Happy Halloween!

Or Happy Sugar Rush Day! Seems we've been on a steady diet of Sweet Tarts and Twix bars this week, but it all came to a grand finale this evening when the kids went Trick-or-Treating to the familiar neighbors this evening. Tevin chose to be a race car driver, and Brynlee thought the lady bug outfit was the best (thank God for unseasonably warm temperatures this year or she would have been a lady bug wearing sweat pants!). Here the kids pose outside our house before their big adventure.

Brynlee's Birthday Party

Alas, she's been 2 for over a week, and I have yet to post pictures of our fun gathering on October 19th. How time does fly!

We opted to have Cinnabon Cinnamini's instead of cupcakes or cake. It was a good change from the ordinary!

The kids decided to eat theirs like dogs do!

It seems like only yesterday.... (long but worth the read)

Well, just 2 short years ago, we were a one-kid family. Then, our lives changed forever with the birth (via scheduled c-section) of Brynlee Charisse. I am amazed at how quickly these two years have gone. At the risk of sounding terribly cliche... "It seems like only yesterday..."

I picked my mom up at the airport the morning of October 20th. It was a Friday, and in true Phoenix Fall Fashion, it was to be in the 90s that day. Mom and I went to Target to pick up some last-minute provisions (the candy I would surely need in the hospital). We went back to our condo to play with Tevin. Little did our Big Dude know this was the last time it would be "Just Us".

At 11 a.m., I was admitted to Scottsdale Osborn. After much preparation, I walked down the hall into the OR, waving to what I knew to be my family up until that moment. At 1:19 p.m., Brynlee came screaming into this world. We both got cleaned up and then were able to have that first bonding moment when I looked into her eyes and knew we were meant to be together. She was grunting softly, something I thought was so cute, but it turned out she had fluid stuck in her lungs. Away she went to the NICU, where she spent nearly 48 hours away from me. During the time she was away, she developed a heart murmur. Talk about an eventful first couple of days! A specialist had to be called in on a Sunday to do a sonogram on Brynlee's heart - they wouldn't release her until she was cleared. I watched them do it; the cardiologist documenting verbally every step of the way and stating, "There's the hole..."..... My own heart skipped a beat. I prayed so hard at that moment that God would make my baby okay. I swear on my life that in that very second, I heard the cardiologist say, "Wow, the hole... it's actually closing as we speak... Umm, I've never seen anything quite like that before...." Tears filled my eyes (as they do to this day when I recount the story) and about an hour later, my baby was out of the NICU and snuggled in my arms. Take it as coincidence or take it as Divine Intervention. I thank God every day for the countless blessings he's brought into my life. I thank God today for bringing Brynlee into my life!!! Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Our K-State Girl

Brynlee is a big Wildcat fan (and let me PLEASE clarify that I'm talking about the KANSAS STATE WILDCATS, **NOT** the kind from Tucson)! She gets a lot of K-State gear from her cousins Maverick and Madelynn who's momma, my cousin Holly, went to Kansas State. Here's our future cheerleader!

Funny Farm

The weather in Denver has been so beautiful this week! My dad suggested we take the kids to the Littleton Historical Museum. The museum itself is not much fun for the kids, but if you venture outside you'll find an 1880s-era farm. In addition to the barn, there is a furnished home as well as a schoolhouse that looks like it was time-warped from 1885. My dad said the smell of the house reminds him of his grandparents' home. Seems when we went to the farm yesterday that it was feeding time for the animals. The kids thought they looked funny when they eat!

New Beginnings

Tevin is officially a Preschooler! He was so excited about the day that he could barely stand still long enough for me to take a picturein front of St. Luke's Little School. He was soon off playing with the trucks (who would have guessed?). Brynlee, Hippo, and I headed off to Starbucks to secretly mourn the loss of familiarity. It was strange only having one baby again! We took Hippo because I knew she would be lonely at home. After all, she's been Tevin's lovey for over 2 years. Guess it really shows how much he's grown -- he picked a macho "Car Pillow" over his sweet Hippo Girl! Don't worry Hippo, we'll get through this together....

Labor Day Weekend in Kansas

We hit the road on Thursday in The Hulk for our big late-summer road trip to Kansas. The kids did so well in the car for the 6-hour drive, and Tevin kept his pants dry the entire time! We had lunch with Grandma, Granddad, and Grammy and then played in the backyard. Tevin named all the states for Grammy, and Grandma painted Brynlee's fingernails purple (in honor of the Wildcats!!)

On Saturday morning, Darren and I left the kids with Randy and Sandy and drove up to Manhattan. After stocking up on the "necessities", we got to the parking lot around 2 p.m. for 4 awesome hours of tailgating. We had such a fun time doing what we used to do before the minors came along. :) We did miss the kids, but it was nice having a night to ourselves for once!
On the way back to Dodge City on Sunday morning, we passed several wind farms. This one was in Spearville, KS, about 15 miles northeast of Dodge. I was amazed by the sheer size of these turbines. Research said 328 feet tall and sweeping a full acre of air! Kind of creepy and alien-like, but amazing nonetheless!

Monday morning, we said goodbye to Grandma and Granddad after a great weekend with them. We will see them again in October when they make their Fall Pilgrimage to Phoenix for the winter.