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2010-07-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

sunday family stroll

these photos were snapped before our 3 week getaway to michigan. we're residing in a little white house on the college campus right now. just a few steps up the street lies a beautiful little creek decorated with beautiful white ducks. for many days we would take our stale bread and feed it to the sweet duck clan. there were three of them. the area is protected and taken care of by the national forest association. after a few weeks of getting to know the ducks, we realized one day that instead of there being three ducks there, there were only two. sad in my mind, not even close to sad in the boys mind. they were sure the third duck was off with his friends playing and enjoying each new day. after a few weeks went by, the third duck still hadn't made an appearance. in my mind, each time we get there i become a little sad. i'm quite certain that duck is dead. i mean, where the heck else could he be? those were his friends and we came to feed them. the beautiful thing about this story... the boys never ask. they're minds have been made up. the third duck has gone on to do different things. oh, what i'd give to have a childlike mindset. so Innocent and sweet. i'm trying to remember to be like them. not to be skeptical of situations i don't know the true answer to. we continue to visit that creek with the ducks. i'm now excited with each new visit to possibly meet some new creatures, and have more to explore in our beautiful outdoors.

2010-05-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

a boy and two baseball fields...

two baseball fields you ask? well, we've received our housing assignment for the 2010-2011 school year. it wasn't what we expected, but we couldn't be more thrilled! bowdle and o'bannon are know as the "palace" here on campus. in years past, they housed 2 RD's. for this coming year, they will house nearly 270 students and only one RD will oversee the students. brandon is the lucky RD and payton, hudson, and I are the lucky family that will be living with all these fabulous students. we had a blast last year in Hughes Hall and we can't wait to begin this new semester. now, back to the baseball field comment. payton is overjoyed that we will have 2 baseball fields in our front yard. last year it was tennis courts, this year it's baseball. payton LOVES baseball. i mean, he really loves it. we're looking forward to an exciting new year down here in tennessee. it's good to know where we'll be hanging.

2010-04-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

welcome to the world baby eden elisabeth! you're a sweet little blessing in our lives. congrats to cara, paul, and callie too!

2010-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

danger on a bike! hudson has been having more fun than ever on this Christmas gift from aunt elizabeth. as you can see, he's standing on this sit down big wheel. he enjoys going from the top of hills to the bottom. if there's an obstacle any where, have no fear, he skids out quickly without ever falling off the bike. we've been enjoying the beautiful weather this april. april showers down here in tennessee have been noticeable, but only for a short time. it seems we'll have a down pour and within and hour or two, the sky clears making way for the beautiful sunshiny skies. payton is into tennis right now. he'll play for hours at a time. it's fun watching him improve his skill. we're hoping to have frequent visits this summer to the community pool here in town. both boys are due for some swimming lessons. bring on the sunscreen, 90+ degree days are in our future. this is our first full summer living as a family outside of michigan. we're looking forward to a michigan visit this june. my friend christa is getting married and she's asked me to be her bridesmaid. i'm honored to have this opportunity. what a beautiful day it will be.

2010-04-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? This past week marked the last full week of school for students. It's hard to believe we've been in this new place for almost 8 months. Each day is filled with a new activity and adventure. We've had the delight to be "dorm parents" to 82 students this year. Each one is different in their own way. We've enjoyed connecting with them and living in community. It's funny to think that we all live in this dorm together. If we've been at an event together, we walk home together. The thought that we live in the same place is just kind of fun. We walk in and go our separate ways, but it's funny that we all live in this big building together. The knocks on the door and questions I've gotten this year will hopefully never fade from my memory. The first one of the year was a freshman male asking if he could wash his bed sheets with his clothes. The next was helping a student bleach a load of clothes that had been stained by an ink pen from a previous load of laundry. We've had a few knocks on the door of sick students that just needed a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Mom wasn't around to make it for them. This has warmed my heart in so many ways. I like to be called upon, it's nice to be needed. I certainly won't ever forget my own mishap this year. The time that I set the fire alarm off because of blow drying my hair after a mayonnaise mask application. This left me feeling embarrassed and silly. I've had a few female students that I've been mentoring lately. I never really felt that I was mentoring type. God is teaching me so many things. I may not be a councilor with a degree for helping people, but I have found that I have a listening ear. So many of these students are away from home for the first time in their lives. Mom and Dad have always been their comfort. It's been wonderful finding that these students feel comfortable with our family. We're around to talk with them, live in community, and take an interest in their lives. I would have never imagined liking this job. So far, it's been life changing and I'm considered blessed to have this incredible opportunity. Though the school year is coming to an end, another session is upon us. Brandon applied for the summer R.D. position here on campus and just found out that he received it. He'll be busy with another R.D. planning and overseeing the new summer students. We'll also be leaving our first home here in Tennessee. Good ol' Hughes Hall is set for demolition on April 9th. It will be a sad day here. Many students have been able to call this their home for the past 42 years. I know why they all have become attached to it, there's just something extremely special about the students that live here. It will be missed but we're looking forward to living in a new place. We don't know where yet. They still have yet to tell us! We're certain our next home will be perfect. It will be filled with wonderful students and !will have plenty in store for the coming year!

2010-03-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

living on a college campus is like a walk in the park... ok, maybe not a WALK in the park, maybe we can call it living in a park.

2010-03-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

story time together...

this past week was a fun one for the whole family. tiffany visited with hannah and issaac while jason was training in florida. tiffany is an adventurist! a 12 hour drive in the car alone with two kids doesn't scare her. either does a year without a husband around to help with the crazy daily duties of being a parent. jason deploys to afghanistan in just a few months for an entire year. i had a fantastic time watching tiffany interact with all four kid's. sometimes i find that my kids and i get bored. tiffany is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to entertaining kids and having constant activities for them to do. our days were planned out ahead of time and we stayed busy the entire time. an unexpected detour to the ocoee river brought us to a place i'd never seen before. we embarked on an adventure together that day and ended up 5 miles down a dirt road. this wasn't just any dirt road though. it was located on a mountain and the scenery was unbelievable. we stumbled upon the ocoee river and enjoyed a quiet lunch on a concrete picnic table. the only noise we heard was the trickling water from the river. beware of bear signs were posted around the area. we went on a nature walk and talked about our surroundings. tiffany and i agreed there is no better way to be closer to God than being in nature. all 6 of us enjoyed the entire experience. our adventure may have begun as a "detour", but i think it's the best detour i've taken in years! if only i would have brought my camera along...

2010-02-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

my charming three :)

these three make life fantastic! our life has been full of excitement lately. it's been a year of "firsts" for us with dorm life in full swing. our home of six months is being destroyed in just a few weeks :( this saddens us as we know this dorm has an incredible history. its crazy to think of the amount of students that have lived in this dorm. so many great memories and stories. we just experienced dorm wars. all dorms gather to compete with each other in several different games. the boys liked the "grocery cart race" best. it's an event that takes all year to plan and we enjoyed every minute! we look forward to next years war!

the boys are still enjoying the early learning center here on campus. nana gave payton tuition to take "kindermusik" classes. he's in kindermusik once weekly for the entire semester. he's been LOVING the drum and we frequently listen to the kindermusik soundtrack in the car. i know all the songs by heart. let me tell you, this is some great music! (ok, maybe not, but it's supposedly great for kids. that's all that counts, right?)

2010-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

can you say goof ball?

my oh my, we certainly have a "goof ball" on our hands. when i ask hudson to smile for the camera, this is what i get, every time! i'll ask him to open his eyes, and he'll give me a wink. i've learned to just go with it and realize that this is the cutest thing ever. after snapping the shot hudson always says "mommy, wook it." he wants to look at the photo. i show him, and he giggles. he then poses for me to take another silly shot. keep the silly poses coming little man, i know i'll miss this some day!

2010-02-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

care pages is a website that connects you with loved ones that are coping with illness. i frequently check care pages of patients that UJE supports. i've also been following kate mcrae's carepage. as i was reading tonight, i was reminded of the horrific events that happen within the walls of a hospital. not that everything is horrific inside, but as i read the carepages of parents that are watching their children cling to life, it breaks my heart. suffering is something i do not understand. i mean, we all suffer at some times in our lives. does it ever seem that some end up suffering more than others though? kate was diagnosed with a brain tumor 6 months ago. they've performed surgery, given her treatments, sent her home, re-admitted her, and the story continues to unfold. her mom holly wrote today that this is day 6 of transplant. she mentions in the care page that the next round of chemo will begin today for kate. this round is excreted through the skin. kate will have to shower every 6 hours for 3 days straight. even during the night. they change her clothes, linens and dressings every 6 hours. kate's mom mentions that she will begin to wear gloves whenever she wants to touch her daughter. she said she'll miss rubbing her newly growing hair, and kissing the top of her head. my heart sunk upon reading her words when she said this... "the thought that we are giving her body something so strong that i shouldn't even touch her bare skin while she gets it, is well, unbelievable."

i've never been through something like this. i cannot even begin to imagine for one moment what it would be like to be in their shoes. i experienced the loneliness of a hospital for a mere 6 days. i cannot imagine the strength that it would take to be there for the length that they have been there. God's plans are larger than we will ever know and His strength is certainly ours. we just need to tap into it and receive it.

my heart goes out to this family. watching their faith, strength, and trust has strengthened me. please join me in praying for this family.

2010-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

being a mom is a "fun" job. i was reading through a parenting magazine the other day and found a great idea for mom's. it's a photo storage box, but instead of filling it with photos, you fill it with index cards from time to time, showcasing the funny things your child says or does. maybe these struck me as a fabulous idea because payton and hudson have been hilarious lately... allow me to explain. it had been a long day. the weather had been rainy for two days straight, the kids were finally in bed, and i decided to turn on the tv, rest my feet, and enjoy a cup of tea. i don't watch much tv. there just doesn't seem to be time for it. so, for me, this was going to be nice. i went to fill my teapot with some water for a cup of sleepy time tea for the evening. as i was filling the spout with water, i realized the water wasn't going into the teapot. the water began spilling out. just then, i looked through the spout to see the problem. right away, i realized what the issue was. as i reached my finger down the spout, i immediately pulled out several pieces of king vitaman cereal. (the current favorite quaker cereal in the fam right now). this was definitely hudson's doing. i find things in odd places quite frequently. i know i will miss these kind of events in my life as they begin to dissipate over the next few years. another silly thing happened today. i had just picked the boys up from school and payton informed me he had sprinkles in his pants. hmmm, i thought, sprinkles? i quietly changed the subject and continued on with getting them in the car. once again, he told me he had sprinkles in his pants and they were beginning to itch! ahhh! i immediately realized that the helper in school hadn't wiped him. i loved his description of them being sprinkles. just another memory for me to add to the box. i'm sure their future wives will have fun with all of these childhood happenings!

2010-01-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

reflecting...

ahh, it's fun thinking back to the great time we had in michigan. i thought it was funny this past christmas that i actually "went home" for christmas. everyone always talks about how much fun it is to go back home and see family and friends they haven't seen in awhile. this was my first christmas that i was actually able to experience this. i've lived in one state my entire life. i've been most fortunate to be able to travel but i've never actually experienced living in a new state. this past year allowed me to do this. while missing family and friends has been the most difficult challenge, exploring a new place and living in a new town has been rather exciting. here's a photo of my "oldest" friend ashley. she's been sweet to become the boys "aunt ashee". i didn't know it at the time, but when i was quite sick while being pregnant with hudson, brandon would call ashley and ask her to come over and help out with me and payton. she totally came through and helped me on several occasions. payton still remembers his play dates with ashley. she would take him to the mall and go shopping. payton would always come home with something new. he certainly had a blast.

reflecting on life brings up memories and stories. i'm certain next christmas i'll be reflecting again just as i have done now. our lives are full of great moments, times that we can remember forever. it's fun thinking there are many more of these to come.

2009-12-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

merry, merry merry,

it's a great time of year to be merry. the year has been full of great blessings and for that we are thankful. these two smiles provide happiness and joy to our entire family. we've been looking back and remembering the many changes and happenings of 2009. back in january, i would have never imagined that 6 months later we'd be packing up and moving to another state. each moment of this year has taught us a new lesson, given us great joy, and reminded us of how blessed our lives are. we've met new people, been separated from ones we love, reunited with family, and have become content and happy with our new journey and path that was known before we ever joined this earth. the excitement has been fun and we're excited to see what 2010 has in store!!! happy new year to one and all.

2009-11-18T18:39:00.001-08:00

gone... yes, gone. i really didn't think i would ever have to say this, EVER. but i am saying it. i really am saying it. it's gone.

my camera is gone. it's gone from me, but it is somewhere. man, i sure do wish i knew where that somewhere was. we looked high and low, up and down, and in and under. it took 4 hours to look through our little apartment. i asked hudson if he knew where it was an he took me to the cereal cupboard... i think he was hungry at the time. he wasn't much of a help. we re-traced each step. we've gone through where we were and where we've been. it's now been 4 days and we still haven't found it. luckily, we still have the 4 lenses that go with many different digital cameras.

we are headed to florida in 3 days. it's my hope that the camera just shows up miraculously before our departure. if it chooses not to, we'll be borrowing a camera from a student. i can't imagine not having a camera at disney world. i'm sure people have done it before. i'd just rather not try that scenario out! it doesn't really appeal to me. so, let's hope for some good news. maybe a post saying "i found it" would be a good title for the next post...

2009-11-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

we've been attending quite a few on campus games. this particular night we were at a volleyball game. hudson doesn't do well in a setting that he has to sit in a stroller or seat. when we're at sporting events, he does just this, he roams the stands, tries to "play" with the players, and hangs with the guys. i'd say he's enjoying himself down here!

2009-11-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

sweet pic with the donkey, right? i wouldn't call him sweet. read on for details! entering the corn maze! an amazing rainbow joined our evening at the maze. what a site! it was halloween day and we were trying to decide on a fun activity for the family. the rankin's called and invited us to the mayfield corn maze. what a great idea they had!!! this place was nothing short of fantastic. the weather was dreary and the rain began to sprinkle on us. this sure didn't stand in our way for having fun! when we arrived after a 25 minute ride, we found one other car in the parking lot. things looked grim, maybe this wasn't a good idea... NO ONE WAS THERE! as we entered the chilly barn to pay the $8 per person charge we really were sketchy about the "fun" that was out in that corn maze! well, i judged too quickly. this place was incredible. a butterfly greeted us at the beginning of the maze. she handed all of us bags to trick-or treat through the maze with. she had a scavenger hunt planned for us as we found our way through the maze. there were several spots along the maze where halloween themed employees filled our bags with treats. after the maze, everyone headed over to the hay. they had mattresses covered in hay for the kids to jump on. about 50 feet over was a large tent that housed a halloween themed band playing country tunes. a blazing camp fire also lit the sky for all the corn mazer's to enjoy. next, it was time for a hayride through the farm. did i mention NO ONE was here? it was our group and a few extras on the hay ride. the kids thought it was great! after the ride we enjoyed kettle corn and games. this place was a complete hit! we'll be back next year for certain!

ok, so i saved the donkey story for the last portion of this post. this little donkey was adorable. so cute and small. the boys were feeding the donkey grass and we all thought it was cute. it was cute for about 5 minutes until that cute little donkey bit hudson's finger. luckily, he didn't break the skin. hudson's finger was extremely red and you could see the bite mark for quite some time. next time, the little ones will keep their hands inside the fence.

2009-10-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

halloween 2009 didn't start out so great. it's not halloween yet, but today was payton's school's day to dress up and show their little halloween spirit. last night, we thought we'd have a test run with the costumes. to say the least, it didn't go so hot. we were extremely excited to see hudson in his little dalmatian costume. as soon as the costume was on, hudson made a run for it. we went to look for him and found him crying underneath our bed. he was terrified. he hated the hat and wanted nothing to do with being a dog. my first thought was to put the costume back on craigslist. this is where i found it. i was optimistic though and figured we'd give it another go in the morning. as you can see, we were successful. i bribed him with skittles and promised him there was more candy to come. we left the puppy head off of him for most of the trick-or-treating experience. payton's little friends were super cute and well behaved. we were able to visit all of the campus offices while trick-or-treating. the staff were all friendly and had lots of special treats for all of the kids. nana was also in town to see payton's class and trick-or-treat along with them. what a fun start to a halloween weekend!

2009-10-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

oktoberfest is in the air. it's the second celebration we've attended for oktoberfest this year. today, we ventured to chattanooga to join in their festivities. we brought along nana this time! she's visiting this week from michigan. it's her first visit to our new home, so we're showing her around this beautiful state! it was a windy and chilly 62 degrees. ok, you northerners think that would be a heat wave! for those of us that are used to 89% humidity and 95 degrees, 62 degrees and windy feels like an arctic blast! maybe not an arctic blast, but it certainly calls for bringing out the socks, shoes, sweatshirts, and coats! the leaves are changing bright orange and yellow and the cool air brings thoughts of pumpkins and warm apple cider. i love this time of year. i always have. we enjoyed the walking bridge and the vendors today in chattanooga. lupi's pizza was a favorite of the day as well. who doesn't like eating a fresh baked loaf of bread before eating a pizza? oh, and i can't forget the cup of melted butter and fresh garlic they bring out to dip the bread in. pure yummy is all i can say. i'll be back again. and until the next time, i will continue to think about that delicious fattening treat. mmmm.

the boys just love having visitors. it's so nice to see them love on their nana. tomorrow we're headed to alabama to meet family i've never met! brandon's aunt and uncle live in alabama, so we're paying them a visit in the south.

2009-10-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

dancin' in the street! hey, why not dance by a big paint spill in the middle of the parking lot? i just love kid's. they find fun in the "boring" things that most people would think would be ridiculous! lately i've been noticing that hudson wants to be just like payton. he tries to do things that he does. with 21 months between each of them in age, it always becomes a bit of a challenge for hudson to be "just like his brother." i've had a few laughs this week. with all the sporting events we are able to attend here, both boys want to be more athletic and rough with each other. a popular activity around the dorm is for the guys to "pile" on top of one guy. this usually consists of 8-10 guys total. if you can imagine, it's quite the thrill for a 2 and 3.5 year old boy to watch this. we're trying to learn the meaning of the word "gentle." i've used it quite a bit in the last month around here. i hope it's sinking in!

2009-10-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

a follow up on my little sleepy sleeper from the last post...

on certain days that a nap doesn't seem necessary, this is what typically happens. whether it be at home or outside in a heavily populated place on campus, someone just doesn't seem too happy. cheer up my little man!

2009-10-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

ok, so we've all had kid's that fall asleep in odd places but i think the top photo takes the cake! as i was washing dishes, hudson managed to find my purse. as you can see, he emptied it completely and found a few treats inside. please pay close attention to the dum-dum suckers. i see three of them and every single sucker is missing it's wrapper. it appears that he finished off the red one that he's holding in his hand as he dozed off and fell into a deep sleep.

the second picture happened one day after the "sucker" nap. it wasn't necessarily time for a nap. i came walking through the room and there he was, sound asleep on the couch. oh my little darling, you may refuse to have naps, but mom knows best that you NEED your rest!

2009-10-13T18:57:00.000-07:00

makeover project revealed!

my sister bought this super "gorgeous" dresser at a resale shop. i know what you're thinking. you're thinking "i hope it was free because that thing is ridiculously ugly!" well, she had a little vision. she wanted the new baby's room to be a little "shabby chic." she said the people looked at her a little crazy when she said she was going to put it in her newborn baby's room. well, i think i saw what she saw. it looked a little beat up and the color was a little "dated." after several trips to the spray paint section of wal-mart, hobby lobby, and home depot, this is what we came up with. a turquoise treasure that fits elisia's nursery perfectly!

makeover project revealed!!

2009-10-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

happy second birthday hudson thomas! hudson turned 2 on monday. we're in a new place and new home but it didn't stop us from having a party to celebrate our little 730 day old boy! caleb, damien, callie, emma, and malachai joined in on the fun. they are sweet little ones who live on campus with us. their parents are RD's and work on staff with brandon. we also had many other staffers join us. they were so thoughtful to come on over. our door received many knocks too :) the guys stopped to wish hudson a happy birthday. 2 guys stopped over around 10pm. ooops, hudson was already nestled in his big boy bed. his crib is now officially gone. brandon and i LOVE when he tucks himself under all the covers for a long nights slumber. he falls asleep much faster in a big boy bed. must be the comfy blankets and pillow. we're looking forward to the next year with our little big guy. he's still not talking much, so we're looking forward to hearing his words!

2009-10-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

let me tell you, these photos may LOOK like fun, but behind the stroller are two crabby boys actually FIGHTING over the stroller. these photos were taken last weekend while at our stay at stone mountain in georgia. surrounding stone mountain is a beautiful park. it's lush and green surroundings provide the perfect spot to enjoy the QUIET outdoors and take in the serene landscape. ok, so QUIET it was not. hudson began by gripping the handles of the stroller. gripping may be an understatement. he had a death grip on the handles and would not be letting go anytime soon. after a few minutes of the new found fun, payton decided he wanted a turn. hudson wasn't giving up his grip. payton was already showing signs of a nap on the way over to the mountain. he wasn't thrilled upon realizing that hudson would not be sharing the stroller with him. payton began crying and hudson began screaming as payton was trying to "share" the stroller with hudson. eventually we were able to find other attention grabbing activities to do in the park. the stroller was conveniently hidden (underneath a bench) until our stay at the park was over. some how, the boys never realized it was missing. phew!

2009-09-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

payton has always loved his cars and trucks. small ones, big ones, real ones, make believe ones. it doesn't appear he'll grow out of this anytime soon, so for now, we'll continue playing with them! since payton first started talking, he was always pointing out cars and trucks on the road. he has an amazing sense of comparing them too. he'll quite frequently see a beige toyota sienna driving by and will say "mom, it's aunt elizabeth's car". or he'll see a darling little gray volkswagen and say "mom, look, it's aunt ashee's car". he's always dead on. right down to the color, make, and model. i was realizing this just the other day and began thinking of my own childhood. scary to think and say, but i did the same thing when i was younger. i knew the make of a car by seeing the front bumper of a car. i knew the exact sound of a honda and ford as it was starting. i know you're thinking "what a weirdo." it is weird but i'm just realizing that somehow, payton has this same trait as i do. this is quite interesting to me. car business runs in my family. we choose our occupations, right? we don't choose our makeup and genetics though and the thoughts and tendencies of our children. how fun that payton and i have this in common. i can't wait until he is older and i can tell him about our silly similarities.

2009-09-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

i just had to share a few more shots,

of a sweet little babe,

who's as sweet as a lolypop, to a beautiful couple,

whom i call family.

2009-09-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

while in dayton, i was honored to be able to take some family photo's of the seaquist's. they have given our little lola a perfect home!

2009-09-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

2009-09-16T20:28:00.000-07:00

flying in the air, watch out, it's hudson!

big smiles as hudson had some mommy time today.

i couldn't believe his huge continuous smile!

i just had to capture each and every one of them!

here's a lola update! when we were offered the position in tennessee, we were given word that animals are not allowed on campus. it was a difficult decision to make but we knew it wouldn't be possible to bring lola with us. elizabeth's friend jeni had mentioned that their family had been looking at labradoodles for quite some time. they were wanting a dog just like lola. well, the sequists family grew and lola joined their fam. here's a pic of their beautiful fam that i took tonight. they brought us dinner to welcome baby elisia!

yes, lola does have a bow in her hair that matches the girls. she seems as if she's in puppy bliss. the kid's absolutely love her and play constantly. we're thankful she's in good hands!

2009-09-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

baby, oh baby! elizabeth is lookin' fabulous!

elizabeth's niece modeling my homemade gift to baby elisia

homemade bear cookies made by aunt sandy

a delicious cake with a delectable raspberry filling

the kiddos joined the shower when we were finished "showering"

a special bucket for our little elisia! we just can't wait for her arrival!

2009-09-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

playground fun. who doesn't like a playground? they're all kid friendly, you're able to enjoy the great outdoors, and nothing is off limits! sounds like a great place for my little hudson,

who loves to anything and everything he isn't supposed to...

and scares you half to death because he wants to do EVERYTHING by himself, without help from ANYONE.

and shows no fear as he climbs a jungle gym surely note suitable for a 23 month old...

look MA, no hands!

swingy, swingy! that's nana's hand there. we were all amazed at the stunts hudson was pulling. payton wasn't even in to doing this stuff.

we had a wonderful time in douglas, michigan. nana and lou were in town from texas renting the beautiful cottage once again for the 5th year in a row. sadly, this is their last year at the cottage. it's been sold to another family. we've had fun times at this cottage. my nana even threw a baby shower for hudson and i two years ago there. it has such charm and a beautiful interior. our memories will last a lifetime from this fun place!

have you heard about the cherry pie craving? payton went cherry picking two months ago with his nana and nana's friend lois. ever since this activity TWO MONTHS ago, payton couldn't stop talking about a cherry pie. i am not a pie baker. i tried once for thanksgiving and failed miserably. this mama wasn't attempting a cherry pie in tennessee. so payton continued talking about the cherry pie for two months. FINALLY, his cherry pie arrived. i shot a few picks of this moment. oh my, it was sweet like sugar! or should i say candy, or chocolate, or honey?

a sweet ending to a fun trip.

2009-08-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

payton with a hughes hall member and his little friends caleb

mmm, ice cream out of a gutter

look mom, i like ice cream :)

several different kinds of ice cream

tonight was a first for us. our first "gutter creamery" experience. the girls dorm teamed up with our dorm to throw a party and it included all of these lovely toppings and 3 LARGE gutters. ice cream filled the gutters and everyone ate ice cream out of them. they topped their "section" of ice cream with their pick of yummy toppings. the event was a success and everyone involved enjoyed themselves. payton and hudson played with the students. the night ended with the kiddos playing with the marigold flowers. rumor has it that the university changes out their flowers quite frequently.

2009-08-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

two weeks on without a day off... we were ready to go explore! brandon joined us as we took an adventure today to the ocoee river. a few posts ago there are photos of us at the ocoee river. i mentioned it was the site of the kayaking olympics. much to our surprise, when we arrived today there was a lot more water in the river than last time! last time we were rock hopping and enjoying the sight of such enormous rocks. today though, it was quite different. the rapids were flowing and the river was filled with rafters, thousands of them. we enjoyed the morning watching them flow down the river. hudson wanted to join them. maybe in a few years! brandon is heading out to the rapids tomorrow with a group of 90 guys. wow, what a great adventure that will be!

2009-08-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

we had a super busy crazy weekend. the students were arriving by the handfuls. brandon was stationed in the lobby of the dorm he oversees. 10am-10pm were his hours. he and his resident assistants welcomed the new students. it was fun welcoming them and meeting their families. these guys all seems to be ready for the new year. i think they are excited about a new adventure in their lives. hudson and payton now have 93 new buddies to play with. payton is mastering "krispie" (frisbee) and hudson has one mean throw! with tennis courts in our front yard, there are always plenty of stray balls hiding out for hudson to find. we're looking forward to a slower week this week. friday through monday were free cafeteria days for our family. the school allowed us to dine for free. i will admit, the cook free days and no dishes to wash routine was lots of fun! now it's back to menu planning and grocery shopping for the fam. a new weeks has begun!

2009-08-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

well, the day finally arrived. my oldest child began school. wow, is it really true? the last week has been full of preparation for payton's (and my) big day. we've never done this before so this was all new. with us just moving here, there have been several extra things we've had to get done. we had to become residents of tennessee, we switched a few health care things around, we've opened new bank accounts and our health records have been sent to a new doctor. i learned that even though there is a tuition for preschool we're still required to provide MANY items for the school classroom for the year including dry erase markers, kleenex, disinfectant wipes, glue sticks, markers and a kindermat for "nap time." i'm still curious to see how they will get payton to go to sleep with all of those toys that surround the room! i've had several different emotions today. first and foremost, i am excited for this new chapter in payton's life. he'll begin new friendships, he'll have other adults guiding him instead of just mommy and daddy each day, and he'll begin to become even more of his own person. i love to think about this. i've thought a lot about my childhood. i've thought about the rough time i had going to school. i HATED school. when i was in kindergarten my mom had to take me out and put me in a different school. i cried incessantly for two whole weeks because i just didn't want to go to school. my poor mom. she ended up breaking out into a rash because of the stress i caused her!

so here we go. i have so much to be thankful for today. thankful that my son is not like i was :) he was such a peach, excited for school for well over 3 weeks. as we were shopping in wal-mart the other day he saw some backpacks in an isle. these backpacks were CHEAP! i mean really, really cheap. they looked cheap, felt cheap and were cheap. they were a solid color and were only $5. payton saw them and was super excited. he wanted one in the worst way. he HAD to have one. we were in need of one so i asked him to pick one out. he chose the black one. yes, the black one. no character on it or design. we brought it home and he wanted to wear it 24-7. he practiced putting all of his school items in it. i'm thankful for this time in my life. he's not seeking a name brand or status booster. he's just little payton being protected by those that love him. i know these years will pass quickly. i don't want to waste them away. it's hard to let him go into the "real" world without me holding his hand. i know God will protect him, it's my prayer every night. life will still bring struggles and hurdles but it's all apart of what makes us who we are. i'm so thankful to be a mom. it makes my world a little sweeter.

2009-08-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

it was a lovely day in athens tennessee. mom brooks, along with her two little ice cream lover children decided to go tour the local creamery...

the tour would start in 45 minutes so the nice family enjoyed "cake batter" ice cream and rocked in the rockers outside the creamery.

mmm, delicious ice cream. just like homemade. the time was passing quickly and the family was nearing their tour time.

the tour was about to begin. the family finished their ice cream and headed into a theater to watch a little movie.

the theater was dark and quiet. certainly not a good place for a 1.5 year old that was nearing nap time. thankfully the movie was a "short" ten minutes LONG.

the real tour was about to begin. the lady handed out hair nets to wear on the tour. she stressed several time that it is important to wear your hair net.

long story cut short... our tour ended prematurely due to my 1.5 year old not wanting to wear the hair net. i won't even go into the details of the tantrum he threw on the sanitary floor of the creamery. the tour guide asked us to leave and had security come escort us out of the building.

outside seemed like the perfect place to play. i won't be taking hudson to another tour any time soon. i was entirely embarrassed!

2009-07-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

Bath time!

Our nights usually end up in the bath tub. Tonight, I was surprised the water was so clear. Popsicles are a nightly "snack" around here and at times I feel that more popsicle ends up on their face and hands than it does in their tummies. Tonight the boys and I sat on the park bench out front of our "house." Our feet swung under us as we enjoyed the fresh smell of bark blow through the air. Students start arriving in just a few days. The grounds crew has been busy lately. It seems they are out front daily grooming the campus. It's been fun getting to know the staff around here. We get to see most of them quite often.

2009-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

a few changes are being made to this "old" blog! i'm teaching myself html right now. phew... this could be a long process. hang with me as i work a few kinks out. boy, this sure is fun! (and time consuming...)

2009-07-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

New Places To Explore

It's been fun finding new things for the kids to do. This past weekend we had our first visitors to our new home. My sister and her fam joined us for a few days of fabulous fun! Thomas and Olivia had a great time joining Hudson and Payton in their new house. They found new places to play and we headed to Chattanooga where they held a gigantic "Movies in the Park." The crowd was rather large with plenty of people wanting to see Madigascar! We had Clumpies Ice Cream and splashed in the children's waterfall park. So far so good! The weather is gorgeous today. We're waiting for the temp to drop a bit to enjoy the beautiful outdoors!

2009-07-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Huddy, Buddy. Yup, that's what we call him. Kind of silly, I know, but it just seems to fit. He is my buddy for sure. As of August 11, he will become Mommy's buddy on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:30-2. That's right. You guessed it. Payton is headed to school. It's a pre-k program available on campus. Kinda of nice that we can walk him to class! Payton is more excited than I ever imagined. He's ready for a backpack and a pal that will play tag with him. I guess Mom doesn't count as a good tag partner! It's sad to see them get older. I feel like I've been able to protect him for the past 3 years. Don't get me wrong, we certainly get out quite frequently and socialize often but now I'm letting him loose! I'm just hopeful he'll use the manners we've taught him. We've been struggling with saying PLEASE. I ask him 20 times daily to include please in his sentences and somehow he still goes without asking with it. I know it's a 2 year old thing and it will pass. Ok, so I know what you're thinking, you're talking about Payton but there are three photos of Hudson above. Yes, I will get to my point. Hudson is getting to be such a big boy. He decided that he's a professional climber now. This means that he IS climbing out of his crib now. We've requested a twin bed to be delivered to ensure his proper safety. It still hasn't arrived so we've made it a rule that he is not to climb out of the crib. We had to tell him several times and put him back in but he seems to have an understanding of the words "STAY IN YOUR CRIB." Thank goodness. Hudson has been a delight since we arrived. He loves being outdoors and running around the campus. Coming indoors after running outside isn't easy. He'd live out there forever if he could. He's still not talking. Mama, Daddy, Doggy and a nod of the head for yes and no are about it. I'm encouraged by the stories of the 3 year olds that finally say their first words. Perhaps that will be our little Hudson :)

2009-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

We're having a great time checking out the amazing things that Tennessee has to offer. With a big city only 15 minutes away, we're close to the big stuff, and small stuff. On Friday we drove into the mountains. We visited an old favorite of Brandon's called the Blue Hole. It hosted the 1996 Kayaking Olympics. The water level is low right now so the view of all of the rocks was incredible. We hiked with the boys into the mountains and over to the Blue Hole. It is there that we saw people "swimming into the rocks." Many rocks are hollowed out which creates a tunnel for swimmers to enter. I've never seen anything like this. The boys enjoyed the sightseeing and poor Payton took a little accidental swim. He was all smiles but a bit soaked for the rest of the trip! On Saturday we joined some other staff members to go blueberry picking. I grew up picking blueberries so it was nice to continue on even in a new state. When we rounded the corner to enter the blueberry farm the most incredible view filled our eyes. The mountain tops seemed near and the landscape was breathtaking. We ended up with 8.7 pounds of delicious Tennessee blueberries. Today we traveled to Chattanooga where we attended a peach festival! Talk about yummy!

2009-07-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Tennessee here we are! It's been a busy but exciting week. We departed from Michigan last Friday. The drive went well, though leaving wasn't easy. It's my fourth time moving in my life. The first time I moved was when I was in third grade. I remember all the details and memories of leaving my hometown. I kissed my bedroom walls before I left and said farewell to each of my neighborhood friends. We promised each other that we would keep in touch and never forget each other. I haven't forgotten them, however, I haven't kept in good touch with them. My second move was after my Junior year in High School. I didn't want to move. I cried as I packed up my belongings. As I look back, I realize that moving wasn't necessarily my issue. I think the issue was getting ready for the change. I end up having this burning feeling. What will happen after the change? Will I be able to make it? There's always a "what if" in my head.

I've grown up a bit since then. I took a new approach two months ago when we decided to take the position at Lee University. My new approach sounded a bit like this...

WHAT IF I TRUST IN GOD TO LEAD ME TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHERE HE WANTS ME TO GO AND NOT WHERE I WANT ME TO GO?

I've learned to trust and obey. Is it easy? Nope. Sure isn't. But I trust that if I continue to do this, my path will become a bit more straight and easier to follow.

Ok, so here we are. We're moved in. The boxes are no longer crowding the floor and our house is starting to feel more like a home. Payton isn't asking about our "hotel" any longer. I think he feels that this is home too. We had 20+ staff members over to our place last night for a little meet and greet. I am still overwhelmed with the friendly people that surround this state. I keep waiting to meet someone who isn't polite and nice. It just hasn't happened yet. I'm hopeful it never will! The cards, gift bags, gift baskets, letters of encouragement, texts and phone calls have been incredible. Why am I surprised? Overall I've thought extremely positive about this move. There were a few times when I had doubts, but I quickly then remember what this is all about. God had a plan for my family. He offered it to us and we took Him up on it. He's shown us love through the people who surround us. He's given us a home that we can make our own, and he's shown us that we can still hold on to those we hold dear even though distance separates us. I thank God for memories that I will hold tight to and look forward to our future that is in the making. This verse speaks to me...

“for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)”

2009-07-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

Goodbye number one. Roy and Amanda Clark held a beach day last week for us. They live in a darling home in Rockford. Amanda is extremely talented and has a huge gift for decorating and creativity. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed each others company. We're so blessed by the community we have here in Grand Rapids. It's hard to say goodbye, but good to know our friendships will last a lifetime.

2009-06-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Just Payton and Mommy for this event! Brandon was busy at work and Nana watched Hudson. Payton and I had a great evening together. He just couldn't seem to get enough of the baseball game. The whitecaps sure know how to create fun for the family! We went from watching the silly mascots to jumping in the bounces house. What three year old can walk past a playground without playing? Not mine! We bounced, climbed, watched, ate, drank a slushy, and sat next to the apposing teams players. Ryan Cook, a pitcher from the South Bend Hawks, sat directly next to us the entire game. He had a radar gun that he was using throughout the game and Payton was interested in learning what he was doing. Ryan was a super nice guy. Part way through the game we watched him walk over to the dug out. Soon after, he approached Payton and gave him a baseball that had been used in the game. Payton was overjoyed! Ryan signed the ball and I took a photo of the two of them. What a nice guy! I don't think Payton will soon forget our evening together. Not bad considering the tickets were free!

2009-06-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Well, hello Blogland. I figured I better update even though I have no pictures to share. A few months back when the family ventured to Florida, my lovely camera took a plummet off of the bed and hasn't been the same since. A weird noise alerted me every time I turned the camera on and I finally decided to go and get it serviced. The Best Buy team was super helpful and I was delighted to find out that the camera was still under warranty. Oh, I love when things like this happen!

Ok, so here's the latest with the good ol' Brooks family. WE'RE MOVING! Yes, we sure are. It's still sinking in that we're leaving. Brandon has enjoyed his position with Honey, Don't Cough. It was uncertain the time that he would be needed with the company. With much prayer and consideration, Brandon decided to take a new position. Brandon has enjoyed selling Honey. I often hear Payton saying that when he gets older, he wants to sell Honey like Daddy does. It sounds silly but touches my heart that he wants to be just like Daddy! Honey Don't Cough will still be around. Look for it in Meijer (coming soon) and on Target.com. It's also at Harvest Health and Family Fare Supermarkets.

So here's the scoop. Several years ago Brandon attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Sadly, his stay was cut short when his Mom became ill. Brandon moved back to Illinois and finished his education several years after at Cornerstone University. He graduated last year and since then has wanted to go back to earn his masters degree. Going back to school is expensive and we were thinking of holding off for a bit. Well, holding of for a bit was an understatement! Brandon applied for the resident director position at Lee University. After several interviews they offered Brandon the position. Here's the kicker, Brandon will receive a free masters degree from the college! I am also elligable for this perk as well.

Brandon's first day is July 13th. We plan to move a few days prior to his first day. Our friend Mike has been gracious to move us to Cleveland. We'll have a 10 hour drive to our new home. Brandon will be in charge of 93 male students. We'll be housed right in with the guys! Our new home will be on Lee's campus. Tennis courts, a rec center and volleyball courts are right in our front yard. The staff seems extremely friendly there.

With all that said, we are sad to be leaving our friends and family behind. We've been blessed beyond belief during these past few years. Our small community grew into a great big one since the boys were born. We won't ever forget the friends we've made, the memories we've created, and the bonds we've formed. We look forward to keeping in touch with each and every one of you. We have the schedule of a teacher or student. This means spring breaks off, summers spent in Michigan, and Holidays with those we love.

Bye for now. With this entry comes a new promise. More photos and entries for those of you who requested! You'll be able to join us on this new adventure to Tennessee. Thanks for coming along with us, we'll miss you if you stay behind!

2009-05-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

hole in one!!!!

at the beach in charlevoix waiting for ice cream vacationing in charlevoix

a fun weekend indeed was had by the brooks family. we joined our kentucky friends for a fun memorial weekend adventure. we stayed in charlevoix but managed to trek our way around the north. petoskey, bay harbor, and harbor springs we a few of the stops. we ate our way around each little town and walked it off by window shopping at adorable boutiques and shops. pirates cove golf in petoskey was a hit with the little ones. payton showed off his golf skills buy scoring TWO hole in ones. this kid had a future career ahead of him. daddy has promised new "BIG BOY" clubs this year and lessons. this should be fun. the first pic above is anthony and payton with their number one signs. they both had a hole in one on this hole. what skill! we were amazed by the clear water in charlevoix. the lake was so clear and clean. maybe next time the water will be a bit warmer so that we can splash around and make some waves!

2009-05-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

introducing a new venture in my life! the website is still being created, but my business cards are already being printed. i was so blessed to have josh buck create this huge work of art! he graciously spent more hours than i know creating these. i'll let you know when the site is up and running!

2009-05-23T18:39:00.001-07:00

wow, so this is incredible. many of you know that last year i joined the board of until journey's end. we support families in medical crisis that are being treated away from home. this organization is a blessing to many people's lives, including my own. we have been generously blessed within the past week. we were chosen to receive proceeds from a t-shirt sale. please check out the unfolding post and read what this is all about. this link will take you to a blog that we began following as an organization last year. we ended up sending this family a care package when their son stellan was being hospitalized. they kindly remembered the work that we do and decided to have a fundraiser for us. we are grateful for their generosity. if i may say so myself, these shirts are pretty darn cool! i plan to get one myself. i encourage you to do the same! if you end up purchasing one, tiffany and i are going to throw a little party and invite everyone to wear their t-shirts. stay tuned for updates! thanks for your support!

2009-05-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

The beautiful bossoms are in bloom at the apple orchard down the road. I always love this time of year. The temps are comfortable and the air is fresh. The boys loved roaming the rows of trees. Payton is now 3 and Hudson is 19 months. I'm thankful for the friendship and bond that the boys have. Payton can't get enough of hide and seek. He likes knock - knock jokes too. Hudson continues to have ear infections. We'll be taking him in to get his hearing checked in a few weeks. We're looking forward to warm weather and sunshine this summer! We're ready to hop in the pool too. The bath tub is getting quite small for Payton and his swimming tricks!

2009-05-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

2nd annual burning of the Christmas tree!

Jamming in the car

Headed to Church on Easter Sunday Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

julia's attempt at a bunny cake!

payton and hudson easter bunny visit wow, what a fabulous past few weeks! it's been a whirlwind of events worth sharing about! last week sunday brandon turned 30 years old! he was down in san antonio for a work conference. thanks to lots of help from others, i was able to surprise brandon while he was busy at work! i flew down for 48 hours of fun and time spent together. aunt allison and uncle henry joined in on the fun and helped me in surprising brandon. brandon said it's the greatest surprise he's ever experienced. phew, i was so glad it was a success. this past weekend mark, elizabeth, tommy and olivia visited. we had an easter egg hunt, met the easter bunny, and played a whole lot! going to bed tonight was easy. two exhausted boys had a super fun weekend!

2009-03-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

having fun at the nature center

a happy lil' three year old

standing by the horses that bite!

trying to pet the chickens

Our vacation has ended. The 11 fun filled days brought us to several places. We started our travel early in the morning and ventured to Buckhead, Georgia. We then headed to Orlando and enjoyed a day at Disney. It was then time for a little work for Brandon as we headed to Jacksonville, Florida. After the meetings were finished we hopped in the van again and drove to beautiful Hilton Head Island. We walked the gorgeous beach side and enjoyed their yummy crab legs at Aunt Chilada's and then enjoyed a quick lunch in Savannah, Georgia with a few good friends. The fun didn't end there! Asheville, North Carolina was the final stop before arriving at Elizabeth's in Dayton, Ohio. We enjoyed the sunshine and the changes of scenery. Everyone loved the animals at the nature center and farm. It's was nice to enjoy the outdoors without having to bundle up! The kids loved hanging out together in Mark and Elizabeth's new house. Now we're home sweet home and catching up with life!

2009-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

2009-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, the fun just doesn't stop! We're still in Florida and are enjoying every single second of it. We began the adventure by hopping into a van! Yup, we drove down to Florida in our friends lovely van. I've been spoiled by the automatic start, automatic doors, and lots and lots of storage room! Brandon had a conference scheduled in Jacksonville and had to bring some work items with him so we packed up and headed to Florida. We stayed in Orlando for one night and enjoyed a day at Disney. We had a great experience and the boys loved every minute of it. Both boys LOVED the characters. They were so friendly to us and loved receiving hugs and hand shakes. We then traveled to Jacksonville where we're staying for the week. Brandon has long days. He leaves at 7am and returns back to the room at 10pm. Long day of meetings for him, wonderful fun days for us! The boys and I have been hanging out at local attraction spots. It's a bit chilly though so we've been finding fun things to do indoors. We ventured to the beach yesterday and went shelling. No bathing suits for us... it was in the high 40's. We're brave! That's it for now. We're busy memory making on Payton and Hudson's first trip to Florida!

2009-01-29T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's hard to believe Hudson is already 15 months old. Weeks are flying by faster than we can seem to keep up with. Hudson is a great climber. He's sure to win any contest that would involve climbing or getting into things! He has great balance and can walk across virtually anything. 10 seconds of not watching him and he's into something right away. He keeps us on our toes but that's what kid's do, right? Payton and Hudson are into playing with their trains. They inherited their cousin Tommy's train set. Tommy has quite the set. It's a collection that was a few years in the making. Some are battery operated. These are Hudson's favorite. His eyes light up as he watches the trains circle round the track. It's so much fun watching our boys grow. Each day brings something new, a bit more than yesterday brought. It's fun to imagine the future when they're grown up. Then it's sad for a moment to think that these times won't last forever.

2009-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Fun in the winter outdoors! Wow, it's been extra chilly here in good ol' Grand Rapids. We've been keeping busy. Elizabeth and her fam came to town last weekend for our Christmas celebration. The kids had more fun than ever outside in the snow. The fresh new 4 inches this past weekend helped us enjoy winters beauty. Do any of you like Brandon's specs? Payton wore the snowboarding goggles and I suggested that Brandon try my sunglasses out! Nice and pretty Brandon.

2008-12-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

two snaps from tim and caren's wedding

2008-12-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

A few photos from little Miss Olivia. She was a perfect baby. She made it through the session without crying!

2008-12-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning smiles

Payton's first letter to Santa. I'd say it was more of a drawing!

Sprinkling reindeer dust and food for Santa's reindeer

Looking a little sick here

A guitar just Payton's size

Our Christmas celebration started on Christmas eve at the Himmelspach's. We ate yummy food, sang Christmas carols, opened presents and watched the kids play and play and play. We continued celebrating when we arrived home. Payton wrote a special letter to Santa and sprinkled reindeer dust and food outside. Payton told me for two weeks straight that he wanted to leave Santa broccoli, grape juice, and popcorn Christmas Eve night. That is exactly what we did and Santa ate everything except a small bite! Christmas morning was full of excitement. My idea of giving an easel to Payton wasn't such a great idea after all. He could have cared less about it! Nana spoiled the boys with so many wonderful gifts. We'll be having fun for weeks! Our friends came over later on in the day and we enjoyed a delicious Christmas feast together. We had big plans to go to the movies. Payton was excited to see Marley and Me. He loves ANYTHING involving animals. Unfortunately, after a long Christmas nap, Payton awoke to a 102 degree temperature. The diagnosis today was bronchitis and an inner ear infection. Poor little buddy. Get well soon Payton! He keeps telling me he has "bless you's"

2008-12-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

That's shaggy on the top! We had a HUGE snow storm on Friday that had us outside and in the snow. Lola joined in on the adventure and was covered from head to toe in snow! The family enjoyed playing on the outdoor SUMMER toy. This one didn't make it into winter storage this year. Thanks goodness it didn't! Lola climbed right on up the slide and so did Payton. Does it look like winter brings us joy? We're having a blast!

2008-12-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas Lights.... I never dreamed Christmas lights could bring a child such joy. As we were driving home from a shopping trip last week, we came up on a super festive neighborhood. I've never witnessed someone hyperventilating but for a moment I began to think Payton was showing signs. He was overjoyed. As we "crawled" through the neighborhood, Payton would yell STOP whenever he saw a house with lights. He took several seconds at each house to stop and gaze at the bright lights. He was amazed at such a simple pleasure. It reminded me that there are times (especially at this time of year) that I need to stop. Stop to enjoy all the simple joys around me. May you enjoy these as well. Merry always and Happy everything!

2008-12-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

Blurry picture, happy boys. We visited Santa yesterday and I was uncertain of how it would go. Last year Hudson was much too young and Payton had tears the entire time. Payton LOVED Santa this year and he told him everyhing that he wanted. There was no line and Santa took at least 5 minutes with us. A great experience for sure. HO, HO, HO!

2008-12-11T14:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was like no other. We ended up not leaving the house. Payton came down with the flu and we ended up cooking up a storm! Before Mom Arlene passed away about 2 years ago, she gave us her pierogi recipe. Brandon has talked about his Mom making these delicious homemade delicacies. It would take her the day to prepare and make them. Brandon and I headed to the kitchen and gave it a try. They turned out delicious and we worked great as a team. Later on we made potato latkes. Thanks Mom Brooks for a delicious old recipe. If only she would have been there to enjoy them with us...

2008-12-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

We've had a fun week in the Brooks house. We've been outdoors every day. We tried building a snowman but we had a hard time! The snow wasn't exactly packing snow so we ended up with a large "mound" of snow. Payton now has his own shovel and he really tries to help us out. We had a play date today and realized that Fredrick Meijer Gardens has their outdoor gardens open during the winter. We bundled up and enjoyed the beautiful Michigan outdoors.

2008-12-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Happy third Birthday Olivia! We had a sweet little party for a big girl last weekend. Olivia looked so pretty in her pink dress. Elizabeth made a beautiful cake and cupcakes for the occasion. We had an extra long weekend down in Dayton. We left Wednesday and had a fun filled time. Payton loved the airforce museum. We also enjoyed visiting Elizabeth and Marks new house. They haven't moved in yet but they are looking forward to moving in before Christmas.

2008-10-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

Goofy... I know! Our church had a halloween party last Saturday. Aren't we cute?

2008-10-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

Bath time is fun time! We spent 45 minutes in the bath tonight enjoying every minute. The boys have the best time together. Payton loves showing his brother new tricks. Tonight, they both drank far too much bath water. YUCK!

2008-10-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Non stop action! Payton was one lucky boy last week. His Nana and Uncle Riley drove him down to spend a few days with his cousins in Ohio. Payton had no interest in talking to his Mommy while he was down there. He was having far too much fun. Aunt Elizabeth kept them quite busy and I know he had loads of fun. Payton wants to come back soon to make more memories!

2008-10-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall Ya'll!

2008-10-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

The kids were all smiles at Hudson's first birthday. We headed to Ohio to join my sister and her family. Our weekend was packed full of fun. Hudson's birthday was Sunday and it was almost 80 degrees outside. We headed to a nearby park to celebrate. Anthony, Natalie, and Anna Mae drove in from Kentucky to help celebrate. Hudson dug into the frosting and loved every bite. Hudson has added so much love to our family. His smile is contagious and we love to hear him sing and giggle. It's hard to believe just 365 days ago he joined our family. Payton likes having a little brother around. I cannot imagine what it will be like when Hudson can actually fight back. Payton isn't always "gentle" with him. Our weekend brought us to Tommy's soccer game. We had fun watching Tommy kick the ball and be a part of his team. Elizabeth and Mark are always hospitable. We love visiting and spending time with them. Brandon took Monday off and we were able to enjoy an extended stay in Dayton. We hope you're enoying the Fall. Our tree out front is a bright beautiful yellow and orange!

2008-09-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

A very happy birthday was had in our household! Everyone made such a big deal this year! I had many surprises. We enjoyed lunch at my favorite Mexican restaraunt in town. Payton and Hudson weren't necessarily on their best behavior but we managed to have a good time. Payton decided he didn't want to eat his lunch. Instead, he spent his time cutting his tortilla chips. Ever tried to cut a tortilla chip? I know what you're thinking. Yes, it made a big mess. My Mom gave me a few hours to go enjoy a little me time away from the kids. I chose to visit Hobby Lobby. I love that place. I spent one hour there. I am pretty sure I walked through each and every aisle. I then visited Wal-Mart. That place is huge. I actually had time to look through their home goods section. Did you know Martha Stewart has her line there? When I arrived home the table was set beautifully by my Mom. She made chicken piccata over fettuccine. Yum Yum. My Birthday cake was yummy and everyone enjoyed it. As you can see, Hudson enjoyed every bite. His hair and face had a taste too! My family spoiled me with a Cricut. I've been wanting one for quite some time now. Scrapbooking will never be the same. Watch out! Thanks Mom, Brandon, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Olivia! Thanks to everyone for the nice Birthday wishes too. It's good to be loved!

2008-09-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fun filled weekend at our household. Grandma Madeline and Great Grandma Sally visited. Elizabeth snuck away too from Ohio and brought Tommy and Olivia. We missed Mark but look forward to seeing him in a few weeks. Elizabeth and I were so lucky to have our Grandma growing up. We were able to reminisce together with thoughts of our upbringing. Grandma Madeline was always there for us. She opened her and Papa's home to us several times weekly. You can only imagine how lonely it must have been for my Mom after my Dad died when I was 3. Dinners weren't quite the same and time alone for my Mom wasn't very often. Grandma was extra special. She'd take Elizabeth and I for the weekends. We loved painting our nails and doing hair. Grandma played the piano and sang with us. She took us to Sunday school and had us over for dinner. We will never forget the delicious Italian meals she used to make. We were spoiled this weekend by Grandma's cooking. She showed us how to make her homemade spaghetti sauce and salad dressing. She also made "pasta fazul." Mmm, I'm getting hungry just writing about it! Everyone left this afternoon. Payton is wondering if his Grandma and Cousins are comin' up again soon. How sweet! A fun family weekend has now come to an end. Hope yours was a good one too.

2008-09-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Payton received some special treatment at the county fair! This is Jack. He's a draft horse and Payton was so lucky to be able to ride him.

Payton liked the goats This is so much fun!

2008-09-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

How sweet is this?

Hudson liked the animals too! One gigantic cow Animal cruelty? I'm unsure but Payton sure thought he was cute. Last week we visited the Allegan County Fair. I've been several times but not for many years. This was Payton and Hudson's first County Fair experience. Payton couldn't have been more enthused! A great big John Deere tractor greeted us and took us from our car to the fair grounds. Payton thought this was fantastic. He could have cared less about the carnival food and rides. He LOVED all of the live animals. He kept telling each horse "nice to meet you horsey." Talk about cute. He enjoyed every second of it. Nana came along and was a big help with the kiddos. Hudson stayed in his stroller the entire time and took it all in. I'm certain this will be the first of MANY visits to summer fairs. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

2008-09-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Do I look like a Little Tikes Fan?

Get me outta' here! Mr. Raspberry Boy Mmm, mmm, good! We had a great day for raspberry picking. Payton helped pick berries and pushed Hudson around in his stroller. Payton's first word was raspberry so as you can imagine, he likes them very much! We've still been managing to keep quite busy. Payton's still doing well with potty training. I tribute it to the candy he gets after each potty break. We've been a bit under the weather all week. Hudson is getting his third tooth. There are times I wish babies were born with teeth. That way they wouldn't have to teethe. His temperature has been high and his diaper rash uncomfortable. We look forward to feeling better soon. We wish you all good health!

2008-09-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just met with my friend Tiffany at a local coffee shop to talk about the non-profit she started. A few months back she asked me to be a member of the board. I've mentioned a few things about Until Journey's End before. I've been learning more and more about Tiffany as we've had meetings and have had a few get togethers. I was so inspired by our conversation tonight. Tiffany and her husband Jason adopted their two adorable children. Hannah and Isaac are simply adorable. Tiffany began talking about Until Journey's End and what we are about. The word KINDNESS came up more times than I can count while we were conversing. How hard is it to be kind? How often do we show kindness? Random acts can increase your happiness, I am convinced of this. When Tiffany goes to Meijer Hannah enjoys riding the horse at the front of the store. Tiffany always gives Hanna two pennies. One for Hanna and the other to share with another child. Why have I not thought about doing this with Payton? What a fabulous way to teach kindness. I want my children to be kind. I want them to share and be a blessing to others. Tiffany was at the coffee shop the other day and was having a challenging moment with Hannah. just then Tiffany approached the cash register and gave the clerk some cash. She said "this is for the next mom that comes in with a crying child." Wow, Tiffany I look up to you for being so kind. I learned a lot from you and hope I can begin sharing the kindness we all have to give. Hope Revolution has a fun little site to get us thinking about this sort of thing.

2008-09-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Loving my new kitchen! Hudson and Payton both are in love with their new kitchen. When I think back to my youth years, my kitchen was certainly one of my favorite toys. We still have photos of me transferring real flour from the house kitchen to my fake kitchen. In this photo, Hudson is enjoying his delicious "plastic" hamburger. There's a grill on the other side of the kitchen. Brandon was just mentioning today that Payton has changed so much in the past week. He's talking up a storm and his sentences and words are so clear. He's always saying to me "Mommy, My happy birthday comin' up soon?" I have to tell him yes, it's soon, but Hudson's will be here first. Payton is pretty much potty trained which is wonderful! I say pretty much because he hasn't had an accident yet. Today we had our first experience with a port-a-potty. We both did quite well. Luckily, the air freshener was quite strong. Hudson is wanting to walk. He stands there but isn't quite into taking steps. He's still loving Payton and laughs at Payton when he's being silly. I've put away most of the summer clothes and have gotten out the pants and sweatshirts. It's hard to believe that colder weather is upon us. It's been a fun and eventful summer. We made so many fun memories with friends and family!

2008-09-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

Payton looks as if he is up to something in this photo. Mommy isn't quite sure what it is but she continues to keep and eye on him.

Look Mommy, I'm tipping Baby Hudson back in his stroller. This is so funny. Maybe I should leave him here like this! No worries, Hudson absolutely loved this. He thought it was hilarious!

2008-09-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Mom update:

Feeling much better. After 2 weeks of pain and all out bed rest, Mom is up and walking again. She's staying away from excessive walking and activity. Payton loved spending time with his Nana while she was recuperating. Payton is smiling silly in this photo. As you can see, he has stolen his brothers bottle and is enjoying every sip.

The Kargenian's had a yummy garden this summer. They've shared the fruits of their labor with us! I thought this one deserved a photo. Sunny skies shining on Hudson. He's hiding in this photo but still manages to look cute.

Brandons New Corner of the Web

2008-08-29T11:43:00.001-07:00

Having fun with some web experiments. Come visit and tell your husbands, boyfriends, anyone interested.

View my page on Kick Back-Relax-Press Play

2008-08-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Daddy watched me for the day and brought me to church in my brother's shirt. I think I fit nicely into it. In fact, I even wore my glasses to top it off. I'm feelin' good! -Payton

2008-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Still smiling like a goof-ball

Fun times after a summer bath Crazy hair award It's sad to think that summer is soon over. We're trying to squeeze as much fun as we can out of these last few weeks of summer. The boys are doing great. We're constantly moving and never sitting still. Hudson now enjoys opening cupboards and pulling anything off of any table or flat surface. He loves saying Da-Da and mumbling little words. Hudson is extremely dependant on his naps. Without them, he's a bit difficult to be around. Bed time is a strict 7:30 or 8:00. Pass this time and you'll be sorry! Our church meets at 6pm on Sunday evenings. A special thanks to all that have to deal with him during his sleepy time. He isn't always the happiest baby in the nursery. Payton is a happy little man. He loves riding his bike outdoors and kicking his soccer ball. He has a new love for tee-ball. He's pretty good and accurate. We're almost certain he's a lefty like his Mom. He's still calling me "Julia". I thought it was a phase he would pass through quickly. I'm beginning to think otherwise. He's been on this kick for about 3 months now. Brandon is on week 2 of his new job. He's signed one pharmacy so far to sell the product. He continues to search the market and seek out pharmacies. We're excited to have some new "neighbors". Josh, Shelly, Noah, Zoe, and Ephram will be just a few blocks away now. They have such a fun and wonderful family. Sending good wishes for a fabulous weekend!

2008-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

My Mom had surgery this morning. I just spoke with the Doc and he said everything went fantastic. She'll be in the hospital until tomorrow. She'll be unable to lift anything over 20 lbs. for 6 weeks. This means no piggy back rides and airplane rides from Nana! Get well soon Mom. We're praying for a speedy fast recovery.

2008-08-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Holland Blueberry Picking

2008-08-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

silly little camper

i love this! part of our camping group being silly at camp concordia

2008-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

It seems that our family blog has been placed on the back burner. I frequently think about updating but can’t seem to find the time. Our summer has been exciting. It’s been full of activities, family, and friends. Our family reunion was in Ann Arbor two weeks ago. It was great having all the kids together and reuniting with family we haven’t seen in awhile. After the reunion, we came back to Grand Rapids and had a house full of fun. My Aunt and her girls stayed the night along with Elizabeth, Mark, Tommy, Olivia, and Uncle Riley. It certainly was wonderful to have everyone together. Uncle Riley woke up extra early to take a bike ride with Lola. He had been talking about the 60-mile bike ride he took the day before. Wow, what a LONG ride! Uncle Riley said Lola was a perfect Dog and followed right along with him. This is a miracle. Lola isn’t usually good about staying close. We visited the zoo and Fredrick Meijer Gardens. We made some fantastic memories and I snapped a few too many pictures. Just days after the family left we joined several members of our church on a camping weekend. We decided to tent camp with two adults and two children with two pack and plays in our tent. Some say we are brave, others think we are nuts. All in all, we had a great time. We cooked dinner over the campfire and gathered round to enjoy good friends and conversation. Last Sunday we held a housewarming for Josh and Shelly Buck. Their entire family is a constant encouragement for my life. Their faith is something I cannot begin to explain. At the completion of the party Josh prayed. He compassionately thanked God for everything He has provided for their family. If you’ve read our blog before, you understand that this family has been dealt more than most of us will ever experience in a lifetime. Josh and Shelly continue to thank God even in the trying times. It is during times like these that most would turn their back and lose all faith. Josh and Shelly have shown me that this is not an option. Please continue to pray for their family. They are moving to a new home in just over a week. New challenges come with change and it’s my prayer that they overcome the obstacles and become stronger because of them.

Brandon has had the last week and a half off. For those of you who haven’t heard, he left his job with Marriott for an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Jeff and Christine Chamberlain are friends of ours from church. A few months back Jeff approached Brandon and asked him if he’d be interested in a sales job. After weeks of talks and praying, we decided to accept the position. Brandon is now working for Honey, don’t cough llc. Check out the website for all the details. www.honeydontcough.com It’s a product we believe in and Brandon is excited to start the new position this week. We’re looking forward to a 9-5 job. To be honest, I cannot even fathom what it will be like. I’m so used to Brandon coming home at 2:30am. It wasn’t unusual for him to work 72-hour weeks. Marriott was a fabulous opportunity. I will forever have great thoughts of the company. Besides the long hours, the perks were incredible. Brandon created some life long friendships. Upon leaving the hotel, the staff wrote Brandon a poem. They also signed a gigantic wine glass for him with best wishes for his future. I’m proud of Brandon for all of his hard work and I’m certain he will be successful with this new position. Wow, this amounts to an entire page of single-spaced, size 8 font, writing. It wasn’t a novel, just a few weeks of catch up blog

2008-07-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Fun in the sun with Aunt Allison and her girls! My Aunt Allison is also my Godmother. She lives a long distance away but we've always found a way to stay close. Her girls are so sweet and adorable. We enjoyed the 95 degree day today out on the beach. I have to admit, I've been terrible about going to the beach this year. We are so fortunate to have the beach nearby. I hope to utilize it more throughout the remainder of the summer. Today was Hudson's first beach experience. The water was a bit cold for him at first and he seemed a little stunned as the water washed up onto his legs. It didn't take long though before he was smiling and enjoying himself. He had a few mouth fulls of sand and didn't seem to mind it. Payton stayed out of the water and chased the seagulls and birds. He enjoyed digging and crawling through the sand.

2008-07-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Future hockey player? Hudson was sporting his hockey "jamas" on the porch a few days ago. We're leaving the contact sports to Hudson. The Doc told us Payton shouldn't participate in them. Payton can play golf like his Daddy. We'd love for him to do that! Congratulations to the Hosford's and the VanHorn's. Both families had sweet little babies this past week. May God bless them as they welcome these new lives into their homes. Babies are such a blessing!

2008-07-23T17:55:00.000-07:00

Christine owns A Chroma Salon. She began doing my hair my Freshman year of High School. It took a crew to help out with Hudson! Baby's first haircut! Today we brought Hudson in to get a little trim. Wow, things went quite quickly. Hudson is a few days shy of being 10 months old. It's impossible to hold him down for any period of time. He's a mover for sure! He is a master at crawling and loves pulling himself up on anything within arms reach. Payton is doing well. He is still calling me Julia and I'm still trying to correct him. I've been told it's just a phase and that he'll soon grow out of it. It's been a busy few weeks. Our family reunion is quickly approaching. We will join family from around the United States in Ann Arbor the first weekend in August. It will be great fun for everyone!

2008-07-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Bath time with my boys. Both of these little guys just crack me up. I took these photos at the beginning of the bath because they were having the time of their lives. Payton had requested I give him his sippy cup while he was in the bath. I didn't see a problem with it so I gave both boys a sippy cup. They thought this was quite fun and they proceeded to share cups, have fun, and wrinkle up their toes. Twenty minutes later, Payton began taking Hudson's cup. This resulted in a few tears. Tears then turned into screams. I just happened to take video of it on my phone. Two cute boys in a tub having tantrums... way too funny. I just have to share something that happened Thursday. Hudson was crawling on the floor in the kitchen. I noticed he was chewing on a small item that I hadn't given him. I approached him and removed it from his mouth. Immediately, I realized what it was that he was chewing on. Are you ready for this? He was chewing on Lola's toe nail. Apparently, Lola lost an entire nail on her foot. Hudson found it and thought it was yummy. Hopefully it's not meal time for anyone reading this. My appetite left me for several hours after this incidence. Hudson is feeling fine... no harm done except for a grossed out Mommy!

2008-07-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Tommy had a Kung-Fu Panda Party

Big Happy Smiles To say the least... it was quite difficult photographing 4 children Delicious, Hudson! We're back from Ohio and we had a blast. The weather wasn't great but it certainly didn't ruin our time. We spent lots of time as a family. Elizabeth and Mark were great hosts as always. We were even able to spend extra time with Mark being that it was a holiday weekend. One rainy night we took the short trip to the brand new IKEA. Wow, what a marvelous time we had! We were brave and brought all of the kids. We didn't arrive until 7pm so we really were quite brave! We had 3 adults and 4 kids shopping. We picked up a few fun items and are ready to go back for more! There is such a huge selection of fun stuff for the home. Tommy's Birthday was a complete success. Panda cupcakes and Mai Tai punch were on the menu. The oriental salad and teriyaki chicken skewers were yummy. Elizabeth is quite the party planner. The fireworks were fun for everyone. Even Hudson watched the ENTIRE show without making a peep. Payton's favorite were the pink fireworks. Now it's back to cleaning up the house and de-cluttering. Hudson is on the move and crawling EVERYWHERE. He's enjoying his freedom by pulling himself up on anything he can find. Payton and Hudson are still buddies. Payton has been great at entertaining Hudson in the car. This is a big help to me!

2008-06-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Loving my freedom!

Pajamas on the deck!

Would you agree with me that Hudson looks just about as big as Payton? My goodness, Hudson has grown by leaps in the past month! He's outgrown everything. We're trying to get used to this. Payton was always such a little tyke. He followed his age for clothing. Hudson on the other hand is completely different. In just the past few days I've found myself having so much fun with both of them. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy being with them but it's even better when I can sit back and watch them play together. Yes, I said it... they are now playing together. For months Payton has not liked Hudson very much. Payton would much rather have the attention on himself than his little Brother, who wouldn't? I think he has turned around though. He calls him "Baby Hudson" all of the time. He enjoys picking out toys for him and handing them to him. He tried to teach him how to do a somersault today! Talk about cute. We're looking forward to our weekend having Brandon home. He's off for the entire weekend! Yippee! The first time in 7 months.

2008-06-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

2008-06-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

My hair is out of control! Do you believe he had open heart surgery less than three weeks ago? Brandon and Payton by the HUGE horse Fred and Lena... they made this amazing garden possible! Running over the bridge Ahh... there's something about a Michigan summer! It's 8:45 and it is still perfectly light outside. Still plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors. The Brooks family is doing quite well. Payton is now calling me "Julia". I guess it is fitting. He hears everyone else calling me by it so why can't he? I do remind him that I am Mom. I find that he calls me Mom once and if I don't listen he then resorts to calling me Julia. Hudson is now crawling. He is loving the freedom of being able to explore. He crawled into the kitchen today as I was making dinner. I thought this was so cute. No longer does he sit in front of his toys and play by himself. He now wants to pull drawers open and take his brother's toys. I'm ok with this! I've just fallen in love all over again with both boys. The summer brings so much joy to life. Being outdoors brings a sense of calm to all of us. Yesterday we joined Amy, Isaiah, and Samuel at Fredrick Meijer Gardens. I think others will join me in saying that it's simply amazing there. God's creation is around the entire place. The flower beds are perfectly groomed, nature is present everywhere you look, and it's quiet. You can play in so many different places. It's never the same adventure twice! We're looking forward to the Holiday weekend. Elizabeth's son Tommy is turning 4 so we'll be joining them in Ohio for the celebration. Brandon will stay home for work and he'll tend to the puppies! 4 puppies down, 5 to go!

2008-06-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, the bill arrived today. It came sooner than we thought but we knew before long it would come. When Payton was first diagnosed just days after he was born, we knew that the expense of having surgery would not be low. We didn't think much about it. You simply cannot put a price on your child's life. You take care of things as they arise. The total bill for the 4 days at the hospital follows: ICU= $3820.00 Semi= $1310.00 Pharmacy= $1880.77 IV Solutions= $202.00 Medical - Surgical Supplies= $ 7450.00 Sterile Supplies= $802.00 Laboratory = $2142.00 Diagnostic X-Ray= $461.00 Operating/Treatment Room = $8,121.00 Anesthesia= $3,478.00 Blood Storage Processing = $445.00 Respiratory Services = $127.00 Pulmonary Function = $639.00 Cardiology = $639.00 EKG/ECG Telemetry = $3,044.00 Special Hospital Meal = $6.00 Grand Total : $35,356.77 Wow, quite the bill. We are so blessed though. When I looked at the bill and saw the total that we owed, I began to laugh. I really did. Brandon heard me and wanted to know what I was laughing about. I was laughing because the total that we owed was $6. Yes, $6. I'm going to leave this one for Brandon... he ordered himself a meal one night while I had gone to the hotel to get some rest.I just can't believe it! I am still seeing God work through all of this. If Payton had the procedure done when he was supposed to have, our expenses would have been through the roof. We would have been paying for years to come. Instead we were given some time. Given time to trust and believe. Time to realize that no matter what the circumstance, we would come through all of this stronger. We decided to let God be in control. By doing this, our faith has grown and we can see how He was by our side with each step. We know He will continue to guide us when we look to Him for direction. Payton had a follow up appointment with Dr. Lee, our pediatric cardiologist on Monday. Dr. Lee was extremely pleased with the results of Payton's surgery. He does not expect any future surgeries. There is a tiny bit of leakage from the patched hole. This was expected and normal and should close with time. He would like to see us back in 6 months.

2008-06-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my husband and friend! Brandon has been working so hard lately. He frequently leaves for work at 2pm and does not return home until 2am. He pulls some long hours and shifts. The boys and I miss him when he is gone but we are extra thankful when he is home! Brandon's commitment to provide for our family is outstanding. He gives everything his all and is an extremely hard worker. I'm so blessed to have him as a husband and daddy for my boys. We're both talking of a much needed family vacation! Any ideas?

2008-06-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm a champ! Hudson loves the puppies too! Well. here we are again! It's been a few days off of blogging but we're back. It's been a fun filled week with lots of energy used in our front yard! We've met pretty much all of our neighbors. I counted yesterday and we had 13 people over. The neighbor kids love the puppies. Kendall is one of the neighbor girls. She has named every single one of the 9 puppies. She plays baseball with Payton and carries on a conversation like an adult. She's a 5th grader. Payton plays like a normal 2 year old. When we tell people he just had surgery most of them don't believe me. He's doing so well. Yesterday I had to stop him from jumping off a large rock on our front berm. He doesn't stop! I think he left his sharing abilities back at the hospital though. He's had a hard time sharing his toys with his brother and friends. We're working on this. I think the extra love and attention in the hospital has something to do with this. Overall, we are amazed at his progress. He is our brave little boy. We're visiting the Pediatrician next Monday. They will remove his dressings on his chest and his stitch from his chest tube. We then will head to the Pediatric Cardiologist to check out his heart. We're looking forward to hearing great news from his Grand Rapids Docs!

2008-06-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

I just can't stand that sad little photo of Payton. This photo was taken just one day before leaving for Ann Arbor. We can't wait to be back outside playing again soon!

2008-06-02T12:03:00.001-07:00

We are communicating with friends and family through Payton's care page. If you'd like to receive updates and pictures of Payton, please email me at Julia132@aol.com and I will add you to the update list. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR CARE AND CONCERN! We are so blessed by our family and friends. http://www.carepages.com/ServeCarePage?cpn=PaytonBrooks&ipc=pinviteemailtemplate

2008-05-28T14:24:00.000-07:00