Emerson's 3rd Birthday celebrations!

My little baby girl is already 3 and we have had so much fun celebrating her birthday!!  Since we were in Austin on her actual birthday we enjoyed celebrating with MomMom and Grandad and Uncle Glenn.  I had gotten her some cupcakes and after dinner we sang Happy Birthday to her and tried to see if she would blow out the candle.  Now, I have not at all worked with her to practice or talked about blowing out the candles.  So she was seriously not sure what to think.  We caught the whole thing on video actually... it makes me laugh every time.  And poor sweetie got upset at the end because we all yelled when she almost touched the flame, which scared her I think.  Poor Emerson!!  :)

On Emerson's birthday she enjoyed breakfast and was surprised with a birthday balloon.  This girl loves balloons!!  After breakfast we headed to Duncanville for lunch to see CC and PaulPaul and Uncle JP and Aunt Amanda.  There we also sang Happy Birthday and they had a cake for Emerson to blow out.  But still, she was not sure about the candle and how to blow it out... still, we tried to encourage her.  This video makes me laugh as well!

When we got home that night our Korean neighbors were walking by and upon learning it was her birthday wanted to sing Happy Birthday in Korean.  How cool is that?!!  You can enjoy it, too!!

And yesterday we had Emerson's 3rd birthday party!  It was a swim party for all her friends and family.  We all had a great time swimming, eating pizza, chips, and cupcakes with ice cream!!  The party was from 10-12, so it was before it got insanely hot outside.  I appreciate all of our friends for coming out and making it so special for our little sweetheart.  I am so glad we were able to have a party this year since last year we ended up needing to cancel her party.  Here are several pictures from the festivities!

Welcome to the party!  I love her shirt!!  (Thanks Megan Martinez!)

Our wonderful neighbors, Francis and Ron

Dessert table with the ice-cream toppings and goody bags

Love this picture!!

Ha!!  Look at his facial expression... too funny!!

The gang!  Lots of wonderful kiddos who keep growing up so fast!

Our 3 year old young lady!!

Daddy helping Emerson with her ice-cream toppings!

Kellie, Cam, Stef and me!

We sang Happy Birthday at her party, too!

As you can see, we have had so much fun celebrating her 3rd birthday!!   :)  Also, she got the coolest present EVER from her Aunt Amanda, a refurbished school desk!!  Amanda painted it pink and green and stenciled cute designs all over it including her name.  I LOVE IT and Emerson LOVES IT.  Seriously, coolest gift ever.  Thanks Aunt Amanda!!

4th of July in Austin

We spent the 4th of July in Austin this year to enjoy a visit with Frank's family and see the beautiful fireworks.  Big Frank was not feeling good and had to be in the hospital for several days, which meant he wasn't able to be home for the fireworks or spend as much time with the kids.  But Frank was able to stay at the hospital with him to visit and keep him company as he regained strength to come home.

Still, we really enjoyed the weekend.  We drove down the morning of the 4th and the traffic was great, which was a nice change from the last few trips.  That afternoon we visited Big Frank in the hospital and took the kids up to see him as well before going to the house to watch the fireworks.  While at the hospital Emerson made a few comments about Granddad needing to have a shirt on since he didn't have one on in the hospital.  She isn't used to see a person not wearing a shirt and that was the first thing she noticed.  It made us all laugh.  The fireworks that night were really pretty and Emerson was our own personal announcer of the colors.  "RED! .... BLUE! .... RED!... GREEN!..." she would exclaim each time the fireworks went off.  She just loved it and was giggling up a storm!  Cam was just chill about the whole thing.  

The rest of the week we hung out.  I went shopping with Dorthy and had a great time.  I also used a giftcard to a spa that Frank's Uncle Carl gave me for Christmas.   Poor Big Frank was in the hospital, but Frank enjoyed the time visiting with him.  He was able to come home Saturday afternoon after a really long drawn out check out process.  So that night we celebrated Emerson's birthday as well.

Even though the plans were not quite what we had in mind, we really enjoyed the weekend.  Here are a few pics as well.

The sweetest kids in the world.  :)

My sweet guys!  

Our family  :)

Lots of fun watching the fireworks!

Milena (MiMi) loves the kids and loves braiding Emerson's hair!

The sunset before the fireworks.

Daddy and Emerson waiting for the fireworks show.

Sky divers before the fireworks show at ACC (Austin Country Club)

My sweeties in matching pjs!

Potty Training- The Real Deal

You may recall the first time I mentioned we were potty training Emerson... it was pretty much a year ago.  I was so optimistic and thought it would be so easy and fast.  But it wasn't.  Emerson absolutely hated sitting on the potty and it was punishment in her mind.  So we stopped and decided to wait "for a better time".  But then the timing of potty training didn't get any easier.  With us taking frequent trips to Austin we were not going to have a long stretch of time that was the optimal travel free time.  So potty training was on the back burner for a while.  While I still felt all these social pressures because everyone else's perfect kid figured it out at 19 months, 1 day and 2 hours I was ok with her wearing diapers.  But then it crossed my mind that her third birthday was just around the corner and I felt another urge of pressure to try it again.  My little baby is growing into a little girl... she will be in preschool three days a week next year and taking dance and I know she needs to be potty trained, so one Sunday I decided to try it again!!

What the other moms didn't tell me....

I, of course, have asked my other experienced mom friends about potty training.  I always got the generic, you just have to constantly put them on there and be consistent, etc.  It is logical and I thought, "yeah, yeah, I get that!".  And of course, using rewards.  I had been talking to Emerson about using the potty for a while and I told her that day that we were going to start using it and no more diapers.  She would get 1-2 M&Ms each time she used the potty.  She wasn't too enthusiastic about it, but we started.  And let me tell you, it was so B O R I N G!!!  No one told me about this part... My strategy (after consulting with my expert friends) was to keep her on the potty for a bit, let her run around for a bit, then back on the potty, etc.  It really just felt like eternity with nothing happening.  Sure enough, we had 2 accidents.  The first was when I gave up doing this downstairs and took her upstairs to get ready for her nap.  Poor girl peed on the carpet!!  Then that night she peed on her high chair (not to worry... I had a thick towel under her bum just in case!).  She was upset, but I told her it was ok, and that she would continue trying to use the potty.  The next day and week KK took over during the day and I resumed at night.  On Monday she had another accident, but also had successes using the potty.  We were pleased that she was not having accidents and found that Emerson can hold it for over 4 hours!!  Wow!!  I guess it was Tuesday that Emerson just wasn't using the potty much, but also wasn't having accidents either and it clicked with me....  she was holding it.  Smart little girl decided she would hold it until nap time or bed time.  Once we realized that we told her no nap time until she went potty.  And that was NOT what she wanted to happen.  Kristen first witnessed this, but Emerson got so upset she was shaking and saying she wanted a diaper and she wanted to go to bed and then it would happen, she couldn't hold it any more and would pee!!  This freak out situation happened for a few days, and then it got better.  Then the next concern was poop... oh no, that just never goes very well it seems...  Her first time to do that was a big deal too... she was so upset and then it happened!  And then she was proud of herself.  She then started telling us when she needed to go pee and then she started wearing big girl panties!!  Yay!!!  So while we still have work to do with getting her to go # 2 normally on the potty, she has the #1 down.  She rode all the way down to Austin and back without having any accidents!!  She has been out on lots of errands and no accidents!  The last accident was the 2nd day of potty training, so I say this has been a huge success.  The first two days were the hardest, and then once we figured out she was holding it we just had to get her to feel good about peeing.  It really is a relief... I am proud of our sweet Emerson.  She caught on so quickly and I am so glad that she can hold it for longer periods of time... that is a relief too!!

And I wasn't going to post a pic of her on the potty again, but this one just makes me laugh so I have to share.  :)

We're Moving!!!

It is pretty crazy, but Frank and I have decided to move!!  We have been watching the Bent Tree area for a while in case we saw a house that we loved.  It was really just a casual watch.  As we were in the area we would drive around.  Six weeks or so ago we thought it may be a good idea with the house market moving faster to keep a closer look so we called our realtor, Paula, and asked her to set up a search for us.  She did, and we were getting a weekly email with the listings in the Bent Tree area.  We were not really acting on things, but one house came on the market that Paula thought we may want to check out.  While looking at that house we thought we could look at a couple of others as well.  The first house was not so great and needed too much work, but the moment we walked in to the second house it just felt like the perfect home for us.  For those who have had that feeling before when looking at houses you know what I am talking about.  It somehow already felt like home.  I was caught off guard for sure because we were causally looking for fun... We were skeptical that something would jump out at us that we would fall in love with enough to leave our already fantastic home.  We love our Lofty Lane home, but this new house is special to us.  We talked more later that night and agreed that we just really, really liked that house.   From there, things moved very quickly... This was a Thursday night that we looked and the next day we had a golf tournament that we were both playing in for work.  On Friday morning I called our realtor and told her we wanted to place an offer as long as Frank and I could still back out if we changed our mind.  So we decided to place an offer with a 10 day option period so we could really think it through.  As Frank and I were playing on the golf course we were both using our phones to sign the offer letter through, pretty crazy.  They countered and we countered and by the next morning we had a verbal agreement that needed to be legally executed on the offer letter.  We had an appointment scheduled to look at the house again so we arrived and were waiting to meet Paula to get in.  I called her and she had just gotten off the phone with the seller's agent who told her that the seller's left the signed contract on the bar in the house so we could sign it, but that the agent had just gotten a call that a full price offer was being submitted.  Ahhhh!  So we needed to get a hold of that contract and sign it ASAP!  Paula was almost there and I was walking around the house trying to see if I could spot the contract.  I may have somehow gotten in to the house before she arrived since the back door opened...  Where I was then able to get the contract off the counter while we waited...  Paula arrived and looked over the contract before we signed and we let out a sigh of relief.  Phew, that was crazy!  We worried that the seller's would return and take the contract with them, but thankfully they did not try to recant the offer they made to us that morning.  That afternoon we felt that we definitely wanted the house as long as there was no major finding with the inspection so we decided we better get our house ready to be on the market ASAP.  Immediately we bought lots of boxes and started packing and getting ready to stage the house.  That next week the inspection was scheduled and it all went ok... the seller's have not taken nearly as good of care of the house as we will, but nothing scared us away.  We finished getting our house ready to sell and by Friday, one week and a day after "just looking" at houses, our home was officially on the market.  Not much happened over the weekend, but then the next week we got an offer!  But... it has now sadly fallen through!!  So back on the market we go and today we have an open house.  Fingers crossed that this week we get an offer with a buyer who can get the full financing!  Really we are feeling ok now as we will be able to stay in our home until we can move into our new home, whereas before we were going to have to live at an Extended Stay for a couple of weeks.  So that is great news!!  And some other craziness has happened too... with the new house we found out the seller's had a lien placed by the IRS that potentially prevented us from being able to take a clean title, but that too has been resolved thankfully.  Lots of roller coasters with all of this!!  But it is also so much fun.  We can't wait to get in to the new house and make it our own.  We are working with different contractors to get things updated:  floors, painting, the master bath, the pool, air conditioning, etc.  It will be a busy 2 weeks after we close as we have various work done, but then we can move into this perfect home for our family and begin making new memories there!  We will miss Lofty Lane very much, of course, but this is a really great thing for us.  I have thought about our blog name since it is from our street name.  But I love it and will definitely keep it the same.

I'll definitely post pictures of the before and after work we are doing, but here are a few pics of our new home!  :)

Where do I find those rose colored glasses?

Something that has been really weighing on my heart has been the lack of faith I have in miracles or that despite the odds things can turn out ok.  I am the type of person who wants to live in reality and if a situation looks bad, and all the information says it is bad, then how could it be that it won't turn out bad?  Yes, I am referring to Big Frank and his fight with cancer.  All along the information from the doctors has been very negative.  His oncologist has been pretty blunt with his assessment of the aggressive nature of this melanoma.  It continues to grow, yet at the same time the doctors are seeing some positive results from the treatment.  Two months ago I got a strange email reply to my last post about Cameron's 1st Birthday , which by the way, was my last post!!.  The email said "Hi I'm Heather! Please email me when you get a chance, I have a question about your blog!"  I was thinking it must be some sort of spam and I quickly got a little freaked out that a stranger happened upon my blog.  But something told me I should respond, so cautiously, I replied asking what she needed.  To my absolute shock, this was the reply:  

Hi there Emily!

Thanks for getting back to me! I am 44 and a mother to a quirky little 7 year old, Lily. She is my only child, and my whole world. When Lily was just 3 1/2 months old, I was diagnosed with mesothelioma; a type of cancer that kills most people within 2 years. As I’m sure you can imagine, the first thing that came to mind when I was diagnosed was my baby girl and how I wasn’t going to be able to watch her grow up.

After intense treatment and recovery, I’m still here 7 years later and cancer free! My journey with cancer was a terrifying one and I'd like to turn my pain into purpose and become someone that other people can look to for guidance, inspiration, and hope in situations like my own. My husband and I recently participated in a short video about my experience with cancer and I contacted you because I feel that your blog would be an excellent place to share. I’m hoping to use this video as a tool to raise awareness of this horrible little known cancer that is such a deadly killer (and sadly, 100% preventable).

I would love it if you would be willing to share my video on your blog with your readers. Here is the link to my video: http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather

Let me know what you think!

Heather

I was shocked and powerfully moved.  I watched the video with tears coming down my face.  It was a message of hope and felt as if God was telling me I should not feel so hopeless and that a miracle could happen.  In the video Heather speaks of being the type of person who has rose colored glasses, and that is why I say I need to find mine!  

This was the first message, but then a couple of weeks ago as I was talking with Dorthy she shared Big Frank's feelings of hope with his fight to beat melanoma.  He believes he can beat it.  His conviction is very moving to me.  This man who is literally fighting for his life and enduring terrible side effects from treatments and the cancer is thinking positively about being cured.  Some days are worse than others for him and he is not always optimistic, but he is fighting and holding on to his hope.  This was the second message.

I believe in signs and that things happen for a reason.  Being contacted by Heather wasn't just a coincidence, it was God's plan.  As I said, it has been on my heart and I wanted to share.  I hope you watch the video as it has a message of hope and perseverance that we can all benefit from hearing.

God Bless!

Also, here are some pictures of Big Frank and family.  When he started chemo he shaved his head, so now he really looks like his older brother, Carl!

Tommy Gilstrap, Lil Frank, Big Frank, Glenn, and Glenn Picquet

This is when they all came in town to play a round with Frank before he started chemo.  It was really great to have them visit and lift him up.

Father's Day 2013

Big Frank with all his two grown up kids and little grandkids.