Braxton's First real Bath!

Braxton took his first tub bath on June 16. Up until this point we had to give him sponge baths due to his umbilical cord still being attached. At first he thought the bath was nice but once he realized that we would be pouring water on him he got a bit upset. He has since calmed down and seems to really like bath time. After the kids all took thier baths for the night we had some family bonding time.

Joe's 31st Birthday!!

On June 4, 2008, we celebrated Joe's birthday. It was pretty low key since we just brought Braxton home. We stayed at home for the day and then grilled steak and walked to the local ice cream shop. The kids and I made Joe a cake and we ate ice cream and cake after supper. The kids also were just starting to get used to having baby Braxton home. They really seem to like him.

Braxton Michael joins our family!!!

On June 1, 2008, we were once again blessed with a VERY healthy baby boy. Braxton Michael entered this world at 11:35 a.m. and was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 20 in. long. He too had lots of black hair just like his siblings. Braden and Kyra both adore him and were so excited when they finally got to take him home with them. I do, however believe it will be a big transition for the both of them. We are all doing great, hope you enjoy the pictures and we will be updating them soon.

Braden riding his bike!!

Braden, for some reason got it in his head that he needed to ride his bike with no training wheels. I do not know if he thought that he would magically be able to do this but we gave in and took off his training wheels. He has been practicing and can make it to the neighbors two houses down driveway. He has also learned how to stop without falling over. It is still a work in progress but he thinks he is hot stuff. Kyra didn't want to miss out on the action so she gave it a try as well. I think that she needs to get a bit bigger yet!!

Re-landscaping!!

So we have had some bad luck the last two years with our shrubs dying. We finally decided to give up on the shrubs and plant perennials instead. Hopefully these will survive!! We redid the front of the house and added a decorative tree to the corner. We also have always planted a garden on the east side of our house and decided to dress it up a bit. The pictures are of the awesome job that Joe did with the landscaping bricks. The kids thought that he needed some help so they joined in. Braden's truck actually came in pretty handy during this process, we could load up the back and make him take items to and from the garage. The single picture of the potted flower arrangement is from my mom! She is always thinking of me and sent it to school for teacher appreciate week. At least someone appreciates me because it is not the students!!! Enjoy!!

Our Trip to the John Deere Pavilion

On April 27, 2008, we took the kids to the John Deere Pavilion in Moline. Braden and Kyra both absolutely loved it. Braden thinks that his Grandpas both need to buy some the really big tractors that have a seat for big boys. The kids tried out four of the newer tractors and got to sit in some of the tires. We also lifted them up so they could sit in the back of the big dump truck. It was a fun day and amazing to see the kids eyes light up at the site of the tractors. Maybe they still have a bit of the John Deere Green in them!!!

Riding in our New Truck

The kids got a bit spoiled this year at Easter. The Easter Bunny decided to bring them a battery operated Arctic Cat. Braden loves driving it and Kyra loves riding, although there are days in which she thinks she needs to drive. Ever since our trip to Colorado and Braden experiencing what is like to get pulled over he is sure to always buckle his sister in with the Velcro straps.