In awe

As I have mentioned in a previous blog, the bible study I am in is teaching me a lot. During a lesson today, I came across this sentence: "Perhaps the most grateful response we could ever offer God for our restoration is to help another be restored." I love this!

I am going through a season of life right now where I know I will come out stronger on the other side.
There are times when I get overwhelmed by it all and frustrated and not so compliant for God's Will in my life. However, through the sentence above, I felt that God was speaking directly to me. It's as if He is saying, "I know you've been struggling and I understand and am always here, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And, when I help you reach that light, I don't want you to sit and do nothing. I want you to use what I've pulled you through and help pull others through for me. To be a light for me."

I'm just in awe of the God I serve. That even through our trials and tribulations, that He can speak so directly to our hearts that there is NO denying it. That He knows where our hearts are, He knows the plans He has for us, and He knows that when we come to Him and trust solely in Him, He can finally reveal His plan for us.

I'm just in awe...

A Special Weekend

This past weekend, I got to experience something quite amazing. My father-in-law is a Vietnam vet. He hasn't really kept in touch with those that he served with, and while I've seen the photos of him over in war, I haven't heard all the "war stories," which I think could be interesting. Every year, the men he served with get together for a reunion and this year my in-laws had plans of going, but plans changed and they didn't make it to the reunion. I was kind of sad that they weren't going to be able to go because I thought it would be a great time and besides they never get away, and I thought this would be a good opportunity for that. So I was surprised and excited for my father-in-law when we found out three of the men he served with were planning a trip to come see him!

Three men - Alan, Tommy and Terry - arrived at my in-law's house on Friday afternoon. Two of them live in Texas and the other in Iowa. The whole weekend was spent talking, reminiscing and sharing life together for those few days. My family and I went over on Saturday to meet them and talk with them. My brother-in-law was there too and this was fun because it was like the old vets meeting the newer vet since my brother-in-law just got back from a tour in Iraq in February. They had a lot in common and a lot they could talk about that only military men would understand. These men were so friendly. Sometimes the conversations would have you in stitches and sometimes it would have you in tears. The things these men remembered including my father-in-law amazed me.

I was really bummed when I learned from Kevin on the ride home that I missed the battle story where all four men walked through the day my father-in-law got shot because I was putting the girls (my two and my niece) down for their naps. I have always wanted to hear that story, but never asked because it feels like such a sensitive subject. Kevin told me that everyone was teary-eyed as the story went on. He said the group got ambushed immediately after leaving the helicopter behind. The men on the front line ended up fighting with their hands, knives and the bottom parts of their guns rather than through gunfire because they were simply too close to the enemy. One man on the front line survived, Terry. Kevin said all the men said his dad was way too modest because he really was a true hero that day saving lots of men's lives. There were a lot of men that pretended to be dead so they would make it out alive.

Kevin's dad was never supposed to make it out alive. He wasn't supposed to live. Ahh, I can't wrap my mind around this because my life would be so changed. One of the men said that we should all consider my father-in-law a hero to which my brother-in-law said he always considered his father his hero. Ahh, heartwrenching. I know that Kevin feels the same way. My father-in-law is an amazing man who has been through a lot, who is very down-to-earth, has a very hands-on approach to life and who would do anything for his family. And, I love that these men came to visit him. As Kevin said they did it for him, but they also did it for themselves. I was so glad that I got to be a part of such a special weekend.

Alan, Dan (my father-in-law), Tommy & Terry

New Design

I know it's been a long time since I've blogged. And, really I do have good excuses. Brooklyn & Tierney. These two girls have been keeping me hopping along with some other exciting life changing things. We've been thoroughly enjoying our summer together. But, I've missed my blog and missed journaling our life. So, when one of my closest friends Jenn started her blog designing business and offered to design a blog for me, I couldn't resist. Here is my new design. Thank you Jenn! I love it! And, I can't wait to start journaling again.

My sweet baby

My baby is growing up, a little too fast for me though. She's now six months old - half a year old. At her doctor's appointment last week, she weighed in at 15 pounds, 10 ounces (25th percentile) and is 26 inces tall (95th percentile). She's quite a good size baby. She's already wearing a few 12 month outifts, which to me is crazy because as I pull those outfits out, I remember Brooklyn getting them at her first birthday party. And, she's already wearing a size two shoe, which once again Brooklyn wore at age one, but Brooklyn does have small feet.Kevin and I have decided that Tierney will be even more mischevious than her sister is or was simply because she watches everything her sister does and we can tell she's taking notes. The other night as Brooklyn was running back and forth from our living room into the kitchen, Tierney who was playing in the living room started screaming and crying as Brooklyn ran past her. When Brooklyn would stop, so would Tierney. She has an amazing grip and go-go-gadget arms that fly in every direction to grab the thing she wants, and she most always gets it. She sits up pretty well, but loves being on her tummy so much, she'd rather do that. And, even though, babies don't typically crawl until they're nine months, she has got the army crawl, scoot across the floor thing down pretty good. On her tummy, she can turn in a complete circle just for fun, or she'll roll across the floor to get what she wants. She isn't quite strong enough to hold up her body and actually crawl, but I have decided that it's okay, because once she's mobile, oh how things will change! She's been eating solid foods for about two months, and I really haven't found anything she doesn't like. She'll eat it all. So very, very different from Brooklyn, my non-sweet eater. The only challenge we have with Tierney is she really isn't interested in sleep, day or night. I think there's too much going on and too much she feels she might miss out on if she sleeps. But, give the girl a nice warm bubble bath and a massage with lotion, and she will sleep a little longer than normal. We have a few other techniques we've been using to help her fall asleep and stay asleep longer. And, while the nighttime awakenings can be very tiresome, she always puts on a pretty smile and cuddles, so it's all okay.

And, since I get to stay home with my girlies, I get to watch how they play, love on and irritate each other on a regular basis and I can say nothing is sweeter. Brooklyn really loves being a big sister, I think now more than when Tierney was first born, simply because Tierney is a bit more mobile and actually able to play a bit instead of just lay there. And, Tierney is the sweet little sister whose eyes light up when she sees her sister walk into the room or when she pays attention to her. They're going to be the best of friends, I can already tell.

I was always worried before Tierney was born that I wouldn't be able to love another child with the intensity and passion that I love Brooklyn with, but I was wrong, I can. Your heart just grows as my mom told me and it's so true. My life wasn't complete without my sweet baby Tierney, just as it wasn't without Brooklyn or Kevin in my life. I feel so very, very blessed for my family and love the chance to get to be a part of my girl's everyday, every moment life.

Why go to church?

If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!

Why Go To Church?
A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

"When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"

I realize I haven't blogged recently,

but I have a really good excuse,

okay two really good excuses... So, who can blame me?

Happy Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful for this year and every year. I have a beautiful family, an amazing husband, two beautiful precious little girls, a loving mom and dad, loving in-laws, a loving sister, two caring grandmas, wonderful girlfriends and friends, a brother-in-law protecting my right as an American by serving in Iraq, a sweet dog and a roof over my head .. I could go on forever.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

A trip to the grocery store

Brooklyn has found a new catch phrase that she throws in from time to time when she's surprised by something, and even though we don't really want her saying it, I am going to borrow her phrase: "Holy Crap!" I'm saying this in response to the amount of money that we saved at the grocery store this afternoon.

Our neighborhood King Soopers had a grand reopening today. They sent out a 10% off coupon to either everyone with a King Soopers card who shopped at the store, or most likely to the residents within a certain mile vicinity of the store. We got that coupon in the mail last Thursday, and I called Kevin and work all excited and told him our weekly grocery shopping trip would wait until today. So, Kevin worked a half day today because he covered the election last night at work, and when he came home we ran a few errands with the last one being to the grocery store. As we drove up, we knew that we were not the only ones with this wonderful idea. The parking lot was so full it quickly reminded me of the mall parking lot around Christmas time. Cars were going up and down aisles, circling around trying to find a spot. We found our spot and joined the other hundreds of shoppers eager to explore the new store, sample the food and drinks that the staff was providing and to get a deal on their groceries, just like us.

It really was a mob scene at the free sample stands. I couldn't help but notice these two girls, who I assumed were sisters jumping from one sample stand to the next one. I also noticed or rather bumped into who I think was their grandmother at the sushi sample stand. There was two pieces of sushi left to sample and there was her and I, so you'd rationally think that there was one for me and one for her. Nope. She looked at me and then at the samples which the two girls had just almost cleared out and said I suppose you want one too. I said yes, but if she was wanting both, it was fine. She grabbed her one very quickly and told me to have the other, which I did and gave it to Brooklyn to try as she didn't miss a beat with interest in having the free samples. As we wandered further into the store, I noticed the two girls were moving very fastly from stand to stand several times devouring all the free samples. So, my thought was the grandmother figure that brought them there clearly was using this grocery shopping experience as the girls after school snack. I just felt sorry for the other people that the girls were running over in their pursuit of a free snack.

Then just a few minutes later, over the intercom, we hear that everyone needs to check their grocery carts to make sure that the cart they're pushing has their groceries in it and not someone else's. I just kind of chuckled to myself and looked at Kevin. He said that there was a man who lost his cart, and was looking for it. After the announcement, Kevin said he saw the man going up and down aisles and when he came down the one we were in, he looked in our cart to make sure the food in there was not his. Okay, first off, how sad and lazy that someone took another person's cart, but then you start to wonder why doesn't the guy just start his shopping over. I realize that yes it would be frustrating and probably a pain in the butt to have to start your shopping again, but I guess as long as you didn't pay for anything, have a kid or your wallet in the cart, it can be done and it will all be okay. The guy did end up having to grab a new cart and start all over, but he didn't look too happy about it. I guess the lesson here is hold on to your cart, you never know who you're grocery shopping with.

When we finally made our way to the checkout lanes, I got to say hi to the very friendly cashier that I always try to go to when I go to the grocery store. She was on the 15 items and under lane, so that didn't work but I did get to say hi and show Tierney to her. We talked a lot when I was pregnant and she asked about my baby before I even had a chance to show Tierney to her. As the checkout lady was scanning our groceries with Brooklyn's help of handing groceries to her, she asked if I had my King Soopers card. I said I did but wanted to wait until the end to put the number in. After the final item was entered, I put in the phone number for the Soopers card, and watched as the amount that was due dropped further and further down. And, then I handed my coupons to her (the 10% off coupon amongst them), and watched the amount drop even more. Kevin got to see it too, and let me tell you that yes, I may be a dork, but watching the amount drop so fast and at the end of the order before you have to pay just makes my day. And, how much did we save you might be asking? Well, we saved 38% of our entire order which came out to $64. That made my day, and it made this grocery shopping experience so memorable that I had to share it here!!

Tierney's Baptism

This day marks a very special day for our family, and a very special day in particular for Tierney as she was baptized. As our pastor told us before the baptism, there are three times a child is born. The first upon conception, the second upon birth and the third on the day of their baptism. The pastor encouraged us and Tierney's godparents to remember this day for Tierney each year and celebrate it as her spiritual birthday. We've done this with Brooklyn's baptismal birthday and we plan to do the same with Tierney. We praise the Lord for our baby girl and promise to raise her in His word and by the example we set.

"Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." -Matthew 28:19

A photo to commemorate the day with our family
and Tierney's godparents (Todd & Jessica) and their kids.

Happy Birthday Daddy & Tierney!

Today is a special day in our household. It's Kevin's 29th birthday and Tierney's 1 week old birthday ... both October babies! We've had a great day. Kevin got to indulge in some of his favorite foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and well Tierney, she's a breastfeeding champion. Not only do Daddy and Tierney share October as their birth month, they also share the same hairline and the same fingers and toes. It's always fun to see who your children look like, or better yet, which features they have of each parent or in our case of our other child. She definitely has Brooklyn's little nose! We're ending the night with some great family time, and we're really enjoying being a family of four - it's just the best!! And, as per my sister-in-law's request, here are some more photos of Tierney enjoying her first week of life.

----

Tierney - 6 days old

Sisters & Best Friends

Mommy & her girls
Flying baby
Our dancing baby

At home

We got home Thursday night from the hospital, and we're loving being a family of four. It definitely has its challenges, or rather things that we're learning, but overall, we are all having a wonderful time being together and enjoying our precious little baby Tierney. Brooklyn is as we thought she would be, a terrific big sister. She loves holding, loving and playing with her baby sister. She loves her sister so much that we've had to remind her that babies are very tender and very fragile and that being careful is so important. Kevin and I are enjoying our two precious daughters and are amazed that God entrusted us with their care. Enjoy the new photos.

One day old

Sisterly love

From the mouth of babes

As we headed back toward home after my 34-week check-up today, Brooklyn and I were talking about what the rest of the day would hold for us. As we talked about how fun it's going to be to spend part of our evening blowing bubbles after dinner, I looked in my rearview mirror to find a little girl that looked like she was just about to go to sleep any minute. We kept talking, and when I told her that I had to make a quick trip to the grocery store to pick up not only a few things for dinner, but also a few things that we needed in order to make the muffins that she had picked out, she started breathing harder. She told me she needed to talk to me. She said, "Mommy, I really think I need a nap. I am tired. We will go home, read books, have milk and take a nap. You're exhausted too." When I told her that I promise that the grocery store trip would be short and then we'd go home and nestle her in her bed for an afternoon nap, she started over with the same thing. She said it a few more times. When I made the right hand turn instead of going straight which would have led us to our garage, she started crying a little telling me that we had already talked about it (twice) and that she didn't want to do anything but take a nap. When we arrived at the grocery store, she immediately turned her attention to looking for beetle bug cars, a favorite car hobby of hers. By the time we ran into the store, picked up our items, and were in the checkout, I was holding her and she was laying her head on my shoulder. As we neared the checkout lady, she noticed a few magazines behind me. She looked up from my shoulder with this huge grin and said, "look Mommy, it's Nastia Liukin." I turned around and did see the same magazine cover and asked her if she would like to have this magazine since she was so brave and such a good girl for doing something that she really didn't want to do in the first place. She got an even bigger smile as I placed the maagazine into the cart. As I was buckling her safe in her carseat I thanked her for being patient with me as I had to run that quick errand. I told her that now we could go home and take that long awaited and desired nap. She looked up at me and said, "You're the best Mommy." Sometimes it really is the smallest things in life that remind you how blessed you are and how much you have. I really feel lucky.

Simply in awe..

I feel blessed beyond belief, overwhelmed with love, respect and admiration for my wonderful husband. My husband, without one selfish thought, took on an undesirable task, something that he really didn't want to do, but did it nevertheless. He did because it needed done. It wasn't glamorous, fun, or anything to boast about. Now that he's nearing the completion of it, I look back at the effort and responsibility he took upon himself, and I find myself in awe. In awe of this amazing man that I married. In awe because he never requested a thank you, he never played the martyr and he never expected anything from me in return. I'm proud to be his wife and I'm proud that he's the father of my children. He's just simply amazing, and I don't know if I say it enough.

For My Baby Girl

Tiny movements like tiny kicks
Tiny baby, a mother’s bliss
Can’t wait to give the tiny you
Huge hugs and lots of kisses too

What tiny dreams you might have now
I would understand someday, somehow
I dreamed last night, your tiny face
An angel indeed, made from God’s sweet embrace

How else would mommy know
How much her tiny little angel has grown
How else would mommy guess
If her little angel has some requests

I know that somehow you could now hear
Oh, what a thrill you will bring us here!!
Now hush my baby, it’s time to rest
Inside my womb, your own calm nest

My Girls

I don't say it enough, but I really have the World's BEST Daughter! I really do. The kind of girl that melts your heart by wanting to hold you when you're feeling down or tired and tells you "just put your head on my heart Mommy, I'll make it better." The kind of girl that wants to be just like you so much that she'll imitate your every move. The kind of girl that makes you laugh because there's no other response you can give when she throws you for a loop by saying "taking away my toys Mommy isn't going to work." The kind of girl that can be all girly with Mommy but then turn around and two seconds later be wrestling or using tools with Daddy. The kind of girl that can be super shy around everyone but with Mommy and Daddy she lets loose to dance, sing or share one of her funny faces.

How did I ever get to be this lucky to have such an amazing person to care for and raise? How did I get chosen to be her mother? I don't have the answers, but I tell you what, I'm in awe and full of gratitude every day for the chance to spend time with her. She has truly made me a complete person and has shown me how to live life to the fullest and how to have fun every single day, every single moment. And, I thought I was supposed to be the one doing all the teaching!

As the birth of our second girl is right around the corner, I often ponder what she'll be like. Will she be like her sister? What will she be interested in? And, the thought that has crossed my mind several times, will I ever be able to love her as much as I love her big sister, and will we share the same kind of bond? I don't know who she'll look like or what her interests will be, but I know that like her big sister, she will be mine and I have already fallen in love with her. I can't wait to meet and greet her into our family. And, heaven knows, she's going to have one amazing big sister. Oh, I can't imagine how my heart will grow when she is born, but I know it will. I will get to be a mommy to two little precious girls! I just feel so blessed.

Growing Up

I remember my first blog post. Brooklyn was two days shy of turning 5 months old. I reminisced and was in awe over how she was growing up and changing so fast and right before my eyes. It's always something that veteran parents warn you about, but it's not until you actually become a parent that you understand the full meaning of what they are saying. You really, really have to be careful not to take for granted your children growing up, because it happens so fast and in my case, without my even realizing it at times.

At the beginning of June, we started something new, but something that we wanted to tackle before the baby is born. Kevin and I had talked in great length about it and when the right time was to start, and we figured it would take a good amount of time to be set in place. It's okay to admit we were wrong. After only 10 days, Brooklyn was officially potty trained, and wearing her Little Mermaid panties. Of course, we're still in the process of doing a complete and total potty training, because she is still wearing, but not wetting a diaper during her nap, and then again overnight. We are charting her process through her Potty Chart which was an idea that we stole from my parents as the chart idea was something they did to encourage me to do chores when I was growing up. At the end of the week, she gets a special surprise to reward her for being a big girl! She's very aware of when she feels the need to go and will tell us whether we are home or in public. It's wonderful. And, it does give Mommy and Daddy a nice break of changing diapers before the baby is born. We couldn't be more proud of her.

Brooklyn has always been interested in music, from a very young age. She has staked her claim of favorite songs and bands over her two and a half years, and most recently her favorite is Maroon 5's Makes Me Wonder. Kevin and I have become a bit tired of the song as she requests we play it over and over again on the iPod. She loves to jump and dance to the music and tries out all kinds of new moves. She is quite the dancer. So, I guess this next part comes because she enjoys music so much, but she has really, really taken to singing. She sings songs all the time. They are not necessarily ones that we taught her, as she has really taken to making up her own songs, but whatever the lyrics, she's always singing or humming. She sometimes sings herself to sleep at night. She sings while we are driving in the car, usually along with the radio. She sings while she is showering or getting a bath. She really sings a lot. It's very sweet, and she has such a sweet singing voice, something she obviously didn't inherit from her parents.

On Tuesday, her and I went on a date to a late breakfast, shopping and a movie. It's amazing how she can carry and lead a conversation the whole time. While we were eating breakfast, I just looked at her and realized, holy cow, I really don't have a baby anymore, just look at her! She's just so much fun to be around and it's incredible to think that she's my little girl, my precious daughter. And, to watch her grow up is something both Kevin and I delight in. We loved holding her on our chests as a baby, but every milestone or new thing she learns, we're right there with her celebrating and encouraging it. We so blessed to be her parents and start every day with her, trying to capture every moment, because she really is growing up so fast!

A special day

Today is a very important day of remembrance and praise in our household. Two years ago today, we (Kevin and I) dedicated our little Brooklyn to the Lord. We stood before our church congregation and our families and vowed to continuously praying for Brooklyn, instructing her in the way of the Lord, setting a godly example, and disciplining her as the Lord would discipline us.

But, it's important to point out that even though today is Brooklyn's baptismal birthday and tonight we will relight her baptism candle, baptism isn't something that just happens once and then is forgotten. Jesus certainly didn’t see baptism as the end, but as an entrance to a way of life. Baptism is how we live our life in Christ. We daily ask for and receive forgiveness of sins. We put down our guilt and shame at the foot of the cross and use our precious life energy to serve God’s family, to continue to learn about the God, to help God’s kingdom come here and now. How can we help our children say “I’m sorry” to God, to know they are forgiven and called to forgive others? Model saying “I’m sorry” to your child, your spouse, your friend, and to God in prayer. It will be contagious. In shared prayer, invite children to ask for God’s forgiveness and for a heart willing to forgive others. Remind your children daily that the Holy Spirit lives in them as the way Jesus is with them always.

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

The Results are in...

Our ultrasound on Monday indicated we'd be having a...

But, it's not 100 percent as the little man won't totally cooperate with us. No girl parts were seen though. So, we're preparing to welcome our little man to the family! We're all very excited, including my dad who has waited this long to have a boy in the family!!
---
And, on another note, if you get a chance, read Kevin's blog today. I just loved it. It gives you something to think about.

We're having FUN!

Lately, our life has been a whirlwind of fun activities with the promise of more fun to come!

We got to go to the Rockies home opener on April 4th, and even though our team didn't walk away with a win, we had just the best time. Kevin and I have never been to opening day, and the buzz on and off the field was amazing. The weather was perfect. Our seats were perfect. Brooklyn even had a great time - her highlight: getting to see and hug (over and over again) Dinger in the third inning.

April 5th was our 5th wedding anniversary. We spent the morning (almost three hours) at an amazing swimming pool. Not only did the pool have a kiddie section, but also a kiddie butterfly slide, a waterworks area where water dumps all over you, water fountains, a lazy river, two fun two-story water slides, a family/kid hot tub and an adult hot tub. The best part was all the different sections of the pool connect so you didn't have to get out to go to another part. Brooklyn complete with her water wings, swam all on her own even in the lazy river. She became very comfortable at the pool and would head up the butterfly slide stairs by herself and then slide down and go again and again. She loved the larger slides too. Of course, Kevin and I went with her, but even we had fun on them.

After leaving the pool, we headed home for naps and showers, and then began the second part of our day - fondue time. Kevin and I love fondue and have been wanting to introduce it to Brooklyn for a long time now. We figured our anniversary would be perfect and we could take our time with it. We didn't go to a fondue restaurant, we stayed home and made our own fondue. We started with a cheddar cheese fondue dipping bread chunks and apples. Our next course, was the meat and veggie fondue. We choose to cook chicken, steak, mushrooms, squash and zucchini in the hot oil and had six different dipping sauces to accompany them. Our last course, was s'mores chocolate fondue dipping strawberries, bananas, marshmallows and angel food cake. We had to take breaks in between each course, but we all enjoyed all of them so much. Brooklyn got a real kick out of dipping into the cheese and chocolate and she loved all the sauces we had for the meat and veggie one. We watched one of her favorite movies "Enchanted" while we dipped and ate. After rolling or rather putting her into bed, Kevin and I enjoyed some alcohol-free white zinfandel while we finished watching the Rockies game on TV. It was just one of those perfect days from start to finish.

Sunday, Kevin and his friend went to the Rockies game. They had a good time, even though the team didn't win again. Brooklyn and I met Kendall (our niece) and my mother-in-law at the zoo. We spent nearly three hours walking around looking at the animals. The cutest part was when the girls held hands when they were being pushed side by side in their strollers and when they were walking hand in hand to see the next exhibit. Kendall wanted to give Brooklyn hugs and kisses all the time, but Brooklyn didn't really want a part in that. If you know Brooklyn, you know she's usually the first to put her arms around another kid, try and pick them up, caress their cheek with her hand, give them unsolicited kisses. The difference on Sunday, Kendall is a year older and Brooklyn likes to be the older kid smothering the younger kid and doesn't like it when the tables are turned. But, the times that they did hold hands or give each other a hug, it was very sweet. And, they loved watching the duckies in the pond together.

Monday brought the Pop Goes The Wiggles concert. Brooklyn and my grandma are avid watchers of The Wiggles and when news that they were coming to town broke, my grandma was all over it. She bought tickets for us to go with them to the concert. They put on a very good show, and even threw in some humor for the adults from time to time. They don't take themselves very seriously and I think that's what makes the show so good and entertaining. Brooklyn had a great time jumping and dancing to all her favorite songs. Brooklyn loved it when Jeff came out on stage and Wags the Dog too.

It was sad to say goodbye to this fun, event-filled weekend because we were looking forward to it for months. But, we do have quite a few things to look forward to in the months ahead.
• My parents are renewing the wedding vows on their 30th anniversary later this month and my sister and I are planning everything but the ceremony. We're having fun getting things together. I can't say much about it though because I don't want to spoil the surprise for them as they read my blog.
• We're going to Estes Park over Memorial Day for a wedding.
• We're going to Glenwood Springs in June for our last getaway vacation just the three of us.
• And, of course, preparing for our new bundle of joy to arrive later this year!

Isn't it time for a change?

Today marks the first day of Spring. Yea! Spring means warmer weather, rain showers, blooming flowers, grass turning green .. everything just springs back to life. The air feels fresher, the sun feels warmer and the days are longer.

Spring also brings a sense of renewal. And, a time for reflection. And, even a time to start things anew or change your way of thinking.

My family had quite a scare last night. My dad called me soon after I got home from work, as I was preparing dinner, to let me know my mom was in the hospital's ER and had been taken there from her job via ambulance. She was experiencing sharp, stabbing chest pains, on the left side, leading her to believe she was having a heart attack. When my dad called me, he didn't know anymore than that and that the doctors had done some testing (EKG, blood work, etc.) and that they were giving her nitro-glycerin (which would help her if she was indeed having a heart attack). After questioning him, searching for answers, I was on my way down to the hospital. On my way, I called family and close family friends to ask for prayers for my mom. My sister and I arrived at the same time, and walked in together, and embraced our mom with hugs the minute we saw her.

After waiting and waiting and waiting, I finally got her nurse to tell me what was going on since the test results were back - everything was negative meaning no heart attack. A couple hours later, a ER doctor stepped into the room to go into further detail. He said that with the test results coming back negative, chances are that it wasn't a heart attack, but indicated that those tests are 100 percent, and they'd need to do another round in six hours. He suggested admitting her overnight for observation and a possible stress test in the morning. He also said there was a 2-5 percent chance that this was a heart attack, or heart related, so he couldn't rule that out completely, just yet.

A couple hours later, all of us, but my dad who stayed with her, said our goodbyes to let her get some rest with a request if anything changes to call. As I crawled into bed last night, I was so worried about my mom, even though the doctor said chances are everything is fine. When I awoke this morning, I called for an update. The second round of test results showed negative again, and a couple hours later the doctor told my mom that her heart is healthy. And, that the pain she was having was most likely a combination of extreme stress related to her job and a major flare up of her fibromylagia. The doctor would like her to follow up with her doctor in the next couple months to get a stress test done.

My mom is now in the comfort of her home, and no longer on the ER gurney. Her doctor gave her a note saying she wasn't allowed to go to work today, even though that was her first thought - to go into work this afternoon. And, tomorrow, going to work is up to my mom and how she feels. My hope is she stays home, and has a nice long weekend to rest and not have to face the stress of her job again so soon allowing her body to heal and calm down some.

I need my mom around. My world just wouldn't function without her. My family wouldn't function without her. My mom is the kind of person to take on every task no matter what it is and fulfill it 4000 percent. She's really loving, gentle, caring, friendly, strong, sensitive, a giver not a taker ... just simply a wonderful woman inside and out. But, she doesn't always take care of herself, and I am praying very hard that with this experience, she will try something new and start taking care of herself. Because, like I said, I need her around, heck, everyone that knows my mom needs her around and not just for what she does for each and every one of us, but simply for who she is. Our world is so much better because we know her and have her in our lives, and because she loves us.