New post...Finally!

HI Everyone,
I have been having trouble with this website. My posts are not showing up. I think I might have to upgrade soon. When I do, I will let you all know the new address.

So, what have we been up to.

March 15 - Matt's Birthday
We had plans to go to one of our favorite restaurants in Renton "Melrose Grill" but we all got the stomach flu. It was terrible and poor Matt got a sick family for his birthday. He was a trooper though. He took care of all of us and a few days later, got it himself. YUK.

March 28th - Hosted Ladies Night
Every month the ladies in the neighborhood get together to socialize, eat and of course Drink. I hosted a cocktail party with my Mother-in-law Debbie. We had a great time. Drank Mojitos and Cosmos and all the ladies brought appitizers. Then we topped the night off with a game of "The Price is Right". Good times.

April 5th - My Dads birthday
We celebrated at my parents house. He didn't want any attention but we all had a nice time.

April 10th - My Neice Naomi turned 11. She was in California for her birthday and she had a great time. She wanted only books for her birthday. She has read every Harry Potter book 3 times. She is now onto the twilight series. I can't believe what a good reader she is. She started reading early and just hasn't ever stopped.

April 11th - Neighborhood Easter Egg hunt (pictures above)
Every year the neighborhood has a HUGE Easter egg hunt the day before Easter. This year it rained a little but the kids didn't notice, they had a great time. We live in such a great neighborhood. Everyone is so friendly and all of the kids are great friends.

April 12th - Easter Sunday
The Easter bunny left a scavenger hunt for the kids upon my request. They got so much candy the day before I just could imagine them having any more. We're talking more than Halloween. Crazy!!! Anyway, the kids were lead all through the house and found clues hidden inside of the eggs. The last egg led them to their Easter baskets that were filled with their favorite things. The LOVED it. I will be making sure the Easter bunny does that every year for them.
Next we went to my parents for Easter brunch and more egg hunting. The Eggs were filled with change. The kids made out with about $10 a piece. It was great. We still haven't taken the money to the coinstar to exchange for bills but the kids will be able to take their money to the toy store to pick out some new toys.
By the end of the day we were back at our house. Tom and Debbie had just returned from Arizona where they had been for a week. They brought all kids of goodies for us and the kids. They got lunch boxes filled with all kids of treats. We had a great dinner and talked about Tom and Debbie's vacation and what we had done while they were away.
Easter was over and clean up began. Damn you Easter grass.

April 22nd - My Birthday
We celebrated my birthday on Sunday. Debbie made me Moroccan Chicken Pie. My favorite! And we had a good time.

I hope all of you have been doing well. I am so sorry for not posting in a while. I'll let you know if the web address changes.
Take care,
Carolyn

What's for dinner?

Over the last week, I have prepared dinner as usual, however, Rosie has found interesting ways to decribe her hatred for what I have given her.
Monday - Dog poo
Tuesday - Onion hair
Wednesday - Rabbit throw-up
Thursday - Ant body parts

I can't wait to see what tonights dinner turns out to be.

Colin's Tennessee Weddin'

Matt and I were able to take a trip to Tennessee last weekend for our good friend Colin Duffy's wedding. He married the Southern Belle of his dreams. Her name is Cheyanne and she couldn't be sweeter. We were so happy to be there and we had a great time. Matt and I met up with our friends Matt and Amy Jurgensen and Jon Urlie. We all stayed together in the coolest log cabin ever. It was up in the Smokey mountains. Needless to say it was a wonderful break from the kids but we were so happy to see them when we got back.
Congratulations Colin and Cheyanne! Thanks for including us in your special day.
Matt and Carolyn

Matty turnes 3!

Matty turned 3 on January 13th. Of course he had a lot of fun on his birthday. He got a new train table with some trains and tracks to play around with. He loves it. He got to go to McDonalds for dinner as well. We went with our friends from the neighborhood, the Moore's. That weekend he had a birthday party with his cousins. It was Star Wars themed. The kids made lightsabers and had a treasure hunt. They had lots of fun and Matty got some great new toys. I can't believe my baby boy is 3. I still call him "Baby" and he is very quick to correct me that he is a big boy now, not a baby.

Brett and Georgette came to visit

Brett and Georgette Venn came out to see us yesterday. We always love seeing them. They brought the kids a book... "The 12 days of Christmas in Louisiana". It was very cute. Georgette is originally from the Baton Rouge area and when Brett is finished with his clerkship in Olympia they will be moving back to Louisiana. Which we try not to think about because we will miss them very much. It will give us a good reason to travel down south though. It was wonderful to see them.

A Christmas re-do on New Years Day.

From left to right - Marissa, Naomi, Evan, Randy, Rosie, Amber and Matty - Making a snowman cake

Because of the insane amount of snow we got at Christmas, we were unable to see my family for Christmas. Thankfully though, they were able to come see us on New years day. The cousins did their gift exchange and we had a great time. It was good to be able to see the family.

East Coast New Yars Eve with The Browns

Our friends in the neighborhood invited us over to celebrate east coast new years. 9:00 was a much more reasonable time to celebrate 2009 with little ones. They also have 5 and 3 year old boys. We had a great time.

Pictures from Christmas morning

This is their reaction to seeing the what Santa left under the tree.

This is what they saw

This is Rosie in her play tent that Santa brought for her. She had plenty of questions about how he could carry it in his sleigh, how he got it in the house, what the elves name was that made it for her etc, etc, etc. I hope I didn't contradict myself too many times. We had a lovely Christmas morning. After present opening Tom, Debbie and Meghan came for breakfast.

The Raindeer got hooked up

Rosie wanted to make sure that everyone was taken care of including the reindeer and elves and of course Santa. For the Reindeer she put together 8 individual bowls with lettuce, carrots and rosemary sprigs. They also had soup to warm their belly's. Santa got the standard milk and cookies but in addition an invitation to her 5th Birthday party (in August). The elves were given some of her old cloths that do not fit her anymore. They are tiny so hopefully they can use them.

Santa Came to the Neighborhood

Our Neighbors, George and Nikki, had Santa come to their house and it was so great. The kids were so surprised to see him. They got to sit on Santa's lap and they each got a present from him. Poor Matty was the last one called up to sit on his lap and by his turn he was in tears so we don't have a picture of him. It was a great night though, and it really got us all in the Christmas spirit.

Merry Chrismas

We had a very quiet Christmas this year. We were snowed in so we are unable to see my family in Puyallup, but thankfully they will be coming to see us on new years day for a little Christmas mulligan. This year, as always we were able to go to Tom and Debbie's for Christmas eve dinner and present opening. It was so nice. We were able to see them because now, we just live down the street from them. We are very thankful for that this holiday season. We are also feeling really blessed that we are in this neighborhood not only because we have a built in Mimi and Papa but for all of our new neighbors as well. We were literally at neighborhood events every Friday, Saturday and Sunday this December. From Birthday parties to Christmas caroling to Santa coming and a fabulous Champagne party. We were so busy for the lead up to Christmas, but when it finally got here we didn't leave the house. I really hope that your holiday season was as blessed as ours was. Santa was good to the kids Matty got hooked with plenty of Star Wars stuff and Rosie got roller skates and a Leap frog reading system. It is amazing how quickly she is learning. she is recognizing small words and even starting to sound some words out. Matty loves star wars now. He was introduced to it by Matt who is also a huge fan. Now Matty can use the force, or so he thinks. It is a lot of fun to watch Rosie and Matty grow up. They're still the best of friends and we are so proud of them. Matty will be 3 in a few weeks, which is incredibly hard to believe. Rosie is 4 and still enjoys preschool a lot.
Take care everyone and have a happy new year.
This years resolution... Finish what I start.

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree

Hi Everyone,
Wow! I can't believe it's December already. We just had a momentous occasion in our family. We got our FIRST Christmas tree. Matt and I have been married for 5 years and this is the first year we have lived in a place big enough to accommodate a tree. We went out to Trinity tree farm in Issaquah. It was a lot of fun. There were plenty of nice trees to cut down and a little train for the kids to ride on while Daddy loaded up the tree. We had fun and we love having a Christmas tree in our house.

How to make a Turkey - by Rose Kennedy

At preschool Rosie was asked how to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey; this was her response...

"I think we get turkey from Safeway. Mom cooks it in the afternoon in the small oven for like 50 hours or something. Temperature is hot. She puts salt and ham in the turkey. She gets ready for the guests to come over after the turkey is cooked. Some of our more neighbors come to eat with us."

Have a very happy Thanksgiving.
Love the Kennedy's

What defines a teenager?

Is it age or attitude that defines a teenager? If it is age, then Rosie, at age four, is clearly not a teenager. However, if it is attitude, we are so there. This morning she couldn't find the right leggings for preschool and she immediately accused me of hiding them from her. She went running through the house screaming "Where are they, I know you hid them from me". Then to top the morning off, after I finished doing her hair, she looked in the mirror and said, "Where did you learn how to do hair, the UGLY hair salon" If this is what she is like at 4 what will 14 be like? Maybe I shouldn't think about it.

A day at Lake Samammish

HI Everybody,
We went to lake samammish yesterday with our neighbors. The kids played in the leaves and I was lucky enough to get a picture where both of the kids were smiling at the same time, so I thought I would share. Ok Take care everyone.

What a great Halloween!

Daisy and Minnie, Woody and Buzz

Our Neighbor Amanda (Glenda the good Witch), Her girls Lyla (Scarecrow) and Aubrey Jane(Toto) and her niece (Tin Man).

Rosie and Matty at her Halloween Party

The kids sung "5 little pumpkins sitting on the fence"

Pumpkin carving is so much fun

Hi Everyone,
We had a a great Halloween. We started out at Rosie's Preschool for a very cute Halloween party where the kids sung songs and trick or treated around the school. Then I took the kids out to Matt's office for more trick or treating. Next we came home and had a Halloween party for the kids at our Neighbors (Bill and Amanda). The kids had a blast and so did Matt and I. We decided to all dress as Disney characters so me and Rosie were Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse and Big Matt and Matty were Woody and Buzz Lightyear. I hope your Halloween was fun too.

New story

Hi everyone,
I promised my cousin Eileen that I would start posting more regularly. She is getting married in November and I just saw her at her wedding shower last weekend. It was good to see you Eileen. I don't have much news except for that Rosie has just started soccer. I do not have a picture yet, but I assure you it is very cute.
I will leave you with a cute story. The other day we had some friends over. I heard Matty yelling something at our little neighbor girl in the playroom. I yelled up to make sure everything was ok. I said "Matty, are you being nice to Kayah?" He, of course said "Yes Mommy." I then said "Kayah, is Matty being nice to you?" Then we hear Matty squeal in a high pitched voice "Yes." Should I be concerned that he didn't even stop to think about it? He just responded trying to fool me into thinking he was Kayah.

Rosie's first day of preschool

Rosie started Preschool on Tuesday. She had a serious fit on the first day but the second day was better. She really likes it now. She has been able to make some friends and we have an extra set of eyes on her because Debbie is the school therapest at her school. She is having a lot of fun.

Rosie is 4!

Rosie turned 4 yesterday. We had a party for her at our house. Lots of fun! She got some great stuff and had a great time hanging out with all her cousins and friends.

We're back from Louisianna... Just in time!

First plane ride!!!!!

The Happy Couple

Cutest Flower Girl EVER!

Bachelor Party in The Bayou

Had to eat at an authentic southern Waffle House

Georgette's Church! It was amazing! Built in the 1800's

Hi Ya'll,
We had a fabulous time in Louisiana. For those of you who don't know, we went to our good friends Brett and Georgette's wedding. They got married in Georgette's home town, Donaldsonville, LA. and Rosie was the flower girl. Matt was also a Groomsmen in the wedding. We had a great time and we are so happy for Brett and Georgette. Here are some pictures from the wedding week.

So much has happened this summer!

I have not posted in a while. We have been crazy busy. Here is a list of all the things we have been up to.
Went for a day to the Briggs family cabin near hood canal.
Had an awesome fourth of July!
Mimi got a new puppy. Her name is Olivia and the kids are in love with her.
Sold the old house and bought a new one.
What a great summer - so far. Lots more to come.

Happy fourth!

Hi Everyone,
I have not posted in a while because I lost the cord that I need to load the pictures onto the computer. We have done a lot of fun stuff since the last time I posted. The kids are doing great and Matt and I are too. We just spent the evening at Matt's parents house. We watched the various fireworks shows going on around the area. We had a great time.
In other news... As long as we don't get struck by lightning in the next week or so we should be moving into our new home. Unbelievably it all worked out. We got someone to buy our home for what we needed to make the new home work. We will be moving out for the next week and hopefully we will be sleeping in out new home by this time next week.
I will update you all when we close on the home. I will also look for the cord in need to add more pictures.
Take care y'all
Carolyn

Go Matty!

After a good surprise spray down from his sister, Matty got a hold of the hose and sprayed her back for about 5 minutes. It was quite enjoyable to watch from a safe distance.
Also...
More randomness from Rosie,
1. I wish I had a pancake costume, no... I wish I was a pancake!
2. Mom, how do you say airplane in Swahilli?

Fun at the beach

Hi again,
We have been swamped these past few months but now that summer has come around again we will have a lot of new things to post about.
Last week when it got warm out, I took the kids to the beach. They always have so much fun at the beach. They are just best friends and they love to play together. I feel really blessed to be their mom.

Happy Mothers Day

HI Everyone,
I have been so bad about taking pictures of the kids lately. I have not posted in a while. Happy mothers day to all of you moms. I will be taking the kids out to the beach later this week when it gets warmer. I will take pictures and post some of them.

Update

Hello everyone,
We have been super busy around here so I have not had a chance to post for a while. Everything is going well. Both the kids just got over ear infections in both ears. They were so sad. It is so hard when your kids are in pain and there is nothing you can do. That is the worst feeling in the world. You don't really ever have to deal with that type of emotion until you are a parent. Just one of the many changes that happens when you have kids. Their ear drums were infected so they were in a tremendous amount of pain until the ear drum ruptured, then they were fine. I guess that is the silver lining. A whole lot of pain for a short time. They are both doing really well now. Back to playing and having fun.
A lot of people are wondering about the house. We have recently dropped the price, but still have had very little traffic. We just have to be patient and know that everything will work out how it is supposed to. We just know that we did all we could to make it look great and now it is going to take the right buyer at the right time.
I hope all of you are getting through the cold/flu/allergy season OK.
Take care,
Carolyn

It's a mystery

Today I was cleaning the bedrooms upstairs when I heard the kids rummaging through the refrigerator. As I was coming down to check it out, I heard Rosie say 'Hurry clean it up, I hear mom". I come down and there is about 2 pounds of shredded mozzarella cheese on the floor. Rosie ran to try to stop me before I got into the kitchen while Matty is feverishly trying to put the cheese back int he bag. I asked Rosie what happened, she said, "There is a mysterious mess on the floor".

Ahhh.... Spring!

Well... what can I say. It's Washington. The whether is unpredictable to say the least. It started snowing at about 6 last night and it snowed on and off through the night. We got a couple of inches and it was a lot of fun for the kids to wake up to. We were out playing even before breakfast.

Happy Easter

Get out of our way! We've got eggs to find.

Easter Cuties!

Happy Easter! This Easter my oldest brother David and his family were in town. His wife Katie is pregnant with their 3rd child "It's a girl". They live in Colorado and we don't get to see them very often so it was good to see all of them. We celebrated Easter on Saturday with my side of the family and Sunday with Matt's family. We had a fun time. Here are some pictures of the kids in their Easter cloths and at my Mom and Dad's for the Easter egg hunt.

Happy Birthday Matt

Hi Everyone,
Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. Matt turned 27 yesterday. We have had a full weekend of activities with friends and family. Matt is currently playing "Guitar Hero" which he got for his birthday from his parents. It's a lot of fun.

More deep thoughts by Rosie and Matty

The other day, Rosie and Matty were being so sweet together. Rosie started telling Matty about what he was like when he was a baby. She put her face right up to his and said, "Matty, when you were a baby you were squishy and mushy and you smelled like a kangaroo." Matty responded by saying "NO ROSE, I'm not a kangaroo, I'm Matty Boy."
I think I laughed for about 5 minutes straight.

The things they say

Rosie and Matty were playing yesterday and Rosie wanted Matty to do something, but he didn't want to so she called him a "Sly Dog". Where she got that, I do not know.

The Kennedy's as m&m's

Congratulations Kelly and Adam Schakel!

My good friend Kelly had her baby boy yesterday. Congratualtions you guys. Baby Brett is so Cute!

Holy Cow!

I was getting Matty ready for his nap when Rosie decided to play in her room. When I got Matty down, I went into Rosie's room and she had put together a 35 piece puzzle by herself. I could not believe it. I just stopped and asked her "did you do this?" I think she thought she was in trouble. It was pretty amazing to me. I don't know if 3 year olds can usually put together puzzles but this was the first time she did, so I thought it was cool:0)

Snow day!

We just got a light dusting of snow where we live but we had to take advantage of the opportunity.

Our house is for sale

Hi everyone,
Our house is finally finished! We have done a ton of updates like new floors, all new appliances, new 6 panel doors and white mill work, tall wainscoting in the kitchen, new interior paint in the whole house and several new lighting fixtures. So we have been busy; correction MATT has been busy. I won't claim that I have done much except try to contain the kids when it is work time. So the house looks great and these are some pictures. I'll let you all know what happens.

Congratulations Brett and Georgette!

Some of our very good friends are engaged! Brett Venn who Matt went to college with recently proposed to his girlfriend of about 4 years. Brett and Georgette met in Louisiana, where Georgette is originally from. Brett was teaching for "Teach For America" and happened to be placed in the school where Georgette taught first grade, and the rest is history. They are both living in Spokane right now. Georgette is teaching and Brett is finishing up Law school at Gonzaga. We are so excited for this wedding and their marriage. Matt will be in the wedding as a groomsmen and Rosie will be the flower girl. Rosie asks me every night before she goes to bed, "When I wake up tomorrow, will it be time to go on the airplane to go to Brett and Georgette's wedding?" It's going to be a long 7 months.
Congratulations you guys!

Matty's Birthday @ The Bouncy Place

We had so much fun at the Bouncy Place last weekend. The bouncy place is just a big warehouse filled with those huge inflatable bouncers. Our room had 4 bouncers for the kids (& Adults) to choose from. We had lots of family and friends there. The kids loved being able to play in such a fun place and the adults had a great time too. Thanks to everyone who came to the party.

Matty's Birthday Party Pictures

Naomi, Rosie, Parker and Dan going down the big slide

Dan, Parker, Rosie, Naomi, Grandpa, Matty and Amber

Warren Briggs- Look mom, no hands!

The Incredables
Amber, Evan, Merissa, Randy, Naomi, Parker and Little Linnea

Matty and Grandpa

Mr. Incredible

Happy Birthday Matty!!!

Yesterday, January 13, was Matty's Birthday. Its hard to believe he is already 2. Such a big boy. We just had some cake and presents for him at our house after a long day of working on the house. He got to go to the zoo with Papa and Aunt Meghan. His birthday party will be next weekend. I will put up more pictures then.

A few funny stories

Matty and Rosie are literally the funniest people I have ever met. That might mean I have a juvenile sense of humor, or that they are just hilarious.
My first story actually happened last Saturday. We have been updating our house little by little with hopes to make a few bucks. One of the things Matt and I decided to do was to replace all the interior doors to the 6 panel doors. We had a painter come in and paint them white and they look really great. Well, the painters method was to stand all the doors up so that he could spray the front and back quickly. He nailed a long board to the top of each of the doors to support them. Well, as Matt was getting the doors ready to install, Matty snuck out to the garage and pushed on one of the doors. As you can imagine, it caused a domino effect and all the newly painted doors came crashing down. Matt quickly ran to catch the two doors that Matty was standing between, and as he did that, the board with all the nails in it swung down and one of the nails embedded itself into big Matt's thigh. So I go running out to make sure everyone is ok. I see Matt holding up the doors with a nail in his leg and there is Matty sitting on the floor between them. As I quickly go to grab him he says, "No Mommy, I helpin".
Yah thanks buddy. Good news was only one of the doors broke.
The second story happened today as the kids were playing with play dough. I was totally exhausted and laying on the kitchen floor next to the kids and the play dough mat. So Rosie rolls out some dough with a rolling pin and says, "There its flat", then she puts the rolling pin on my stomach and says, "Now, let me see if I can fix your tummy". Ok, the diet officially starts right now.
Sorry for the long story, I just think my kids are hilarious. Take care and Happy new year.

More deep thoughts by Rosie

A few days ago, she said very sincerely...
"If you don't give me candy, I am not going to let you be my mother anymore.....ok honey".

Merry Christmas

Hi everyone, We hope you all had a great Christmas. We had a great time. We go from Matt's parents to my parent's then back to Matt's parents. It is busy but a lot of fun as long as the kids will hold up. We spend Christmas eve with Tom, Debbie and Meghan. We had a fabulous dinner which we all contributed to. We had prosciutto wrapped scallops, French onion soup, Salad, Garlic mashed potatoes, Prime rib and pie for desert. Am I making you Hungry? We then went down to the basement and surprised the kids with a giant Christmas tree filled with presents. The kids were so excited. It was awesome. Matt and I also got a Wii, so we will have to have a tournament after the new year. We ended up staying over at Tom and Debbie's then woke up early to go back home so that the kids could see what Santa brought them. Then we promptly left to go to my Parent's house. It is a lot of fun when the whole family gets together. I have 4 other siblings so when their spouses and children are all there we end up with a lot of people and a lot of noise ans chaos. The kids had a great time. We opened more great presents and had a wonderful brunch. Then we went back to Tom and Debbie's for a Christmas party. Tom is still good friends with they guys he went to college with so every year they have a party and invite all of Tom's friends and their families. The kids played but started to lose it early so we took them home around 8. Despite all the jumping around, we had a wonderful holiday season. Have a happy new year. Also, congratulations to my cousins Chris and Lena Eagan. They had a baby boy on Christmas morning. Little Michael is still in the hospital but should be home soon.

Deep thoughts by Rose Kennedy

Rosie says the funniest things sometimes, so I have decided to start keeping a record of the things that she says. This will be the portion of the blog that I call "Deep thoughts by Rose Kennedy." You all might enjoy hearing what I hear from day to day.

~ Mom, I think my stomach might be a boy.
~ I think I'm going to go put on my Belle dress..... Oh wait, I DON'T HAVE A BELLE DRESS!!!!
~ Come on Matty, lets make Mommy grumpy.
~ Do you like that song "All Night Long?"

These are just a few of the things she has said in the past week. More installments to come, I'm sure.

Ouch

Matty has 4 teeth coming through right now. Poor boy is not sleeping well and very cranky. He is the worst teether in the world. His teeth sit under the surface for months causing him pain before they finally come through. Thankfully this is his last set for a while. He is such a sweetheart.

She is her fathers daughter

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed. One pulled down her pants and mooned the camera.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone,
I have not posted for a few weeks. We have been busy with home improvements and of course, Thanksgiving. We hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Here is a new picture of the kids. Take care.

Sometimes you just gotta say...

Anyone remember Risky Business? Matt and I love the movie and Matty inspired me to take this picture after his bath tonight. He was wearing his diaper and put on a pair of Rosie's sun glasses. A white dress shirt and some tube socks finished the outfit. He is a perfect "young", young Tom Cruise.

Happy Halloween!

What a fun night. We started at Microsoft. Everybody loves the kids there. Then we headed over to Tom and Debbie's house in Renton for more trick-or-treating. The kids had a blast. Rosie was Sleeping Beauty and Matty was a fireman.

Carving Pumpkins

We carved the kids pumpkins yesterday. Rosie and Matty had the task of removing the pumpkin guts. Their faces say it all. Happy Halloween!

Playing in the leaves

Here is a pretty picture of Rosie playing in the leaves. It is fun to watch them get so much joy out of something as simple as fallen leaves.

I love sgetti

He wasn't quite ready to give up his spaghetti meal. He was trying to lick any remaining sauce off of his face. It was pretty hilarious.

Cute picture of the guys

Matt and Matty were playing in the foam pit at the YMCA. Our Nephew Randy recently had his 6th birthday party there. We all had a great time. This picture was just too cute not to share.

Remlinger Farms

Matty and Rosie going into the farm house

Rosie and Shelby riding a pig

Matty, Jordan and Rosie

I took the kids to Remlinger Farms in Carnation today. We met Rosie's Friends Shelby and Jordan and their mom's Susan and Darleen. We had a great time. The kids rode on rides and went through a petting zoo and at the end they got to pick out a pumpkin. Good times.

Break for me, Zoo for the kids

I had a little break from the kids on Sunday. Matt and Tom took the kids to the zoo, while Debbie and I went shopping. It's good to have a little time away. The kids had a blast at the zoo. Here is a picture of Tom with the kids on the carousel.

Kennedy family Laundry Basket Derby

So... we put our kids in Laundry baskets and throw them down the stairs. Not exactly responsible parenting, but now that Rosie and Matty both weigh the same (35 lbs) we had to see who would win in a laundry basket Derby. We did about 20 trials and they ended up about even 10-10. It was great.

Matty's helping out

We are replacing our front door and my dad came over to help out. Matty, like always, wanted to get in on the action. I just thought it was a cute picture.

Matt's a fan of the Wii

We recently met up with one of our good friends Brett Venn and his family. Matt went to college with Brett and we try to see him everytime he is in town. We went over to Susan and Tim's (Brett's aunt and uncle) beautiful home in Gig Harbor. We had a great time and we always feel so welcome when we are included in the Venn family festivities. They had a Nintendo Wii set up and Matt and Brett got to play it. It was pretty hillarious to watch. Matt is now loves the Wii. Don't tell Bill Gates.

Cheeeeese!

I took the kids to get their pictures taken today. I like to get the kids photos taken on or around their birthdays. Rosie is 3 and Matty is 20 months.

Finger and face and body painting

We painted yesterday. Why does it always turn into this? They made a big mess and had a blast doing it. They crack me up.

On another note... Good luck on the upcoming school year to all my teacher friends and family members.

Rosie's birthday bash

Matt helping the kids with the Pinata.
Matt wrestling with Parker, Randy and Matty.

Princess Rosie! We love you so much.

Rosie had a great time in Saturday at her Doodlebops/Princess/butterfly birthday party. It was great to see family and friends and the weather was perfect. The kids had a great time swimming and playing in the sand at Newcastle Beach Park. These are some photos from the big day. When I figure out how to make an album, I will post the rest of the pictures.

This is the happy couple

Here is a great picture of Matt and Amy. I stole it from Brian Soigon's website (Matt's brother-in-law). For more pictures from the wedding go to his web page. www.cougarandhuskey.com

Congratulations Amy and Matt Jurgensen

Some long time friends of ours, Amy Hyytinen and Matt Jurgensen, got married on September 1st. It was a beautiful ceremony at the Rose Garden in Point Defiance with a really fun reception at the Tacoma Yacht Club. They did a great job. Amy looked beautiful and Matt very handsome. My Matt was a groomsmen and also looked very handsome.
Rosie and Matty came too. They actually did really well. They started to get tired right at the beginning of the reception but when the music started they perked right up and were cutting-a-rug. All of the kids were adorable and had a lot of fun.
Sorry no pictures. I wasn't crazy enough to bring two toddlers and a huge camera. Just take my word for it...it was beautiful!

Happy Birthday Rosie!

We can't believe that Rosie is 3. Where does the time go. She had a good day and loved being princess for a day.

Pictures from the zoo

We got some cute pictures of the kids at the zoo. Just wanted to share them with you.

Rosie and Matty at the carousel

Matt and I took the kids to the Woodland Park Zoo last weekend. The kids got to ride on the Carousel. We got some cute pictures and they had a lot of fun.

Fun with finger paint

Ok... I soooo don't have the temperament for finger painting with two toddlers. Shortly after this picture was taken all heck broke loose. Paint everywhere, both kids crying; those who are parents know the drill.

Picture from the fourth

Matty and Rosie looked very patriotic on the fourth in the stars and stripes bathing suits. The are in our back yard filling up the pool. Hope you all had a great fourth.

Our day at the beach

Hi everyone,
A few weeks ago we headed over to Newcastle Beach Park. The kids had fun playing in the playground and then swam in beautiful Lake Washington. We had a lot of fun and snapped some great shots of Rosie and Matty. We love those photo opps.

Sorry we haven't posted in a while.

Hi everyone,
This is Carolyn. So I finally learned how to post on the blog. Sorry it has taken us so long. You should be seeing posts a lot more frequently now. Matt is very busy at work so our blog has been neglected. I guess the last time we posted was in March. Since then we have just been having a lot of fun with the kids, doing small home improvements, and most recently helping Tom and Debbie move into their new home. They bought a home in Renton, they are very happy and we are very happy for them.

Rosie will be 3 on August 31st and Matty is about 18 months now. The are doing really well. Rosie is wanting to be totally independent. She is sharp as a tack and loves to play pretend. Matty is so sweet and just loves everyone. He is talking now and has a great vocabulary. We are really proud of them.

Hmmm....Fell A Little Behind

The number one rule for all bloggers is post consistently - guess I broke that one. At this point, anyone who used to visit this site has probably stopped. But, just in case you accidently stopped by, I wanted to give you an update on what has been going on the last few months. Haven't really posted since November, but will touch on the key topics.

Brett Phillips Comes Home!!!

Seeing Brett this Christmas was definitely the highlight of my holiday season. As many of you know, Brett had been stationed in Iraq for nearly a year and a half. He was part of the Striker Brigade - the unit whose tour was extended to go to Baghdad and quell the violence.

We were able to see him and his lovely wife Krista a couple times during the holidays.

In one of the pictures below, you will see Brett and Krista when we went out to eat. There is a story here. Brett and I were in Physics together senior year of high school. At some point in that class we made a bit on who would win the 2000 Presidential Election. I said Gore - he said Bush. The loser of the bet had to buy the other one dinner. Well, we have yet to resolve who won the bet. As you will all recall, Gore received more votes - therefore winning the election. However, Bush won the presidency due to a loop hole in the electoral college system. (Note: Brett does not see it this way).

Just so everyone is clear -- I picked up the tab for dinner to thank Brett for his heroic service in Iraq -- I still insist I won the bet.



























Our Boy Turns 1.

On January 13th, we celebrate our Matty's 1st Birthday. Below are a few pictures from the celebration - yes he went through 3 outfits.




































Wow! What A Difference A Year Makes

Take a look at the two pictures below. One is shortly after Matty was born, the other shortly after his first birthday. Honestly, it looks as if Matty ate the kid in the 1st picture. He is a big boy - 30lbs.



























Crazy Weather In Washington

It has been quite a winter (today the thermometer hit 68 in Seattle). We have had wind storms, ice storms, snow storms - you name it. Below are a few pictures from one of the snow days. Carolyn, Rosie, and Matty built a snowman - Rosie tried to give him a hug; an act which had mixed results. Matty's car got stuck in the snow.





































Big News - Matt Jurgensen and Amy Hytinen Get Engaged.

No pictures to post but it finally happened - Matt and Amy are engaged. Congratulations guys...it is about time.

Quick Sign Off

Sorry for not posting regularly - I will try to do better moving forward.
My best to everyone. MK

Aren't My Kids Cute

Way behind on updating the blog - my bad. More pictures and updates coming soon.
In the meantime here are a couple pictures of my little lookers.

November Rain

I once read the best way to lose traffic to your blog is to not post frequently. Clearly I did not take that one to heart. Things have been really busy this fall. I am very thankful to have the new job and not be on the road any more, but I will tell you this new position is harder than I thought. I still love working for Microsoft, and I can't believe how lucky I am to be working with such smart people, but the job itself is kicking my tail right now. No big deal though - I knew it would take quite a bit of ramp up time.

This does explain why I have not been updating as frequently as I would like - the time just isn't there. I do have a couple minutes right now, so here is what has been going on.

Family Photo Fun

A family friend of ours, Brian Soligon, is a talented photographer. A couple weekends ago he met us at Lake Sammamish State Park to take some family pictures. Click on the one below to see the greatest hits.















House Projects Keeping Me Busy





















We have some lofty goals for our house - we want to repaint the whole interior, replace all the doors, add new base board, remodel the downstairs bathroom, and add laminate flooring in the down stairs hallway. All of these projects begin with Rosie's room, which I painted about a month ago (it is now a light purple). As you can see I got some help from the kids. I will share more pictures as things progress.















Here we are taking care of leaves in the front yard.


Good News From Brett Phillips

Brett and I are still in contact - we exchange emails about once a week. It looks like he will be home for Christmas!!! Officially, he is set to arrive December 23rd, but like he says, we will believe it when his boots hit the ground. Keeping our fingers crossed.


Fun In T-Town

Went back to our old stomping grounds in North Tacoma a couple weeks back. The Venns were in town - Brett, his girl friend Georgette, Sue, and Mark - and we went down there to meet them. Hung out at Point Defiance Park and the Tacoma Waterfront. Click on the picture to see more of the day.

It was a beautiful day and I must admit every now and again I miss Tacoma.
















Pumpkins And Halloween - A Few Pics From October













































The Zoo

Met a bunch of co-workers and their kids at the zoo last weekend. A great time was had by all. Unfortunately the camera batteries ran out fairly quick, but I was able to get this one shot.
















Meghan Graduates

Went down to Portland to see Meghan graduate from Culinary School. BTW, she graduated Magna Cumme Laude - great job Meg. Her future destination is a show on the Food Network. In the meantime she is working as a pastry chef at the Fairmont Hotel in Seattle. She occasionally brings some treats over and I can tell you her education sure paid off.






























Matty Is Becoming Quite The Character

The little guy is coming into his own, which is not an easy thing when Rosie is your big sister. Here are a couple great pictures of Matty - or "the dude" as my dad has nicknamed him. As you can see, he was blessed and looks nothing like his daddy.












































Final Note: Democrats Win Big In The Mid-Term Elections.

Tom and Debbie Kennedy are happy - Dave and Katie Donohoue not so much.

I actually did not vote - I forgot to switch my registration when I moved. Feel guilty - this was the first time I did not vote since I turned 18. The only candidate I was really pulling for was / is Dave Reichart - I will feel bad if he loses by 1 vote.

A Busy September

I was in Philadelphia last week working. On Wednesday I was at dinner (more on that later) and one of my friends, Shruti Shah, commented on how I had not updated the blog in a while. That was all the prodding I needed - here is an update.


Our Little Girl Turns Two















Wow - our baby is two years old. A couple weeks ago we had a small party at our house. Click on the picture of the cake (made by my sister, Meghan) to see a few pictures of the festivities that led to the picture below.
















Life Is Always An Adventure

















It is September, so that means another recruiting season begins. I am right in the midst of fall recruiting - returned from Yale and Penn on Friday, get two days at home and then fly to Brown on Monday.

The travel is tough, but there are many perks to my job. One of them is dinner on the road. At Penn we always take our summer interns out to Le Bec Fin - a world famous French restaurant. We hosted this dinner last Wednesday and as always it was incredible.

Speaking of jobs - I just got a new one. I recently accepted a Staffing Lead position on the college recruiting team. In my new position I will broadly support the college recruiting efforts of our Server and Tools business, directly manage our Developer Division account, and manage two recruiters and a few contingent staff members. To say I am excited would be an understatement. The new position is everything I want to be doing at this stage in my career and as soon as I finish transitioning out of my old job I will no longer have to travel.

Carolyn Is Hobbling Around

It is never easy for Carolyn and me to be away from each other - especially with two kids - but it is a little harder this fall. On September 5th I went on my first recruiting trip to Virginia Tech. That night, Matty woke up at about 3am and needed a bottle. Carolyn was walking down the stairs to the kitchen, lost her footing, and ended up breaking her big toe. As if taking care of two kids wasn't hard enough! Despite it all she remains in good spirits - she is quite the woman.


An Update From Brett Phillips

It is a tough time for the soldiers of the Stryker Brigade. Please send Brett a note if you get a chance and be sure to remember all the soldiers in your prayers.

Click Here to read his latest letter

Summer Time Fun In The New House

We are all hitting a rhythm now that we are settled in the new house. Life is a lot easier now that we have more space, a great backyard, and no shared walls. Amazingly, there are some days when the kids actually take a nap at the same time! Click on the picture below to see an updated album - there are some really cute pictures to see.
















Our Worst Fear - Rosie Becomes A CokeHead

Sad News From Brett Phillips

I just received two emails from Brett Phillips - to read them click here. Sadly, his deployment has been extended indefinitely. He is still in Kuwait and is awaiting his new orders. As of yet he has no timeline for his return - the letters explain it all.

This is obviously a tough time for him and his family. As always, please keep them in your prayers.

I would also ask you all to take a couple minutes and send him an email. His email address is brett.m.phillips@us.army.mil. I realize many of you have not met Brett, but I still believe he would apprecitate a note of encouragement.

Brett Phillips Is Coming Home

Brett (on the right) just sent out his final update from Iraq - To read it click here. He will be spending some time in Kuwait and then he is on his way back to the states.

The next picture you will see of Brett will hopefully be him eating ribs at our house in September.

Brett, thank you for your service - you make us all proud.

A Relaxing Weekend At Home

We had a really fun weekend at home. The weather was great, Brett Venn was visiting from Spokane, Mom, Dad, and Meghan came over for dinner on Saturday, Carolyn's parents stopped by on Sunday, as did Gerty and Frank. The best part of it all - we had plenty of room for everyone.


Hot Day + Backyard Pool = Great Pictures













































Brett Venn's Weekend Visit

Brett Venn is interning at a corporate law firm this summer and was in Seattle for a conference. He extended his stay to come to Kent, hang out, and experience the domestic bliss that is two kids under the age of 2. The kids really took to Brett as you can all see from the picture below.

In other Brett Venn related news - his lovely girlfriend, Georgette, recently accepted a job at a Catholic school in Spokane and will be moving to Washington in August.
















My Father's Day Gift

This post is a bit late. Carolyn had the kids' pictures taken for my fathers day gift. Click on the picture of the kids to see the best shots.

We're In Our New House

Here is the view from the front.....















...and here is the backyard.

I would share pictures of the interior, but it is still full of boxes. Those pics are forthcoming.

As you can all imagine, we are all thrilled - especially Rosie who loves running around the "big house" and backyard. Carolyn and I love the all the space - we now have 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a much bigger kitchen, dining room, and living room, and plenty of storage in the house and garage.

We are now residents of Kent, which is about 30 miles from the Microsoft campus. I am taking the bus to and from work - the park and ride is 4 miles from our house. It is actually a nice lifestyle. I get on the 564 or 565 and in an hour I am at my building. During that time I am actually quite productive, usually catching up on work related email.

Life is great - but check back in August when we have to write the first mortgage check :)

A Couple Of Pictures Of The Kids

Why? Because they are cute



































Brett Phillips Is Coming Home In Less Than A Month

After serving our country for a year in Iraq, Brett finally gets to come home. All of his family and friends are thrilled. He sent an update regarding his latest mission a couple weeks back - the letter is here and below is a picture he sent.

Brett will be in Washington in September and we look forward to having him and his lovely wife over for dinner.




















What Do Warren Buffet and Matt Kennedy Have In Common?

They were both hanging out with Bill Gates a couple weeks ago.

Every year Microsoft hosts BBQs at Bill Gates' house for our interns. We have a lot of interns so we normally divide them up and host them on different nights. This year we had four different BBQs. These are pretty big shindigs and many VPs come to mingle with the interns from their respective orgs.

This year I had the privilege of introducing all the VPs and Bill. On the first night, I got to introduce myself to Bill and shake his hand. On all four nights we stood next to each other as I did the introductions and then handed him the microphone. It was a neat experience. Nothing too exciting - basically my job was not to screw up. Nonetheless, not everyone can say they met, shared the stage with, and introduced Bill Gates - at his house.

My Other Blog

I am now an active contributor to our Microsoft Technical Careers Blog. This Blog is part of our marketing campaign and gives me yet another avenue to pontificate. Pretty boring stuff unless you are a software developer looking for a job. But if you are interested, the blog can be found here. Scroll down a bit to see my first post.

One Last Picture Of The Kids

Why? You all know the answer. Thank God they look like their mommy

A New House and Adventures In Sleeping

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Unfortunately I do not have pictures to share at this time....as soon as we get some we will post.

Carolyn and I purchased a house in Kent. It is a newer house (1994) in a nice neighborhood - 2 stories, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a nice backyard. We close on June 26th, take possession June 30th, and plan on moving in completely July 6th.

The commute will not be horrible because there is a park and ride 4 miles from the house. The bus I will catch is an express route that goes across the street from my building at Microsoft. I will be on the bus about two hours each day, but a lot of what I do is email so I can be working while I commute.


Here Is Something We Do Not See Often





























The kids were both sick last week - hence the picture of them both taking a nap.

They are both healthy now, but I caught the cold and have had a horrible time getting well. Our kids are not good sleepers, so we kept getting up at night and I kept getting sicker and sicker.

Last night Matty and I went to my parents. They took care of him for the night and I slept in the guest room. Meanwhile, back at our apartment, Rosie slept through the night for the first time since...well, we can't remember. I woke up feeling great, as did everyone else.
Thanks Mom and Dad!

One More Picture Of The Kids

It Has Been A Long Time Since I Updated

Wow! I have been neglecting the blog. Sorry to those who visit it regularly.
A long post will follow - lots of things to share. But before I begin here is a new gallery of the kids - just click on the picture.















We are in the process of finding and buying a home. Currently our search is focused in the Kent / Renton area. We did put in an offer on a house in Kennydale a couple weeks ago, but obviously did not get it. Keep checking in - hopefully in the next couple weeks I can post pictures of our new home.


A Couple Birthdays

Meghan, my sister, turned 22 on May 22nd.

Carolyn turned 25 on April 22 - here is a picture of her and her cake (which Meghan made)
















Another Update From Brett Phillips















Brett Phillips will be coming home from Iraq in late July / early August. Please keep him in your prayers as he serves these last couple months. He sent another update, which can be found here.


Little Danny Donohoue Gets Married















In March, Carolyn's younger brother Dan married his bride, Hillary. It was a very nice ceremony with over 400 guests (they are popular people). Click on the picture above to see a gallery from the wedding.


A Couple College Buddies Come By For A Visit















It was great to see two of my really good friends from college - Jeff Jones and Debbie Akhbari. The picture is not an optical illusion, he is a really big man (6'8") and she is a really small woman (5' - maybe). We all had some great times in college - though I honestly don't think we remember most of them.

Final thought: If Jeff and Debbie mated, what would the kid look like? Seriously, it would be a genetic crap shoot.

An Update From Brett

Brett Phillips had a little break from the war and was able to go home to Alaska and see his wife. He is back in Mosul now and sent a new update. Read the letter here. Pictures below.

A New Gallery Of The Kids

Looks like it has been a month since I last posted.... sorry about that.

We are all doing great - busy - but great.
Work is returning to its full intensity. I already took a couple trips and the forty hour work weeks I had upon my return are a thing of the past.

Carolyn continues to be the most amazing mom I have ever seen. Her patience with the kids is unbelievable. I don't think I could do her job for one day.

Rosie is definitely a toddler asserting her independence in every way possible. She has a stubborn streak and a hard-headed nature I think she inherited from her Dad. But, when it is all said and done she is still one of the sweetest human beings I have ever met.

Matty is my big little guy. At 10 weeks he weighs 15lbs placing him in the 97th percentile. He is already wearing 6 - 9 month clothes. God took pity on us and gave him a calm easy going personality. If Rosie is my girl, Matty is definitely his mom's son.

That is about it for now.... I will try to keep updating but I make no guarantees.

Click on the picture for a full gallery.

Check Out The Movie

I am not sure if this is going to work, and if it does it will be clumsy. I put together a little moving using various songs and pictures of Rosie. My plan is to do this every year. To see the movie, click on the first frame below.

But first, a couple things:

1. You will need Quicktime - if you don't have it download it here
2. The movie is 10 minutes so it might take a little while to download

A Few New Pictures Of The Kids

Not the best pics, but I thought you all might want to some new ones. I will put up a new album soon....I promise

More News From Brett Phillips

As some of you know, my good friend Brett Phillips is serving in Iraq. I understand the war is a divisive issue, and I can see both points of view, however we must never forget the brave men and women who are serving on the ground. Please keep Brett, his family, and all the other soldiers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

I wanted to share some updates with you all. First, Brett has sent me three letters detailing his day to day situation. You can find the letters here.

I also want to share some pictures. If you click on the picture of Brett it will take you to an album with pictures from some of his missions.

The other picture is actually an American military base in Iraq. It used to be one of Saddam's palaces. Click on it to see more pictures of the base / palace. When I see these pictures I smile - no matter what you think about the war, I am sure we all can agree it is great to see Saddam out of power and in jail.

Tom Deserves Better

Okay....enough is enough. My dad is a great guy and it is time I put a better picture of him up. There is a whole bunch of updates coming, but in the meantime here is my father, Thomas, with his grandson, Matthew Thomas.

Steelers Win; Tom Pays Up

Steelers 21 Seahawks 10















Matty's look says it all - he's sad the Hawks lost, but happy his Dad won the bet.

It's A Super Weekend

Super Bowl Prediction And A Little Wager





I called the Conference Championship games right, let's see how I do on the Super Bowl.

I am not rooting against the Seahawks - it would be down right un-American to root against the home town team - but I predict the Hawks amazing season will come to a close with a loss tomorrow. The Steelers are clicking on all cylinders and look better to me at almost every position except left guard and tackle. When I saw Ben Roethlisberger make that tackle to save the game in Indy, I began to think the Steelers are a team of destiny (I think they do too). Troy Polumalu's ankle is a serious question mark, but it looks like he will be okay.

Steelers 31 Hawks 20

Now my Dad and I disagree on this prediction and have a little wager. Check back Sunday night to see who wins and who has to pay up.

The Georgia's Came Over For Dinner















Collene Georgia and her son Jack (10 months) came over for dinner last night. Rosie was enamored with Jack and would not stop kissing him. At one point, Jack kissed back - her first kiss. Normally, I would not be thrilled with any boy kissing my little girl. But Jack is okay for a few reasons:

1. He is a sweet little boy
2. He is younger
3. Definitely a cute kid
4. Mark my word, he will be the starting middle linebacker for the Huskies - he is one thick kid.

We're All Getting Some Sleep!!!

At Least One Person Visits This Sight

Talked to Brett Venn tonight. We had a good chat, the usual topics - sports, politics, current events, poverty, the free market (which I love, btw), terrorism, etc...someday we might just solve all the world's problems. During the conversation he let me know his mom visits the sight. For all I know she might be the only one. But as anyone who knows me can tell you, as long as I have an audience, albeit a small one, I will keep talking (Hi Mrs. Venn - we hope to see you soon).

Wow! I Love These Kids...















I will apologize now to all my friends and family - I will be bragging about these two until the day I die. These are two special kids. We are all settling in and adjusting to life as a family (mom said before Matty arrived we were two adults with a kid, now we are a family...as usual, I think she is right). Everyone is doing well. Rosie is sleeping through the nights again, Matty is beginning to get his days and nights straight, and Carolyn and I are learning how to function on four to five hours of sleep.

Click On The Picture Of Matty To See A New Gallery



















Rain, Rain, Go Away....

It has been raining - a lot. Gotta be honest, I am really sick of it. Moving to Arizona sounds good right now, but I know by this summer I will once again love Washington. Lots of indoor activities with the kids. Rosie loves to color. She gets more color on the dinner table than the paper, but not a big deal ($100 Ikea table - why buy nice stuff when you have kids?)















Closing Thought: I Think Rosie Likes Elmo

We're All Surviving

Adventures In Sleep Deprivation

Carolyn and I are a little short on sleep - we both have gotten about ten hours total in the last three days. Many people told us we were crazy to have two kids under the age of two. Well, we are beginning to think you were all right. But, we'll trade sleep for our kids.

The Long And Winding Road

I have taken quite a few drives up and down 405 the last few nights. Let's just say Rosie has not been the best sleeper since Matty arrived. She keeps waking up in the middle night and will not go back down. The only way to get her to sleep is to put her in the car seat and drive for 20 minutes or so. The two of us have "gone for a drive" at 1am Monday morning, 3am on Tuesday morning, and 330am this morning. I would of course rather be sleeping, but on the positive side I do think I discovered the only time when there is not traffic on 405.

I Bought Matty A New Hat















Just in time for the last three football games of the NFL season. You can bet the two of us will be watching the games this weekend. My predictions: Steelers over the Broncos, Hawks over the Panthers.

An Update On Matty















He Sleeps, Eats, Cries, Eats, Sleeps, Eats, Poops, Sleeps, Eats, Pees, Cries, Sleeps, Eats, and then Sleeps again

Found This Pretty Powerful

I first came upon this passage reading the DaVinci code and then did some research to verify. Dan Brown writes, "For centuries, the symbol of the Rose had been associated with maps and guiding souls in the proper direction." Though we did not know this when we named her - her name is perfect. Both Carolyn and I feel we were off course before Rosie and she has put us in the proper direction (and made us happier than we could ever imagine).















Yet Another Reason Why I Love Rosie

Rosie is beginning to better understand her bodily functions. She has just now started telling us when she has a dirty diaper and needs to be changed. This morning, she came up to me, pointed to her bum, and said "poo poo, poo poo." I went to pick her up and go change what was a very stinky diaper. However, before I could she ran to Carolyn and yelled "no Dadda, Momma." What a great kid!














Closing Thought: I Think Rosie Has Enough Toys

New Baby Pics To Share

As promised, I have new baby pictures to share. Click on the picture of Matty and Rosie to see the rest. We are all happy, but very tired. I will try to update more in the next couple days.















I also wanted to share a couple pictures of Carolyn and Rosie the day before Matty arrived.

Matthew Thomas Kennedy Has Arrived

Matty was born Friday, January 13th at 5:00am. He weighed 8lbs, 70z and was 20 inches long. He is happy and healthy. Carolyn is also doing very well.

We are so blessed to have two healthy children.

I will post more pictures soon.

Thanks to all for the love and support

Baby Update And News From Brett Phillips

Baby Update



















Well, today is the due date and there is no baby. We saw the doctor and Carolyn will be induced on Friday. By Saturday morning (at the latest) we will have two kids. Pics forthcoming.


News From Brett Phillips

I am going to get a little more serious in this section.
I will be completely honest - I do not know what to think about the War in Iraq. The media is not giving us the whole story and the Bush Administration has never completely leveled with the American people. But here is what I do know: some of America's best and brightest are over there working everyday to give the Iraqi people a better life. One of these brave soldiers is my good friend Brett Phillips.

Brett occasionally sends me updates and pictures from Iraq. I wanted to share his latest letter and pictures with you all. We all need to hold our leaders accountable and engage in a meaningful, rational, debate over our future course of action, but we must never forget the soldiers are making lives better for millions of people.

Click on the picture to see more. Read Brett's update here.

Happy New Year!!!

As to be expected, I have been a little behind on my blogging. This should be a long one...

Baby #2 is due a week from today!

We are all so excited to meet our new little boy and frankly Carolyn is excited to get this kid out of her - she is pretty uncomfortable. I think we are as ready as can be expected, but there are times (usually when Rosie is having a tantrum) when we just look at each other and say "ohmygod, what are we thinking." However, I think this is normal. We had dinner at Mama and Papa Venn's (Brett Venn's parents Mark and Sue) house a few weeks back and they said they feel the same way, even though their kids are 25, 23, and 21. I think they were lying, but it was comforting nonetheless.

Another Wonderful Christmas Season

The Kennedy Family had another wonderful holiday season...busy, but wonderful. Saw Gerty and Frank on the 23rd, Christmas Eve with my parents and sister on 24th, Christmas brunch at Carolyn's parents and a party Christmas night back at my parents. Way too many presents for Rosie, but a kid that cute should be spoiled.















For the second year in a row we sent out Christmas cards containing an update letter and a picture of Rosie. You can find a copy of the letter here and the picture is below. Turned out pretty well, huh? We had to take about 50 pictures to get that one. Click on the good pic, to see some of the ones that did not make the final cut.
















A University of Puget Sound Reunion on the 27th

Brett Venn (future lawyer), Kristina Haley (future doctor), and Debbie Akhbari (future CNN Political Correspondant, of course she's a liberal), came over for dinner on the 27th. It was great to see some old friends and catch up. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share. However, I did recently get a couple pictures of another Puget Sound alum. Cat Rapp (future doctor and Navy officer) recently sent me some of her Navy pictures and I had to share. That is one good looking sailor.


















Rosie Likes Her Pasta

A couple pictures to end with....more updates coming soon including new baby pics.

Hope all is well. As always, feel free to drop us a line at mkennedy_315@microsoft.com or ckennedy621@yahoo.com.

Could My Kid Be Any Cuter?

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich gets a little messy sometimes.











Hello Friends. I have been absolutely lazy when it comes to updating this blog - in fact, I had completely given up on it. However, about a month back Carolyn, Rosie, and I were leaving Bellevue Square when we ran into Carly Nixon. We had not seen Carly in probably five years, so it was great to catch up with her. During the course of our conversation, Carly mentioned she had seen the website -- I didn't think people actually visited it. So, since I guess people come by every once in a while, I will update it.

Below you will find new pictures of Rosie with some updates about our family.




Movie Star in the Making.









In case you have not heard - Carolyn is Pregnant Again!!!!


Carolyn is seven months pregnant with our second child. Our baby boy is set to arrive on January 10th, though he is measuring big so it might be a little early.


Work Has Me Traveling Throughout the Country

I am now working as a College Staffing Consultant (fancy way of saying recruiter) at Microsoft. It is a great job at a great company, but the travel is killing me. All five of my schools, Brown, Penn, Yale, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse are located on the East Coast (Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia, and New York respectively). I have traveled every week since the first week of September, usually flying out on Monday and flying home on Friday. I think we are all tired of the travel at this point, so I am glad I have only two more trips and then I will be done for a few months.





Picture Taken On Her First Birthday.















New Website Forthcoming


The Blog just does not do everything I need it to - I am in the process of building a bigger and better website with more features. This process is going to take a little while, so I probably will not roll it out until early 2006. In the meantime I will keep updating this blog.

That is all for now - I will try to be better about putting pictures up.

MK

Wow! I Have Not Posted In A While

Hi everyone. I am sorry I have not posted in so long. I promise to do a better job in the future.

First things first, I thought I would add some new pictures of Rosie. You know the drill by now, just click on the picture to see a gallery.



I had to go to Boston for a conference last week (yah, I know, tough life). The conference was good, but exploring the city was better. I walked the Freedom Trail twice, took the "T", watched a Red Sox game in a Harvard bar, and enjoyed clam chowder and fresh lobster. I took some pictures to share. Click on my bar to see the gallery. (Disclaimer: I am a horrible photographer and you will see as much).


On the 9th, I was able to get together with Matt Jurgensen and Colin Duffy for a round a golf followed by pizza and beers. We played at Trophy Lake, which is an absolutely beautiful golf course. Matt and Colin battled, but Matt eventually came out ahead - let's just say I was a distant third. We have been good friends for over a decade now and it is always great to hang out (even though I have never beaten either one of them in a round of golf).

On the 20th, Carolyn, Rosie, and I had Brett and Krista Phillips over for dinner. Brett and I have been good friends for quite sometime - we played the same sports and were in the same classes throughout junior high and high school. We fell out of touch for a while, but it was great to see Brett and meet his lovely wife Krista. Brett is currently serving our country in the Army. He is going to Iraq in August and I ask you all keep him in your thoughts and prayers. If you would like to drop him a quick note, email Brett at bravokilo@acsalaska.net.

Well, that is it for now. Feel free to contact us anytime and check back again for updates.

Best,

MK

A Couple Pictures With Papa

Pictures from Carolyn's Birthday

Okay, it has been a while since I posted. I apologize.

For Carolyn's birthday we loaded up the CRV and took a little trip to Mt. Vernon to see the tulips. The tulip season came early so there weren't many fields in bloom. Nonetheless we did get some great pictures including the one below. Click on it to see the more pictures.

Carolyn Has A New Car!

Good Bye ole' Camry. Farewell borrowed Taurus. Carolyn has a new ride.

In what I have cleverly called an early birthday present, we purchased a new car last weekend. We knew we wanted a small SUV and after extensive research the CRV was at the top of our list. It was the first one we test drove and we loved it. We bought it that day. It is a great car and it makes life much easier for Carolyn.

Viva Las Vegas

Carolyn and I met our good friends, Brett Venn and Georgette Savoia, for an extended weekend in Las Vegas. The trip was great, highlighted by the Elton John show. Unfortunately, my picture taking ability left something to be desired. I took plenty of pictures - almost all bad. To see the few that turned out (and I use that phrase liberally), click on the picture of Carolyn at Caesar's Palace.

As Promised - New Pictures of Rosie

First of all, thanks to Brian Soligan for all his help setting up this site.

Here are some new pictures of Rosie (just click on the picture to see the gallery). We cannot believe just how fast she is growing.

An Older Gallery of Rosie

Here are some more pictures of Rosie




click on the picture to see the gallery

This Is Our First Post

Hello friends and family! Carolyn, Rose, and I do not get to see you all nearly as often as we would like, so we have created this website / blog to keep you up to date with our family. We plan to update it frequently (key word is "plan") and we promise to post plenty of pictures of Rosie.