A White Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was pretty low-key for the Costain family this year. We went to my parent's house this morning and had the most fattening and delicious lunch ever. My mom made a traditional feast and my dad and uncle made prime rib and chicken/shrimp fettuccine alfredo. I lost about 9 lbs. while I was in the hospital earlier this week, but I'm pretty sure I gained it all back today!
This evening, we went to my father-in-law's house for dinner. I didn't eat much, since I was still full from lunch, but the food was good and we had a lot of fun playing with our sweet niece, Sammi and conversing with the rest of the fam.
Sydney climbed in my lap at one point and said, "I make you happy, don't I mama?" It's reassuring when my children say something so positive without my forcing it upon them. I really love that kid...
All that being said, I have a lot of things to be thankful for this year: The miraculous preservation of my marriage, my beautiful, smart and healthy children, my God-fearing family, my faithful friends and confidantes and the knowledge that my salvation is secure in Christ.
Happy Thanksgiving...

Appendicitis?!

I somehow managed to end my great weekend in a pretty crummy way. Sunday night, I started having some rather severe abdominal pain that just wouldn't subside. By 10:00, Brad and I decided that it would be a good idea to take a trip to the ER to make sure everything was ok. Long story short, I didn't get out of the hospital until Tuesday morning. My symptoms all pointed to appendicitis, but the two CT scans I had proved otherwise.

I'm glad to be home, but it seems I brought a cold home with me. I can't win... )o:

Twilight and Cocktails with Friends, New and Old...

I'd been looking forward to my Twilight plans for several weeks and I'm happy to say that it was not a disappointment. The movie was not great, as my imagination is far superior to whomever wrote the screen play. They seemed to cram in a whole lot of book into one 2 hour movie, and it just didn't do the novel justice.
After the movie, we headed downtown for some Italian food and a couple cocktails at 15C. While the movie was a let down, the company was superb. I invited myself and my friend, Angie to tag along with my friend, Tarah and several of her girlfriends. I'm making a conscious effort lately to branch out and meet new people - so far, it has paid off in a really positive way. I'm all about personal growth!
I had fun reacquainting myself with a couple High School friends and getting to know Tarah's friends and sisters-in-law, and before long, we seemed to be playing 6 degrees of separation. Colorado Springs will always be a small town for those of us who grew up here. It's fun to learn who knows whom and how...
I try not to re-visit High School often but, in this scenario, it was a lot of fun. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time.
So, cheers to new friends and old. And, to those of you who were unable to join us, here's to next time!

Fat Turkeys Are We...

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's Sydney's version of "Fat Turkeys Are We". (o:

Crazy Neighbors...

Apparently, we have a neighbor who's a little...ummm...unstable. Check out this sign he posted in his front yard:

I've come up with a crazy scenario as to what it all means but, in truth, I have no idea why someone would put something like this in their front yard. Kind of sad, isn't it?

Poor Ginna Rose...

I promised I'd put up a picture of Gin with her new braces. It's not a great pic - she was waaaay too miserable for a photo shoot on Monday. My poor baby is such a trouper... She can't talk, can't eat, and is so sore that she isn't sleeping well. But, she is hanging in there nicely and has barely complained. She had better have perfect teeth when this process ends, or the Orthodontist will see my not-so-pleasant side!

She's currently under construction... My poor, sweet girl. )o:

Garden of the Gods and UFC 91

Last week, Ginna had a field trip to Garden of the Gods. I've lived here in the Springs nearly all my life and had only ever driven through the park, so I was really looking forward to the hike and guided tour. The weather was nice and warm, but the wind blew at 50 mph the entire time we were there. Aside from that, we had a nice time.

Gin's BFF, Valerie got to ride with us, which she and Gin both were very excited about. Valerie is a sweet little girl and I'm thankful that Ginna has such a good friend this year.

This is really the only decent picture I got while we were there. It was just too windy!

Saturday night was UFC 91. Those of you who know us well know that we're HUGE UFC fans. We get made fun of A LOT for it, but it's something we enjoy doing together.

Gearing up for the fight... Some of our friends were supposed

watch the fights with us, but they got a better offer. We're not bitter, though.

Sadly, the main event was a bit of a disappointment... )o:

Acting like a fool always makes me feel better! (o:

Anniversary Trip

A long weekend in the Costain family mountain vacation home was a great way to celebrate our anniversary. I can't remember the last time that Brad and I were able to spend four days alone. (Wait...How old is Ginna? (o:) By Saturday morning, I was really missing the kids and by Sunday, I was definitely ready to come home.
Brad was able to take some pictures, and I took a picture of him taking a picture! This is the view of Turkey Rock from the deck. This picture does not do the view justice, though. It really is breathtaking...

Brad's bike was not cooperating and refused to start on our first attempt at a good ride.

It was just a spark plug. Brad got his bike running and we were off! We didn't ride any trails, since I'm still learning to operate my bike, but we still had a nice ride.

On Thursday night, our actual anniversary, we watched our wedding video. We both agree that our ceremony was a little long, but the wedding was beautiful. It was fun to remember that time in our lives...

Brad bought me some beautiful roses. Happy Anniversary!!

10 Years

Today is no different than any other day I've had lately, except that today marks the day 10 years ago that Brad and I were married. There was a time not so long ago that this day seemed as if it would never happen. I am so thankful that God's plan is bigger than my own.
Thank you to all of you who have prayed for and supported us over the years. Your friendship is everything.
And, to those of you who haven't, stop reading my blog and mind your own business!! (o:
We're heading to the mountains for a few days of r&r. Love to you all and we'll see ya when we return!

P.S. I love you, Brad. Happy Anniversary!

99 Balloons - Please Take the Time to Watch

I watch Oprah much less often than I used to, but I was lucky enough to catch it the other day when this segment aired. Please, please take the time to watch it. It has had a profound impact on me personally, as well as on many others. It is a vivid representation of the battle that we Pro-Life "zealots" are embarking upon with the impending election. Every life counts. So, please, hug your babies and take the time to hit your knees tonight and thank God that they are alive and well. Keep in mind that under Obama's plan for our country, the baby in this video would've been allowed to die after 7 months of gestation if his parents had chosen not to deliver a "less than perfect" baby. His short life had a greater impact than that of so many people that live an average life span.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0

And So It Begins...

So, today was the beginning of the process of Ginna getting her braces. Avery had to have a couple teeth slenderized, so we decided to get it all over with in one day. The Dr. was running a little late, so we killed some time by taking some self portraits in the waiting room...

Silly girls...

Avery before her procedure... Always smiling! (o:

Ginna, before her procedure... So brave.

And, Ginna after... She had to have one filling, two teeth pulled and four spacers put in. She did great!

Happy Halloween!

The weather this Halloween was amazing! Trick-or-treating was more fun this year for that reason alone... Thanks to the Moraleses for letting us tag along around their neighborhood, as it's nearly impossible to trick-or-treat in our "neighborhood" of 5 acre plots of land in between houses. Good times...

Sydney (Grumpy Fairy), Avery (Southern Belle), Jenny (Carmen's sister as a Pink Lady), Hailey (Goth / Dancer / Cutie Pie)???, and Ginna (Sharpay)

Too Cute...