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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!