We’re Gonna Celebrate CHD Awareness Week

By wearing one of these bad boys wherever we go

for the week of February 7-14

Did you know…

 

that Princess B

Yes,

THIS Princess B

(Soul Sister on the far Right)

is a CHD Baby?

Well, yes she is.

A member of the very exclusive

“Zipper Club”

as of 2006

Did you know that my sister 

is a  

modern day hero

for surviving with her heart and sanity intact,

after seeing Bryn go through so much,

and still moving forward 

with such unflinching courage.

(Healthy Heart Check in 2009)

CHD stands for 

Congenital Heart Deffect

and

1 in every 100 babies

is born with one.

This one was.

The internet says this

“CHD Awareness - Nearly twice as many children die from Congenital Heart Defects in the United States each year as from all forms of childhood cancers combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for Congenital Heart Defects.”

Holly started a pinterest board with Bryn’s pics and info on it

(I copied her, you can check out mine here)

and made us these ribbons

so we could help raise awareness

and get some research going on. 

She’s worth it

Don’t you think?

 Oh yes, she is.

Also many many thanks and kudos to the amazing people/doctors/staff at Primary Children's Hospital who took such good care of B. She even had a special plastic surgeon to work on her tiny chest so that her scar would be extra small and skinny. There are such good people out there.

Discovery Park with the Family

I love that

Family

in our little World

means so much more 

than just my brothers and sisters.

So when I say that the family went to the park

that means that

Logan

Silas

my sisters sister in law and her kids

Michael (pushing) and Carter (in Blue)

her brother and his kid

My sister

 and her husband 

Brynley Bug

 and kid

Vienna

India

and my sister in law with her two kids

Jovan, Cali and Hayli

Bryan

one of my very bestest friends and her kids

and Ryan 

 and I

 

and our kids went to the park,

 

oh, and one of Caden's friends from school.

Pretty safe to say we DOMINATED the park that day.

The weather was PERFECT and we had TONS of fun.

 Yay for the park in the springtime!

 P.S.- It is a really good thing

I decided not to bring my bow and arrows

or my horse

to the playground

because they are NOT allowed

This sign seriously cracked me up

A glimpse

A really quick glimpse.
Via the iphone,
so don't expect too much okay?


The babies are rockin the big kid tub.
Collin loves it


Keegan is not so sure
and had a death grip on Kenna
almost the entire time


Keegan was not happy that I messed with his hair
(so curly these days)
and then
wanted a picture of his valentines day outfit
instead of snuggling him


Collin was cool with it


and so was Cohen.

Lots of love was in the air this day
we all went to see Gnomeo and Juliet

and true to form
Keegan was a pain in the rear,
(a dang cute pain, but still a pain)
would not be quiet
sit still or stop climbing all over everything.

Collin sat in the stroller enthralled with the movie
and thrilled that Kenna was feeding him popcorn

Grandpa Rick and Grandma Becky
came out for presidents day weekend.
the kids were in heaven
So were we!

Dad and Ryan installed a new kitchen faucet
(the other was bad bad bad- think leaky water hose)


and my neighbor was
tossing this baby out for free


so we snatched it right up
and dad and Ryan hung it up.


Then of course we had the standard presidents day fare
Pizza, Cherry Pie, and Ice Cream
and we watched the American President
since our Dave DVD was missing in action

The following weekend
Ryan had some vacation days he had to use or lose
So of course we decided to use them
and we headed up to Oregon
to visit the Holly Doll, Bryner Bug and Cory
and the rest of our fun family that lives up there.

I had great intentions to take pictures of everything.
didn't happen.
But here's a hodge podge

Our first full day there


I discovered
Craft Warehouse
Love, true love


but our trip through heaven was cut short
when Bryn's school called
and said she had bonked her mouth,
and could Holly come


Understatement of the century.
This is after a major clean up
Girlfriend had fallen against a metal step
Knocked out her two front teeth
(that weren't even a smidge loose)
Loosened the others
sliced and diced her lip up
and ripped her whatever its called
that connects your lip to your gums

Ouch

She was a trooper though
even when I was gagging
watching her try to eat a banana
that ended up slimy and smeared with blood
and watching her suck on the chunk of lip
that was hanging down
(the doctor said they don't stitch mouths, but it was bad, real bad)
I had to turn away every time she would do this

We shopped, we went to goodwill,
we ate donuts

And then we took my sick kids to the doctor
and had to pay lots of cash
up front
for anyone to even look at them
Even thought we have insurance
Grrr...


Collin got his first ear infection
and we hope his last.
He was not a happy camper.


Check out Keegan's
massive green snot
MMMmmm...
and fever red cheeks and ear.
Poor Baby


Kenna too.

Sicky vacations are not as fun
as non sicky vacations
Still fun but...


Keegan was enthralled with Mary's cat
Costello was almost as big as Keegan was
and he sat and stared at him forever


We also stopped to leave flowers at
Mom and Grandma's grave
while we were in Dallas
Caden got out of the car and helped out
even though it was raining


Vacation wiped us out


When we got back
Keegan learned how to climb up here
and MAN was he Proud of Himself
as you can see from the grin

They are almost walking
almost.
Any day now its going to get really crazy.

As if it wasn't before.


This big guy had his 4th Birthday
and he reminds us daily sometimes hourly
of all things he can do now.
Now that he is 4, Now that he is big.
Man, I love him.

even though he has randomly thrown up around midnight
two out of the last three nights
and it has been horrible to clean up
(I will spare you the pictures)
ten million times worse than Keegan's Puke Party.
and then insists in the day that he is not sick and feels fine
and has no other symptoms.


Doing my late night clean up routine last week
I found this guy
posed exactly this way.
I was laughing so hard
I had to hold my breath until I made it out of the room
so I wouldn't wake up the boys
He looks like
he is doing some kind of inappropriate dance move
or something
my favorite
is the bum sticking out and the hand posed just so.
I still laugh looking at it.
Its the little things in mommy hood
You know what I mean?

Last but not least


This is what I looked like
this week
last year.
C-R-A-Z-Y
I remember fervently praying
that I would go into labor on my birthday
Yeah, no dice.
But looking back,
What a cool thing that I got to be a part of
Its not every person that gets to grow two babies
and carry them full term
and be able to deliver them without a c-section.
Miracles happen every day.

30 was a very good year.
A growing year
A blessed year
Very Hard
Very Fun
Very emotionally charged with the good and bad

I am a lucky lucky lucky girl
I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Happy Birthday to me.
Here's to hoping 31 is just as great.

Showin the Love

The only Valentines we got in the mail

were from Grandpa Rick and Grandma Becky


And man, were they a hit.

First,
because they came in the mail.
Second,
because there was a gold dollar attached to each one of them
Third,
Because they were good for one free donut
Fourth,
Because anything from Grandpa Rick and Grandma Becky
is priceless.


We called Holly up
and had her Bring Bryn to meet us
(she got a valentine too!)


And lucky us
The Hot Now Sign was on
when we pulled up



The kids were so enthralled with watching the process
we had to drag them away
to actually get the donuts.


They didn't get it that they got to pick one,
and that they got a hot one for free.

Kenna lost it
because we promised her one with chocolate
and the lady handed her a glazed one as well.

She did NOT WANT the one without chocolate.
I assured her that I would eat the "other one"
and then she was fine
and so was I
oh so was I

Cohen was thrilled with his "geen one"


And Caden was just excited in general

that we went out on a school night

that we got to use our valentines from Grandma and Grandpa

that the valentines included donuts

that we got some extra donuts for breakfast the next day

and that the girls sat at a completely different table
so that he could call his table the man table.

Thank You Grandpa Rick and Grandma Becky
We love to feel loved by you!