Utah Bound Possibly

Just a quick update. Brooks got into Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. So, here is the game plan for our family at the moment. He has an interview in Nashville next Monday so we will be going to that. We will then see if he gets into Nashville and Richmond, VA before we make our selection. Unfortunately, our first picks we will not hear back from til early next year and we only have a month to hold his spot there in Utah. Now, I am so focused on getting the house ready for sale. Our plan is to have it on the market February 1st. We will not move until June 1st at the earliest due to allowing the kids finish school and Brooks has to finish his school here as well. It is starting to hit hard for me to realize the many people we will be leaving when we do move. So many great people have become apart of our lives here.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Well, here it is. The picture that everyone has been asking to see. Last year was a hit with doing the theme Snow White and the seven dwarfs so I think many had some high expectations on what we were going to do this year. Although, I still feel like nothing can top last years theme this year was pretty fun to do with the kids. It was amazing on how well they all picked their characters out and no one argued about who was going to be who. First, everyone pointed out that Lindsey just had to be Dorothy because she had brown hair. So, I went along with that one and did not feel the need to continue on about how someone could wear a brown wig. Then Hannah already knew she wanted to be Glinda the good witch because last year (as you can even see in the pic) the whole dwarf thing did not go over too well with her and so I promised her that next year she can be a pretty princess of some sort. So, Glinda the good witch it is for Hannah. Then Emily wanted to be the bad witch because she wanted to paint her face green. She loved the idea of having a green face. Too cute. The boys picked their characters out and it's so funny because they picked the exact ones that I felt went with their personalities. The only issue we had was what Alyssa was going to be. So, for many weeks she was going to be a flying monkey. Since costumes were hard to come by and I found it hard to really search things out and be creative this year. We went with a last minute costume for her. A lolly pop kid.

In the end everything came together well and Halloween was a blast for our family. The kids hurried to each house collecting their goods. Toward the last couple blocks Hannah started in on saying she was done and ready to go home. She did this as well last year. Stating that she had plenty of candy and did not need any more. She is such a ham - oh how much I love this girl. When we got home Brooks did the honors of going through and checking the candy and pulling all the bubble gum out - yuck. I hate that stuff. If I had things my way there would be no more bubble gum in the world. LOL!!! Of course, we let them reap some benefits of their labors that night. Then off to the showers they went. had to get all that face paint off before bed. Which by the way was not a fun event. Poor Austin had it rough for some reason I washed his face several times before the orange tint was gone. He's a trooper though.

Halloween this year was by far the greatest one for me so far as a parent. They knew what was going on what to expect and they really got into the whole dress up thing as well. So fun!!! Plus, we got to enjoy it with cousins Alexis and Maddy (who were dressed up so very cute as well or should I say spooky). The kids have requested Peter Pan next year. I was kinda shooting for the whole Alice in Wonderland theme myself. Who knows what we will be next year!!!!

Christmas Once Again CD

For six years now I have come to love and appreciate the music sung by Hilary Weeks. She is an amazing singer and artist. Many of her songs have touched me in ways that has uplifted my life. I have had the privilege to hear and meet her in person and have walked away feeling inspired and uplifted. She has a new CD out called "Christmas Once Again". As I have enjoyed many of her other Cd's I am sure this CD is just as good as well. If you would like to add this CD to your holiday collection you can do so by going to http://deseretbook.com/hilaryweeks .

What Dolls

Here is a picture of the girls and their Lee Middleton Dolls that I have collected for them over the years. Two of them were originally mine then the other two came from my mom. Alyssa's doll was my first one I got from my mother when I was a pre-teen. A lady at my church back then had a baby girl and named her Alyssa and I just thought that was way too cute so Alyssa was my new dolls name as well. And now it belongs to my daughter, who's name is Alyssa. Then Lindsey's doll is one that I picked up because I just thought it was a cute doll and it became Lindsey's when she was the only one with brown hair. LOL. Hannah's doll came from my mother and we both thought it suited her because in the summer months she attends to get a reddish tint to her hair. I just received Emily's doll. My mother gave it too her knowing that we still needed one more doll with blonde hair. So, there it is. They all finally got them each a doll. Yeah!! Big thank you to my mom for the help in getting the remainder ones together!! The girls love them and it is way too cute to watch them care and handle them just as gently as you would a newborn baby.

Six Years Ago Today

I am so in awe of how fast time goes by. It is so very hard to believe that the quints are now six. This morning I was remembering their birth and the feelings I felt that morning. As any new mother-to-be I was very excited about their arrivals but I can recall that my fear and the prayer in my heart was full of another feeling. Worry. I remember being wheeled back into surgery and my mind was very heavy with the concerns and worries of their health conditions. Knowing that they were going to be premature and that there were complications to that. When sweet little Alyssa was born I was so looking forward to hearing a cry but instead she was rushed out of the delivery room and into the NICU which was right out the door. The same thing happened to each baby as they were delivered. I did not see any of them at the moment which was very hard but I did in fact get to hear one of them squeal. Austin the last one made a small squeal after he was delivered. This is one of best sounds I think a mother can ever hear. Once all the babies were delivered and in the Nicu I awaited the news of their conditions, weights, and all of that information. A NICU nurse came in with all the stats of the babies weights and measurements written on her hand. As she started rubbling off baby A 3.9 pounds, Baby B 3.0 pounds, Baby C 3.4 pounds, Baby D 3.1 pounds, and Baby E 3.9 pounds all I could remember is are they all breathing on their own. To me having them all breathing on their own was a relief sign. She answered was a yes (course some were still on cpap to help but no vents). Once hearing that news I felt a since of peace and relief. I said a prayer of gratitude that these babies are here and they are all breathing and doing okay.

I was wheeled to recovery and still not able to see my bundles of joy so my dear sweet husband brought me the camera so I could see them along with some pictures that the nurses took of them for me. After my time in recovery was up they wheeled me through the NICU so I could see my babies. So tiny and all hooked up to monitors. I could not wait to hold them but I was not able to do so until that following day. The first time I got to hold these little ones is a moment in my life that I will never forget. I then realized just how much my Father in Heaven loves me and how much trust he had in me to care and to love these children. I also realized just how much others around me loved these babies and how very lucky our family was to have so many great people apart of our lives. On this day, not only do I celebrate the quints birthday but I take a moment to celebrate the ones who helped get them here and who took very good care of them. NICU nurses are angels and they do have a very great gift with these tiny little babies and their families. I am so grateful for Dr. Banias and for his great support and his daily visits and the positive and upbeat attitude he had for me. So thank you for everyone who was there to support and to help me and my little ones six years ago.

Carving pumpkins with our Awesome Neighbors!!

Our amazing and so well loved neighbors (I am saying these things because I know they read this, LOL) No seriously, we love these ladies (Sharon and Phyllis) and have been so blessed to have them in our lives. One day they came home from running their errands. As Sharon haulered out her car window at me, "we have a pumpkin for the kids". Great! Something that I have not done for them yet at all. My mind has been so caught up in their birthday celebration plans and the Halloween costume ordeal that carving a pumpkin was not a priority at that moment for me but a must have for kids though. So, the neighbors brought over the big round pumpkin as well as the tools to do it with which was great--easy clean-up for me, HA! HA! Lindsey cracked me up as she wore her Dora the Explorer snow hat while carving the pumpkin. It was not that cold at all but she insisted on wearing it, too funny. The carving went well and I do have to say a big Thank you to Sharon for teaching my kids to spit pumpkin seeds at people. I am so positive that it will be something that will be a must have talent for years to come, HA! HA! We did finally get a light for it for Trick or Treat night. I love the fall and all the activities that come into play during these great months.

The Bourbon Chase

Brooks was asked by a guy named John to be apart of his team for this relay Marathon in Kentucky called the Bourbon Chase. It is a total of 200 miles but each team divides up the miles among one another. Brooks ran three different legs his team had twelve runners on it. Brooks met John through working with the cardio patients as John is a cardio surgeon. He is a very nice guy and has been a great encourager for Brooks as he continues his journey in running. The kids and I went down to cheer Brooks on during his last leg of the race. The kids really enjoyed cheering him on as well as any other runner they saw run past them. Driving through the outskirts of Frankfort, KY was great. Very beautiful and can I just say i love those horse farms we passed. Makes me so want one after Brooks is done with school and I am not even a horse fan, LOL! Brooks after he finished his final leg of the marathon with John.



Brooks ran across this awesome bridge and a guy was at the end of it taping him. I believe he was there with some news station.
John
Tanya and John
John and Reuben

Saying Goodbye to Elder Bushnell

Well, one of the great things about our Church are it's Elder's. These are men that serve two years out of their life teaching and helping others. Brooks works with them right now which has brought us the opportunity to really get to know them. We had to say goodbye to one of the missionaries that have become close to our family. His name is Elder Bushnell (a.k.a Diego). The kids have really come to love him and love teasing him. I am sure Hannah will so miss those long conversations about how he was Hannah Montana in disguise, HA! Elder Bushnell got transferred to New Castle area which I am sure will come to love him as well. We loved hearing his stories he always made any story turn into something funny by the way he would describe it. Good luck Elder!!!

Crestdale's Student of the Month

Hannah once again is awarded Crestdale's Student of the Month for the month of September. She was awarded this last year at the very same time. Hannah absolutely loves school and all of her teachers as of this point adore her. Hannah is such a great little girl very polite and very quick to think of others. Brooks and I are very proud of her and the many things she has already accomplished in her life. We love you girl!!

Stranger to my Blog

It has been awhile since I posted anything on this Blog. Life seems to have gotten very busy for us the last few weeks. First Brooks has been preparing to compete in the Bourbon Chase in Kentuckey. One of the cardio docs at the hospital recruited him to be apart of a twelve person team. The race is a 200 mile relay marathon. it starts on Friday and goes over night until Saturday when your team finishes. Brooks has been very excited about this and is looking forward to particapating in this marathon. it finishes in downtown Lexginton. So the kids and I plan to head down and catch him as he runs his last leg in the marathion and then we plan to stay the night in Lexington and do a few things as a family and then head back late Sunday Night. B rooks is on vacation this week due to the run but it seems like so many other things have filled up his schedule for this week. Tomorrow morning he is fkying to Richmond, VA to interview at Virginia Commonwealth University. We are interested to see what happens from this interview but understand that life will take us where we need to go and he will get into a school and and where we are suppose to. So, needless to say Brooks will fly out and then come back in time to go to Kentucky. The kids are all doing well and we hope things stay that way. it seems like here are so many bugs going around that I am so hoping we do not get hit with much of them. Once it enters into our home it seems to stick around for way to long as the bug finds it's way through everyone.