Shaky Hands

With Joss' family, we gathered last night for a small town country concert. Trista and her boyfriend Scott arrived several minutes late. They were both blushing. I told them not to be embarrassed, that it hadn't really started yet and that they didn't miss anything. Trista just laughed and looked down anxiously at her very shaky hands. A beautiful diamond ring on her finger (the picture doesn't do it justice!) Congratulations to Trista and Scott on their engagement. I hope Trista might be able to find time to start her own blog and share the whole story of the proposal with us. (hint hint, Trista!)

Ambulance Ride

Yesterday I was quite sick and had symptoms of stomach flu. It came on VERY fast and today I felt quite a bit better but still had the "hang-over" type of feeling. I finally managed to get in the shower around 11 AM. During my shower, Joss burst through the door with Kaybri in his arms and she was vomiting. I felt really bad that I had past on whatever stomach bug I had been dealing with. Just then, she began to fade out of consciousness. Joss shook her a little to awaken her and she puked a little more and fainted again. All at once she turned a blue/gray color (one color I know all too well from experiences with Brody). We called 911 and an ambulance soon arrived and rushed her to the hospital. Joss rode with and I trailed behind in the car. When I arrived, she was awake and seemed to be feeling a little better. They ran blood tests and determined that she didn't have any bacteria or viral illness. They proceeded to do a CT Scan of her brain which came back clear. Then they listened to her heart but didn't do any formal testing. We were released to take her home. She was feeling much better but we still don't know why it happened and whether or not we can expect this type of thing to happen again... As she lay in Joss' arms unconscious and blue, we couldn't help but think of Brody and wonder if he was trying to call her home to heaven. She looked HORRIBLE! As of right now, she is playing and eating and acts as though nothing ever happened. I'm oddly disturbed by the fact that they didn't find any cause for concern. My instincts tell me otherwise! This incident was very unexplainable and I can't help but feel that it will likely happen again. Lets hope I'm wrong!!

Kaybri's Struggles

Last week marked 3 months since Brody died. The past week or so has been quite difficult on our family. We've all been a little edgy and easily discouraged. I guess that is to be expected. The hardest part of all is watching Kaybri struggle with everything. She has been easily upset the past week. She goes through unexplained crying spells and has a hard time leaving mine or Joss' side. Its really heartbreaking to see. The worst part is that I have no idea how to help her. We have always been sure to discuss Brody with her often to keep his memory alive. In his room, his bed is still made up with the same blankets as the night he died. Kaybri has asked me if she can sit in his bed for a while and I let her in hopes that it will help her feel some peace. She frequently asks to go to the cemetery to visit his grave and so, of course, we do. I'm just not sure what to do for her poor little broken heart. Help! :(

Staying Busy...

The past couple weeks have been filled with us making the early arrangements for our special project--our donation to Primary's, RMH, and Gunnison Hospital. We have a long way to go but things are starting out really well. I want everyone to know how much I appreciate their eagerness to help out. Above is a pic of just a few of the journals we made by covering some plain notebooks. As for us, things have been going alright. Joss has been working really hard. Usually 12 hour days. This week he has been helping a friend who owns a towing business with a few of his tows. So Joss has been especially wiped out. And when he's not doing all that, he is working to lay tile in the house. The poor guy is overworked!! Kaybri has been growing up so fast and learning so much. What a smarty! She already knows all her colors, can count to 10 (except she always skips 6) and knows some of the alphabet. I know that its not uncommon for two year olds to know all these things but I still have to brag her up! :) As for me, I haven't really had a lot going on. My sister in law talked me into reading the Twilight Series. Vampires and all that Science Fiction stuff is not for me, but I love these books. They are much better than what I was expecting. Other than that, I'm not up to much. I'm still anxiously waiting to find out about the 911 dispatcher position. Its been 3 months and they are still not done with background checks. There were two open positions. One person was selected last week so I'm hoping I'll hear soon--one way or the other.

So, we're just doing what we can to stay busy. Nothing will change how much we miss Brody. We are doing what we can to incorporate him into our daily lives. I think its going well. The days seem easier sometimes. However, when we have bad days, they somehow seem worse, but as long as his memory stays so strong, that is alright with me!

Giving Back

Memories are the glue that holds you together after losing someone you love. I wish to say thank you to the hundreds of people in the medical industry who helped to make those memories possible. I know that I will never be able to repay them for all they have done to give us four incredible years with Brody, but I'd like to try. We are excited to announce that we are planning a service project to donate items to Primary Children's Hospital, Gunnison Valley Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House. We just want to do whatever we can to help out sick children and their families. We anticipate to donate twice a year, May 26 (Brody's birthday) and November 26 (around Thanksgiving). In order to gather things for Novembers donation, we are starting now. Unfortantely, we can not do it alone. Anyone who is interested in getting involved, please contact me by leaving a comment or by email at crazy_amie83@hotmail.com Here is a list of items we will be collecting for our donation:

Primary Children's Hospital (Ped ICU):
-Games: card, board, electronic
-Books: for reading levels infant to young adult
-Blankets: both fleece and non-fleece (none made entirely of red, it bleeds into other fabrics)
-Journals: notebooks decorated with fabric, scrapbook paper, ribbon and other embellishments
-Art Supplies: paper, washable markers, paints, glue, crayons, etc.

Ronald McDonald House Charities:
-Hygiene items: shampoo, body wash, toothbrush, tissue paper, etc.
-Cleaning supplies: laundry detergent, disinfectants, dish soap, paper towels, etc.

Gunnison Valley Hospital:
-Blankets: both fleece and non-fleece of any color to be donated to children at the hospital
-Toys: for both infants and young children