The Rhodes Family

TEXAS!!!

2009-12-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Oh how I had been looking forward to this moment for a long time! The kids and I went back to Texas on November 7th and stayed till the 21st. We had a great time and we seemed to be consistently busy. I don't have too many pictures- I still have to get them from my sister since she took most of them.
When we were down there we stayed with my parents the whole time and were able to see Brady's parents when they were in town. We were able to eat at our favorite places that they don't have here in Iowa. Rosas, Whataburger, Rio Mambo, and Wingstop just to name a few :) Seriously, if someone opened one of those up here they would bank!
It was nice and warm so we were able to enjoy playing outside and sleeping with the windows open. Cailyn went with Grandma to Albertsons and found a buzzlightyear plate and she said "I cant believe it, I didn't know they made these- oh Bubby will be so proud!" Toy Story is her favorite thing to watch right now if you couldn't tell. Both of the kids enjoyed playing with my parent's dogs as the dogs would try and run away from them. Peyton would go straight at them with his arms out and not stop.
Cailyn enjoyed laying in bed with Grandma and Pops, she would take their food order and pretend to make whatever they wanted. Peyton favorite thing to do was go through Aunt Kelsey's mini dressor in the bathroom- there is no telling what she found in there after we left.
We hung out with Nanny and Pappy too for as long as we could. We went shopping, had Rosas and Wingstop, colored my hair, ate Sunday dinners, and of course- played the piano. Playing the piano is one of Cailyn's favorite thing to do over there and now Peyton really enjoys it.
All in all, it was a great trip and it was nice to be home! Thanks for coming to see us Kristi! Oh and Brady survived- although we had no food when we got home!
We will by home again around December 20th!

Uncle Kyle being silly

ahh the piano :)
Cailyn's Texas baby

Stay away from the plasma Peyton!

Bumps, Bruises, oh my!

2009-12-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Peyton- is without a doubt 100% boy. It is amazing to see how different a little girl is to a little boy. I don't know if everyone agrees, but this is the case for us. Ever since he has started walking and being able to crawl up and down the stairs on his own- I hold my breath a little more each day. Here is a great picture of his bruise that he got a few days before we left for Texas. He was walking around our bed, fell and landed his cheek on our bed railing.
When we were at my parents house for two weeks- I could not even tell you how many times he fell and hit something. His favorite thing to do is climb up and down our small set of stairs and he probably falls down those at least twice a day. He cries for a second when he falls then gets right back up and does it again. As of right now, he has two bruises on opposite sides of his foreheard- one from the bed railing again and the other from our living room table. At least he is toughening himself up! :) His soft side is still his 'momma' and his blankie- so at least I still have that!

YaY for Halloween!

2009-12-01T13:16:00.000-08:00

The only part that counts as "YaY" is the fact that the kids got to dress up and eat candy. Up here where we live they have a 'beggars night' where the kids go out the night before Halloween to trick or treat- great idea except for the fact that it was rainy, windy, and like 30 degrees outside!
Cailyn was a pretty witch, but don't be fooled- she has an evil side :). Peyton was frankenstein, or "Bubby-stein" as we called me. That night Peyton had no desire to even step outside, and Cailyn's attempt only lasted about 10 minutes. Cailyn's witch hat kept flying away and she was shivering because she was so cold. Luckily, we went to our neighbors houses and got just the right amount of candy for her! She ate a ton of candy that night!
A couple of nights before Halloween we went up to Brady's school for a party. The kids favorite part was the tunnel- they pretty much took it over.

Peyton hi-jacking the candy

he is ready for trick or treating!
"Bubby-stein"

dividing candy...

our sweet little witch

the tunnel takeover...

Sooo Far Behind....

2009-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

I sooo meant to stay on top of this blog- but our crazy life got the best of me I guess. I have a ton of things to add since its been over a month haha.

One thing that's good... its Christmas time! yay! and only a few more weeks till TEXAS!

SNOW in OCTOBER!?!

2009-10-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yes it is undeniably true! Our first snow came on October 10th! Now once again... we are from TEXAS, we don't see snow very often if ever. So when we came down stairs and opened our blinds- we were pretty amazed. Our neighbors had already been outside playing in it for like 2 hours- while we were shocked- and I think the kids were trying to figure out what the heck it was! Cailyn was just happy she could eat her froot loops first! :)
I managed to get them some breakfast and all bundled up so we could go play outside too! Cailyn was very excited, Peyton was mad because he was wearing all the winter gear, and I was scared because all my winter gear is still in TEXAS! Oh and the only reason why I have winter gear like snow pants and boots is because we went skiing one year, you don't see stuff like that on the shelfs at Target like you do here.
We successfully played outside for about an hour, but had to go in because poor Peyton couldn't walk or really move in his gear. His gear did fit him perfectly though (thanks Dana & Carter)! I told Cailyn we could go back out during his nap time, but it all melted by then- I am quite confident we will have plenty more opportunities! :) Her favorite part was making snowballs to throw at each other!

Cailyn giving Bubby a kiss through the door

her very own snowball!
at least he is smiling!

poor Peyton...

making tracks around the house

right before we went out to play...

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

We were sooo excited for this pumpkin patch trip! It's really not too far from our house and its in the beautiful farm land. The area is even prettier now because of the fall colors! The only negative of this fun trip... was the flippin cold weather. We can do cold, but what we can't do is the cold plus the wind chill! We got there at about 10 am and froze our butts off till 2 pm. By the time we left, it was warming up- but we were cold the WHOLE time!
Let's see... we went on a hayride and picked out some pumpkins. This is always Cailyn's favorite part- except this time her lips were turning purple and she was shaking because she was sooo cold. We got back to the main area and warmed up and ate some lunch. We then went to the kiddie area where she rode on a tractor, played in a huge corn pit, slid down some haystacks, held a bunny, and fed some baby goats. She had a great time and was so excited to tell Brady all about it! Peyton enjoyed the hayride, but after lunch he slept the rest of the time there! He is such a good baby, right after lunch- he knows its nap time. He was for sure the warmest out of all of us!
We plan on going back- maybe on a low 60 degree day- without wind- and with Brady.... I don't know if we will be that lucky for all 3 of those things to happen, but we will see! :)

in the corn pit....

on her "just my size" tractor
this is about the time we could have suffered hypo-thermia

love this picture! on our way to get a pumpkin!this is what happens when an animal gets too close.... we won't tell dad :)

she loved this little goat

PaRtY TiMe!!

2009-10-02T19:59:00.000-07:00

For Peyton's first birthday we had a firetruck party! Cailyn was super excited about it because she knew what was going on! We started the day with storytime down at the library, picked up some balloons, lunch & nap time, then Dad was home and we could start the party!

Our kitchen table was decked out in firetruck things including fire chief hats for the kids. There were a ton of presents (thank you) and I even made a firetruck cake. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it & it was more pink then red, but you could at least tell what it was!

That afternoon we went down to the local firestation and we were able to see all of the firetrucks and go inside of them! Everytime we saw a new truck Peyton would go "ohhh!" Cailyn, of course, didn't talk to the nice fire-woman & fireman but her face the entire time was priceless. When we were done looking at all the trucks they surprised us with a ride in one of them! They let Cailyn choose and she chose the biggest one known as the ladder truck! Cailyn and I sat up front while Brady and Peyton sat in the back. Peyton the entire ride was going "ohhh" or "ahh", he was just so excited! After that fun event, we went home and opened presents and had dinner and cake. He loved the cake, but I made the mistake of keeping it in the fridge too long because it needed to set. So the cake was a little too cold for his liking, but he still ate it! From the firetruck cake, he got the cab part where the firemen sit!

All in all, it was a great first birthday for Bubby! Although, we did miss having our family here to celebrate, maybe next year! Happy Birthday Peyton Brady! We love you and look forward to many many more!

Picture Re-take Day!

2009-10-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well since the first round didn't go too well, we went in for another round of pictures and were pleased with the results! I realize it is hard to take pictures of two young kids, especially of one that is SUPER shy, but all it takes is a little effort on the photographer's (and parents') part! Here are some of our favorites :

Our Baby Boy is ONE!

2009-09-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

It is sooo hard to believe that Peyton is one (Sept. 25)! I know everyone says this, but I can vividly remember the day he was born! Bubby was born right on his due date at 8:09 pm. He was such a good baby (and still is!) and he absolutely loved his swing! The first night we brought him home he only slept maybe 2 hours- we were very scared at that point! Luckily, it was only that night that was rough! At first Cailyn didn't know what to do with him. She would just look at him and kind of poke him, she for sure didn't want to hold him. That 'un sure' phase only lasted about 2 days!Peyton was 7lbs 3oz when he was born, now he is about 19lbs. He gets into EVERYTHING! One of his favorite things to do is use our laundry basket as a jungle gym and take down every single book from the bookshelf. He eats just about anything you put in front of him and each time he sees food he acts like he has never eatin before. He is a typical boy and loves anything sports related! He has his own Texas Rangers bat and ball set and he will take that bat and hit the ball or some other object like Cailyn for example :). He loves to crawl up the stairs or on the ledge next to the fireplace. His three most common words are "ma ma ma" or "go go go " or "da da da." He almost has 4 teeth and is about to get his 2nd full blown haircut! He loves to play outside, but is not a big fan of the grass. He is trying very hard right now to start walking too!

We love this boy more then life itself and we are so blessed to have him, & Cailyn, in our lives. Happy Birthday Peyton Brady! Firetruck party here we come! Oh and since Peyton is having a firetruck party, Cailyn told us she wants a trashman party! ha ha

Picture Day!

2009-09-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well like most picture days for our family... I am completely stressed and whoever is taking the pictures never does anything I want. This time, unfortunately, was no different. The kids looked super cute though! These pictures were mostly for Bubby's one year and I would be lucky if Cailyn jumped in for a few! Cailyn wore a pretty brown dress (thanks Dana & Claire!) and Peyton wore a white button up with khakis and then a blue polo.

I ended up ordering only 3 pictures because none of the rest turned out. But as most of you know, I am pretty fiesty and I fought my way into getting another session and a new photographer! :) I promise I was pretty patient in the beginning. She put a blue background with my kids brown/khaki outfits and I so nicely told her that I was not going to buy any with a blue background and she still took some anyway! There was at least 3 times when there was a good picture shot and her hair got in the way or the camera wasn't on! I mean come on?!

Anyway, Cailyn did ok but much much better than usual! Peyton always takes good pictures as long as he can hold a sports ball of some sort or see it be thrown.

Fall Farm Festival

2009-09-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

The ward up here had a HUGE fall festival this past Saturday at a beautiful farm house on 14 acres of land. There was fresh chili (at least 20 crockpots worth), lots of pumpkins, hayrides, swingsets, tractors, crops, tons of kids, football games, and lots lots more. Cailyn really enjoyed the hayride around the farm. We even decorated her pumpkin and Peyton's, they both had small ones because Cailyn picked them out. We all wore our cowboy boots to represent our TEXAS roots, except for Bubby. We have not been able to find him a pair of boots that aren't too girly or that don't look stupid, we will eventually. It was a really fun night with nice weather. After we stayed for a bit, we hurried home to watch the TECH - TEXAS game!

scary slide!

picking out her and Bubby's pumpkin:

decorating our pumpkins:

at least they are both looking at me!

she LOVED this swing!

Meet me at the Carwash!

2009-09-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well they weren't exactly at an actual carwash, but Brady and Cailyn were washing our dirty cars in our driveway! It had been way too long before either one of our cars had been washed (my dad would've had a heart attack if he saw them), so they decided this past Saturday was a good day to wash! Cailyn helped the entire time with both cars and loved holding the water hose to wash off the car. I wonder if my dad did this with me when I was a kid? PROBABLY NOT! He would've thought I was going to scratch his car with my sponge!

Sweet Bubby...

2009-09-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Peyton is not quite one yet, but for the fun of it I dressed him up and took him outside to take a few pictures. He is such a trooper and a stud! I got a ton of cute pictures that I really love! He will be one on September 25th which is so hard for me to believe! We love him so much and he will always by my little handsome boy and he will always be Cailyn's "Bubby".

Parents I am warning you.... keep your daughters locked up! :)

Festival '09

2009-09-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

This town that we live in up here is so awesome and has alot to offer. One of things Cailyn really loves is to go see is the firetrucks! When the garage doors are closed, she says, "they need to open them for us." On Saturday August 29th, they had a huge festival and parade. Well of course I wanted to go because I knew that the firetrucks would be in the parade and that would just make Cailyn's day. Brady wasn't able to go with us because he had a test on that Monday and my good friend, Dana had to work- so it was just me and the kids!
We started with the parade and the kids were in the jogging stroller just waiting. We stood right by the road so if we stuck our arm out we could touch whoever was walking by. Well sweet Bubby fell asleep and slept through the WHOLE parade and Cailyn was too shy to get out of the stroller! Most of the people in the parade threw candy for the kids, well my crazy child would not get out of the stroller to get the candy! The nice kids around us going crazy because there was candy all over the place would occasionally come and bring her some to put in her bag.

After the parade they had a cool, very kid-friendly festival that we went to. They had a ton of blow-up toys and crafts to do. Cailyn was so overwhelmed, Peyton could have cared less but was a very good baby the whole time. We did all of the free crafts which Cailyn loved. I even bought 2 tickets to have Cailyn go on a blow-up slide or something. Well the shy child that she is walked to the stairs to climb up the slide and came crying back because she realized I couldn't go and help her. I needed Carter there! :) So we went to try a little worm blow-up toy, you basically are in an open tunnel and you climb up twice and then slide down. I could see her go through but she is so petite. We waited in line and I had to convince the lady that she was close enough to 3 to get her in. She did good the first time and then the second time she got stuck in the middle and kids were going crazy, I couldn't get to her, luckily an older boy was in there and I just had him pull her up over the last climb.

All in all it was alot of fun, the kids loved it, and it was a perfect family activity!

the slide of terror- we did not even attempt one stair

we even got a tattoo! a blue flower

the worm tunnel

Bubby getting a hold of Cailyn's craft while she does another one

Family Fun Part 2

2009-09-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

My Family came to visit for the second time over Labor Day weekend and I could not have been more excited! Its a bummer that they only got to stay two full days- but we will take whatever we can get!

The first time they came up was back in late July when we were still getting used to the area. We were glad that they were coming up, but we were very homesick at the time. It almost made it harder for us to see them just because we had to seem them go 2 days later. The first trip was a hard one for various reasons. The first because we were so homesick and the second because mom's treatment and diagnosis was very much up in the air. If mom wasn't going through what she is going through, this move would have been alot easier for me! Luckily, so far, everything has turned out ok. During this trip, mom and dad did get the kids a swing set and were able to see Brady's school!

The second time they came up was much much much better! They came up over Labor Day weekend, so like the first time they could only stay 2 full days. So the moment they got here it was almost like we were thinking about when they had to leave. We did alot of shopping, eating, and hanging out. Cailyn loves when family comes to visit and I am sure Peyton does too. Cailyn stayed up till like 11 every night and didn't get a nap the days they were here, she was constantly going and being crazy! Kelsey and Cailyn painted a bird house that they put in our front tree and we went to Scheels to show the family the "dead animals" as Cailyn calls them. We also had some cake and a little early birthday celebration for Peyton. I made a dinosaur cake which was really easy. My first try was a little rough, but Peyton didn't seem to mind because he dug right in! We did alot of playing outside because the weather was so nice. The family brought up a dollhouse that was Kelseys and all of the accessories, a tricycle, a desk that used to be mine, a tv and vcr with VHS tapes (1990's yes, but we are hibernating this winter so I need to keep the kids occupied), a potato head playset (which we have played with everynight since), and a few other things. It was also a good trip because my brother, Kyle got to come and see the place. The dollhouse that was brought up has people to it obviously and Cailyn says, "these are my people!"

For Peyton's birthday, the family got him a mini construction set which he loves! It is the 'CAT' brand and it has a dumptruck that he pushes everywhere!

The pictures in the slide are mostly from the Labor Day trip, but there are a few from the first trip when the swing set was going up. Brady and Dad built it and then had to take it down and build it back up again because they did it wrong- funny huh? Yea not so much!

My 24th Birthday!

2009-09-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

My idea of a birthday celebration is pretty different compared to most 24 year olds, especially since having kids. We went to the zoo, played outside, had dinner and cake together as a family and called it a day. Since my birthday is in late August it seems to always be around a transition period.

When I was in grade school, it was right at the first of the school year when I am meeting new teachers and friends. My first year in college was one of the hardest birthdays because I was away from my family and we had just moved me into the dorms a week before, but I did have a great group of friends for support. One birthday we had just found out we were expecting Cailyn about 2 weeks prior. The following year I was very pregnant with Peyton and he ended up being born exactly a month after my birthday. Now we are in Iowa to celebrate my 24th! Cailyn and I made a cake for the night and she kept saying, "we have cake for my birthday in March?" She was just making sure that we were going to have cake for her birthday too!

Brady brought my home some nice flowers and a sweet card- which is exactly what I needed and wanted!

Zoo Time

2009-09-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

On my birthday we went to the zoo with our good friends: Heidi, Kobe, and Lily and another sweet family that we met that day. Well if you know me, you know that I HATE the zoo! When I was a kid my parents for some CRAZY reason put my brother and I in zoo school. Well zoo school is a good idea and all but not in the middle of a TEXAS summer! We had to go walk around the zoo (and the Fort Worth zoo is huge) in the 100+ degree weather for like 2 weeks! When I go to the zoo now there are smells that bring back those horrible memories. Anyway, I only go to the zoo now because the kids really love it- so I make the sacrifice. The Blank Park Zoo is a perfect size- its not too big where it takes hours to walk through, its a perfect 2-3 hour trip. At this trip, Peyton started to point- which was adorable! We were looking at the hugh fish tank and he just started pointing at the fish! At this zoo they had seals and sea lions which aren't at the FW zoo which was really cool. Cailyn's favorite animal at this zoo are the monkeys (and I hate monkeys too!) The animal that she really wanted to see was the hippo (which is Brady's favorite), but they don't have them and she kept saying, "they not have hippos? they not have elephants? this crazy." ha ha- she tells it like it is! We will for sure go back!

Peyton pointing at the fish:

looking at the ducks:

Trust me, this is a huge step for her to do this! She thought it was the coolest thing!

White Coat Ceremony

2009-09-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Brady was not too excited about this day (August 22) because he thought it was going to be boring. I was excited because it felt like it was official, like he was really in medical school and we are finally here! However, we had no family here so it was the kids and I with a billion other people trying to keep them entertained and quite. It all worked out fine and Brady got his White Coat!

IOWA STATE FAIR!

2009-09-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is the first time for any of us to go to a state fair.... and what better way to have Iowa be our first! It was alot of fun! Very kid friendly and tons of good food! We went to the exotic petting zoo and saw a camel that Cailyn was absolutely terrified of! They have a huge slide that we went down 3 times for 15 dollars! insane! But Cailyn loved it, everytime we got to the bottom she would say "more again." We saw cows of course and even ate deep fried oreos! I was sick for the rest of the night! Brady did have a porkchop on a stick that was really good. My favorite part was Little Hands on the Farm where the kids walk through a little area that shows them how produce and things like that end up in stores and at the farmers' markets. She looked so adorable going through all the steps. We went with some good friends and we had a lot of fun! We are for sure going back next year!

GO RANGERS!

2009-09-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

We miss TEXAS very much but we are really starting to like Iowa and this area alot. However, up here we do not get much of any TEXAS sports games unless its like a Minnesota team or Missouri team. So Brady misses watching the TEXAS RANGERS alot! Before we moved we went to at least 4 games during the summer and Cailyn loved going! Hopefully, we will at least get some TEXAS (any college) football games up here!

Two BIG events!

2009-09-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

1. Brady's first day of medical school was August 10th, and boy was he nervous! Things have hit pretty hard since that day. There was really no adjusting period, they just expected you to get right with it. He was ready though! On his first day sitting in class he had a hat on, and his friend told him "I don't think hats are allowed." So Brady turned to look at the class of 200+ and he was the only one with a hat on! At least it was a Texas Ranger hat!

Here he is on the first day of school...

2. Our next big event of that week was Cailyn's first trip to the dentist! She suprisingly did really well and really liked the dentist! She sat in my lap and leaned back so the dentist could look at her teeth and she had 16! At that time she was still sleeping with her binky, but Dr. Rob told her that she didn't need that binky anymore. So the next day we did like a star chart-treat thing with her and she was done with it completely within 3 days. Now she'll say "Dr. Rob said no more binky for you!" Its hilarious! I think she is trying to regulate Peyton but he's not having any of it!

Outside time

2009-09-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great things up here, at least since we have been here, is the weather. Since we moved up here we have probably been outside everyday. I kid you not, some days in early August and late July the kids needed to wear long sleeve shirts because of the cool breeze. I hear we are in for it when winter hits!

At the downtown Farmer's Market:

My strong little boy...

2009-09-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

Just recently Peyton has started to pull himself up on things and start taking steps and using whatever he can as a walker! Its so funny because when Cailyn was this age she used an old laundry basket and just filled it with toys- she pushed that thing around the house all the time! So now Peyton is that age and he likes to push Cailyn's doll stroller! Without anything in it, its too light to push- so Cailyn (my 2 year old!) sits in it while he pushes it! It is beyond hilarious and they both crack up! He can push other things too, like his Lightening McQueen and the car outside. It is so hard for me to believe that he will be one this month (Sept.)! I can remember the day he was born... right on his due date! That little punk!

Cailyn at 13 months:

Bubby's first official haircut...

2009-09-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Brady is very strict on how I dress Peyton just so I don't make him too girly I guess :) So when he noticed that Peyton's cute blonde hair had a little curl in the back, it was haircut time! I have givin him a little trim around the ears... but nothing like Brady wanted to do! He got out his clippers and went to town! Peyton did a good job not fussing, but it was very hard to keep him still! All in all, he still looked super cute!

Family Fun Visit

2009-09-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks after we got here, my parents came to visit along with my sister, Kelsey. It was a very short trip, but it was very nice to see them! We showed them around the area and 'Pops' (my dad) was very determined to get the kids a swingset! After much searching... we finally found one and the kids love it! We play with it everyday!

They only stayed 2 full days so it was really hard to see them go! We will see them soon though!

Swimming Iowa style...

2009-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

So back home in Texas we lived in the pool because of the crazy hotness. Up here in Iowa its about the same humidity but not quite as hot. Supposedly it was a record cool summer here, which was sooo weird for us to experience. Since we do not have a pool up here, we swim in the kiddie pool! Not even kidding, the first time we got in the kiddie pool I had to make Brady bring out hot water so we would stay warm and that was in JULY!

We got in the pool probably 3 times a week... I am not going to lie though... I did miss my parents pool back home :( We totally survived though, and we are looking forward to fall time here!

The Rhodes Family...

2009-09-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

We consist of 4 as of now :) .....

I am Erin - the main blogger, stay at home mom

Brady (my oh so silly husband) - attends medical school up here in Iowa!

Cailyn - our beautiful, very crazy 2 year old daughter

Peyton - our handsome 1 year old boy, or 'Bubby' as Cailyn calls him

We just moved here to Iowa within the past 2 months for Brady's school. It is beautiful up here and we live in an awesome house thanks to the awesome Summers family! We are from the great state of TEXAS and very proud of that!

FINALLY!!

2009-09-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

I am sooo excited that I have everything put together for this blog! Thanks to all that helped me! You know who you are!
I have sooo much to post, I dont even know where to start! Posts will be flying in since I have alot to catch up on! :)