Bryan had many visitors...pictured here and many that are not pictured...
thank you all for coming and hanging out with us to
keep our minds off the what was going on behind closed doors
(the waiting sometimes was unbearable, but you all made it better!)
thanks for supporting us, bringing us food and love,
thanks for all the offers of beds and houses.
Thank you to Mom and Dad Wilcken for the use of the Santa Fe while
while the Galaxee Quest was out of commission.
Thank you Ilene for the late night talks and the use of your bed.
For those of you there in mind only...
Thank you for your prayers, we are eternally grateful for those,
they worked because Bryan is still here with us...
Thank you also to the families in AZ who helped out with
the Wilcken and Stank-bott kids
so that Krissy, Jason and Laura could stay in San Diego as long as they did!
Thank you to Ralph, Molly, Lenny,
Janice and Rick for working overtime as parents
to all the kids, we know it wasn't easy!
We love you and appreciate you all!

Jason and Laura (krissy behind the camera)

Sue, Kathy(mom), Linda, Al (dad)

Kathy, Mary (our adopted aunt from when we were kids, Bryan (post surgery)

Bryan and Brianna (Debi's daughter,), Debi-behind the camera

Bad ole Al(dad) making Bryan laugh after surgery

Sleeping off the many drugs they give you after they rip your chest wide open! :)

Getting prepped for surgery,
they shaved him top to bottom (yes bottom as in booty areas)
even his legs in case they needed a vessel from them!

Posing before surgery!

This picture is from Jason and Laura's wedding, Bryan was strangling me!!


WHOOO HOOOO!!!Uncle Bryan is out of the hospital. He has a follow up appt in San Diego
on Monday and then he is on his way home to AZ. We can't wait to see you Bryan!!

Last night before leaving the hospital they made sure he could do a flight of stairs, walk a set amount of steps...etc so that he can take care of himself relatively well. He is on anti-inflammatory meds only now and that controls his pain. That is really good, no narcotics. He has a few weeks of rest and recovery and will be on his way...

For those that do not know Krissy's brother Bryan is recovering from heart by pass surgery and could use all the blessing, thoughts and prayers we can send. Please keep him in your thoughts for us. He seems to be doing well but it was scary for awhile.

Toll house chocolate chip cookies are our favorites, except for Sammie (we take out a batch to bake BEFORE the chocolate chips , I don't think she is my child by the way!) One variation to this batch was: Smart Balance butter stick (says you can bake with it.... WRONG!!) the cookies were good, but about a min before the timer went off, they went flat!

Grandma and the girls made chocolates out of the chocolate molds...very fun and super cute!

WELCOME 2009!!

Ralph and Kathleen

Auddie

Happy New Year!!

Santa came to our house disguised as a cat!!

And brought us everything we wanted...

Elizabeth got an American Girl doll and the fixin's

Auddie got a Jack in The Box

Sammie's going to Disneyland!!

When we went to San Diego to celebrate Christmas...It was a Rock Band marathon...

We played for hours and hours

and hours...

We, as most of you reading this know, live in the northern part of Arizona just about a mile up so it goes without saying that it gets cold in the winter. As a matter of fact our low the last few days has been between 20-25 degrees in the morning, warming up to around 50 during the day.
I will not let this deter me from cooing up some pulled pork!

Ilene, Ray and Lisa were in town vising so we decided the pulled pork would be good!
Luckily it was not "that" cold the morning I decided to cook.

30 outside...63 in the kitchen.

I went out side and saw this...

I started the fire and went back in the house to get the meat out of the fridge.
One was a regular rub and one was DDogs apple rub.
"DDOG RUBS"is a local (Phoenix) guy who makes and sells many different meat/bbq rubs. He also frequents and supports the AZBARBEQUE board.

All done and ready to eat.
My rub...

DDogs Apple...

It was all delicious.

A couple of days later we made Carnitas Tacos by frying up some of the pulled pork until it becomes crispy.

The girls love it.
Eli was at her grandparents so she is not in this picture.