Brady Boo so far does not like the beach. We got to the beach the last two times and he would not stop saying "No Beach! No Beach! Go back to car!" Go figure. He ripped his hat off as soon as we got in the car and half way home I look in the rear view mirror and he has it back on, "down to his ears" as he said.
This was his first ride on a tire swing, which he loved!
(All photos taken with cell phone camera so sorry if bad quality.)

WOOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite a long day...one as a mom without a husband for 14 hours, that seemed to keep on going and going and going. Not because Brady was hard but because I'm tired and my back was hurting today. Brady was in fact very funny. At 5:00 it was still very warm outside and so I thought we've never had naked time out back. So naked, covered in sunscreen and a hat, we ventured outside to eat a popsicle and slide on the slide into the pool. Very fun! I just kept thinking about how Brady needed a playmate and well I'm working on...in fact we find out if he gets a brother or sister on Friday!!! I think it's a girl, what do you think?

We took a family outing on Tuesday to Lake Cachuma for a picnic and nature walk. It was a nice peaceful day.

"I...I...I...I wookin"

We got to spend a fabulously relaxing weekend with my folks in Pebble Beach in February. This is Papa and Brayden at Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Pretty cute walkers. What an amazing sunset at Pebble.


This weekend we got a visit from the Postmas. This is their adorable 6 month old girl named Kate. Brayden literally fell in love...no joke. He just wanted to kiss and hug her.

I have never seen Brady be so proud. He sat there and let people take pictures of he and his cousin chase for a long time.

New shades... Loves his pool...
Our Easter crowd...

It got hot last week...we don't have a kiddie pool so we pulled out his old bathtub...he liked it, especially Gracie giving him a bath. Here's the shaggy dude before the haircut...Here he is after the haircut...ready for the marines! Favorite position going down the slide, on belly, head first...with Grace and Jack chasing behind him.
Nice pose on a hike we went on....

I finished reading the book "Bono" today....a book my brother loved and a man my brother admired. Now I know why. Not only is Bono courageous enough to ask the tough, sometimes unanswerable questions about the world we live in, he is wise enough to try to live out of the answers he finds as his own convictions. He loves Jesus. He loves People. He is humble and doesn't take himself too seriously. He puts his faith to work in this world in very tangible ways. He loves his family and puts them first. Simply, wow...what an inspiration.

Well it's been a busy month. We headed to Tahoe with Eric's fire crew:
My folks came to visit...
Brady learned how to put his hands in his pockets...
We spent a warm saturday at the beach...

Brady outgrew yet another pair of pajamas...

Good to be home after a long week of travelling to Tahoe. After 8 days off, Eric goes back to work :( while I keep busy chasing this crazy 18 month old, as of yesterday. Happy 1/2 Birthday Brady!!

Stacking and reading...two favorite things we do around here.

So Brady has been sick all week and this is how he tells us he's just done!
When you tell Brady to smile for the camera...this is the smile you get.















Here's Brady's latest hand-me-down...thank you Groses! This chair is awesome and he absolutely loves it.

SAY CHEESE!

This is Brady's new smile when you put a camera in front of him.

What a Ham!!

One year ago today...this was Brayden. He could barely roll over. Contrary to how the saying goes "Boy, how time flies" this feels like a long long time ago that he was this little.

He is getting busier by the day, running, tearing the house apart and talking non-stop. But the highlight of every day now is ending it with a kiss for the split second that I can get his 'pappy' out of his mouth, he leans in, and says "mmwwaa" and then off to dream land.

Well, 2007 was the hardest year of my life and ended in a back injury. I'm hoping 2008 is infinitely better -- better with God, filled with new adventures, and meeting new people that help me grow, mature and become more of who God desires me to be.

The highlight that kept me getting out of bed each day this year was however this amazing kid, an absolute nut, a gift to us. He loves fruit (skin and all), loves to giggle and cuddle, gives kisses and hugs and makes me smile every day. I'm scared of how I am going to mess him up but just pray he gives me grace each day to learn how to love him well. I want to do that more than anything else in my life right now.