Neeley Family Blog

Brad's NAID conference was in Nashville this year.  Remember last year where we got a trip to Disneyland?, this year Nashville. We made arrangements for the kids to stay home and for me to join him again.  I really was in need of this break! You can ask Brad, I was at my wits end just before we left.  I have been super busy organizing a Jog-A-Thon for Brayden's school and getting involved with PTA business, but that will be for another post.  On to Nashville... We arrived Thursday after getting very little sleep the night before.  Those 6 am flights are a killer! Our hotel was crazy amazing!!! It is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel .  Check it out!!! Unreal how big it is and how many things there are to do there! We really did not leave the "bubble" as Brad called it except for twice.  There was fountains, gardens, pools, spa, restaurants, shops, boat ride, convention area, waterfalls, bistro balconies......I could go on. Brad had a big test Friday m...

My sister just got 2 puppies!!! Haha! Yes, not one, but TWO! I think she is crazy! I told her to get ready for twins. ;) They are super cute! I mean, you really cannot resist just loving their little faces.  She got them from a family in Woodburn, Oregon.  They are brothers.  And she was able to bring them home at 8 weeks old.  It then, just so happened to be a time where her and Tony needed to be gone for a couple days for work.  So I got asked to puppy sit.  At the time she asked we still had Tinsley around and I was really unsure.  But after talking with Brad we decided we would make it work and keep them separated from our dogs.  She brought them over Sunday night.  They stayed with us till Wednesday evening.  The kids had fun playing and petting them until they started chasing them! HAHAHAHA! I kept telling the kids not to run with them because they will think they are playing and run after them and try to nip at them.  Wel...

Brad and I spontaneously decided to book a trip and take the kids to Disneyland! We had been talking about doing it later in the year, but flights were too good to pass up so we said, "what the heck!?!" It turned out to be perfect timing.  With just having to say good-bye to Tinsley, craziness at work for Brad, non-stop activities with the kids schools for me, we really could not wait. We made an extended weekend of it.  We left Friday afternoon and came home Monday night. The kids did not give the reaction we were thinking we would get when we told them....   But that soon changed as it got closer and we began talking about what things we would do, see and pack.  We had a Park Hopper ticket so we were able to go back and forth between the two parks.  We stayed in the Disneyland Hotel too for convenience.  Friday night was our first night in California Adventure.  We went straight to Carsland to see everything lit up in Radiator Springs....

We sadly, had to say our good-byes to our first "Neeley baby," Tinsley.  He was 10 1/2 years old.  Brad picked him up in his Mustang when he was just 8 weeks old.  Tinsley has danced at our wedding, moved to every house with us, and welcomed each of our kiddos home from the hospital.  Tinsley was a smart dog.  He was a little too smart I think.  It often got him into trouble.  Brad and I called him curious George.  He always wanted to sniff things, test things, just check them out.  He loved going for rides in our cars.  He would stick his head, nose, tip of the nose....whatever he could out the window.  Tinsley LOVED his food! Treats, scraps, just any food.   It is probably one of the reasons he became diabetic.  We then had to limit his food and could really only give him his prescription dog food, with an occasional treat.  I can still picture him now prancing across the yard with his fluffy whit...

Well, I finally got most of the videos from the boys basketball season uploaded.  So here is just a dump of basketball videos for your viewing pleasure.  Brock is number 4 (shirt number) and Brayden is number 5, incase you need a little help. ;) Enjoy!            

Man, where has the time gone!?! Our littlest kiddo, the baby of the family is now 3 YEARS OLD! THREE people! I feel as though I have blinked and she went from a baby to a toddler. Brylee at three is.... Potty trained (just recently completed that adventure right before her birthday), into all things Hello Kitty, Dora, Disney Princesses or Jake and the Neverland Pirates (a Disney show).  She is still throwing tantrums, but I think they are tapering off now.  There is usually one a day, not handfuls as there was before.  I am still holding out hope we are near the end of them. ;)  Brylee is talking much more these days.  She is saying more complete sentences and really articulates what she is trying to say.  Brylee is still keeping up with her brothers in anything and everything they do.  She has found a new love of the iPad or our iPhones.  Brylee is getting into make-believe.  She makes up stories all the time and uses her toys as props fo...

We ventured out for dinner a few nights ago.  We had a couple errands to do as well and decided we would grab dinner, then run the errands.  The kids always enjoy going out to eat! We decided on California Pizza Kitchen.  Once we were seated and waiting on our meal, the kids started coloring, talking and this.... Yep, she was in rare form that night and just cracking us all up!  Brylee is just a doll face when she wants to be.  :) And Mister Brock was being a ham too!