Our fun weekend .....

Our dear friends, Charlie and Teresa Adair, came from Mesa for the weekend. We met up on Saturday afternoon with lunch at Casa Manana! We drove to Safeway where Teresa and I got fruit platter, cheese and crackers and Verg and Charlie's donation to movie night was a bag of peanut M&Ms! We came back home and watched "The Blind Side" and then talked, ate, talked,ate and talked some more. On Sunday morning we went to pick them up at their hotel and went to Sacrament Meeting and then for a ride to 3-way then around to Duncan. Why, you ask because the wild flowers from all the rains were gorgeous. They left about 4:30. They have been our best friends for about 40 years, well Charlie has been longer than Teresa.
We have each others backs!!! Love 'em loads!!

Seeing Brynlee .....

Seeing Brynlee through the looking-glass!!! On our trip to Mesa, we took the kids to see Brynlee and they were so excited! At one point Brynlee turned her head and looked right up at her nurse as if to say; "And your point"!!! She is so precious and the kids absolutely love her! Sydney made the comment, "she is so cute and her ears are so tiny"!!!!!
They are now home and thank you, Shamoms for the wonderful time together!!!!

Spring Break 2010 .....

The week started with our sweet Cluff grandchildren coming to spend the break with Papa and Mimi!!!! On Thursday, K-Sue, Camalious, Bubba D and Mimi headed to Mesa for our "end-of-Spring-Break Week" follies!!
We met up with Mom and lo and behold here comes Shamoms, T-ron and Syddiddy!! We got settled in the Brogan's gorgeous home (complete with three flights of stairs) and we headed to Chili's then back to the complex and 2 1/2 hours of swimming!! Tifani came by to head the swim and then the Bryans headed to Laveen and the Cluffs and Mimi headed to bed!! The kids were so tired they said they might not watch all the movie and sure enough one by one they kissed me good-night and headed for bed!! NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY!!!!
The next day (Friday) we met Nanna and gang at the Phoenix Zoo!! Had a blast as you can only think what Shawna didn't come up with Tifani did and the kids and I walked a few feet ahead of them (not that we were embarrassed)!!!!! We went back to the hospital and waited for Brian to arrive and then we all headed to the Cheesecake Factory!! Brian and Tifani took us home and headed to the hospital to do some "nesting" and the kids and I went to bed.
Saturday the kids went swimming for a couple of hours while Brian, Tifani and Brynlee were discharged and headed for Safford. After the swim we cleaned up Aunt Melissa and Uncle Chris' apartment, packed up and went in locating a Hobby Lobby. The kids were so good as we shopped and headed for Jack in the Box!!! The Renaissance Festival is in full swing and it took us an hour to go 9 1/2 miles!! Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!! The rest of the trip was great and we arrived home to Mom, Dad and our premie miracle!!!!
This Spring Break was one of the best I have ever had. No painting, no weeding, no cleaning out closets or the garage, but one spent with 5 of 7 most wonderful, awesome people!!
Thank you Papa for holding down the fort, I love you so much!! Thanks to C.J. and Amber for coming and hanging out with us this weekend!! Thank you to Kaely, Cambry and Doyle for putting up with Mimi the WHOLE WEEK !!! Thank you to Heavenly Father for loving me so much as to let me be a part of this awesome family!!!

All the way from Heavenly Father ......

How can anyone ever doubt the love Heavenly Father has for each of us, when you see something so small, precious and a miracle in the making!!??? I honestly believe Heavenly Father makes us appreciate the "smallest" details when a dip in the road causes us to be humble and seek His divine help. Brynlee has helped me stop and take stock in what is truly important in my search for heading "home". The love of our Savior is unconditional,constant and committed and I am going to return this love in just that way!!
Thank you Brynlee, for the powerful example you are to Mimi while the short time you have been on this earth! I love you, sweetheart!!!!

So how special is this!!!!

When you have a "one on one" photo and spend some precious time with Pluto, Minnie and Mickey, you have hit Disney paydirt!!!! This is an awesome feat and having a special in with Pluto makes it so fun and special!! I am so grateful for these pictures and Theron and Sydney, hope some day you will really appreciate these special pictures!!!!!

OOOPPPSSS ....

Our Brynlee has decided to wait out the time she should still be in Mom's tummy. She didn't pass her first carseat test and she has been having at least two bradies a night so she will be staying at Banner Gateway. Tifani has been doing a remarkable job and she feels okay with Brynlee doing the premie-thing while in the hospital. But on the "wonderful note", Leelee is now 4lbs and 4ozs and is averaging about 50cc of milk per feeding !!!!
We miss them both but know the doctors and nurses are doing an awesome job for our girls! This is our patience test and our faith building challenge so we are up to the task and put this in Heavenly Father's hands.

She finally did it!!!!!

Yes, Brynlee Dawn is 4lbs 1oz!!! She beat the odds but did have a Bradie incident which means she will be more than likely be coming home with a monitor. She is in "big girl" clothes now and she is up to 50 ccs. of milk. Her dad got to go to Mesa this weekend to be with her and Mom and her sisters and brother are with Uncle Justin and Aunt Becky at the dunes until Monday night and the plan is for Mimi, Kaely, Cambry and Doyle to leave on Tuesday (16th) to Laveen and have some fun with Theron, Sydney and Naana! We are hoping maybe within the week, Leelee and Mom can come home!!
We are so grateful to Heavenly Father for bringing Brynlee to good health and she will have quite the support system around her!!
We love you, Brynlee and Tifani!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our sweet girls ......

I have to believe this is a playback of 33 years ago!!!! I can imagine myself looking into the eyes of our precious premie and here is our precious premie looking into the eyes of her precious premie!!!!! I love this picture of Tifani Dawn and Brynlee Dawn!!! A phone call today announced Brynlee is at her birth weight. She is going to be weened from her bubble so she is progressing tremendously!! Again those eyes are going to fulfill quite alot in Heavenly Father's work!!! She is born into an awesome family and her support group will be there to help whenever they are needed!!!! Her parents, sisters and brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents will be her greatest strengths. I, for one, am so grateful to our Heavenly Father for giving us this very special bundle!!!!

She is on the move ......

We got a phone call from Tifani this morning and when she took a bottle of her milk into feed Brynlee her nurse told Tifani, Brynlee weighed 3lbs. 12ozs!!!!!!!! One ounce shy of her birth weight! Oh what joy is this Mimi feeling since that faithful phone call! It is the power of the priesthood and Leelee's will to survive. She is just like her mom! I am very confident the Lord has a great mission for Leelee and her siblings. I still marvel at the outcome of so many of this family's challenges when as a mortal, I let my faith slip for a little while. My Heavenly Father knows my heart and now it is times like this when I feel almost a shame of even letting myself get to that point! Thank you to all the family members and friends who have prayed for Brynlee and her family. Day before yesterday, Leelee weighed 3lbs. 9ozs!
So you go Tif with your wonderful milk!! We are looking forward to the day when our girls get to come home!! It will be a bittersweet time because of leaving those awesome nurses and doctors at Mesa Banner Gateway!!! Take lots of pictures Tif so Brynlee can see it does take an army to raise a child!!! I love you all!!!!

Four decades later ...

This is a picture of Vergene and his high school football coach, Reed Peterson, at Uncle Jay's funeral. Coach Peterson was genuinely glad to see Verg. Vergene was the offensive center and defensive tackle for the mighty Mesa High football team. It never seems to surprise me how people are affected by the gentle, noble soul of my eternal companion. I am so grateful to be his wife and love him more every day.

Here she is ......

Brian, Tifani and Brynlee

The plan of our Heavenly Father is a greater testimony to me when tiny miracles entered our lives. Here is our newest "tiny" miracle, Brynlee Dawn Cluff! Her journey began on February 21st when her family was on an outing to Mesa. Her mother had a doctor's appt. on the 19th and was told she had high blood pressure but not to worry since she had toxemia. A trip to see the Broadway musical "Mary Poppins" and a movie and some shopping brought the Cluff family home on Sunday (28th). We got a phone call from Tifani asking if she could come over and use her dad's blood pressure cuff since she wasn't feeling quite right. The result: 164/108!! A call to Sue McNamara (a PA in our ward) ended with us taking her to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center to the OB dept. and them keeping her over-night. The next morning came with a severe storm and a decision to have Tif flown to Banner Gateway and Dr. Huish. A learjet was called from Sky Harbor since all helicopters were grounded and ambulances were backed up and would take to long since Mesa was a 2 1/2 hr trip. So off flew Tif from Safford Airport and 27 mins, yes, you read right, 27 mins later she landed at Sky Harbor and an ambulance waiting to transport her to Mesa Banner Gateway and Dr. Huish! Tests were taken and a high risk pregnancy specialist, Dr. Miller, was called in and decided she now had preclampsia. Tif was placed in an isolation room on the OB floor and the week began. Now with this going on we had lost Uncle Jay and his funeral was on 24th (Verg's 1st anniversary of his heart attack). Family came from all over and Vergene was asked to give the life story. It went really well and family got to see Tifani which helped her stay positive. On Friday the 26th I get a call from Stacey Harmon (Brian's cousin) saying she had been dilating and was at a good 4 so I called Brian and we left for Mesa. We arrived at 1:30 am and in Tif's room was her support group: Shawna, Melissa, Chris (Melissa's husband)and Stacey. It was 7 weeks early and things were progressing and Dr. Huish arrived and told Tif her body was done since the lab work came back with high blood pressure and low platelet count, so our Brylee began her earthly mission with Dr. Huish breaking Tif's water. After about 6 contractions Tif looked at me and said she was having A LOT of pressure and dilated to a 6 Krista (Tif's nurse) checked and Brynlee was coming fast. Dr. Huish came in and started to get dress and was hurried by Krista announcing the "head is here". Tif was moved to her back and after her legs were placed in the stirrups and gush of blood and Brynlee came "shooting out". The cameras were rolling and we had a 3lbs. 13ozs 17 inches long "miracle" born at 3:53 am on February 27, 2010! I must say it was a flashback for me when almost 33 years ago, Tif came into the world a "tiny miracle" herself. 3lbs. 14ozs. 17 inches long! The Lord knows our hearts and He prepares the way for us to grow and learn and find strength in His example. So with our tiny miracle here we are sure the road will be filled with highs and lows but we have each other and our love for this restored gospel. I thank my Savior each day for the strength to keep going and for this incredible family unit.
Families can be forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!