Loving and Letting Go

The past weeks have been hard for me because of the constant pull I feel to be back in Abilene with my family.  We have made two different trips to see my grandparents, once just for them to meet Rhys and hang out, and the other because my grandfather was in very bad health and looked like he wouldn't have much more time.  He spent one horrible night in the ICU and the doctors told him they couldn't do anything for him.  He was sent to the hospice floor, where I assume most patients don't leave alive.  But somehow the next day he was talking more, was hungry and wanted to see lots of visitors.  The day after that he was up with a walker and took a shower.  He was knocking back milkshakes and hamburgers.  I bet the nurses thought he was a little too feisty and our huge noisy family was probably not the norm around there.

So after 5 days of being there, we headed back home.  We had exhausted our supplies and were really missing Daddy.  The next step for my grandpa was to have a home health nurse and some therapists come see him at home, and the hope was that he would regain his strength.  The day before we were leaving, I had a quiet moment with him and he told me a few things about his life that I never knew.  He enlisted in the military right out of school and was stationed in Florida, where he met my grandmother at church.  He said the first time he saw her, she was arguing with someone.  (My grandmother confirmed later it was the pastor's daughter!) And I laughed and said, "And you thought to yourself, "We could do that for the rest of our lives?!?"  He just smiled.

I asked him how they stayed together for all these years and he said, "We didn't know there was any other option."  He was a flight engineer and served through several deployments and war.  They moved around and he and my grandmother raised three daughters.  My mother graduated high school in Kansas and got married herself at just 19.  She and my dad moved off to Wyoming, but after my grandfather officially retired from the military, he convinced them to move to Texas and start up a construction business.  His last station was at Dyess AFB, and Abilene just felt like a good place to stay put.

My dad and grandpa would remodel little FHA houses and made it work for quite a few years.  Neither of them had much experience before they dove right in, and I guess that's how my dad's motto was cemented - "Knowing how is not a requirement."  When that business slowed down, they opened their first video store in Anson.  They even added in a pizza parlor and sandwich shop and called the place "Good Stuff."  I remember my dad tossing pizza dough in our old kitchen for family dinners and we were thankful that we had a high ceiling!

They were in business together for a long time before my dad branched out with a different company.  My grandfather eventually sold all the small town video stores he owned and concentrated all his efforts on the store in Abilene called "Video Time."  We voted as a family on the name, all sitting in my grandparents den when I was probably still in elementary school.

I was in college when he finally closed that store and retired.  I figured he and my grandmother would go crazy suddenly having so much time together!  But something seemed to slowly change in my grandfather.  After one particular health scare, he developed a newfound joy in cooking and suddenly claimed a spot in the kitchen that he had never cared about before.  Maybe too much hospital food made his palette more sophisticated.  :)  And then the two of them started going back to church.  They made friends and got into a regular domino group.  (I am totally jealous, Bo and I would love to have a regular night to sit and talk with friends!)  And the thing I am most proud of is that my grandparents became regulars with Meals on Wheels.  They realized how fortunate they were to still be active and healthy, so they gave their time to take food to those that weren't.

His heart and lung issues have been on and off over the last few years.  Every time he would look like he couldn't last much longer, he somehow would.  He and my grandmother occasionally had to trade off who was taking care of who, but they stuck together.  And he has seemed to be so grateful for having our family there, even if he doesn't say it in so many words.  Their big house is the place we always gather in for holidays, with way too much food and kids everywhere.  It used to be his grandchildren, but now there is an entire new batch of great-grandchildren running from room to room.

And it was in one of those rooms that my grandfather fell last week.  My aunt and grandmother had such a hard time getting him up that another ambulance came and took him back to the hospital.  They are saying again that he might not come home after this time.  He has visited with every member of our family and has said many goodbyes.  He even got on Skype with his brother since he lives farther away.  My grandmother has told him that it is okay to let go when he is ready, but the last time this happened, she told him to tell God when he got to heaven that she wanted more time.

In a strange way, I feel so much anguish for my mother because I have experienced losing my father before she did.  When your father is gone, you feel like the person you could always count on to be your worldly wisdom and protector is gone.  I don't know which is worse - to say goodbye slowly and watch your loved one be in a hospital bed or to not get the chance to say goodbye at all, to have them cut off quickly and cleanly.

I will need to decide soon whether I am going to go back again for another few days to see him.  Of course I would rather be there when he is alive than just arrive for a funeral.  But things are confusing right now and all of my family's homes are a bit crowded.  The thought of more days without Bo and taking care of two children by myself sounds exhausting and makes me feel like we are more of a hassle than help to my mother and grandmother.  It just sucks that there is no etiquette for how to love someone and let go.

A Week Gone By in a Blur

Rhys,
Thank you for being such a patient boy and a good traveler.  I will admit that I was very nervous about our trip to Houston but you made it as easy as could be.  We were so thankful that the fabulous Pool family offered to let Cam stay with them Sunday night and take her to school on Monday, so she had a great time and didn't miss us too much.  We headed out Sunday afternoon and were staying in a hotel very close to the hospital since our appointment was at 8:00 Monday morning.  The Pools even took care of our hotel room with Levi's travel rewards, so we were super grateful!

We got to have a nice dinner with your Aunt Amy (in between her crazy work travels) and Uncle Mina since they have just moved to Humble.  Hopefully on a future visit we can go see their new house, but it was just too far to fight traffic for our doctor.  The next morning, we made it to our appointment right on time, and the hospital was very nice!  Texas Children's Hospital is very modern with bright colors everywhere and was really easy to navigate. The check-in process was simple and we really liked meeting Dr. Carter.  She was pleased to see that you were bigger and healthier (less of a Yoda-green color), but of course she wanted to run more tests.  The one funny note is that Daddy had taken a picture of one of your poopy diapers a few days earlier, thinking that the doctors would want to see the change in color/texture that indicates your liver is processing more bilirubin out.  (Gross, I know!)  He and I laughed so hard when he asked the doctor if she wanted to see it and she said, "Sure!"  You got lots of praise for your poop, dude.  Good thing we didn't actually put a wager on it.

You had to have blood drawn there at the hospital but because you are so little, they can only draw a certain amount per day, so we were sent home with more orders for tests.  Dr. Carter seemed to be in agreement with the measures our doctors here were taking, but still said a biopsy of your liver could only be completely ruled out if your liver enzymes drop into a low/normal range and your bilirubin gets down close to zero.  If our best estimates are correct, your antibodies will be dying off soon and most of these issues will start to correct themselves.  I was at least pleased to hear her say that the radiologists actually do liver biopsies there with ultrasound so they can be sure to hit the exact right spot and that it is a tiny needle procedure.  They do them very frequently and would be our first choice if we did have to go that route.

We headed home that afternoon and you were so exhausted that you slept almost the entire time.  We had one brief stop to feed you, and Daddy has learned that hotels make the best places for pit stops.  They usually have a very clean bathroom near the lobby with a changing station for you, plus they have really hot water near their coffee pots to warm up your bottle.  Much nicer than a gas station, plus there are comfy chairs to sit in while you eat.  Hotel employees are very understanding and it helps that you are cute.

Tuesday we had to be up early to get Cam to school so we could make it home in time for our carpet cleaning appointment.  I booked it about three months ago hoping to have it done before your arrival, but they were only available this week.  It was hilarious to see all the stuff piled up in other places so that the carpet would all be visible.  We still haven't put it all back to normal, but hey, the carpets don't smell like Joe Dog.  They did a good job and gave me a nice deal on some extras since I was holding such a sweet tiny baby in my arms.

Wednesday I had a tremendous victory in that I made it out of the house again in the morning to take Cam to school and I even managed to get a haircut that afternoon.  I have decided it is ridiculous to try and spend an hour drying and straightening my hair, so I cut off about two inches and just plan on leaving it curly for a while.  Some days I might not even have five minutes and it will just stay in a ponytail.  You don't seem very concerned about it.

Thursday we headed back to the hospital to have more blood drawn for tests.  Since we were headed back to the same hospital you stayed at, we dropped by the NICU to say hi to the nurses and just barely missed Dr. Ahmad.  He would have been proud to see what a good patient you have been to everyone. But then that meant that Friday, I was too exhausted to bother even taking Cameron to school.  We slept in a little, made it to Target before lunch and even got Cameron a little present from the dollar section since she has been such a good helper.  My brilliant afternoon plan was to go to our neighborhood park with you tied onto me with my Moby Wrap.  It is just a stretchy fabric that you wrap all around you, and it was super comfortable... until we were out in the hundred degree heat pushing your sister in a stroller.  Might think twice about doing that again!

This week was tough because Daddy had to go back to school full-time and was working 12 hour days.  With football practice after school, he was getting home around 7:30 each night, which only left one hour for Cameron to see him when she was awake.  She was really missing her daddy, and I know it was tough for her since I couldn't give her my full attention when you was awake.  It fell to me to get her to and from school each day, which meant the staff at her school saw me looking like a bag lady!  And with you on a four-hour eating schedule, not a whole lot got done.  Sometimes it can take you up to 45 minutes to finish a bottle and then I have to take care of my stuff afterwards.  I often look up after you have gone down for a nap and realize that we have to start all over again in 2 hours.  Hmmm, do I shower or do laundry or sleep?  Not much time for anything else.  Makes me really appreciate those moms that stay home and do this all the time!

And since it took me a full week to write this blog, I think I am going to maximize the time I have right now!  Still loving you with our whole hearts.

Mama

We're Coming to the Crossroads

My sweetheart,
You seem so unfazed by all of this.  Yesterday, your daddy was at the hospital three separate times and never even saw your eyes open.  (Grammy didn't want to rub it in that she was there late in the evening and you were wide awake...)  I don't really know what day it is anymore, but I will try to recap what this week has been like.

Our doctor has run your bilirubin test every morning to see where you stand.  A long time ago, we asked what the goal was for that number, and they said it needs to go to almost zero in order for you to go home.  Your liver is just working so hard to process it out, but you are still eating great, almost 100 ml each time, which is about 5 oz.  It has helped with your coloring a lot, even though you still seem to have a bit of a golden bronze coloring in contrast to the rest of our very white-as-a-bedsheet family.

Monday's hida scan was supposed to tell us if your liver was processing out all the things it is supposed to be, but the GI doctor warned us that he would not be surprised if the results came back abnormal.  And they did.  None of the dye made it out.  Your tiny little liver is working hard to get out all the bilirubin and the excess iron in your system, so the dye just had to wait in line.  The doctor said that if your numbers continued to trend down that it might be more conclusive to run the test again, but your bilirubin would have to be below a 4.  Yesterday it was down to 7.0 and then today it suddenly went back up to 7.5.

The good news is that our doctor knows that we shouldn't go on like this forever.  He was optimistically waiting and monitoring you to see if your body could keep fighting and bring the levels down gradually.  However, if your numbers start to trend up, he knows that we should consider going to Houston.  Any kind of surgical procedures need to be done before you are six weeks old, and you are approaching three, my love.

The bad news is that there are still possibilities that you have a malformation called biliary atresia that would require surgical correction to the duct that leaves your liver, and they may still need to do a liver biopsy.  Fortunately, I believe both of these procedures can be done at the same time if necessary, which would minimize your exposure to anesthesiology and infection.  A liver transplant is still not off the table, but we are trying not to worry too far in advance.

Monday will be another round of testing, and our doctor has decided that those results will be the final factor in whether or not we go elsewhere.  I am feeling more at peace about it, but there are still lots of questions regarding what it will mean for our family since Daddy is already back at work and Cameron certainly can't sit around a hospital all day.  We may be praying a lot in the next few days for God to make the next step clear.  I think God wanted me to see this scripture today:

Isaiah 30:21  "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it.""

We are so grateful to have many friends and family tell us that they are praying for you, ready to help us in any way that they can.  You are very loved, Rhys Man!

Hugs and Kisses,
Mama

P.S.  Sorry that I didn't see you much yesterday.  My doctor confirmed that I have mastitis (Yeouch!!!!) and the fever and chills were just dreadful.  It makes you feel like you have the flu and just can't function.  I was feeling better this morning after a few rounds of antibiotics, but I only made it to lunch time before I was feverish again and had to come home for a nap.  You are still a very happy eater and are the nurses' favorite for sure.

Family Fun

I have seriously neglected to post much this summer. We have had such fun with our families that I had to post just a few pictures that are too good to keep all to myself. See what a grown up girl you are looking like!?!

Here you are with your BFFs Ainslee and Hattie at Port Aransas. Next summer will be even better if Mommy learns to put on sunscreen...

Here you are with your cousins from our summer trip. Ryan is 11, Miriam is 10, Emerson is 3 and Naomi just turned 1!

Here is the sweet shot of you and Gigi and Grandpa from our most recent trip to Abilene.

And here is your Savtah and Sabba's bunch after our yummy dinner together. You got impatient waiting on us and decided to pick up pine cones out of the landscaping. It is always nice to see everyone!

A Great Time at Great Wolf

Your Grammy loves you so much. She decided that we should have a big family getaway before the summer slips away, so we got to spend three fun days at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. The only downside was that a ten hour roundtrip drive with you sounded like torture. So we decided figured that $350 in plane tickets for a 50 minute flight sounded much better. And you did great! You were super excited to ride on the plane next to Daddy. All the flight attendants thought you were super adorable.

We were totally impressed with Great Wolf Lodge. The indoor waterpark was pretty much all we knew about it, but we were excited to see all the activities available for kids and families. You were a bit to young for some things, but you got in some coloring, story time before bed (in the lobby with their animated puppet things) and you even got a souvenir wolf doll named Violet. You really loved meeting her at story hour.



The waterpark was pretty cool. The little kid pool was only about 2 feet deep so you could run around and try out all the spraying levers and slides. You and Emerson were happy to have each other to play with since the big kids were off in the wave pool and the lazy river. It was all fun since it was a pleasant 85 degrees and no one was getting sunburned!


It had been way too long since we got to be all together with Miriam and Naomi, and look how grown up and cute they look!

Yes, we got complimentary wolf ears for all you kids when we had lunch on our last day. You and Emerson decided they go best with your "HOWL" face...

It always makes Grammy so happy to have all you guys together. And how cute are you and your cousins?



More family pictures to come!

Mommy's Trip to Boston

I had a wonderful five day trip to Boston for work and was so sad that you and Daddy weren't with me. Boston is so different than Texas and I was just so taken with the architecture, the food, the history, the weather! I would love to take you guys back there in a few more years so we can all enjoy it together. Especially since I kept hearing about how short of a drive it is to get to a ton of other states nearby! What a crazy idea, that a two hour drive can put you in a totally different state!

So here are a few of my favorite pictures from my trip. This is the amazing view from my hotel room:

The highlight of my trip was definitely the afternoon that I got to take a bike tour with UrbanAdventours. We did a seven mile ride on both sides of the river and along the harbor. It was fun to see some of the famous sights like this (fairly) new suspension bridge...

And the Garden where the Bruins play. I guess they are kind of big deal, winning the Stanley Cup and all.

It was certainly nice to be somewhere that isn't suffering through triple digit heat and water restrictions!

I loved getting to see Fenway Park! I will admit that sometimes I am surprised that I can manage to navigate a big city by myself, but I had a quick and uneventful ride on the subway followed by a leisurely stroll around the entire stadium. It was a quiet evening, too late to take an actual tour, but a local told me about Bleacher Bar. It actually sits under the Green Monster and has a garage door that rolls up so you can look into the stadium. Very cool and the food was pretty good too!



But the best sight of all was your adorable new (pink) Red Sox hat on your smiling face!

I will try not to hold it against you for too long that when I picked you up from school and told you how much I missed you, your reply was, "I missed you a little bit small." Seriously!?!?!?!?

Your First Trip to the Beach

Bad Mommy! We had a wonderful weekend trip to the beach and I have almost no photos to show for it. One reason is that the humidity would fog up the camera lens right away, but mostly we were just enjoying spending time together and never stopped to snap a pic.

Daddy picked us out a wonderful condo in Port Aransas for the weekend. We stayed at the Grand Caribbean, which had a great pool and a convenient walk to the beach. This is from their website:

We arrived just in time for a yummy seafood dinner on Friday night and were very proud of how well you tolerated the drive. You were super excited to see the Gilbreaths and played with Ainslee while we waited for our table. You even tried calamari that Daddy ordered with zero hesitation! He asked if you wanted to try some octopus and you munched right down on one that had squiggly legs and all! You even said that you liked it afterwards! "He was crunchy!"

We woke up the next morning to lots of clouds so we ate breakfast and got everyone ready, only to be stuck in our room for another few hours until the sun came out. Unfortunately, Mommy forgot to put suncreen on herself (the rain threw us all off) and after only two hours outside, I got a horrible sunburn on pretty much my entire upper body... That put a damper on the rest of the day! We did get a chance to walk the beach looking for shells (not many) and watch the waves. The storm really made for some big ones!

But you took a great nap and spent the late afternoon and evening building sand castles and chasing seagulls. We were even joined by Cara's sister and her husband, Trevor. You had a great time playing with the two of them and Ainslee.

Before we headed home on Sunday, we spent a bit more time in the water at a different condo where our friends, Kevin and Lisa were staying. You are so cute to make new friends everywhere you go, and you met two teenage girls that carried you all over the pool and had a blast with you. Mommy was thankful to find a comfy chair in the shade! Then we hopped a ride on the ferry to head off the island and back home. You even yelled as we drove off, "Bye bye beach! I love you!"

We had such a great weekend and hope we can do it again next year! Then you three girls will be all over the place!

What I Learned in Manti

My trip to Utah was both mentally and physically exhausting. We traveled super early on Tuesday morning and still had a full day of things to do. We immediately went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, and I have to say it is beautifully built and cared for, but it was a little creepy. As one friend pointed out to me, if something is directing people away from God, it is pointing them to Satan. We certainly had some kind and interesting discussions with the two girls escorting us, but I was most disturbed when we talked about the importance of the temple to one's salvation and the majority of people aren't even considered worthy to go in there!

Also, one of the most thought provoking stops of the day was the temple bookstore where we saw tons of books on Mormon doctrine and their study manuals. I purchased a few things to use as references and most of them are horribly depressing to read since the standard of perfection weighs so heavily on most practicing LDS people. I mean, look at this "plan of salvation" and tell me what is missing...

Hello, no mention of Jesus! They are very works focused, believe that Jesus' grace is not sufficient, they have very distorted views of where we came from, who God and Jesus are, and especially where we go after we die. It has truly strengthened my faith to read what the Bible says about all those things to understand how it is very different.

Fortunately, God has allowed me to learn from incredible teachers that are strong in their faith and unashamed of the gospel. I met wonderful Christian families in Utah that are called to be ministers in a sea of Mormons, even though they are probably outnumbered 100 to 1. I met people brave enough to leave the LDS church, separating from their families and friends and probably enduring heartbreaking persecution. And I met very convinced Mormons that had no idea that the counterfeit gospel they are being taught is actually leading them to what they call "outer darkness."

And even now that we are home, I am continuing to learn. We have met with three missionaries in our home and are hosting them again for dinner. I believe that God teaches you things and puts people in your life because he expects you to take action. I can no longer say that I am not accountable to try and witness to Mormons. It has opened my eyes to a whole new harvest, one that I have been equipped to work for. I pray that I will continue to be faithful in studying the Bible, learning its truth, and doing what it says.

Why I Went to Manti

Where did April go?

Confession: I have not been keeping up with blogs in so long, I had to take a second to remember my password just to log in!

So sorry baby doll! We have had a crazy month, and I hope that you appreciate Mommy being there rather than just typing away all the time. Let's see what we need to recap:

Grammy bought herself a beautiful little house!

She was truly blessed to know the builder, who lived in the house for a year while he was building another one, and he gave her an incredible offer once he understood her situation. She was so blown away that she could afford to pay cash for the house. She keeps telling me that she really didn't think she would be able to get a house this nice, and I just keep telling her that she needs to dream a little bigger for herself!

She has officially moved in and is slowly accumulating more things. She has some great furniture, TVs (no cabinet to put them on...) and we got her one special touch as an early Mother's Day gift. I had a sign made for her with this scripture on it:

Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. Psalm 116:7

We got to make a quick trip up to see the house and deliver her some furniture a few weeks ago, then we were back a few weeks later for Easter. We had a great visit with your great grandma Stella too!

You had such a great time seeing all the family and hunting eggs. Of course, Mommy forgot your Easter dress at home and we had to borrow one of Emerson's... And then you tripped over a garden hose while we were hunting 80,000 eggs (I come from a family of over-doers!) at my grandparent's house, leaving you with a huge scrape on your nose and lip. I think Aunt Rachael took some great pictures before the face-plant, so we need her to hook us up. I didn't take any after that!

Then the next weekend, your daddy left town to go play in the annual Bilbo golf tournament that his family does for charity every year. Apparently the weather was going completely crazy (unbelievable winds, then super hot, and freezing cold the next day) so they didn't have as much fun playing as they hoped. But any chance for Daddy to have a whole weekend to hang out with Chad is a good one in his book! A least we got to see Gigi and Grandpa the weekend before for her birthday. You even practiced your Aggie "Gig 'Em!"


Since us girls had to stay home, Grammy and Aunt Rachael came to visit us! I really needed their help since you accidentally sprained your ankle on Wednesday night at the playground. You somehow came down the slide at just the wrong angle and the toe of your shoe caught on the ground and twisted your ankle up and around. It was just stuck there while you were screaming for a few seconds and I felt horrible. We realized quickly that it was serious and you were refusing to walk on it.

At least you got to enjoy some pampering by Daddy in our big bed...

You spent Thursday morning with me at work (we squeezed in a quick check-up with your doctor) and fortunately Chad let you hang out with him that afternoon before they left town. Even he said that he figured you would walk on it once I wasn't around, but you were pretty consistent with telling us where it hurt and not putting any weight on it. Let me tell you, it is super fun to carry a 30 lb. girl back and forth to the bathroom every time she tells you she has to go!

Friday you toughed it out with me at office again in the morning until we could go get some xrays. I couldn't believe that I was going to spend an hour waiting with a two-year old, but I knew that if anything was wrong I would feel horrible later. I really wasn't surprised to hear that everything looked normal, but at least it eliminated the mommy guilt. :)

Fortunately, once Aunt Rachael and Grammy were here, you were much more interested in them. Emerson and Ryan were so much fun to have as company. Mom and Rachael and I did lots of shopping on Sunday and were so glad to get to spend time talking and catching up. It was such a huge help to have them here because I had my big auction for work on Saturday night and you had to spend most of the day home without me. (It went great by the way, raising $50,000!)

And all month long, you kept us laughing and thankful for you. Even when you cried the last 20 minutes of our drive home from Abilene and made Mommy cry too. (Poor Daddy, he was trying to hurry!) Especially when you got confused when a lady gushed over the "little girl with the orange hair" and you made sure she knew you had RED hair. Especially when you packed up half of pantry in reusable shopping bags and left them by the front door, since you were obviously headed somewhere important with hungry people. Even when you had to sleep in bed with Mommy so Emerson could have your bed and you ended up with your feet in my face. Sigh.

You have been having a rougher time at daycare lately, with your teachers graciously telling us that you have hit someone or have been super fussy lately. Sometimes I wonder if you play with the boys too much and have picked up their habits. Or if you don't like being in a class with so many kids instead of more personal attention. Mostly your teachers describe you as the mother hen that bosses everyone else around. Wonder where you get that from?

You are certainly independent - everything is "I do it by myself!" Putting your jammies on, brushing teeth, putting lids on your cup, flushing the toilet... So much excitement! I think we need to come up with some new challenges for you. You know all your letters and are constantly asking what letter certain words start with. Maybe some sight word flash cards? Hmmm, I will work on that.

Mommy

Strawberry Festival

This weekend we were so thankful that nobody had to work and we didn't have any chores to do, so we loaded up and went to the Poteet Strawberry Festival! We have always heard how fun it is but have never been, even though we have lived here for 7 years now. We decided to beat the heat and the crowds and got there just before lunch time. By the time we left, it was over 90 degrees, so I think we had the right idea. You zonked out on the way there, but it put you in a good mood when you woke up. Mommy was so excited that I had just bought you a new strawberry outfit with cute hair ribbons too!

Watch out girls, here's the real Strawberry Queen!

You were so excited to see the petting zoo first thing. They even had a wallaby and a baby llama. You were most excited about the baby goats and miniature pig. The cow and baby buffalo were pretty cool, but they were in a different section, so you could only pet them a little bit. You seem to be very gentle and tender with all the animals.

You were even tall enough to ride some of the carnival rides! We weren't sure if you were going to be 36" tall yet, but you must have been close enough. We got to enjoy the merry-go-round and one with little pods. You were all smiles and I am sure the breeze felt great!


We had such a fun day together and got lots of comments on our cute strawberry girl!


Hugs and Kisses from Mommy

Viva Las Vegas! (well, not you...)

Sweetie,
Please don't take it personally that Mommy and Daddy planned another trip apart from you so soon after Thanksgiving. Your daddy has always dreamed of going to the National Finals Rodeo which is always held at the same part of December in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, we decided that we were finally going to go and booked our trip for four days. After mentioning it to some friends, we even convinced Levi and Christy to join us! They are expecting Baby #3, so they figured this would be their last chance to get away for a while. We had such a great time (and spent way too much money), it was a perfect Vegas getaway!

Our first night there, we were staying at Treasure Island. When your daddy went to check us in, they told him they were sorry to say there were no rooms left with a King size bed (like we reserved about 5 months ago!) When he asked about a potential upgrade, the desk clerk talked with her manager and eventually told him about the "Executive Suite" that would only be about $80 more. I was standing across the lobby when all this conversation was happening, so I had no idea what a wonderful surprise I was about to get. When we came to our room on the 29th floor, it had it's own entryway! We opened the doors to a long hallway with two tables and big mirrors, and realized that there were two huge bathrooms across the hall from each other. One had a big jacuzzi tub and the other had a walk-in shower. The bedroom had the most amazingly comfortable bed and was separated from the living area by a huge frosted glass panel. There was a comfy couch and a TV by the bed and in the living area. Bo was in heaven! We even had an awesome view of Las Vegas Blvd. and all the runners of the marathon that next morning. It was definitely the nicest hotel room I have ever been in! What a romantic surprise!

The next three nights we stayed at the Mirage, just across the street. Let's just say, we had fun eating and hanging out there, but the gambling tables were not nice to us! At least we got to enjoy the volcano show for free!
If you ask me, the highlight of the entire trip was going to see "La Reve" at the Wynn Casino. It was the most amazing show I have ever seen, and the stage was actually a pool! The theater is round, so everyone's seats felt really close. The performers came down the aisles, up out of the water and even were raised and lowered from the 80 ft ceiling. They all had incredible strength, since the show combined gymnastics, dance, acrobatics and a musical of sorts. Of course, they don't let you take any pictures, so I will have to just remember it forever!

Your daddy will say that his favorite part of the trip was the rodeo of course! It was such an exciting night of competition since everyone is at the top of their game. I think our favorite events were the steer wrestling, team roping, and the saddle bronc riders. Our seats were not close by any means, but we still got a few cool pictures. Especially of Levi. He took that one himself.

Our unexpected part of the trip came on our last day when we were hanging out in the Forum mall next to Caesar's Palace. While I did a little Christmas shopping, your daddy walked through an art gallery and loved the photographs. He teasingly told me that he bought one, which I thought was funny. When we walked farther through the mall, there was another gallery for the same artist, so he insisted that I come take a look around. The artist is Peter Lik, and Australian photographer who is about to have his own TV show. He travels all over the world to capture these completely stunning shots with the most vivid colors you can imagine. Apparently, he uses some sort of silver in his film, so it absorbs the light differently. We both were blown away by his art. After a long discussion, we decided to buy a piece that will eventually be on our dining room wall. It was taken in Zion National Park in Utah, and has a rocky background with bright autumn trees in the foreground and a rushing stream. It actually seems to be moving because he uses a long exposure time. And let me tell you, lighting makes all the difference! The photos seem to change as you dim or brighten the lights on them. I can't wait to redo the dining room to showcase it properly. Too bad we have to wait about another month for it to be delivered! On a sweet note, we got to choose our series number and chose 605 since it is our wedding date. Makes it even more special!

We ate great food, had some amazing desserts, stayed up late and slept past 7:00, learned to play craps, and held hands a lot. After watching Levi eat a squid, we learned that he is pretty much a billy goat that will eat anything. It was a great time for us to remember how much we love each other and enjoy spending time together. Sometimes Mommies and Daddies need a little "minimoon!" We did miss you tons and were so happy to come home to see you. We could not say thank you enough to your Grammy and Savtah for trading off keeping you for us. You had a great time seeing everyone. Thanks for being such a wonderful girl to let us have our little getaway.