The Brough Family

I've never, to my knowledge been tagged for one of these before butwhistlererin tagged me so here it goes.

1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write six random things about yourself.
3. Tag six people at the end of your post.
4. If you are tagged, JUST DO IT, and pass the tag along.

Okay, hmmm... six things.

1. I hate roller coasters. They terrify me beyond imagination. I did not know this about myself until Dan and I went to Silverwood for our 4th wedding anniversary in 2007. I had watched a bunch of the TV shows about roller coasters and thought they just looked so fun. So we got to Silverwood and Dan took me on Panic Plunge and that wasn't too bad. Next stop was the Corkscrew, also not too bad. And then came Tremmors. As we climbed to the drop I knew I was in over my head but it was too late! I screamed the whole time out of sheer terror. Dan said he looked over at me at one point and he knew I wasn't having fun. I was shaking for at least half an hour after the ride was over. I still went on Timber Terror but only because I wanted to say I had ridden them all. I didn't enjoy it either. And I will absolutely not be going on the new one just to keep the streak alive. No more for me thanks!

2. I am a video game junkie. In fact at the moment I am playing a game with Dan and blogging and trying to do some homework at the same time.

3. I LOVE college football. The TV is always on all day on Saturday. It doesn't matter who is playing I will watch any college game. We took the boys to their first Vandals game earlier this season and we have tickets to next weeks game and the Boise State Game. 

4. M&M's are my absolute favorite candy. I could finish a whole bag in a day all by myself. When they are in the house Dan has to hide them from me and ration them so I don't go overboard.

5. I used to play flute but haven't touched it in years!

6. My husband and I play rock, paper, scissors to make decisions because neither one of us is decisive.

I'm not tagging anyone specific but if you do it let me know!
[Unknown LJ tag]

This is as much for me as for all of you.

1st tooth lower left front cut 9/28/2008
Rolled from back to tummy 9/29/2008

So school started and I kinda droped of the face of the planet. I'm enjoying school this semester. My classes are ok but what I really love is my practicum. I'm in a 6th grade class and I LOVE it. The kids are great, very respectful and really funny. My cooperating teacher is really cool. She has actually asked me to student teach with her next year. My practicum partner is a piece of work. She 24 years old and her husband is a senior citizen who its blind. Bizare. She has almost no social skills what so ever and actually can come off as very rude to the students and teacher. I'm working hard and trying to ignore the fact that she is bizare. She is actually considering dropping which would kind of put me in a sticky situation with my part of our partner project but I'll muddle through and get it done.

I have made a lot of really fantasic friends. There is a group of us who have all 17 credits of our cousework together. Its been really cool to build a community and very nice to have a close group of friends who are going though the same things I'm going through.

Other than that I had a terribly frustrating experience with another Dr in Spokane. Jason and I went up to have his circumcision evaluated as well as his hydrocele. (I you don't remember what I'm talking about check here and here) Anyway I got all the way to Spokane on Monday Sept. 15 and found out that his appointment had been moved to the next monday. They had sent a letter and I never got it. I was really upset because I had to drive to Spokane and back alone, TWICE! But when we finally did se the Dr all she told us was that he would indeed need surgery but the scheduler was on vacation so I won't be able to do that until mid October. So basically they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know so it was really frustrating.

I also threw Dan a suprise bithday party but that will have to be another post cause I have to get to class.

I found this I idea over at my charming kids and I loved it so I jumped on board! Feel free to join me.

Saturday I did not let Jonathan have cake and ice cream for dinner because it was easier than arguing the benefits of dinner in front of a house full of guests.

I absolutely did not surf the internet and blog avoiding the journal article review that is due tomorrow morning in math class. I am far too responsible to ever do that.

I did not go all the way to Spokane for a Dr's appointment only to get there and find out it was canceled. And upon finding out that I had driven to Spokane for no reason I most certainly did not flip out at the male receptionist who was not the least bit understanding as to why I was frustrated!

To a Wonderful Husband,





A Loving Daddy and...



A big goofball!

Happy 26th Birthday! I love you so much!

Mommy decided it was time for a little tummy time... Jason apparently had a different idea...



How cute is he? No worries he is now in is bed.

I have so much to post about but I've been so busy I don't know when I will!

Jason has developed a few strong opinions. One of these opinions is that he does not think highly of being left out of things. He likes to be around people and squawks when left alone. This has made dinner time a little interesting recently. Normally one of us ends up eating, or attempting to eat, one handed while he squirms around on our lap. Tonight I decided it was time to pull out the high chair. While he is still a few weeks from eating any solid food he does have good enough neck control to sit very well supported. So tonight we ate dinner with both hands and a happy baby.

Jason has a Teddy Bear name Kodiak and we take a picture of them together every month to see how Jason is growing. We don't have a picture of Jason and Kodiak when Jason was born because we didn't build him until Jason was born so they could have the same birthday.



One Month - May 18, 2008



Two Months - June 18, 2008



Three Months - July 18, 2008



Four Months - August 18, 2008

4 month stats
17 pounds
26.5 inches

We finally got the referral to the Dr in Spokane who will fix his circumcision. They have decided, for now, that the bleeding must have been a fluke or something. All of his blood work came back normal but they will want to recheck later in life, probably when he turns 2 or so. He also has hydrocele that will probably have to be surgically corrected. Our Dr said they should be able to correct both at the same time but only the specialist will know for sure. Our appointment is on September 15. I'll probably end up having to go alone because I don't want Dan to take time off for an appointment knowing surgery is coming sooner or later and I'd rather him save his leave for that.

I have been following the story of Nathan, Tricia and Gweneth Lawrenson for many months now. Tricia has Cystic Fibrosis and is recovering from a double lung transplant in April. She has also developed Post-Transplant Lymphoma Disorder and is currently going though chemo. Their story is a beautiful story of the faithfulness of God. They would love prayer. If you don't have time to read their whole story here is Nate's fast track update. If you do decide to read their whole story grab a box of tissues, you'll need them.

Thank you for praying for this family.

God Bless!

Nursing with a tummy incision is uncomfortable. nuff said!

I had to have my appendix removed. Yes you read that correctly at 11:30 last night I was wheeled back for my very 1st surgery ever. Shall I start from the beginning...

I woke up yesterday morning with some abdominal pain, almost felt like either early labor (which I knew it wasn't) or cramps (which it easily could have been). I had no appetite but ate a Special K bar anyway just to give myself some energy. I rested most of the morning and was feeling pretty good by the afternoon. I had some errands to run so I packed up Jason and ran errands. I still had some pain but it was better so I figure it was going away.

Then yesterday evening at dinner time I was feeling worse. I thought perhaps I had caught a stomach bug and overexerted myself with the errands so I went back to resting. However, by the time the boys were going to bed I was in bad shape. The pain had localized to my right side and was moving down my right leg. I went to WebMD and looked up my symptoms and they matched for appendicitis. I started packing up what I knew the boys would night for a night away from home and a day at preschool and daycare (Jason's 1st day at daycare I might add and I have cried twice because I didn't get to take him to his 1st day of daycare). While I was digging up supplies Dan called our amazing friends P & T and told T what was going on and asked if our kids could come over (P & T have 3 kids of their own and our two would give them 5). T immediately said yes and we were on our way. We dropped the kids off Jonathan was thrilled to see his friend and I don't think he was really aware of what was going on and Jason was sound asleep.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:10pm and I was admitted immediately. The Dr. was pretty sure it was my appendix based on my pain and what he felt when he was poking around but wanted to to a CAT scan 1st. For times sake we decided to the the IV dye because that would take 10 minutes vs the 2 hours the oral dye would take. So they placed my IV and took me for a 10 minute CAT scan. However once I was in there we had all sorts of trouble with my IV and ended up having to place another one after 4 tries with the original IV. The CAT scan came back positive and they began to prepare me for surgery. Dan called T, our parents and PV  and texted our closed friends to let them know what was going on and to ask for prayers. I started to freak out and began to pray quietly. After Dan got off the phone with PV and told me PV was making calls to ask people to be praying for us I felt this incredible peace wash over me and I knew everything would be fine. They wheeled me away and Dan and I parted company. The nurse I had was awesome and the anesthesiologist joked that I had made the full round and now met all the anesthesiologists at the hospital. He took one look at the troublesome IV and said as soon as I was under he was moving it to my left arm. And thats all I remember until I woke up in recovery about an hour or so later. I was blessed to find out that PV had called one of Dan coworkers and mentor and asked him to join Dan at the hospital. J arrived moments after they took me away and Dan was so blessed. He said it having company made the time pass much faster. We are beyond blessed by our church family.

They do appendectomies as a Laparoscopic Surgery now. So gone are the days of a 3 inch abdominal incision I have two quarter inch incisions, one on my left side and one center just above my pelvic bone, and a half inch incision in my belly button where they removed the appendix. One advantage of Laproscopic Surgery is a shorter recovery time. I was up and walking by 2 am at breakfast this morning as was discharged at 10:10 this morning exactly 14 hours after I was admitted.

I am sore and am not allowed to lift anything over 10lbs which includes my 16lb little boy :( But I am recovering and even though I am sore I feel better than I did all day yesterday. I know the prayers that I was being covered with are one of the reasons I am doing so well and was able to go home so quickly.

I can totally see God's hand in the timing of it all. We are all back from vacation and Dan had gone back to work so the boys were able to go to daycare. I was thinking about going to Alaska this week for one last vacation and to visit my mom but tickets were too expensive and I decided not to ask my dad to help me pay for one. I don't start school until the 25th which gives me a lot of time to heal. P & T were headed out of town this morning and this weekend is JCD retreat and almost all of our close friends are gone to the retreat so if this had happened tonight instead of last night I don't know if we would have been able to get our kids taken care of fast enough for Dan to be with me. God timing is perfect, even in surgery!

For our little vacation this summer we took a family trip to the Oregon Coast. We had a great time. My MIL knows someone who has a rental house in Lincoln City and she rented to us for a deal. It was really windy but we all had a fantastic time. Jonathan loved the water and sand. Of course the water was frigid but he didn't care, he was just having fun splashing in the waves.



Running from the waves. We got wiped out once or twice but had a great time.



Jonathan buried up to his knees in the sand. Notice he is wearing jean shorts. By the end of the night the his shorts were so wet and heavy that they wouldn't stay home. He was carried back up to the house we were staying at in his WALL-E boxers.



The picture doesn't begin to do it justice but he was trying to make a sand angel.



Laying out is his beach chair. If his towel started to slip he would say "Help I have a big problem going on here." Where does he come up with this stuff?



SIL and me. The hole started out as a tunnel for one of Jonathan's car but when it collapsed SIL and I climbed in and let Dan and his dad bury us.



Jason had fun too. He liked kicking in the sand and I like how darn cute he is in the hat.



Just before our 5th anniversary taken by SIL not Jonathan :)





I love these pictures. They are so calming, relaxing and beautiful. I love the beach.

I have thought several times that after I teach in a classroom for a few years I would like to get a masters in Special Education and perhaps going into some form of advocacy. There are so many great kids out there that have some type of disability and I get really upset when people disrespect these great kids and their families. One of the blogs I read is Life With My Special Ks. Although I have never met this family I have grown to love them through their blog. The other day Renee posted this link to another friends blog where she talks about the new Ben Stiller movie "Tropic Thunder." As I read the excerpt from the movie a little anger grew inside of me. So many people look to Hollywood and take there social cues from what Hollywood does and here there are promoting ignorance. Ohhh it makes me sooooo mad. I am definitely NOT going to be seeing this movie.

Ok I'm stepping off my soapbox now.

5 Years ago today I married the man of my dreams. It has been a great 5 years and I look forward to many more wonderful years.

Then





And now. Photo courtesy of our darling 3 year old. He did a decent job once we sat him on a chair. He was too low for the first two and cut off the top of our heads.

And again I just can't seem to keep this thing up to date. The last month has flown by. We have had a lot of fun and when I'm not so darn tired I'll post more with pictures.

At 8:12 pm Jonathan will officially be three years old. I can't even believe it. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday he was this tiny little baby and now he is a rambunctious little boy. He is such a blessing to us. He has his moments when he drives us absolutely nuts but also brings us so much joy with is personality and sense of humor and I wouldn't trade him for anything!



July 10, 2005 (the pictures from July 9, 2005 aren't family friendly)




July 9, 2006



July 9, 2007



July 9, 2008

He has gotten so big!

I LOVE YOU BUDDY!

That's right after a little over 2 months Jason has officially been kicked out of the master bedroom. He's almost sleeping through the night and Dan and I decided it was time to reclaim our space and give him a loving boot our of our room. The travel crib he was sleeping in belonged to my in-laws and we needed it there this past weekend so we took it with us and left it there. He has been going to bed in his room for the last three or so weeks. Jonathan loves having him in there and gets a little insecure going to sleep without his brother. You wouldn't believe the space that opens up in our room with that crib gone. Now we have to reorganize our room.

He still wakes up at 5 every morning to eat and we have to get him and take him back to his room but its worth it. This fall I have to be up at 6 every morning so just an hour more and he'll be sleeping just as long and I want him to.

Where has the time gone. I really didn't think it had been a month since I'd posted. The last time I posted I was just starting summer school and last Thursday I finished summer school. I'm sure you can see where my time has been spent. Taking a 16 week course in 4 weeks in intense to say the least. But I am done and I made some amazing friends who are Christians and will be in all my classes next semester. One of my classes is focused on group work and we are going to work together and I am so excited to work with and spend time with these fantastic women of God.

Last time I posted my mom had just left and now she will be back here in less than a week. I am so excited! We are going to Boise for a few days and while we are there we will be going to a Boise Hawks Baseball Game, as well as shopping until we drop, and eating out way too much. We always have a lot of fun when we are together. We will also be celebrating Jonathan's 3rd birthday for the 3rd time with my mom. By the time we are done the kid will be spoiled rotten.

This past weekend we went to Portland to visit my in-laws, celebrate the 4th of July and celebrate Jonathan's 3rd birthday for the 1st time. We celebrated his birthday on the 4th while his great-grandparents and cousins were in town. He had a really good time and enjoyed playing with his two cousins. He has one cousin who is a little less than a year older than him and one that is less than 4 months younger than him. He was very sad when they had to go back home. After the celebration we went out and watched a fireworks show in Happy Valley. We were able to park about a quarter mile from the show and had a great view and avoided the crowds! It was great.

We will be heading back to Portland in August for a longer stay. Dan and I had planned on going to the Oregon Coast for our 5th wedding anniversary and we will still be going to the coast but due to a miscommunication we will be spending our 5th anniversary in a two bedroom condo with my MIL, FIL, BIL, SIL and our kids. We had hoped for a weekend alone but that won't be happening. I'm bummed but I suppose these things happen and I just have to make the best of it and enjoy myself anyway. I was looking forward to a few days alone with Dan. The last two years have really taken a toll on us and our relationship. I was hoping for some time to reconnect as a couple. Oh well... maybe next year.

Jonathan turns 3 on Wednesday. I can't believe that time has gone by so fast. It seems like yesterday that he was a little tiny baby and now he's an active little boy. Time does fly. We had a little photo shoot in the car yesterday on the way home so I'll leave you with a few pictures. I promise I'll post again sooner rather than later.







Jonathan didn't get the memo that we were doing kissy faces so he's pouting.



Gotta love self portraits.

I want a lawn. I want a lush green lawn that I can walk bear foot in and feel the grass between my toes. We don't currently have this type of lawn. What we have is dirt with weeds growing abundantly. We have more dandelions than you can imagine and some of this can be attributed to our daring little JD. Few things in a little child's life bring as much joy as blowing the seeds off of dandelions. I remember watching my parents cringe as I picked every dandelion in our acre lot and blow seeds everywhere. Perhaps if we had a lawn I would cringe too but since all we have is dirt I don't so much mind right now. I think Dan minds but mostly because he is the one who has to dig up the dandelions that JD plants.

My mom took these pictures of JD playing in the dandelions while Dan and I were out at Bryce and Stacy's wedding.





I really like the moment that my mom captured in these two shots.

Having a lawn that is entirely dirt has given JD many opportunities to dig, fill and dump his little blue bucket and play with his dump truck. At first he was a little unsure about getting dirty but I insisted he would have fun and once he got past the fear of being dirty he had a ball. He even helped Daddy dig up some of the weeds that he planted.



Hmmm that doesn't look like helping, that looks like catching a free ride. Oh well they both look like they are having fun.



There something very classic about this picture. I think it really captures the spirit of a little boy exploring dirt. Although his hat looks like he should be on a beach somewhere.



Jonathan is definitely enjoying the dirt. I have a feeling he'll be a little disappointed when we finally get our sod down... if we ever get our sod down...