Happy Birthday Ashlee!!

This is the only picture I have on my computer. I will have to do better taking pictures next year. I hope you have a Happy Birthday!

need help

Melissa would like to be able to post pictures on here...but I'm not sure how or who can get her to be an approved user. here is her email address:melkirk81@gmail.com. Please send her an email letting her know how she can post pics. Thanks!
Kendra

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you all have a great Christmas!! Hopefully we can see most of you next week!! Here are a few Christmas picutres of Elias.

Happy Belated Birthday Tyler!!

Sorry Tyler I missed your Birthday!! I hope you had a great Birthday.

Our First Gingerbread House

Caroline had so much fun putting the candy on. She would put a piece on and then clap her hands and laugh.

Ashlee and Marshall worked very hard putting the candy on. We bought a prebuilt house. That was the best way to go.

Here's the finished product!!
The three helpers. They worked so hard.

Caroline

Caroline is so funny. I thought you would enjoy seeing this. She has on Marshall's sunglasses and she is wearing wings.

I wanted you all to see what a handful number three is. She is constantly standing in chairs and climbing on the table. You can see in these pictures she is giving me a dirty look because she knows she's in trouble. Alot of times she climbs up and stands there clapping her hands. She is a mess. It is a good thing God made her so CUTE!!!

Congratulations Keet and Todd!!!

I know you have both spent many hours working towards these accomplishments and we are all very proud of you!!! CONGRATS for.... Keet graduating tonight with his Masters of Divinity from Trinity Seminary....and Todd for graduating with his Masters in Education from Indiana Wesleyan University!

CONGRATS TO YOU BOTH!!!!

Melissa's b-day

Toby and I booted Melissa and Tyler out of the house for her b-day (well...not really booted). We watched Josie...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM-dW_Z1hjU

Babysitting is hard work...lol

Kendra

Happy Birthday Melissa!!

We want to wish Melissa a Happy Birthday!!

great news

Hi,
Just had to share my great news. I'm sure most of you knew that I lost my job in July. They restructered and eliminated my position :( But I got a job a few days ago - finally! I will be working at the Vanderbilt Medical Clinic in the diabetes and pediatric clinic as a front desk clerk (check in/out of patients, etc). I start in about a week so I can fully enjoy this next week and not have to worry looking for a job.

Kendra

New pictures

Hi,
Just thought I would post a few pictures up. Josie is 9 months old now. The picture of Ashlee and Maya is from Thanksgiving.
Kendra

Happy Birthday Carrie!

Let's all wish Carrie a Happy Birthday!

Birthdays & Anniversaries

January

Todd 15

Toby 19

February

G-ma 9

Trisha 15

Steve M. 18

Randy 25

Maya 26

March

Steve R. 2

Josie 2

Waylon and Jesse 12

Mary Ann 17

Elias 19

Heidi 23

Ashlee H. 29

April

Matt and Ashlee 5

Gwen 8

G-pa 12

G-pa and G-ma 14

Kendra 16

Joey 17

Bobby 24

May

Steve and Lisa 3

Dylan 14

Keet 17

Cole 21

Heidi and Tom 23

June

Keet and Hillary 1

Tyler and Melissa 3

Rob 16

Mindy 23

Margie 26

Caroline 28

July

Marshall 7

Todd and Trisha 12

Conner 13

Tami 14

Emilie 30

August

Lisa 3

Matt 10

Mary Ann and Randy 17

Mindy and Bobby 20

September

Tom 20

Dave and Tami 25

November

Dave 5

Toby and Kendra 23

Hillary 24

Steve and Margie 25

Joe 29

December

Carrie 1

Melissa 8

Tyler 18

Ashlee T. 27

Look Who's 50 today!!

Happy Birthday Joe!!!

How does it feel to be 50!?

Ashlee just said she can't count to 50.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. I wish we could see everyone. We are heading to Johnson City today.

I also wanted to wish Hillary a Happy Birthday on Saturday.

Happy Anniversary to Toby and Kendra on Friday.

Happy Anniversary to Steve ans d Margie on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!

Love,
Heidi

Visiting G-ma and G-pa

I took the kids to Indiana at the end of October by myself. It was an interesting and tiring trip. I am glad I did it because I like the kids getting to spend time with G-ma and G-pa. I remember how much fun I use to have with G-ma Marshall. We also visited my other grandparents. I'm sorry I didn't see everyone but I just realized I needed to make my grandparents the focus. The kids did pretty good. It's just hard without Daddy. I found that I am very thankful for Tom and how much he helps me. I made sure to tell him that when we got home.
Grandma and Ashlee swinging. I remember many days swinging with Grandma when I was a kid.
I love this picture of Grandma and Ashlee.
Grandpa and Marshall. Marshall had just drawn a picture for Grandpa.
Caroline giving Grandma some love.
The day we left it was really nice outside. Grandma was blowing bubbles for the kids. They had fun chasing the bubbles.

Funny Faces

I thought I would share these funny pictures of Cole. I was doing a mini photo shoot trying to figure out our new camera and caught some funny moments. Enjoy!

20 things you should know...

Hi,
Well, it has been a long and hard 7 months since our little Waylon and Jesse came and left this world. Toby and I are doing pretty good. Obviously, we have had our ups and downs but the ups are getting a little longer. I have a little saying that I found that I just want to share with everyone. I hope this helps you all as much as it helps me that you know these 20 things. I'm sorry if this makes some of you feel uncomfortable but these 20 things describe how Toby and I feel. It is amazing to me how people don't know how to act. So, I just thought I would get it all out in the open, especially with holidays coming up soon and I'm sure we will be seeing each other.
Take care.
Kendra and Toby

20 Things Parents of Angels Wish People Would Remember

1. I wish you would not be afraid to mention my babies. The truth is just because you never saw my babies doesn't mean they don't deserve your recognition.

2.I wish that if we did talk about my babies and I cried you didn't think it was because you have hurt me by mentioning my babies. The truth is I need to cry and talk about my babies with you.

3. I wish that you could talk about my babies more than once. The truth is if you do, it reassures me that you haven't forgotten them and that you do care and understand.

4. I wish you wouldn't think that I don't want to talk about my babies. The truth is I love my babies and need to talk about them.

5. I wish you could tell me you are sorry my babies died and that you are thinking of me. The truth is that it tells me you care.

6. I wish you wouldn't think what has happened is one big bad memory for me. The truth is the memory of my babies, the love I feel for my babies, the dreams I had and the memories I have created for my babies are all loving memories. Yes there are bad memories too but please understand that it's not all like that.

7. I wish you wouldn't pretend that my babies never existed. The truth is we both know I had twins growing inside me.

8. I wish you wouldn't judge me because I am not acting the way you think I should be. The truth is grief is a very personal thing and we are all different people who deal with things differently.

9. I wish you wouldn't think if I have a good day I'm "over it" or if I have a bad day I am being unreasonable because you think I should be over it. The truth is there is no "normal" way for me to act.

10. I wish you wouldn't stay away from me. The truth is losing my babies doesn't mean I'm contagious. By staying away you make me feel isolated, confused and like it is my fault.

11. I wish you wouldn't expect my grief to be "over and done with" in a few weeks, months, or years for that matter. The truth is it may get easier with time but I will never be "over" this.

12. I wish you wouldn't think that my babies weren't really babies and they were just blood and tissue or a fetus. The truth is my babies had a life. My babies had a soul, heart, body, legs, arms and a face. I have seen my baby's body and face. My babies were a real person - and they were alive.

13. My babies due date, Mothers Day, celebration times, the day my babie were born and the day I lost them are all important and sad days for me. The truth is I wish you could tell me by words or by letter you are thinking of me on these days.

14. I wish you understood that losing my babies has changed me. The truth is I am not the same person I was before and will never be that person again. If you keep waiting for me to get back to ""normal" you will stay frustrated. I am a new person with new thoughts, dreams, beliefs, and values. Please try to get to know the real me-maybe you'll still like me.

15. I wish you wouldn't tell me I could have another baby. The truth is I want the babies I lost and no other baby can replace them. Babies aren't interchangeable.

16. I wish you wouldn't feel awkward or uncomfortable talking about my babies or being near me. When you do, I can see it. The truth is it's not fair to make me feel uncomfortable just because you are.

17. I wish you wouldn't think that you'll keep away because all my friends and family will be there for me. The truth is, everyone thinks the same thing and I am often left with no one.

18. I wish you would understand that being around pregnant women is uncomfortable for me. The truth is I feel jealous.

19. I wish you wouldn't say that it's natures way of telling me something was wrong with my babies. The truth is my babies were perfect no matter what you think nature is saying.

20. I wish you would understand what you are really saying when you say "next time things will be okay". The truth is how do you know? What will you say if it happens to me again?

Four Generations of Reddens

Keet, Cole and I went to Indy this weekend and got a photo of the four Redden generations. Trisha and I had fun taking pictures of Cole and Elias together - so we totally understand you Heidi!

Us posing Cole and Elias.

I thought this one was funny. Elias was teething when we were together Thursday and he wasn't too happy some of the time and Cole is studying him here in this picture thinking, "It's all right Elias, you don't have to cry."

Hi y'all

Below are some current pictures of Josie. She is now 7 months old. Toby and I just finished a huge project...our backyard patio. It looks great and I'm proud to say that Toby and I did it all. Hope everyone is doing well.

Kendra & Toby

Josie

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Josie's first guitar lesson

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Josie @ 6 months old

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Josie & Uncle Toby

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Our patio we finally finished.

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Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch this morning. We go to the same one every year. We get to take a hayride to pick the pumpkins. The kids think it is alot of fun. Of course I took alot of pictures. Here are a few.

Hilton Head

This is my favorite picture. My poor kids have to deal with me taking pictures all of the time. I just think it is so fun.

Caroline loved running on the beach. She also had fun in the water. She is so funny.
They played in the sand alot. Caroline was always covered from head to toe.

We went to Hilton Head in September. We had a great time. I have been slow about putting things on the blog. I am going to catch up today. I would love to see pictures of everyone else too.