Beautiful day

Another great day. Beautiful skys pure blue and a nice cool breeze, and it is June at the beach! I love St. Simons Island. It is great to be at home away from home. Really looked at my kids today and realized Samantha is a true Brodrick, Bo is a true Carley and Baylen is me! That is who he looks like, it is so neat to watch him. At the pool today he just sat on his knees and watched people walk by. I wonder sometimes what goes on in that little head of his. He does the funniest thing with his mouth. Bo I am so proud of you you swam back and forth in the pool. I loved seeing your little head bob up and down. Nothing like you looking at me, trusting that I will be there to catch you when you swim to me. Sam, you did so good with your headstands in the water and look so cute in your one piece sweet ruffle bathing suit. Loved sitting on the beach today with mom and dad and just listening to the ocean. It was so realxing and perfect. Loved having lunch with my awesome husband at Brogans and bringing home Sam and Bo fudge. Saw a youth on the beach and had a great time talking about our dogs that had passed and how they were watching over us now. A blessed day. Ending with sitting on the porch with Samantha and doing fun picture searches. Love it!

summer fun

Baylen your hair has gotten so blonde. Had so much fun today with you kiddos at the pool and beach. Daddy surprised us today and showed up at the beach house. It was amazing! He walked in and really blew us away! What a great family I have. Love nights at the beach with my family. Loved eating Fried Shrimp at the beach house after a fun day. Bo you make me laugh so much. You were yelling out of the golf cart today funny things at Samantha. Baylen you ate out of a bowl today and were so proud of yourself. Samantha you are so fun to work puzzles with. I rode yall today on the bike to the grocery store, quite an adventure! Bo you have quite the angry temper, you can have outburst so fast. Baylen you loved crawling through the pool today, I love it when you poke out your bottom lip like an old toothless man. Sam you had so much fun surfing the waves today!

Beach Fun

Blogging from the beach! I have had the best week ever, the only thing that could make it perfect is if Riley and Daddy were here! The weather has been beautiful, the kids are perfect and it has been fun being with mom and dad and Walker. I can not believe we have been here at the beach house for 10 days. Some things I love...

Baylens Blonde hair and his cool tan he is getting

Samantha on her Bike barefoot and in a bikini with her cute little self

Bo playing in the front yard with sticks and talking to himself

Walker surfing the waves and how he closes his eyes as he basks in the sun

Baylen sitting on the beach really focusing on the buckets and shovels and what he can do to make all of it work, you can see his little brain ticking!

Samantha working puzzles at the kitchen table.

Bo wanting to go to the pier to get his prize, he picked a devil head with worms this year and Sam got a bird in a bird cage.

Mom and dad loving Walker now.

Taking Riley to the beach and putting her ashes in three places to remember her,

Eating dinner each night as a family

Going to the beach in the am in the golf cart and riding our bikes to the pool in the afternoon

Bo and Sam collecting their pool bands on their arms each day and just walking up to the pool worker and they recognized them

Bo saying he use to know how to ride a bike but he lost his skills, Samantha doing 11 tricks on her bike and doing a bike show.

Baylen playing with Sam and Bo with a yelling game on the golf cart.

Going throught he DQ in the golf cart to get ice cream

Using our coupon book for fun stuff

Running with Baylen in the am while he drinks his bottle and I push the stroller

Going to the library and checking our books and movies

Chill time while Baylen naps with the kids, doing art work and resting together

the list could go on and on, but these are just a few of the things that I love about being at the beach. Samantha, you are so cute, I love you toothless smile and your personality. You are spunky, sweet and so smart. Bo, I love your creativity (you set you books up with figures with them) you always play alone and have something awesome cooked up! You are so cute and fun, and constantly "on". Baylen there is something about your sweet little smile that melts mommies heart. I wish I could just freeze you in time. You love just being. You are so sweet and I love you so much! I love your little toes and your little nose, and your big chubby thighs...

Beach trip

Having an amazing time at the beach with the kids. We have been in St. Simons for a week now. We have a nice little pattern going. I run with Baylen in the am with his bottle. Just thirty minutes. I love to look down at his chubby legs in the stroller. Then I come in and Bo and Sam eat breakfast. We go to the beach at ten with Bo Bay Sam and Walker. Walker has been so much fun to watch at the beach. We have been taking the golf cart. It is so fun. We went through the DQ in the golf cart. We have also gone to the pool in the afternoon in the bike, Sam you have gotten so good at the bike! I pull Bo and Baylen. Sam you ride your Bike in the am while MeMe walks and you go to see Ms. Ann. We have rest time from 1-3 and then head to the pool. Rest time is fun, we play. I love to sleep with yall at night. It is so cozy here to sleep. I am missing Riley so much! It still just hits me like a ton of bricks. Walker is so sweet, I just miss my pie. Walker you watch the kids like a hawk. you are such a nervous ninny. Sam you are doing tricks on your bike. It is so fun to ride home after a big day. We work puzzles, do art work and read books. Walker is so great here. I love every minute of being at the beach. Bo you said you use to know how to ride your bike but you lost your skills. I have the best family ever, I love you so much!

catching up

If I have not said it yet...Bo you are so funny! Samantha, I always have a hard time when it is your last day of school, not becasue school is out, but you are a year older! How could you be done with Kindergarten, first grade and now second? Yall three are perfect.Bo you sleep with us every night. Baylen you wake up a few times needing your passy, and Sam sometimes you will wonder in. Bo you are always showing off at partys. You love to wear your boots. Daddy really made my day when he said I was a great mom, you are a great dad daddy! Bo you pat me all of the time and say I hold you you always want to be with me. I am so thankful for a supportive family that loves eachother so much. Sometimes Bo you will just come out of your room like at 10:30 and just sit with us like it is no big deal. You say, hi five mommmy. I love it when yall want to play dress up and when you want to include the dogs! We had so much fun going to Harris Shoals Park and playing on the playground and in the creek. It is so fun just watching yall. Sam you have gotten so good at riding your bike! You love to go on bike rides after dinner. We go behind the Waltons house a lot and yall ride in that parking lot. I love to lay with yall and just watch a movie. Bo says, don't close your eyes mommy. I love to watch Bo in the yard with his tool belt and boots on. Bo you dress up in Walkers Spiderman costum thinking you can fly. You also use to say, to infinity and beyond! Sam you love to read to walker and Bo on your bed. Bo and sam yall have been playing together so well. Baylen you just watch in amazement!
I love to watch yall fly kites. Bo you are so huggy. You always hug me and say you love me! Bo you get in boots and stand on your bed and play the guitar. Sam I love our alone time, We like to do art stuff. I love that I am responsible for yall, Bo I loved watching you at the preschool run down the hall when you would see me. Sam you would love to wear a bracelt of mine to go to school. You also want kisses on your hands to go into school. You would earn stickers in first grade with no tears. Yall also loved to go to PTA meetings with me. We had fun going to the strawberry patch and family fun day at the Oconee county library. Yall also love the little things, like mommy being mysery reader or just planning for your birthday parties. I love to watch you and the dogs sleep. So peaceful. I also love to watch you play outside. Bo today you said to me (talking about daddy) I am so glad you married that guy! Bo, you dig in the dirt and it is amazing. Your carry dead lizards and just love it! We had the tummy bug and you had upset tummy and did not make it to the potty. You said if daddy knew he would slap your booty and put a diaper on you! I love our new fence and the flowers blooming. A few weeks we took the kids to the circus and it was so much fun! Nothing was better then a beautiful day, sitting in front yard with bubbles, sprinkler, Watching the kids play, the dogs chill . I miss Riley but we made a memory garden today that I love so much, now she is still with us outside. Bo at preschool you fell on your nose. We also love to go to tennis matches and track meets, and bo's t-ball games. Bo you still love to get decorations for every holiday. It is so fun to watch you walk out of the store with your new loot. Baylen you are so close to walking. Sam you played awesome in your last Soccer came with church leauge. Bo you said daddy was not surpressed, when you meant surprised. Also, Bo you love for me to read to you and sing you are my sunshine.

Zoo

We went to the zoo and had such an amazing time. It was the perfect day! It was so fun to be with the kids and daddy and just being together. We had such a great time watching the gorriallas and the pandas. Bo loved the snakes and getting a prize at the end at the shop. Samantha loved checking off animals that she saw and Baylen loved to eat! It was the perfect day finished off with Happy Meals! Love you guys!

last day of school

School is out for Samantha. I had fun going to her school today to play four square, watch her hula hoop in the talent show and just be with her. I can't believe she will be in the third grade. Baylen has started to do this new thing with his mouth. He opens it so wide when you is excited about something. He gets laughing so hard when the kids do funny things. He loves to eat. Today is the first day of Summer for all three...what will we do today...pick strawberries, go to the library and shopping for daddy's birthday!

May notes

Okay, so I have decided to change some things up a bit. I originally did this blog for a journal for myself to keep up with memories of the kids, but now I want to share it with everyone. I apologize if past letters seem silly, just love my kids! Also, I was rigid about only posting on the day of Samantha Bo and Baylens birthdays each month, but I am changing that. With Riley passing away, which I can not believe happened the night of my last blog...I have learned no to be so rigid. I will post maybe everyday, twice a day, not few a few days. I will still post pics of kids on the last day of the month, but will blog as I feel moved. These first two weeks of May have been a blur for me. Our sweet Riley passed away Thursday night April 28th, we found out April 29th, it was a Friday, morning of the Royal Wedding, and Samantha's Slumber party. The day is a blur for me. I have put together a scrapbook and memory book that includes memories from her life and journals that others have written to me, and I have written these past two weeks. I have learned a lot about myself. For one, I love deep. I grieve deep. I have learned that I am not in control like I so often think I am, and that my faith had to endure a little work. I have discovered, cried, realized, worried, guilt tripped, read, talked, prayed and the list goes on and on....I have come to many conclusions but the main one is that we should live in the moment, count our blessings and be content with just being.

In the midst of Riley passing that Friday I spent basically the whole day with her not wanting to let go. Then I did have to to plan for eight little girls to come to our house for a birthday party. The next day was off to t-ball and soccer and then Baylens first birthday on Sunday. He had a Very Hungry Caterpillar Party. Monday and Tuesday just went by and then we celebrated Samantha's eighth birthday. Then Bo graduated from pre-k that Friday. An emotional 7 days to say the least. We got through it, I was there, but not there. We are not sure what did happen to Riley, she had pancrintitis, but not sure that is what got her. I do know it was her time, it was not my time for it to be her time, but that is just one of the many lessons I have learned in this process. Walker is grieving her loss to as he wears her collar around and leaves her food each night.

April memories

April has been a very busy month. The birthday rush is about to begin! I did a fun photo shoot of Riley and Bo outside. She really seems to be slowing down these days. Her cushings does not seem to be getting much better, but it has only been two months on the meds. I am worried about her. She seems tired, yet content. Baylen is about to be one and I can not believe it. Bo is about to graduate from preschool and I can not believe that! He had so much fun at his easter egg hunt at school. He is all about celebrations. Samantha is posing here with her littlest pet shop collection. Samantha won an award at shcool for most improved. SHe is always bringing home different awards, I am very proud of her. Bo you are always wearing rain boot and move very slow, but we can all learn from that! The weather is awesome lately I love to have the windows up and just being home with yall. Bo you often talk to yourself. Baylen you are still not walking but have cut two more teeth. You are a daddy's boy, you scurry up him when you think I am about to put you to bed. You are so happy and jump in your bed and love Bo and Sam. You are getting a lot of hair and have the sweetest look about you. You just watch them play in the front yard on tap on the dogs, Bo you are still decorating, did not want to take St. Pat's down or stop drinking snarfmuckle. Bo you got a shot for your birthday, wow great. The nurse came in, yanked your pants down and you said excuse me! We went to the shot store, which is the family dollar where you pick a little toy when you get shots, it is amazing the things you remember. You picked an army man. Samantha we went to Barrow for Science night. You love these kind of nights, so fun! Bo found a new word he likes, nasty. He says thats nasty all the time. When he saw Aaron the other day he said, Aaron you smell so good you smell like the carwash. You are always asking me "is that a good idea". I can not beleive you are still asking me in April when the Halloween store will open, wow. You love that place. I have a funny lizard story to tell, you buried a dead one, then dug it up and brought it to me and told me not to worry because it was going to rise from the dead. I guess you have been listening to the easter story, kinda! You love to bury things and bugs. You put it in your room and wanted to keep it there. I don't love anything more then being on the front porch watching yall play, looking at the green grass, with Riley and Walker lying beside me. The air smells so good, the weather feels so good. The sky is so blue, it does not get better then that! I love our new yard. It is perfect!

kids review

Bo you love to hug and say Mommy and Daddy I love you! You are so sweet. You say, it was an accident when ever you do something wrong. Samantha you said you would write on a brownie and iwould jsut eat it and that Bylen would get your message (this was when baylen was in my belly) You did yoga, and liked it. Bo said that when he was 5 he would go to yoga. Bo you had a great birthday at coca cola plant. It was drama with man that shot officer howard, mommy worked and worked to get us to be able to go to see the coke trucks. We had varsity in our front yard. It was a fun party! You love to go to the varsity to get a naked dog, that is where we went on your birthday. In the afternoons you say "can I have one more junk" your words for a not so healthy snack. You say that I am your girlfriend. I love you so much. We had such a great time at the beach. Bo you have such an imaginiation. You play amazing when your are alone with your action figures. You gave up your fire on your b-day. You still have your blankie though, you love to play with walker. You love chocolate milk. You love for me to sing to you you are my sunshine. You love acting like a scarecrow. You love to decorate. You love holidays and are scared of "under" storms. You are such a kind little boy. You started t-ball and mommy teared up watching you the very first time! You always share with zeppa. You love to fix things and call yourself the worker man. You say just two more times. You get your feelings hurt easy and you do not like to see blood. You say sooo sooo sorry a lot. You are like a tornado, you touch everything and it is a mess. You love to be read to. You do a funny dance with your bottom sticking up. You like to drink canned drinks and call them a "che che" like the sound they make when they open. You wnet potty outside and I said what are you doing and you said watering the plants. Samatntha I love our girl talk. We have it every night and we journal. You love pricesses still and are sad that your friends don't. Bo I love to walk into preschool with you, you say, mom your the best. Sam you got two awards this month, one for poetry and one for showing the most progress. I am so pround of you you are full of energy and are goofy, love it! Baylen you are so close to walking! You have the blondest hair and the biggest hips ever! You love to dance to music like a rap star, so funny! You started playing with the dogs. You love to eat eat and eat somemore. You are so happy. Still loving that am nap. YOu are such a cuddler and you are pointing now and doing a little of by bye! You are so happy.

February fun

It was a great February! Baylen you are 10 months now! You just started to stand up holding on to somehting. You love food! You make grunting sounds when someone has something they are eating. You sleep so good. You have the biggest bottom I have ever seen! You have noticed the dogs now. You love your brother and sister, they really make you laugh. You still love your passy and blanket. You look so precious. You started crawling on your knees now! You are so sweet and cute. You rock back and forth trying to get yourself to rock! Bo, you aboslulty amaze me! You will be on the stage one day we realized! You dressed up like the phantom. You have such an imagination. You said you want to be an actor and when I asked you how many kids you want you said, I am not a lady, i don't have babies! You said I won't get married I will live with your forever. You love that passy still, you don't like going to school that much. You love to have an activity to have! You still love to decorate and the leamprocan stuff is up! You loved the cirucs Daddy and I took you and Sam too. You got a light up sword. I love you so much! Samantha, you are still me little princess. We have so much fun togehter. I love our girl talks at night. We also have fun painting our nails! You are so full of emotion. We are so alike. You have loved the new fence. You have so much passion. You won the Barrow Boogie, mommy ran with you the whole way! Bo did good too with Daddy! I love you!

Bo 4, Sam 7 Baylen 9 months

Baylen...you will be 9 monts tommorrw! You are still as sweet as pie! You are not crawling, but you scoot on your belly all around the room. Your brother makes you laugh more then anyone else can. You sleep so good. You go down at 8:00 and up at 7:00, nap around 10:00 to 12:00 and again from 2-4. You have two teeth and are working on one more up top. You love your passy and blankey and you dance to the valentine dog that sings love love you just have to wait. You are still pretty bald but have some fuzz! You have the biggest thighs we have ever seen. In the bath at night you look at your brother and sister like they are kinda crazy but you don't know anything else or how it could be any other way. You love to eat, and i love the sound you make when you drink your bottle. You also nuzzle your head on my shoulder. You are also clapping and playing with your feet and making lots of spitting sounds and saying da da da!




Bo Brodrick, you are so fun and happy. You have such an imagination. You still love halloween but now you love coca cola more then anything. You sleep with your "oka cola bear every night. You come to mommys bed every night in your zip up pjs' . you also ask for one more pack of chocoate milk. You live junk food but you will eat your healthy food too! You are sad about writing sometimes. You love your friends sage and luke. You love to wrestle mommy on the bed. You love to race with your hot wheels and pretend play all of the time. You give the best hugs and always tell mommy that you love me and will forever...you are my sweet boy, and you say you will give up your fires at your birthday. You love to bother your sister, but you also love her so much!

Samantha. You are my sweet pepper. You have such a emotional personality on you! YOu earned more patches in brownies. You are doing so much better not getting upset at shcool. You still have lots of drama girl. You weep alot but smile ever more! You have such a sense of fashion, organization and schedule. You love to do arts and crafts and play with friends. You love birthday icecream, walking to Yoforia and journaling with mommy at night. We just watched Beezus and Ramona and it was so good! You are doing well in school and enjoyed a huge snow break a few weeks ago. You really help mommy with Baylen and are a little bossy to Bo, but I know he does a good job at annoying you. You are so funny and silly and really make mommy laugh. I lvoe you!

Sam Bo and Baylen news

Samantha, you are so sweet. You do a performance for me tonight, you worked on it for over an hour. You had tickets ready and Baylen and I came. It was in my room and you hopped and leaped around with a stick and seemed so happy. It was so cute and reminded me so much of what I use to do at your age. You started Brownies last week and you love it! You also sold scarves you made at Barrow's Holiday market and you want to donate the money. I am so proud of you. You are a planner and a worrier, but you love to have fun and be busy! You are so good and kind. You are learning that not everyone is kind, it is a hard lesson. I love playing with you and having our spa days on Sundays. I love you pepper!

For christmas you got a barbie dream house. and a playhouse for all of you outside!

Bo you are a hoot. You are always still singing monster mash. you sat on me today and sang the whole thing as your vein in your neck popped out. You are always in costume. Your favorite things for christmas were still halloween things, like scooby doo haunted mansion and dr bones! when you get mad you run at people and say how you dare! you say just one more pack of my chocolate milk. You say, your the best! you are full of energy and are either 100 miles an hour or asleep. you are always wearing your boots. you love to eat snacks and not meals. Baylen is in the tub right now and you just walked in a tinkled on him! Bo! You are having trouble with potty talk. You say about a million funny things each day!

Baylen. You are as happy as ever! You are almost crawling. You are clapping. You love to look at your brother and sister, they make you laugh so much! You love to sit and play. You are on a great schedule with sleeping, nap in am and pm. You love bath time and our cuddle time after bath. I love to rock you with your bottle alone. You are standing holding on and you have the FATEST legs ever! You are dimples! You are really growing this month, you are looking all around. You won cutest baby for the year with this pic!