Halloween 2012

This year, Halloween found us with a Recon commando, Rocky from "Shake it Up" (see picture of character below) and a ladybug.  It was quite warm on Halloween, making for a nice trick-or-treating experience.

We received an invitation to trick or treat with friends in a neighborhood we'd never trick-or-treated in before (thanks, Osbornes!), so Connor and Hadley did that along with Daddy and Mommy while Kylee trick or treated with a different family.  It was a "divide and conquer" sort of holiday. :)

Our celebrating began with Connor and Kylee's fall parties at school.  The kids (and their classmates) are always very gracious to include Hadley in the fun.

Pictures of our three little ghouls all dressed up:

One scary dude...Brandon kept telling him to be sure to smile! ;)

The smile says it all, folks.

Our ladybug with antennae

Just wings...and a handful of chocolate

Uncle Jordan took Halloween to another level when he came to US to bring yummy treats.  It is so fun to have he and Aunt Mandy close by!  We took advantage of the opportunity to snap a few photos....

Three full buckets of candy later, we settled in at home.  I did the traditional post-trick-or-treat sort (who on EARTH wants to be bothered with Smarties, Sweet Tarts, and those random flavored Tootsie Rolls when digging for chocolate) and found that all the kids had made quite a haul!  We made record time with the candy-eating this year, having it all gone by Thanksgiving.

YUM! 

Bowties for Babies

Bowties for Babies is a fundraising gala held in honor of Alexandra's House, the perinatal hospice we worked with during our pregnancy with Caden.  The hospice serves families of terminally ill babies and provides a host of resources for these families in their time of need.  Alexandra's House does not fundraise in any way on its own...friends of Alexandra's House created the banquet as a way to support the incredible work that Patti Lewis and her amazing support people do.  

Alexandra's House has been very gracious in supporting Caden's Cubs, so we were ecstatic to have the opportunity to host a table at the Gala this year.  We invited families who have been recipients of Caden's Cubs to join us at our table and it was an amazing opportunity to get to meet new friends and spend time with friends we have known from earlier in our journey with infant loss.  We felt so blessed to be able to remember Caden, along with the children of the friends who sat with us, in this very special way.

Caden's Cubs' table: Sitting with three very special families

A poster that sat outside the banquet area, explaining the ministries of Alexandra's House.  Caden's Cubs is the fourth one down.

We don't get to buy birthday or Christmas presents for our son, but being able to sponsor a table in honor of the ministry that is named for him means a great deal to us.  This year, we were also blessed by a friend of ours who created a special giftbasket in honor of Caden as a part of the silent auction held at the event.  The basket sold and the proceeds went to Alexandra's House.  We look forward to this evening spent memorializing our precious baby boy and other precious angels who left this earth much too soon.

The Many Faces (and Outfits) of Hadley Louise

As I was sorting and sifting through our pictures, I was overwhelmed by the cuteness of our youngest.  One of my favorite things about this age and stage is the wardrobe that accompanies it.  :)

Allow me to share in the hopes this will brighten your day as it has mine....

Cowgirl rock star

Storytime with sister.  In a winter hat and gloves.

Of course.  A swimsuit and cleats.  Why  not?

Proudly sporting her self-applied headband

Crossing the Finish Line

Pre-race: Becca and I 

Last April, I worked my final days in a full-time position that was making me miserable.  As I left that job and waded through the aftermath of emotions that came with the experience, I contemplated what I wanted to do to be a better me.  Part of what struck me was that I wanted to be stronger.  Physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I thought about what I could do to grow in each of those areas.  The idea of running a 5K was born.

Those of you that know me know that I have NEVER been a runner.  In junior high gym class, I ran a steady 11 minute mile (probably because I walked the half of the block that was outside the PE teacher's line of vision).  I don't particularly enjoy exercise and I'm not good at it.  But I knew having a tangible goal to work towards would be important for me, so I decided to train for a 5K race in the fall.  Two of my dear friends, Becca and Trena, both experienced in the ways of the 5K, encouraged me and trained along with me.

It was amusing sharing my goal with others.  Most people's faces registered shock, and understandably so.  I was kind of shocked, too.  It seemed weird to hear "I'm training for a 5K" coming out of my mouth.

I began training in May and it was VERY slow going.  A "Couch to 5K" app on my phone was my running companion.  As I began, it was difficult for me to run for a full minute without stopping.  I learned where I trained best (on the street rather than on a track) and where I struggled most (endurance).  There were some runs where I hurt so bad I thought I was going to have to call Brandon to come and pick me up.  But as the days went by and summer turned into fall, it got better.  My endurance increased and the cooler weather made it easier to breathe as I ran.  I registered for the Kansas City Marathon's 5K race, held on October 20th at Crown Center.  During my runs, I would often think about the journey I had been on, professionally and personally, over the last year.  The desire to overcome the oppression I had felt in that situation was a powerful motivator for me.

A friend of mine, Katie, teaches a PiYo Strength class (combination Pilates and Yoga) up at William Jewell.  I attended my first class in May.  Adding this into the routine helped build strength.  I enjoy doing PiYo with other women of similar athletic ability.  Katie is a constant encourager and inspiration to those of us who are trying to better ourselves by growing stronger and healthier.  This helped my endurance while running, too.

In the final weeks before the 5K, I struggled with feeling silly for trying and doubt that I wouldn't make it.  I still couldn't run a full 3.2 miles without stopping, and, in fact, wasn't even close.  I began running regularly with Trena or Becca, which helped.  I found having a friend along was an excellent distraction for me and I was able to push myself further on runs with company.  

When I shared my discouragement and doubt with her, Becca encouraged me to set a goal for myself, and even encouraged me to set 2 or 3 that I could work towards, so I did.  My first goal was, simply, to finish.  My second goal was to finish in less than 45 minutes.  My third goal was to be able to run the whole way.  The fear of looking inadequate among experienced runners loomed, but having these goals to work toward helped.

We picked up our race packets on October 19th.  It was quite an experience seeing all the runners who were clearly in their element.  I realized quickly that 5K runners hardly count for anything amidst the half and full marathon runners, but I felt good about being there and what I had accomplished.  I looked at my bib with my number on it.  It was pretty cool.

When my Mom passed away, the dear friend of hers, Carmen, delivered the eulogy at her funeral and gave Sarah, Jordan and I Pike's Peak finisher medals that Carmen had earned.  She attached an engraved charm that said "Love, Mom" to the medals.  The message she shared was of the hope that we have waiting for us at the heavenly finish line.  I carried my medal with me daily for about a year after Mom passed and pulled it out of my jewelry box for my 5K.  I carried it in my hand as I ran.

Becca picked me up early on race day and we headed for Crown Center.  She guided me through the pre-race ritual and said a beautiful prayer, asking God to bless our experience.  There was a chill in the air, but it was such a fun atmosphere.  Trena met us down at the starting line.  I felt so blessed to share in the moment with two close friends.  Brandon brought the kids down to cheer for me with signage to cheer me on.  What a great site it was to see them before I started my race!

I met two of my goals.  I did stop to walk briefly at about the halfway point of the race, but ran much further than I had ever been able to previously.  Becca informed me that we were going to sprint to the finish line and despite my (loud) objections, we did it.  I finished in just under 40 minutes.  It was a great feeling to cross that finish line with Becca and Trena close by and my family near, too.

Trena and I post-race

We Did It!

Did I LOVE running?  Not really.  Will I run another race?  Probably so.  There is a great sense of accomplishment that comes from meeting a goal like this one.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work towards this and to be able to come a stronger, healthier version of myself in a few different ways.

Post-race: Hadley got cut out of this picture (big bummer), but this is the best cheering section a girl could ask for!

Shortly after my race, Connor and Kylee participated in the Kansas City Kids' Marathon, a 1 mile run.  They had participated in their school's Running Club once a week to help train for the Kids' Marathon.  Both finished and were excited about their accomplishment, although both did remark that maybe they should have done less talking and more running at Running Club. ;)  Here they are with their finisher medals. 

Philippians 3:14: "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

New Beginnings

In mid-October, Brandon started a new job as an Application Analyst with Argus.  Argus is still in the DST family (the same company he's worked for since 2003), but is a separate division.  This was a long-awaited answer to prayer.

We have felt so blessed by the opportunities Brandon has had at DST.  The job came to us after an 8 month period of unemployment.  We were in a place of such discouragement.  The offer that was extended to Brandon at that time was for the EXACT salary amount we had prayed for.  Just enough for us to live on with a few extras.  Over the last 9 years, Brandon worked with a good group of people who he had come to know well.  He had great respect for his manager and good relationships with co-workers.  Although he wouldn't say it, he was acknowledged as a leader in the group and was widely respected for his work ethic and ability to get things done right.  However, there was a lack of opportunities for growth in the position, which took a toll.  Brandon felt stuck and was concerned that he was becoming a jack of all trades rather than a master of anything.  Discontentment built.  We prayed for new opportunities and it became difficult to be patient.  Years passed.

With the kids a bit older, we made the decision to take a more active role in Brandon's career advancement.  In August of 2011, he began working towards his MBA in the Helzberg School of Management at Rockhurst University.  We chose this path in the hopes that it would broaden the professional spectrum for Brandon.  He is now in his second year in the program while continuing to work full time and is learning a great deal and is (naturally) doing very well in his coursework.

After years of drought in terms of new opportunities, Brandon was contacted for 3 different interviews for internal DST positions in (literally) a 24 hour period of time.  Brandon had interviewed for the position he eventually accepted and originally, wasn't sure it would be the right move.  The position was technically a demotion, and after working for (literally) years to be promoted to senior status in his current position, moving backwards wasn't wise.  In the interview, he was impressed by the people he'd be working with in the new group, but was hesitant.  The position had a lot of appeal because it would allow him to use his technical knowledge while gaining more experience with the business side of things and provide some opportunities to start working in project management.  Despite the hesitancy, he agreed to a second interview with the group.  After this second interview, the hiring manager informed him that if he would accept an offer, they would ensure the move would be a lateral one for him rather than a demotion.  Prayers answered.  Brandon would make the move and retain his previous salary and benefits.  God opened the door wide.

My hubby called me after his second interview.  How wonderful it was to hear hope and encouragement in his voice!  We agreed he would accept the offer.  An October 16th start date was set and the transition out of his old position as a Configuration Specialist began.

His co-workers threw him a good-bye reception with this cake (inspired by the Velociraptor sign (pictured above) that Brandon had posted outside his cubical):

Brandon is now all set up and running in his new space.  We are so thankful for God's faithfulness in providing this opportunity and pray that it will provide ways for Brandon to learn and grow.

Legoland Discovery Center

In October, the kids had a couple days off from school, so we made use of the time by taking a trip to the local Legoland Discovery Center down at Crown Center.  The kids enjoyed the 4D movie theatre, building a racecar out of Legos and timing it as it ran down the track, indoor rides and playplace, and Connor got to build a Lego structure with a a Lego expert.  He still maintains that he wants to be a Lego designer when he grows up. ;)

This is Hadley's "picture smile".  Far less genuine then a spontaneous grin, but hey.

We took a tour through a display on how Legos are made.  This showed the materials they use to form Lego bricks.

A special creation at the Legoland Speedway

Kylee striking a pose with the wizard

Connor's favorite stop at any destination is the gift shop.  This was no exception.

It was neat to visit this local fun spot!