Brooklyn turned 2 June 2007

Brooklyn turned 2 in June of 2007. She is getting so big. She is starting to get her own little personality, and boy watch out it is quite the personality. She is so beautiful. We love her so much

Christmas tree cutting 07

Our tradition that we have started is to go cut our own Christmas tree, after Stetsons birthday. In 2007 we went up to Pomerelle area with my parents. There was so much snow and it was so much fun. Brooklyn wasn't to sure about it but Stetson had a blast. My dad had just had a shoulder accident so it was kind of hard for him, but he did great too. We walked and walked and walked , only to find the perfect tree just a few yard from the pickup. At least it was something we could laugh about later.

Stetsons 5th birthday

Stetson turned 5 in December of 2007, this year we had a John Deere Themed birthday, it was super fun and we had lots of friends come over and help us celebrate....I can't hardly believe that he is getting so big already. It just seemed like yesterday that he was my little 4 pounder, now he is a young man.

Camping 7-07

We love to camp... it is an absolute must if you are going to live in Idaho. This trip was up at Lake Cleveland. We stayed only one night but it was so much fun. Brooklyn wasn't walking yet but, she still had fun. Stetson is made for the outdoors, he is a true boy through and through. He loves to be dirty and be outside. Fishing wasn't quite his thing, he didn't really have the patience, he's more into the cast and reel in, cast and reel in type of fishing. But all in all we had a great family outing. I can't wait for the summer months to come again so we can pack up and go some more.....

Bull Riding

One of Blakes greatest passions is Bull Riding. He has much time and money invested into it, and is already trying to get Stetson started too, by muttin bustin. I love watching him ride, but my heart sinks every time I hear his name called. He doesn't do it as much now that we have kids, but I know that he would like to do it much more than he gets to. As far as Stetson goes, its not his greatest passion in life, but he sure likes to pretend, and wear his "gear".

Our Story

We met in August of 2000, this was just an uncomfortable "hi" at the local fair. Blake said that he had first seen me earlier that year in July at my sisters house but still to this day I can not remember him there. We finally met and were in the same room in November of that same year. And its been history ever since then. I was 18 and had just graduated from high school.....Blake was 16 and still in high school, this I did not know until we had been dating for a few months. I know that doesn't say much about how observant I am, but I like to say I was just blinded by LOVE. We dated, he got into his senior year. I had moved out of my parents house and got my ouwn place, which he stayed at frequently....oops, I think some would call that sinning, but it was fun. All that "fun" lead up to us getting a surprise announcement in March of Blake's senior year.....we were going to be having a baby. Wow what a shocker this was, I was young and Blake was even younger. What were two kids going to do with a baby? We definately had our hard times. But so far we have made it through all of them. We had our precious Stetson in 2002. Then we were faced with the unsettling news that he had a rare chromosome disorder, that he genetically got from me. Let me tell you this has got to be a mothers worst nightmare. All I wanted was the best for him, now all I good do is hope for the best in the situation we were faced with. There have been many rough times dealing with this but we are strong, and Stetson being as wonderful as he is has helped us push through. He faces many medical and developmental issues, but is such a trooper through it all. Blake and I deal with things one day at a time that is all that we can do. When Stetson was one we moved to Pocatello so that Blake could go to school. We only lived there for about six months before we moved back to Burley, what can we say our roots were stronger than we realized, we couldn't stand to be away from home. Blake finished school from Burley riding the bus back and forth to Poci. In May of 2005 he graduated from ISU with Diesel Technichian certificate. I couldn't have been prouder of him. Of those of you that know him, you know what he has been through in life, and those that don't well lets just say life hasn't been handed to him very easily and this is such a wonderful accomplishment for him. He is the first and so far only on both sides of his family to actually graduate from college. And he is so great at what he does. He started working in Heyburn at Lake City Trucks in June of 2005, and 18 days later we had our beautiful little Brooklyn. This was one of those super hard time in our life that we made it through holding on to each other with all our might. We came so close to losing her in the beginning. I will never forget that day for the rest of my life. Unfortunaley this was just the beginning of more struggles. Our little princess was also diagnosed with the same chromosome disorder as Stetson. "A Mother's Worst Night Mare". Now we had two children that have to face an already harsh world with disabilities that would make it even more challenging. Our little Brooklyn's first year and a halt was so hard, she struggled with so many health issues. But after meeting some wonderful doctors and a few risky surgeries, she is doing great now. Blake and I were married on November 11, 2005 the 5 year anniversary of our first "date". This date was significant to us, but try and find someone that will marry you on a national holiday.....Good thing that Blake grew up in a really really small town and knows everyone there including the mayor who was willing to come and open up the city hall building and marry us with just our closest family present. It was small, intimate and just what we needed. Afterwards we went to Jackpot for the evening, but had to return do to the fact that we had two small children waiting for us. In Feb. of 2008 we moved to Declo. Blake continued to work at Lake City until May of 2008 then changed job to work at his dream location...Peterbilt. They had opened a store in Jerome, and it just seemed perfect, well needless to say they didn't have all the wrinkles ironed out yet and it was rough going. We decided in November that the best move was for Blake to move back to Lake City. So now he is back and we feel that it is the right choice for our family at this time. I continue to go to school, at one time my major was Nursing, but I have since changed it back to Speech Therapy. I will graduate next year with my Associates in Biology with a Health Care Emphasis, then it is off to a university for a Bachelors, then a Masters, to hopefully some day graduate with my degree in Speech Pathology.

Brooklyn Janeil Rodgers

On June 24 2005 we were once again headed to the hospital to welcome into the world another little bundle. This time they were going to induce labor because they were so sure that the baby was going to be pushing 9 lbs. Boy were they wrong. After laying around for a few hours, at 3:18 that afternoon we again welcomed another teeny tiny little baby into the world...weighing 4lbs. 13 ozs, and 18 in. long Brooklyn Janeil Rodgers made her grand entrance. I should have know from the way she made her entrance that she would be my child that pushed my every button. From before day one, she has made a point to make herself noticed. When I was 17 weeks pregnant with her I had appendisitis and had to have my appendix removed, a week or so before that I had slipped and broken my tail bone. They told me that they got my appendix out right at the right time, if we would have waited until the morning it would have ruptured and there is no telling if either of us would have survived. So needless to say things were off to a rough start. Then when she was born she was not breathing. Needless to say this was the most helpless I have ever felt in my life. Even when she started to breath she wasn't able to cry do to the intubation tube they had down her throat, so I had no idea if she was breathing or not. Everything ended up going okay, and we got to go home the next afternoon. Unfortunately we did find out within the next few months that she too has the same chromosome disorder as Stetson. I was devistated at first that she too would have all the struggles that Stetson has had to deal with, but we have done fairly well....after all that is our "normal". I love her to death, and she has tested my every last nerve, but I can not imagine life without her. Brooklyn too has been through more in her short time on this earth than anyone normally goes through in a live time. She has had some sever stomach problems which were finally fixed when she was 14 months old. She has had 2 scopes in hopes of fixing her stomach (they both failed), she then had another stomach surgery where they wrapped her stomach around her esophagus preventing her from ever throwing up again. This is nice when she has the flu, she never throws up, but it does have its down sides she chokes easily and if she does have the flu she retches and gags risking tearing her stomach or esophagus. She has also had ears tubes, and has an under active pituitary and is also missing a membrane in her brain. She takes thyroid medication, and a cortisol medication for her immune system, and recieves nightly growth hormone injections. Needless to say life in our house is anything but normal, but we deal day by day and cherish every single moment we are given to spend with our kids. I haven't put Brooklyn in school yet, but she does attend a developmental center that she absolutely loves.

Stetson Wyatt Rodgers

In December of 2002 we were blessed with the birth of our sweet little Stetson! On December 5th after a long night of working in the ER at the hospital, I knew that it was time whether I was ready or not. We were so young and we were about to be given the biggest responsibility of our lives, ready or not here he comes. I was scared but I think that Blake was more scared than anyone. The look on his face was priceless. At 10:37 p.m. after only 3 hours of being at the hospital, our little tiny 4 lb. 13 oz. Stetson was born. He was so tiny. Everyone including the doctor was surprised at how super small he was. He was doing great, small yet strong. It was instant love, I never knew that my heart could be so full. Stetson has been through so much in his little life, more than anyone should have to be through. He has 2 eye muscle surgeries, 1eye lid surgery, 1 stomach surgery, ear tubes and tonsils, adenoids, dental surgeries, and another surgery that no boy would ever want to go through.... He has a heart condition and an under active pituitary gland. He takes thyroid medication, and a cortisol medication to help with his immune system, he also receives nightly injections of growth hormone. He has developed quite well considering the circumstances. He attends a preschool in Burley that we love and have no idea what we are going to do next year when he has to go somewhere else. He has a great passion for tools, trucks and anything mechanical, he is just like his dad in every way possible.