"Heart" Times

I took Kolsen to the pediatrician yesterday for his 2 month well check. It is hard for me to believe he is already 9 weeks old! While the pediatrician was checking Kolsen's vitals, he turned to me and asked me if I was familiar with what a heart murmur is. I immediately thought, "oh my gosh, something is wrong with his heart! What do I do? What do I say?" Holding back tears, I told him that I was very familiar with it has I to have a heart murmur and congenital heart block. As I understand, heart murmurs are common in babies but because I have a heart condition, Kolsen needs to see a specialist to make sure there is not a larger problem. I said okay but in my head I was terrified for my son.

I was born with heart issues and continue to deal with my heart. Surgery after surgery after surgery...it's a never ending cycle for me and may ultimately be my demise. It is not something I want my children to endure. Kolsen will be going to the cardiologist on August 29th so we will know more then. Josh tells me I need not worry but all I can do is hope for the best while expecting the worse. I know Kolsen will be fine no matter what happens but it is scary nonetheless.

Kids Say (and do) the Darndest Things....

Never a day goes by that my 3 year old, Noah, doesn't say something endearing or just plain funny. I just thought I would share some of this sayings as no matter how I was feeling, he made me feel better when he said them:

"Mommy, I'm proud that you're home"
"My book's broken. Mommy, I just need a piece of tate to fix it" (he meant tape).
"That song is really cool"
"I love my baby brother"
"The volcano is going to rupt!"
"The ladybug needs to get out of the house and fast!"
"I fart!
"Can't eat the guinea pig...that's nasty!"
"That's really terrible."
"Why ma'am?"
"That's a hard landing in the water" (while watching "Wipeout").
"Oh my heavens"
"It's good that you're home Mommy"
"That shark's gonna eat me"
"Mommy, where's my butt?"
"It's really very cloudy"

It amazes me how a 3 year old can come up with these phrases. I am sure it is just the beginning of more phrases to come.

Noah also does the funniest things. Example #1: Anytime there is a song on TV that he has heard before, he sings along. Example #2: He loves the AT&T flash mob commercial...so much that he does the dance too. Kolsen loved watching him dance last night and he made his little coos and smiled as he watched his big brother be so silly.

While these are just some of his funny and endearing phrases, and just a few things he does, Noah really knows how to bring a smile to my face. I get excited every day just thinking of what he will say and do next!

"Expecto Patronum"

Josh and I celebrated our anniversary 5 days late so we could watch "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" in IMAX 3D. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!! Never before have I seen a movie that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, made me laugh, and made me cry all at the same time. I am so excited to see it again, but unfortunately it probably will not be until it comes to DVD. The whole Harry Potter franchise has been superb and I am sad to see it come to an end. It was brilliant while it lasted. For those of you who have not seen any of the Harry Potter movies, I encourage you to give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

11 Years and still going strong

Josh and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary on July 11, 2011. It is hard to believe it has been 11 years since we married. Everyone always looks at me strangely when I tell them how long we have been married. Josh and I got married when I was 18 and Josh was 23. Yes, I married young and I wouldn't change anything. Anyone who knows us, knows the story of how we met but for those who don't: Josh was a chaperone at Youth Conference and just returned home from his mission about 6 months earlier. I was a youth attending the conference. We were introduced by a mutual friend and became friends ourselves. 5 months later, in December of 1999, we began dating. We were engaged a month later in January of 2000, and married 7 months later. The rest is history!

Even after 11 years and 2 kids later, Josh still gives me goosebumps: that is what an everlasting love is all about!

What a Difference a Year Makes

Well, it has been a year since I last blogged and I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed it. I love to write and nothing pleases me more than to write about my family. I am going to try really hard to stay current on blogging as a lot has happened over the last year.
Shortly after we celebrated our 10 year anniversary in 2010, we found out we were expecting our 2nd child. On May 22, 2011, we welcomed our 2nd born, another son, Kolsen Briggs Collis, into the world. He weighed 8 lbs., 1 oz., and was 22 inches long. The labor and deliver was just as easy as I remember (shocking, right?), however, there were some differences this time around. The anesthesiologist had a difficult time administering my epidural and then I had a side affect after deliver of uncontrollable shaking and being cold. Other than that, it was easy peasy! Noah is so proud to be a big brother and he dotes on his little brother all the time. We were also very blessed to have our mother's here to witness Kolsen's birth and help out after his birth for a few weeks. Having two kids has proven to be a challenge at times and I am sure it doesn't get any less challenging as they get older.

Shortly before Kolsen was born, we decided that after being in Vegas for 6 years, we would finally purchase a home. We found a home in a very short time, made an offer and it was accepted! We hit a few speed bumps trying to get everything finalized before baby arrived and we ended up closing the day after Kolsen was born.....AT THE HOSPITAL! That was definitely an experience. Two days later, we packed up a moving van and moved across town to our new home. We are now proud homeowners!!!!


I have to admit, since my last blog post, most of the excitement in our family has happened in the last 10 weeks. From watching our boys growing fast to personalizing our new home, there is always something to look forward to...and that makes all the difference in the world.

10th Wedding Anniversary

On July 11, 2010, Josh and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary!

I can't believe it has been 10 years! We have had a lot of ups and downs in the last 10 years but we have managed to stay strong together and we are still the best of friends. I have been so blessed to have Josh in my life. He has brought me so much happiness and I couldn't ask for a better person to spend eternity with.

‎"With tiny tears that glistened, my eyes were fixed on you. And thinking of the life we'd share, we softly said "I do."
Our hearts were knit together from the time that we first met, And memories were gathered, that we never will forget.
While daily living life with you, you saw the real me, And still you chose acceptance, a lifelong mystery.
With many happy days gone by, and others when we cried, Some days we'd share so endlessly, while other days we'd hide.
With all the ups and downs we've had, in learning to be friends, I know that in this heart of mine, I'd marry you again." -Anne Peterson

Ups and Downs....and All Arounds

Life has been a bit crazy in the last week or so. First and foremost, Josh was laid off again from his job so he is now actively seeking employment. We hope and pray that something will come along and we can get back on our feet; however, we were blessed to get our refund from our rental deposit of our condo back this week so that has really helped us. With some faith and a lot of prayer, we are confident things will work out.

On a lighter note, we had the opportunity to watch Rosie for a week. Rosie is the little Morkie that belongs to my boss. She and her family are on Vacation in Georgia so I volunteered to watch her while she is away. Noah absolutely loves her and it makes me want to get a dog for him in the worst way, however, Josh's idea of a dog as a pet is a Neapolitan Mastiff or Irish Wolfhound. While these are both very friendly dogs, they are FLIPPING' HUGE!!!! I think if they stood on their hind legs, they would be taller than Josh and I...seriously! But Josh has been wanting a Neo for quite some time now and I don't want to be the one to tell him no (maybe I'll get lucky and he'll give in to my want of a small dog or compromise with a medium sized dog...hey I can dream can't I).

(The love between a child and a dog: priceless)

I do have to say that given our circumstances at this time, we are truly blessed to have such a close knit little family where no matter what happens, we can be together and get through the tough times. It's the little things in life that help us get through it all.