The Brooks Chronicles

Running Diaries

2012-01-28T19:42:00.000-06:00

Yes, I thought I would add an entry about my 12 mile adventure because I feel like I learned so much today. Here's a little snapshot:
1. 12 miles is REALLY long. It is truly as long as it sounds. I ran it in 2 hours and 40 minutes, and I can honestly say in addition to that being the longest I have ever run, that is the longest I have ever done any kind of physical activity.
2. 52 Degrees is the best weather to run in. I love it, you start off a little cold, but with the big Texas sun you warm up pretty fast. It's warm enough that you build a little sweat but still cool enough to not feel over heated.
3. Music matters so much. And the most important thing I've learned about music is that I don't need all this "pump you up" and "motivational" music. What I need is something that is going to make me smile or even laugh when it comes on. My favorites for today were, "Ice Ice Baby" and "Turning Japanese". The other favorite was that on my last leg of a very long run today, the song "Loser" by Beck came on. Gave me the little pep that I needed to finish, you know so I wouldn't be "a loser".
4. Sports beans pretty much rock. I ate a pack about 20 minutes before I ran, then took a pack to eat on my second half. I don't know if it is all psychological but I really feel like it gave me energy. In fact for the first 6 miles I was rocking my face off.
5. Here is a break down of what goes through my mind while I'm running 12 miles:

Mile 1-6 - I am rocking it out! I feel great, I feel like I'm flying through it. I am doing intervals of 1min walk/run. Usually I will stare at my watch in anticipation of that one mile finishing. The first 30 seconds of running are fine, then I start a countdown. Today I haven't checked my watch once. Before I know it, the minute is up and I can walk again. I'm actually considering upping myself to 2 minutes run and 1 minute walk. And to think I was so worried because I haven't run much in the last two weeks, and turns out I feel great. Maybe I run better when I don't have much practice under my belt. If this is the case, maybe I shouldn't run anymore until the race, then I could probably win first place, or pretty close.
Mile 6-8 - Okay, it's starting to catch up to me. Starting to feel a little tired now. I just need to pace myself because I still have half way to go.
Mile 8-10 - Okay, I'm starting to feel a little pain in my hips and knees. I have now started checking my watch every time I run. Pretty depressing to know I still have 4 miles to go.
Mile 10-12 - In a great deal of pain. I now have a stabbing pain in my right butt cheek (felt like sciatic nerve). In addition it is extremely painful to start running. Every time I can actually hear my hips and knees pleading for mercy. So I stop running and walk the rest of the way. I see my shadow and wonder where this grandma came from, oh wait, that's me:( If I collapse here and now, could I be air lifted out of here or would I still have to walk back to my car. . . . .

So, there you have it. I think I am all done whining about it. As much as I hated it, you know why I will go back next weekend? Because I can. . . . I literally can. I am not trapped in a body that doesn't work like my daughter Juliana. As much as it hurts I can make my body move forward and finish. Every day Juliana works tirelessly to do simple things we take for granted. So yes, I can make myself do this. And you know what, I am confident that one day, Juliana will run one with me! And then we will push each other, like we always have to finish the race!

So please, donate to my team and help us get closer to a cure!
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kristy-brooks/disneyprincesshalfmarathon-teamgp2c

Saying Goodbye is so Hard to do

2011-12-28T15:07:00.001-06:00

I guess all good things must come to an end. We had the pleasure of having Roger's aunt and uncle from Germany (whom we affectionately call the Germans) stay with us from November and through Christmas. I have to say I was a little bit nervous because they speak no English and I speak no German, and that can be really frustrating when my translator Roger isn't around. But I have to say we got along great; using lots of charades, pantomime and google translate. So for two months we went on several little adventures, we stayed up late each night just talking (me mostly listening), had the pleasure of Monika's amazing German cooking and just an overall awesome time.

So here we are on their last day here. I had to take a picture of Monika in the back seat because this is how we traveled. Only if we were all riding I usually got stuck in the trunk but that's a different story.

We stopped at In 'n Out for their last American supper. It was awesome of course, then off to the airport. My parents went too to see them off.

Olivia's getting sad as she realizes that they are really leaving.

Olivia standing under the giant wish bone. I wonder what she is wishing for. . . .

Monika and Olivia doing some kind of booty bump before she leaves

Me and Monika - I'm gonna miss her!

Me, Olivia and Alfons - I'm gonna miss him so much too!

I think the this was all just a little too emotional so Juliana decided to "check out" and take a nap.

You can imagine what Roger is wishing for here. . . .

One last hug. . . .

And one last hug for Juliana. . .

This was a shot that Livi took. I think she was getting sentimental and decided to take a picture of everyone before they left so she could remember them.

And then it was time to say good bye to the El Paso crew as well. All good things must come to an end:(

The Magic Time Machine

2011-12-26T14:23:00.000-06:00

And for the German's last meal in Texas we wanted something fun and silly that they would remember, so naturally we chose The Magic Time Machine. Here we are sitting in the "Little Mexico" section of town.

O Oh! Why is Opi so scared????

Because the Joker is taking our orders!!!!! Yikes!!!!!

Salad Bar

These are all the crazy places that you can eat. . . .
There's the bus

You can't see it, but Liv is actually inside a giant spooky pumpkin

The Peanuts section

The giant lunch box

Pinocchio was so cute

So then they asked us to all gather around for a group picture. At the end of the meal they show you the picture to see if you want to buy it. So they hand me two pictures. I see this one first and I think, "pretty good". I get the second one to compare and see which came out better and I am shocked!

Actually shocked and confused. . . .

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T07:07:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Christmas 2011. Let's just say that Santa was VERY generous this year. This is the Doll House Mansion that Santa (along with his elves) built with his very hands. And yes, it is the doll house that I always wanted as a child. . . . . (Just in case you were wondering, the tools were for Ty who actually spent Christmas with us this year!)

And here is our lovely tree

Guess who was the first one out of bed. . . . . you guessed it! Do you think she liked their gift?

And here we are trying to wake up Juliana who wasn't quite ready to wake up yet.

I think Uncle Alfons was also having a hard time waking up just like Juliana.

Not really sure what is wrong with my face. Let's chalk it up to I was also tired:(

Who's ready for Christmas Gifts???

Livi trying out Ty's tools

Just trying to keep Juliana awake!

O Oh! Settle down Aunt Melissa!

Still trying to keep Juliana awake here. I learned a valuable lesson this day. The lesson being - Let Juliana be. I get overly consumed with making sure she is having a good time. Making sure she stays awake. And here's a newsflash, she gets overwhelmed, and when she does she falls asleep. It is truly her coping method. So instead of wearing myself out by getting overly excited about things to try and keep her awake (which probably overwhelms her even more) I need to just let her enjoy things in her way. I will never stop trying to get her to celebrate in the way we do but I will try to acknowledge her choice to "opt out" every now and then and let her "enjoy" things in her own way.

Liv having a blast!

And yes, Juliana is out. (Let it go mommy.)

She is loving that Barbie in her sleep!

Taking advantage of every waking moment. . . . . . . .

Monika with her new necklace

Alfons and his new shirts

Then I tagged out and let Daddy be the gift cheer leader - Here's another theory, maybe I make her sleepy.

Okay Brooksie, you may be overdoing the excitement just a little bit. . . .

And this was the gift we had all been waiting for. See a few weeks prior, Monika left her rings in my car by mistake. Olivia found them the next day and we hid them. She never mentioned that they were missing. For weeks we kept these rings and Monika never mentioned they were missing. Finally around December 23 she realized they were missing and got really worried. One was just a pearl ring, but the other was a ring that was made for her by her grandfather who was a goldsmith. She started tearing up the house and eventually she remembered and started tearing up my car, but they were gone. Gone until Christmas morning that is . . . .

Gotcha Monika!!!!

Juliana sending some emails on her new computer

Then checking out their new doll house

The Eats

About to go into a turkey coma

Monika with her bee-otch.

Trying to get the playdough ice cream shoppe set up

And the winner are. . . . . . . . .

2011-12-24T23:00:00.000-06:00

In third place, with their tradition Hansel & Gretel cottage, and with one vote. . . . . . . Ty, David, Kayla and Monika

In second place, with a traditional "North Pole" sign and token candy cobblestone, and 4 votes . . . . . . . Melissa, Alfons, Roger & Olivia

And in 1st place, with a very creative Santa Shack, the secret hideaway that Santa goes to after Christmas is over, and 10 votes . . . . . Dylan, Teresa, ME and Juliana!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for voting!!!!!!

2011 Gingerbread Contest

2011-12-24T17:06:00.000-06:00

Thank you for coming to the Annual Brook's Gingerbread Contest. For those that are new to the event, let me tell you how this goes down. The following three houses were made by various family member teams that were assembled by random draw. We need your help now. We need you to choose your favorite by adding a comment below and telling us which one you like (or you can shoot me a message on Facebook)

So here is a group shot, we will call them houses #1-3 started from left to right of course. Scroll down for a closer look of each!

House #1

House #2

House #3

Please vote and tell all your friends!!!! Voting ends at MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!!!!!!

Christmas Hodge Podge

2011-12-23T23:00:00.000-06:00

Just a few more wonderful pictures of the great time we had with the fam over the holiday season. Here they are with Tante Monika and Uncle Alfons after Santa dropped off an early special delivery.

Juliana in music therapy with Che Ho. It was so nice to have the house filled with Christmas music!

Baking cookies with Tante Monika

Now crafts with Tante Monika and Uncle Alfons

Some giggle time with Aunt Teresa

Liv and Daddy enjoying some German cookies - Yummy!

Uncle Alfons and Daddy putting up the outside decorations

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-23T22:31:00.000-06:00

After two silly girls took lots of pictures together. . . . . .

lots. . . . . . .

and lots . . . . . . .

lots . . . . . . .

and lots . . . . . .

and even more . . . . . . .

a few more . . . . . .

more . . . . . .

one more . . . . . .

WE FINALLY ENDED UP WITH THIS!

The Amazing Dr. Djukic

2011-12-23T22:23:00.000-06:00

This past October Juliana's doctor from New York hosting the 1st Blue Sky Girls Event in New York City. She is an amazing lady and we are so blessed to have her as Juliana's doctor. She believes in our girls and in a cure!

Santa Makes an Early Visit

2011-12-23T16:55:00.000-06:00

Santa is the BEST! He had seen Livi at a party early this month and was so bummed that Juliana was not with he decided to stop by to see her! We were all so excited to see him!

Here he is with Juliana. She was so surprised!

One with Alfons & Monika

And the cousins!

My Baby Arrived

2011-12-22T11:25:00.000-06:00

So, I have been longing for a Keurig coffee maker for sooooooooo long. (okay, maybe for 6 months) I guess I was good this year because look what I got!!!! Roger and Monika tried to act like it was no big deal, but Alfons just got it. He knew how amazing this would be and he was right there with me, ripping into the box!

Then Monika couldn't help it. . . . she stared with us as we brewed our first cup!

Isn't she beautiful. . . . .

That's my girl! I've named her Cocoa!

First cup just as good as I imagined it would be.

There's my partner in coffee!

Micki's Graduation Party

2011-12-18T22:13:00.000-06:00

This weekend we celebrated Micki's Graduation. She gave a beautiful speech that brought us all to tears. She said the most touching words about the girls and how they had gotten her through difficult times. We love her and are so proud of her!

And of course, we still had Butter Bear with us. He is quite the party animal.

And Juliana was so happy to be at her bestie's party! She was up way past her bedtime and still going. She was walking so well!

And Linda giving Butter Bear an Eskimo Kiss!

ICE @ the Gaylord Texan

2011-12-17T21:09:00.000-06:00

We finally went to see ICE at the Gaylord. Here is Monika with Butter Bear. Butter Bear was our guest for the weekend from Olivia's school. We had to take him around town with us and take pictures with him.

OCH Christmas Party

2011-12-15T20:53:00.001-06:00

This year's OCH party was a blast as usual!

Here is Livi with Santa

Juju with Santa

The Cake Walk. Let's just say we won more than our fair share of cakes. We each won one!

This is Juliana's teacher's son Adrian. Let's just say the two were smitten for each other

Then Livi decided to better her odds by standing on 2 squares at a time!

Juju cheering everyone on! She was the 1st winner!

And finally we got Alfons to play and he won on his first round!

Dallas Arboretum

2011-12-10T20:27:00.002-06:00

We decided to take a trip to the Arboretum this holiday season. Partly because the Germans are here and they love gardens and flowers and stuff but partly because we won tickets at the CDC Fun Run Auction. So we expected to see lots of holiday displays, but what we didn't expect was . . . . . DASHER!!!!! Yes, you heard it, Dasher the Reindeer was actually at the Arboretum!

And reindeer are much softer than you would imagine.

This was a beautiful Cinderella carriage.

Livi with Tante Monika and Uncle Alfons

The Fairy Tale display

I love this passage of trees!

***Love this one***

They are growing so close as sisters and it absolutely melts my heart!

Livi at The Little Mermaid display

Micki's Graduation

2011-12-03T15:44:00.003-06:00

On December 3, 2011 we had the pleasure of attending Micki's Graduation from UT in Austin. We were so excited to be there for her. The remarkable thing about this event is that Juliana Marie Brooks, who is one of Micki's BEST friends, stayed awake for the entire ceremony! We have taken her to shows with lights, music and all kinds of fun to which she has completely zonked out on. But this graduation, and you know how entertaining college graduations are, she stayed awake for the entire ceremony. That is how much she loves Micki.

We are so proud of you Micki Nicole! So glad you are a part of our lives! Love you!

Christmas Tree is Finally Up

2011-12-02T16:09:00.001-06:00

Well, we finally got the tree up! We usually have it all up by Thanksgiving, but this year since we were out of town I have just felt so rushed and overwhelmed at time. But we finally did it! Not as big as we usually do, but we got the important things up. Of course you can't decorate without your Christmas Mouse Ears!

Juju was with us for the start, but she quickly got bored/anxious/sleepy/itchy - you name it. So we decided that rather than forcing her to stay up and enjoy it we would let her celebrate in her own way. Which meant she went to sleep and got to see the finished product in the morning. Hey, whatever makes you happy, right? Olivia on the other hand stayed to the bitter end! She loves decorating and Christmas carols and all of it. She is definitely my child. I live for this stuff!

Then Olivia insisted we shut off the lights and take pictures in the dark. She was right - it glowed rather nicely!

The Mariner of the Seas

2011-11-27T16:08:00.000-06:00

This November we were so blessed to join my parents in celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary aboard the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. We drove down to Galveston with Alfons & Monika (The Germans) where we met my parents, my brother Eddie and his two sons. It was my first cruise, and I definitely hope it is not my last!

In the last post you learned of Juliana's "explosion". Well, happy to report that the next day she was fine. The whole drive to Galveston she was a trooper and was completely back to normal!

So, we get on the ship and of course, first stop for my Dad is. . . . . . you got it. The Casino.

Alfons & my mom right behind him!

And here we are with the girls. . . Not in the Casino. (on a side note, as wonderful as it was as a family vacation, I have to imagine going on with out the kiddos would be AMAZING too!)

This was the Welcome Parade in the Promenade. It was like a freakin' city!

Here is Livi on my shoulders looking for mermaids

When my shoulders got tired Uncle Eddie was there to take her!

And there they are!!!! The Mermaids!!!!!!!!

Back on my shoulders. . . . .

Our first day at sea. First stop for us. . . . . The Pool. And I have to confess, the pool was the only disappointment from the cruise. To start with it was salt water and second of all it was way to cold for what I'm used to. We are from Dallas, where my pool water gets to by 85 degrees in the summer. Oh well, the temperature outside was perfect!

**Love**

Eddie, me & Liv

Roger and I - and Livi snuck in too

Back inside and ready for a shopping brief. They actually held a seminar on the shopping you could do when we docked in each port. Good areas, places to stay away from etc.

Then off to Formal Night number one! It kind of sucked because the first two nights we weren't sitting together for dinner. The Germans were on the 4th floor, my mom and dad had a cozy table for 2 on the 3rd floor and mine and Eddie's family were on one table on the third floor. We later asked and they quickly prepared a table where we could all sit together.

I love this statue in the back because it is from the Sound of Music.

This is the Captain introducing his staff. He was actually from Norway and reminded us of our friend Ted, who is from Norway as well.

Then, my mom, Monika and I decided it was time to go dancing! We had lots of fun and my mom even started a few dance circles!

Unfortunately when I got back to my room, Roger wasn't feeling good. He proceeded to "explode" from both ends all night long. I immediately thought of food poisoning once again (which we found later it was not). Wait is this starting to sound familiar. . . . . . you guessed it. He caught what Juliana had, only she is either much stronger than daddy or it affects adults much worse. So in the morning he had to see the doctor, who in turn placed him under quarantine for 24 hours. He was given free access to all pay per view, mini bar whatever while he was under quarantine but he felt so bad he actually slept ALL day and ALL night.

So that day we were on our own, while Roger continued to rest. Here is Alfons and Monika out on the deck..

Here we are after a chilly swim.

Olivia - What are we going to do now?
me - go eat
Olivia - NOT AGAIN!
me - Hello. We are on a cruise. That's what you do.

And here we are at dinner. Roger missed this dinner since, although he stopped exploding the smell of food would do him in.

Apparently something unbelievable just happened on Mickey Mouse!

This is how you eat spaghetti

Then the music began. It kind of felt like My Big Fat Greek Wedding only it was Italian music.

These are all the servers for 3 floors of dining rooms.

The wait staff was incredible. They treated the girls like celebrities. Every night they would give them so much attention. This night in particular they went and found someone that could make balloon animals.

Do you think she likes it?

This was one of the Wait Captains. She loved every minute.

This was the musical we went to see after dinner. Roger was still sleeping at this point, Juliana dosed off about 4 minutes into the show and Olivia, despite the fact that it started at 10:30pm, was AMAZED and didn't take her eyes off for a second. It was truly a great show with great talent!

The premise was this man was in an art gallery after hours when suddenly the paintings literally come to life.

The next morning Roger woke up feeling MUCH better and thank God because we docked in Honduras.

Side view of our ship

A little shopping

Then off to the beach. This was especially exciting for me since the girls had NEVER been to a beach - Even though Olivia called our pool the beach for about a year. We asked around and Pirate Bay was the place to go

The fact that it was a bay was perfect for my first time beach goers because there were no strong currents. It was perfect and shallow and amazing. As soon as we stepped in Olivia said, "mommy, who put sand in here?"

Juliana enjoyed it as well. They both love the water!

This was the perfect quintessential little bar on the beach along with loungers and umbrellas. It was PERFECT!

It is so funny how kids know no stranger. These girls, who were clearly related were sitting building something, when Olivia walks over with her finds. They completely included her and they continued to play for awhile like they just knew each other.

Cooling down with a cold one.

She couldn't wait to go back in the water

Her best attempt at writing in the sand.

Not too shabby. Okay, I may have helped a bit.

No, she is not going potty. She just sat in the sand and couldn't stand it in her booty. So naturally she stuck it in the faucet used to rinse your feet on the way out.

Monika and my mom. Don't ask me why my mom is in jeans and a long sleeved shirt on the beach. Ay, Alicia!

Our docked ship - I couldn't get over how big it is!

The beer on the ship is at least $5 each. While we were docked you could buy Heineken, 5 for $5. Alfons and Monika were down to their last one. When Monika tried to open it she accidentally pulled off the tab. Leave it to Phillip to open it with his belt. Seems like he's had some experience with this.

At this point I realized I hadn't taken any pictures of our suite. I had been told horror stories of how small some of the cabins could be, so when we booked I decided that we would splurge and get a suite. I just figured we would spend more time in our room than the average family (naps, potty breaks etc) and I didn't want to be claustrophobic so we did it - and boy was it ever worth it!!!!! In addition to the spaciousness of the room we also had so many special privileges and amenities.

Here is the bar area

Living room and bedroom. The couch folds out into a full size bed.

The bathroom.

Garden tub! Livi really loved this!

The balcony - HEAVEN!!!

Happy Livi

Sad Livi - This is the Jeckle and Hyde we are currently living with. I don't know if it's a phase or what, but it is exhausting.

**LOVE**

A little nap before dinner

****Doubly LOVE******

Dinner with the Captain of the boat - In their new Honduran fashion.

Ahhh. Grandma and Phil

The Ice Skating Show. Yes, my friends. The ship was complete with an ice rink

This was a poster showing the route that the boat took

This was after dinner for Alfons' night cap before bed. You cannot see my face here, but if you could you would see it was starting to turn green. I figured I had just over done it at the dinner buffet that night, so I excused myself and went upstairs.

My girl looks so grown!

So, I get upstairs and I'm feeling pretty queasy and achy, but for those that don't know me I DO NOT THROW UP! The last time I can remember actually throwing up I think I was around 12 years old. I have been sick since but have an ability to "talk myself out of it". You know, kind of mind over matter. So I figured I would feel kind of crappy but would be fine by morning. So I wake up about 2 hours later and literally have to sprint to the bathroom because you guessed it - I am EXPLODING! It was the most violent explosion I can ever remember followed by crazy chills (my teeth were actually chattering) and aches. So I did the deed and figured the worst is over, right? Wrong. This continued all night.
So the next morning we docked in Belize and I docked myself in bed. I decided not to go to the doctor since (a) I knew what I had since I had seen Roger and Juliana had been through it (b) I knew it would be gone in 24 hours (c) When Roger went, he was tagged as "QUARANTINE" so every time we go on or off the boat, when they scanned his card alarms would go off in a very embarrassing fashion.

So, the family got off the boat to Belize and this is what they tell me it looked like. I slept the entire day!

So, for reasons beyond me, the boat docked kind of out in the middle of the water and then they got off the ship onto a boat that took them to land.

A little boat like this.

That was our ship.

After walking around for a little while, Roger decided he wanted back on the ship. Partly because he couldn't find a beach, and partly because he didn't want to spend money on lunch when he could go to the Wind Jammer and eat endless buffet for free

So back on the Wind Jammer!

*****So love this sun set!*****

By the time they got back I was feeling slightly better, so I decided to get up and showered and go to the show that night.

Juju liked it.

The show wore me out and my stomach was still not ready for food. So the family went off for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner and I went back to the room. Then I went to soak in the hot tub. While there I saw a scale. I actually lost 5 pounds with that explosion. So I guess that made everything ok. I think I am the only person in history to lose weight on a cruise.

Thanksgiving Dinner - Which I heard was AMAZING! But whey is that surprising. Everything we ate was AMAZING!

As a special treat the wait staff sang "Deep in the Heart of Texas" since most folks were from Texas

So, the next day after my 24 hours were over, I was feeling great. And just in time. We docked in Cozumel. There was another Royal Caribbean ship called the Allure of the Seas and was double the size of ours. It made our ship look like a boat. From the balcony we could see these awesome suites. One actually had a hot tub and huge dinner table on the balcony and extended 3 times the size of our balcony. Maybe next time.

We decided instead of shopping we wanted more beach action. So we went to Playa Mia.

It was completely different than the beach in Honduras. This was a beach park complete with tons of people, canoes, water trampolines, those water bikes and even some wave action.

Juju after a day of sun

Olivia my little mermaid. We actually had buried Juliana as well right next to her and also in the shape of a mermaid fin. But literally seconds before we snapped the picture, she accidentally scooped up a big handful of sand and yes, you guessed inserted said hand into mouth. That's when I ripped her out of the sand to try and get it all out. I think Juliana is more of a pool girl.

Then that night the show on the ship was a Beatles cover band and they were AWESOME!!!! I have always been a huge Beatles fan and it was great. They played all the great songs and even had costumes changes.

Then after the show.

And then for dinner we had lobster. . . . .

And steak.

This was the second formal night. Eddie and the boys

Alfons and Monika

My mom and . . . . . wait. . . . . where's my dad? Oh yeah, he refused to dress up twice on one cruise so he dined alone in the Wind Jammer with jeans and tennis shoes. To each his own.

This is just one of the many towel animals that our room attendant Bernadino made for us. It is clearly a monkey but it was really funny when we walked in and Livi yelled "Awesome! A Ghost!"

This was the elephant

And then he would arrange them with the rest of their toys.

Next day - back at the Wind Jammer.

This was Alfons and Monika's favorite spot in the Wind Jammer.

Livi got a little bored and decided she would find a million ways to wear a napkin
#1 the Babushka

#2 The Medieval Princess

#3 The Girl Scout

#4 The Veil

#5 The Bandit

And here are the love birds and the reason for this amazing vacation!

On their actual anniversary

Here is Monika swimming in the adult pool. I was so jealous that I never got to visit this pool. Probably because I always had a 3 and 5 year old girl attached to me.

More of the adult section

Here we were waiting for mom and dad to come to our suite for their surprise anniversary reception. Don't my girls look so big!

Surprise!

Kind of an evil face you make in order to open that champagne

This was part of Ray and Julie's gift to my parents. Kind of weird I know, but wait till you see the next one.

After the smile came a whole package of Bubba Teeth.

Wow! Teeth make such a difference!

Of course my dad refused to put those in his mouth because "he is not our clown!"

Pucker up!

From Alfons & Monika

Here's to 50 more!

You know that it wouldn't be long before Olivia had to get her hands on those teeth!

Thank you Jesus that she has good teeth!

Thank you Jesus that Juliana doesn't have bunny teeth! No judgement, yes she was asleep but we didn't want her to miss out on this amazing opportunity!

Poor Phillip

Monika laughing so hard she cried!

Oh Alfons

Roger AKA Buckey Beaver

Wow!

Our last dinner on the ship:(

Why do I look the size of a ship?

This was our awesome waiter Marius who I think Livi might have had a little crush on.

And here we are in line to go through customs and go home

After four hours we finally made it through and out! We stopped in Houston to have lunch with our good friends Luis and Penelope!

Rudy's Barbecue. Do you think we liked it?

A Night at Babe's

2011-11-19T10:01:00.001-06:00

So the night before the cruise, we decided we couldn't leave until we had Babe's one last time. For those not from this area, Babe's is a gem of home style cooking. They offer a very limited menu and all served family style and it is AMAZING!!!! By far one of my favorite places.

So, there are several traditions at Babe's. One is that when it's your birthday, not only do they sing to you, but you must wear a chicken on your head while you are serenaded. Well, we couldn't let this chance slip by, so naturally we told them it was Uncle Alfons' birthday. Let's just say he didn't mind:)

Then another Babe's tradition is that while you are eating, The Hokey Pokey will randomly play at which time the servers, any kids and any brave adults get up and Hokey. I think "Harvard" needs to learn her right from her left.

Here we are with all full bellies!

Don't we look happy? So we get home and finish packing because we are about to leave on our big cruise adventure the next morning. So we go and check on the kiddos before we go to bed (circa 12:30am) and walk into what can only be described as "Nightmare on Oak Meadow Drive". My poor Juliana had exploded out of both ends. And when I say "exploded" it is no exaggeration. So here we are at half past midnight bathing the poor dear, washing sheets, changing sheets, disinfecting rooms and wondering what we are supposed to do. I mean, does she have a bug, was a food poisoning (found out later it was not), will she be fine, will it get worse? Bottom line, do we get on a ship in the morning or do we cancel? So we did what any responsible parent would do. We prayed for the best and got on the ship! Stay tuned for the next chapter from the book I like to call "Two Ended Explosions!"

Holiday Program @ CDC

2011-11-17T16:36:00.000-06:00

This was Olivia's first show at her new school. Her and her bestie's got to be reindeer and it was so cute! Here she is getting ready with Ms. Devore.

Here are the 3 Amigos after the show

Here is my little ham.

And the moment you've all been waiting for. . . . . the performance. I apologize in advance because I broke my video camera and my little camera doesn't take great video. It's kind of blurry but thank God my kid is a ham because you have no problem seeing her. She is the last reindeer on the right. It is 3 minutes long, but my goodness the girl knows how to work a crowd. She does quite a finale and then entertains the crowd for awhile when someone forgot their lines temporarily.

Last Time With Peter Pan

2011-11-13T15:29:00.002-06:00

This season at Spirit Horse has sadly come to an end. Because temperatures can get pretty extreme, riding seasons only go through spring and fall. We were so glad that The Germans got to go and see how awesome Juliana is at riding before the season ended.

This is where we go to find the bridle. They have each horse's equipment with the horse's picture so they are easily identifiable.

And here of course is Peter Pan.

First we brush him

Get all his gear on. Thank God for Olivia, she is such a huge help!

And we are ready to go!

You have to know how remarkable this therapy is. We have been going for two years now. When we started our first season, Juliana was unable to hold herself up at all. We basically had to hold her up, supporting her full body weight while keeping up with the horse. We are now at the point that we just walk beside her in just in case. She is amazing!

Here is Liv - leading us in.

After riding, Juliana and I take a break, while Olivia . . . . . .

Olivia gets her turn! She is so cute. When she is on that horse, it is all business! No joking or playing around.

We did manage to get this smile out of her!

Uncle Alfons & Kayla's Geburtstag

2011-11-12T14:29:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's me trying out all my new German words. I feel like I'm making amazing progress with my German Language Acquisition, but sometimes I just have German words and phrases swimming in my brain and I don't know what they mean. But, I digress. This post is not about my GLA (German Language Acquisition) but about Alfons & Kayla's birthday! So here we go. . . .

We started off the day with a little mani-pedi. Just Monika, Melissa, Kayla and I. So, not to be stereotypical, but we went to a predominantly Vietnamese nail salon with my non-English speaking aunt. So in their limited English they are asking Monika questions (are you getting a mani and a pedi, what color etc) to which Monika of course stared blankly. So I intervened and just told her, she doesn't speak English, she is from Germany. To which she (the Vietnamese Nail Salon owner) replies, "Oh, I speak German! I live there for 5 years!" So, no more language barrier and happy mani! I should have known, her name is Heidi!

Here is Melissa getting her dogs done:)

Back at the house - Alfons and Teresa

David working on the queso.

Melissa on tacos!

And pretty Kayla helping out all over!

They are so grown!

And here is my silly girl.

Here is the boss making sure everyone does their job.

After tacos, Cake and Ice Cream of course!!!!

Since it was both their birthday cake, and quite a difference in the amount of candles, we decided to go with the only German word we were able to spell with the candle letters C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E that I had left over from another birthday party.

She couldn't wait for the ice cream. Blue Bell - I love you!!

Juju is eye-balling the cake!

Then after cake, it was time for Wii Party Dance Off! First up. . . .

And Monika was such a sport getting down with Britney Spears - Oops I did it again!

And after the kids went to bed, the big kids went out for a beer and some roasted marshmallows.

Then, the funniest thing happened. Alfons proceeded to lecture us all on how the get the perfect golden brown marshmallow. You can't let it down too low in the flame. You have to keep it at a perfect angle and patience is crucial of course and. . . . . . . before he knew it, his marshmallow was completely on fire and black as the night.

Oh, well. It was good anyway:)

We are thankful for. . . . .

2011-11-11T12:42:00.001-06:00

Tis the season to share what you are grateful for. Well, The Brooks' would like to share that we are sooooo grateful to have found Dr. Djukic. Exactly one year ago today, we were on our way to the Big Apple to meet her for the first time and she has forever changed our life. This woman has dedicated her life to our girls. She works tirelessly EVERYDAY to make life better for our girls. She has walked us through changing seizures, changing local doctors, working with school and better educating her teachers and staff about Rett Syndrome and most of all, she has given Juliana a voice. She helped us through the process of getting her an eye gaze computer and hosted a training with Linda Burkhart and now Juliana has a voice. She has opinions and thoughts. She's always had them, but Dr. Djukic has taught us how to communicate with our daughter. If we don't say it enough, Dr. Djukic we are grateful for you and all the work you do for our girls! You will always have a very special place in our hearts and you are always in our prayers!

They're Here

2011-11-07T10:35:00.003-06:00

Well, after so much anticipation, they finally arrived. . . . . . The Germans are here! "The Germans" as we like to affectionately call them are Roger's aunt and uncle from Germany - hence the nickname "The Germans". Uncle Alfons is Roger's mother's brother and they are so much alike. And no, they do no speak English, and NO I do not speak German, so communication has been a bit challenging. Roger is fluent in both, so while he is home there is no problem. And when we are alone, with the help of google translate and charades we have gotten along great! (Alfons kicks butt at charades!)

I had thought that Liv would go through a bit of shy phase until she got comfortable with them and the new language, but as soon as they walked in the door they became fast friends. Here are Olivia and Alfons playing Pretty Pretty Princess.

And here are her and Monika playing too! It was so funny to listen to them because Monika would talk in German and Liv in English and they completely understood each other.

The second night there we decided it was time to take them to some local football!

Casey found a new best friend. I wonder how much it costs to ship a dog to Germany. . . . .

I don't know if it's that they don't have squirrels in Germany or just not this many but they have been so entertained with the squirrel population in our backyard. They call this the squirrel autobaun!

Here is Liv showing off her beanie baby collection

Then she decided that she would like to play Ans in the Pants.

I guess it got a little boring because she decided it would be more fun to put the ants on her very long toes

Wow! Big Foot!

Then Monika and Alfons decided it would be nice to go swimming in NOVEMBER! They said it was perfect temperature. I guess they wouldn't like it here in the summer.

Here is Monika and Livi working out. They are spoiling her! She has never been allowed on the exercise machine until Tante Monika invited her. (side note, I LOVE the way Olivia pronounces her name. She calls her "Tuntay Moonika")

Sweet Picture!

And yes, in just 3 days, Uncle Alfons has mastered feeding Juliana and administering her meds! Rock it out!

CDC Fun Run

2011-11-06T23:46:00.002-06:00

This year Olivia started attending Children's Discovery Center in Irving. It is Christian Montessori Pre-School and we LOVE it! Each year they have a Fun Run to raise funds for all of the amazing things the school does, and let me tell you IT WAS FUN! They actually train the kids (3-5 year olds) to run one mile (well, run/walk). Olivia was really pumped and was sure she would actually win first place. Well after you factor in the fact that Olivia is NOT a morning person and the race started at 8am, her odd went down dramatically. So needless to say we did not bring home a trophy but on a bright now, she did finish the one mile race with out having a melt down!

Meet Peter Pan

2011-11-06T22:30:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, Juliana takes horse back riding therapy at Spirit Horse in Corinth, TX once a week. She had been riding a miniature pony named Pocket. He was short and adorable but a killer on our backs. Because as she rides along we walk on each side to provide her with some support when she needs it. So after several seasons with an aching back, we were so excited that Juliana got promoted to a real pony! To us of course he looks like a full grown horse, because a. what do we know about horses and b. compared to Pocket he is huge. So his name is Peter Pan and is so sweet. Here is Daddy and Juliana.

And here is her awesome instructor Crystal. She rocks!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:21:00.001-05:00

So it turns out we are getting really bad about not taking a lot of pictures. Thank God we got at least one of the girls as they were going out trick or treating. They dressed up as Tasha and Uniqua from the Backyardigans. This was an extra special Halloween because it's the first time Juliana actually gets to go. For the last two years she has been sick, either with fever or throwing up. And before that, we just thought she was too young. But this year, Thank God, both girls went out and had a great time!

8th Annual Brook' Pumpkin Carving Show Down

2011-10-28T22:20:00.001-05:00

Since 2003, The Brooks' have been proud to host the Pumpkin Carving Championship. What started off as four of us carving a pumpkin has grown into quite the competitive event. Unfortunately last year we canceled because life was very hectic and crazy and we thought there would be no time for something as fun as this. Well, this year we came to the realization that, that is our life. It will always be hectic and crazy and you have to schedule some fun things in order to keep yourself going. So we were happy to announce that the competition was back, and will be for years to come!

Some yummy pumpkin cupcakes!

Pumpkin rice crispy treats. Funny thing about these things is that I saw them on pinterest and thought they were so cute. So I decided we would make some. So I told Roger to be ready, and once the marshmallows melt drop the food color in for me. He asked how many drops and I said not alot. So he followed my directions and what we managed to do is die the marshmallows the exact same color as a rice crispy. So the first batch came out nude. Then the second batch came out slightly more orange, but not really. Moral of the story, don't be afraid of food coloring.

Kevin and Kristen hard at work!

Marisa at the painting table!

Juliana getting her paint on!

Angelina painting her pumpkin smurf

Zelma the Artist

Olivia the Artist

And of course Marisa!

Becky and Mindy working so hard they couldn't stop for a picture. . . .

Okay, fine - we'll pose. Hope it doesn't cost us the win!

And the awards go to . . . . .

For Most Awesome 2 Year Old. . . . . . . Evan!

For Craziest Pumpkin. . . . . Juliana!!! I know, she is in shock!

For Cutest Pumpkin . . . . . Angelina!

For Spookiest Pumpkin . . . . Olivia!!!

For Scariest Pumpkin. . . . Karley!

Also for Scariest Pumpkin. . . . Faith!!!!

In the adult categories. . . . .

For Best Effort . . . . . . . . Kevin!!!!! Don't worry people. This is his first go at the title. I foresee great things from him next year!

For Jacked-Up Jack-O. . . . . . . Kevin. Sorry Kevin, it was a great idea, just didn't work out:(

For Silliest Pumpkin. . . . . . Kolton for his Angry Birds Pumpkin

For Spookiest Pumpkin Ron!

The Craftsmanship Award. . . . . . Goes to Becky!!!

And this years Pumpkin Carving Master Award goes to . . . . . Mindy!!!!!

Too bad we didn't take any pictures of the actual lit pumpkins outside, but they were awesome!

Chili's Give Back Day

2011-10-27T14:45:00.001-05:00

On Friday, October 21st Chili's hosted a Give Back Night in honor of Rett Syndrome Awarenss Month! Thank you so much to all the Dream Teamers' that made this night such a HUGE success but especially to Ronda, Linda, Julie G. & Gale that ROCK'D THE HOUSE!!!!! Love you guys so much!

A Garden of Hope - These were all "planted" that day!

The "Chip In" Jars were a huge hit!

This is from Courtney's big brother - so sweet!

This awesome lady is Jen - we met her there that night and was so moved by Girl Power 2 Cure that we made her a new member of Dream Team. Jen DEFINITELY has Girl Power! Thanks Jen so much for helping us spread awareness that night!

Pint size Girl Power (and yes some Boy Power too!)

Juliana's AWESOME Speech Therapist Lily - she rocks!

Go Pacheco's! Always there for our Juliana!

And you may be wondering how much we made that night, well, drum roll please. . . . . . .. . . . . we made $320 through the "Chip In" jars and Garden of Hope and $620 from the Give Back night for a grand total of . . . . . $940 to Girl Power 2 Cure! Go TEAM!

Back in Glasses

2011-10-26T11:09:00.001-05:00

Juliana has had a long time battle with her eyes. At a little over 1 year of age, her eyes started to cross. In an effort to build strength in her eyes, the doctor recommended glasses. Here is an adorable picture of her in her glasses at 17 months in her adorable little glasses.

Unfortunately the glasses didn't do what they were intended to do, so we had the first of 2 strabismus surgeries, and fortunately following surgeries she didn't require glasses anymore. This was awesome because at that age it was so hard to get her to keep them on her face.

Well fast forward 3 years from that and we start to notice her eyes pulling out a little. So we take her to the eye doctor for a check up, thinking he might say she may need another surgery or something, when low and behold he discovers she has a pretty substantial astigmatism in both eyes requiring a pretty hefty prescription. So back into glasses we go! Good thing she looks absolutely adorable in glasses!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T10:24:00.000-05:00

I love fall! This year Olivia's school field trip was to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch. So glad I was able to go!

Olivia & Jack

Coming out of the haystack maze!

Two of our favorites - Baby E and Pablo!

The good ole gang - Jack, Evan, Liv & Faith. The only ones missing were Lexi & Sonaya.

Now time for the hay ride

Picking out our pumpkins

Now the jumping tent

Then my fearless Olivia climbed up this huge sort of inflatable without batting an eye.

And then slid all the way down. She is a dare devil for sure!

A little bit more jumping

Riding the tractor

With the Clifford gang

And then the jail birds ended up back in the slammer!

I think she fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot.

My Good Little Catholic

2011-10-24T09:10:00.003-05:00

Here is Olivia showing off her praying skills. She now knows the Our Father, Hail Mary and the Act of Contrition. She is AMAZING!

Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon

2011-10-23T23:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true. I repeat, this is not a joke. I, Kristy Brooks, am going to attempt a 1/2 Marathon. Yes, Kristy, who has absolutely no athletic ability. Why? You may be asking. Because, everyday Juliana works her booty off. At school, at therapy, everything she does is hard work. The simplest things that we take for granted are huge accomplishments for her. So, if she can do that every day and with a smile, surely I can push myself to run 13 measly miles, right?

Please consider sponsoring me on this new journey.

visit http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kristy-brooks/disneyprincesshalfmarathon-teamgp2c

Washington D.C.

2011-10-10T22:50:00.000-05:00

So after the Gala we turned into Official Washington D.C. Tourists!

First stop, the Capitol!

Next - Pennsylvania Ave.

Here we are at the World War II Memorial. There were some people with a really cool camera and they were doing a trick where it looked like they were holding the Washington Monument. We tried, but my mom didn't get how to hold her hand and unfortunately my little blue Nikon is incapable of such camera tricks. Oh well, we sure got a good laugh out of it.

These are a group of World War II Veterans that are brought in from all over the country to see the memorial. It really gave you chills to be in the presence of heroes.

This is the new MLK Jr. Memorial.

It is really cool because it is MLK coming out of a stone.

With this inscribed. Very inspiring.

Love this quote

Next stop was the FDR Memorial and I have to say, this was by far one of my favorites. The following was a quote by Elenor regarding what she felt FDR's handicap had given him. . . . . . Really made me think of Juliana.

This was one of my favorite pieces in the FDR Memorial - Along with our awesome tour guide!

This was the Korean War Memorial. It was really awesome. From a far you see a glossy wall reflecting the soldiers in front of it.

But when you stand in front you see the laser etched faces of actual soldiers that fought in that war.

The other cool thing is that the face pictured below is Alan Alda, who is the only face on the wall of someone who did not actually fight in the war. But they included Alan, because he had done so much to make this memorial happen.

Lincoln Memorial - This one I remember seeing when I came in middle school. But it was way cooler as an adult. I guess you just can't appreciate this stuff in middle school.

This is the view from the Lincoln Memorial looking over the reflecting pool - unfortunately is was drained and completely under construction. But what was especially cool about this picture is that I was standing in the exact location that MLK stood when he gave his "I have a dream" speech.

Now that gave me chills for sure!

And this was another of my favorites. This was at the Vietnam Memorial it was the statue of soldier and nurse. This has got to be one of the most emotional statues. The expression on their faces will actually bring tears to your eyes. You have Mercy tending the soldiers wounds, Hope is looking in the sky for help. . .

and Faith is behind them praying.

Wow! So after a long day of sight seeing we sat down for a drink. We went to a Mexican restaurant in National Harbor as we waited for Roger to pick us up. Have to say it was DELICIOUS!

Then, after a great day we came home to an amazing gourmet meal made by the one and only Jenny Beth. Thanks so much Jenn - We had a great time!

And before we left, we went for brunch with Cassie & Brian.

To Juliana's Dream Team

2011-10-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

This is the award that was presented to us and to our Dream Team at the Georgetown Gala.

From the bottom of our hearts - if we don't say it enough -

THANK YOU DREAM TEAM!

Without your help we could never have accomplished all the things that we have done!

Our cure is close and when it comes it will be thanks to all of your hard work.

We love you!

Georgetown Gala!

2011-10-06T19:39:00.000-05:00

On September 23, 2011 we had the pleasure of attending the 1st Annual Georgetown Gala to benefit Girl Power 2 Cure.

The Ad Journal

It was held at the Sequoia in Georgetown

Beautiful sunset

The art auction

And yes, this is Mary Amons, founder of Labels for Love and yes from the Real Housewives of D.C. We were so honored to have her and her father attend our event.

Cassie and Brian - I can't believe we hadn't seen Cassie in over ten years! So good to catch up!

Girl Power cupcakes donated by Georgetown Cupcakes

They were delicious and we even got to take one home!

My mom & Evelyn - having a great time!

This was the band the Silver Liners - and they were so much fun!

Crayons for writing messages to Rett Girls!

Then came the moment of surprise. We knew that Ingrid would be sharing Juliana's story at the event. We were so excited about sharing her story with so many people, but what we didn't know. . . . . .

Is that we were also being honored as "Outstanding Family of the Year" We were so shocked and honored. Truly a special moment.

Some of the Board of Directors for Girl Power 2 Cure

Finally enjoying that Georgetown Cupcake!

Chatting with Mary Amons!

My college roomies!

Ingrid & Kelly you ladies rock!

This is Maisy's Awesome Family from New York!

Us with Mary - So we were a little star struck!

These were all of the amazing Rett mom's that I had the pleasure of being with that night. It's so funny, because although I had only ever met 2 of these ladies in person, we all felt like we'd known each other for years. It's a special kind of bond. I'm sure we all wish we didn't have to be a part of this club, but if we have to I'm so glad to have these ladies with me.

Showing off our Girl Power Rings!

The Rett Families now

And now the Rett Dads!

Amy Fox - Also on the Board of Directors

Mom & Evelyn Again!

Mary and Ingrid

What a wonderful evening!

Sisters ROCK!

2011-10-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

So, on our ride to school this morning (me, Livi and Livi's friend) the girls start talking about the tooth fairy. Normal things a 3 & 4 year old would say. You know, how they can't wait, and how they are going to put their tooth under the pillow etc. So Livi asks how much longer till she will get a visit from the tooth fairy. I tell her probably when she's about 5 or 6. She immediately responds "Juju is 5!". So yes, we talk about how Juju will probably loose a tooth sometime soon etc. When all of a sudden her friend asks, "Why is Juju 5 and she can't talk?" It was said with no ill intent and completely innocently from a 4 year old, but I have to say it caught me completely off guard. Like a jab to the gut. I sat their speechless, like how do I explain this to a 4 year old. Do I start off by saying she has Rett Syndrome which causes apraxia. And how her brain is not communicating with body and she is basically trapped in a body that doesn't work. But that she totally understands everything etc. So as I sat there for a nano second contemplating how to handle this, Livi, with out skipping a beat very defensively announces, "Yes she can talk! You just have to look at her eyes and she will talk to you. You can also ask her yes and not with her buttons and she has a talking computer." And her friend, satisfied with her answer, said, "Oh." Why can't I think as fast as my 3 year old daughter? Why? Because my heart is not as pure as hers. She is completely oblivious that anyone might think her sister is "different". She just loves her big sister with all her heart and is more than ready to defend her. Thank God for sisters.

Watch Out World - Brooks Babes are Kickin' Boot-Tay!

2011-09-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

Just have to brag about what an awesome week the girls have had. And here is why:

1. Olivia got her red balloon at school. They have all the letters of the alphabet grouped into 5 "balloons". When they can identify those letters and tell the sound they get a balloon. She now has 4 out of the 5 balloons!
2. Juliana took 325 steps at school one day this week (and over 200 another!)
3. Livi has memorized her 3rd prayer and quickly on to her fourth (she currently knows the Our Father, Hail Mary and Act of Contrition - working on Glory Be)
4. Juliana answered "where" questions with her teacher with 100% accuracy - Go Ms. Morton and her awesome team!!!
5. Olivia is training at school for a Fun Run Fundraiser. She comes home exhausted everyday. Today she fell asleep on the couch before dinner and decided to call it a night.
6. At Music Therapy Juliana accurately identified all colors of shaker eggs
7. Also at Music Therapy she attempted to sing with Che Ho several times and picked up and shook the tambourine!
8. When asked after Music therapy was over if she thought she had done a good job, Juliana firmly answered, "YES!" I would say so!

It's so easy to get bogged down when something doesn't go as planned or you hit a little bump in the road. But boy, you have a week like this and you feel like you can take on the world. These girls are truly amazing and we are so lucky to get to be their parents!

Follow Up to - Juliana is a Rebel

2011-09-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

So, for those of you keeping up with my rebel daughter, I thought I would share the outcome. So, she got home and I asked her with her yes/no buttons if she had a good day. And she quickly said "Yes". I asked if she was a good girl and did she listen to her teachers and she quickly responded "Yes". Then I asked if she had apologized and she immediately broke eye contact and would not answer. I thought this might just be a fluke, or maybe she was tired of answering questions. So I let it go and go find her notebook that her teacher and I correspond it and this is what it read, "We turned on her computer and asked her if she had anything to say to us and she quickly responded, "I was just kidding"" What do you say to that. Typical five year old. OMG!!! Did I just say that? Can you see me smiling?!!!!!

Juliana the Rebel - isn't it ironic. . . . . .

2011-09-15T22:07:00.000-05:00

So, it's official. Today, Thursday, September 15, 2011 is the first day in her entire life that Juliana got in trouble at school. And I have to say, I couldn't be happier! Why? You may be asking. Well let me explain. Juliana's teachers are very good at writing me daily notes in her notebook. Usually they tell what they did that day or what she did well so that I can talk about it with Juliana each night. But today. . . . today, the note read and I quote, "Juliana was very stubborn today. She refused to make ANY choices." Can you guess why I'm happy? Well let me tell you, I'm happy that for once SHE chose to not do anything. Not because she fell asleep or because she had a seizure or because she was anxious. She didn't make any choices simply because she chose not to. She was a typical 5 year old today and CHOSE to disobey. And I know some people may be thinking that I am encouraging her to be bratty, but I'm not. In fact, her and I had a serious conversation about what she had done. I didn't praise her for it, but I did secretly celebrate inside. And in addition to all of that, what absolutely gave me chills is that when we were having our serious discussion about school she continued to nod at me when I asked, "Do you understand me?" And then I told her that she was going to have to apologize to her teachers tomorrow. I told her "Let's go to your computer and let me show you how you are going to say you are sorry for wasting the day." So I show her (Turn the page, I'm sorry for my PODD buddies), I ask her if she understands and she nods YES! And then, wait for it. . . . .. I asked her to show me and she said "I'm sorry" with her computer!!!!! I love it! And the last and final reason that I am so excited about her misbehavior today. . . . . . .. I am soooooooo happy that her teachers know her well enough to know what she is capable of and know that this is unacceptable. Thank you for pushing her everyday to be her best and never giving up on her.

2011-09-09T22:10:00.003-05:00

This is Juliana with her Music Therapist Che Ho. She absolutely loves her time with him. What is awesome is that in addition to loving the instruments, she often times tries to sing. Of course, I never manage to capture those sessions on film, but I think this video is very telling. You can clearly see her wanting to make a sound but not being able to carry it out. You can see her taking a deep breath and moving her tongue but nothing happens, then the frustration hits and she starts putting her hands in her mouth. Come on science - my little singer needs a cure!

September 5, 2011!

2011-09-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

Juju's 5th Birthday!

2011-09-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to believe, but my little girl is 5! In some ways it feels like a few days ago I was pregnant with her and in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago. She has grown and matured in so many ways, and we have learned so much. Some things we've learned by trial and error, some things from our amazing doctors and therapist, but most of what we've learned in the past 5 years has been from my dear sweet daughter. The most valuable, to name just a few have been in the way of patience, perseverance, love, faith, strength and a positive attitude. She has proven to us that all things are possible (both in good ways and bad) and that you can get through just about anything with her amazing laugh. I'm still not sure why God chose us to be the parents of this amazing girl, but I thank him everyday for the honor. Happy Birthday my little Sweet Pea! We love you so much and we are so very proud of you!

This was her first party that she had for her friends:

This is Mrs. West's Cannon Ball - Pretty Impressive!

Hello Daddy!!!! I think she's thirsty!

This was her favorite gift that day. Thanks Jack & Patrick!

Check out that fro! This is what happens to her and her Auntie Laura's hair when wet. I swear they could be twins!

This was her second birthday party this year for Mommy and Daddy's friends and all our family!

The Aunties

Baby E - We love him!

Okay, so I must admit, these pictures are from the tail end of the party. Apparently no one had enough sense to take out a camera. There were many more people than we captured in the last half hour of the party but here's what we got:(

Juliana and her favorite friend. I know I've mentioned this before, but it is unbelievable how Auntie Laura and her just connect. Although they don't see each other but a few times a year, the minute they are together it's like they were never apart. She laughs the loudest and hardest when she is with Auntie Laura. I really think they are twins - they both have afro's when their hair is wet, they generally look alike in the face, they both love pizza, they both love Mickey Mouse, the list could go on and on.

Here she is opening her new Twinkle Toes from her shoe fairy (aka Omi) She always gets the best shoes!

Happy Birthday to my big girl. Many many more to come!

First Day of School 2011-2012!

2011-08-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

I can't believe another school year is officially in full swing! 2011-2012 brings a lot of changes for Olivia. She is no longer going to Mrs. West's home daycare (Mrs. West retired). She is officially a pre-schooler. She is attending Children's Discovery Center, a Christian Montessori school and happy to report she LOVES it! She is the bravest 3 year old I know. She had absolutely no fear or anxiety about starting at her new school. Here she is the morning of her first day. In fact, the only problem we had came at the end of the day. You know, most kids cry when they are dropped off and taken away from their parents. Well, not Olivia. She cried BECAUSE I came to pick her up. You can imagine how proud I felt as a parent, ripping my child away from her new school in tears.

And here are my girls together. Don't let Juju fool you. She was MORE than ready to go back to school. We have discovered this summer that she gets bored at home. You know how "most kids" would be extra tired the first couple of days back to school. Well you guessed it, not Juliana. She has been more alert and awake since she's been back to school than the whole summer she was off.

Here she is with Ms. Linda at Our Children's House. Juliana comes here for about an hour and a half before the school bus picks her up and then for about an hour after school. She also gets all her therapy here. What a blessing - We love you OCH!

Here is Livi getting dropped off for her first day. Look at her - not even a little nervous!

I guess it helps that all her friends from Mrs. West's house ended up together again at CDC!

And here are some great pictures of Juliana at her school Clifton. Because her birthday is in September, she got to have an extra year of Pre-Kinder which we were thrilled about. This means she will have the same teachers for 3 years. Juliana LOVES them and they love her and better yet the know her. Here they are reviewing colors.

Another reason we are so happy with Clifton is that they have been awesome at implementing her PODD book. They were just as excited as we were about this system.

Thank you Jesus - We are off to a great start!

The Circus in Town!

2011-08-15T20:36:00.000-05:00

For those of you Circus-hating, PETA-loving folks - let me save you some time. Stop reading now, because guess what? This family loves the circus! I had not been to the circus since around 1987. So this year I decided the girls were old enough to appreciate such a grand show, and I was right! I think Olivia and I had the most fun. I actually felt like a kid again. Juliana loved parts of it, then she'd get a little overwhelmed with all the lights and action and would literally "check out" for a little 15 minute power nap. She would wake up ready for another circus chunk and then repeat the cycle. Here are just a few of my favorite shots from that day.

During the awake part!

Book Worm!

2011-08-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

It's true - The girls are a bunch of book worms. This is awesome because Roger and I never really were. But it makes me so happy that they are so excited by books. We've been going to the library all summer and they LOVE it! We've discovered a new author (Jan Thomas) that Olivia is in love with. We have check out all of her books (and recently extended our loan because she is not ready to give them up). Her two favorites are "A Birthday for Cow" and "The Dog House". If you haven't read them I highly recommend them. They are just funny and they involve turnips. So if you are interested, here is Olivia reading "A Birthday for Cow". I know it's kind of long, and the story itself is not that funny. What's funnier is how funny Olivia finds the book. So enjoy.

A Little Late but. . . . . .

2011-07-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

I couldn't miss sharing with you an amazing video that our friend Chris W. at CFM Communications made for us. This is a "compilation" of all of the Dream Team's accomplishments up until April of 2011 that we shared at the Golf Tournament. It is really special to us and highlights some of the "wins" we've had over the last couple of years. As always, a huge thanks to our Dynamic Dream Team, whom without none of this would have been possible. And remember, this is just the beginning. . . . you ain't seen nothing yet!!!!!!

From Your Little Mouth Straight to God's Ears

2011-07-31T17:00:00.001-05:00

So, this afternoon while we are having dinner Olivia starts telling me about all the things she is going to do when she "gets big". You know, she is going to wear make up, she is going to be big like me, and be a mommy (the usual stuff). And the she said,

"And you know mommy that I am going to drive when I get big" (terror filled my heart when she said this) and then she followed it up with "And I'm going to drive me and Juju to the water park and we are going to go all by our selves because we will be big girls!" Juliana smiled big and for a second I pictured them, both big girls, and heading to the water park all by them selves! Thank God for amazing sisters! I can't wait to see them driving off like Thelma and Louise!

3rd Annual Monteleone Fundraiser for Rett Syndrome!

2011-07-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

I figured I would start this post with a picture from the first day we got to El Paso. Picture the mood, we had just driven over 10 hours in 2 days, stayed in a rancid hotel room and it's HOT. Juliana's mood was pretty "ho-hum" given the circumstances; but you should have seen her face when her Auntie Laura walked into the room! OMG! I hadn't seen her giggle like that in awhile. She absolutely LOVES her Auntie Laura and Uncle Gary. So despite the long trip, this face was totally worth it!

Which brings us to the BIG DAY!

Special thanks to our sponsors!

This room is known as the "Speak Easy Room" and this is the last time I saw the room empty!

The back of the restaurant!

Sign up sheets for the Auction. It was pretty cool. So all day you could bid on item in a (like a silent auction) then in the evening it would change to a live auction! So much Fun!

The following are just a lot of the amazing people that made this day possible. The El Paso Dream Team brought in over $18,000! Thank you to everyone who helped cook, clean, wait tables, clean tables, sell tickets, get sponsors, get donations, sell raffle tickets and everything else that you did to make the day such a huge success. And thanks to all the hundreds of El Pasoans that supported this event by dining with us that day or by your generous donations. We can't thank you enough!

Roger sitting down on the job!

Omi with the secret recipe!

Even the Bishop of El Paso came out to show support! Thank you Bishop Ochoa!

Hanging out at the jail!

Patio with a DJ! Thanks Guys!

Taking a break inside! Always a smile with Auntie Laura!

I want to know their funny secret!

Just some of the hundred of to-go orders they prepared!

Thanks Laura for face painting!

These guys are the local celebrities "Outbreak" and awesome band that played for us that day! You guys ROCK!

This is Mr. Frindina - We stayed at his beautiful Holiday Inn Express in Downtown El Paso! If was very nice and a perfect location for us! Thank you so much!

And these were our wonderful auctioneers!

This is a piece of art donated by Eastwood High School Art Department - also happens to be Omi's FAVORITE gum!

This is a piece that Gary's sister made from California. Thanks Chris!

Roger and Beth A.K.A the accountants for the evening!

And this is Mr. Frindina as we were leaving. Thanks again for your wonderful hospitality!

July 19, 2011 - Officially Rett Syndrome Awareness Day in Honor of Juliana Brooks!

2011-07-26T12:35:00.000-05:00

I can't say enough what a special day this was for us and for all of the Dream Team. Auntie Laura's friend Xochitl (also the genius responsible for all of the fabulous pictures) got it done for us. July 19, 2011 was officially declared Rett Syndrome Awareness Day in Honor of Juliana Brooks. Here is the Team arriving at City Hall that morning.

Of course, all in our Girl Power shirts!

Was she excited or what!

Just waiting for the big moment!

Skyline of El Paso which sits behind City Council Members

Then Mayor Cook arrived!

High Five to Livi!

High Five to Juju!

Once the Proclamation was announced they invited our whole team to go up and meet the City Council!

Gary Monteleone thanking the Council.

Then they invited us up to take a picture with everyone!

My final thank you to my hometown!

After the proclamation!

And the actual proclamation!

And if the pictures weren't enough for you, please watch the actual footage from the event!