Holiday Festivities

Just a warning.. This will be a VERY long post.  I am so behind on all of our holiday events that I am going to combine them all into one.  Excited?  I am.

November: 

11th:

This little guy decided he wanted to walk.  So he did.

17th:

Our Dad/Grandpa fell and hit his head on ice at the Salt Lake County ice rink.  He was going to help move a broken down Zamboni off the ice before the teams hockey game.  He sustained severe brain injuries.  To read more about his injuries visit www.thisisfordad.blogspot.com.

During the time he was in the hospital, we had lots of help with Colin.  It was so nice to be able to be at the hospital and know that Colin was happy.  A huge thanks to the Pett and Mears families for loving Colin and taking such good care of him.  They were even so nice to send us pictures throughout the days.  Here are a couple of my favorite.

Thanksgiving:

The entire family on the Brown side met at the hospital for a family prayer.  The prayer was given by the family patriarch, Grandpa Brown.  It was such a beautiful and comforting prayer.  It was a special moment that I know will be remembered by everyone.  The Murray hockey moms took time out of their own Thanksgivings to bring our family a yummy lunch.  This act of kindness meant more to our family then they'll ever know.  We were able to spend time with our family and just enjoy the day.

                                                 This was made to hang up in the hospital

DECEMBER

1st-

After two weeks of many prayers, blessings, fasting and downright pleading with the Lord, our sweet Dad/Grandpa returned to his Heavenly Home. While this has been a great heartbreak for our family, we feel at peace with this outcome. We are very lucky that we are left with his wonderful example of what it means to be Christlike. He showed us constantly with his words and actions of his love for us. We still feel it everyday.


3rd-

My wonderful Mother came from Florida to help us with Colin. We had many long days, starting early and ending late. It was a huge relief to know that Colin was not only well cared for, but well loved. Thanks Mom so much for being there for us at that time. We needed you more than to just watch Colin and you helped us so much. Thank you.

8th-

Dad's funeral was the greatest tribute to his life. We were overwhelmed at the amount of love that was given at the viewing and funeral. There was an incredible amount of people who came to show their love for our family and pay their respects. This touched our hearts in ways words cannot describe.  When the time came for us to plan how the services would go, many reached out to the family, offering time, talents and services they wanted to contribute. They all played such a huge part in the day. The talks, musical numbers, flowers, bagpipes at the grave site, hockey players dressed in jerseys, and an amazing video that was made are just a few of those things that made the day so special. I know he wouldn't have wanted or expected such a fuss over him, but I know that his heart was touched as he witnessed all the love being shown for him.

That night we got to be a part of a great event. Our little brother Dakota had a hockey game. He was going to go and dress, but had not wanted to play. Michelle, Maddie, Kristopher and I wanted to be there for support anyways. The team was playing really well, and about 6 minutes left the coach went to Dakota and asked if he wanted to go in. He declined. A minute later the coach came over and told him to get ready, that he was going in. I know Dakota had to muster up strength I'm sure he didn't even know he had. As he skated to the goal to take position, the entire audience rose to their feet with a standing ovation. Everyone was clapping and cheering. He played so well and had many great blocks. The moment the game ended, all the players skated to Dakota, surrounding him. They all skated around the rink, ending in a huddle in the middle, and raised their sticks towards Dad. Everyone was still clapping and cheering. It was this moment that was the perfect ending to such a beautiful day. This moment will be cherished for the rest of my life. I know he was there.

9th-

This was the last night my mom was going to be in town.  We decided to go see the lights on temple square.  It was a really fun night.

12th-

Colin wanted to help Grammy decorate her tree.

17th-

We went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. We got tickets this year and had invited Dave and Michelle to go with us. Michelle's cousin Angie and Aunt Pat arranged it so we could have an extra ticket and all five of us go. It was a very nice night for us. Here's a picture before the concert. Michelle was sitting in a different section, so she wasn't in the picture.

18th-

Aunt Pat invited us to a Christmas party, where her friend was playing the Grinch. It was really neat. The whole gym was turned into Whoville. There was a yummy breakfast and a Whobakery.  They had a CindylooWhoo candy shop.  It was so fun to see Colin take it all in.

22nd-

We had the Brown family Christmas party. It was hosted at our Uncle Mark (David's brother) and Aunt Jamie's beautiful house.
We had fun visiting, eating yummy food, watching the kids act out the Nativity scene (The role of baby Jesus was supposed to be played by Colin, but he was NOT having it), and the kids exchanged gifts. It was a great time.

24th-

We had Christmas Eve with my MIL's side, the Schows. We always have a nice party at the church. It's always fun to get together with them. There are constantly new babies joining this side of the family, which makes it so fun! We again got to visit, eat too much, watch the kids dress up (even my BIL Dakota got in on the action), and play fun games. Michelle's cousin (but were more like sisters) Sheri passed away last year of cancer. Her and David, as well as Aunt Pat's husband Lynn are all buried in the same cemetery. This year were got balloons and wrote messages on them for the three of them. Many of us went over to the cemetery after the party and released them to Heaven. Sherri's youngest children are still really young, and I felt like this was really special to them, as it was to us all. We shared many tears, hugs and laughs. A good ending to the day.

Christmas-

This holiday season we have gotten to see Colin develop a love for all things Christmas. He sure takes after his Grandpa Dave! He loves all the lights, decorations, trees, music, presents (mainly the wrapping paper) and especially all the Christmas goodies. It makes me even more excited for next year. We slept over at my MIL's. Colin was a bit on the sick side that morning, so it took a little bit to get going. We opened all our presents. Grandpa Dave had gotten an awesome pedal car awhile ago that he was wanting to give Colin. Halfway through opening gifts, Dakota went out to the garage and brought it in. Someone had delivered it the night before. It was a very special moment. Luckily the night Dave told us he wanted to get one for Colin, Colin got to sit in one and he loved it! Dave got to see how excited Colin was, and we got to see the excitement on Dave's face as he watched him. We went to breakfast at our Aunt Rox's house. She made the most delicious bagel sandwiches. We came back to the house and got to spend a couple of hours talking to our brother, Elder Parker Brown. He is serving a mission for the LDS church in the Dominican Republic. It was so fun hearing his stories. He made us laugh many times and even sang a tune or two. We miss him very much and are so proud of him for his dedication and hard work. We then went to Grandma and Grandpa Browns to visit for a bit. We had a great day with our family!

New Years Eve-

I have to admit, we were boring. We had dinner with family, and then went to see some of our cousins for a bit. We were home by 10:30 and in bed by 11. To be honest I wouldn't have had it any other way.

New Years Day-

We went bowling early in the morning. It's a tradition on the Brown side. We spent the rest of the day eating, playing games, and hanging out with family. It was a good day.

Consensus is, Colin is not a fan of Santa.  Any shape or form.

Did I not tell you this would be a long one? I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Here's to a wonderful new year!

High school hockey team plays for 'guardian angel' - ksl.com

High school hockey team plays for 'guardian angel' - ksl.com

15 months

On Christmas Eve, Colin turned 15 months. We just did his check up this week. I am the biggest baby in the whole world when it comes to Colin getting shots. Kristopher usually comes to do the holding down part, but had to work. Lucky for me my wonderful SIL Maddie came to do his job. Colin was brave and only cried for a few seconds, when he got his shots. However he screams his head off during everything else. He has a slight issue with being examined. He screams to the point of blood vessels breaking on his face. I know, its quite dramatic.



At 15 Months Colin:

Weighs 19 lbs 11 oz (0%), Is 30 3/4 inches (35%) tall, and has a great big noggin, 49.4 cm (75%).

Yes, I included the 3/4 inches in his height because I am THRILLED to see a growth spurt.
No, the Dr. is not concerned about weight, that percentile in normal for him.
Yes, I often wonder how he supports that large head on a little frame.

Likes:

To smother you with kisses, wanted or not. Sometimes tongue..
Dancing
Sid the Science Kid
Blocks or anything that resembles blocks
Any kind of ball. He is obsessed with balls. Basketball, baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, hockey pucks, balloons, bubbles,
circles, the sun and moon, ect... If it looks anything looks like a ball, he goes crazy. He will watch any sport game for this
very reason. Which pleases his Dad.
His bed.
books
music
the sound of his own voice
To count 1-2-3, in english or spanish. He holds up his fingers with the apropriate number. He would have you count to him
all day if you let him. Kinda weird..
Cars, trucks, boats
DUCKS
to eat- He his becoming a much better eater.
Fruits, yogurt, oatmeal, anything with a sauce or dip
Loves looking at pictures, especially of people he knows

Dislikes:

Being messy. He doesn't like to get messy at all, so I usually have to feed him. Just recently
though I am able to put things on his highchair and he will eat with his hands. As long as they aren't messy foods. I blame
my germaphobe brother for this one.
waiting on his BAH (bottle). Yes, he still takes his milk in one. Morning and Night. The Dr told me to break him of it. I have
not.
being held down
being woken up from naps
people in masks
being laughed at. Laughing with him is totally welcomed, but he knows the difference. He's sensitive.
Green veggies. I try, he declines


Words he says:

Bah-all=ball
Boo=Balloon
duck't=duck
Pa, Pampa=Grandpa
Pop Pop= Pa Pa (my dad)
Nana=Banana
Bah=bottle, sippy cup, anything to drink
Baa=Bath
nigh nigh=night night
sh*t=sit, we try not to encourage this one
Jeez=Jesus
baybay=baby
Uuoo=Uno, do=dos, tss=tres
bite=bright

Ma Ma, Da Da, Dad, Maddie, butt, dog, dirt, sock, shoe, and more I can't think of at the time. Like I said, he likes to hear himself talk.

Things to remember:

When we ask him if he wants something he likes (Grammy, Maddie, ball, cookie ect) he giggles

When we ask him if he wants to go "night night" he giggles and walks to his room saying "nigh nigh" and walks right to his crib. We pick him up and say prayers. He clasps his hands when we pray. He waits to here "amen" and dives into his crib. Does the same thing when we say "Let's go change your butt", but to his changing table.

Covers his ears. We say "I don't want to hear it" and he covers them. But most of the time he does it when you are just talking to him. It's cute now, but will not be so cute when he's older.

Will do anything for a clap. If you clap at something once, be prepared to clap over and over for the same thing.

Does the sign for "more" when he wants more of something. This was taught to him while he was being watched by family members when we had to be at the hospital a lot. One day he started making the sign to me and I had no idea what he was doing, until he did it in front of our Aunt who taught him and she told us. I guess I should teach him more signing.

He makes this sound when he points to things he wants, and wants you to tell him what it is. It sounds like "ugh", kinda like a version of "huh". He also says this when people ask him questions or just talk to him. When Colin is brought up in conversation, someone will usually make that sound. It's kind of like his trademark.

He likes to do all his tricks in a row. So he'll clasp his hands like he's praying, rub them together like he's washing his hands. Cover his ears, blow kisses, and trys to count holding up his fingers. Then repeat. Sometimes he's crazy and mixes up the order.

Colin has been such a blessing to us, especially during this time. When I first found out I was pregnant, I had doubts. I thought that it wasn't the best timing, and that I had some things I wanted to do before we started our family. They were very selfish feelings. I didn't quite understand the reasoning for him coming to us at this time. Needless to say he was our "accident" baby. From the day he was born, we wouldn't have reversed that accident for anything in this world. It only took 14 short months to realize that our little accident, was no accident. That our "accident" was very much on purpose. Someone knew better than I did, that we would need Colin in our lives at this time, in more ways to count. We got to see our Dad love on one of his greatest joys. We got to see Colin light up every time he walked into the room. We have a wonderful piece of Heaven here to help heal our hearts. I am very thankful for "accidents".

Merry Christmas

"Cause every little thing gonna be all right"

Dear Dad,

First of all, I would like to say what a privilege it is to call you Dad. Thank you for always treating me like your very own. I have always felt a Fathers love from you. It just goes to show that a Fathers love isn’t limited to just those born to you. Thank you for your wonderful example of not only an outstanding human being, but of a wonderful husband and father to all your kids. Everyone who has gotten the chance to see you as the husband and father you are, know how lucky I truly am. That the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Your example will be passed down from generation to generation, just as it was passed on to you. I feel very blessed to have the knowledge that I do. I know that while we won’t see you physically, we will feel you often throughout our lives. Every holiday, especially Christmas, our birthdays, Lake Powell trips, waiting up all night to save our spots at the 24th of July parade, and if BYU ever beats Utah, we know you will be there. We know we will feel you every time we attend the temple, for you loved attending the temple. We know you will be there at graduations, and that we will feel you at Maddie, Parker, and Dakotas’ weddings. And I know with all of my heart, that every time one of your grandchildren is sent to our family, that they will be sent down with all of your love and sweet kisses. It will be at these moments in our life that we know our Dad is closer to us than ever before. I’m thankful for all the sweet memories I have. The sweetest being the night before your accident. Kristopher and I were dropping Maddie off at your house. Even though it was getting late you asked us to come in and visit for a little bit. You hadn’t really gotten to see Colin walk yet, so after visiting for a while, you and Kristopher got on the floor and Colin would walk back and forth between you two. The expression on your face was priceless, and only got better every time he walked back to you. In my opinion your expression was pure Joy. One that you would expect from seeing him walk across the stage to get his high school diploma, returning from an honorable mission, or kneeling at the alter with his sweetheart being sealed for time and all eternity. I feel so lucky to have witnessed that joy. Because it will be during those times in Colin’s life, where that sweet memory will come back to me, and I will know without a shadow of a doubt that you will be next to us with that same amount of joy. My heart is touched every time I think of you in Heaven, playing with each and everyone of your Grandbabies. Telling them all about the adventures they are about to have. Each one of them will get to know and love their Grandpa Dave there, far more than we can imagine. Thank you for this wonderful family I get to be apart of. That our family will be together forever. I love you so much and know that I will forever be a better person, because of your love and example. It will feel like a lifetime for us until our family is reunited all together again, but for you it will only be a glimpse. So with that knowledge I will not say goodbye today, but with peace in my heart, I will say see you soon, Dad.

I love you,

Libby


At my father-in-laws funeral, we were each asked to write a letter to Dad. Kristopher read them all in a sweet tribute to our Dad. Dave's funeral was such a beautiful tribute to what a truly remarkable man he was. He gave a 100% percent in all that he did. I know personally that he did in his role as father-in-law. He really treated me as one of his own. He did one of the greatest things someone could ever do for me, and that was love my son as much as he did. One thing I knew before I was even pregnant was how great of a grandpa he would be, but I couldn't even dream up a more perfect Grandpa. I told him many times that I thought that was his life's calling. Like I said in the letter I wrote to him, I know he is loving on every one of his grandbabies in Heaven. Someone teased us saying it will probably be a long time before another one gets sent to us because he is going to keep them to himself for awhile. That's perfectly ok with me because I can't think of a better place for them to be, then in the arms of my wonderful father-in-law. This has been such a difficult time for us. Kristopher and I were just talking on our way home tonight how lucky we are that we have gotten so many wonderful memories this last year. That if we were told a year ago that we only would have one more year with him, nothing would have changed. We spent as much time with my in laws as we possibly could. Most of our Friday nights were spent on a double date with Michelle and Dave. We have gotten to go on many out of the normal trips with him this year. Even on Halloween we had planned to go to our own ward for trunk or treating, which was the same night as my in law's. We figured we needed to participate in our own ward. Last minute we ended up wanting to go with them and surprised them. Tonight we talked about all the times we were suppose to do other things but always had such a strong desire to be with Kristopher's family. We have so many sweet memories that otherwise we wouldn't have. I am so blessed with an amazing Mother-in-law. She has been the rock in our family. I gain strength from her daily. When I was a little girl I used to pray all the time for younger siblings. Being the youngest in my family, I obviously didn't get my prayers answered, until I married into the Brown family. I have two incredible younger brothers and the greatest little sister anyone could ask for. The biggest blessing in my life is my sweet husband. My heart aches so much for him. He not only lost his Dad, but one of his very best friends. He is such a support for me, as well as for his mom and siblings. Kristopher is the greatest husband and father, and I know that's because of the wonderful example of both he has had in his life. I really am blessed. Sometimes it's hard to feel that way, because of how bad it hurts right now. But I am truly thankful for all my many blessings.

Happy Halloween

We had a fun halloween this year. We went Trunk or Treating the Friday night before. Colin was a cute little frog, and we went as sumo wrestlers. It was so fun seeing Colin choose his candy and put it in his bag. He was very selective with his candy. He would pick out suckers, nerds (he loves to shake them), and anything yellow (he says "duck" when he sees yellow things). If someone didn't have any of those items he would turn his head away. So pretty much was a total candy snob. He didn't get that from me, cause I do not discriminate on any candy. Well maybe black licorice.

On Saturday night, we went to our Grandma/Grandpa Schow's house. They have a long time tradition of having everyone over for lasagna before trick or treating. It's so fun to get together with our cousins on that side. There are so many mine and Kristopher's age. Plus everyone is having babies right and left, so Colin is well entertained. Last year 3 babies joined the family, and this year there were 3 more. So far there is one more being added next year. I love that Colin will have lots of kids to play with when we all get together. Since the weather was so bad we only went trick or treating to a few houses. It's just so much fun seeing how he reacts to it all. It will be even more fun next year when he's walking and talking more. So here are some pictures from both nights.

Black and Blue

So you know when you hear a certain song and it really speaks to you? Like it's what you've been needing to hear? I heard this beautiful song a couple of days ago that did just that. I have a lot on my mind lately. Not only about personal trials that I've been through in my life and will go through, but those of loved ones, and others I know that are going through a hard time right now. This song really resonated well with me. The lyrics are beautifully written. You should check it out. It just might give you a little pick me up as well. Sorry this was the best video I could find. Black and Blue by Zach Chance.

2 YEARS

Today is our two year anniversary! I can't believe how fast time flies. Kristopher and I got to go out to celebrate on Saturday night (thanks Maddie!). We went to the Melting Pot. Neither of us have been, and always wanted to try it. It was so good! I would recommend it to everyone. We got made fun of because we made the reservation for 5:00. I believe my sister said we were going for the "early bird special". I'm so glad we did though because we were there over 2 hours. It is a perfect place to go on date nights. The booths are very private. It was nice to be able to just talk and enjoy each other's company without the distractions of little man.

This last year we have had many wonderful and fun times. We have also had our fair share of trials. It is at these times that our relationship is able to really grow and mature. I love having him by my side for all of it. I couldn't ask for a better person for me to go through life with. I'm one lucky lady!

Us at the Melting Pot

Little Man turns ONE

What mixed emotions you get when your little baby turns one. Is this a first time mom thing, or does it happen with every kid? I love that he is getting so big, and learning new things everyday. However, there is this part of my heart that aches for that brand new little bundle that would sleep on my chest for hours. It was a bittersweet day for me. We had a little party for him. My sister, Katie, flew out and helped me with it (THANKS Kiki!). It was a great day! We went to Gardner's Village after lunch and walked around. I was able to get a few cute pictures. At night is when we had his party. I'm so thankful for my family. That so many of them took time out of there busy day to help us celebrate. For me it was one of those days I will never forget!

Here is what Mr. C is up to at 12 months:

*Will kiss and/or blow kisses to anything and anyone. This boy loves to share the love.

*Is saying a few words. MaMa, DaDa, Ball, Book, Dog, Car and Dirt (I know very random).

*When asked where his stinky feet are, he will hold his foot up for you to smell it. Then if you say Ooooo that's so stinky, he will give you a big laugh. I know, another random thing, but hey, he loves it!

*Loves to dance.

*Makes this funny face when you ask him to "make your face".

*Walking only when holding on to things.

*Climbing up stairs

*Holds up one finger when asked "Are you One?".

*Eating more table food. He has big issues when it comes to textures, so this had been one of our struggling areas.

*Gives the BEST hugs! He lays his head on my shoulder with his arms around my neck. Pretty sure that's his way of wrapping me around that little chubby finger of his, but I love it!

*HATES to be held down. This really is only an issue at the doctors.

*His height is 27 1/2 inches, Weight 17 lbs 5 ozs, HC 48 cm

Yes, he wore that hat the whole time

Yesterday Colin had his first (and hopefully his last) surgery. He had to have a GAP procedure on his "little friend". It's called Hypospadias. He had a mild condition, but still needed to have it fixed. The doctor had to end up cutting more skin then he thought, so it required more stitches then we expected. He will also have a catheter in place for a few days. I have a HUGE respect for mothers who have to watch their children go through more serious procedures. I felt helpless as it was and stressed for weeks over this. I was a mess! He, however, handled it like a champ. The doctor told us to expect a couple of really long nights of him waking up in pain. He was given lortab to help with it. He slept most of the afternoon and we put him down for the night at 9:15. I woke up several times during the night expecting him to be up crying, but I never heard him. He didn't wake up until 8:45 this morning and was such a happy guy. He's a brave little boy and has made this a lot less stressful then I was anticipating.

Summertime and the livin's easy

Wow I can't believe it's already August. Where does all the time go? We have had a fabulous summer so far. Here are a few of the highlights.

May: Trip to Arizona

June: We spent a week in Lake Powell with Kristopher's family. We had so much fun!

On the last day I woke up with horrible pains. I ended up staying a few days in the hospital and having my gallbladder removed. This cute little picture was taken while I was gone having some test taken.

July:

4th of July was spent in Bear Lake. My father in law got a beautiful cabin for the weekend. We spent a lot of time relaxing, playing games and eating way too much food.

July 24th: This was my official first July 24th in Utah. We started the day with the big parade. Colin really enjoyed it, but got scared when the motor cops would make their sirens loud. We then had a family BBQ which was a lot of fun. And we finished the night with fireworks. It was a great day spent with our family!

Somewhere in all of this, Colin had his 9 month checkup.

His stats:

Height: 27 1/2 inches (25%, Yay for a growth spurt!)

Weight: 16 LBS 13 Oz. (Less than 5%)

What Colin is up to these days:

Standing on everything

Crawling up the stairs

Yells "MA MA" to get my attention.

Eats his purees still, but I'm feeding him more and more table food

FINALLY got his first tooth. He is no longer our little toothless wonder.

He makes this funny face where he squints his eyes and has this goofy grin.

Still gives lots of kisses

Claps anytime you say to clap, sing patty cake, or say YAY

Loves to give high fives, bonk his head against yours, and waves bye bye with both hands. He hasn't realized yet that one hand is all it takes.

He is so much fun right now. We are loving his little personality and love watching him learn new things. We are getting to go to Mesquite for Kristopher's grandparents 50th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks. Then the end of August we will be in Orlando for a couple of weeks seeing my parents. I am going to be so sad when summer comes to an end! And here's his 10 month shot since that's where he's at now.