Turning 34

I turned 34 last week and I am viewing it as the start of my new year. Hopefully my 34th year will have hold health and peace for our family! The last 6 months have been a complete whirlwind with moving houses, remodeling, work travels for both Grant and I, my health issues, hail storms, etc. We have made it through together (with lots and lots of help) and I am praying that the rest of 2012 is a little less eventful.

Mary, Cadie and Jack Ranger helped make my birthday special with a delicious cake, flowers, a birthday crown and a lovely gift of wind chimes from Mary. My parents gave me new patio furniture for my birthday (It is so wonderful!) and so Mary gave me the wind chimes so I can sit in my comfy new furniture and listen to the wind. Dawna took me out for brunch at Crossroads on my birthday and I also received many cards and calls from sweet friends and family. Grant and I went to a birthday dinner this past Saturday night with our good friends Chad and Jaime. We had great food and conversation and it felt amazing to be out and feel happy and pain-free. That is the best birthday gift of all!

Then on Sunday Mimi and Bunky came to a special birthday lunch hosted by John and Dawna. They all gave thoughtful gifts and so now this week I have gift certificates for new shoes and a pedicure. Sounds good to me!

Thank you everyone for making me feel so special!

Setting a Record

How many trips can we make between Texas and Kansas in 15 days?

• 2 - June 28: Ron and Nicki, my parents, fly from Kansas City to Dallas
• 3 - July 2: My Mom, Dad and Jack Ranger fly from Dallas to Kansas City
• 2 - July 5: Cadence and I fly from Dallas to Kansas City
• 2 - July 6: My sister Courtney and her husband Ryan drive from Austin to Kansas City, they also drove with their 2 dogs but I am not going to include them in the count :)
• 6 - July 9: My Dad, Cadence, Jack Ranger and I all fly from Kansas City to Dallas and Courtney and Ryan start the drive from Kansas back to Austin
• 1 - July 11: My Dad flies back to Kansas City from Dallas
• TOTAL = 16 (not counting the 2 dogs or my brother flying to Kansas City from Seattle on Friday, July 6th!)

Thank goodness for Southwest!! We all had a great time together and my Mom and Dad enjoyed a little alone time with Jack Ranger and I loved getting to see my family in Kansas City. During our trip we enjoyed dinner with the Kellers, breakfast with my Grandma Jack, church at OBC and lots of time with my folks and sister Courtney and brother Eric.

Caption by Ron Gullickson, "This is Cadie after a hot trip to the Farmstead - she DID NOT want totake a nap, but instead wanted to watch Mulan in the basement with me while her Mom and Jack napped. She didn't last very long!"

Jack Ranger, Nina and Cadence

My Grandma Jack and Jack Ranger. This is a great pic because it is nearly impossible to get my grandmother to smile in pictures. The kids and I had a nice breakfast with her.

Papa escorting us back to Dallas. He was managing both kids riding their horse-suitcases. What an awesome grandpa!!

Uncle Eric got to play buses more than he probably wanted to, but he was a sport about it.

Happy Birthday America!

Cadie and I spent the 4th in Dallas attending the annual Walsh party and Highland Park parade viewing, swimming at the Gray's with our Club Meadows crew and then watching a few fireworks from our front yard. It was a full day and Cadie and I were both worn out.

Jack Ranger chilled with Nina and Papa in Kansas City. He rode in the neighborhood parade and then went swimming at our community pool. Nina and Papa said they all had a great time and Jack Ranger didn't seem to miss us a bit. I think he enjoyed being the center of attention for once. Cadence tends to steal the spotlight.

Getting ready for the parade with Nina.

Jack Ranger loved the goats at the always fun Deana Rose Farmstead.

Cadie watching the parade with the Riley kiddos: Jacob, Ella Bray, Eli and baby Wren is in the green stroller at the back.

BFsF Ella Bray and Cadie

Big John was trying to get a hug after Cadie had been gorging on sugar for about 2 hours. I was worried she was going to hurt him.

Sharing some candy with Uncle Ace.

One of my BFFs Emmy Harmon Riley.

So much silliness

Cadence will be 4 in October and Jack Ranger will be 2 and they absolutely adore silliness. They are either making each other cry or laugh at any given moment of the day. They love each other so much and Cadence won't let Jack Ranger go to bed or nap without hugging and kissing him and Jack Ranger runs around the house yelling "Yo Yo!" (that is what he calls Cadie) all the time. Just this morning Cadence made up a game where Jack Ranger was a pirate and she taught him to say "Arggg" and then she was a wolf that came to chase the pirate away and they ran in circles around the house for the majority of the morning. No wonder it is difficult for Dad to sleep in on a Sunday morning.

Jack Ranger has decided that my bag from a recent Clinique Bonus Time purchase makes a very nice hat.



During our recent trip to Kansas City Cadence, Nina and I went to a local production of the ballet Swan Lake. I tried to take a picture of Cadie and Nina but Cadie only wanted her bottom photographed on this particular day. Lovely.



Swinging, with goggles, of course.



Cadie dressed us up as "fairies" -  hmmm kinda looks like scary 70s fairies, but whatever, we had fun.



Making a snow angel in the grass.



During bathtime, Cadie said very seriously, "Mom, this shampoo doesn't smell at all like lizard."



We sure miss the pool at the old house, but we still have fun in this little one. JR prefers his birthday suit.




Jack Ranger with 3 out of his 5 favorite things in the world, and he prefer to play in at few clothes as possible. The five favorite things are: Dog (his lovely), buses, cars, tractors, and balls.

A little story: About two weeks ago the kids were snorting like crazy and I said, "Are you two little piggies?" Cadie responded, "We are magic pigs!" So, naturally, I ask "What makes you magic?" Cadie, without skipping a beat, "We poo jewels!" Hmm, wasn't expecting that and ever since we find little jewels placed all over the house. These used to be in the bottom of her fish bowel. Sadly, the fish is no longer with us.



Where does all this silliness come from? There is no way to know. However, here is a pic from our Mother's Day trip to Kansas City. My Mom and I are trying on hats at Nordstroms.

 

Happy Fathers Day!

This Father's Day I am especially thankful for my amazing husband. He takes such amazing care of me and our family:
- In the hospital I had so many wires and tubes coming out of me that I couldn't shower on my own. Grant would shower me every other day and he even shaved my legs! He was gentle, loving and patient.
- Cadie sleeps so deep that she doesn't wake up to go to the restroom in the night. Every night at about midnight Grant carries her to the restroom and holds her while she goes potty and then he carries her back to bed so she won't have an accident.
- Grant is so kind when he interacts with the kids during the day. He loves to take Cadie along with him on errands to the bank, checking on rental properties, etc. We have had a number of nannies that have told me he is one of the most engaged Dad's they have ever worked with. Even though he works most of the day in his office, he is here if the kids need him and he plays with them and takes them along with him whenever he can.
- After almost 12 years of marriage Grant still does sweet thing for me all the time. Just yesterday he hung a clock in our dining room that I recently bought; and I never even asked him to do it! He often does bath and bedtime with the kids so I can rest or take a bath. He hugs and kisses me every day and tells me he loves me. I love you too Grant! So very much.

We had Father's Day lunch at DD and Big John's house and the most special gift of the day was a pair of little boots that DD gave to Grant. They were boots that Grant wore as a little boy and they fit Jack Ranger perfectly!! Jack Ranger wore them all afternoon. He was absolutely adorable!

Happy Mothers Day

We had the most wonderful mother's day. Mary, Grant, Jack Ranger and Cadence surprised me with a beautiful potted plant tower. It even had their little hand prints on the pots. Mary led the effort, of course, but it sounds like Grant and the kids were also very involved. I love it and it is in the perfect spot in our backyard. Now, to keep the plants alive...

We the actual day of mother's day we were in Kansas City and had a wonderful time going to church with my parents and then eating a casual lunch of pizza before we headed to the airport on Sunday night. The kids just love Nina and Papa and we wish we could go to KC more! Love you mom!!!

Erin is Sick

You can check out updates on her caring bridge at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/erinwalsh

Thank you for your prayers!