CHD AWARENESS WEEK NEWS

This is my second year to help spread awareness for Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (February 7-14, 2010). I wish I had been more aware of CHD before, but as many of you... I had never heard of it until it was placed in our lives.

I will be posting several different interesting post this week in hopes to help spread awareness for CHD. I will be posting more about Bentley's story, pictures from surgery I have never posted before, a fun post that you can be apart of to also help spread awareness, a giveaway, and a few videos.

I posted this video last year, but I want to again. It is by far one of my favorites. The information on it, the song, everything!!! I have searched for new ones but I continue to go back to this one every time. I cannot even tell you how many times I have watched and bawled through this video during the past year.

*** Above I mention a post that you can be apart of to help spread CHD awareness. I will be doing this tomorrow morning so be on the look out. It will be very simple and fun yet informative for many people. I will be adding Mr. Linky to tomorrow's post so my other readers can see what you guys have to say and get to know you better. This will be for everyone, not just heart families.

NOT ME MONDAY

It has been a while so I thought I would participate in this weeks "Not Me Monday"... hosted by MckMama.

Brenna had a basketball game Saturday morning at 8am. Too early. I always have to take a snack to keep Bentley entertained, which doesn't last long but it does help. Sweet snacks work best, but I definitely did NOT let Bentley have a cookie as part of her breakfast during the 8am game. I would never allow that.

Saturday afternoon, Bryson had baseball practice. There were a few puddles beside the field from all the rain we have been getting. I so did NOT let Brenna play in the puddles only to make a huge muddy mess.

As many of you know at the beginning of the year I started to hit the gym daily. I was forced to miss out for a whole week 2 weeks ago because I was sick. Yes, I really was sick for a whole week, it was awful. But never EVER would I let my 1 week sickness make me miss 2 whole weeks of the gym. That just doesn't make sense. That also means today was my first day back in 2 weeks... not easy but I just seriously could not let that 2 week break turn into a 3 week break.

*** This is CHD Awareness week, so I will be having many interesting post this week and maybe even a giveaway. It also brings back many many memories during our heart journey. What an emotional roller coaster it has been. I think I might be posting more pictures from Bentley's surgery that I have never posted before as well.

Be sure to head over to MckMama's blog to read others.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

(warning: picture overload today - might take a minute for them all to load)

We had an exiting football season. Although "our" team did not make it to the Super Bowl, we were excited to have gotten to see them in person at the new Cowboy's stadium. I must add that it is SUPER nice. And we could not have picked a better game to see... Cowboys vs Eagles and Cowboys won!! Ryan and I took Bryson to see the game. As you know he is a sports fanatic and he was THRILLED to go... he has never seen a NFL team in person. (For those of you not too interested in football, if your husband ever wants to go... do go!!! It is so much fun even if you are not into sports. Between the music and all the other exciting things that go on during the game - that is not seen on TV. It's so worth it.)

We had pretty high seats, but in the Cowboys Stadium, there is no such thing as a bad seat. The game was about to begin here.

above: Tony Romo was warming up just before the game.

above: Oh and here is my favorite. MILES AUSTIN!!! He came out of no where this year and just blew everyone away. He is greatness!!!

above: I caught them in action during the game.

above: Bryson taking a closer look.

above: The HUGE new Cowboy Stadium. Yes, we were up that high. Which explains why my pictures above aren't the greatest. I took them with my camera zoomed in as far as it would go. They have these huge screens going across the field but I watch most of the game through my camera. Just to note... the screen going up and down the field 60 yards.

Of course I had to get a shot of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

above: My 2 boys!!! Having a blast. Ryan and I went to a NFL game a few years ago, so we knew what to expect. It was a whole new experience for Bryson. I think he expected it to be like it was on TV but it's not at all.

above: Bryson with the new stadium in the background.

above: Walking up to our seats.

above: In our suite waiting to leave.

above: From our floor peaking on the Cowboy fans eatting breakfast.

above: There were so many Cowboy fans at our hotel... We saw many windows that had jerseys hanging up.

above: Bryson from our seats.

above: Our hotel from the inside. We had so much fun there. You can see a couple of windows with the jersey's but as it got later more people would hang theirs up.

Blogger uploaded my pictures backwards, so they are out of order. This is one of the first few takin as we arrived. Again we had such a blast!!! The girls stayed with Nana and Pawpaw, and of course they had a blast there. I missed them both, it was also the first time I was away from Bentley for that long. I have also never been that far away from her. We enjoyed our one on one time with Bryson, doing something he loves. I want to do the same for Brenna, and we would love to take her to maybe a Hannah Montanna concert or another concert. So I will be on the look out for that...

Almost time for the Super Bowl.... I really don't have a favorite tonight. I like Manning, but I don't like either team more than the other. I do think the Colt's will win though.

Who are you wanting to win?

SHOW US YOUR LIFE - BEAUTY TIPS

So I'm thinking hair... My 3 favorite things:

- Chi Iron

- Kenra Nourishing Masque

- Kenra Hair Spray

Basically I could not live without the above. I have super thick, frizzy, wavey hair. UGGHHHH.... And on humid and rainy days there is just nope hope. Double UGGHHHH!!! I could really use any advice you have. I know I am not suppose to be using hair spray like I do with the Chi Iron, but honestly... my hair doesn't look decent without it. I could post pictures, but I'll pass on that tonight. HA!!! I just hope my girls have their dad's hair and not mine. So far I think they are safe, but we all know our hair changes tremendously as we grow.

Oh and I had to come back and add this... for Christmas I received Victoria's Secret's Twilight lotion and body spray from my aunt and I love love love the way they smell. They are great!!!

Head over to Kelly's Korner to post yours. And give me tips here. I need the help!!!

MY (2ND) BIG GIRL

I am in love with these two pictures. They really show some of Bentley's personality. Remeber in a past post how I mentioned she liked to be half time entertainment? Well, last weekends basketball games were no different. Bentley loves attention, she is a social butterfly. I'm not sure if it is a girl thing because Brenna is the same way. But Brenna was not this young... Bentley on the other hand is all about everyone. It's the cutest thing.

I don't think you can tell in the pictures, but I am sitting in front of Bentley against a wall. All the parents sit along this wall. Bentley enjoys walking up and down the line of people talking, dancing, waving, screaming, etc. She really THRIVES off their energy. If they give her attention, that's just more of a show she will put on for them. It's hilarious and very cute. I don't remember exactly what she was doing her but I was glad to catch her in that moment.

These pictures really let the "big girl" that she is show. Bentley is full of fun and we are loving every bit. She even "puts on a show" while throwing fits. I am going to try my hardest to catch it on video because we just can't get enough of it... if she gets upset about somthing she will "slowly" and "carefully" lay down on the ground and scream a very fake scream. When I say slowly and carefully she is really aware of what's around her so she does not hit anything or hurt herself. Basically she is throwing one huge fake fit. Then once we quite paying attention to her she will get up and run in front of us and do it all over again... and so on.. Yes she goes on for a while with this. Just more of those moments that I love!!!

ps. If you haven't made it over to my new photography blog you can by clicking here. I know a lot of you are interested in photography yourself and I will slowly be adding things on there that might interest you. For those are you that are interested you can stay updated there, by going to my new blog, scroll down to the bottom and follow.