teresa so they all complemented me on my hair. By the end of the day I was feeling really great about my hair. It was really funny. They all had shocked faces when they saw Teresa. They were very confused. I think that was my favorite twin day ever.

It was sad to leave Utah. Ryan was very emotional about it. She cried the whole way to the airport. She really does love south bend, she just doesn't love Good byes.

We are now back and happy to be home and loving the nice warm weather. Here is afew pictures of the things we did in Utah.

Preschool Graduation

2008-05-14T23:31:00.004-04:00

Ryan had her preschool graduation today. She still technically has next week but we are leaving to Utah so she won't be there. They must expect families to do that. They had already planned to have their graduation today so it worked out for us. I would have hated to miss her singing. They sang songs for the parents and then they passed out their diploma. She did great. Matt and I wanted to make this day special so we let her pick where she wanted to eat out as a family. SO of course we ate at Mcdonalds. After we ate at Mcdonalds we told her that we can go home and have some cake ice cream from cold stone. (sorry it wasn't Dairy Queen, Mom). Ryan was really enjoying the attention. She finally asked Matt why we (mom and dad) were being so nice to her. It made us laugh. We must be mean parents. Oh well! Ryan is already looking forward to Kindergarten. Great Job Ryan!!

Ryan's Photography

2008-05-07T22:54:00.005-04:00

Ryan Lately has been really interested in taking pictures. Just like all kids they want to be the one pushing the button and taking the picture. I have given more freedom to her recently then I probably should in allowing her to take some shots.

I went to take some pictures the other day and found that my memory card was full. Ryan took the camera and took some pictures. I thought it was pretty funny. It was like looking through the eye's of a five year old. Some were even pretty good. Here are some shots of what she took. I warn you that parental discretion is advised.

All about Matt

2008-04-11T20:51:00.005-04:00

I wanted to do a little blog on Matt so my fellow bloggers could know him alittle better. Maybe even laugh alittle. Even those who know him well, I think can get a kick out of this. So here is alittle bit about matt. The picture is one he had to take in Medical school. (Nice!!!!)

What is his name? Matthew Frank Brady

How long have you been together? 8 (long) yrs in June. (Matt always puts "long" in our marriage.)
How long did you date? 1 year
How old is he? 30 years old
Who eats more? I definetly eat more. I can eat with the best of them.
Who said I love you first? He did, but in Romanian. "Te lubese" He told me later what that meant. I don't know who said it first in english.
Who is taller? Matt is taller, but not by much
Who can sing better? Matt has a great voice and a good ear for music. We laugh at how off tune I can get.
Who is smarter? "I got the brawns, he gots the Brains."
Who does the laundry? I do and then we have our date night on Tuesday nights and we watch "beauty and the Geek" while we fold clothes.
Who pays the bills? I do, with his money.
Who sleeps n the right side? Matt.
Who mows the lawn? Both. he of course does a better job.
Who cooks dinner? I do but matt is a great cook. He will cook if he has the time.
Who drives? Matt
Who is more stubborn? I think him, he thinks me.
Who kissed who first? Matt kissed me first. I wanted to always look back and say that he wanted me.
Who asked who out first? He asked me first. (he wanted me)
Who proposed? Matt. Best proposal ever.

Who has more friends? We have about the same.
Who is more sensitive? Me. Matt is very to the point.
Who has more siblings? I do. 7 siblings and matt has three.
Who wears the pants? Matt wears the Pants, but I hold them up

Craig, Colorado

2008-04-08T22:00:00.003-04:00

Matt is off this week to interview in Craig, Colorado. We are so excited for this coming year. This is our last year as a resident. We can really see the end of the tunnel. OK, OK, I am jumping ahead a little. I just get so excited about thinking of being done and how close that it is that I get ahead of myself. To put it into perspective, Matt isn't a third year yet. He will start his third year in July and then graduate June of 2009, but hey, we are excited for this opportunity. Anyway, We found a great place in Craig, Colorado. It is fourty five minutes away from Steam Boat Springs. We wanted something closer to family and also something that can help pay loans. We have looked into the area and everything just seems great. This doesn't mean we will go out there. We are just in the phase of finding the best option for us and so the hunt begins. Matt also has an interview in Price, Utah. So this is just an exciting new step in our life. So wish Matt Luck. I would have loved to go out and check it out but we just traveled with the kids about a month ago. Loved it, but lets just say it is fresh in my mind how delightful traveling with kids really is. (not so much)

Luke's Birthday

2008-03-24T22:17:00.003-04:00

Our little man had his first birthday last week. It was a celebration not to miss! Actually what you see is about all we did. The girls were so excited to have a birthday party for him but all I could hear from Ryan was, "Is that it? Aren't we going to make him a barbie cake or something?" and then after we opened his presents which was only two, shoes from us and a train from matt's parents, you could still hear Ryan saying "is that it?".

We made him a little cupcake and had him go to town. He loved it and that is all that matters. Then it was off to bed. He is trying so hard to walk. He is at the point were he wants to hold your hand and have you walk with him. Pretty soon he will be off on his own. He had a bad tumble down the stairs the other day. We are very lucky he didn't get hurt. We might have to put a helmet on his head. Anyway, He is such a cutie. We love him so much and am so grateful to have him in our family. He is our handsome little man.

Walt Disney Vacation

2008-03-17T22:50:00.007-04:00

We finally took a family vacation and it was sooooo Fun!! I wasn't sure how Luke would do. I was scared that it wouldn't be a real vacation with a little baby but he was so great. Luke was a great baby. He missed all his naps and we went to bed late everynight that is supposed to equal an awnry baby but he was "Luke" and did great. The girls had their dreams come true. They got to meet every princess. They were in heaven. Here are some pictures of our trip. We were lucky to go with another family and it was so fun to have them. The girls were able to play with there friends while we waited in lines and I couldn't have done it with out their help.

5 Years Old My Big Girl

2008-03-15T22:00:00.005-04:00

We celebrated Ryan's fifth birthday. She has been looking forward to turning five for so long. Now that she is five she thinks she can do a lot more. She tells me that she is not scared anymore because she is five. When she gets hurt and doesn't cry she tells me it is because she is five so it didn't hurt. She likes to go down memory lane alot. She will say "Mom, remember when I was four and I used to....." It makes me laugh everytime because she just turned five and nothing really has changed but to her she has arrived to adult hood. We actually celebrated her birthday early because we flew out to Orlando Florida to Walt Disney World the day of her birthday. We had a wonderful fun vacation. But this blog is dedicated to Ryan. I will get the disney pictures up soon. Ryan's birthday theme was "Barbie." She wanted a barbie cake. So I did the best I could. Ryan also got these glass dolls from her Aunt Lola and Ryan is so proud of them. She will tell you that her Aunt Lola thinks she is old enough to take care of glass dolls. She really feels so big. She even tells Kacie that she can't play with them because she isn't five. Ryan is such a talented little girl and we love her so much. She is a good sister to Kacie and Luke. Happy Birthday Ryan.

What the girls are doing

2008-02-21T22:31:00.003-05:00

For Christmas Matt and I decided to get the girls something that would enlighten their minds. So we decided to get them catapillars and ladybugs. The girls were able to learn the stages of what the insects were going through. Once the catapillars turned into butterflies Ryan had to feed them and take care of them. It was very exciting to see them one night in a cacoon and then to butterflies. Same with the ladybugs. The girls checked on them everyday. It was very fun. I even learned alot. Well, it has been awhile since they have become butterflies and ladybugs and we started with seven and are at three. I actually don't think the last three will be with us much longer. when the first few butterflies died it really made Ryan very upset. Matt told her to flush it down the toliet to "butterfly heaven." Ryan asked Matt if our "peepee" and "pooh pooh" are in butterfly heaven. She didn't like the idea but eventually she flushed it down the toliet and that really upset her. She started to cry really hard. She went up to her bedroom and told me that she just wants to be alone. It was sad to see her like that but cute at the same time. She came down happy and told me she said a pray to heavenly father and that the butterfly is flying around with prophet hinckley. Kacie really could careless. She was in the backround dancing through the whole episode. Just happy to be there. The girls have done good with their insects but we are still not ready for a dog. I don't think we will be ready for a long time.

Nice Hair!!!

2008-02-10T20:28:00.001-05:00

Ryan is at the age were she likes to do everything herself. Its not the age where they want to do everything by themself but they can't do it at all. It's more of the age where they want to zip up their own coat, buckle their own seat belt and you let them until they say "Ok mommy, can you help." Especially when you are already running late and five minutes later they realize they need your help. Or when they think they can brush their teeth all by themselves but they just brush the front two for about two seconds and then they are done. I try to avoid shoes with shoe laces because they want to tie their own shoes and think they can do it. That is a frustrating phase for the both, the child and the parent. We are long past that stage with Ryan. We are at a totally new stage. She is at the stage where she can actually do things but its just not quite the way I would do it. For example, she does her own hair now and..........Well..............as you can see she does a fantastic job. I love this stage and yes I let her go out in public with it. The best is when she gets lots of comments about her hair from other people. She looks so proud of herself. It is very cute. She is a very determined little girl.

Still here

2008-01-27T22:37:00.000-05:00

Where have I Been!! Yes we are still alive. I know I have been slacking in the blog area. I just have been putting it off. We are just taking a day at a time. We are just doing the day to day routine during this cold winter. Ryan gets up and I take her to school Monday thru Wednesday. I put Luke down for nap when we get back from dropping her off and then Kacie and I have "Mommy School." Once I am done with that I try to clean the house spotless, which never seems to happen. I feel like I turn around and the mess is back. Matt is great at pointing that out. So life is going. I have started soccer out here. It is one on my great excitements every friday night. I LOVE IT!!! I will keep everyone up dated on my soccer.

It is so cold here and I can't wait till spring/summer. I am ready to get out of the house. The kids are to. I feel like I am a hermit. Matt started out great with the new year. He had a goal to get more physically involved with exercise and playing sports. I was really excited for him, Well, his first day at playing Basketball he spraned his ankle. It was really bad. It was a three degree spran. He was in a lot of pain for along time. I had to laugh when I found out. Its always to new guy.

Anyway, we have done afew things fun this winter. Besides sitting on Santa's lap about ten times we have gone sledding, Ice Skating, and making lots of snowmans. Ryan was so fun to watch ice skate. She felt she was so good that she picked out a little boy and was determined to teach him how to skate. Lets just say they were on the ground a lot. Kacie I think was done early into the activity. She did good, but she loves being warm more.

Chicago Trip

2007-12-19T19:13:00.000-05:00

I thought I would report on our trip to Chicago. Those of you who know, Chicago and Me do not get a long very well. Lets just say, taking a trip to Chicago equals naughty children and anxiety driving in the city. This trip was a way to put all that behind me and try over. We decided to go and check out Chicago for the weekend. We stayed two nights in a hotel. On Saturday we went to the Navy Pier which held the Winter Wonderland Feast and then to the (free) Zoo and saw all the lights plus animals. It was very fun. The kids were great and I took lead in navigating and Matt had the "balls" to drive in the big city. So it all worked out great. Luke was sick over the trip but he was a great trooper and we still had fun. We were blessed to have gotten home safetly. There was a huge storm the night before. It snowed nine inches that night. The trouble wasn't in Chicago it was coming home in Indiana. We hit a bad windy, snowing, foggy, storm. We literaly almost slid off the road three times. I was very glad we decided to take Matt's SUV because his four wheel drive helped. Anyway we made it home safetly.

I don't know what Kacie is doing.

This picture is deceiving. It looks cold but it really is an ice skating rink in doors. When thought this Winter Wonderland Feast would be out doors. Instead of freezing we were sweating.

There was lots to do at the Wonderland Feast. There was great rides, Ice Skating, trains, big big rides, all kinds of rides. We did cookie decorating because that was the only fun thing to do. Thats what we kept telling the girls. It might have been more torture for the kids to "Look but not Touch" the rides. Oh well.

Ryan wanted her picture with the beautiful princess.

He was great for not feeling very well. He is still smiling.

The rest are pictures at the Zoo. It was very very cold. Luke was very tired so I wrapped him in his mobywrap and he slept. We kept each other warm. It worked out great.

WHERE'S LUKE?

Birthday Girl

2007-12-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

It was Kacie's birthday today!! She turned Three. She is such a big girl. She got to pick her cake and she wanted it all pick. She picked princess plates and pink decorations for around the house. We sure do love and enjoy her. Here are afew pictures. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BoSox Win in 4!

2007-11-21T23:53:00.000-05:00

Since college I've been a die hard fan of the best Irish punk rock band in the world. I've been trying to make the music come on when the website is opened but unfortunately my doctorate is in medicine, not blogging. In honor of Boston's recent World Series championship I figured I would leave a taste of Ireland via Boston. Blogging nation meet the Dropkick Murphys, Dropkick Murphys meet the blogging nation. Enjoy. Heeeeeeeeeeeere's Tessie!

A Star Is Born

2007-11-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well, as promised here is Ryan's highlight film from her first soccer season. She played on a team called the "firecrackers". They were really cute little girls and fun to watch learn to play. At the beginning of the season Tracy couldn't have been prouder. She has been prepping Ryan since she was born to run, dribble and shoot the ball. Needless to say, we were all shocked at her first game when she wouldn't go within 20 yards of the soccer ball or other girls. Sure, we thought she was cute as heck running around the action but we were kind of impatient to see her first bicycle kick.

As parents we've learned the power of positive feedback, so we figured there was no better time than now to try it. We told Ryan if she would kick the ball 5 times we'd treat her to an ice cream. Positive feedback works! At her next game she kicked it 7 times. We decided to sweeten the pot. We then told her if she scored a goal she could have a pack of gum. One game later she scored 5 goals. Whoa! What kids will do for Hubba Bubba. After she realized it wasn't as intimidating as she thought she was a goal scoring machine. We kept waiting for her to rip her shirt off in celebration revealing her mini-sports bra ala Brandy Chastain, but luckily she opted for the double fist pump.

The firecrackers won some and lost some but all-in-all it was an awesome season. Ryan had a blast playing and we had just as much fun watching. More than anything we were just happy that she overcame her intimidation of the "scrum". Now she absolutely loves the game. Who knows what the future will bring. Maybe a pack of gum for an Olympic gold medal. Time will tell.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T21:40:00.000-04:00

It was a successful Halloween. We definitely got tooooo much candy. Two little girls plus lots of candy equals two naughty girls. They are cute but look out. Emotions are high. We were able to go with Matt. This was a first for a long time. Ryan was able to run her heart out, house after house with Matt (and Luke) while I took Kacie in the wagon and tried to meat up with Ryan every once in a while. It was fun. The weather was great and it didn't get dark while we were out. I think we couldn't planned it better. Ryan was the bride of Frankenstein. She looked great. Kacie......Well.....she wanted to be "drapes." It was very cute in how determined she was. For weeks she told us that is was what she wanted to be. We got a great outfit for her (purple sheet with purple balloons.) Matt had a work party where they had the kids dress up in their costumes and parade around the clinic. Well, Kacie was such a hit that it scarred the pants off her. She did not like the attention at all. Every nurse/Doctor/anybody wanted a picture of her. She didn't know what to do. So the ward trunk or treat she was snow white and the costume got really dirty that the only thing left was being grapes again or Annie and she was not going to be grapes (we really tried to get her to be grapes again.) So she was Annie for Halloween. That is why you will see her in three different costumes. Halloween came and went and now we have too much candy. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Family in Town

2007-10-29T20:55:00.000-04:00

My sister Teresa and her husband Mike came and visited us here in Indiana. We had so much fun. Ryan and Kacie got to play with their cousins Alli and Zachary. We partied till we dropped. We showed them the town of South Bend. Matt and Mike went fishing almost every morning. They only came away with one fish. This is the curse of mine and Teresa's family. Our curse is rubbing off on to them. The best part of the vacation was putting the kids to bed and staying up late to play "Settlers of Catan", watch movies and eat treats. It was great. We miss our family in Utah and were so happy to have them visit us.

Zachary was Kacie's. She was a good mommy to him

Here are the Three Drama Queens. They played princesses till they dropped and changed clothes contantly throughout the day. It was hard to seperate them.

This is Mike.......he loves to show off.

Does my twin look anything like me? Ryan wondering why Teresa looks so much like her mommy.

Lukes first hair cut

2007-10-24T20:54:00.000-04:00

WE FINALLY DID IT. We put Lukes mop head under the razor. We both felt it was time. His hair was going out of control. Matt came to the conclusion earlier then I did. Matt and Luke were having a boys night out (boys will be boys). You know, doing guy stuff and a lady came and asked how old Matt's little girl was. That was the wrong thing to say to Matt. Matt made it quite clear that Luke was not a girl (poor lady). Ever since Matt has been pushing for Luke to get a buzz. I don't know what did it for me. His hair was just getting too long. So there you have it and the next thing you know his is a buzz head. We think he lost five pounds when we cut his hair but gained five in his cheeks.

This is prep time. You can't see but there is a tear in Lukes eye.

Lots and lots of hair equals.........................

TADA!!!!!!Equals a buzzed head. His beautiful curls are gone but look at those chubby cheeks. They are so yummy.

Our handsome boy!

First time on the "Naughty Step"

2007-10-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

Luke was being a very bad boy today. It was his first time on the "Naughty Step." We took pictures of this event. Ryan came in crying because Luke bit her finger. We all agree that he should know by now that that is unacceptable behavior.

(Daddy helping Luke with the "Naughty Step")

(Luke confused and uncertain about the "Naughty Step" and a disappointed father)

(Ryan very upset about her bitten finger. Poor Ryan)

Life Lessons Learned

2007-10-04T21:45:00.000-04:00

Hello all my blog followers. I apologize for the long absent of my blog. I started reading Harry Potter and so my focus was on reading the book. You would think I would have that book done in a day but I am not that type of reader. I absorb it and ponder each chapter. That is how I enjoy books. So there you have it. That is my story. But while I was out the girls have learned very important life lessons. One Sunday we had big things happen to both Ryan and Kacie. We just got home from church and we were trying to pull ourselves together. Sundays are hard on little Lukers. So I went upstairs to feed him and put him down for a nap. Matt left to go home teaching. About two minutes after he left Ryan comes in crying holding her finger and it was bleeding really bad. She told me that she cute it on piece of paper. I never seen a paper cute do this much damage. So finally she admits that she cute her finger with a knife. She thought she would cut herself a piece of cheese. I used this as a good teaching moment and told her that she was lucky she didn't cut her finger off. I got a great reaction with that that I am confident this won't happen again. After we got her taken care of and happy again. Ryan and Kacie decide to get old keys and pretend to unlock everything. They did doors, walls, chairs, etc. They were just pretending like little kids do. Well, I was walking by Kacie when I she started screaming. I looked over and she put the keys in the outlet. It shocked her really bad and it went through her body. She started saying her hand hurt then her tummy hurt then she said her foot hurt. It was really cute when she was trying to tell me where it hurt. Matt happened to be there by this time so we mad this another teaching moment and scared her into not doing that again. I guess as parents we learned a lesson in baby proffing our house. So there you have it, it was a day of learning.

Funny Kacie

2007-09-16T21:41:00.000-04:00

Kacie can be so funny sometimes. We have been getting beautiful weather and today was no exception. We decided the best way to take advantage of this day was to go to Notre Dame and go for a walk along the rivers. I think alot of people had the same idea. There was tons of people out. A lot of them were runners. As we were walking, there was a group of guys running past us. Kacie in her load voice, which usually isn't very load but this time it was, said "Mom, why are those boys running Naked?" Of course they weren't they just had their shirts off. but she got a lot of heads to turn toward those boys (especially mine!). The boys that were running thought it was funny. I saw a few of them laugh. Matt and I had to laugh. We will let her find out on her own the difference between girls and boys. I am sure it won't take long. She has a little brother that will help her figure things out. That reminds me of when Ryan first noticed the difference in Luke. I was changing his diaper one time and she asked me why Luke had a different peepee. It's funny what kids say when a new baby comes into the home. One night as we were saying our family prayers. It was Kacie's turn. She started to bless everyone in the family and also thanked Heavenly Father for the food and then she kind of hesitated for a minute looking at Luke and then said "thank you for mommy's boobies so that Luke can eat." I was not expecting that and I started laughing really hard. Kacie got a little embarrassed. I couldn't help it. It was very funny.

We have lots of mommy's here. The girls love to take care of Luke. Sometimes it is to much love, but we started him on solids about a week ago. He doesn't need anymore extra weight but it was time. The girls were so excited to feed him. It was an exciting event. I am always asked by Ryan and Kacie if they can feed him. I have to admit they do a great job and I love that my hands are free for a short moment which is nice. The clean up is a different story but I do enjoy letting them. Here are a few picures of what it is like during feeding time.

Maybe this is the reason for his weight gain? He eats for two.

Well, I will leave you with the pictures we took at Notre Dame. It is so beautiful.

Drama Queen

2007-09-13T20:20:00.000-04:00

Ryan Started Preschool Finally this week. I look forward to school days just as much as she does. Going from three kids to two for only two and a half hours is awesome. Sunday the day before her first day of school we had family night and we talked about school and what to expect. She was very concerned about meeting new friends. I told her that she needs to go up to the kids and ask them if they want to be her friend. I also said that they will be nervous just like she would be so she needs to go up and ask them first. When I picked her up after her first day of school I asked her how it went and she told me that she went up to a little girl and asked if she wanted to be her friend and the little girl told her "No." So she went to another little boy and asked him if he wanted to be her friend and he told her "No" also. Ryan looked at me with a sad face. It was really cute. We didn't go over what to do when they say "no." So I felt bad. I just told her that they need some time and that they are just really nervous. She tried it the next day and she told me she finally found one that said yes. She was very happy. She told me that the names of her friends are Kira, Shealee and Tyson. (She just named her cousins.) On Sunday Ryan was caught brushing her teeth on the stage at church. Apparently she brought her toothpaste and toothbrush. I try to monitor what the girls have before we enter but I must have missed this. From what I was told It was a pretty funny sight. She also wore her princess crown to church. She was the most beautiful princess there. It was a battle I was not going to win so I just have to let it go. We go through a lot of Drama in our house. I really have a hard time keeping from laughing at their drama. One day Luke was acting a little fussy all day. I just thought he was teething. Well come to find out as I was putting him to bed I found a tight hair band around his wrist. I couldn't see it very well. You could lose anything on his body. There are alot of rolls. He was very happy when I took it off. When I confronted Ryan she pulled lots of drama on me and said she was just putting on a bracelett for him and some how I turned into the bad guy. She said "the reason why I am upset is because everyone is being mean to me." Then she puts her best sad face on. I couldn't help from laughing. I even got fake tears from her. Ryan is the cutest thing ever. Here are some cute pictures of Ryan through out the years. Our little drama queen!

Ryan was always wearing these boots. They were her favorite. She called them her "Dance'n Boots."

The Brady Bunch

2007-08-31T20:43:00.000-04:00

Well, This is our first blogg. I have know Idea what I am doing but I am having fun doing it. I thought I would put some pictures up that shows our life here at South Bend. Family and Friends have missed out on the fun and exciting adventures we have had out here. This way I hope to keep everyone updated on what it is like here. We enjoy it very much and the girls are growing so fast. And I can't forget about little Luke. He is growing like a weed. I have a lot to learn on the way one goes about creating a blogg. So bare with me.

First of all we have had many adventures at the beach. We love the beach and if we could go every day we would. Summer in South Bend is Hot. But after a long cold winter it is very much welcomed. Matt didn't get to experience the beach last year. You would think I would tell him that it isn't that great but I couldn' t lie. He missed out big time. So this year he wasn't going to miss out. We had so much fun and the girls and I enjoyed him very much. Since Luke came everywhere I go I feel like I have one arm tied behind my back. So Matt makes going places more enjoyable for everyone.

Our first family trip out here was to "Michigan Adventure." Matt had some time off and at the time we weren't familiar with the area so Matt got on the internet and found this fun amusement park. We went to a KOA camp and stayed in a cabin for a couple of days and went to the amusement park one of those day and had so much fun. This year we stayed at a hotel for one night. Mostly because of what happened last year. It was a great camp but we happened to go when I was 6 weeks pregnant. I hadn't had any sickness yet but I knew it was coming soon. When we got there that night my pregnacy sickness decided to start. We had a great meal that night. I felt a little wessy but went to bed. Around 2am I was afficially welcomed into the pregnacy sickness and needed to throw up. I had to go find my friend John in the dark which was not close enough. I was not happy that I couldn't see only by the moon but I quickly realized that is was better that way as I was throwing up in a not so good smelling John. I was not feeling well the rest of the trip but I didn't let it ruin our family trip. Matt and the girls got to ride and I got to watch which was fun for me to see how much fun they were having. I really didn't mind. So like I said we decided to stay in a hotel this time for obvious reasons. What is funny is the girls and I got a bug that night at the hotel and we had it going out both ends. This is when it is great to have a doctor for a husband. He went to a pharmacy right before we got the the amusement park and plugged us up from both ends. The girls were so drugged up that they might not have remembered that whole day. I am even wondering if we really we went. We did have fun and plan to go next year. Maybe next year Matt might have to give us a priesthood blessing before we go. That might have a better effect. The theme of the park is Snoopy and so of course they had life size character people all around. Ryan was abolutely scared of them. The funny thing is she told her friends that she wasn't scared. She is so funny that way. It is the same thing with the big storms we have out here. On the night of the storms no one sleeps at night because Ryan is crying and scared out of her mind. She ends up in our bed. By morning she lets everyone know how brave she was and that she wasn't scared at all. Its the same with snoopy. This year see was excited to face her fear and go and give snoopy a hug. Lets just say maybe next year we will get a picture of her and snoopy. Anyway, we have now made that a high light of our summers and plan to go every summer. We brought some friends with us this summer and had lots of fun (beside the sickness). We will let you know how next year goes. We have also done a lot of swimming. Ryan has gone from being absolutely scared of water to being a great swimmer ( as long as she has her life jackett on). The girls have faded the swimming out by now so we plan to close the pool soon. Preschool and soccer has been our new interest. Ryan (its really me) is so excited for soccer. Sometimes I have to wonder who is more excited her or me. To get her ready for the fall I was able to sign her up for a summer indoor league. She had a coach that was amazing. They called him coach Dan. He was a grandpa and really connected with the kids. Ryan, of course was excellent. Coach Dan liked her alot. One because she was good and two because of her name. He really took to her. Her goal every week was to beat all the boys. She was always so excited to come home and tell Matt that she beat all the boys. And she did. She is very fast. She even did it dribbling the ball. I need to stop there because I can keep going on how awesome she is in soccer. Just know I am a proud parent.Kacie is excited for her birthday. She tells everyone that her birthday is friday. She has fooled many people. kacie is Ryan's shadow. When it is soccer time she has to get into her soccer shorts and shoes (and yes, she has soccer shoes). When it is gymnastic time she has to get into her gymnastic clothes. when it is swimming lesson time she has to get into her swimming suit. When we talk about school she gets her backpack. At every event she always asks me, "when is it my turn mom?" I am looking forward to the time that I really can let her do what Ryan does. I will be excited to see what her interests are. Kacie is so cute and we love her very much.

Luke is growing, growing. He makes us all smile. He has his first two teeth on the bottom and just started getting them on the top. None have come through on top but can see that they are thinking about it. He is so excited for any attention that he gets. When he gets attention his little body wiggles out of control. It is very cute. He Loves his daddy and we both think he will say "daddy" first (even though I practice with him on saying "mommy" when matt's not around) Ryan said "mommy first and Kacie said "daddy" first. So luke is going to be the tie breaker.

I plan to keep you all up to date as often as I can. Believe it or not this posting actually took me awhile to get posted. My friends who do this on a regular basis are professionals and I hope to get my looking as good as theirs. My blogg may look out of control but by now I could care less. I am not great with this kind of stuff but I am determined to do it. I am learning and will be getting better everytime, hopefully. I will leave you with a few more pictures. Until next time.

The Brady Bunch