Our Trip to Denver for Christmas

So along with the Christmas slide show below, I have finally got around to posting some pictures from our trip to Denver for Christmas. Since I only felt good the first 2 days there, most of these pictures are from then. We had a great time while we could. The first couple pictures are from our time spent with Brandon's Dad. Owen had so much fun at his Grandpa's house and really loved stealing his recliner chair. He also had a blast playing in the patch of left over snow in his backyard and helping Grandpa open and close the garage door! The very best was when we got to take Grandpa's dog Sierra to the Dog Park! Owen was so amazed with all the Dog's and couldn't stop saying "Woof, Woof!" After our stay with Brandon's Dad we headed on to see his Mom. We stayed at her house the last 2 nights in Denver. I think Owen had equally as much fun there. He loved running up and down all her stairs and turning on all the radios in her house! A few other things we did was meet up with some of our really good friends, Travis & Heather, for breakfast and then later for a night of bowling with them. We also went to a mall to walk around and Owen and I even got to take a ride on a little train there! Last but not least we went to the Denver Aquarium with Brandon's Aunt, Uncle and cousins for a day of fun. Enjoy the pictures.

Christmas 2009

Okay, so I know it's a week and a half after Christmas, but I am finally getting around to posting some pics from Christmas. Thanks to every one's prayers and an amazingly helpful husband I am finally feeling normal again. Well, however normal you can feel being 9 weeks pregnant and a mommy of a 19 month old! The first couple of pictures are from our house with Owen opening his presents from his Auntie & Uncle and his Nana & Pampo before we headed off to Denver. Since I was so sick the pictures aren't the greatest, but I tried really hard to get what I could. Owen got so many nice gifts and people were way too generous. I will try and post some more pictures later of him actually playing with his new toys. Here is a list of some cool things Owen got: A new wardrobe including shoes, a Tricycle, a play tent, a train set, an Elmo construction truck, Diego's Rescue Pack, a potty, a remote control car, puzzles, books, a basketball hoop, and the list goes on. Thank you everyone for all your generous gifts. Owen now has more stuff then he or I know what to do with, J/K. Enjoy the pictures!

Quick Announcement & Christmas Update

Announcement

This holiday season Brandon, Owen and I received the very best gift we could have ever asked for. You guessed right, Brandon and I are expecting Baby Burgess #2! We tried to keep it a secret for as long as possible, but the word has officially leaked out. Owen is so excited about being a big brother and points to every ones belly and says "Baby" every opportunity he gets. We are so blessed that God has entrusted another one of his children into our care and will be anxiously awaiting his or her arrival in early August!!!!

Christmas Update

On another note, many of you are probably wondering why I haven't posted any Christmas pictures yet. Well, it may be another week or so, but I promise they are coming. The holidays weren't quite what we had expected. Here is a quick recap of the past week. (Warning: this is a really long story!) It all started on Sunday, December 20th. Brandon, Owen and I got onto a plane and headed up to Denver to spend the holidays with Brandon's family. We got there safe and sound and spent the first couple of days with Brandon's Dad. Brandon was set to come home on Christmas evening and Owen and I were going to stay until Tuesday, December 29. Well on Wednesday we headed over to Brandon's mom's to stay the remainder of our trip there. I started to feel a bit sick, but tried to ignore it since we were on vacation, and O' yea, it's Christmas! Well, Thursday morning, Christmas Eve, I woke up (or not since I tossed and turned all night) with a terrible stomach ache, head ache and just feeling extremely yucky! Brandon and I decided since it was getting pretty bad that I should probably be seen, so we headed out to Urgent Care. Well, we came home with some meds and I was diagnosed with a Urinary Tract Infection, an Upper Respiratory Infection and the Stomach Flu! Well we went over to Brandon's Grandparents house that night as planed and lucky me I got to watch everyone eat his Grandma's delicious home cooked Christmas dinner. We opened presents and went back to his mom's. Well, during this whole time, I am progressively getting worse and worse. To the point I could barely even walk, I was basically hunched over in a ball on the couch. We decided it would be best to switch my flight for Owen and I to come home with Brandon instead of staying longer since I may need to get home since I was so sick. Well, Christmas morning, we woke up opened presents, packed up and headed to the airport. Wow, what an adventure that was. I could barely walk and was so sick to my stomach, but somehow God helped me pull through and make it home, flight delayed and all. Our good friend Gavin picked us up from the airport and dropped me off at the ER on the way to drop off Brandon and Owen at home. Well, I spent Christmas night in the ER for about 7 hours while they pumped me full of fluids and ran a few tests. Thank God, they said Baby seems to be doing very well and diagnosed me with a Urinary Tract Infection and Gastroenteritis and sent me home with some more meds. Gastroenteritis is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. I haven't ate a decent meal in about 5 days but I do feel like I am making some really small progress and have strong hope that I will get over this very soon. Thank You everyone for all your prayers and for everyone that called to check in on me and baby and all the assistance everyone has offered to us. We are so blessed to have such amazing Friends and Family by are side through extremely tough times as these. Well, I promise to post some Christmas pictures soon, but my main priority as of now is making sure baby and I are taken care of. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Years to you all in case I don't get back to blogging before than.

Small Group Christmas Party!

So blogging is the absolute last thing in the world I should be doing right now, but O' well. Seriously, we leave for Denver tomorrow and I have nothing packed yet and my washer and drier are beeping at me to fold my laundry and I am seriously trying to tune it out. I am in denial about everything I need to and should be doing and I really hate packing. So I am choosing to blog instead. This past Wednesday, Brandon and I hosted our first Small Group Christmas Party. We actually combined our small group with our old leaders small group and made it one big giant party! The theme was a Crappy Christmas Sweater and a Cookie Exchange Party. It was a blast! Most everyone, with the exception of a few party poopers, came dressed in some pretty nasty looking Christmas sweaters. It was pretty funny, even Owen had a crappy Christmas sweater on. At then end of the night we voted on the ugliest sweater and that person got a little gift from Brandon and I. We also had a cookie exchange. Everyone brought a dozen cookies and we all pigged out on junk food and then everyone got to take a dozen assorted cookies home with them. It was a lot of fun and super delicious. On top of everything we even had a fun White Elephant gift exchange. That is always fun watching everyone open ridiculous gifts. Here are some fun pictures from our night. Merry Christmas!!!!The Burgess' all dressed up in our Crappy Christmas Sweaters. Like Owens? It was way too small and we bought it at Goodwill. He was such a good sport and made that ugly sweater look good!

He loves posing for the camera!

The Williams' family dressed in their Tacky T-Shirts. Brandon & Blake. Yes boys, you look very tough wearing your wonderful women's sweaters? Me and Jess. Don't we look awesome in our sweater vests?And the White Elephant Gift Exchange begins. A Rubber Mallet anyone? Or the always wonderful Nuns Having Fun Calendar!Or the always intriguing used sports equipment!
But seriously, what could be better than Aqua Globes?Wow! Check out that sweater. I haven't seen one like that since the early 80's. Anyone remember the cupcake decorating book I got for my Birthday. Well I decided to try it out! Here are the ornament cupcakes I stayed up all night making the night before the party! And here is our wonderful assortment of cookies. They were all so delicious!

Chick-Fil-A Santa Cow!

A couple days ago a good friend of mine and I decided to take our kids to family night at Chick-Fil-A. We had heard that the Chick-Fil-A cow was going to be dressed up like Santa! How fun right? Well, Owen didn't really think so. He loved talking and shaking hands with Mr. Santa Cow but totally freaked out when I tried to sit him on his lap. Here is a picture of Owen trying to wiggle out of Santa Cow's arms before breaking into tears! Maybe next year will be better, I guess he still has a little stranger anxiety, especially strange men dressed up like cow's wearing Santa's outfit! I guess I would be freaked out too...