The Many Looks of Gracie...

Bry's 40th Surprise Birthday Party

On December 4th, I turned the Big 40. Hard to believe. My wife pulled off a surprise birthday party for me on the 5th. She did a great job organizing everything and keeping this dirty little secret from me. It was a blast! Having the boys here for an extra weekend for my birthday made it all the more special for me. We had a good turn out for the party and everyone "attempted" to take their age pop shots at me. But I'm old now, so I couldn't hear them. Praying for God's blessing this next decade of life that He'll continue to bless my life and our family and that my career will be clear and

Kaitlyn Nine Months Professional Pictures

Rockin' the keys and the doo!

Little One is Standing Now...

well, little gracie is just not satisfied with crawling. absolutely everything she can grab to pull herself up is fair game. it doesn't matter if she takes a tumble, she's grabbing on for dear life and pulling herself up. it shouldn't be too long until she tries her first steps. then watch out world. four teeth with the fifth on its way, got the crawling gig down, not on to bigger and better things!

she officially turns ten months on the 26th. she definitely has her mommy's blonde hair and blue eyes but definitely her daddy's appetite. she's a happy baby and very engaged with the world around her. she does SO well with her big brothers who she already has wrapped around her finger. she's truly a blessing from God and we're grateful every day for the gift of her life.

Trey (1st grade) and Kole's (K5) School Pictures

Halloween with the Kids

halloween was an absolute blast this year for two reasons: we had the boys on this fun day (which has yet to happen) and we had a baby we could dress up for our own personal gratification. we let the boys pick out their costumes and they were SO excited to go trick or treating with Dad. i put gracie in the baby bjorn carrier (picture a human kangaroo pouch) and susan and i were off for the evening. it was cool here in chicago land so mom and baby went home while the boys went on their candy quest. the boys had SO much candy, we had to stop halfway at a family friend's house just to get two bags to empty their halloween buckets in! great problem. we had so much fun that night and one that provided lasting memories....

Bry Life Update

this fall has been rather unusual for me. i lost my full-time job which has actually allowed me to be home with the baby. with susan going back to teaching 2nd grade, we had a major dilemma in needing someone to watch gracie and no way of affording it. minor detail.

God provided a unique part time experience for me through a friend working at a small evangelical methodist church. crazy. my role is worship leader and choir director. i'm also beginning to assist in service planning and helping the church become more modern. it's part time pay and i'm really enjoying being in ministry and influencing people again.

i had hopes of beginning a prison program that would teach entrepreneurial and life skills into the illinois prisons but someone has beaten me to it. and since there can only be one, i either join their plan which looks completely different (and i'm still considering) or look for other potential opportunities. to be honest, i was devastated and disheartened for a few weeks. i felt like this dream God had given me was pulled out from under me. but...

now i feel like God took me through that journey to learn the original program's systems and provide a new concept for guys at the county jail level who desire life change. after visiting a guy in the county jail and seeing this potential area unmet, i couldn't shake the possibilities. this past week i've been spending every extra minute developing a program that focuses on three major areas of development: character, personal, and professional. i have a couple of consultants i'll be meeting with in the next week to receive guidance, counsel, and direction. i'll keep you updated but i am truly excited about this potential opportunity. i feel a peace about this direction. now i need open doors and the money to be able to make it happen. excited for this part of the journey...

this past saturday we had the opportunity to attend a pumpkin event. the boys had an absolute blast between a jump house, face painting, balloon art, games for prizes, snacks, and pumpkin picking. the boys are at an age now where they soak in every moment and can appreciate the event. what fun! the baby was along for the ride in the baby bjorn carrier and soaked in every moment. she's such an easy-going baby which is important considering that is the way susan and i are in life. we're grateful to enjoy so many memorable times with the boys...

Kaitlyn's First Big Crawl...

Kaitlyn is now 8 1/2 months and has been trying to crawl the first couple of weeks. This was her longest crawl with Daddy and of course, he just had to film it. She just kept going. And going. And going...

Kaitlyn Laughing!

kaitlyn's personality is really coming out. does she really have a chance living with susan and me but to laugh...? enjoy!

Kaitlyn Grace Buckley Video

Daddy Home with Daughter Now...

Well, something had to give with Susan going back to school and someone needing to watch Gracie. And since I'm now officially in between full-time jobs and only working part-time, I'm able to be home with the baby. What an honor. So, I'm Mr. Mom taking care of the baby and all of the household chores which I don't mind a bit. Since Trey and Kole do not live primarily with us (which I still have a difficult time with) I do not take a moment for granted having a little one in the house all of the time. So for now, this is God's provision to allow me to be home with the baby until another door opens...

Rod and Chantel's Wedding

This past Saturday, I had an incredible honor of officiating the wedding of my life long closest friend, Rod Massie. He and I have done life together for over 25 years. We've been there for each other through the darkest of times from timely words to just listening and tears. He married an incredible woman and the perfect person for Rod. Chantel has three kids and Rod has three kids so they're the modern day Brady bunch switching the cheesiness to fun and the grooviness to just flat out cool. Amazing family. It was an absolute honor and blast to be a part of this sacred day. Proud of you both!!!

Trey and Kole's Birthday Party

Kole (right) turned 5 on August 3rd and Trey (left) turned 6 on August 20th. We celebrated their birthday with our families on the 8th. The focus of the boys' presents were legos, jammies, board games (spongebob squarepants SORRY), activities to do in the car. They enjoyed the attention and of course the presents!

Swimming Weekend

Chicago was hot and I mean hot this past week. All week was in the 90's with a heat index way past that. Just nasty. So... the pool was a welcome place. The kids loved the water. The baby just chilled. We were thankful to have some relief from the heat. Trey and Kole have a goal of learning how to swim this summer. Time will tell!

Boys Weekend Downtown Chicago

Last weekend we took the boys downtown Chicago to the lakefront. What a blast! Right on the lake at a beach we played on a large playground. Then we played on the beach. The boys absolutely loved the giant sandbox God provided for them. Ironically, Lake Michigan was closed for swimming. That's right, they closed the lake! The reason? A sewage leak from the storm from the night before. The boys didn't mind just playing in the sand. Lastly, we rode bikes along the lakefront. It was a memorable day for everyone!

Kaitlyn's First Meal and Real Bath

Our little one, now four months old, just had her first "real meal" with a spoon. What a great time! She had avacados and bananas and loved it! Her face as she had her first couple of bites were priceless. Her favorite right now is strawberries. Susan is home for the summer and able to spend a ton of time with her now. She's beginning to laugh, find her toes, and just likes to be with people. She is a very content and happy baby. Thank you, God! 

Susan Gets Her Masters of Education Degree!!!

This past Sunday, Susan graduated from National- Louis University with her masters degree in education specializing in curriculum and instruction, and interdisciplinary studies. The ceremony was downtown Chicago at the UIC Pavilion. 1500 people graduated so the ceremony was long but worth it. It was a special day honoring Susan's hard work teaching full time, taking classes, pregnant for nine months of the program, then finishing strong while having a baby. Truly amazing. We are very proud of her!!!

Kaitlyn's One Month Today!

kaitlyn is officially one month old today. it's hard to believe that just four weeks ago susan was in labor at this moment and our baby girl was not here yet.

this past month has been an incredible experience. she has truly been a great baby. she sleeps a lot like her mommy and eats a lot like her daddy! but surprisingly, she's had a difficult time gaining weight. she's eating a ton but just has not gained back the weight since she was born. 

today we took her to the doctor for her one month check up and kaitlyn finally has come back to her birth weight.

it's also been a good month with the transition with the boys. trey has been incredible with the baby. he wants to take care of her, kisses her all of the time, and is always asking about her. he was up at 6:30am Saturday morning just to see her. when she wasn't up by 8am, trey asked, "is this baby ever going to wake up?" it was precious.

God, thank you SO much for the gift of this life. may we as parents offer her back to You and seek to raise her in a way that honors You! 

Trey and Kole Meet Their Baby Sister!

     Two weekends ago the boys were here and 24hrs after they left, Kaitlyn was born. So, this was the first time they were going to see their baby sister in person. They were SO excited on the ride to our house they couldn't contain themselves. It seemed like they asked a thousand questions. They had brought gifts for the baby (which can be seen in the picture above). Trey loved footy jammies so that is what he gave the baby along with footy slippers. And Kole loves his blanky (still does!) so he actually snuggled with a handful of different blankies to find out which one he liked then decided to give that one to the baby. Their sister, Hannah, loved stuffed animals and she gave Kaitlyn a cute, purple baby hippo. It was very thoughtful gesture of the gifts given. They meant a lot to Susan.

     The boys have been SO good with the baby. The first night they woke up extra early just to see Kaitlyn and so disappointed in how much she sleeps. Kole said, "she just sleeps way too much. When can she go out and play?"Trey has been wonderful with Kaitlyn. He's constantly kissing her and trying to comfort her by softly rubbing her head when she cries. He also wants to sit and hold his baby sister every chance we give to him.

     Overall, it's been a memorable weekend. We couldn't have dreamed of a smoother first weekend. We're blessed with two loving little boys and a gorgeous little girl (just like her mommy!) Thank you, God, for such an incredible family. We're truly blessed by You...

Kaitlyn Grace's Arrival

Kaitlyn Grace is finally here. On 1.26.09 @ 7:03pm, she entered this world. Susan broke her water @ 2:30pm then spent most of her labor time in a whirlpool which really aided in the process. Then @ 6:30pm, Susan began pushing and about a half an hour later, we had our beautiful baby. Susan was absolutely amazing. She chose to give a complete natural birth, no drug assistance. Incredible! She had such a desire to bring this baby into the world with the utmost of care from eating incredibly healthy through the pregnancy to avoiding drugs which could affect the baby. I could not be more proud of her through this entire process.

Buckley Family Year in Review 2008 VIDEO

Our family has had quite a year. From a wedding and honeymoon to raising two boys which included Trey learning how to ride his bike and finally Susan and me getting a nursery ready for a baby! We've been blessed this past year and we decided to share this year with you in pictures and song. Enjoy and let us know what you think by posting a comment...

Susan's Baby Showers

Susan was blessed to have numerous showers. The first one was mostly friends (upper left). The next shower was thrown by her teacher friends at school. This was a surprise and great for Susan. Next was her small group at church. This was a lot of fun and another surprise for Susan. Last was the family shower (upper right) with a couple of friends from college. We were SO blessed with love, encouragement and of course showered with gifts. Thank you SO much if you were part of any of these shower. You blessed us in more ways than you even realize!

Kaitlyn Grace is Almost Here...

10 DAYS TO GO!!! It's hard to believe but these last two weeks are going to be LONG days. Susan just keeps trying to focus on the end goal and what a blessing she will be! Our last doctor visit said she's measuring perfectly and her vitals could not be better. Now, we wait! She's packing her suitcase tonight and the car seat is ready for "the unknown" arrival.

The nursery is painted and almost done. Just needing a few more minor details. Susan has been great about getting all of the baby clothes into the dresser and getting as organized as we can be at this point.

Please pray for a smooth and quick delivery! We'll be posting pictures and updates as soon as possible on the blog...

Christmas with the Tollar side

Bryan and I were able to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family the Sunday after Christmas Day.  My brother, Dan flew in from Houston, which was nice because we're not able to see him very often.  

In the family picture, to the far left, is my brother, Jim and his wife, Missy, and their three children, Andrew, David, and Samantha. Then, my parents, Jim and Georgia are next, along with my grandma.  Next to my grandma is my brother Dan, sister Lynn, and her husband Chris. Their three children are Ashley (in the red sweater), Steven (next to Ashley), and Tommy (in the other red sweater).  Lastly, myself (with baby Kaitlyn) and Bryan are to the far right, and Kole and Trey are in the front next to Tommy.  That's about it for my immediate family.  We had a great time catching up with everyone and look forward to seeing them again soon.