Congratulations to the Raab Family

Congratulations Erich and Angie on the new arrival of your little boy Owen Christian Raab.

He was born on November 20, 2008 at 7:24 PM. He weighed in at 8 lbs and 9 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long. Mom and Baby are doing great and Dad couldn't be a prouder papa.

We are so excited for the newest little one in our family. We look forward to watching him grow and are sure that our boys and Owen will be the best of buddies. Thanks for including us in your special journey.

A visit from Aunt Sharon and Grandma Green

On the 20th of November Aunt Sharon and Grandma Green made the trek to Joplin, MO to visit us. We had a wonderful time with them. On Friday we sent Trevor off to work and headed to the Precious Moments Chapel. It was wonderful to see the amazing artwork and figurines. Caden enjoyed riding on Grandma Green's lap while Aunt Sharon pushed them in Grandma's wheelchair. We got home in time to pick Trevor up and go out to dinner. Instead of taking two cars we put Trevor in between the seats, his feet located on the shoulder of Grandma green and myself. We sure had a good laugh. Saturday we headed to the mall to see if we could find anything exciting, we didn't but the kids did. They had a mini carnival setup inside the mall with a train, cars, helicopters and a carousel. Ryan and Caden had a blast and we enjoyed watching them. Sunday was the best. Aunt Sharon and Grandma decided we'd have Thanksgiving dinner with the family. The best part was making the meal together. Grandma was trying to instruct us from the family room while Trevor, Aunt Sharon and I ran around the kitchen trying to get everything ready. Grandma couldn't resist not being a part of the action and quickly joined in. It was like one of those chef reality shows only better. We laughed and joked with each other the whole time. The meal was amazing too.

It was hard to see them leave on Monday morning. Matthew took a special interest to Aunt Sharon. Maybe that's because they spent so much time in the back of the car together.

Thanks for taking the time to come and see us. We had a blast.

Happy 2nd Birthday Caden!

Caden turned 2 on Monday, November 3, 2008. We had one of his favorite dishes: pizza and crazy bread. We also let him pick out a cake for his birthday this year. He chose a batman cake with batman riding a motorcycle. He also got a slide with a basketball hoop hooked to it.
He has such a tender little heart but is definitely our little spartan. He loves fruit snacks, playing any game that involves a ball and playing with his older brother. His favorite song right now is I belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and when he says his prayers it always includes thanking heavenly father for our food and blessing our bodies. He loves any type of adventure. The other day he tried to do a spiderman move off of our back porch. He sure brings us a lot of Joy. Happy Birthday!!

Fun things we did this summer

I know its kind of late to be posting these but I thought you might like them anyway.
When we first arrived in Joplin we received a brochure from a friend full of fun things to do in Joplin. Here are a few of the things we did before Trevor started rotations. We've truly enjoyed our time here.
Grand Falls is about ten minutes from our home. It is such a beautiful place to go. While we were there we got to see a gentleman catch a huge snapping turtle and try to place it in his trunk. The boys loved seeing the turtle, walking on the rocks and watching the water flow over the falls.

When we arrived at our home for the first time we were so shocked to find a huge basket full of essential household items, the fridge full of food and a note on the fridge that said welcome Home!! It definitely made us feel like we'd made the right decision.

The Joplin Museum Complex is full of things pertaining to the history of Joplin, including a mineral museum. Joplin once was a huge mining town.

Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center-Great place to take kids. Beautiful nature trails, a huge aquarium, reptiles, and other fun things.

The Candy House-YUM!! We had the opportunity of watching them make chocolates, then we got to taste the chocolates and finally we were able to purchase some decision candy. The boys were in Heaven!!!

Watch me Grow

These pictures were taken at the first of October but I thought I'd still share them anyway.

I can't believe how big he is getting.

I love his smile.

The Digital Camera is Dead

Hey Everyone,
I'm sorry to break the news but our digital camera died earlier this week so we've had to resort back to the disposal kind. I will post pictures of Ryan's birthday, Halloween and Caden's Birthday as soon as I get the film developed. Wow, I wonder what the pictures will look like.
I am also trying to figure out how to download video from our camcorder so you can see some of the fun things the kids have been up to.
Today we carved pumpkins. It was so fun and funny. When I asked Ryan and Caden to take out the stuff inside the pumpkin Ryan quickly reached in and then started to turn green and I got it all on tape. Caden quickly followed suit. I guess we don't have any future medical workers in the family just yet. You'll laugh when you see it.

Ryan's Five

On Monday, October 27, 2008 Ryan turned 5. I'm still in awe that I have such a handsome 5 year old boy. It seems like just yesterday we were anxiously awaiting his arrival.

Today I decided to go back in my journal and read about some of the moments we've had with Ryan. We found out we were expecting the week of March 6, 2003. My Mom, the cute woman she is, went out right after she found out and bought him three outfits. We found out that Ryan was a boy on May 27, 2003 and on June 8, 2003 decided that his name should be Ryan Laron Bright. We had also toyed with the idea that it should be Caden. Trevor felt the baby kick for the first time on the 22 of June. I remember the first time we heard Ryan's heart beat. I was so excited to go to the doctor for this appointment. In my mind I had decided that this wouldn't be so much fun for Trevor, since he worked in the medical field and had heard the beating of a heart before. When the doctor placed the machine to my stomach and the quiet rhythmic sound of the heart become noticeable Trevor's face lit up with excitement and joy. That's my baby. We can really hear his heart beat. I was so grateful that he to could feel the thrill of the moment. What a miracle it is that we are able to be instruments in producing life and helping the plan of salvation move forward. We blessed Ryan on the 7th of December surrounded by our family. He went to his first pumpkin patch on October 9, 2004. He gave me my first flower, dandy lion, on the 17th of February 2005. He blew bubbles for the first time in April 2005. He blew his first kiss in Sept. 2004. A few weeks ago he read his first book entitled Cat. He loves to help with his little brothers, ride his bike, going to primary, having family home evening, singing songs, having preschool, playing with his friends, building anything and learning. His favorite bed time song is Away in a Manager. He loves webcam and talking to his grandparents and other relatives on the phone. I am grateful for his strong spirit. He has taught me so much about being a better person and putting everything we have in what we do.

Pumpkin Patch

This Year we visited the Fredrickson Farm Pumpkin Patch with our friends the Wallace Family.
The kids had such a great time running around trying to find the perfect pumpkin. The minute Ryan got out of the car he ran as fast as his legs would go, grabbed a cart and began putting pumpkins on faster than we could take them off. The little boy behind him, who wasn't more than two, decided that was a great idea and followed suit.

One of the Lucky Ones

This past weeks I have struggled with the question Why me? Why have I been so blessed when other around me struggle so much. Why do I have an amazing husband, wonderful kids, a great family, a warm home, food on the table, clothes to wear, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the list goes on. One day this question weighed so heavy on my mind that tears began to stream down my face and guilt filled my soul. The answer came to me yesterday in a beautiful song written by Micheal McLean and John Batdorf entitled: One of the Lucky Ones. Its on his As I Am CD. I love it and would like to share the words with you tonight.
One of the lucky ones
One of the lucky ones
I'm watching some photographs
Of a terrible loss
And nobody seems to be sure
How much damage was done
Or how much it will cost
Why am I one of the lucky ones
Why can I fly when so many cannot run
And why does a stranger whose dreams were denied
Have me wondering why
I'm one of the lucky ones
I'm one of the lucky ones
Don't know how this could be fair
To be one of the lucky ones
Could have been me who could have been there
I can hear the voices unspoken
They're calling my name
And the eyes of those who've been broken
Keep on staring at me
Begging me to explain
Chorus
This yearning I feel
It won't go quietly
The answer I seek
Is somewhere inside of me
Now I know why I'm one of the lucky ones
And I know why I can fly when so many cannot run
A stranger's misfortune brings a promise tonight
That I'll do what's right
And fell someones plight
And help them take flight
Like one of the lucky ones
God bless the unlucky ones
I hope that I can give back to those that are around me and show my Father in Heaven how much I love him and am grateful for what he has blessed me with.

First Time Fishing

At the end of September Trevor had the opportunity to go fishing for the first time. He went with two of his good friends: Jim and Justin, at a pond near Justin's home. He was able to catch and release two bass. It was a fun opportunity for him to get some guy time in. He looks forward to taking Ryan and seeing what the two of them can catch. I'm sure Trevor will catch a Ryan or two.

Haircut

Trevor and I decided to invest in a set of clippers in hopes that it would ease Caden's fear of getting a hair cut. Dad has become the unofficial barber of the house and tried it out for the first time on Sunday night. We were unable to get any pictures of Caden because it takes both of us to get the job done. I think Trevor did a great job for the amount of training he's had. Maybe he should start a barber shop instead of med school. Just kidding.

Halloween Costume Anyone?

I have to begin this one with a preface and that is that for the past two years we've been living in Kirksville. For anyone who hasn't lived in Kirksville you must realize that the only place to shop is the Walmart and if you want anything seasonal you have to get it the minute it arrives or you don't get it. So with that said on with my story. We were at Target a few weeks ago and noticed they had there Halloween costumes out so we thought we'd take a look and found this adorable monkey bunting that was for 0 to 9 months. We immediately snatched it off the rack and ran to the cash register. When we got home we had to try it on. To our dismay little Matthew could not straighten his legs, so for the next several days we called Target hoping that they would get a size bigger. Unfortunately, they only have that costume in a size XS or M, no smalls. Coming to the conclusion that this isn't Kirksville and they have several stores to choose from we sadly took the monkey bunting back in hopes that we will find something as cute for Halloween and allows Matthew to move freely.

Cereal-Delicious

Matthew turned 16 weeks on Friday. We had a well child checkup that day and found out that he currently weighs 14 lbs 9.5 oz and is 25 1/2 inches long. We also got the OK from the doctor to begin cereal so today was the day. He seemed to know exactly what to do when he saw the spoon. His mouth would open wide and he'd wait for me the spoon to be inserted at which time he would begin using his tongue to move the new substance around until he swallowed it. He'd then give me a big grin and wait for the next spoonful.

Matthew's Baby Blessing

On August 17, 2008 we had the wonderful opportunity to bless Matthew. We were so grateful to be surrounded by family and feel of the spirit. We're forever in debt to those who helped make this trip to Utah a reality.

The Bright Family

How exciting. Trevor bought me a digital scrap booking program today. This is my first page. I'm so excited to be able to put our family memories together for everyone to enjoy.

Boys and Bikes

While my Mom was visiting us in Missouri she noticed that Caden was frequently getting on Ryan's bike. In fact, whenever we tried to take him off he'd cry and scream because he wanted to continue riding the bike. If Ryan was riding the bike Caden would race after him yelling; "bike, bike." She decided it was time for Caden to have his own bike. When we went to get Caden's bike we had a little extra money so we decided to get Ryan one too. They love their bikes. Caden can't peddle just yet but he doesn't mind sitting on his bike and turning the wheels with the handle bars. Ryan races up and down the street on his bike. I love to watch them go. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!

The 4th of July

We had a great 4th of July! It was a dream come true. It started with a pancake breakfast at the church with great company. Caden and Ryan are addicted to pancakes. We then went to the parade but it was mostly a campaigning function. We later had some friends over for a BBQ in which Trevor cooked some of his famous burgers. The are the best!!! That evening, we went to a fireworks show put on by the Med Students. Everyone pitched in a few dollars and they bought everything you could imagine. In Missouri anything goes. It was like watching the city fireworks back home. We ended the evening with a fountain display by our neighbors that was awesome. The only bummer was that Ryan wanted to buy some tanks but they were out. We ended up buying a hummer and a fire engine. The hummer cost $8 and was worthless and the fire engine cost $2 and was impressive. My neighbor spent $20 total on her set of fountains and we watched them for 30 minutes. Next time I'll go with her to buy fireworks. By the way this was her first time buying fireworks and lighting them off in the street. Between the excitement of the kids and the awe of her face it was totally worth it. What a great day!!

Watermelon

The boys love watermelon. Whenever we have the chance to get one we have a watermelon party. Caden and Ryan eat it like it's going out of style. They'd eat it all day long if they could but we haven't been able to find one big enough to last that long.

Sweet Little Boy

I can't believe that our little Matthew turned six weeks today. It has gone by so fast and he's grown so much. He has just started to smile at us and mimic what we do with our mouth. If we open it wide, he'll open his wide, if we stick out our tongue, he'll do it too. Ryan and Caden have been so cute with him. Caden loves to rub his head for good luck. Maybe thats why he is bald in front. hmmm????

New Arrival

We'd like to introduce the newest member of our family: Matthew Robert Bright.
He arrived on May 30, 2008 at 2:11 PM. He weighed in at 7 Pounds 5 ounces and was 22 1/2inches long. He has brought so much joy into our family.

Brothers

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. ~Astrid Alauda

I hope they call me on a mission

On Wednesday, May 13, 2008 my brother, Andrew, entered the MTC. We are so excited for him and what the next two years have in store for him. In the past few months he has grown so much. We had the privilege of having him come to visit us in April. We spent three days touring the church history sites in Nauvoo, Independence and Liberty. He was my boys best friend and it was hard to see him leave. Ryan kept asking if Andrew could stay longer or if he could go with him. I cannot begin to describe the gratitude I feel for Andrew and his choice to serve a mission. We have already begun to see the blessings as we've talked to Ryan about serving a mission, spending time in the MTC and sharing the gospel with others. When we told Ryan what the MTC was he said he'd like to go there to be trained as a missionary. When I told him he'd have to wait a few years he continued to tell me that he could be trained and he would try really hard to be a good missionary. Since then we've continued to talk about how we can be missionaries now and how we can prepare to serve the Lord as full time missionaries in the future. Thanks Andrew. You're amazing!!!