Joe and Jen's Place

Gooooaaaaalllll!!! Well almost.

2010-10-02T17:25:00.002-06:00

It was a brisk fall morning with a slight breeze in the air. The Martin family approached the soccer fields with excitement and anticipation for the 8:30 soccer game. Parking was quick as not many people had made it to the fields yet or so I had thought. Aspen was in her orange t-shirt in line along with her team for their team/individual photos. Team 5 the Lions consisted of 8 little girls 6 blonds, 1 brunette, and 1 spectacular curly red head. All with hair pulled back, with bright orange shirts on along with chin guards and cleats. The socks showed the personality of each little girl/Lion. It was going to be a great morning for soccer.

After Lions finished with pictures the team, along with coaches and parents with chairs, cameras, and something warm in their free hand headed over the berm that was obstructing the view from the photo area. Once we all made our way to the top of the berm, I stopped and for once was in awh of what I saw on the other side.

Freshly cut green grass still hanging onto the morning dew with recently painted white lines outlining each soccer field with circles in the middle of the rectangular field along with goals on both ends. Field after field after field with more fields to the left and more to the right. It was a sea of team colors with parents and spectators finding their places on the sidelines of their favorite teams pitch. It reminded me of a scene in a movie when the camera slowly breaks over the hill and encounters a battle in the middle of an open field.

After taking my moment we found the Lions field and setup our temporary camp to cheer on that little curly red head we are so fond of and her teammates. Bryant was wrapped in his blanket in the little red chair borrowed from Aspen and his bag of cheerios. Joe with the video camera and I with the camera got ready to watch the game.

It was so much fun to watch the cluster of girls trying to get their cleats on the ball and the opportunity to break free from the pack to try and score a goal. So many times the Lions dribbled the ball to the goal, all the ball needed was a little tap into the goal, but time and time again that final kick to the size 3 soccer ball either went left or right. No goal. The spectators would cheer and cheer each time then sigh and laugh after each failed attempt. Bryant could be heard yelling “Go, Go, Go” then plopping a Cheerio into his mouth. The opposing team however seemed to have a little secret because they would get that little pink ball into the goal time and time again.

The last two quarters would be better, and true enough the Lions found their groove, and the opposing pink team seemed to have lost some of theirs. Then the moment happened, that cluster of girls kicked the ball out of the cluster and that little curly red head broke free also, she dribbled that ball down the field by herself and approached the goal with the other girls in hot pursuit. One last kick would put it in and add another point to the Lions score. She cocked her foot back and let that little pink size 3 ball have it. The ball rolled and rolled and came within inches of hitting the goal post. It missed that post by centimeters and rolled to the side, the left side. Had it been to the right she would have scored.

The game ended soon after, and as is the case with kindergarten soccer, no score was kept. The girls, parents and coaches had a fantastic morning and are all looking forward to another one next weekend. Parking will be a little more difficult.

Aspen's 1st Day of School

2010-08-26T20:47:00.003-06:00

First Day of School

~Author Unknown~

She started school this morning,
And she seemed so very small.
As I walked there beside her
In the Kindergarten hall.

And as she took her place beside
the others in the class,
I realized how all too soon
Those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw her as
She first learned how to walk.
The words that we alone made out
When she began to talk.

This little girl so much absorbed
In learning how to write.
It seems as though she must have grown
To girlhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred by hastily
I brushed the tears away
Lest by some word or sign of mine
I mar her first big day.

Oh how I longed to stay with her
And keep her by the hand
To lead her through the places
That she couldn't understand.

And something closely kin of fear
Was mingled with my pride.
I knew she would no longer be
A baby by my side.

But she must have her chance to live,
To work her problems out,
The privilege to grow and learn
What life is all about.

And I must share my little girl
With friends and work and play;
She's not a baby anymore --
She's in Kindergarten today.

One Year Ago

2010-06-02T19:14:00.005-06:00

A year ago today (6/4/09) our family was able to finally to be completely together. Bryant was released from the hospital in Salt Lake and that afternoon. He was able to see his sister for the first time, and she him. The moment stays burned in my memory as it was truly an amazing moment. When Bryant saw Aspen for the 1st time his eyes lit up as if he was seeing for the first time. Aspen had a permanent smile on her face and was excited to meet her brother. To this day the same event plays over and over each time they see each other, which is why it is burned into my memory. Excitement and love for each other – truly amazing.

Needless to say May has been a busy month for us. We began with Bryant’s 1st birthday and it was a wonderful event. The Martin girls along with some Cristando women walked in the Women’s run. The men of the family took pictures of the event and probably walked/ran twice as much as the girls. It was a great event. That evening we all went to watch Aspen in her last dance performance of the year. She did a wonderful job and is looking forward to trying out soccer here soon. It was a great family weekend.

The following Friday Aspen graduation from the Little Seeds Pre-K program and is anticipating kindergarten in the fall. We have nothing but high hopes for her, she is already reading, spelling, and doing math. I along with several other moms put on the event for the kids and their families. It was fun but I was more excited to be finished and have one less thing on my plate. I am looking forward to handing the torch off to the next mom that decided to open her mouth first asking about graduation. I know better for next go around. I hope they don’t hand me the binder since I have experience. The next day we left for Salt Lake.

We spent a week in Salt Lake attending doctor appointments for Bryant and visiting family. Doctor Black, Bryant’s EA/TEF surgeon visited with us for about 10 minutes and told us that there was no reason to come back. Dr. Muntz did about the same but told us that Bryant had an ear infection and prescribed some drops along with keeping him on the prevacid (reflux meds). Dr. Muntz wanted to see us back in August, but the 600+ miles to visit about an ear infection seemed a little out of the way. So we cancelled that appointment and will see our ENT here in Billings whom we have an appointment with anyway for a follow-up on Bryant’s tubes. So we have no medical needs to return to Salt Lake. But we plan on visits to see family as we both have a lot in the Salt Lake area.

During our week Papa Lonnie took us to the Live Aquarium and we also went to a dinosaur park. Aspen got to pet a sting ray and Bryant was able to growl at the life sized dinosaurs. We left Salt Lake and visited with my folks for the remainder of the weekend. We anticipated helping plant their garden, but the weather held us off and we had to resort to bowling on the Wii since the real bowling alley was closed.

After our return we got our garden planted and the team that was working on laying 48 tons of rock has finished and we are happy to report that after 5 years in our home, our landscaping is FINISHED, well except for a few plants here and there. We have never been so happy to see rock. Yes rock, now we can have more summer fun in our backyard without looking into weeds and dirt.

In the weeks to come Bryant will have his 1 year appointment 1 month late, but designed so the pediatrician could get the info we received in Salt Lake. Bryant is also scheduled for a circumcision, again after our visit to Salt Lake to make sure nothing could cause complications as far as putting Bryant under to do the surgery. Aspen will be attending cheer camp while Bryant and Joe are walking in the Heart and Soul run. Aspen will have soccer camp the week after. We plan on being outside and looking into our yard that had no more weeks

Birthday x3

2010-05-06T19:45:00.005-06:00

Birthday #1 is our little girl turning 5. She had been planning this big day the minute she turned 4 last year. Which for those of you that are wondering….a person doesn’t really turn a year older until they have cake. So we prolonged the cake eating until the afternoon. She loved her big day. The only thing she asked for her birthday was a Polly Pocket Princess set so we had to come up with a few other things to surprise her. Her Twinkle toes are now a big hit at the day-care. Since then she has gotten her kindergarten shots and is registered to begin school in the fall. We are all so excited for her and look forward to another great even in her life. Aspen is truly a wonderful little girl and we cherish her quick wit and deep wisdom.

Birthday #2 came exactly two weeks after Aspen’s and it was Jen’s. I had a wonderful day with bagels for breakfast, some shopping at Home Depot, and dinner at a new Italian restaurant. I also decided that I wanted to get a tattoo for her birthday. It is in perfect view, however not noticeable by anyone unless pointed out. It is perfect and I plan on adding to it in the future.

Birthday #3 was Bryant’s which was to the day three weeks past Jen’s. Bryant’s big day was not only a great day for him, but also for us as a family. It is hard not to talk about the year in review with all of the ups and down, test and test results, waiting and this and that. In short it is LIFE and we are happy to be living it. It was hard not to think about events occurring a year ago on his birthday and the 5 weeks he was in the hospital. In fact as I am writing this I was in the process of being discharged from the hospital in Billings. Some of the events are hard to think about and others are overwhelming. Friends wondered how I kept it so together being apart from Joe and Bryant. I still don’t know. But remembering everything brings tears to my eyes every time.

Bryant has been growing – on the small side according to charts, but he is growing and eating. With every new strand of red hair he gets more and more independent. He wants to eat what we are eating, which is fine but we are in the process of teaching him to drink more while eating. If he doesn’t then he gets food somewhat stuck in his esophagus. His favorite thing to eat is bread. He has learned that KIX cereal pieces are perfect cannon balls to be shot out of one’s mouth. Fun, but messy. He Loves Loves the water including the dogs’ water dish, however hates bubble baths. His favorite word to say is ball and tries really hard to say balloon. Other words he likes are tadah, oh, mama, and dada. If he could say Aspen he would they play so well together and love each other more than fish love the water (A Martin analogy). Bryant is still a bad sleeper, however I don’t mind all that much because I love to snuggle with him and one day I won’t get to do that anymore. He really is a great little boy and we cannot wait to see what he will become.

On the medical front, Bryant had ear tubes put in to drain the fluid buildup in his ears since birth. He has since passed his first hearing test in March. Eleven months past birth and he passes his first hearing test. It was a great day for celebration. We said goodbye to his STEP (developmental) specialist who worked with Bryant on learning new things. One of the struggles was rolling over; he wouldn’t do this until he started crawling. I guess he didn’t need to do it, but now it is important. So he does things on his own time and sometimes in the wrong order, but he is developing well.

In a few weeks we head down to Salt Lake to check out his surgery and reflux. Due to the lack of expertise in Billings for AE/TEF we hope that things turn out well enough that the doctors in Billings will be able to pickup Bryant’s medical treatment. Upon our return we have another surgery, then who knows what life will hand us.

We also had the tooth fairy visit. Aspen lost her first tooth and was none too happy that the tooth fairy actually left with her tooth. She wanted to keep it. While Aspen was subtracting teeth Bryant was busy adding teeth. Not just one tooth but four. So if you're keeping track that would be 12 teeth total.

We look forward to baseball games, a few trips to see friends, and enjoying our family. As M, M &M say – “Life is always better when we are together”

Out and About

2010-03-10T06:03:00.001-07:00

Since the beginning of the year we have started venturing out into the world again. It is nice to live in seclusion especially when the weather outside almost demands for you to stay inside, however getting out has been great and much needed.

We have made it to Billings almost new water park “The Reef” a few times and enjoyed watching both kids in the water. Aspen has started to shed her timidness a little. She has jumped in and all around enjoyed each trip we take. Bryant loves the water and wears out after half an hour but makes sure he stays awake and plays the entire time. This would be a great bedtime ritual if it wasn’t so costly. He will sleep and sleep after we leave.

In January Joe and I went snow machining with five other couples. It was a blast meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. Aspen and Bryant got to hang out with her aunt Jazz and her fiancé Kevin. It was the 1^st time we left Bryant over night with someone and we all did great. It was a wonderful family reunion when we got back together only a day later.

We have enrolled the kids in swimming lessons again and Aspen is starting to branch out and learn how to swim. We are very proud of her and I cannot wait for the day that everything clicks and she starts swimming like a fish. Bryant it also in lessons and I am afraid that he will never learn how to fear the water. Two extremes!

Joe and I have recently finished six weeks of a Love and Logic class. We loved every minute of the class and learned so much. This class has provided exceptional insight and ideas on how to raise children to become responsible, respectable, and contributing adults to society. The very things we want to instill in our children. Both of us have always been excited about what our children might become, and now we have some great new tools to help us achieve our goals for them.

The Kids are up to so much these days. Bryant has yet to want or find the benefit of rolling over. He has however discovered that crawling is a means of transportation to any door so it can be opened and closed. I like to think of him as our little bug. He is fine when all fours, but if he ends up on his back then there is no telling when the misery will end. Aspen will turn five at the end of March and believe me when I say that she is counting down every day. She has started to get a quick wit about her. It is really funny when it happens, but when the moment has passed you have to sit back and wonder how a 4 year old beat you at your own game. She has been referring to things in their commercial context. For example, a piece of trident gum is named “New Trident Layers” and Subway is “Subway, Eat Fresh”. So the commercials really are geared towards the minds that are waiting to be filled with knowledge. Mine, well it is too full to be bothered with all of that.

As many of you know, Bryant had never passed a hearing test since birth. We have had several tests done and the theory is that he has fluid fluctuating between ears and causing inconclusive test results. Since our jaunt to Salt Lake in December he started taking higher doses of reflux medication and this really started to clear up his ears, however not enough. With an ear infection discovered he was scheduled for ear tubes. A few weeks ago he had his first surgery of the year. They took him from my arms at 8:25 and came out to the waiting room at 8:45. We have always thought that he could hear but since the tubes we think that the sharpness of the sound was lost. It has been wonderful to listen to his chatter. We will have another hearing test in April.

The Decade That Was.

2010-01-02T15:19:00.006-07:00

With a new decade starting I started to think back to all the events of my life the past decade. I am proud to say that I've experienced a lot of great things in the past decade. So let's get it started....

Starting in 2000 I was in a relationship (marriage) that was miserable. I was way too young to be in any kind of relationship, but I got divorced in May and moved back to Montana. I had spent the previous three years in Boise, Idaho. I loved my time there. But I was back in Montana with no job and no money. But I was happy. Happy to be around my friends and family. I got a job at a software company in Fromberg, MT. It was my first techie job. I started off eager.

Then in September, I went out with a co worker and she introduced me to this beautiful blonde. Her name was Jennifer Cristando. Spoiler Alert! My future wife. That night we drank, talked, danced, and talked some more. I asked her for her phone number and what does she do. Yep. She gives me a fake. Now she'll swear up and down she didn't mean to. She'll give you some story about just moving and not really knowing her number. Whatever reason I ended up getting her real number and the rest is history.

In the mean time, in 2000 I take her to my cousins wedding where she knows more people than I do. Heck she knew the bride. She tells me she loves me. I teller her it's mutual. We spend the night laughing harder than I've ever laughed before or since.

For Thanksgiving, I went home with her to meet her family and experience the most hostile game of Monopoly that anyone has ever experienced. We spend Christmas with my family and on to New Years. We had the night planned out with 80's movies and pizza. The only problem is, Jen falls asleep at 8pm. This should have been a hint to me how the next ten New Years will play out.

In March of 2001 we decide to move into together. We got our first apartment at Olympic Village. A month later I lose my job at Gateway Software. I was laid off. I wasn't disappointed about losing the job, I wasn't very good at it. But I was certain that Jen would leave me. But I was wrong. She was more than supportive.

I applied for every tech job I could. Finally I get a call from First Interstate Bank. I didn't remember applying there, but who am I to question it. I guess I applied for the help desk. I interviewed for the job with Alice Lahren. She asked me a bunch of questions and she had a terrific poker face, because I swear she hated me and I bombed the interview. About three weeks later i_Tech offered me a job working in desktop support. i_Tech was a sister company for First Interstate Bank.

Shortly after getting the job Jen and I decided to buy a pickup. A 1999 Fort F150 for $16,000. Things are getting serious. We're buying cars and living together.

That August I won a trip to Seattle for a baseball game. My first professional baseball game. We watched the Mariners get beat by the New York Yankees. We had great seats and had so much fun. We ate a bunch of good seafood and brought back some crazy good crab legs.

Then like every American I remember exactly where I was on September 11th. Jen and I had just finished getting ready for work and we always had the news on while getting ready. And the Today Show came on and a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers. I didn't think it was a big deal. I thought something like a Cesna had hit the tower. But then there was another explosion. They showed the footage of the other plane hitting the second tower. We were just stunned. That was a surreal day. Watching two towers collapse, our nations capital under attack, and the thousands of lives lost. There were TV's every where you turned with the news on. It was hard to focus on anything but the disaster.

Two weeks later Jen and I traveled to Texas for her best friends wedding. We spent 18 hours flying or in airports. All but one flight was cancelled. That was both to and from. But it was well worth it. The wedding was beautiful and fun. Jo-Dee and LeRoy will be married for nine years this year.

The rest of 2001 was quiet for us.

2002 was a special year. Shortly after Valentines day Jen and I traveled to Thermopolis, WY to go swimming and check out their dinosaur museum. I got a cool CD holder for the truck and Jen got a proposal. I asked her to marry me. And naturally she said yes.

The rest of year was devoted to planning our wedding. Later that year we decided we needed to build a house. So we were planning a wedding and planning our home.

2003 was the year everything came together. Toward the end of June we moved into our new home. And a home wouldn't be complete without a dog. So we went down to Help for Homeless Pets and adopted Pablo. We renamed him to Duncan. He was a feisty puppy. Full of love. We also received a "free cat". She was an all black mystic cat name Katrina. She had what I liked to joke "a leaky butt." She had no control over her poop and it was watery. She let loose on my sister at one time. Jen and I were less than excited about this cat in our brand new house. So we would let her out with hopes of it not coming back. But she kept coming back. So we thought we should take her to the vet. It turns out it wasn't her fault at all. She had a tape worm. Poor girl. So after some medicine her poop was under control. She has been a lovely cat.

A week after moving in my future father in law wanted to give us a sprinkler system for a wedding gift. And we were going to install it ourselves because he has experience. That week we spent most of our time fighting with each other and taking 20 trips to Home Depot a day. It was a stressful week. It turned out that John had never installed a sprinkler system but everything worked. Well kind of. But he did a great job, and we loved it.

On September 20th, Jen and I got married. We were surrounded by our friends and family. The Justice of Peace, Judge Hernandez, told me to keep by knees bent. That way I wouldn't collapse. Good idea. Jen was so beautiful. To this day I'm the luckiest man.

We didn't go on a honeymoon. We went to Red Lodge and had fun.

2004 was a year of adjustment. I switched jobs at work. I went from desktop support to ITI support. I thought it would be a good move, but it turned out to be one of the most stressful times of my life.

Jen also had a career change. Not necessarly by choice. While in a meeting she called her boss a prick while he was out of the office. Someone ratted on her and she was fired. She was having a rough time there and was miserable, besides she was just calling a spade a spade. He was a complete jackass and Jen was better off.

Jen started teaching swim lessons at the YMCA. She was a lot happier. We lost some income but we were happy.

In August Jen got a job as a contract worker for the BLM. She works on the help desk.

A week after Jen started working we found out we were pregnant. Very scared. And very excited.

2005 is the year we have to be responsible.

In February as we're getting ready to have a baby I decide to get another dog. She's a crazy dog named Skittles. Of course we renamed her to Casey. As if a new baby isn't enough responsiblity we add a puppy to that. Crazy.

With a baby just around the corner and a new puppy we decide to build another house. Less than a week before the baby comes we decided this. You may question why Jen stayed married to this guy. And my answer is. I have no clue. Couldn't tell you.

Aspen Jo Martin arrived March 28th. Jen was in labor for 17 hours. Both of us were so happy.

A week after Aspen joined us we put our house on the market and signed the papers to start building our new house.

Three weeks after putting the house on the market it sold. For full asking price. So we needed to find a rental. We thought we would go cheap so we could save money. We should have known we were asking for problems.

We picked this duplex and it was a living hell. A five month living hell. We lived downstairs. We experienced flooding which forced us to live in a motel for a week. It was a nice reprieve. It had air conditioning and Food Network. The sewage backed up into our shower. This still makes me sick to my stomach when I think of it. And a landlord switch a month before we move out. The new landlord was an old man who pushed every button I can have. He called me a low class jerk. All because we wanted proof that he actually owned the property before we gave him our rent. It took a lot for me not to knock this old fart on his ass. After we moved out he called me to say a tenant never cleaned the house as nicely as we did. I just hung up on him and moved on.

In 2006 I decided I needed to change jobs. I didn't like how my professional life was taking affect on my family. I was always on call. We're talking 24/7. Spending time on a conference calls while my sick daughter is screaming in my lap. She deserved better than what she was getting from her dad. I didn't like myself. I felt like I was making my family suffer.

So I applied for a job in the First Interstate Bank server department. There was a huge reorganization and FIB wanted their own technical staff. So Mitch Svihovec was kind enough to give me a chance. Mitch and I are friends but I didn't want to let him down thinking I could skate on our friendship. He assigned me to a technology the bank was looking at. They were looking at a product called VMware. It's server virtualization. I was hooked.

That September I got the chance to go to San Francisco for VMworld. While I was there, I got to take in my very first NFL game. And it happened to be my beloved 49ers on Monday night footbal. I loved it. I loved San Fran.

In the meantime, Jen really excelled at her job. She became an office favorite and beloved by her co workers. Compared to her previous job where they were clickish, her new co workers accepted her with open arms. She continued to teach swim lesson at the YMCA where Aspen and I joined in.

2007 and 2008 kind of blended together for us. In 2008 we finally put in a yard. It was so nice. That September Aspen joined a dance class. She attended Rainbow Dance Studio where she is taught by Nancy and her daughter Mercedes. She absolutely loved it. Her dream of becoming a ballerina was one step closer.

In this time frame we experienced heartache. With the joys of pregnancy it can be devestating when it ends unexpectantly. And it ended three times with such heartache. As a man I felt like it was my fault. Like somehow I let my most beloved down and I couldn't make it better. But we pushed on.

And towards the end of 2008 we found ourselves pregnant again.

And Christmas time was coming. It was a couple days before Christmas and my sister in law Jazz was driving home from college. Just outside of Columbus she had hit black ice and roled her Pathfinder. She called Jen and we were on our way.

Just the day before there was bank wide email sent out that a gal from our credit card department was killed in a car wreck on the Montana/Idaho border. So with this in mind we went to get Jazz.

The roads were clear as day. We had just passed Park City and just up a head we saw the lights of an emergency vehicle. The semi-truck in front of us dropped snow off of it's trailer and I couldn't see anything so I let off the gas and our Explorer started to fishtail. We fishtailed for 100 feet or so with me saying oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. And when it finally seemed like we were coming under control our rear end slides around and we're heading towards the median. And as we're sliding everything goes into slow motion. But with the slow motion came a certain calm. It felt like we were going to be ok. Jen and I talked about this afterward. We both felt the same.

Once the tires hit the dirt we rolled on Jen's side first. Then the roof, then we stopped with the driver side down. I called out to see if Jen and Aspen were ok. And they were. Then in what seemed like seconds there were men there asking if everyone was ok. I just shouted that there was a baby in the vehicle and to get her out first. They rolled us back onto our wheels. Aspen didn't start crying til these strangers pulled her out of the car. I barely had a chance to express my thanks before they were off on their trip. (This is what is so great about Montana. Strangers helping strangers.)

My cellphone launched out of the Explorer during the roll but I was able to find it. I dialed my father in law to let him know that we were also in an accident. But I was on the phone for a few seconds before a sheriff showed up to see if we were alright. So I told him we rolled our car and had to go. I'm sure that left a comforting feeling.

The ambulance showed up to check us out. Jen's wrist was banged up but we were unscathed. The sheriff's brought Jazz to us. At least we were all together now. An insurance companies nightmare family.

A sheriff was going to give us a lift back to Park City. We ended up going to Columbus then back to Park City. A long the way we saw that we weren't the only people with bad luck.

It's maybe 20 miles between Park City and Columbus, and there were 10 to 15 other cars in the median.

So we're in the Sheriffs car riding back. We look over his shoulder and he's going 90 miles per hour. On ice! Maybe I should have reminded him we were just in an accident and a little skittish, and we're crammed in the back seat with a two year old with no car seat. This is when Jen leans over to me and says, "he's going way too fast." Yep, I know.

In what seems like minutes was actually two hours. Two hours with a two year old potty training. A two year old potty training with no diaper on. Jen and I were scared to even mention the word potty out of fear we'd spring a leak in the back of the police car. So while we cursing him for going so fast, we wish he would get us there faster.

We did get to Park City, and Aspen pee'd like a race horse. We were so proud of her for holding it like a big girl.

Our Explorer was totalled. A couple weeks later we purchased our Ford Expedition. We were months away from paying our Explorer off. A month removed from replacing the transmission. But everyone was safe, and the baby was ok. What a way to end the year. 2009 had to be better.

2009 was one of the most trying and rewarding years we've ever been through. We were excited to find out we were having a boy. Our thought of 3 girls ended but with delight.

On May 2nd, Bryant Mason Martin joined us. But not without drama. He was born with a EA TEF. A detached esophagus. We spent the next 5 weeks in Salt Lake City at Primary Childrens Medical Center. He had a surgery to fix his esophagus. We met some special new friends that helped us with our journey more than anyone would know.

In that time Aspen spent a lot of quality time with Papa Lonnie, but anxious to meet her new brother. Then on June 2nd it happened. They met and haven't stopped laughing.

We've pretty much become hermits this year. But we've enjoyed our family and friends that much more. Duncan is starting to show his age. He turned six this year and has arthritis in his hips. He even got stung by a bee or bit by a spider and his entire side of his head was swollen. Nothing medicine couldn't fix. Casey is still full of love. She still snags abandoned socks. And Katrina stil looks over everyone. Making sure everything is just so.

We wanted to say thanks to all of our friends and family. We love you guys.

That brings us to the end of the decade. And the start of a new one. Today Bryant turns 8 months. Aspen continues to grow up no matter how much we insist she slow down. And Jen and I are still very much in love. Best Friends for life.

But with looking back it's hard not to look forward. Here are somethings that are certain to happen in the next decade.

Jen and I will turn 40 at some point in this decade.

We'll celebrate our 10 year anniversary.

Aspen will be a teenager and two year shy of getting her drivers license at the end of the decade.

Bryant will beat his dad in basketball if he chooses to play.

Those are things I'm pretty sure will happen this decade. Jen may refuse to turn 40. I'll have to let you know.

Sledding, Angles, and a Jazz game

2009-12-23T08:18:00.005-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago we headed down to Salt Lake City for a follow up appointment with the ENT at Primary Childrens Medical Center for Bryants paralyzed vocal chord. We spent a few days with Jen's folks in Hudson, Wyoming. We had a great time. We spent one morning sledding. This was Bryant's first time. It was chilly outside. We went to the Lander golf course and tracked up this pretty big hill with Aspen yelling to "run daddy". We decided not to sled down the big hill because of the colvert and the fact that we didn't want to walk back up that hill. So we found a smaller hill and had a blast. Bryant really seemed to enjoy himself. We lasted about half an hour before we decided for lunch. It was a great day. Jen showed us the town.

After our short visit in Wyoming we were off to Utah. When we arrived it seemed like a heat wave. It was a balmy 38 degrees. Which seemed a lot warmer thant the -10 below. The day after we got there we decided to head to Ogden to visit my Grandma, Aunt and Uncle and cousins. The snow was coming down. The day was a lot of fun for Aspen who once again managed to leave with more toys. This time it was a lot of Polly Pockets. Jen and Bryant weren't doing so well. But they enjoyed Gary's new recliners.

The next day we went to our appointment at PCMC. When we arrived we were informed that our appoinment was cancelled. We told them we are from Montana and that we can't just reschedule. Then the nurse told us that Dr. Smith's wife had passed a way. Our hearts just sunk. We felt so bad for him and his family. He has seven kids.

They were kind enough to bring in another doctor. So Dr. Muntz came to see Bryant. Just a little background, Bryant absolutely hates to have his nose touched, wiped or whatever. So you can imagine the joy he felt when they put the scope up his nose. Dr. Muntz tried going up one nostril with no success, so he tried the other. After a few adjustments he saw the vocal chord. One of the vocal chords is still paralyzed but the other one is compensating so there is no issue. He just won't be an opera singer, but with his parents we weren't too worried. Dr. Muntz did notice that Bryants reflux was worse than we thought. Just because he wasn't spitting up didn't mean too much. See we left with two more prescriptions. Kind of bummed, but all and all not that bad. Nothing life altering or anything like that.

While we were at PCMC Aspen was spending time with Papa Lonnie. Oh and what fun they had. Aspen had them watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Santa Claus, and Frosty the Snowman. He didn't seem to mind. He enjoys his granddaughter.

After our appointment we headed downtown to take dad to an early birthday dinner. So we took him to Toscanos. It's a Brazillian BBQ restraunt. It is terrific. It's at the Gateway Mall. If you get the chance, try it. After dinner we woddled over to the Jazz game. Aspen was so excited. She would tell anyone who listened that she was going to get a soda. She had her Kyle Korver jersey on and was set to go. Dad got us great seats. Just before tip off Aspen was out. She fell asleep. We didn't think much of it. We thought she would wake up sometime soon to watch the game. No chance. She slept all the way through the game. We couldn't get her up. The nice man in front of us couldn't wake her up. The 16,000 cheering fans couldn't wake her up. She was out for the count. Bryant really enjoyed the game. He did stay up for the most of the game with a small nap in the 3rd quarter. He really enjoyed this cute little girl sitting next to us. As the fans were cheering, Bryant was sleeping and she would put her finger up to her mouth and whisper "shhhh, baby is sleeping." It was adorable. But in the end the Jazz lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the Martins had a great time.

The next day we started our trip back to Montana. It was nice to go home but we miss our families.

Mike and Melissa, I didn't read the comments about calling you guys until we got home. I'm sorry. We head back in May for his surgical follow up. When we know our appointment date we'll let you know and maybe we can get together.

Harley Girl and Chompers

2009-11-16T21:25:00.003-07:00

We are faced with half of November ahead of us and not too far away more snow will hit the mountains and eventually fall around us. We have a busy remainder of the year and we are looking forward to making the most of it.

Aspen has been busy dancing and a couple of weeks ago was no exception. Her studio was asked to model the fall line for Harley Davidson and do a little dance number. The practice before the big night was a little emotional for her and according to dad he almost lost his cool. If you know Joe this is a rare occurrence. We are both proud of her for sticking to her commitment regardless of the lack of couth portrayed by her instructor. Anyway the night came and went great and her cousins came out to the event to have a little fun. I tried to keep Bryant away from the swarm of people.

Aspen has also been busy at school and is getting really excited about her 5th birthday. She still has five months to go, but she has been planning this party since she turned four. This past week we went from a horse theme to a pool cake. Turning five must be a very big deal.

Bryant had his 6 month appointment last Friday and it went very well. There has been a shortage of the H1N1 shots here in Billings and since he fell into the high risk category he was able to get the shot. Our Pediatrician said that we should take advantage of the high risk category, and we did. So along with is other shots, he got one more. Bryant is in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th for weight. A few more pounds and we have to switch out his car seat. It is a good thing that I got a good deal on a much needed new car seat (I like to call it my cheap sickness). Bryant now has 4 front teeth and I think it is so cute to see them when he smiles. I hope the photographer gets them in his school pictures coming up. The girls at his daycare have nicknamed him Chompers, very fitting.

Bryant was scheduled for the RSV shot on Friday also, but alas insurance didn’t quite pull their weight. I called them three times. The first to see what could be done to change our denial letter to an approved letter to only find out that we were already approved. Two more calls to check on this and double check. Still have not gotten any information until last Friday when I was told that the Doctor has to re-submit the claim and our co-pay would be $200.00 per shot and could go up. The price goes up when Bryant weighs more. He will have one RSV shot a month until spring. The dosage of each shot will depend upon how much he weights. And of course we fall into that category of making too much money to qualify for assistance. It is a good thing I held back some FLEX.

So both kiddos have their H1N1 shot, Aspen has her Flu shot and both Joe and I are waiting since we missed the cutoff and due to the lack of supply. We normally wouldn’t do any shots, but we are trying everything to keep Bryant healthy.

Bryant - Mama I can do it on my own - I don't need any help.

Fancy Nancy Reading

Joe's good side and Bryant board of the posing

Aspen's happy dance!

Our Harley girl (Yes it is a side ponytail. - She choose her own hairdo.)

Duncan far enough way from roaming hands, yet close enough in case if trouble should approach.

Casey - Pleeease drop something so I can eat it - I don't care what.

Halloween Spooks!

I think I got it mom

Red hair

Katrina enjoying some quality quiet time.

Can you spot Bryant among the green tomatoes harvested - This is only part of the tomato harvest.

6 months!

2009-11-02T12:36:00.002-07:00

Bryant turned 6 months old today. Happy half birthday to the little guy. It seems so long ago that we were in Salt Lake City for his EA/TEF. Things have gone very well.

Halloween Pictures.

2009-10-27T07:13:00.003-06:00

Last night Jen and I took the kids to get Halloween pictures, and since Aspens dance teacher let them wear their costumes we thought it would be the perfect opportunity. Naturally Aspen was happy to get all dressed up with make up on. She was so excited. Bryant looked absolutely adorable in his bat outfit. Tell me you would be scared of that bat. Aspen would anyone who would listen that she is a Fall Fairy. It was a long night but well worth it.

Two Teeth! Four Teeth! Five Teeth??

2009-10-20T12:39:00.005-06:00

I know it has been a while since I've updated our page. It's my fault, not Jen's. She has even provided the verbiage and pictures. Life has been busy.... But enough with the excuses here is the update!

Yes. the teeth are coming. Bryant got two teeth right away between 3 and 4 months. They were so nice to him that we didn't even know he had any until they were popped up and he was ready to use them. This go around we have been a little more watchful. The drool is plentiful and Orajel had to be used to take the bite (ha, ha, ha) away from the pain. His poor little gums are so swollen that it looks like he will get two giant buck teeth. Along with the 4 teeth it looks like he is starting to get a 5th. Not sure how this one will go, but an itooth is not the most enjoyable experience on the parents end. He is happy and loves working on them any chance he gets.

With teeth in mind he is watching the rest of the family eat and is inquisitive about it all. We have offered him some rice cereal a few weeks back and it didn't end up all that bad. However, these days, when we give it to him the cereal he doesn't want to keep it in his mouth. After all, it doesn't taste like his bubblegum Prevacid or the milk he gets. My hope is that he isn't like Aspen who went straight to table food. The girl didn't even give the pureed stuff a chance. Mashed potatoes still are not her favorite food.

Our four year old who has been adding things such as spelling, artist, and math to her repertoire can now add ties her own shoes, right after spelling. We have been trying to teach Aspen how to tie her own shoes since she was 3 years old. At moments she was almost there, and at other times she had given up. So a few weeks ago we got her a book to practice on her own. And after two tries she had got it and hasn't looked back. She is so proud of herself as she should be, that she tells everyone she knows. All the shoes with laces are now fair game to wear, because all of a sudden they have become more important than princess looking shoes.

Cowboys, Camping, Campfire

2009-08-29T22:10:00.009-06:00

Aspen is enjoying every minutes of being a big sister, well except the moments when Bryant is crying. At these moments you will find her fingers in her ears. Since the moment Bryant was able to come home Aspen has wanted him to play with her. My comment to her was that she didn’t know what she was wishing for.Bryant has always adored Aspen and he is now able to play with her some.Well it is more like Aspen plays with him while he lays and watches her every movement while he is trying to participate with a seek or a laugh. It is great fun to watch the two together. On one occasion Aspen used Bryant as a mannequin and dressed him up in her cowgirl boots. He loved the fact that Aspen was playing with him and he enjoyed it so much that he kept kicking them off only to have her put the boots back on.

The tent came a few days later when Aspen used her favorite blanket to create a tent for her and Bryant with his jungle gym. When looking over at them all I saw were Bryants little legs kicking as fast as can be and Aspen trying to make the tent perfect from the inside. I am sure this wasthe first of many tents that they will make together.

Joe turned 33 this year and I decided to get him an outdoor fireplace. He has wanted one for many years well only about two but the many years statement makes him sound old. I had wanted to do a little backyardcamping, but not sure how the weather would hold up this time of year. Sofor our Friday Family night we (Joe) cooked steaks on the grills and then stoked the fire for some s’mores. The weather was great except for the wind so the evening ended quicker than intended.

Finally an Update

2009-08-17T13:25:00.008-06:00

Things have been very crazy lately. My company is finalizing the last steps before moving into their new datacenter next month. It has been a lot of late hours and weekends. Jen has been extremely understanding. I owe her a new diamond ring after all this is said and done.

But life does go on for our kids. Bryant is growing like a weed. He is now up to an occasional 5oz. And funny enough we noticed the other night that he is getting is first tooth. It seems way to early for that. But he is quick with his smiles. We are still waiting for the first giggle. Jen and I heard him giggle in his sleep but that's hard to count. He is an outstanding baby.

Aspen is......there are not enough words to describe how great this little girl is. She adores her little brother (which I'm sure we've mentioned before in this blog). She has made herself busy with "projects". We went to the crafts store and picked out a bunch of art supplies for her projects. She creates her masterpieces every day.

This past Friday we took the afternoon off and took the kids to the Montana State Fair. It was a lot of fun. It was a perfect day. Something like 75 degrees outside. Aspen went on a bunch of rides. Her favorites were the carosel and the race cars. We went and looked at all the farm animals. And later that evening Aspen danced with her dance class on a stage at the fair. Aspen's teacher, Nancy, called a couple of weeks ago and asked if we would like to dance at the fair with some kids from their dance camp. We asked Aspen and she couldn't say yes fast enough. She was very excited. She did great, although she has outgrown her ballet shoes.

Three shots and a sucker

2009-07-22T07:00:00.002-06:00

With two kids in tow, we (Jen) visited the Doctors office yet again. Aspen was ready for her 4 year checkup and Bryant, well let's just say he didn't know what was coming. The three of us sat down far away from everyone in the hope that none of the snotty nosed kids would visit. Normally it wouldn't bother me but with Bryant not having any immunization shots yet and knowing that colds and sickness are in our near future I wasn't in the nood to accelurate that. Especially with Bryant's TEF. And what is it about babies drawing in strangers? It's like moths to a light. Thank goodness we had a short wait. After picking up all of Aspen's "show and tell" items, we headed back.

Aspen was up first. The little girl weighed in at 35lbs and more that 46inches tall. To put things in perspective to kids her own age, she is in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Tall and thin. Some days I feel like she will never get to be without a car seat.

She did get to tell the Doctor all about herself and enjoyed every last minute of it. She almost got a shot. But Mom came in and saved the day and showed the Doctor Aspens immunization records and she was saved. She did however get a sucker.

Bryant wasn't so lucky. The little guy weighed in at 11lbs and 22 inches tall. He is in the 25th percentile all around. Both Joe and I are happy that his weight has doubled but he is still on the small side. But we'll take it. But he is working on it. He's eating every three hours. Like clock work.

After the weigh in we had a chat about his dry skin and what to look forward to down the road. So after all this came the moment of truth. Bryant received three shots, because we had to catch up with what he has missed thus far. He also received an oral dose to help prevent the rotavirus. For first time parents you cannot pay enough money to have this dose. The rotavirus is one of those sicknesses that will keep coming back. Week afte week. It's a nice case of diarhea, v0miting, and lots of crying. Both yours and the babies. With Aspen having this when she was a baby we were delighted to hear that there was an immunization available for Bryant. Oh so happy!

It seems Billings is catchin up with the times. We have finally gotten an Ears, Nose, and Throat specialist for infants and children. It is funny (scarry more like it) to think that Billings has NO Doctors to work with infants and small children on almost any level except very minor, non life threatening issues. Jen only found out last week that the clinic/hospital we go to doesn't even admit infants and small children. They have to be shipped up the street to another hospital whose history with small children hasn't been that great. It makes us even more grateful for Primary Children's Medical Center. No matter how many Doctors and nurses they train or bring to Billings, they will never live up to the high respect we have for the Doctors and nurses and PCMC.

Updates.

2009-07-01T17:11:00.004-06:00

We drove back down to Salt Lake City to do follow up exams with the surgeons and redo Bryant's hearing test since he failed the first one on the left ear.

The hearing test was interesting. Bryant passed on his left ear with flying colors, but failed on his right ear. The audiologist doing the test thought Bryant might have fluid in his ear and we should follow up with our pediatrician when we get home.

We then met with Dr. Rollins for our surgical follow up. He weighed Bryant and he is up to 9 3/4 pounds. We are very proud. Dr. Rollins thought he was doing good. He took his heart rate and other vitals. I started thinking "I hope we didn't drive all the way down here for a 10 minute meeting of heart rates, and temprature." But Dr. Rollins ordered a chest x ray and another Esophogram. So the trip wasn't a waste of time. Everything looked good but we need to hear back from Dr. Rollins with specifics. We also ran into one of our favorite nurses in the NICU, Melissa. She let us in to say hi to some of the staff. We weren't sure if that was allowed. But we got to see our development therapist, LeAnne, and Kathie Neff.

We spent some good times with my dad and the rest of the family. Always in for some good laughs with the Martin clan. We can't take anything seriously. They spoiled the kids (just seems weird to say after having one for so long).

We stopped off at Jen's folks place on the way back. We had a terrific roast and mashed potatoes. Watched a fantastic movie, August Rush. Good movie. The time really flew and it was Sunday morning already, and time to go. Next we will go fishing. I promise.

Monday morning was a first for Bryant. His first day at daycare, and Jen's first day back at work. She only got 3 weeks at home with Bryant. She got cheated out of time with Bryant, but he has managed to give mama the googley eyes whenever she walks into a room. He adores his mother and sister. Dad is ok, but he is more of a ladies man.

His first day at daycare was good. He ate, slept, and pooped. Not in that order, but you get the idea.

We did have a follow up for his hearing. Our Dr. was out of the office so we got a different Dr. It was close to 5pm and she just kind of brushed through our appointment. She looked at his ears and didn't really say anything. She just told us to follow up with the Ears, Nose, and Throat doctors in a couple of weeks. Not all that thrilled with her.

And the bill is...

2009-06-17T21:49:00.003-06:00

We've been receiving the bills for our journey to Primary Childrens Medical Center since we've been home. The Life Flight was a shade under $21,000. And insurance picked up all but $100.00. Really good. We've been receiving the bills for the surgery, broncoscopy, and other procedures. The other day we got the bill from PCMC. It was $146,000. They charged us $11.00 bucks everytime for sterile water. It starts adding up.

Now I'm not complaining. There were families there a lot longer than us. Sometimes it seemed inappropriate to even talk about home when their journey was so much more trying. But to each their own. It's money well spent.

We read some great news that Jonah got to go home. That is huge. Jonah was in the hospital for about 9 months. I don't know how the Laynes did it. God bless them!

Bryant had his first session today with the development therapist. She thought he was doing good and wasn't sure if he needed but thinks we should get on the wait list to see if a case presents itself. We agreed.

So much has been said about Bryant that we haven't been updating on Aspen's news. When we came back from Salt Lake Aspen moved to the Pre K class at her school. This has been a move Aspen has wanted pretty much since moving up to the 3/4 classroom a year ago. She got reunited with her best friend Laynee. Aspen missed her so much while we were away. Aspen has also kept the family entertained with private dance shows. She has been a breath of fresh air.

She always wants to be involved with Bryant. She hasn't shown a single sign of jealousy when it comes to her brother. If he could, she would probably say he would crawl on water.

Weigh In

2009-06-15T22:34:00.003-06:00

So last week Jen took Bryant in to get weighed and he weighed in at 7lbs 6oz. We took him today to see our regular pediatrician, Dr. Agnew. Bryant weighed in at a hefty 8lb 6oz. I can tell you he has been packing in the food. He has been eating 4 oz every 2 1/2 hours. He is making up for missed time.

Next Friday we are heading back to Salt Lake for a follow up appointment with the surgeons. Aspen is excited to hang out with Papa Lonnie again. And I know what my dad is thinking. Yeah, more Hotel for Dogs!!!

We don't have much more for news. Just that we are sleep deprived. More Jen than me. But it is all worth it.

Oh..one more thing. We started getting our bills from Primary Childrens Medical Center, Life Flight, and the U. I saw a lot of interesting things we got billed for, and for the most part I can't complain, but the funniest was sterile water. It cost us $11.36 every time. If I knew it was going to be that expensive I would have brought my own water. Just kidding. But come on, we're in a recession.

There's No Place Like Home

2009-06-09T22:07:00.002-06:00

We are home! Actually we got home on Sunday at 2:30pm. We got out of the hospital on Thursday and stayed the night with my dad. On Friday we drove to Jen's folk's place in Hudson Wyoming. We had a good dinner at one of my favorite steak houses. Bryant slept the entire drive except to eat. We stayed a few a couple of days. Bryant again slept the entire trip except to eat. It was a cold Sunday. We ran into snow in Wyoming. Not a little snow. It was really coming down. It didn't stick.

When we left the hospital Bryant weighed 6lbs 15oz. They told us he had to eat 50ml every 3 hours. That is a tad under 2oz. And they added calories to his milk to gain weight. Well since leaving the hospital Bryant has been putting it down. He eats 3, 4, or 5 oz every two hours. We try to stretch it out to as close to 3 hours as we can but when the kids hungry, he's hungry. So you can imagine what sleeping was like our first night home.

He's getting better though. He falls asleep when he's eating at night, and it's slowly stretching to every 3 hours, but the volume is high.

On Monday Bryant had his Dr.'s appointment with a pedatrician. It wasn't our regular pedatrician because she was out of town, but the Dr. that helped us was at the hospital when Bryant was born and explained T.E.F to us in the NICU. Cool story. Anyways...the appointment was just to weigh Bryant. He weighed in at 7lbs 6oz. The Dr. took him off the additional calories. We also asked about circumcision. The pedatrician can't do the procedure because the anastesia they use isn't effective for newborns older that two weeks. We have to call another doctor.

So Jen goes to make the appoinment and they can't get us in til July 22nd. Amazing.

Now the important part. Aspen adores her little bro. When they first met they just stared at each other. Bryant couldn't take his eyes off her. She talks about all of the stuff she is going to teach him. The list is getting big.

The dogs and cat love Bryant.

I will post some pictures here soon.

Free At Last....

2009-06-04T18:56:00.002-06:00

WE ARE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!!!! As of 3:30 pm today Bryant is no longer a patient at Primary Childrens Medical Center. It was so surreal and kind of weird. Almost everyone that was on staff the night we arrived was there. His nurse practioner, Carin Smith, and our favorite nurse Melissa. It was great. He slept through his first car ride. It was pretty boring compared to the flight he took to get down here.

When we got back to my dad's place Bryant got to meet his sister. Aspen was all smiles. And Bryant was smitten when he saw her. He couldn't take his eyes off the princess.

I will post some pictures from the week later.

Thank you all for all the support and prayers.

Slowly but Surely.

2009-06-01T14:02:00.005-06:00

The past couple of days have been slow moving. Bryant continues to progress. He is officially past his withdrawals. They have taken away the morphine and ativan. The ativan is a sedative to help calm babies down. So Bryant is drug free til maybe his college years....I hope I'm joking.

We did get some good news today. They are going to increase Bryants calorie intake so he will grow and add weight so they can send us on our field trip (a.k.a-home). He hasn't put on weight this week. In fact he has lost weight. This is great news.

He also has another swallow study setup for tomorrow. The study is to see if Bryant is protecting his airway when he eats. He has a paralyzed vocal chord and might not be able to protect his airway. We believe he is since he hasn't choked.

In the meantime, this past weekend we wanted to keep Aspen busy. On Friday night we took her to California Pizza Kitchen, and took her to Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian. The movie was hilarious and the pizza was fantastic. Then on Sunday we took in an afternoon game with some new friends and parents that have a baby at Primary Childrens Medical Center. Grandpa really hooked Aspen up. Midway through the second inning she got to stand with the announcer has he presented a dog for adoption. It was bring your dog to the ballpark. She had a great time. The game was fun. Thanks Mike and Melissa for joining us. We had a great time.

Picture's of Bryant. Finally!!!

2009-05-29T22:53:00.007-06:00

So tomorrow will be 4 weeks at Primary Children's Medical Center. It has been a rollercoaster. We have met some outstanding families, that have made our journey easier. It's easier to talk to them because they know exactly what you are going through and exactly how you feel. You root for them. We root for Maddux to eat and poop. We celebrated when Bryant's firt buddy Andrew got to go home today (congratulations to the Christensen family!).

Bryant is progressing. Right now is so hard because he is going through withdrawals from the drugs he was on to manage his pain. He is feeding good. One day he will eat 3 full feedings then the next he will eat 2ml. A full feeding is 56ml. Once he does that consistantly we can head home. But is withdrawal is slowing the process up. The important thing is every day Bryant is getting better. We worked with our development therapist and Bryant lifted his head and moved it side to side all on his own. He also followed toys with his eyes. He prefers solid colors. He also responded to daddy's voice. Our therapist gave him an A+ for the day.

Aspen talks every day about her brother. She draws him pictures, tells stories about what she will teach him. It's amazing. She never stops amazing me. She never has been jealous of all the attention that Bryant gets and we try our hardest to keep it that way. She loves her time with Papa Lonnie and the train ride he takes her on.

Again we would like to thank everyone for their prayers and best wishes.

Anyway here are the pictures....

Here is mama with her lil boy. He likes his sleep.

Bryant loves eye contact.

Here are the Martin boys!!

All snuggled in.

Getting Close...

2009-05-26T20:53:00.002-06:00

Today was a good day! Bryant took three full feedings through a bottle today. A full feeding is at least 50 cc's. It was the first time he has done that. The other feeding was 37 cc's. So it was a good day.

A couple of days ago they took him off of fentinal and replaced it with morphine. They were giving it to him every 4 hours. Then they moved it to every 8 hours. And today they just took the morphine away. Bryant did ok. He is going through withdrawal. But the nurse said he is dealing with it ok. He's eating and he can be calmed down. If he didn't they would have to give him some morphine.

So getting him to feed is the only thing that is in the way of going home. But more important is every day he is getting better.

Good day!!

Bryant news

2009-05-24T12:01:00.002-06:00

He is up to full feedings. Which is 55 cc's. Last night he ate 40 cc's through the bottle, and he ate 31 cc's for me this morning. Whatever he doesn't eat through the bottle goes into his feeding tube.

They also removed his PIC line yesterday. My cousin Tim and I got to witness this. It was 25 cm long. He received his pain meds through the PIC line. They still have to give him the pain meds because of withdrawals. But they couldn't get the line in through his hand so they put the line in his scalp.

They are changing his pain med from fentinal to morphine. Fentinal is an opiate. It is more powerful than morphine and lasts longer. They are also giving him it to him less often now. They don't want to just take it away from him because it is a narcotic and the withdrawals would be too great. But pretty soon they are going to give his meds orally and will no longer need the line in his scalp, so hopefully in a couple of days he will be line free.

Five days later....

2009-05-20T20:56:00.003-06:00

So five days later and things have gone very well! In five days they have increased his feedings from 7 cc's to 27 cc's. Well the 27 cc's start tomorrow. They are also feeding him twice a day with a bottle. They have started weening him from his pain medication. The lower it again tomorrow. They have also removed the hi flow oxygen. The hi flow was used to keep his airways open. He was at 6 which is the highest and they lowered him to 3 but he kept pushing it out so they left it out. He got an MRI on his brain, and it is officially bigger than his dad. Everything checked out for his MRI. He graduates from a warm bed to a crib. Big steps. His breathing is still labored when he gets mad, but that should get better as his vocal chord nerve gets better or the next few months.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Great, Great Day!!!

2009-05-15T22:14:00.002-06:00

So today was a complete 180. Bryant did great. He got his last chest tube taken out. It looked very painful. He also got his first feeding. It was through a feeding tube, but it's a start. They gave him two teaspoons. Then our motor therapist gave him a pacifier and he loved it. It might not seem like a big deal but it shows his esophagus is healing. Then to top it off, Jen got to hold him for the first time in 13 days. She got to hold him for 30 minutes.

GREAT DAY!!!!

Poor guy

2009-05-14T17:07:00.002-06:00

Bryant went down for another bronchoscopy to see if his trachea is collapsing. The good news is that it's not collapsing. But of course there is some bad news. During his operation to repair his esophagus a nerve was damaged that controls a vent in the voice box. It actually paralyzed the left vent. I'm not sure of the actual term so I'm using vent. And the reason it's a big deal is that it doesn't close the trachea when it's not breathing so when Bryant eats theres potential food or milk can go down his trachea causing him to choke or go down to his lungs causing pneumonia.

The good news about this is that the nerve can repair itself. But it adds two to three more weeks to our recovery and it will need to be monitored after we leave. So we will be here more than we expected.

His trachea also looks swolen from the breathing tube, so that will go down in time.

Hopefully we can start feeding Bryant through a feeding tube. The more he eats the stronger he will be.

Bryant Mason Martin

2009-05-13T21:52:00.002-06:00

Bryant Mason Martin was born May 2nd at 3:59am. He weighed 5lbs 15oz and 19 1/2 inches long. Jen gave birth by c section. Bryant was born with a tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF).

What is that you ask? Well it's a birth defect where the esophagus is not attached. In Bryant's case the bottom of his esophagus was attached to his trachea (wind pipe) and the top was like a bowl. So if he swallowed food or saliva it could go into his lungs.

So after being with us Bryant and I flew via Life Flight to Salt Lake City, Utah to Primary Childrens Medical Center for him to have surgery to repair his esophagus. Before we left Jen and I did get to hold him.

Bryants surgery was a completed. But we had to wait to see if it was a success. But after the surgery Bryant was left with two tubes in his mouth. A breathing tube and an OG tube to suck out spit and such out of his stomach. He also has a chest tube to drain out secressions. He also had various IV's for feeds and medication.

After a couple of days they removed his breathing tube so he could breath on his own. He was breathing on his own but it was very labored. They decided to put a CPAP on. It is like a winter cap with a nose mask on. Very uncomfortable for Bryant. A chest X Ray showed his right lung had collapsed. They did a esophogram to determine if his surgery was causing an air leak. The esophogram showed the surgery was a success and their were no leaks.

A couple days after the CPAP did not expand the lung it was determined to put the breathing tube back in. The lung still did not expand. The doctor thought that Bryant and some huge plugs in his lung that won't allow it to expand.

They decided to do a bronchoscopy. The surgeon puts a camera down his lung to see what is blocking the way. It can also suck out the obstruction. There were two huge mucas blocks they were able to extract. He got air in his chest again and had to put another chest tube in to drain the air out.

Bryant had a breathing tube for two more days. They extubated him and his breathing was still labored but now as bad as before. His lung did not collapse but they are worried that his trachea might have been weakened and that could possibly be collapsing causing the mucas plugs and the lung collapsing.

So tomorrow the Ears, Nose, and Throat doctors are going put their scope down his throat to see if his trachea is weak.

They did remove the first chest tube and are talking about feedings. In order for Bryant to go home he has to take two full feedings and gain weight. But they have build up the feedings. Also there are side effects for TEF patients. They can develop reflux causing them to throw up their feedings. So we will see.

Jen and Aspen are down here.

We also want to say thank you to all of you that have sent us their prayers and wishes. It is truly humbling with all of the love and support we have received from our family and friends. I would hate to imagine how things might be with out that support. We love you all so very much and I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to us.

God bless.

Day Camp???

2009-04-25T16:25:00.002-06:00

Jen and I were waiting for our doctor's appointment to see how the little guy is doing. Usually the wait is pretty quiet so I was playing games on my iTouch and Jen on her Palm Pilot. Not too much dialogue between the people in the waiting room. But not this week. There was a young guy waiting with his significant other who was well into her pregnancy. There was another loud gentlemen there with a one year old boy.

The young guy and the loud guy know each other and start talking about living in the Heights and so on.

Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn. Now mind you I wasn't eaves dropping. They were carrying on a conversation for all to hear.

So back to the conversation. The young guy asks the loud guy what the prison's are like here in Montana? Now this made me laugh a little bit out loud. It's not like asking for a recommendation for a restraunt or deciding between a Pepsi or a Coke. So Jen and I slowly and discreatly put our iTouch and Palm Pilot away.

I can only imagine what his significant other must be thinking. "Here I am very pregnant, and this winner is asking how the prison's in Montana are. I don't think he plans on being around too much. Maybe he's not a good role model for our child."

So the question was asked and naturally we need an answer. The loud guys responds..."It's like day camp." He goes on to mention the different groups of lockdown, the flat screen TV's. All of the ammenities from the State of Montana.

Then walks in another couple that knows the loud guy. This guy tells him he just got out. I'm starting to question the kind of people that come to baby doctor appointment. It's not like there's an office for the probation officers near by. I could have sworn it was a hospital.

So the loud guy starts talking about a prison up by Great Falls and how within 10 days of it opening he and a group of guys started it on fire. He seemed very pleased with himself. Then how he worked in the laundry room and the female inmates were there also. I found out in a short time 7 out of the 10 female inmates that worked the same shift ended up pregnant.

So as another reminder...WE ARE IN A WAITING ROOM FOR AN OBGYN. I scan the room after this gem was dropped. The women in that waiting room were intensely reading their magazines or watching the Food network on the TV.

Then saved by the nurse... We were called in for our appointment. I looked at one of the patients and I could have sworn she mouthed the words "take me with you."

I only wished I made this story up. I really had. Because no matter how funny I thought this dialogue was, it did take place. The sad part is it did happen. There are actually people out their trying to find just the right linens for that ever so special day camp, I mean prison.

So here's hoping for next week.

Mom's are Doctors???

2009-04-10T19:52:00.002-06:00

A little history: My mom went under the knife three times in one week to solve some serious issues she had. Out of the three surgeries only one of the doctors decided on using dissolvable stitches (on her back) the other two doctors chose the ball of string and the hooked needle method.

While on her road to recovery mom argued (she must have been feeling better)with the nurse when the stitches should be removed from her side. The nurse decided on counting from the release date rather than the surgery date. My mom apparently lost the argument. So she was scheduled to have the stitches on her neck removed and the same doctor should be able to remove those from her side.

Before going into the office I made the point of telling mom again (must have been a suggestion in her mind) to tell the doctor to remove the stitches from her side. The doctor wouldn't have known about them because he didn't perform that surgery.

So at this point the stitches have been in for two weeks and my mom is dying to have them removed. As we are walking out of the office I commented on how good her neck looked and asked how her side was doing. She replied with "I didn't tell the doctor about the stitches on my side. I will take them out at home. I almost did it the other day anyway."

I have to say that the respect for my mom grew a little more at that moment, although being a mother myself I gave her "The Look". You know the one that says are you kidding me, you need to march right back up there and fix the situation! But being her daughter all I could say was "OooK Mom"with a tone of whatever you think is best.

Growing up on a farm there are a lot of things that you can do yourself that doesn't require any doctors assistance. Such things include removing stitches from almost any animal, docking your own pigs and sheep, helping with the birth of many animals, and giving antibiotics. We had a large bottle of penicillin in the fridge, with a needles of various sizes wrapped up in paper towels.

But we always went to the doctor when it was needed. You know if we had broken bones, were bleeding, or dying, the three basic rules for any farmer.

So when you sit down tonight picture in your mind a women (my mom) looking in a mirror with a pair of scissors, well most likely fingernail clippers cutting the stitches then taking a pair of needle-nosed pliers she pulled out of the toolbox in the garage and pulling out each stitch one by one. I am sure some will come out easy, while others will take a little more effort. I am proud to say that she is my mom and I would most likely do the same thing.

After all doctors still only "practice" medicine.

A story and some pictures....

2009-03-29T19:03:00.005-06:00

So I finally have some new pictures but a classic story I imagine every parent has.

So Aspen and I were watching the Discovery Channel and Planet Earth was on. Aspen loves Planet Earth. We were watching Forrests episode. I can't recall what continent they were on, but it was talking about how these certain deer (stags if I recall) had great senses for detecting predators and these monkey's counted on them. Anyways this one monkey went out too far from the herd of deer and low and behold a tiger comes along and kills the monkey. So I notice Aspen has this look on her face. "Daddy.....what is the tiger doing with the monkey." By this time the tiger was carrying the monkey away by the neck. So I told her that the tiger was hungry. Then she asked why did it kill the monkey? I told her that the tiger was going to eat the monkey and all she responded was OK and walked away.

If every question was that simple..

So here are some picturs.

A trip to the store....

2009-02-09T19:13:00.003-07:00

I stopped into a grocery store to pick up some ice cream and fried chicken (I know real healthy), and while I was waiting for the chicken the guy behind the counter asked where I was from. My thought was like what the hell. Anyways I tell him I am from Billings and all he says is hmmm. No big deal but a little different. So as he hands me my chicken he asked where I got my jacket from. I told him Scheels. It's a North Face jacket. He tells me that Jim Whittaker is the CEO of the company. I thought cool but there a lot of CEO's out there. He then proceeds to tell me that he is the first American to climb Mount Everest. I thanked him. I left that grocery store knowing more than when I came in.

These little happenings make a day great. When you least expect a drop of knowledge. It's great.

By the way. The fried chicken was very good. And the ice cream was sooo good. And I'm not even sorry.

Target

2009-02-02T18:22:00.002-07:00

So yesterday we went to Target to get a few things. Stuff for the baby on the way, some valentines for Aspens school, some stuff for mama. Aspen and I were having a great, immature time in Target. Blaming each other for farting. It was great. Giving Aspen a tickle torcher in the middle of the store. Fun stuff. So we head to the check out counter and I'm bagging our stuff. Aspen thinks this is a great time to get daddy back. She comes up behind me and pulls my sweatpants down. The people behind us got a great look at my new boxers. Aspen couldn't stop laughing and neither could I. She got me. She got me good. But I will wait. Wait til she leasts expect it. A time like when she graduates high school, or brings home a boy for the first time. I will get my revenge. But in the mean time we will just keep laughing and the genius of my daughter depantsing me at Target.

Our Little Dancer

2009-01-29T16:27:00.006-07:00

Aspen love dancing so much. And we are very proud of her. Here are some pictures from some of her performances.

Missing out

2009-01-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

This is from an email my wife sent me.

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about
45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother moved him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average price was $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, on a 3.5 million dollar instrument, how many other things are we missing?

What a Day!

2009-01-20T21:30:00.004-07:00

It's not the first time I'm proud to be an American. I'm always proud. But today is how are parents felt about Kennedy becoming President. It's that special. If the man does nothing else but give this nations it's identity back, that would be enough.

He has a lot a head of him. We can celebrate today, but get busy tomorrow. It's what tomorrow brings that means the most.

I am very proud to say I voted for Barak Hussein Obama.

Good luck Mr. President.

Sunday with my dogs

2009-01-18T17:11:00.002-07:00

Nothing beats taking my two dogs for a Sunday morning walk by the river. For a while I couldn't trust one of my dogs off of the leash. Casey would take off and would not listen, but for the last two weekends she has been a champ. I have been loving it.

Duncan has always listened. He listens to an extent. He would listen until he saw Casey take off. It was very frustrating.

But today when we went for our walk it was great except for the other dog owners weren't all that interested in a little play time. It seemed like it was more of a chore rather than fun. We ran into one set of dogs that were fun. A yellow lab and a giant 5 month old puppy. I'm not sure of the breed but it came up to my belly button. It was huge but extremely gentle. Casey and Duncan enjoyed the interaction. But after 10 minutes of play time it was time to take off.

It was nice and relaxing. And to top it off, on the way home I put in a Jack Johnson CD.

Great Morning!!!

It's a Boy!!

2009-01-15T11:14:00.002-07:00

We were really hoping for a girl. Something about a house full of princesses just made us smile. Jen took all of the internet tests and everything pointed to a girl. So naturally we're having a boy. We are really excited about it. Every princess needs a prince. This weekend Aspen is going to pick out a new blanket for the baby. She is even trying to talk us into a pair of pajamas. She will probably win because she always does. Here is the very first picture of our new baby boy!

Shady Lane Kennels

2009-01-14T19:49:00.003-07:00

The most horrible person in Montana had her day in court (kind of). Shady Lane Kennels was raided a couple of weeks ago in Ballatine, Montana. The police took 189 dogs (Engish Shepards), 20 some chickens, and a cat. Needless to say there was some horrifying news. They found 10 dead dogs. One dog was found dead next to the owners bed. Three puppies were found dead frozen together. And it goes on. Then there was one dog who had a broken leg and the dog was so hungry it chewed it off.

This story has made me sick to my stomach. The worst part is the owner doesn't think she deserves any charges let a lone felony charges against her. What a piece of crap.

Here is an article if you want to read on.

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/14/news/local/22-kapsa.txt

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T07:49:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2009. And I really hope everyone had a great and safe New Years eve.

This is going to be an exciting year for the Martin family. We are expecting our second child in May. It is so exciting. Aspen is going to be a great big sister. We find out in a couple of weeks if we're going to have a boy or girl. We haven't decided if we're going to tell anyone. Of course last time we couldn't find out. Aspen tucked the cord between her legs so we didn't know until a month before we were due.

2008 was a mixed year for us. We started the year fresh off a car wreck. It really sucked because we were 3 months a way from having the Explorer paid off. I still miss that car. So we got a Ford Expedition. Which naturally gas prices soared right after we got it. But on the good side we finally put a yard in. We've been in the house for 3 years and we finally put a yard in. It is great to have grass. Aspen loves it and the dogs love it. It takes a while to mow the yard but it's well worth it.

My cousin got married in August in Ogden, UT. It was great seeing everyone. We didn't get to spend much time with Matt but it was a blast seeing him get married. Aspen really took to Matt's kids. She even tried sneaking into one of their family pictures.

I went to Las Vegas in September to attend VMWorld. The conference was great but spending a week in Vegas was way too long. There only some many casinos you can walk through. Jen and I are hoping to go back for a few days this year.

And I saved the best for last. Jen and I have been married for 5 years now. Five great years. It went by very fast. Just to think of what's happened in those 5 years is amazing. 2 houses, 1 great daughter, 2 dogs, 1 cat and many great memories.

Well now that I am done reflecting, again I hope all of our friends and family a safe new year.

XMAS

2008-12-26T10:01:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone had a great and safe Christmas. We enjoyed ours. Aspen was so excited. Watching her takes me back to when I was a kid. Christmas is different now. It's better. Having a family to share these moments with is awesome. I care more about watching my wife a daughter open their presents. It's nice getting gifts and I really appreciate it, because not everyone is as lucky, but watching them is my present. I love Christmas. It's not the presents I look forward to. It's our Christmas eve dinner. Some crab, shrimp, and crab cakes. It's magical. Throw on some Christmas music and play with Aspen or set the table. It's great.

Here in Billings there is a helicopter pilot that flies around with a Santa slay and reindeer attached. It's fun to watch out for Santa with Aspen.

It makes me want to go back in time when my sister and I would turn off all of the lights except for the Christmas tree and just twirl around as fast as we could.

Again I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a safe New Year.

A picture of Aspen's first Christmas with friends Ty and Connor.

Crazy summer

2008-08-08T16:04:00.006-06:00

It's been a busy summer. Jen's sister Jazz came to stay with us while she is on summer break from Carrol College. It has been great having her and it's gonna be real sad when she leaves. Aspen totally adores her.

We also finally put in a yard. It has been almost three years in the works but we finally did it. Thank you for everyone that helped. We got a sprinkler system and redid the retaining wall for the garden. It looks so nice. What a relief. I don't know who enjoys it more Aspen, or Duncan and Casey.

Besides that we have been busy working and swimming. It is great.

Looking forward it's gonna be busy. First part of September we are going to Salt Lake to see my cousin Matt get married. Who knew?? But we are so excited to head down there and see family. It's gonna be awesome. Can't wait. We will see Joe's family for a week then head back through Wyoming to spend a few days with Jen's family. They will be tickled to see how much Aspen has grown.

After that Joe is heading to Las Vegas for a conference. It's for work. He is the admin for a product call VMWare. The conference is called VMWorld and is huge. Some 10,000 users from around the world.

Also during that week Aspen starts dance lessons. She couldn't be more excited. She will dance at Rainbow Dance studios. She will learn tap and ballet. She already tells us she's not a princess anymore but a ballerina.

And after that we have a much anticipated get together. Most of Joe's friends are getting together for a reunion. It will be a blast.

It has been a while.

2008-04-16T22:19:00.007-06:00

Here are a few picture from the past 6-9 months. I know this is a long time coming. Sorry again.

Our Princess.

Mama and Aspen time.

Daddy and Aspen in a tank

Daddy and Aspen on her first Merry go round.

Mama and Aspen on the Merry go round.

That was awesome!!

Kory and I at my first NFL game.

GO NINERS!!!

Downtown San Francisco.

Lombard Street.

We had to go to Hooters. They do have good wings!

Our hotel in Union Square.

Jazz and Nana having fun with Aspen.

Daddy and Aspen in the pool.

Mama and Aspen in the pool.

Say CHHHEEEESSSSEEE!!

That's right ladies.....

Sorry!!!

2007-12-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while but I promise I will put up some new pictures very soon.

Busy Summer

2007-07-16T17:56:00.000-06:00

It has been an extremely busy summer. We have been working on getting the yard ready, which means killing some weeds so we can do finally put in sod next year. Work has also been crazy for the both of us. Then there is our princess Aspen. She is just a blast. She has definately got her sass but she also has her comical side. Our animals should not be left out. They are so spoiled. They have there own pool. Our cat...well she's our cat. She will let you know what she wants and when she wants it. Must be nice to have that perk. Here are some pictures from the summer so far.

This is Aspen getting ready to watch her favorite movie of the summer Madagascar. She loves it.

Aspen showing her elligent side at Grandma Barb's house.

This is Duncan showing you what he really thinks.

Poor Casey after a gave her a haircut. It was a butcher job.

Aspen playing in the rain.

Aspen got some presents from Papa John. She got the Ol Miss blanket and a sticker book.

Aspen getting her first tattoo. It's a strawberry. This was at Summer Fair.

A closeup of the ink..

Strike a pose.

Mama and Aspen at Summer Fair.

Daddy and Aspen at Summer Fair.

Cooling off after the Summer Fair at the kiddy pool.

Daniel Parker Martin

2007-07-16T17:36:00.000-06:00

The Martin family has added another member to the clan. Welcome Daniel Parker Martin to the family. Andrea had him on July 2nd. He sleeps alot and is rarely fussy. Alex and Kaleb absolutely adore their new brother. I think Kaleb will be excited to be able to boss someone around when he gets a little older, and Alex is excited because it is just one more person to boss around and also show him the ropes. Here are a few pictures.

Women's Run

2007-05-15T07:27:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday was a huge race for women that they have every year, and this year Jen and Aspen were in it. They walked the two mile race, and they did great. I am so proud of them. I did my part and volunteered. But I was put on the five mile race as a human stop sign. It wasn't too bad. The first person to go through the barricade called me a lazy mofo. But he didn't use mofo. And all I could think was it was a little too early to be that drunk. There were some very patient people but one really ticked off doctor who thought pretty highly of himself.

Anyways...Jen and Aspen did great. I think she told me she placed 120th out of 350 racers in her age group. I thought that was great. And she is so proud of herself.

Aspen also had a race earlier in the week. The Womens run has an event for kids. Aspen raced in the zero to five race. It was great. They gave all the kids a medal afterwards and all Aspen could say was cool medal. She loved it. She wore it the next day at daycare. Here is a picture below of the kids run.

Marley and Me

2007-04-09T13:38:00.000-06:00

I am reading this great book called Marley and Me by John Grogan. It is so awesome. It is about how a family grows up and in this family is the "worst dog in the world". The dog's name is Marley. It is actually a book that makes me bust out laughing. In a lot of ways it reminds me of my dogs.

We have two dogs, and a cat and they are such a huge part of our family. You accept them for all of there little and big quirks. Our dogs have done some major damage to some of our furniture but I would trust them completely around my daughter. They have watched over her ever since we brought her home. Duncan would get on his hind legs just to steal a peak and the new creature invading our house. Our animals are apart of the Martin family. What true animal lover does not view animals as a part of their family.

Anyways....I got off track. Go out and get the book if it sounds like something you would be interested in. And John Grogan actually has a blog on this blogging site. Go check it out if you have a minute. It is www.marleyandme.com. It has pictures and other little tidbits.

Take care,

the Martins

IT'S BEEN AWHILE

2007-03-20T07:44:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry it has taken us so long to make a new post. Things have been pretty hectic. Next week Aspen turns two. I just can't believe it. It's going by way too fast. A couple of weeks ago we took a trip down to Scottsdale, AZ. It was part work, but mostly family vacation. It was lots of fun. We went to a couple of Spring Training baseball games. And the weather was perfect. Here are some pictures from that trip.

Aspen and daddy at the Phoenix zoo.

Aspen and Mama in front of some rhinos.

Female Lion.

This was a cool tiger.

Aspen was all business at the hotel.

GO CUBS!!!!!

Mama and Aspen posing at the Cubs game.

Aspen enjoying a Rangers game.

Christmas tree

2006-12-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

We would like to wish all of our friends and family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Years.

Mama and Aspen decorating the tree. Aspen is still reorganizing all of the decorations on the tree or simply directing where they should go. She also shows everyone her tree. She is so proud of the Santa and Snowman decorations.

No, No Daddy, it goes here.

It was hard work ,but.....

she had just a little bit more energy to put the star up.

After that she was able to sit back in her favorite chair with some juice and relax.

Border Wars

2006-12-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

Border Wars is a basketball game played annually between the University of Wyoming and Montana State University. We have gone to the game the past 4 years.

Go Pokes!!! Here is Aspen and Mama already to go for the game.

They even got Daddy to wear his Poke gear.

Family "Poke" picture before the game.

Flag Football

2006-11-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

It wasn't from a lack of effort. We finished the season in second place. Next year will be our year. Go GREEN!!!

New Family Pictures.

2006-10-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to get some family pictures taken and we thought we would share them with you. Have a safe and happy Halloween.

Our summer update.

2006-09-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since my last posting so I thought I would just put some pictures of the family up.

Things have been pretty busy the past month. Jen and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. It was fun. We went to Cody, Wyoming for a get away weekend. On the way there we saw about 200 to 300 heads of elk a long the side of the highway. It was amazing. They were buggeling. It was truly amazing.

Aspen has been growing like a weed. She has transitioned to the toddler room. It's just going by too fast for Jen and I. She is walking and talking and every day is a new adventure. Since mama teaches swim lessons 3 time a week daddy and Aspen get to tag along. Aspen is such a fish. She loves the water. I think her favorite part is when we sing Wheels on the Bus.

Flag football season began for me last week. It was a blast, til the next day. I was so sore and bruised. Aspen met a new boyfriend named Nick. They had a great time together. Nick is even an older man. That a girl.

Anyway here are some pictures.

Aspen and Mama playing with dirt.

Aspen getting a ride from cousin Matt.

Aspen enjoying some alone time with great grandma Diddy.

FOUR!!!! Uh oh.

Our talented little girl!!!

Mama and Aspen with a big Bee!!

Grandpa and Aspen taking in a Bees baseball game.

Grandma showing Aspen some cool pictures.

Trip to Yellowstone

2006-08-24T08:41:00.000-06:00

We met up with some friends Jo-Dee and Leroy from Texas to do some camping. While we were there we went to the Bear and Wolf exhibit in West Yellowstone and we came home through the park.

Aspen learning up on Grizzlies.

Mama and Aspen at the exhibit.

Daddy and Aspen at the Bear and Wolf exhibit.

A wolf.

Grizzly finding a snack left by the park employees.

Mama showing Aspen the BIG bears.

Jo-Dee and Leroy.

Mama and Aspen having some fun.

Aspen and some new friends on a big bear couch.

Family picture in the park.

Mama and Aspen.

Daddy and Aspen.

Mama and Aspen in front of some falls.

A waterfall in Yellowstone Park.

Fire!!!

2006-08-23T14:48:00.000-06:00

This probably isn't the best way to start our blog, but it sure get's the blood going. This fire started yesterday (8/22/06) at 11:41am. These are photo's taken from our backyard. The fire was about a mile away.