Giving a Little Back

As many of you know our little man Carson was hospitalized when he was 4 1/2 months old with infant botulism. It was some of the most scary and trying times in our life, but also one of the most strength and faith provoking experiences. It took several days to diagnose Carson as we watched him sink into complete paralysis. Carson had to be intubated and kept on life support, and was in the hospital just over 3 weeks, with an additional 2+ weeks on a feeding tube and medications. We will forever feel in debt to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego where we fell in love with our doctors and nurses who saved his life, treated us so well and gave him the best care possible. While there, we also met so many other amazing families at Children's who were there for a much longer term of care.

This year, our family is joining in the "Shamu and You" Family Walk at Sea World for Rady Children's Hospital as THE CARSON BROWN FAMILY TEAM on October 4th.

If you are looking for a little exercise, after all, the holidays are just around the corner, this is a great cause, and we'd love any additional team members. Or if you have just been looking for the perfect organzation to make a donation to.....i'm throwing out my recommendation for the Rady Children's hospital. They are an amazing facility and not only save people's lives everyday, but they do it with love and care, and a mom can't ask for more than that!!!

*If you do want to donate, you can make checks payable to Rady Children's Hospital and send them to either my house or Grandma Karen...but seriously don't feel obligated at all!!!

*On a side note...tonight at all Coldstone Creameries, they are giving out free ice cream from 5-8 to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation:)

It's a Summer Wrap

I was going to blog all the highs of August, our last full summer month, but then I remembered that I had taken these fantastic pictures of Matt's attempt at slolem skiing, on our last trip of summer up to my grandpa's ranch in Sacramento...and they are a high point themselves!

So maybe I'm mostly taking an opportunity to give my very naturally athletic husband, who can do it all, a hard time. Either way, a high point!
Matt's more the wakeboarding, surfer kind of guy, so he decided he needed to conquer skiing on this trip. He was having a hard time and it was driving him INSANE!!! Against his will I talked him into letting my mom get in the water and help him.....mostly for the fantastic photo-op. Well I got my pictures-great blog material! and Matt got up...nope no pics of that one though, but he did!

Unfortunately, I really didn't get any other great pics on the trip, but it was a fun one, and so was the rest of August. Oh how I will miss sweet summer!

Let me tell you bout the birds and the bees....

So much to catch up on after such a long blog hiatus. Now we're ready for some serious blogging.....If by serious you mean some good Carson conversations that a doting mom wants to have recorded. I'll get more up soon, but i'm currently in mourning of my camera that has been missing for a couple weeks, and I swear it's still going to be found and I have lots of pics to download.

Let me preface with a sidenote: when Carson's mind starts churning on a particular subject, it normally sticks for a while, and revolves into new, but related topics. Well curious George meet sex education. Really, I wasn't expecting the latest chain to hit for a loooong while. Actually it would be fine to touch the surface and probably normal, but seeing as Carson doesn't let up when he knows you're not giving the real answer, this has been a fun run!

Carson: "Why don't Nathan & Janelle have a baby?"

me: "I don't know, you'd have to ask them."

Carson: "Are they going to go to the store and buy one?" "do they come in a box?"

me: "Nope, babies come from Heavenly Father, and mommies have them."

At that point the conversation was fortunately diverted in the direction of what became a couple week obsession of all details related to heaven....better than the alternative, right?

Then a couple weeks ago, Carson became curious about wives...

Carson "Hey dad, will you sleep with me tonight?"

Dad " No I'm going to sleep with mom."

Carson "Why?

Dad "Because she's my wife"

Carson "Well how do I find a wife?"

Dad "When you get older, maybe you'll find one at college or something."

Carson "Well what should I name her"

Dad "She'll probably already have a name, that her mom and dad gave her"

Carson "Why did you name mom Brooke?"

Well these are all good questions, entertaining, and all, but last week, Carson wanted to go a little further...

Carson "Hey, how do you get preg-a-nant?"

At this point I'd like to recommend you send your kids to our friend Eric who was there to answer....."Well Carson, when a mommy and daddy love each other, they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle." Thanks Eric!!! This was followed by lots of laughing, and a persistant Carson for a real answer. We've gone through all the mumbo jumbo of babies come from heaven, you have babies when you get married, etc. etc. etc. Carson somehow knows there's more to it, but for some reasons the birds and the bees and 3 yr. olds just don't mesh.