Chase

For those wanting to follow up on Chase I started a blog for them:  prayingforchase.blogspot.com.   There is a link on the right hand side to add yourself to the e-mail list.  This is a much easier and more efficient way of spreading information so please help me out with it.  Thanks!

Praying for Chase

October 11th my sister, her husband and three other children welcomed the arrival of their healthy and handsome fourth baby.  Things were good but crazy as they moved the same week.  He is a very good baby and my sister said sitting and holding him is heaven.  Saturday he was taken to the hospital because he was panting and later that day he had to be life-flighted to LA due to a couple congenital heart defects.  He will have to have open heart surgery to repair the defects in his heart.  They are unsure when surgery will take place or how many separate operations it may take.  He is in the NICU on a ventilator and nutritionally being sustained through IV's.  Sadly,  his family can't hold him in their arms right now.  I am sure he has a set of angel grandparents that are wrapped around him now and  I am grateful for that.  He needs them more than we do.  If that is the only positive thing I could say about losing my parents (and it isn't)  it would be enough to make it worth it.  At this time he is stable and his family is being helped and supported by their friends, family and ward.  However, I ask anyone who reads this to please pray for Chase.  And also pray for Chase's mom, dad and siblings as they carry this tremendously heavy burden.  It is just another reminder of how grateful I am to know that no matter what happens our Father in Heaven is in the details and loves us and most importantly we will all be together in the next life.  I am also grateful to know that little children are saved.  If Chase leaves this life much much too soon for all of those who love him, he will be escaping a difficult world and be reunited with God, our Savior Jesus Christ and all of his loved ones on the other side.

He Said What!?!?

     Shad is at a really funny stage right now.  Fortunately, we haven't hit the "why" phase.  However, he is pretty curious and has an unbelievable imagination.  The real reason for this post though is his frequently humorous vocabulary and pronunciation.  Some of my favorites include:

I dink- I think. . .often starts sentences this way.
wherewears- underwear
lizick-  music
little big one-  something small.
later- when he is bigger
help you- meaning he wants you to help him
stinky breath-  how we get him to brush his teeth.  We remind him he doesn't want to have stinky breath for [insert whatever girl he has recently been playing with in nursery here].
Baylay-Bailey
Mitamins- Vitamins which are oddly a highlight of the day.
scaping- we aren't sure if this is suppose to mean surfing or skate boarding because he is insistent he means scaping.  It involves putting on your swimming clothes and throwing all the pillows from mom and dad's bed on to the floor and then  acting like a crazy person.  As I said, we have no idea what he means.

 and last but my personal favorite. . .
f@$%ing-  football game (which is what he calls a football)  and yes, it sounds like the f-bomb.

     Don't ask me where he got this, but he insists on wearing his bike helmet and running around screeching like the whistle whenever we watch football.

     Recently he has also starting praying on his own which is both cute and hysterical.  Sometimes he just says "thanks for Dad" three times, "thanks for solo" and then  "Jesus Christ . . . pause. . .Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, Amen"  But it is said so earnestly, and with his eyes squeezed shut as tight as they can be, it is adorable.

  Shad thinks being a big brother is pretty fun however, I am not sure Bailey feels the same.  Brandi swears younger siblings walk around with a force field protecting them, but Bailey either got a defective one or hasn't developed it yet.  She will be lucky to see her first birthday at the rate we are going.

Bailey's blessing

 We were lucky enough to bless Bailey with all of Dan's family and my sister Brandi's family as well as my brother Dustin.  We were enjoying our annual Phillips family vacation in St George (blog post to come later) and everyone gathered in support of this special event.  It was a beautiful day and she was an angel.  The family made an amazing luncheon and were so gracious to share this day with us.  I felt bad expecting it to be a low key affair and not really realizing all the trouble everyone else went to until Sunday morning.  I should have known.  Karen and the Phillips clan know how to throw a party and this was certainly no exception.  I am lucky to have such amazing in laws and I am grateful my children have wonderful grandparents willing to spoil them enough for two sets.   I am grateful to my husband, for being a worthy priesthood holder able to provide these special blessings.   We were glad to be surrounded by so many people who love us and Bailey.  Being St George at the end of July I thought we would keep her cool in a summer dress.  I made the shoes before she was born and they just happened to match a dress my sister's gave me perfectly by coincidence.  The blanket was crocheted by Grandma Joy and the flower in her hair came from my mother's wedding dress.  

Montana 2012

I had about four pages of a post typed and then decided I wanted this sweet and simple.  Like the trip we went on and the people we honored.   We went up to Montana for the one year anniversary of my parent's accident.  My dad's brothers had rebuilt his bike and a family friend rode it up so they could then have it finish the trip.  As my uncle put it, it was kind of a holy mission of sorts.  We spent the fourth of July watching fireworks in beautiful Kalispell and reminiscing on how perfect it was that my dad, the most patriotic person I have ever met spent his last night on earth celebrating Independence day on a motorcycle trip with his wife and brothers.  He also happened to eat dessert before dinner that night.  So perfect.  You always knew my mom was having a great day when she sent out upbeat mass texts.  Her last message to her children told us in part, " . . .light some firecrackers for us. . .  I love you"  We watched fireworks and thought of her and root beer floats and lighting fireworks on Mormon Circle.  

The day of the fifth we went over to the bridge where they took their last picture together and once again talked about how perfect it was that "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was one of Dad's favorite songs.  Amazing how something in us can sometimes sense things we could never anticipate or imagine.  Something in that song spoke to him long before it would be a perfect analogy to how they left this earth.  It was gorgeous there and our family that couldn't be with us was certainly missed.  Aubrey was sweet enough to blow these pictures up.  The one of my parents from a year ago and our family picture our parents had framed that says, "Burningham Family is Forever" She wanted them and Ryan to be with us.

My dad's brother Gary and his wife Jeanna were amazing to come back and share this trip with us.  We missed those who had planned to come and weren't able to make it.

We stopped at the same place they made their final stop for some cookies and snacks.  Thanks to Jeanna and Gary even Bailey was wearing appropriate Harley attire.

Jeanna spoiling Bailey, Bailey ate it up.

We then rode out to the site of the accident.  I was grateful to have seen so many pictures prior to being there, it felt familiar.  Although the two crosses were a new addition.  I am grateful to the organization who places them for all highway fatalities in the state of Montana.  We spent several hours in the peace and quiet there talking and simply feeling close to them.  There was no question that we didn't ride alone that day.  It was a beautiful thing to be able to ride on the back of that motorcycle with my husband without fear.  I know that my parents are just on the other side of that gateway known as death and we will be with them again.  It felt safe, and carefree, and beautiful and sacred.  It felt like coming home. Just off the road is a lake and sitting next to the water my siblings and I laughed at how it made us all want to get in a boat and spend a day on the water just like we use to.  My parents happiest days were either on a motorcycle or a boat. 

Me and Fuzzy- he was amazing to make the trip and honor my parents by riding their bike, and letting us girls ride with him.

Gary, Jeanna, Kayla (seriously what a stud, she just got her bike and made this big trip) and Fuzzy and I.

Who could resist?

Us girls taking a moment by the Lake admiring the trees and Canadian Roses that brought Jeanna comfort the year before.  The necklace we are all wearing is the same one my mom was wearing that day.  My sisters and I had given one to Jeanna and my aunt Kris who had also been with them, and then they gave each of us one.  It is a special treasure.  I love that it is so big and blingy because people comment on it and I get to tell them why it is important to me. And it just screams Brenda. . .

Despite plenty of familiarity with motorcycles, Dan and I had a iffy start. . .he is a little smaller than my dad and that is a BIG motorcycle.  

My uncle was cursing we were going to have a repeat.  I just assured him that accidents at five miles an hour don't result in fatalities.   As we picked up speed Dan certainly regained his comfort level.

Despite searching for a long time for every possible piece last year apparently this one was missed.  My brother in law found it right next to the fence where the bike ended up.  The scrape it made in the rode as the bike went down was still there too. . . some wounds take a long time to heal and leave scars for a lifetime.

   It was hard to pull away and think of my dad's brothers and their wives having to get up and leave that spot one bike short a year earlier.  Fittingly, his brother and sister rode his motorcycle away from the accident site this time.  It was a beautiful symbol of healing, coming together as family, and moving forward.  It was been a very long, hard year.  We are so blessed to know we will be together as a family again and to have so much love and support around us.  In some ways our family has grown larger since losing two members.  Mom and Dad, I miss you every day and love you. . . can't wait to see you again at the end of the ride.