Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Can you believe it is 2013!?! Last year was a crazy one with a preemie baby and a traumatic accident to a close family member.....between trying to breathe and taking care of things the year just zoomed by. However, it is time for a fresh start and new outlook, and I can't wait! Instead of making the usual long list of things to improve or change we agreed to make at least one goal we actually think we can accomplish and go from there.

So, here are some of the Strong Family resolutions for 2013:
1.   Focus on our family more.
2.   Focus on living with what we have where we are for now.
3.   Be Positive - everyday in all we do.

That's it for now. Sure we could get more detailed, and we have a bit more on paper, but we actually want to feel like we accomplish our goals this time. For now, we will leave it at that......I'm even thinking as I type this that we might even go with a monthly goal......hmmm.....I'll mull it over and update my thoughts later. Well, before this becomes my personal journal, let me just wish all of you a very happy new year, and may this year be filled with all you hope for at this moment.

Happy New Year from the Strongs!
Ben, Abbey, Brayden, Baylor, Carson, Cambrie, and Sparky :)

A Cambrie Story and Update

Okay for those of you who don't know we added a beautiful little girl to our family on March 26th. She was born at 31 weeks and 5 days (little stinker couldn't even wait until 32 weeks like her brother) at 4 lbs. 1 oz. and 17 inches long. The whole day was a blur as we were expecting to get to 36 weeks this time, but when your water breaks you pretty much know there is no stopping things. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM after I confirmed in my mind that indeed my water had broken, started having contractions at 7:00 AM and delivered Cambrie Lucille at 9:01 AM. It was so fast that we were able to avoid being transported to another hospital (the one I delivered at doesn't like to have anyone less than 32 weeks deliver there) and she cried and was doing so well that she didn't need oxygen so we were able to avoid having her transported to another hospital. Thank goodness! She never needed oxygen, and only had to spend three weeks in the Special Care Nursery to learn to eat and grow. We were shocked when they said they were sending her home. Baylor was the most excited ever since we told the boys for Christmas that they were getting a little sister, and all he wanted for his birthday was for his little sister to come home. Luckily for him, one day before his birthday on Friday, April 13th little Cambrie was able to come home! She was still tiny at about 4 lbs. 11 oz. but she was a fighter like most preemies are. She has been homebound since coming home, and at the beginning of June we were finally granted permission to take her to small family gatherings and out in a stroller for walks, however, we are still awaiting free-movement to anywhere permission. Hopefully in August we will get that. Until then, we are just enjoying our sweet little munchkin and watching her grow. She is now 3 1/2 months old, over 9 lbs. and 21 or so inches long. Ben and I couldn't be more greatful for the thoughts, prayers, phone calls, and visits that have helped us stay sane and deal with this challenging time. Come to find out there was a problem with my placenta aging too quickly, and if we had gone another week she may have been still born, so we are very happy with how everything worked out. Here are a few pics to show off our little princess.

Peering through her isolette, and all dressed up for Easter - what a sweet bunny!

Holding Daddy's hand.

Yes, that is a real Easter basket she is sitting in, and heading home, so big and yet so small.

Baby's first bath in the sink and sitting up so big with Mommy. 

All dressed up with no where to go - darn it, but still looking beautiful!

First trip to the zoo - hiding from germs next to Mommy and silly faces for the Fourth of July!

Laying in the warmer she started in at her NICU reunion (so much bigger!) and getting a ride from Baylor in a little toy wagon. 

My sweet little princess!

Overview of May 2012

Okay, okay, I know it is now the middle of July, but I am determined to update our blog with a few of the highlights I neglected to add as they happened. May was a busy month for us, not only were we dealing with a newborn, but Baylor graduated from Preschool, my brother David graduated from the U, and we were able to take the boys to see Thomas the Train! All of the boys were also able to attend Father's and Sons with Ben, and boy was it fun! They got to canoe, have a campfire, and camp out in the car. Yes, Ben was not quite willing to set up a tent for just one night, but they loved it anyway. It was a busy month, but lots of fun.

 Our three cuties at a Day out With Thomas!



Congratulations to the biggest BYU fan ever to graduate from the University of Utah! I never thought he would do it, and he did! Way to go David! 

 Congratulations Baylor! What a handsome and proud young 5 year old, and now preschool graduate!

Canoeing with their friends the Strattons at the annual Father and Sons campout.

Are they beds, or is it a fort?

So, in our efforts to get ready for a new baby we had to figure out how to combine three little boys in one room. After searching, discussing, and drawing up many ideas we finally came up with one we could agree on - a loft built into their room that has vaulted ceilings (thank goodness for that or this never would have worked). And, after 7 weeks of construction - we finally got them done! The boys love them! Brayden and Baylor get the top loft, and Carson sleeps on the bottom. They each have their own shelves above their bed for their stuffies as well as their name underneath the shelf to distinguish whose bed is whose. Plus mommy got to keep all of her floor space for toys and books and such! It seems like a win-win to me.

  

Babies, babies, babies

In the last few weeks we have heard about so many babies that will be born this year! We both have a sister (or sister-in-law) due this summer not to mention several close friends and cousins. A shout out to all of you who are expecting and due between now and August! Ben and I did notice that there are a lot of you due in July....anything to do with the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 - just curious. ;) No, really congratulations to all of you and we hope to hear from you as your family grows and those little ones come. Also, if anyone has any unique girl names that aren't too weird - I'm looking for suggestions. ;) Here's to the babies of 2012!

A Glimpse of 2011 Backwards

Since I am a total slacker and left out the entire year last year, I thought I would make an attempt to give you a shortened and quick glimpse of 2011 at the Strong's starting with December and heading backward through the year:

Merry Christmas - Santa Boys!

A November snow - enough to make a snowman, and then crush him.


Happy Halloween! Two Kratt Brothers (thank you PBS) and a Green Crayon.

Jedi Knight Training at the cabin with Strong's

The passing of Abbey's Grandpa Christensen - last of the grandparents for Abbey, and very much missed.

Waiting for a pony ride at the State Fair.

Mt. Timpanogos - way to go awesome hikers!

Fishing at Bountiful Lake - hope to do more next year.

Building the shed - one month, and one awesome shed! Thanks Uncle Nate and Chris for helping.

Happy 4th of July! Lots of parades, food, family, and fireworks! Love the summer!

Kindergarten Graduation - way to go B

Delicate Arch - three boys hiked up, one hiked down, but it was a blast!

Happy 35th Anniversary Mom and Dad - both Moms and Dads!

After an emotional struggle we decided to say good-bye to Kitty. Happy to announce he was later adopted, and we hope all is well with his new home. We miss you Kitty!

Hardward Ranch on a cold January day when Daddy could have a day to hang out with his boys. They thought it was great, and we just might have to do it again someday!

We hope your 2011 was as much fun and memorable for your family as ours was for us! Happy New Year, and may it be absoloutely wonderful!

Carson's First Haircut

Well, after we got fun family photos for Christmas...we let the precious curly hair last as long as we could, but come the morning of the 27th we decided it was time for our little boy to lose the locks and become a big boy. Mommy of course cried with every snip of the scissors, but with the help of daddy and "Blue's Clues" we managed to keep him still enough to give him the big boy haircut he deserved. Somedays I miss the curls, but I was grateful to see that he still had enough natural curl on top to keep me happy.

Isn't he cute?

Oh the ringlets!

Yes, stretch out those curls, and they are super long!

What would a first haircut be without Mommy crying?

The finished result! Doesn't he look like a big boy now? :)