Brent, Brenna, & Lincoln

Christmas in Coeur d'Alene 2011

2012-01-03T08:52:00.004-07:00

Lincoln wasn't too thrilled on Christmas morning...or really at all during the whole vacation! He was teething...two molars.
Christmas Eve dinner with just the immediate family.
Brent and Lincoln watching some Christmas Classics. Lincoln loved sitting in Tawny's old rocking chair, and this was the first time he ever seemed very interested in the television.
Tawny came home from her mission in San Diego on the 20th. It was so fun to see her again and hear her report on her mission.
Link and Auntie Tawny in the kitchen.

Photo Book

2011-06-14T16:49:00.001-06:00

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2010

2011-03-21T22:43:00.001-06:00

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Some more recent pics!!!!!

2010-11-14T21:15:00.002-07:00

Come What May & Love It

2010-10-08T18:23:00.002-06:00

I really needed to hear this yesterday and though I'd share with whomever is out there. May it bring you comfort and peace.

Sept. 4-5 (24-25 days)

2010-09-05T19:08:00.003-06:00

Highs and lows. That's what I've been experiencing as a post-partum mom. I really don't have much to complain about, I suppose, but I'm just so anxious for Lincoln to progress (even though he's ahead of the game). Yesterday Lincoln had some great success with bottle feeding! His night nurse fed him two full bottles (40ml each) at two of his feedings. So, when I got there and tried to do the same.....he was tired. I had never given him a bottle before, so I was super excited. He took a bit of my bottle, but mostly was just tired and had a hard time swallowing so he coughed a lot. At his gestational age, it's really hard to suck-swallow-breathe, so you have to lay them on their sides to take a bottle and point the nipple to the side of his mouth so any milk pools in the side and doesn't choke him. It's complicated and doesn't feel terribly natural. I was sad that it didn't really work very well for me and left for the afternoon pretty bummed. Later last night I returned to the hospital with Brent and was able to give Link more than half of a bottle without any trouble! We always first give him the option of nursing. When he gets annoyed with that, we move to the bottle and whatever he hasn't eaten of his 40 ml, they give him through his tube. It's a slow and frustrating process.

Today we focused on nursing. I was frustrated and sad because he just sat there while I tried, and I really want to make that our primary source for feedings. The nurse called in a lactation specialist, and she worked wonders (as always). She showed us how to stimulate him so he'd be more alert and gave us both a pep talk and tips. Sooner than later, he latched on and fed (on and off) for about 20 minutes! It must have been exhausting for him, because when I tried again at his next care time, he wouldn't even wake up. Naturally, that left me frustrated again. I wish I wasn't so emotional about it all, but it's all I can think about right now and the most important thing to me. Poor Brent must be wondering when he's going to get his sane wife back.

On a happier note, Link is up to 4 lbs. 11 1/2 ounces! His nurses are now preparing us for discharge. We have several videos and trainings to participate in before he's able to come home (plus the other obvious milestones he has to reach). Sometime this week he should be taken off the caffiene that keeps him from forgetting to breathe or his heartrate going down significantly. Many babies have these all the time even with the caffeine, but Link doesn't have a single one recorded. He has 7 days for the caffiene to wear off and then has to go 5 straight days without significant dips in either of the aforementioned. He also has to be able to take all his feedings by bottle and/or nursing. Other than that, we're home free. They're predicting about three weeks from now. I bought his carseat yesterday and his bedroom is pretty much ready. What a change it will be to have him home!!! I can't wait.

9/3/10 33 Weeks gestational age!

2010-09-03T20:04:00.007-06:00

Lincoln is up another ounce from yesterday!!! Unfortunately, he's doing far too well to be in a private room still and a new 25 week old baby was just born, so Link got moved to a row of non-private areas where he'll stay for the remainder of his time there. We'll have to get used to the lack of privacy during nursing/kangaroo time/etc. but we're grateful that we got to ever be in a private room to begin with! He took 20 ml of milk in a bottle for his nurse this morning before we got there! This is GREAT news. Unfortunately, he had another bum day at nursing. He wouldn't even perform for mommy's birthday!!! Ha ha. He's doing great though. We love him soooo much! Enjoy these new pics featuring a onesie handmade by the oh-so-crafty Melissa Fowler! Ha ha...I suppose it's about time we toughen the little guy up a bit!

22 Days in the NICU 9/2/10

2010-09-02T18:26:00.004-06:00

In the words of Dr. DeMarie this morning during rounds, "This is Master Lincoln. He's just cruisin' along. You'd never be able to tell he was a 29-weeker." I just loved that he called him Master.

Link weighed in at 4 pounds 7.2 ounces today! That's a whole 2 ounces more than yesterday! I guess I don't have to worry about getting that expensive carseat that can take babies under 5 pounds anymore. At this rate, he'll be well over 5 pounds when he's discharged. Unfortunately, the weight alone wont get him home. He had two great days of nursing, and then today he was just fussy the whole day and didn't want to have anything to do with the "nip drip." Has he caught on to the fact that he can get 38 ml of milk every three hours with zero effort through his tube??? Let's hope that he'll perform a little better tomorrow. It is my birthday, afterall.

My friend from church, Katie Willis, came to visit for a couple hours today. Not only did she drive all the way down and bring me a yummy lunch, she left her own two month-old with a babysitter so she could do it! Now that's a good friend! It was fun to chat with her and introduce her to Link's world. Katie also has put in some time in a NICU as her little one had to have a couple surgeries shortly after birth. It's nice to be able to chat with those that have shared experiences. Most parents get to go through an extremely different process in the first months of their babies lives. It's hard to let go of the expectation of normalcy and deal with all the trauma, and chatting with others who can empathize is helpful. I'm starting to wonder about what I can do in the future to help other premie moms to cope with their unique situations. There is a parent support group at this NICU, and though I've had little interaction thus far with them, the president remembers Lincoln's name when I see her on occasion and asks me how he's doing. That always impresses me since there are at least 15 or so other babies in the unit currently. They also gave us an adorable little hand-knit blanket and hat for him. Throughout this whole process we really have been the recipients of the goodness of others.

20-21 days Aug. 31st and Sept. 1st

2010-09-01T19:25:00.007-06:00

Sorry, I'm slacking! Things are going great! Link has been labeled the "Stealth Baby" of the NICU 'cause he's cruising right along, bypassing all the things that could be wrong with him at his early age! The last couple days we've made some great breakthroughs in nursing. I was introduced to what is called the "football hold" and it has made all the difference. Don't get me wrong, he's not fully feeding, but we're making improvements. The nurse today said that she predicted he'd probably be home in 3 weeks if he kept going at this rate!!!! SOOOO exciting! Originally they told us Oct. 22nd (his due date) and 3 weeks from now is a whole month before that!!! I'm trying not to get my hopes up...but can you blame me? YAY!

Additionally, I feel like we're bonding a lot more with Link. He seems to love the time that he's awake and hanging out with us. He looks at me in the eyes and just generally seems happy and more at ease. He responds much better to touch now, and I feel like I can hold him and kiss him like a normal little baby. We're moving on up!

Oh, and today Link weighed in at a whopping 4 pounds 5 ounces! He's gaining so quickly!

19 Days!!! 8/30/10

2010-08-30T20:51:00.003-06:00

8/29/10 Day 18

2010-08-29T17:35:00.005-06:00

Today Lincoln reached 4 POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day #17 8/28

2010-08-28T19:31:00.004-06:00

Lincoln is up to 1810 grams today, which, by my calculation is 3 pounds and 15.8458712 ounces!!! Maybe he'll be up to 4 pounds tomorrow! So exciting! I spent six hours with Link this afternoon, two care times (with 2 poopy diapers), 2 kangaroo care times, 2 nursing attempts, and 2 pumping sessions. Link just loves to nuzzle! He's also been bumped up to 36 ml of milk every three hours, so I imagine he'll keep growing like a little weed!

I'm trying to figure out if he has features that look like mine or Brent's, but he just seems too little to have locked into his looks! I think he's got my nose, and obviously he's got Brent's extra dark brown hair...but other than that, I don't know! What do you think?

8/27 Day 16

2010-08-28T07:14:00.006-06:00

Today was another good day with our little man. Lincoln is up to 1770 grams...which I think is nearly 4 lbs. Now that he's not having his temperature controlled, we wrap him up like a burrito (Brent calls him a torpedo), and it's so adorable!

Today a harpist came in to the NICU and played for an hour or so! It was so cool! The heavenly, soothing music was perfect for all those little angels! I talked to her as she was leaving and found out that she comes a couple times a week (though she's been away on vacation for awhile, which is why I've not seen her before) and has been for years. She was born here at St. Joe's and in the NICU as an infant for 63 days! I was so impressed at her desire to continue to give back to the unit that gave her life! She's probably about my age.

I met with a lactation specialist today to get some tips on introducing Link to nursing. One idea she gave me was to soothe him with my pinky on the roof of his mouth rather than the binky. The binky is good because he practices sucking, but my pinky is better because he gets the smell and taste of me, plus I can get a feel for how he's developing his little mechanism. I'm getting frustrated because feeding is the only thing left he has to do...but it's the one that takes the longest, the most patience, and the most development on his part. Even some full term babies have serious problems with it. Let's hope that he's as precocious in this as in everything else.

It's funny....had Lincoln still been in the womb, he'd only be at 32 weeks now. I'd have 8 more weeks of pregnancy in front of me! I guess, if you try to count the blessings in a rough circumstance, one could look on the bright side and say "Hey, I gained 20 lbs in my pregnancy and lost 15 of them all in one day!" I suppose I would have had a lot more work to do had I given birth in October! Now, it's Link that has to do all the work, and sometimes I just feel so miserably guilty for that. I know I shouldn't. We have no known cause for his early birth. As far as we know, I did everything right. I ate well. I kept up mild exercise. I was getting good sleep and not stressing about anything (at least since school had been out) and I've never done drugs or alcohol a day in my life. One could theorize and wonder, and the doctors even did tests to see if it was an infection or something, but, at the end of the day, only the Lord knows the big plan.

15 days of life and a BIG BOY bed!

2010-08-26T20:19:00.004-06:00

Lincoln got to move into a big boy bed today!!! He now can control his own temperature so no longer needs the isolette! Yay! No more changing his diaper through two little holes! He also gained 36 grams since yesterday! Brent was able to escape a couple times during his work day to come over and visit Link and I at St. Joe's. We love our little guy soooooo much!!! It's funny, today I had someone tell me "Oh, don't worry, you have 18 years to get sick of Lincoln." My thought was just how I would love nothing more than to just cuddle with him ALL DAY LONG!

2 weeks and running!

2010-08-25T20:32:00.003-06:00

Well, the first good news is that our little Link has regained and exceeded his birth weight! He's now 3 pounds 11 1/2 oz. For those of you who don't know how it works, here's an explanation: babies are born with extra weight to deal with the stress of labor and that initial life outside the uterus, and that weight is then lost. Additionally, many of the IV fluids used during labor (and I had lots, as I was in labor for 5 days) are lost in those initial days of life. It is normal for babies to lose about 5% of their birth weight and then return back to birth weight within 2-3 weeks of life. So, we're hoping that he just keeps fattening up! He is still on 33 ml of milk every 3 hours. The milk has been fortified with 4 extra calories per ounce, vitamin D, protein (as of yesterday), and new today, a multi-vitamin to help aid in healthy growth. Dude, wouldn't it just be easier to give the guy a slice of pizza!

Today we were joyed by a visit from Brent's cousins, Brad (from Arizona) and Brenda (from California). They were so excited to see our little guy, and it was fun to visit with them over lunch and show them how Lincoln's little life is working these days. They even got to witness a good poopy diaper!

We also got a sweet little package in the mail from a dear sister in my home ward (Coeur d'Alene), Linda Edwards! She sent the cutest little soft (stuffed animal-like) baseball, football, basketball and soccer ball! She had already gotten us a gift at my shower in Coeur d'Alene! What a thoughtful and wonderful lady Linda is!!!

We are continually touched by the prayers and well-wishes from all over the world. Thank you all, and God bless!

13th day of life!!! 8/24

2010-08-24T20:50:00.014-06:00

Link looks a little dazed and confused in this one, but I love how little he looks next to the teddy bear that Tim and Hayley got for him.

Lincoln was so darn cute today. His nurse got me excited because she was talking about how great he's doing and how he hasn't had any complications, etc. and then encouraged me to make sure I was ready for his homecoming with the carseat, crib, etc. Now, I'm trying NOT to get my hopes up, because I know how long he's supposed to be in there, but this is really soon!!! Brent keeps reminding me that initially they tell everyone not to hope for anything before the original due date (his is Oct. 22nd) because he wants to protect me from an emotional breakdown, but I'm just gonna go ahead and hope anyway!!!!! So, now that we have the crib put together, I went out and bought the crib mattress this evening and am washing all the sheets, blankets, etc. I'm excited to have it all put together. Link tried at nursing again today and did decently. He's starting to do those cute little baby things like holding me with his little hands and looking at me while he tries to feed. Love it. Brent was able to escape from the hospital across the street where he's currently in his medicine rotation a couple times today and visit us! Isn't he cute in his white coat? I've got the cutest boys in the world!

12 DAYS OLD 08/23

2010-08-23T22:55:00.004-06:00

Link gained 60 grams since yesterday!!!!! What a chunker, eh? Ha ha. Today was Brent's first day on his internal medicine hospital rotation (across the street from Link's hospital actually) so I figured that this was the last I'd see of him for a couple months. I had been at the hospital for about three hours with Link when Brent called and said "Hey, I'm done. I'm coming over." I was shocked because it was only like 3:00 in the afternoon! So we got to have some good family time together today. Link was pretty fussy today until his feedings came along. It's making me wonder if they should up his amounts again. He was moved into a more basic isolette, as he no longer needs all the fanciness of the "giraffe." It frees up a ton of space in his little room, so we love that, as it has previously always been quite crowed if more than just Brent and I are there. Link and I spent a good long time kangarooing and listening to Bach concertos today. He says that he prefers the joy and lightheartedness of Mozart's works, so I'll oblige him tomorrow. Don't tell his Dad! Brent's a big fan of the opressive organ and harpsichord. :) I love to rub my cheeks against his soft little head. His hair is so silky! I hope he doesn't lose it, cause with all that cute dark hair, I could really get some stylish dos going on! At one point today, Link was awake and looking around with those big confused eyes of his. I looked at him and said "Link, why are you so darn cute," which was immediately followed by him crossing his eyes together! Brent and I both laughed out loud, because it was right on cue. He learned that from DaVinci, I'm sure. We took another crack at nursing today with mild success. It's hard cause he's just so little...I don't know how to hold him!! I think I'll bring in my Boppy tomorrow. I think that'll help. Today we got a big package in the mail from Steve and Melissa (Brent's brother and sister-in-law). Liss is super crafty and made the most adorable stuff for Link. She made a really cute blanket, receiving blanket, bib, 2 binky holders, 3 personalized onsies, a hooded towel, a wipe wallet, and then included a bunch of clothes and stuff that their little boy used a couple years ago. Talk about a stellar surprise! Thanks so much guys! I think that'll help. I was overwhelmed with a sweet appreciation and love for motherhood today. I spent several hours just holding our little guy and thinking about what it means to be a mother. In the past both Brent and I have been somewhat afraid of starting a family. I've worried, at times, that that "motherly instinct" wouldn't kick in or something and that I wouldn't be good at parenting. Today I felt such joy just holding our little Lincoln to my chest and quieting his tiny cries. He needs me! He needs me more than anyone else ever has! I'm so happy just to respond to those needs and love him. This is going to be a joyful journey indeed.

Grand Teton Climb

2010-08-22T21:03:00.003-06:00

Isn't my hubby the hottest and grizzliest guy around? (okay, not so grizzly, but he's tough!) Look at these pics from his latest date with a mountain, and you'll see what I mean! The Grand Teton may not quite be a fourteener in height, but it's ridiculous in technical requirements. Glad he came back alive! :)

11 days in the NICU 8/22

2010-08-22T20:41:00.002-06:00

Brent and I headed straight to the hospital after sacrament meeting today to see our little guy. He's so precious! We started off the visit with care time (diaper, temperature, vitals), then some kangaroo time, and rounds. Once again, he's doing great, but progress will be slow for awhile. They're keeping him at 33 ml of my milk every 3 hours, but now raising the fortification from 22 calories per oz. to 24. We'll get him fattened up in no time! Ha ha. He's kind of a long skinny thing, so it might take awhile! We tried nursing again. He's getting used to it...a couple little sucks, then a lot of wide-eyed looking around, an adjusting of his mouth, taste of a drop of milk...it looks like he's really thinking about it! It's still very early to see much improvement in that arena, but I figure that a little exposure to it each day while he's receiving the milk from his feeding tube will help him associate the full tummy with the invasion. :) We were privileged to have a visit from my step-brother Roland, his wife Marci and their 3 kiddos, Noah, Emma, and Kaisa today. They were passing through on their way back to Virginia and wanted to meet the little guy. They gave us the cutest little dinosaur outfit that's in premie size, so it's perfect! We also were visited by Brent's med school/mountaineering buddies, Luke and Corey and Corey's wife, Kim who have been dying to meet Lincoln. We are so blessed to have such great friends, and the visits are great because they make the long 4-5 hour hospital visits more like a party! It's fun to show our little guy off. Yesterday we finally rememebered to bring in a little cd player and some cds of Bach and Mozart. We've got to get those little neurons connecting! Heaven knows I'm a big believer in the healing power of music...and whether or not Brent thinks that it's "evidence based" or not, he's a big fan of the classics. Ha ha...with all this good music exposure and those long fingers, Lincoln will be playing at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in no time!!!

10 days in the NICU 8/21

2010-08-22T18:29:00.002-06:00

Lincoln gained 40 grams since yesterday! Yahoo! Other than that...not a lot of change in status, as I expect that from here on out it's just a lot of waiting for him to grow. Our good friends Dave and Cara were so wonderful as to bring us lunch at the hospital and come for a visit. They have a two year-old and a 2 month old girl, so coming to visit us in the hospital certainly wasn't convenient. We're blessed with great friends. We also were visited by Brent's dad, Doug, as he was in town attending the temple. Link loves his Opa!

9 days old (31 weeks with time in the belly) 8/20/10

2010-08-20T21:56:00.002-06:00

Lincoln was great today. He's so fun and wiggly and adorable! His feedings are now up to 33 ml every three hours. My milk has about 20 calories per oz. and they're now fortifying it to 22 calories per oz. I know, big deal, right? Actually, it's a bit of a shock on a baby's belly. Lincoln spit up a little because of it, so the nurse gave him his next feeding over a period of 45 minutes rather than 30, and it went just fine. He's also now starting to gain weight back again (babies lose weight for a few days, then gain back to their birth weight and then go crazy). I got a solid two straight hours of kangaroo time. Then daddy got to change Link's diaper and he peed all over the place! Typical boy! We tried nursing again, but Link acted kind of wide-eyed and dumb-founded, so I guess we'll try another day. It was pretty funny actually. He's still really early. Brent had kangaroo time too. Needless to say, we're getting a lot of reading in at the hospital! It was a good day. No tears!

8 days old 8/19/10

2010-08-19T21:08:00.002-06:00

Lincoln finally got rid of his IVs!!! He's up to 30 ml of breast milk every 3 hours and tolerating it really well. He amazes me with his strength. He frequently lifts his head up like a little turtle, and, when on his tummy, pushes his bum high in the air with his legs straight down and stretched out. It's pretty cute. Today I was changing a poopy diaper (which turned into three poopy diapers) as he continued to poo each time I put a new one on him! Ha ha....stinkin' Lincoln! We had a good lengthy kangaroo care time and then a conference with his doctor and primary nurse. They didn't really tell us anything new, but we did solidify the fact that we really can't expect him home before 6 weeks (so five weeks from now). Lincoln hasn't had any complications and everything his gone swimmingly, but Dr. Chen assured me that things do pop up and sometimes babies are kept until their original due date (his is Oct. 22nd) or even later. I like to continue in our optimistic hopes that his fighting spirit will continue onward and bring him home sooner than expected. I continue to have a hard time when we're not around him. I'm blaming most of it on the "baby blues" hormones that are going mad throughout my body, but not going home with our boy makes it even more difficult. I was at the grocery store today, noticing all the frustrated and angry mothers with their noisy kids. The moms were saying things like "I can't believe you" or "I can't take you anywhere." I would be so happy just to have him with me. I would be so happy to wake up in the middle of the night and feed a baby instead of pump from a machine. It puts things into perspective, and I hope that I can remember this forever...when Link grows up more and gets "annoying"...I hope I'll just remember how much I ached at his absence while he was in the NICU and couldn't think about anything else...about the tears shed every day...and the seemingly endless waiting we had to go through just to bring our little guy home like every other normal couple that has a newborn. Count your blessings, right?

Happy 1 Week, Lincoln!!! 8/18

2010-08-18T16:51:00.006-06:00

Wow...it's been a whirlwind of a week, but somehow I can't believe a week has passed already. I cried again this morning because, when we arrived, I saw that his IV was yet again in a new place. The nurse assured be that it's nothing odd---babies just don't do well with IVs. It just hurts me to know that he has to keep going through that.

Mom made several little receiving blankets and burp rags for us that we'll now use in the NICU. They encourage us to bring in our own things so we feel a sense of ownership and parenthood in an abnormal circumstance. Mom had to say goodbye to little Link today, as she flew home this afternoon. She was so sad, knowing that he'd grow astronomically before she'd see him again. THANK HEAVEN! I want him to get big and pudgy! Mom has been so great to help us along every step of the way. Thanks, mom!

This afternoon, Lincoln had a cranial ultrasound. It's a standard procedure taken with micropremies (premies up to 32 weeks) to determine if they have any bleeding in the brain. Tomorrow we conference with his care team to kind of get on the same page and develop a plan and go over the results of the ultrasound. Hopefully all is well. Brent and I are currently trying to develop a regular visit plan, as driving the half hour there and half hour back multiple times a day is wearing on us and leaving us with very little time. I may do a single, very lengthy visit instead of twice a day for a couple hours. We'll see. I get so anxious to see him with any long periods of time in between. It's hard. I wont lie. Nothing makes me feel better than just being with my little dude.

OKAY...NEW INFO!!!!!! We just went back to visit Lincoln tonight, and the most exciting thing happened! The nurse that was on at the time was commenting on how ahead of his time Lincoln is and then asked if he had been sucking on a binkie or anything and how much milk I was producing. We let her know that he was indeed doing a lot of sucking and that I was producing plenty. She then decided that we should just try nursing. Usually they don't really do that until 32 weeks or so, but we went ahead and tried and IT WORKED!!!!!!!! Lincoln fed for about 10 minutes and then fell into a deep sleep! It felt like such a victory! He's so young, and is still on a feeding tube, but we're going to get him fattened long before expected if we keep this up! I can't describe really how happy it made us. Better feeding means better progression and therefore an earlier time home. This is soooooooooooooo exciting! It's worth the tears!

Day 6 in the World! 8/17

2010-08-18T16:43:00.004-06:00

I was greeted by Lincoln's nurse and doctor both when I went to see him this morning. They were looking unusually cheery. They told me to see if I noticed anything different. NO MORE PHOTOTHERAPY! AND NO MORE NASAL CANNULA! He's becoming more and more independent as we continue on! The doctor said that his only issue is he's kind of a "hard stick" with the IVs. Just like his mom. They can't use his left leg due to his birthmark, so they're limited as to where they can stick him. The good news is that he's tolerating his feedings and they're increasing his amounts every 12 hours. I think he's up to 15 ml per feeding now. If they can continue to do that, they wont need the supplemental vitamins and whatnot from the IV and can stop sticking the poor kid. Unfortuntately, when we returned later this evening, he had his IV in his scalp! I know it sounds terrible, and I cried when they warned me that it had been done, but the truth is that it is very normal and it doesn't hurt. The veins in the scalp are bigger and better. Hopefully it'll stay in this one for awhile. Additionally, they're going to be fortifying my milk...adding vitamin D. Doctor Chen says that no one gets enough vitamin D, so it's normal to do as such. Brent got his first kangaroo care time with Link tonight. SO CUTE! The boys chilled and reclined, and I read to them from Brent's latest book of tales of mountaineering. I also got a nurse who told me that if I wanted Mom to touch him then I had the right to let her. Previous nurses had said only mommy and daddy. So, momma got to lay her hands on him a bit and I think it satisfied her greatly to do so. It was a good day.

Day 5 in the World 8/16

2010-08-16T23:27:00.003-06:00

We had a lot of new stuff to learn today! I went the NICU and pumped first thing. Okay, maybe it's TMI but it's a huge part of life right now and so essential for Lincoln. The nurse on at that time said that she looked at my milk supply in the freezer and was shocked at how much there was after only five days. Yay! Lincoln will not starve!!! I got to do "kangaroo kare" time again. Love it. I feel as though it's so therapeutic for both of us. Later I learned to give Link a neonatal massage. Preemies have a hard time with all the overstimulation in the world...touch, sounds, everything can be stressful to them. The massage helps them recognize that touch is good and it really soothed Link. You could see him relaxing not only physically, but on the monitors as well. It was fun, and we'll do it every day now when we visit. I took his laundry home and washed it and added some of our blankets and clothes to the mix. They encourage parents to do as much of that "normal" stuff as possible to help us feel needed. It was fun to do a whole load of little baby things! This evening I visited again accompanied by our good friends Tim and Hayley. It was so fun to just hold him and visit with friends. Tim and Hayley are so wonderful and they just love the NICU, as she is a dietician/lactation specialist and he hopes to be a neonatologist. Naturally, they were smitten by our handsome little guy! I managed to make it through today without getting any post-partum tears at all, so that's an accomplishment! I feel overwhelmed with optimism concerning Link's condition, as it has been reinforced countless times by his care team. I know the Lord loves him and is watching over him. And, though the wait is long, I know that someday Lincoln will be here at home with us...just hanging out...and we'll be a happy little family forever!

Day 4 in the World

2010-08-15T22:41:00.005-06:00

I got to have "Kangaroo Kare" time with Link today. It was AWESOME! Extensive studies have shown that skin-to-skin contact between baby and mommy dramatically increases the health of little preemies. It is said to help with lactation, breathing, sleep, weight gain, creating antibodies for the new environment, etc. So, today, I got to hold my little guy against my bare chest and recline in a comfy chair and just enjoy. It was fantastic, and it made Lincoln so calm and content. We did it again at my evening visit, and it proved to be equally satisfying for both myself and him. Link's nurses continue to comment on his vigor and good health. They call him "feisty" because he likes to wiggle so much. They curl all sorts of rolled up blankets and shaped pillows around him to make him feel contained as though in the womb. He's now taking 6 ml of my milk at feeding times, and seems to be gaining weight! Brent helped me in a difficult moment to recognize a blessing in the midst of this hard time. Had Lincoln not come early, that's two months less that we would have had to enjoy his little Spirit. Sure, he would have been in the womb...but the bond and reality of a child-parent relationship obviously grows far more once the little guy comes into the world. We get bonus months!!! I love my boys.

BOSTON MARATHON 2010

2010-07-31T10:16:00.003-06:00

Back in October, Brent ran the St. George Marathon with a finishing time of 3 hours and 6 minutes, which qualified him to run the famed Boston Marathon. So, this April, we braved the humid and cold Boston weather and joined some good friends for the race of all races in a city that we had never previously visited. We had a blast eating lots of delicious fresh seafood, visiting historical sites, seeing a performance by The Blue Man Group, and paying a visit to Harvard over a four day weekend. The race, of course, was the highlight of the trip. Brent had a great run and really enjoyed the immense support along the race course. The Wellseley girls even formed a screaming tunnel for all the racers to run through and offered kisses to those weary at 17 miles. Brent, of course, declined respectfully. Here are some pics.

Minnesota fun!

2010-07-20T15:41:00.005-06:00

I had a lovely time in Rochester with Steve & Liss and the kids over my spring break while Brent was tirelessly studying for the boards. They really treated me! Liss took me to an amazing flower show and showed me around Minneapolis. I got a personal tour of the Mayo Clinic from Dr. Steve. I got to jump on the trampoline and play with the kids in the yard. We ate at fantastic venues and made some fantastic meals of our own. I know this was awhile ago, but I couldn't let it slip off the list of events this spring! Thanks to the Minnesota Fowlers and their impeccable hospitality!

Another Children's Theatre Production!

2010-04-23T14:31:00.002-06:00

We're just about ready to open our second annual Children's Theatre Production here at Eaglecrest High School. I love doing this show, because I take the high school kids out of school for two whole days and we take our two little shows around to neighboring elementary schools for their enjoyment! It's such a blast to see our "big kids" step up to the plate and be role models for the little ones. The elementary schools kids just adore them!

Evans and Bierstadt via the Sawtooth

2010-02-28T20:28:00.002-07:00

Luke and Brent ditched class one day (way to spend that tuition: every day costs $100) and climbed Mount Bierstadt, a 14'er. Once on top, they saw the conditions were favorable for traversing the treacherous "sawtooth" and climb another 14'er, Mount Evans. After gaining the final summit, Brent succumbed to mild altitude sickness, and they missed their required ethics course that afternoon, for which they received a slap on the wrist. Not very ethical. One picture has Luke crouching on the summit of Bierstadt holding the tube which holds the summit log. Behind him is Evan's peak, the next destination. The 2 pictures of the sawtooth (the serrated ridge that connects Bierstadt and Evans) they traversed are somewhat self-explanatory.

Torreys, Grizley, and Cupid

2010-02-28T20:01:00.003-07:00

Just before Christmas, Corey, Luke and Brent climbed 2 13'ers (Grizzly and Cupid) and 1 14'er (Torreys). They were all in a line on one long, LONG ridge. Perfect Weather.

2010-02-28T19:43:00.003-07:00

Brenna making Christmas pasta on "Christmas Adam" (the day before Christmas Eve) at her house. Picture of the sunset from the top of Canfield Mt. (4160'). Brent biked from Brenna's house to the mountain on Christmas day and climbed it. He thought that it would be a quick and dirty trip, but was surprised by the 2000' gain, which is as much as some of his previous Colorado 14ers trips! When it got dark on him, he realized the mountain was more than he bargained for. Brent presents Brenna's and his summer project at a research conference, where he won "Best Pulmonology Poster". The BYU Alumni at Brent's med school sung Christmas carols on the wards at the Children's Hospital during the Holidays.

Skiing at Schweitzer, ID

2010-02-28T19:31:00.002-07:00

Beautiful day-after-Christmas and view above Lake Pond O 'Rielle. Brent's skiing w/ his brother-in-law Mike (Darcy's husband).

Love run and the (not) Super Bowl!

2010-02-28T18:57:00.002-07:00

These are pictures from the Loveland Sweetheart Lover's run on Valentine's Eve. Also a picture from the non Super Bowl party we had (all the calories w/o the TV!). Also, the Klondike Derby with the Boy Scouts, a very unique opportunity to met some sled dogs (Tornado and Fang).

Frustrated Colombia ascent

2010-02-28T18:39:00.003-07:00

Due to a nasty blizzard and deep deep snow, we turned back on Colombia. (the weather was so bad that they closed the road home and we had to take a 3 hour detour south to make it home! The nuke-proof tent you see is the beloved one my mom bought me for my birthday when I was a young scout, and yes it's held up by cords and some skis.

New Floors!!

2010-02-28T18:25:00.002-07:00

Over Christmas break we installed new floors! Thanks to Luke for the help! DaVinci loves them because it's now his hockey rink.

New Mexico High Point: Wheeler Peak

2010-02-28T17:46:00.005-07:00

These pictures are of our trip to Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico. We traveled 600 miles round trip to climb New Mexico's highest peak: Wheeler Peak (13,161'). Here are the pictures: This is a picture of Luke entering the "half-gloo" (half igloo) that we built to sleep in. It took us 5 hours to get it this far, so we just put a tent fly over it and caught the warmest night winter camping I've ever had (including all the tent heaters we use on Scout Klondikes. The snow was exhaustingly deep.

Long's Peak...FINALLY!

2010-02-07T17:52:00.003-07:00

Long's is a tough 14er at 14,259 feet (4,346 m). Brent attempted this peak last summer and was not able to summit. It's been haunting him ever since. On a clear day in Aurora, we can see the whole front range, and Long's used to stand out on the North end...laughing at him. Well, not anymore!!! Brent was able to go up this last month and conquer at last! And in the winter!!!

Brent Climbs Mt. Elbert!

2010-02-07T17:43:00.003-07:00

Mt. Elbert is the highest point in Colorado and the second highest peak in the continental U.S. He was happy to finally bag this one!!! Jan. 2010 14,433'

2010-02-07T17:34:00.002-07:00

When at home in Coeur d'Alene for Christmas, I was lucky enough to have Santa pay for my first hairdo EVER! I was soooo excited! We feel like it turned out well. Tawny, our up and coming photographer, is responsible for these pics. Oh, and that dark-haired guy next to me is pretty gorgeous too!

Brent climbs the highest peak in Wyoming!

2009-08-30T19:48:00.004-06:00

Brent set out this weekend on a 44 mile journey to hike Mt. Gannett, the highest peak in Wyoming. It lies in the Wind River Range. He and a good buddy, Luke, set out on Friday immediately after a big med. school test mid morning, and really never slept until Saturday night for a few hours. They had to use crampons and ice axes and ropes and all that jazz that makes it a climb far beyond any other peak he's done. Hopefully Brent will eventually get over his fatigue and write more about the experience to go along with these pictures.

ROCKIES GAME!

2009-08-30T19:42:00.001-06:00

So, we left the game at the top of the 12th inning since I had to be at school early the next morning. We listened for awhile on the radio in the car, but then the Giants were ahead by three and we gave up hope and turned it off. Only at 11:30 p.m. as we were just about in bed did we get a phone call letting us know that the Rockies had hit a GRAND SLAM and won the game. We couldn't BELIEVE that we didn't stick it out! GO ROCKIES!

Coeur d'Alene Triathlon

2009-08-30T19:06:00.004-06:00

Brent preps for the swim.
The swim course was 0.9 miles...more than an Olympic length. Brent was pleased to find the usually chilly CDA waters to be rather pleasant, and he didn't get kicked in the face, so altogether it was a pleasant swim. If you look closely you can see Tawny on the left hand side. She's the first bright orange volunteer shirt you see.
The bike course was pretty hilly, but GORGEOUS! Most of it followed along the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Have you ever seen such a smiley triathlete?
Brent on the last leg of the run with Lake Coeur d'Alene in the background.
A grand finish!

Happy to be done!
Transition area. It was a well-attended event at around 750 participants.
Ready to go home and SLEEP!

The Lost City (and pictures) of Machu Picchu

2009-08-12T08:12:00.002-06:00

When we arrived at the Sun Gate (after having started on the trail long before dark so we could be the first), we were somewhat disappointed because all of Machu Picchu was clouded over (it is a cloud forest) and we thought for sure that we wouldn't have any good pictures. Shortly thereafter, this is what we found....
These are the only surviving pictures from our camera. The day we got home, we were in a hurry to leave for another community to do research, so I just sent these two photos to some family to tide them over until we got back. Little did I know that a week later when we returned, we'd be robbed of both the computer and camera and that these photos would forever stand alone. We have since received some photos from friends who did the trail with us, but mostly group shots or photos in which we were accidentally present. More to come...

Huarocondo Research

2009-06-30T17:04:00.005-06:00

Here's an account of our first day in Huarocondo, according to Brent:
We woke up at 5:30 to get ready for departure for Huaracondo to work finally! My first time in over a week, and brenna´s first. We were driving thru fog until we broke thru the mountain pass and were above the clouds, and now among frost! Got to Huaracondo but we didn't pass thru where we were going to pick up our translator, Matiasa, so I had to hop a taxi into the nearest big city...okay "community" and look for her. Brenna and I were so worried about finding her (we were calling her cell, her family, but no avail, and imagining her waiting for us at the wrong place) when by quite a tender mercy I suddenly got receptoion, and she did too, and we talked briefly, when reception cut out. But it was enough to get in touch and I took her back to Huarocondo, and we began to work. It was fun at first, b-c we had a list of people getting stoves that day, and we set out. But quickly that list was extinguished and we were set running around the hot empty village looking for any way to find more people to analyze. We got lunch for 3 soles each, and it was pretty funny. 3 soles! One dollar, we got a drink, soup, and main entre. Pretty basic, but still amazing. We recruited a young woman to help us find all the houses in the community who had recently gotten stoves, and set out analyzing them. The place is so small, that anyone would know where everyone lives. We were really blessed b-c our goal was 15 people that day, and we got 18! She was really good to help us. Once we had her, it was smooth sailing. The attitude was different in this community than others, though. Some people said no, or hid from us, or were evasive. But once Matiasa talked to them in Quechua and told them that we were about the new stoves, they would beam and open right up and be so proud of their new ovens. We later found out that when they heard we were doing medical research they were worried we were going to "examen" their whole body or something. It was choice to work in such a high elevation w-in the mountains there. A lot of people were gone at the mandatory city council meeting where you have to attend or get fined, and it ran 5 hours! Booo. But the analysis is always fun during the fact. It´s what we came to do, and is gratifying to cary out. Brenna and I tag team it, she takes down the gps coordinates, I do the questionnaire, she does the blood oxygen levels, and records that and the spirometry. Matiasa explains the consent and the spirometer, and then we bounce! The spirometer is the most difficult part of it all. They have to blow with great force into this machine...and they think it's funny or embarrassing and often don't give it their all, which is critical for the outcome. Way fun. We then caught the bus home, where Brenna and I talked about the day and all things. We watched the stars. Came home and took the laundry to the mat, and were dog tired, ready to retire, when we ran into David (ProPeru staff), who invited us to dinner. It was 800, so I was so grumpy to comply at first b-c it was bedtime, but when we met his really educated Peruvian friend and went to the place mentioned for dinner, we had wonderful eats and a really educated, late night dinner conversation, talking about American, Peruvian, and world issues. Very stimulating. Then home to bed...sooooo tired.

Here you can see a few fun pics of our research adventures. The lady with the colorful satchel is our cute little translator. Notice the one lady with her recently improved stove with a chimney! She was so proud!

Moray & Salineras

2009-06-30T16:10:00.004-06:00

Last week Brent and I had a free day, so we decided to see some nearby ruins. Here's the account according to Brent: We caught 2 taxis to some ruins (Moray) kinda near by. But we had to really haggle w- them.. The ruins are concentric circle terraces where they experimented with different ecosystems in each, because the climates change as you go up in altitude. Then we did the unthinkable: we walked from that ruin to another that the taxitsta assured us was 70 km away. Bull. Took us 2 hours. But we were out on our own, (it was a fodor´s guidebook recommendation to walk between) and we didn’t see another human for the entire time. We were walking through high altitude wheat fields, and I grabbed a bunch of it and crunched it in my hands and separated the wheat from the chafe like Brian Dilley (Brenna's cuz) taught me to on his farm in Pasco, WA last summer. We had the best conversation in that 2 hours about where we want to travel, friends, literature, immigration, etc. it was a perfect hike! Also, it lead us to a secret path across a wide ravine (we had to zigzag a lot up and down the mountain and dodge cliffs and stumble and avoid cactus, and huge spiders---which Brenna really didn't do) but we arrived w-o having to pay at the place! The Salineras, where they mine salt on huge terraces was pretty incredible. It was just like looking at rice terraces on steel mountainsides, but weird colors and whatnot from evaporation of salt. We got to see people taking out their own salt. I asked them how much they had to pay to get it....you can walk away from the place with 50 kilos of salt for a few bucks. We then walked from there back to the main highway and caught lunch/dinner at a place called Arco Iris (rainbow) that spans the Urubamba river. The food was great and the presentation was fun, as we ate in a green tropical place under a grass hut overlooking the river with great eats. A cat joined us and ate Brenna's fish skin, and we reminisced over DaVinci...the furry one, that is.

A little Cusco

2009-06-28T16:21:00.007-06:00

Here are some pictures from a couple days in Cuzco. We still have a LOT more to see there, so there will be more photos coming, but here's a start. We were visiting during a fun time...winter solstice here is one of the biggest festivals in all of Peru---Inti Raymi. There were parades and stuff going on for a week. We also were able to witness a demonstration by the agricultural workers (most of the indigenous population). They were peacefully protesting unfair wages and prices and whatnot. The bathtub picture with Brent was a wild restaurant that we went to. Our table was a bathtub filled with fish, covered by a glass rectangle. The whole place was pretty outlandish. We also visited Qoricancha, the "loins" of the Incan empire and what used to be a temple completely gilded in gold. The Spanish had their way with that building and build a monastery/church over top of it. Typical.

The enormous stone walls you see below are original Incan walls tediously placed together with no mortar.

A Couple Days in Lima

2009-06-22T14:32:00.003-06:00

Purple Corn in the Market---Used for making Chicha Morada---Yum!

Different kinds of sauces for yummy food!

Brent & I in the Parque Del Amor (Park of Love) in Miraflores...a park entirely dedicated to LOVERS! We loved it! The mosaic-tiled benches are reminiscent of Gaudi's Parque Guell in Barcelona, Spain.

A statue of a couple in a "lewd embrace" stands at the center of Love Park...a big controversy.

We can't resist original artwork! This painting has cost us more than a little trouble. Ask us for the story later.

Brent was just dying to paraglide on the coast. He had such a blast!

The Perro Peruano is about the ugliest dog I've ever seen, but nevertheless a protected dog in Peru, indigenous to the area, and they have a body temp. of about 100 degrees just on the skin.

Brent and I at the ruins of the Lima civilization (Pre-Inca) in the middle of a sweet neighboorhood in Miraflores. The "hill" was once used for motorcrossing because no one had discovered them. It's a working archeological site. Their clever building-technique helped the structure to withstand the earthquakes common to the area.

You can't talk about Peru without the Llama being mentioned. Even Frank Sinatra sings about them "Come Fly With Me, We'll float down to Peru, In Llama-land there's a one-man band, and he'll toot his flute for you."

Urubamba Life

2009-06-22T13:49:00.002-06:00

The Pro Peru Offices

Volunteers creating water filters of clay...kneading with their FEET!

The red wall with the brown door is the entrance to Pro Peru offices where we live.

El Templo de Torrechayoc...the church just a stone's throw away from where we live. I go in there to think sometimes.

An indigenous woman walking down the main market street. Where those top hats came from I'll never understand. Notice the legwarmers. It's not as warm as you might think.

The church adjacent to the main plaza in the center of Urubamba.

View of our little house (shared) and the shop where the filters are made behind. The house is made of adobe, with a cement floor, and tile roof...living in style.

Brent on our first day here with a bowl of soup at a restaurant. Here, lunch is the biggest meal of the day, generally starting with a big veggie soup, and then a main dish of potatoes and meat or beans and rice, etc. All of that, plus some chicha morada (purple corn juice) will cost 4-5 soles (a buck and a half or so).

Here I am at the same restaurant. We like to eat upstairs and have a view of the main plaza and church.

Children's Show

2009-05-26T14:03:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm done with theatre for a little while. Last week, I took a troupe of 14 kids on tour with two one-act spoofs of classic Shakespearean shows. It was a blast. We took the shows to elementary and middle schools, and they just loved it! My kids had a blast entertaining and relating with the little ones. We also had two evening performances which were relatively well-attended considering that the Nuggets were playing the Lakers on Saturday night. When that was mentioned as a possible factor in lowering our audience numbers, I said "Who watches hockey anyway?" They got a kick out of my ignorance. More pics to come.

Elphaba For A Day...

2009-05-15T21:25:00.006-06:00

I've always wanted to play the role of Elphaba, so when the French National Honor's Society at our school announced their "Have A Laugh And Help Sudan" fundraiser (embarrassing teachers for certain quantities of money donated), I was all over it. We have a sister school in Sudan where, a few years ago, no girls attended school at all. Now there are 600 of them! Throughout the year, we've had various fundraisers and drives----everything going strait to that little village. A brilliant Social Studies teacher at our school runs the foundation and goes there every year. We raised about 3,500 dollars with this fundraiser and 9,000 or so with a 5k walk in the fall. For $950, I was willing (okay...I was excited) to paint myself green for a day. I ended up having far more fun that I could have imagined...especially when I got to scare the Little Raptors (a preschool on campus for teachers' kids). They squealed and screamed and probably had bad dreams last night! Here are some pics...

Here I am with Martha Riley, the Social Studies Teacher who runs the project for our school. She wore her wedding dress from 30-something years ago for the occasion! See http://www.projecteducationsudan.org/ for more information on the project.

Kelly Snell, the Dance Teacher/Performing Arts Chair/Student Council Advisor and I went in on this together. She dressed as Glinda, the Good Witch...complete with bubbles and whatnot, while I acted her counterpart. She and I are both obsessed with WICKED and already have tickets to see the touring company when they come to Denver in October.

Several of my theatre kids stopped by my Spanish classes that day because they heard about what I looked like and just had to see it! Taylor, a very talented Junior, was one of them. She was our lead in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and plays prominent roles in the children's show I'm directing now.

I tried casting a spell on Jacob...it didn't work. I'm not so sure my students were able to take me very seriouly during class that day. I mean, would you respond to a green-skinned witch if she asked you to start conjugating stem-chaning verbs?

I carried a broom around all day...naturally.

I experimented a lot with my witchy hand movements...for when I get to actually play that role. You know, character exploration...
While this is a hideous picture of me, I felt it necessary to give credit to my makeup artist. Brandon Bill is the theatre teacher at our school and he and I have worked together to direct all the shows this year. He's brilliant in all aspects of the craft, and particularly good at makeup. We got to school at 6:15 so he could help me become convincingly green!

A Mother's Day Tribute

2009-05-10T07:24:00.002-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to the Moms we love so dearly!!!

Mom's who stood beside us on the most important days of our lives...

Mom's who taught us to make the world around us beautiful...

Mom's who taught us to appreciate nature...

Mom's who taught us to celebrate and love life...

Mom's who taught us to teach others...

Moms who love an adventure...

Mom's who value education...

Mom's who love the arts...

Mom's who taught us to be something more, do something greater, and strive for excellence.

Why Peru?

2009-05-09T22:22:00.003-06:00

I've found it somewhat difficult to explain to people what it is that Brent and I are doing in Peru this summer. Here's a video that explains it all. It even shows communities that we'll be visiting and people with whom we'll be working.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neZZvvnL8Lg

Fun With Guns In Cheyenne

2009-05-09T06:52:00.002-06:00

Just before our trip to Vail, all the Fowler clan headed out for a good old Wyoming "Shotgun shoot out." Can you believe I married into this family? Hee hee...

Steve believes it's very important to teach the kids about guns.

Macy & Steve

The Fowler Boys love to shoot pop cans, computers, pumpkins...anything that isn't living!

Liss totes baby Cash along for the show!

Climb Every Mountain

2009-05-09T06:29:00.004-06:00

Back at Base Camp of Quandary Peak. This is near Keystone, CO (the ski resort).

Quandary Peak, 14,265'. I'm holding the "sign in tube" which holds a piece of paper where you can sign. Needless to say, I didn't bother signing in that day. It was amazing to be on top. We had lunch there.

The 2 tallest twin peaks in the distance are Grays (14,270) and Torreys (14,267) peaks, the 2 first 14ers I summited. This was taken from Quandary.

Corey Dobson (a med school peer) and myself atop Quandary. We're smiling because when your O2 saturation is 60% you're too stupid to realize how much it hurts and that you shouldn't be so happy to be dying. For what it's worth, Corey beat me to the summit by about 20 minutes. He's an animal. Note on high altitude stupidity: the chump who took the picture has his fingers in front of the lens. Oh well. They had come from Texas for the third time to summit this mountain, because they failed to make it the first 2 tries. That really put it into perspective for me.

This is Avery the dog. Avery couldn't take the 50mph winds at 13,000 feet, so she "quit". She was obviously thinking more clearly than the rest of us. Note: there was a loco dog we met on the mountain named "Quandary the Dog". Quandary (yellow lab) lives with his family at the base of the mountain and summits with a group every day. Every day. That dog has more 14er summits than any human. I guess that he is a late sleeper b/c he was going up w/ a group when we were going down.

Corey Dobson atop Quandary

Grays and Torreys peaks. These are cool mountains b/c you can climb them both in a day. You connect them via the "saddle" bx them. My 1st 2 fourteener summits.

View from Pikes (14,110) peak ascent.

Even though atop Pikes peak we were frozen w/ 60 mph winds, on the way down it thawed right nice. 12 mile hike. We left at 4:00 AM to summit.

View near top of Pikes Peak (near Colorado Springs). The really depressing thing w/ Pikes is that you can DRIVE to the top. So right there I was standing on the shoulder of a road where a bunch of blue haired retired gerries were heading up in their '96 Lincoln Continentals w/ the heater on full blast, jamming to Marty Robbins and the Sons of the Pioneers. Needless to say, we didn't take the road. We were just crossing it. But when we get on top to the gift shop, the AARP members all want to know why we are all tuckered out.

Luke Helland, Corey Dobson, Nate Gebhard going for the final summit push. If I remember correctly (which I often don't at that elevation) the actual peak is the small peak you see just to the right of the guy in the middle.

SORRY!

2009-05-08T14:47:00.003-06:00

Sorry, everybody, for not keeping this updated! I've been mega busy with work, work and more work! I'm greatly looking forward to the last week in May and the first week in June when I can actually leave school after just 8 hours of work like everyone else! I've either directed or assistant directed every one of the 3 shows we've done this year at our school, so my work day from September to May is from seven a.m. to five, six, seven, eight, even nine p.m. if we're just about to open a show! I'm pretty sure I'll be accepting less commitments next year. Brent is about to finish is first full year of med school, and he's honored all of his classes but one. He's an avid mountaineer these days and keeps busy with the scouts. We're off to Peru for the summer starting in June. It couldn't come sooner! We love you all and hope to get this blog updated soon!

RAWR!

2009-03-05T14:00:00.002-07:00

I just thought I'd show ya'll how manly my husband is while climbing Quandry's Peak...one of his many fourteeners. The wind blew so hard he was knocked over! I'll climb with him someday...when there isn't snow on the ground!

Christmas Festivities

2009-02-22T20:18:00.005-07:00

Me and DaVinci snuggling on Christmas.

I found an old prom dress from high school in the basement. It was a tight squeeze, but I still felt like a princess. I'm in front of one of Mom's three trees in the house.
This is the gingerbread tree.

Brent mastered a "Figgy Pudding" for Christmas Day.

Darcy taught Tawny how to make her famous deviled eggs.

We mortified Jazzy and DaVinci by making them wear this elephant costume. It gave us some good laughs.

Vinci seems to think he's the best present anyone could ever get. I agree. Receiving him on Christmas Morning two years ago brought tears to my eyes!

Brent and I show off our new Christmas pajamas on Christmas morning. Brent opts for scrubs these days. Sexy.

Brent and I tackled Christmas Eve dinner on our own...complete with
Brandied Chestnut Soup

Celery Root and Blood Orange Salad
Winter Root Vegetables
Bourbon Glazed Ham
Baked Pears in Custard

White Christmas in Coeur d'Alene

2009-02-22T20:03:00.003-07:00

My little sis is an up and coming photographer, so I stole a few pics from her blog! Cool, eh?

Much more artistic and lovely than our photos!

It's always a white Christmas in Coeur d'Alene, but this year we traveled to my home town only to find it BURIED in snow! Coeur d'Alene beat some kind of 1955 snow record for the most snow in 24 hours sometime during the middle of December. It was lovely to look at, a pain to drive in, and Brent had way to much fun snow-shoeing around the neighboring hills.

The icicles coming off of the house were twice my height!

Halloween 2008

2009-01-11T20:31:00.003-07:00

This is my old Dorothy costume from when I was in my first play at 13 years old. It's more snug now. In fact, what you don't see in this picture is my inability to breath with it on. It seemed to be a popular costume anyhow.

Brent dressed up as himself for our ward trunk-or-treat. Any chance he can get to wear those spandex bike shorts...

We had a little halloween dinner at our place with some buds from med school.

Dave and Cara were so charming as to create a dessert in honor of DaVinci.

Still stuck on "The Wizard of Oz", I made little melted witch puddles out of melted white chocolate, oreos, pretzels, coconut (dyed), and chocolate dipped Bugles.

Step aside Edward Cullen...my hubby is the hottest neck biter around! I did his makeup, of course.

I was a less convincing vampire.

This RIP cracker dip was a hit!

This is what kind of teacher I am...

2009-01-11T20:17:00.001-07:00

Fashion disaster day during Spirit Week at my school. I had fun.

Rockclimbing Rules!

2008-11-02T07:08:00.004-07:00

After several years absence from rockclimbing, Brent is back in the harness again, and he's taken me with him! Here are some pics from our recent trip to Golden, CO with some med. school buddies.

Isn't he sexy on the rocks???

The view of Denver from the rocks was amazing!!!

This was the point at which I about gave up!

El Dia de los Muertos---Una Fiesta Espantosa!

2008-10-26T13:20:00.004-06:00

In my classes on Friday and Saturday, we embarked on a journey 3,000 years into the past, taking ourselves back to an ancient Aztec tradition. As many of you probably know, there is a holiday in Mexico that is often (and sadly) confused with Halloween. For you gringos, it's known as "The Day of the Dead." Though it may sound rather grim, put all your assumptions aside and prepare to be enlightened! When the Aztec goddess, Mictecacihuatl died, this event was created in her honor. She is also known as the "Lady of the Dead" or Catrina. On this day, people honor their loved ones who have passed on by gathering together as a family, cleaning and decorating graves, creating altars in their homes dedicated to those passed on, and celebrating the life they lead with dancing, singing, and lots of great food! The most famous image associated with the Day of the Dead is a smiling skull, representing the joy a spirit feels when it can move on to the next stage in his/her existence. Some actually believe, that these happy spirits will come to visit them on these couple of days in which they're allowed to once again enjoy their earthly pleasures. When the conquistadores, plundered the Aztecs, they saw some merit in the holiday and added some catholic touches. Today, those of many cultural and religious heritages take part in this great celebration of life.

My students made "ofrendas" for people in their lives who had passed away. Though most were family members or homies, I also had some tributes to Selena, Heath Ledger, Bernie Mac, and other famous figures. I was impressed with the great job they did. They also brought in the traditional "pan de muertos" (Bread of the Dead) and horchata and all sorts of authentic treats. We had a great time. The actual days of celebration are the 1st and 2nd of November (at which time Brent and I hope to have our own little celebration) but we're currently on fall break, so I had them do the projects before heading off on their respective vacations and whatnot. Here are some pictures of the little tributes they created and my own life-sized "ofrenda" to my paternal grandmother, Betty Dunn. And yes, I burned candles and incense in a classroom full of teenagers.

Denver & Cheyenne Botanic Gardens

2008-10-12T08:40:00.006-06:00

We've been visiting a lot of gardens lately! First, we went to the Denver Botanic Gardens on free museum day, then enjoyed the Cheyenne gardens last weekend while in town, and yesterday I volunteered at the Pumpkin Festival in the Chatfield Botanic Gardens! Unfortunately I have no pictures of the latter. It was so much fun! Acres and acres of land were covered in cornstalks and pumpkins, and when they opened the gates, throngs of people swept in with their little kids dressed in costume (in spite of the drizzly weather). Each one eagerly searched for the perfect pumpkin. We are thoroughly enjoying all the colors of fall and the festivities that come along with it!

(Half) Marathon Woman!!

2008-09-27T10:39:00.008-06:00

This is a story on why my wife is SO amazing!

Brenna and I have an annual tradition of officially inaugurating Autumn by attending the “Top of Utah Marathon,” where we take in the brisk air and marvel at the changing leaves in Logan Utah. Whereas I was still basking in the bliss of my newfound sedentary lifestyle (due to my rash post-ironman vow to never physically train again), I wasn’t too shaken up by the prospect of studying all the waking hours on Saturday instead of running 26 miles. But Brenna, ever nostalgic, hunted for a comparable event in Colorado and uncovered the “best kept secret in Colorado,” the Autumn Color Run.

“Hey, Brent, I found a half-marathon for you to do this Saturday,” Brenna informed.

I retort with an epithet in Spanish.

“No really, you could win this one!” she insists.

All that means is that it’s such a small event that nobody fast actually enters the race, and the pressure is on to not loose to the local AARP president nor the Red Hat Lady (who has won the last 58 years in a row—beat that Phelps!). This time the epithet is in English.

“Seriously, Brent, I think I might do it with you!” she proudly announces.

I check to see if I’ve soiled myself. All good. “Are you kidding me?” I ask as I have visions of Chariots of Fire meets Miracle on 34^th Street dancing around in my head.

“Yeah, I can speed walk that far. The course is open for 6 hours, so I figure I can finish in that time,” she confirms.

So after going out back to unbury my running shoes, loading the ipods with angry girl music, and buying film for the video camera (which I left home anyway….) we got up at 4:30 AM on Saturday, September 19^th and headed to beautiful Buena Vista, Colorado.

On the way we stoped in bustling Leadville, where the temperature was 18 degrees at 7:30 AM, and the landscape was frosted. Well, we thought, we are ascending to 11,000 feet to start the race, but maybe it’ll warm up in the next hour. Suprisingly, it did.

We started in a mountain canyon on a dirt road (only 4 miles of the 13 were on paved surfaces). The vistas were truly “Buena.” The aspens were a glowing gold and the scenery was breathtaking! We ran down into town over bridges, around lakes, and through the mountains.

Brenna was planning to finish in around 5 hours, so I broke out my anatomy materials and studied while I waited. A chatty toddler came over to make friends until his dad yanked him away when he saw that I was studying pictures of the anus and scrotum of cadavers (People just can’t relate to the phrase, “I cut dead people.” Well, maybe Macy Fowler could).

Then, less than 3 hours into the race, I spotted Brenna hauling toward the finish line! She came in so fast that I hardly had time to get the camera out. The champ finished her first half-marathon in just under 3 hours when her goal was 5!! I couldn’t have been more proud. She finished strong, walking in at the same pace at which she began! Other than being a little emotional for having finished, she was happy and healthy. How amazing is Brenna, who only took up regularly speed-walking 5K’s recently. (This was the first time she has done an event longer than 3 miles.) To celebrate her victory we went spice shopping at the local organic food store and got Brenna some new Keen mountain sandals.

Congratulations, Brenna, I love you so much and am so proud of you! Just another example of why you are an esposa perfecta!

Brenna's note: Brent failed to mention that he took second in his division and achieved another Personal Record (1:35)! My hubby is a star!

Back in the Symphony Again!

2008-09-21T17:12:00.003-06:00

Brent finally got me to go audition for the Aurora Symphony, after years of letting my violin collect dust. I was reluctant because of all the activities I'm already involved in, but I found out very quickly that it was the perfect situation. The symphony mostly consists of professional moms and dads who don't have a ton of time to practice but just love to make music. We only rehearse once a week and have maybe a concert every couple months or so. The principle cellist is the orchestra teacher at my school, and when she found out I played, she got on me too! Anyway, I'm jumping in just in time for the October 11th "Tribute to the Silver Screen" concert. We're playing music from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Schindler's List. I'm really excited for our December concert, as we're playing holiday music from the British Isles featuring a renowned Celtic vocalist as well as a handbell choir. Very festive! If you want to know more about the symphony you can visit this site: www.aurorasymphony.org/ I'm so excited to get back into something that was such a huge part of my life from about 5th grade up until my freshman year of college. Yay!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Visits Eaglecrest High School

2008-09-21T08:18:00.003-06:00

On Thursday, our school was blessed with the visit of a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient! It was quite the occasion. Our driveway into the school parking lot was lined with probably fifty American flags, a red carpet was put down, art students created beautiful works depicting the experience of the soldier's crowning moment, and even our live mascot, Free Spirit (an eagle) was on stage during the National Anthem. It was an incredible occasion. I was so impressed by this man's bravery and unassuming nature. We were all dressed in suits and dresses for the occasion, and he had on jeans, tennis shoes and a sport coat! He truly didn't believe that he was necessarily worthy of the grand honor. He spoke about the need to serve either our church, community, or country. An official flag folding ceremony was held---something I had never seen before. What a beautiful experience! I was surprised at all the deeply religious symbolism. I'm in a district now where it's tough to mention Christianity or anything to do with it, so if any of you know what is said in the flag ceremony, you can imagine how surprised I was! What shocked me when I started to read his story was that he had so much in common with my own father. He was a Marine in Vietnam who left from California. Who knows, maybe they crossed paths! Here's a little blurb on Richard Pittman:

PITTMAN, RICHARD A.

Rank and organization: Sergeant (then L/Cpl.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company 1, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein) FMF. Place and date: near the Demilitarized Zone, Republic of Vietnam, 24 July 1966. Entered service at: Stockton, Calif. Born: 26 May 1945, French Camp, San Joaquin, Calif. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. While Company 1 was conducting an operation along the axis of a narrow jungle trail, the leading company elements suffered numerous casualties when they suddenly came under heavy fire from a well concealed and numerically superior enemy force. Hearing the engaged marines' calls for more firepower, Sgt. Pittman quickly exchanged his rifle for a machinegun and several belts of ammunition, left the relative safety of his platoon, and unhesitatingly rushed forward to aid his comrades. Taken under intense enemy small-arms fire at point blank range during his advance, he returned the fire, silencing the enemy position. As Sgt. Pittman continued to forge forward to aid members of the leading platoon, he again came under heavy fire from 2 automatic weapons which he promptly destroyed. Learning that there were additional wounded marines 50 yards further along the trail, he braved a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to continue onward. As he reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy. Totally disregarding his safety, he calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy with devastating machinegun fire. His weapon rendered ineffective, he picked up an enemy submachinegun and, together with a pistol seized from a fallen comrade, continued his lethal fire until the enemy force had withdrawn. Having exhausted his ammunition except for a grenade which he hurled at the enemy, he then rejoined his platoon. Sgt. Pittman's daring initiative, bold fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty inflicted many enemy casualties, disrupted the enemy attack and saved the lives of many of his wounded comrades. His personal valor at grave risk to himself reflects the highest credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the U.S. Naval Service.

Jackson!!!

2008-09-15T19:39:00.002-06:00

Jackson was a wonderful family reunion! It was fabulous to just relax, enjoy the best of company, eat great food and enjoy the beauties of nature. I always say that I'm the luckiest girl ever, because I just ADORE my in-laws...every last one of them! I don't have any of those horrible in-law stories to tell. They're all so incredible, and I love them dearly! Thanks for an amazing time in Jackson!

White Coat Ceremony

2008-09-14T21:22:00.002-06:00

On August 14 we celebrated the start to a lifetime of medical service at the CU Medical School campus with Brent's white coat ceremony. It's almost like a graduation, in that all the students get to march across stage and receive their white coat and stethescope, and there are speakers and whatnot, but they haven't quite done anything except for get into med. school yet! I was incredibly impressed by the resumes of Brent's classmates. There are lots of IV league grads, people who have a master's or PhD, and students who had accomplished amazing feats all over the world. I was so proud knowing that my baby was counted among them!

Brent is an IRONMAN!!!

2008-09-07T08:32:00.005-06:00

On August 2nd, Brent embarked on the most difficult physical task of his life! We got up before the sun to travel from our Santa Rosa hotel to the small, wooded town of Guernville, CA where thousands of triathletes were setting up transition stations, slicking their bodies with sunscreen and sport shield, downing Cliff Shots and Gatorade, and donning their first outfit of the day, a full body wetsuit. Brent was lucky to have an old friend and race buddy with whom to share the pre-race jitters while I eagerly filmed anything I could. (Video footage yet to come.) The start was announced and Brent hopped in the still waters of the damned Russian river along with his heat of men from 18-39. Brent was one of the youngest, as endurance sports seem to be an older man's domain. In spite of all the kicking and heavy breathing and splashing, the morning seemed so serene as I stood on the bank, watching the steam rise off of the warm water into the cool morning air. Brent was easy to spot, as he wore a green swim cap that stood out among the white caps that were mandated for his age group. Brent never really has let people tell him what to do. After an hour and sixteen minutes in the stroking his 2.4 miles, Brent stepped out of the water smiling and ran on to his transition into the bike. A lengthy 5 minute transition gave him time to change, throw on some more sunscreen, and find his center. His 112 mile, hilly bike trip took him through forests, towns, and the beautiful vineyards that characterize the area. I was able to see him at about mile 59, driving the car alongside him as he rode and ate a cherished sub sandwich---a nice relief from all the Clif Bars and Shots he'd been downing at every aid station. I offered him cheers and pumped music and wished him my love as he continued on. At the end of 6 hours and 25 minutes, I had gone shopping, read, eaten lunch, driven all over Windsor, CA and probably could have even squeezed in a pedicure. Meanwhile, Brent was more than ready to be off his bike, and it showed as he pedaled into the transition area. When compared to the hours that it takes to do an Ironman, I guess his nearly 11 minute transition wasn't too indulgent!!! He was so excited to be off the bike, that 26.2 miles on foot didn't seem so bad! The run course of the Vineman loops three times, so it gives the viewer plenty of opportunities to see their athlete. He always ran by, cheery and excited, and acting like more of a goofball that taking himself seriously like many of these hardcore triathletes. Brent's best marathon in the past brought him to the finish line in 3 hours and 19 minutes, but having done everything that he had before this marathon started in 80+ degree weather, he knew to pace himself at a much slower speed. I anxiously waited at the finish line with friends, hoping that he hadn't injured himself in fatigue on the last loop. Soon enough, Brent Fowler finished 4th place in his division after a 4 hour and 25 minute marathon, leaving him with a total time of 12 hours, 23 minutes and 46.5 seconds. He was weak and exhausted, but in good spirits and ready to eat some FOOD! The finish line was an emotional experience for us both. Shortly after, Brent said that he was done with Ironman triathlons, but I knew better than to believe him. When the post-race fatigue wore off the next morning, Brent was saying he couldn't wait to do another!!! Thank you all for your prayers and support during this immense experience! You can view the official race photos at http://orders.racephotonetwork.com/QPPlus/Proofs.aspx, type in Vineman and his bib number is 20.

Oregon

2008-08-24T08:39:00.004-06:00

We had a lovely time in Portland for a couple days with my step-sisters, Liz and Carrie. We just love that area! It's so beautiful and there are so many artsy events to attend, and our company was certainly very entertaining. We visited Cannon Beach, the Portland Rose Garden, and the World Forestry Center. We also went to a couple of fun restaurants. It was a blast!

Beautiful Coeur d'Alene

2008-08-08T18:55:00.003-06:00

We had a lovely time in Coeur d'Alene for the last week or so of July. We had fun out on the boat, cooking with the fam, and backpacking in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest! Yay, for the Inland Northwest!!!

Family Gathering In Cheyenne

2008-08-08T17:39:00.002-06:00

We had a rare opportunity to all gather together in July for a few days to remember the sweet influence that our dear Aunt Kay had on our lives. We love her and will miss her impeccable style and matchless humor. We know that we will see her again someday.

Pics of Our New Palace!

2008-07-11T12:13:00.005-06:00

So, here's our new place! I left out pictures of the office, since it's still looking pretty horrible. I also have a hallway desk and shelves on which I put all my "projects" that don't deserve a looking at just yet. We've been dragging our feet on painting and will probably repent for it later. We've still got some space to fill, but we love it!!! We eat out on the balcony on our bistro table nearly every night. Oh, and yes, that is a "linen closet" entirely dedicated to candles. Any suggestions?

Old marathon pics

2008-07-05T21:26:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from the Ogden marathon. Since I didn't get any good action shots (he came in way sooner than I expected, so I was caught off guard) I stole these from Zazoosh. I figure since their name is on there we're okay. Brent is fun to watch in his events because he's so goofy...making faces and flailing his arms around like it's all a piece of cake. I'm so proud of him.

Happy Birthday, Nan!

2008-07-05T21:20:00.003-06:00

We picked Nan and Carvel up from the airport on their way back from Boise on Monday, and at the same time, surprised Brent's dear little mom with a birthday dinner. We started off with a colorful display of random birthday candles (I much prefer this over the dinky little ones on a cake) and then moved on to a yummy barbecue dinner followed by a lemon bar trifle. We love you so much, Nan!

Happy 60th Doug!

2008-07-05T21:12:00.004-06:00

A couple weeks ago we drove to Cheyenne with Jaclyn and Max to celebrate Brent's Dad's 60th with a lovely dinner thrown by our dear Aunt Kay. It was well attended (more lawyers than O.J. had representing him), the food was great, and Doug gave a very touching speech, the focus being on how proud he is of his four children and their accomplishments.
The next morning (Father's Day) we had a lovely brunch on the patio before heading back to Provo to get packed!

Adios Provo

2008-07-05T21:08:00.003-06:00

We said goodbye to Provo with a lovely evening ride up Provo Canyon to Vivian Park. Now we're excited to check out Colorado's trails!

Moved in!

2008-07-04T10:10:00.002-06:00

Well, we said goodbye to Provo a couple weeks ago and hello to Colorado! Moving in was a bit of agony, as we live in a third floor condo, but luckily we don't have that much furniture or anything, so it wasn't too bad. A few guys from our new ward came to help for a bit. In spite of the stairs issue, we just LOVE our place, and DaVinci does too. He, however, is missing the freedom of going outside all the time. Instead, he frequently occupies our balcony and pretends to be ferocious enough to scare away the pigeons. Now, DaVinci is no small cat. He's a healthy nine pounds, but these pigeons are other-worldly. Our neighbors may frequently see me out on the balcony, flailing my arms and hissing and yelling at the pigeons to urge them out of our little outdoor domain, but they always come back. Any suggestions? Meanwhile, Brent and I are just enjoying our vacation before the madness begins. We having been checking out all the free outdoor concerts, familiarizing ourselves with Denver, and, of course, Brent trains for his Ironman about 4-6 hours a day! We'll post pictures soon. Happy 4th, everybody!

Who has the sweetest kitty?

2008-06-18T08:13:00.006-06:00

This is our sweet little kitty, DaVinci...

and this is my family's cat, Jazzy.

What do you think?

OUR NEW CONDO!!!

2008-06-07T08:30:00.003-06:00

When I was around five or six years-old, I had seen something on t.v. about different kinds of homes. I then proceeded to tell my Dad that "When I grow up, I want to live in a condom." He burst into hysterical, high-pitched laughs. When he was able to breath again and wipe away the tears, he informed me that what I meant was a "condominium."

Well, it's all coming true now. As of Wednesday, Brent and I became homeowners! During my spring break in April, I went out to Denver to hunt for teaching positions and houses. I had looked through dozens and dozens of properties online that our wonderful Realtor had sent us. I sifted out the ones not worth looking at and jumped right in. The condo we bought was the very first property I visited in person. I told our Realtor immediately, "Kelly, if everything else sucks today, I'm so happy with this place." The rest is history.

Here's a link to the seller's posting of the place. I love that the theme music is JAZZ!!! Take a peek! Unfortunately, those furnishings are not included!

http://listingsmagic.com/flash/tour.php?property_ID=6139

What do you think?

DaVinci: How much is that kitty in the window?

2008-06-04T13:55:00.001-06:00

DaVinci is our little baby, and we just adore him! He has many names, such as The Vinch, Vinci, Cheeto, Cheeters, The Cheet, BaDinci, Little One, Soft One, Tito, Sweets, etc. All must be pronounced with a good Italian dialect, on his request. Though he's been known to steal treats, play with grasshoppers, sleep on our heads, and drink out of baby bottles, he prefers to be remembered by his finer pursuits, such as playing Hamlet at Cambridge, tasting fine wines and cheeses, and reading 17th century metaphysical poetry. He also has his kitty wig powdered twice a year in Vienna. We celebrate his birthday on Christmas, since that's the day he graced us with his presence, and he asks that no gifts be sent on the occasion, just cash. Noi ti amo, DaVinci!

Ogden Marathon

2008-06-03T14:18:00.000-06:00

Brent, Jacque, and Alan all ran the Ogden Marathon a few weeks ago. Our camera sucks, so I have terrible action shots, but here are a few nonetheless. I got to watch baby Max while they worked really hard! Brent surprised us all by coming in 10 minutes earlier than expected on his third full marathon. I suppose his Ironman training has results that are surprising even HIM!

Brent's Graduation! April 2008

2008-06-03T14:11:00.000-06:00

We were so pleased to have family from both sides visit us and attend Brent's graduation. It was shorter than some, but still not long enough to keep the graduate himself awake! We enjoyed several days of good food, good company, and bad weather. Technically, Brent has not yet graduated! He is currently taking 2 final classes and will get his diploma in August. We still love him!

Moving On...

2008-05-20T08:59:00.001-06:00

Okay.......the blog has been officially pronounced dead by many. It's true. I haven't even been on here for months. Well, much has occurred. Brent was accepted to 10 medical schools, and we're going to the long-time favorite, COLORADO!!!!!!! We're currently in the process of buying a condo, for which we'll close on June 4th. I landed a sweet job teaching at a great high school in the Cherry Creek School District. I'll be teaching full-time Spanish and directing theatrical productions after school. The pay is FAR better than Utah, so we're thrilled about that. Currently Brent is finishing up a couple classes at BYU and then we're off in JUNE! We can't wait to move into our new place! It'll be quite a switch from our 100 year-old TINY apartment here in Provo. Yay for new horizons!

Narrowing it down...

2007-11-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

St. Louis, USHUS, Drexel, Milwaukee, and Ohio State have all accepted Brent and we've narrowed it down to Ohio, unless other options come along. We feel really good about it. They'll even give us in-state tuition if I'm teaching! Yay! Other than that, we just can't wait for the holidays!!!

Brent's first acceptance!!!

2007-10-16T20:46:00.000-06:00

Yay...St. Louis is the official first med. school to accept Brent! We were so excited to get that first letter. No doubt, others will come, but it takes away a bit of the worry just to know that we have at least one option after all this waiting. I look forward to this whole experience with enthusiasm, but also with a bit of worry. I keep hearing so many negative med. school stories, and the sacrifices are obvious, but I know that we can make it together. I believe that most people have no idea what their doctors had to go through to start making six figures. They work so had and so long and give up so much. It's a difficult journey ahead, but we'll enjoy it together!!!

Recent Events/Remembering 9/11

2007-09-11T21:41:00.001-06:00

Well, we're figuring out this whole blog thing and figured it'd be a good time to do it, as there is much about which to keep you all informed.
Brent has started his senior year at BYU and is now interviewing for medical schools all over the country. Last week he interviewed at the U. of Virginia in Charlottesville and absolutely loved it. Yesterday he interviewed in St. Louis and...well, he still loves Virginia! He looks forward to interviewing later this month in Bethesda, Pittsburg, Phoenix and Tucson.
I'm about a month into my first real teaching job at Diamond Fork Jr. High School. I teach six periods of Spanish a day to really wonderful kids. The other teachers are great, the administration is great, and I don't have much of a commute. We've really been blessed. I'm exhausted by the end of each day, and the paperwork is never-ending, but every day's a fiesta!
Today I dedicated some time in class to discussing 9/11 with kids that we're in 2-3 grade when it happened. It was interesting to see how little it meant to them. On this day I've pondered the heroism of those who demonstrated the true American spirit by stepping into the flames to rescue the thousands of innocent civilians that had been victimized that day. We were wounded as a nation, but in commemoration of that day we should remember the strength born out of tragedy and strive to maintain it. That experience was made so real to me when, at BYU-Idaho in the fall of 2002, I performed in the world premiere of "Hole In The Sky," a play written about that day and the experiences of those trapped high in the towers. It put a face on the tragedy for those of us far from the reaches of New York City, and was an experience we shall never forget. I was in Kunming, China playing my guitar on 9/11/01 when the first plane hit. Where were you that day?