Summer....Where are you going??

So, we got season passes to Seven Peaks this summer. Actually, we got them last summer but were never able to go with Kate, so we had them deferred to this year. Well, we've only gone 2 times so far because this is what happens every time we go:It feels like the summer is flying right by. We are trying to fit in as much as we can before the snow falls. Trust me, it'll be here sooner than we think. Last night we headed up to our favorite destination....Heber City for Fair Days. It was a real treat.....especially all the hot dogs you could eat. It was fun seeing Katie & Mitch. Let me just say that little Bryn could keep us entertained all night.
The highlight of the night was watching all the skateboarders. Mitch was instrumental in helping bring the park to Heber. Way to go Mitch!

Can I just say how much I love the Bumbo?? Mia seems to be a big fan.....

.....Kate, not so much a fan (this is one of my favorite pictures of Kate. I really think it captures her personality)!

3 Month-Old Mia

We had Mia's 3 month pictures taken last week. I am so HAPPY with how they turned out. My sister-in-law, Kirstin, came to our house last Saturday and we got these darling shots. She has such an artistic eye and I loved all the props. I have included a link to her blog. Check it out:
KLR Photography

She also took some fun family shots.

A little bit of John, A beautiful Summer night.....What could be better?

My cute friend Katie and I went to the John Mayer/Colbie Caillet concert on Monday at USANA. I haven't been to a concert since I went to John Mayer in Vegas 4 1/2 years ago and I forgot how much I love concerts. We had so much fun that I think we might just have to hit Crue Fest 2008(AKA.....Montley Crue at USANA next week). Anyone interested???

The concert go-ers!

We ran into Kenz and a bunch of her friends.....the more the merrier!

You betcha I pulled out the air guitar! I think John said he wants me to go on tour with him!

Nothing quite says "we're having fun" like a few hand-stands.

Not quite sure what Katie is doing here, but I'm told it's a new HOT dance move!!

The Celebration!!!

My first attempt at decorating a birthday cake!

So, it has been a week since Kate's birthday and I must admit that it was a very emotional day. Bryan & I decided that we are going to make it a tradition to "get away" every year for Kate's birthday. Our good friends have a family cabin in Midway and let us stay there for a few days. I love Midway because it feels like you are on vacation even though you are only 40 miles away from home. It was so nice and relaxing. We had such a great time....watching movies, golfing (you betcha Bryan got in a round of 18) and eating (my favorite pumpkin pie shake from the Dairy Keen....Mmmm).On Tuesday, we drove to Fillmore to spend the afternoon/evening with our family. I just wanted everything to be oh so perfect. Not having Kate's headstone yet, I wanted to make sure it was decorated so cute. We got to the cemetery around 6:00 pm and the clouds were nasty and gray. The next thing we knew........a HUGE wind burst blew through the cemetery. We waited for a few minutes to see if it would die down, but it didn't. I was so upset. My family had planned a BBQ at the barn, so we decided to go and eat and see if the storm would blow through. My sweet little nieces and nephew drew these darling pictures for Kate. It just about broke my heart. They always ask questions about "Baby Kate" and I think it is so important to celebrate her life so they will always remember her.

Around 9:30 pm we went back to the cemetery and the wind was blowing just as hard and unfortunately, we weren't able to leave any of the decorations. Being so disappointed with the whole situation, I learned a valuable lesson. My sweet mom had talked to me about a thought she had. Basically she said that even though the day had not gone as planned, it doesn't matter to Kate whether or not she has balloons or flowers at her grave site. She knows that we love her. Even if everything had been perfect and the grave site decorated just the way I wanted it, the pain probably wouldn't have been lessened. What matters is that we were together as a family celebrating the life of our angel. Because we had to leave that night, my mom, SuSan, Drew, Gavin and Devin went up the next day to decorate Kate's grave and it was "Perfect."

Happy Birthday Sweet Kate!!!

It was a beautiful, HOT July morning exactly 2 years ago from today. The excitement and enthusiasm we felt for our sweet little angel to arrive was overwhelming. After timing contractions for a couple of hours, we knew it was time to pack our bags and head to American Fork Hospital. Still 2 ½ weeks away from my due date, we felt confident that I would deliver a healthy, happy baby girl. Upon arriving at the hospital, my contractions were 3 minutes apart and I was in PAIN!!! I thought for sure I was dilated to a 10 at that point, but was disappointed when they told me I was only dilated to a 3. “Someone, please give me an epidural,” was all I could say! We had attended weeks of Lamaze class and prepared for a non-medicated birth….what was I thinking??? They were planning on sending me home and letting me progress further there. However, they monitored the baby’s heart rate and with every contraction, her heart rate would drop significantly. At that point, they felt it was best to admit me and just watch her heart rate for a few hours. I was given an epidural (best decision I’ve ever made) and we waited. Around 8:00 am, Dr. Jones (Dr. Lawrence was on vacation and Dr. Jones was the doctor on call) came in and talked with us about the option of doing a C-section. He was worried that as my contractions progressed, it would really put the baby under a lot of stress. He felt that we could try a natural birth, however, he felt that it would result in a C-section anyway. Bryan and I discussed this option and while we weren’t 100% convinced that this was the way to go, we didn’t want to take any chances and opted to have the C-section.

At approximately 9:28 am on July 15, 2006 our sweet angel, Kate, was born weighing 4 lbs. 2 oz. and 15 ½ inches long. She was beautiful. She was very petite and had a head full of thick, dark curly hair. She didn’t cry much at first, just made a small “meow” sound. As they took Kate over to clean and assess her, I overheard the nurse say that she has a cleft palate (which was a total shock). As they checked her heart, they noticed that she had a significant heart murmur and immediately took her to a special unit of the nursery for further testing. As they were leaving, I was able to get a quick glance at Kate and she was perfect to me. Everything happened so fast and it didn’t hit me until I was told that Kate had to be transported up to Primary Children’s Medical Center. This was such devastating news. Before she was transported, they wheeled her into my hospital room in a incubator and Bryan and his dad were able to give her a blessing. As a first-time mom, I had expected to deliver my baby and hold and love her. The hardest part was to let her go. Bryan rode in the ambulance and was with her the entire time.

Kate spent the first 7 weeks of her life at Primary Children’s Medical Center in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. After weeks of testing they determined that Kate has a very rare genetic syndrome. Along with that, she has a heart condition called Tetrology of Fallot, which was later diagnosed as DORV (Double Outlet Right Ventricle). Kate was released from the hospital on September 5, 2006. This was such a joyous day for us!




It was very overwhelming dealing with oxygen, a feeding tube and several medications, but we made it work and in my opinion, we became “pros” at juggling all of Kate’s medical devices. Kate was a miracle and our pride and joy. Bryan and I were determined to help Kate to live as normal of a life as possible. We took her shopping, swimming, to church, trips to the zoo and to the park.

We also maintained her keen sense of fashion making sure she was well dressed and her hair always done. Last year for Kate’s birthday, we wanted to throw her a great big birthday party. What a celebration it was!! We did a poodle theme where we had a poodle piñata and poodle cake. Grandpa Roper even brought his cotton candy and snow cone machine. It was fun having all of Kate’s family and friends there to celebrate. There was so much excitment that Kate slept almost the entire time : ) Looking back, we are so grateful we did it because it ended up being Kate’s first and only birthday here on this earth.

Kate endured many physical challenges including: open-heart surgery, Nissen surgery, a tracheostomy, and spent close to 8 months of her life in the hospital. She was a little fighter and even though she had an imperfect little body, she had a perfect spirit. We prayed so hard for a miracle.....a miracle that Kate would eventually heal and live a healthy life. Looking back, we did get our miracle…..a miracle that she is ours and that we were able to spend 21 of the most challenging yet rewarding months of our lives with this God given angel. Kate touched the lives of so many that knew her and many who didn’t know her. Today we celebrate the life of Kate and the blessing she has been in our lives. Happy Birthday sweet Kater Bugs. We love you so much!!!

The Red, White & Blue!

It's always been a tradition for us to spend Independence Day in Fillmore. Where else can you get amazing seats for the parade, all the salt water taffy you could ever dream of and witnessing this (umm.....not quite sure what to think about it):.....not to mention waiting in line at the park for an hour to get a Navajo Taco (if you're from Fillmore or have ever been to a 4th of July celebration in Fillmore.....you know what I'm talking about). We spent the weekend having BBQ's with family and friends, watching fireworks and just taking it easy. I feel so grateful for all the men and women who have dedicated their lives to fighting for our freedom. Thank you!!!

Hanging out watching the parade with Grandma Roper!

Mia (she's hiding) and all her cousins and friends.

Check out these SWEET bikes!

Carrie & Baby Ruby. Isn't she a doll??

Always-a-smilin'!


LoveSac Baby!

I feel like I have been living out of a suitcase this last week.....actually I have. On Sunday, Mia and I drove down to St. George to stay with my best friend, Treo and her new little baby, Jaylee. We had so much fun. With Mia and Jaylee's sleep schedules and the fact that it was 110 degrees in, we opted to stay indoors as much as possible. Can you believe Treo had a baby only 4 weeks ago??? She looks amazing!!!

Jalyee Joy Sanders


I think Mia looks like a giant compared to Jaylee!

BFF's