Murray's Malady

This morning began as a typical Beckerleg day does. Craig fed Murray and headed to work while I prepared for our day. Murray was being silly, so instead of keeping our steadfast routine, I stole a few minutes to tickle- tumble-chase around on our bed. It was time to get going, so I sat on the edge of the bed to put my air cast on (more on that later) and as I turned, I noticed that he was close to the edge. I no more than turned away when I watched him plummet to the hardwood floor. Sick to my stomach, I dashed to pick him up. He had landed face first, and it was apparent that the left side of his face broke the fall (we have one of those giant beds, so it was a pretty long tumble). Looking back to just a few hours ago, all I can see in my mind is blood. I immediately called Craig to come home and off we went to the e.r. The dr's. attempted to do a CT scan, but he was too upset and scared to lie still. The next option was to sedate him, but we decided on a facial scan instead. It took 2 techs and both Craig and I to hold him down to take four pictures of his face and jaw. The poor guy screamed through the entire process and I was leaking tears everywhere. Turns out, he has a facial contusion, concussion syndrome and a head injury. The head injury is not severe at this time, but we'll need to watch him closely for the next 24-48 hours for signs of bleeding or bruising on the brain. Just what every parent wants to hear, right? I think not. I am feeling terrible because I wasn't paying attention and thought I was smarter than I behaved. Anyway, he's resting comfortably after some Motrin, and I hope that he is on the mend. His teeth chopped through his upper lip and gums, his face is swollen, and he's bruised. On the bright side of things, the Meritcare flight crew came into his room and gave him some tattoos. He loves helicoptors and planes, and put on quite a show for the team, even saying thank you and good bye. He is now sporting a Meritcare helicoptor on his arm and his belly. They even managed to get a lopsided smile out of him. I thank God for happy endings. It could have been so much worse.

40 Years and Counting

Happy 40th wedding anniversary to my fabulous parents-in-laws! We spent the weekend at Todd and Amy's home to celebrate. All eight adults, 2 toddlers, and 2 large dogs attended the festivities. We had a blast fishing, swimming, playing croquet in their enormous back yard and simply enjoyed being together. We feasted on steak and Alaskan King Craig (whoops, I mean crab, not Craig) for dinner followed by fireworks and a bonfire. I was unable to take part in the latter due to an upset stomach and sprained ankle, but I did get some extra sleep. On Sunday Dennis and Mary treated us to breakfast at the Pit 611. They have an omelet bar and bloody mary bar that are out of this world. Thank you, Amy and Todd for your hospitality and congrats to Dennis and Mary on 40 years and 3 great kids!

It's so nice to have Craig home. We missed him while he was traveling for work last week. 1 or 2 days is usually okay, but 4 was a lot. Hopefully next time we can join him.

Speaking of travel, Craig and are taking a road trip in September to Kansas City, MO for a wedding. We're leaving Murray behind. The two of us have not traveled alone since Murray was born. I'm so looking forward to the trip and the wedding, but we also haven't left Murray for more than one night. I'm sure he will be fine and it will be nice for Craig and I to have some grown-up time.

Stay tuned - pictures to follow soon.

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Murray finally slept through most of the night last night (we've been up a lot lately due to teething). I had to lay on the floor next to his crib around midnight after a dose of Tylenol, and he was out. I was pumped to get some extra sleep. He's been waking every hour on the hour for the past few days and with DH 0n the road, I had to suck it up on my own. I sleepily crawled back into my cozy bed. Just as I hit full REM, the cat decides to be sick. Off I trudged to clean up. Again, I climbed back into our now, ever-so-cozy bed, only to be woken an hour later by Rudy, our resident security guard. He was going bananas at the obnoxious neighbors. Round three: I calmed Rudy, threw myself back into what I now considered a bed made in heaven and wearily drifted off to sleep. Murray slept until a blessed hour of 6:30am. I pulled him into bed with me to have our morning snuggle before we get going for the day. Suddenly, BOOM! I threw myself over Murray, thinking that we had an intruder in our bedroom with a very loud shotgun. Seconds later, to my relief, I realized that the power was out. Murray's eyes were as large as saucers, and if dogs could cry, I think Rudy would have been sobbing. Nala is getting too deaf to hear even the atom bomb, so I wasn't surprised when she didn't move. I called MPS and they were here within 30 minutes. A transformer had exploded, and the dumb thing is pretty much in my back yard. I am beginning to feel as though I have a newborn again, what with my lack of a decent rest.

May you all sleep peacefully tonight (and get a chuckle out of another escapade in the Beckerleg household).

Denver Adventures

On June 26th my dad, sister and I hopped on a plane to visit Flynn at Craig Hospital in Denver, CO. My dad has never flown and tends to be a nervous nellie, so I knew it would be interesting. He dad a fantastic job and had so much fun that he's already planning a trip again next year, destination undecided (as long as we can fly). The three of us bonded like we haven't in a long time. It was wonderful father-daughter time. Plus, our cousin from Minneapolis joined us. She is a riot and made the trip even more fun.

The best part though, was getting to see Flynn and Pat. We were delayed due to storms, so by the time we arrived at our hotel, it was too late to visit. We were all exhausted and crashed so that we could be refreshed for our adventures on Saturday.

Craig Hospital is an amazing facility. It's difficult to even describe until you see it. Flynn has a suite; complete with a microwave, refrigerator, tv, dvd, computer, etc. She has decorated it beautifully - it's very cheery and bright.

As for Flynn herself, she was the same old Flynn. Her beautiful smile that always lights up a room, her positive attitude and strong work ethic were all still there, despite her situation. Our outing that day consisted of a visit to the Denver Zoo. One of her very good friends was being discharged the following Tuesday, so it was his day to decide what he wanted to do. It was a fabulous choice. The Denver Zoo is one of the most beautiful zoos I have yet to visit. We experienced public transportation, which Flynn has become an expert on navigating. I could go on and on, but I just can't find the words to describe what an amazing person she is as well as her family. It was a joy to spend time with her and Pat - an experience I will hold near and dear in my heart forever.

An update since our trip: Flynn was able to have her halo cast removed! This is a wonderful step forward in her recovery. We are all praying for the best. Flynn, we can't wait for you to come "home". God Speed.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Due to recent chaos, I haven't found the time to post. I've decided to begin with two weeks ago: Friday June 26. There's a lot more to follow, but for now, I will continue where I left off.

Friday, June 26th, the aforementioned motorcycle rally was held for our late mom and her deceased colleagues. It was absolutely outstanding. We met the group, visited for a while and we were off. I hopped on the back of one of the bikes (mom would have had kittens, but since I was with law enforcement, I let it slide. Besides, she's always been a sucker for hogs). The ride was emotional, exhilarating and all around fantastic. My Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Maggie and Craig & Murray were able to join us. This group of people are awesome - they plan to expand the number of riders next year and I have devoted myself to helping with the organization (plus I plan to ride the entire trip - hee hee mom). It was a beautiful tribute to all four late agents. Below is the picture which was displayed on the windshields of the riders (I'm sure you can guess who our mom is).

The picture above is the headstone that Dakota Monument designed for us. An almost perfect replica of her badge is pictured, and below that (which is difficult to read) states: "Beloved Mother of Maggie and Marie". She was so many things to so many people, but we just couldn't fit it all in. Those of you whom she loved and loved her back know just how important she was. God speed, Mom. We love you.

Where Do I Begin?

It's been a while since my last post. I was hoping to be able to write more than you will read here today, but I'm swamped at work (billing is the first few days of the month) with the holiday, so I'm attempting to catch up.

Anyway, I have much to write, pictures to post, and many laughs to share but these will have to wait until I'm caught up with responsibility.

I miss my writing and detest that I've had to put it on hold for the moment. I will be back shortly; please stay tuned.

Thanks for reading.