What's REALLY been going on...?

We are so blessed! A few ( sorry for not informing everyone, kind of a private matter) of you know what our holiday season has REALLY been like. Let me back up a little. When we were out of town for Casey's funeral, Brian got really sick. I mean really sick.... He had blood in his urine,a back ache, high temperature, and many other symptoms. We thought he may have had a kidney stone. He talked with Nate( my brother in law), who is an ER Doctor. Nate also gave him a blessing. Brian started on antibiotics. Things started to clear up , so we thought. Sometimes you can have blood in your urine and it isn't always  visible. A week passed by, and the blood came back visibly, really strong. Brian was feeling fine, other then that.  He went to his Doctor, they ran a few tests, the doctor ordered a ultrasound. The Doctor told us that if anything abnormal showed up that they would contact us. He started Brian on a really heavy antibiotic called Levaquin(I think that's what it's called). It's the same antibiotic that Casey, and Brian's Dad had been taking to keep them from getting sick. ANYWAYS, It kinda worried us. The Doctor told us if we didn't hear from him that everything came back clear, and that it was probably just a UTI. WEIRD! Especially for a man. We didn't hear anything, and Brian was feeling great. A week passed. The day before Christmas eve we get a call from the Doctors office saying that they found an 8mm density in his prostate, and that they wanted to see him back ASAP. They wanted to check to see if he had cancer, or what was going on. The soonest they could get him in was the Monday after Christmas. It seemed like an eternity! I called my sister Lani and asked her some questions. When the Doc. says the word cancer, how do you prepare for such a thing. Of course we think the worst, especially because so many loved ones are struggling with their own cancer battles right now. We fasted, and prayed very hard... 

We decided to inform Brianne and Nate about what was happening because we had questions for Nate. They had been trying to decided if they were going to come for a visit before all this happened. I think it helped them make the decision a little easier. My family is very close to each other. We all talk all the time, and pretty much know everything that's going on in each others lives. We can read each other like a book. Without saying much we can usually tell when something is not right. You all know I don't hide my feelings very well. Good and bad, and it's very hard for me to hold back from speaking what's on my mind! Needless to say I had a bit of a breakdown and Nate and Brianne came for a visit. We are so grateful for Nate and Brianne for once again being there for us. We know we have been very needy the last few years. We feel we've even run some of our close friends away by our neediness... We feel horrible about that! Usually in a sisterhood the older sister is the one that kind of looks out for the little sister. Not in this case. Brianne has been such a big support to me. It breaks my heart at the distances she will go to help us out, and be there for us. She's amazing! Thanks Sis! We had a great time with them. We all get along so well. It was nice to have them come visit because we were forced to rest. Brian and I were both down with colds, and stuff.  It was perfect. Brian loved the fact that I had no projects for him. I think Brian and Nate watched a total of 8 movies. They were loving life.

ANYWAYS, Monday came. We went to the Urologist for a friendly visit. He did his examinations and wanted to do more testing. He ordered a CT urogram. Brian went for this on Wednesday the 31 of December. Just after he left for his appointment I got a call from the Doctor saying they will need to do more intense testing because his urine showed up with more blood in it from testing done a few days prior, and that there was no bacterial infection showing up. Which caused for more concern. Meaning the problem may be deeper. We then had to wait a week for the results. Meanwhile we have been stressing out. Making sure everything is in order, and preparing for the worst! Thank goodness we do have life insurance. 

Yesterday we went to the Doctor.  We were both feeling pretty good about things. We  had a few weeks to think about things. Everything Brian said or did was, " This may be the last of this.... (what ever the situation may be) I'm dying". What a tease he is. It got really old fast. I've definitely had a lot of sympathy for him.  The Doctor sat us down, rolled his chair up close to us, put his head down... (At this point my heart was pounding, my eyes started to tear up). He looks at us and said, "Everythings fine. Your not dying. Your alright".  The density in the prostate is a cyst! They aren't sure why, or where the blood is coming from. They aren't too worried. If it continues to show up then they will do a more invasive procedure, but as for now he is fine. As for the cyst, nothing needs to be done.

Talk about a life altering situation. Everything went through our heads. Not a fun experience! A growing experience? Yes, very much so!

We are so very grateful for the power of the priesthood, and for it's healing, and comfort. What a blessing it is to have. 

We feel we can now move on with our future. It seemed like our lives were at a stand still for a few weeks. We are right in the midst of making so many decisions. Trying to decide what, and where we want our future to be. We are preparing for the arrival of our 5th baby. These are exciting times. We feel so blessed to be watched over, and guided and directed by the holy spirit. This is kind of a weird blog entry, I know! However, we thought we would let our close friends and family(and according to Brian "the whole WORLD") know whats really been going on.  We love you all! 

    P.S. This picture is for you Brianne.

Tis The Season...

I'm not so sure on how to do this post. We have had many things happening, and going on. I have been really bad at posting.  I have a lot to update you on. Here's the run down.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT... Kenzie performed in her school program. She did a great job. She was even asked to sing in a trio with her friends. This was big for her because she doesn't really like this sort of attention. The girls did great!

SNOW,SNOW,and MORE SNOW... Brian and the boys were out shoveling the snow for a good majority of the month of December. It was so cold outside that the kids had a hard time even enjoying playing in it. They still managed to do so, just in very small increments.

 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA... This is a tradition that our ward has. The families in the ward get to have breakfast at the church, and then Santa comes and visits with the kids. Our kids look forward to this each year. They love visiting with Santa. Most of all they enjoy trying to guess who Santa's helper is. I didn't get a picture of Taylor. I don't know how I missed that. Sorry Taylor!

CHRISTMAS PARTY... Brian got a to try on a buddies white elephant gift. I had to post this because it was so funny. We found this mullet wig, and had to purchase it for a whooping $0.75.     (with a white elephant gift in mind). Maybe it was one of those things that you just had to see in person.

CHRISTMAS EVE...The kids favorite Christmas tradition is opening their Christmas PJ'S. I always wrap them in matching gift wrap, as well it's always the soft wrapped gift under the tree. This makes them easy to find. Once again I was able to find time to make the Christmas PJ'S. They loved them. I was glad because it wasn't easy this year to find the perfect fabric for each of them.  

I love the expression on each child's face as they open their PJ'S.

We also went to some friends house for a little while. We ate, visited, and even decorated Christmas cookies.

Another tradition we have is reading/watching the Nativity. We try to make this special to help our kids know, and learn the true meaning of Christmas, and the importance of it.

After the kids set out some cookies for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer, (don't ask) off to bed they went. They were so excited, and could hardly wait till morning. They actually went to bed really good.. around 9:00pm. AMAZING!!  Brian and I were in bed by 11:00pm.

CHRISTMAS DAY...The kids woke up around 7:00 am not to bad. Everyone was really surprised, and loved, and enjoyed their gifts. 

Here are a few random pictures of the family.

All Jackson wanted for Christmas was " That Popper Thing" a Pixos Machine. He waited so patiently as Brian put it together. 

Jackson loves this game. He will play it for hours when he goes to grandma's house. He wanted this so bad that when he saw that we were giving one away for a gift he cried. He really had a hard time with that. Little did he know that we had one for him wrapped under the tree. 

Discovering all his toys.

 Taylor made me the sweetest nutcracker. He was so excited to give it to me. He even took the time to explain to me how he made it. He said "the hat is a chocolate milk container, the hair is carpet". It was precious...I loved it!

Taylor got lots of books, and lots of games.

AND an IPOD NANO....( he wanted this as his main gift. We don't have the money for such a thing, especially for a 10 year old....Sooooo Brian wrapped up his and gave it to him. Taylor was delighted, and so was Brian.) The things we do for our kids.

Ever since we went to Disney World McKenzie has really wanted a Cinderella dress. She was so surprised when she saw that Santa had brought her one.

Now this was a funny sight. Brian has made the comment to Brianne and I before that he loves the tops of muffins. You know how Brian loves bread, and pastries. So the hunt began. I searched everywhere for a muffin topper. He loved it! And they are really good!

His home theater is once AGAIN complete. He got a new receiver.

As for me... I was spoiled! Brian and the kids did a lot for me. Most of all I wanted a new pair of boots. My sister in law Jordan ( soon to be, we hope) has a pair of these boots. They are really cute. I told Brian to get me a pair that looked like hers, the generic brand, only because I'm cheap.  Of course Brian got me the real thing. UGG Boots!  

You will notice that I fell asleep on the couch . I started this cold thing on Tuesday, so I was pretty wiped out. It hit me pretty hard Christmas Day. I fell asleep on my stocking I was so tired. When I woke up I had chocolate melted all over me. Brian had fun with the camera while I was sleeping. ( by the way that cold turned into a sinus infection. It was horrible, and lasted a week, and a half).

The wigs..... They were a hit! We got them on clearance, and decided to wrap them up for McKenzie. They really were  the favorite toy for everyone......

We enjoyed many phone calls from family, and friends, and then headed to our friends The Kjars for the afternoon for Christmas dinner. It was so nice. Rob, and Minda did such a nice job. It was just our two families so it was pretty kicked back. Minda always does such a wonderful job. She's an outstanding cook. We visited, laughed, and played games. Yeah!!! Finaly someone who will play games. I love games. We taught them how to play  " Ticket to Ride". It was a blast!

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ( sorry we're so late)

Baby Update

For many people who have been wondering. Things are going well.  We are so excited for our baby to be born. We're not so sure when that will be.  My Doctor has wanted me to deliver around 36wks. I'm not ready for that... We will meet with him on Friday to talk about things. 

Every Tuesday I go to the perinatologist. We get to see 3D pictures. Really weird but fun. It's crazy to know what our baby looks like already.Its been a lot of fun to see the baby grow week to week.Three weeks ago he was 4lbs 10oz. On Fridays I have to go do a NST (none stress test). Now these are not fun. They are sometimes really long.

 I'm glad the Doctors are keeping a close eye on things. We will update you more when we learn more.  So as for baby and I, we are doing great. I feel really good. He keeps me awake most evenings/nights, just kicking around.  I can't tell you how many hours of my nights go by that I just watch the clock, and feel him kicking around inside. However, this just makes me excited. What an amazing little miracle. How blessed we feel. 

Happy Birthday Princess!

McKenzie turned 9 on December 14Th. She has been anticipating her Birthday party since about September. She had a few friends over for a "late over".  Here are a few pictures of the fun we had at her party.

This is a picture of all the girls who came to the party.

Here the girls are writing on each others white T-Shirt that Kenzie gave them.  They will match the bottoms that Kenzie picked out for each of them to take home. We did this instead of giving out "Treat Bags". The girls all seemed to think that this was fun.

The finished product.....

McKenzie doesn't really like "Birthday Cake", so we decided to have each of the girls decorate a sugar cookie instead. Kenzie LOVES sugar cookies.

Opening presents is always a fun time. She got tons of fun gifts. Thanks Girls! Taylor and Jackson gave her a necklace that she had been wanting. They were so excited to give it to her. 

She also got the movie "Kit". After opening presents we played some games and then watched the movie Kit. Dad had set up his projector for the girls. It was kinda like a Movie Theater.

Jackson had fun serving the girls some treats. He thought he was pretty important.

We love our McKenzie! She brings so much love, and joy into our home. We are so thankful to be so blessed by her being a part of our family.  Happy Birthday McKenzie!!!

My Sister, My Hero!

At times like this it's hard to say just the right thing. I feel so much joy for Casey, yet so much hurt for Lani. I can't even imagine.......My sister is amazing! She is one of the strongest individuals I know. She has it all together, and understands things well. How grateful we are for our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. She is a widow at 31yrs old. Not only that, but she has kinda been through this before.  She lost her little boy in a farming accident a few years back. What a strength she has been, and is to me. 

The funeral was really nice. The Spirit was felt so strong. Lani, and her kids Aubree 10, Max almost 8, and Sam, 6, did so good through it. Casey's brothers shared some great memories of Casey. Lots of laughs, and lots of tears. Brian spoke as well. He really had a hard time doing this. Brian and Casey were so close. They would talk everyday. Brian was one of the last few people who talked to Casey before his passing. Brian did a wonderful job with his tribute to Casey. Brian misses him a ton. Casey would always talk to Brian on Brian's long drives home from work. Casey was such a good friend to Brian.  Aaron and Lamar, Casey's friends from Las Vegas, spoke as well. What a beautiful funeral it was.

The burial was in Canada, So from Vegas to Canada we all went. Once we were in Canada we had a viewing with friends and family who gathered to pay their respects. The next day we had the burial. Now that was hard! Lani and the kids did so good up until this point. Her sweet children just cried and cried. Once the casket was closed the kids realized what was really happening. All the times before, at the funeral, and at the viewing, the children could touch and see their dad. The grave side was very hard on the family!

 It was really neat because Casey always wanted a bag pipe to be played at his funeral. So there it was, on that cold, and very crisp afternoon. We listened to the bagpipe being played, as the casket was being carried to the grave site. It was beautiful! Tears just streamed down my cheeks. 

I am so grateful for my sister, and for her strength. She is such a wonderful example to me. She has been through what I would say to be, some of the worst things. Yet, she still remains so strong. She has such a positive out look on life. She plans to stay in Las Vegas for now. She plans to continue selling real estate. I don't know how she does it...... She just does!

Here are a few pictures I took while we were visiting with our family. The pictures will never portray the wonderful spirit that was present.  

Our good friends Shannon and Tracie came to Las Vegas to help out. They were a wonderful support, and help to our family. They will never know how much it meant to all of us that they were so willing to come and be with the family . Thanks "Gibb Girls"!

This was a memory table that we put together for everyone to see.

This was a precious sight. It was so cute! Lani's kids kept going up to Casey.They would talk to him, touch him, or just look at him. They liked the fact that they could still see him. Part of Casey was still with them.
This was a hard moment for us. Lani, her kids, Casey's parents and family gathered around.
What an honor!
Listening to the song "Together Forever Someday".
She is my strength, my hero, and my friend. Burring our baby was hard, but watching my sister bury her spouse was even harder.I love you Lani, and kids. We are here for you. We think of you often, and pray for you always! 

  

In Loving Memory

                                             CASEY EDGAR NISH 

                              AUGUST 2, 1972 -NOVEMBER 20, 2008                                             He fought a good fight, and returned home with honor!

A Different World!

Times have really changed since I was little. I don't really remember hearing about the elections, gas prices, same sex marriages, or even abortion. Yes I was very sheltered, but you know what I mean. I think the big thing talked about when I was growing up was AIDS. 

Our children will be living in a much different world then we did. Very scary in ways! So a few days ago I was feeding the kids breakfast and I was listening to the kids talk about the outcome of the recent election, and their thoughts. They were pretty disappointed,  one of them didn't even want to go to school that day because of the loss. Facing the other classmates was going to be hard. Especially when you have felt so strong about something. It turned out to be not to bad at school. The teachers were on top of this. 

The next topic that they were talking about was gas prices, and what gas station has the cheapest gas. I couldn't believe what I was hearing..... We have tried to be pretty open with the kids about the economy, and whats going on. We have  a lot of friends, and family that are going through hard times, so when we pray for them we want the kids to be somewhat aware of why. Later that same week I needed to grab Jackson something to eat really fast before preschool. I went to the drive-thru and  got him some chicken nuggets. When I turned to give them to him he said to me, " Mom what about gas, we have to save our money, remember". He wouldn't eat them! How sad is that? That's not exactly what we have wanted to instill in our children, but it's amazing what things they pickup on. You all know how cheap I am.... Whenever I fill the van with gas I get a little stressed  because of how much money it costs. I'm sure Jackson's heard me talk about this stress to Brian. Hooray for the lower gas prices lately! It's pretty sad that I'm excited to fill up for $2.12.  

Yes, we are trying to teach our children about being frugal, however I don't want it to consume their thoughts. I feel like lately it has. What crazy days we are going through, what do we have in  store for our  future? Yikes!!