The Life of the Langford's

Claire's 1st Road Trip and Merry Christmas from Us!

2011-12-31T06:33:00.000-08:00

Claire had her 1st road trip to Austin, Texas for Aunt Carrie's wedding. She was a perfect angel the entire trip and for the entire weekend of fabulous wedding festivities! We even allowed her to have her 1st experience in a photo booth- I think she's a photogenic angel! Daddy and I obviously had a great time too!
And of course- Santa stopped by our house the following weekend.
Gigi, PaPa Chip, and Uncle Jarret came to visit us for the holiday weekend. We kept the Valley tradition and had a Mexican feast on Christmas Eve- consisting of tamales, rice, beans, and of course guac and queso! The power went out on Christmas Eve which allowed for some interesting family bonding and a comical assembly of Cade's bike by "Santa" with a flashlight and wine in hand! Thank God Santa still found our house in the dark!!!! It was an awesome Christmas morning, Cade had a blast, and Claire- well she was so excited that she slept through the entire morning! This was a Christmas weekend I will never forget!

Claire's 1st Turkey Day

2011-11-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Claire had a great 1st Turkey Day!
We were super classy and went to good ol' Cracker Barrel for lunch :)
Sadly we weren't with any of our extended family and we missed everyone terribly; but we really enjoyed our little intimate day together as a family of 4.
We have so much to be thankful for, including a Thanksgiving Cowboys and Longhorn win!

Oh and for all my girls out there that are wondering where's Claire's Turkey Day outfit? Well we had 2 adorable choices, and sadly both of them SWALLOWED her! She is barely fitting in her Newborn clothes, she's itty-bitty, and we LOVE it!

Baby Claire has ARRIVED

2011-11-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

The date was correct, the birth plan was NOT correct......
I was scheduled for a simple c-section at 7:30 AM on 11/1/11. I was suppose to arrive, get my spinal, meet my baby and have a nice, simple, painless birth...... well.......
10:00 PM- headed to bed with everything packed and ready to go the next morning after a great night of Trick or Treating
l

10:30 PM- feeling cramping like I have never felt before
12:00 AM- I wake Colby and tell him something isn't right and that I am going downstairs to try and relax
1:30 AM- I could not take the pain anymore, the cramping was coming every 2-5 minutes (I never went into true labor with Cade so I had no experience with these symptoms)
2:30 AM- get to the hospital, check in (which was surprisingly not too long), get hooked up to the monitors, having contractions every 1-2 minutes, find out I am in active labor, instructed with every contraction to NOT push, how people go through this without pain meds is crazy to me!!, the nurses immediately call the doctor
3:00 AM- doctor arrives, wheeled on back, spinal placed (praise God for that), csection and tubes tied, baby arrives at 4:11 AM :)
labor= 5hrs, c-section= 50 min!
Braylee Claire was 6.7# and 19.5 in
Dr Vela was AMAZING, and the hospital staff was FANTASTIC!
Best moment ever- the spinal :) and when Dr Vela announces that Claire has a head full of hair!

36 Weeks

2011-10-15T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hubby took maternity pics of me while we visited the Pumpkin Patch.

We have an amazing camera so after my photo nightmare at JC Penney- we figured we would give it a shot (literally, ha).

The pics came out better than we could have imagined.

My hubby rocks!

16 days and she will be here!!!!!!

Cade's 3rd Birthday

2011-10-15T09:59:00.001-07:00

Cade had a 3 day extravaganza for his 3rd birthday.

It started Friday at his daycare and then we went to the mall for a train ride.

Then Saturday we had a Longhorn birthday party, thank God something fun was happening simultaneously while the Horns were being massacred.

Then Sunday- his real birthday- we went to church and took him to buy a present at Babies R' Us- where he chose a Thomas the Train Spin Toothbrush (wonder where that obsession came from).

We are still in shock he is 3!

34 weeks

2011-10-01T14:59:00.001-07:00

It's crazy how fast this has gone. I can't lie though, I'm so ready for her to be here and for me to NEVER be pregnant again. This pregnancy has been easy compared to some of the horror stories I hear- but I'm mentally, emotionally, and physically done. I have cried a lot more with this pregnancy and I feel like I'm a space cadet often. But I know Claire will be amazing when she makes her debut. C-section has been scheduled for 11/1/11- one month from today. So the official countdown is on! Xo

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28 weeks

2011-08-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

28 weeks = 7 months = 3rd trimester = feeling HUGE!

Family Weekend in North Texas

2011-08-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

So we went north this past weekend. And we went from 101 degrees to 110 degrees- CRAZY!

But we had a blast.

The weekend began with dinner at Uncle Julio's with Colby's family.

Then we headed to Graham for my mom's family reunion and to stay with Colby's grandmother.

After a fun day at PK Lake and Cade's 1st boat ride- we headed to Colby's parents, where Cade got to go fishing for his first time.

It was a HOT but awesome weekend!

24 weeks

2011-07-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I am already 24 weeks. Time flies when you are busy with a toddler that is super active. I am feeling really good at this point. I just hope I keep feeling this good. I feel huge and I can't believe I am only going to get bigger. I am turning into a hippo and loving it! :)

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Claire 23 Weeks

2011-07-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

So today was so awesome.
Me and both my boys went to see little Claire in a sonogram. Cade loved it and was amazed with the heartbeat. Of course Colby was all smiles and I was all tears!
She is measuring right on target and weighs approximately 1pound 2ounces.
She has Colby's nose without a doubt!
And we had the whole genetic blood test to find out the sex, but this just verified it for sure!

4D shot of her face.

Yes those are her legs/feet above her head!

Confirmation!

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20 weeks

2011-06-25T15:01:00.001-07:00

Today I am half way there! Can you believe how much faster the 2nd one goes, WOW!!!!!

I feel like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant!!!!!

Claire is cooking right along. I saw her this week in a sonogram and she looks busy in there.

Early Birthday Gift

2011-06-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

My hubby may be at work tomorrow..... so he gave me my present today!!!

He made this amazing video for me that made me cry!

And he bought me a porch swing!

I am so blessed!!!!

Houston June 2011

2011-06-25T07:42:00.001-07:00

PaPaw's Birthday, Aryn's Sip N See, Father's Day

I can't believe we did not take pics of the Sip N See, but I promise it was FUN!!!!!

Cade had a blast- rode the tractor with PaPaw and played a lot with Aryn's older daughter Anna! He loved Victoria, the baby too! Lots of kisses and hugs to her.

Serious Cade

2011-06-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here's some jibber-jabber for you.

Love his expressions

Zoo- Brownsville

2011-06-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

This was one HOT day!

I wouldn't say this zoo is nice at all, BUT Cade loved it!

This was his 1st zoo visit, so he thought it was amazing!

But I couldn't believe there were NO elephants! What zoo doesn't have elephants?? Brownsville's!

Twinle Twilnkle

2011-06-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

He is so BLESSED to have his momma's voice....

Memorial Day 2011

2011-06-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

We were so blessed to have my mom (GiGi) and Chip (PawPaw) visit for the weekend.

We spent every minute in the pool! Cade is starting to LOVE the water!!!

2011-05-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!

Braylee "Claire" Langford

She will be here by 11/11/11!

Keeping the middle name tradition! (Cade is Cade's middle name too)

And many have asked- how do you already know the sex????

The Center of Medical Genetics does a blood test called the Jack or Jill blood test that is over 99% accurate on the sex of the fetus (they also do a very detailed sono, there was nothing sticking out either, hahahaha). Also they measure the neural tube and do a few other measurements to test for early detectable birth defects. It's pretty amazing how different technology is since I was pregnant with Cade!

Easter, Chi-town, Baby #2, Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

I'm going to let the pics do the narration..........

Easter

Parker's Easter Present (got cut, poor boy, but the cone was so hilarious)

Chi-town with Joslyn (awesome friend from Gainesville, Florida)

Baby #2 (10th week and 12th week)

Mine and Aryn's Mother Day Present- Victoria Marie De Lisi was born! YAY!

My mom and me in 2007 (best woman on the face of the Earth!)

It bugs me to have such a crappy morning

2011-04-05T07:23:00.001-07:00

The morning begins with Cade literally bringing me a baby roach in his hands. He always brings me stuff that shouldn't be on the floor so when he came to me with his hands reached out I thought nothing of it but..... Then a baby roach jumps out at me. I scream and Cade looks at me like I'm crazy. Needless to say daddy taught Cade how to kill bugs shortly thereafter.
Just when I think things can't get more exciting in one morning.
So many of you have asked how the potty training is going and overall it's been a huge success. So successful that he's actually using the potty without me. He will tell me afterward that he used the potty so I can clean out his "big boy" little potty.
So this morning he screams at me from the bathroom "poop mommy". So I immediately assume he's pooped in his pants but I was sooooooooo WRONG.
I go into the bathroom and Cade is covered in poop and the real toilet is FULL of toilet paper. So I then realize this undies and pants are clean. So what happened????
Well Cade pooped in his "big boy" little potty and then decided to put the poop in the real potty and he decided to do this by picking it up with his hands. Then he was trying to clean his hands and bottom by himself.
Well of course I couldn't get mad but it was a crappy moment for sure!!!!!!
FYI that's the best title I have ever come up with!!!!!

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Another Langford

2011-04-02T06:43:00.001-07:00

So it's official. We are expecting. I was not wanting to share with the world till I was through the 1st trimester but my husband had other plans. I told him about the positive pregnancy test and before I had a chance to even tell my mom, my phone was blowing up with congratulations texts from various individuals! His philosophy is the more people who know, the more who can pray for us. My philosophy is the 1st trimester is scary and that's more people I have to explain to if something unfortunate were to happen. Obviously his philosophy wins!!!!!
So we are 8 weeks. The baby is a bean and has a 141 heart beat.

I have known since I was 4 weeks. I was having extreme low energy levels and all I could think of was eggs. I had one horrible Pilates class and I knew something wasn't right. I had a spa appointment and before my massage I took a test and bam!!!! I sure didn't tell the massage therapist or she wouldn't have given me my massage. But I have no clue if the massage was even good or not because my brain was running a mile a minute with all the future plans I was going to have to change or cancel!
So when did it happen??? Most likely in Napa, I guess the wine worked!

So during our somewhat secretive 4 weeks I ran my 1st and 2nd 1/2 Marathons. The 1st one rocked, the 2nd one killed me, but I finished with 2 pee breaks included!!!!

The long distance running is over for at least a year!!!!
And my request from everyone is prayers for the next 4 weeks!!!! And of course till the little bean arrives, due date and scheduled c-section is 11/11/11!!!!
FYI- Cade's birthdate is 10/09/08!
Cool hu???
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3 Day Potty Training

2011-03-16T07:32:00.001-07:00

With all my friends advice, I decided to do the e-book called the 3 Day Potty Training. Cade is 2 years and 5 months old, it's time! Most of the kids in his class are in undies and he tells me every time his diaper is dirty. I have decided to blog the entire 3 days so you can decide if this is your ideal program. I will update it often so you can follow my adventure. So here goes......

Tonight I completed reading the book, easy and quick.
Realized I can't leave my house for a full 3 days.
Must stay with Cade (by his side) for a full 3 days.
No training undies, no pull-ups- NO MATTER WHAT!!!!
We have a potty chair upstairs and we have potty ring with a step stool downstairs.
We have Cars, Choo-Choo, and Disney undies.
No park, no walks, no outings for 3 full days :( no working out...
Praying that I can do this!

Day 1:
8 am- Cade threw away diapers.
Already sick of saying "Cade tell mommy if you need to go pee-pee"
9:15 am- 1st accident of pee-pee. Tears and upset.
9:17 am- Less than 2 minutes later 2nd accident of remaining pee and a good poop.
9:36 am- Pee- pee accident.
10:18 am- pee- pee accident. I'm thinking- seriously????

Cute pic if he'd actually pee

10:51 am- successful pee-pee in potty. Bravo!!! Hugs and tractor sticker!!!!
11:45 am- lunch is over, which means nap time. No pee-pee in potty. Read book. Then pee-pee in potty. Elmo sticker!!! And now asleep on puppy potty pads. We will see if he wakes up dry. Fingers crossed!
12:50 pm- woke up dry. Wouldn't pee in potty.
1:02 pm- pee accident
1:15 pm- poo accident- mom losing it a bit.....
2:38 pm- pee-pee success. Outside time as a reward.
3:20 pm- tried being really cool and teaching him how to pee in the grass, guess that's a father/son activity...
3:30 and 3:33 pm- little dribbles in the potty
4:12 and 4:15 pm- Cade states he needs to potty but no production
4:17 pm- Pee-pee success. Movie time!
5:55 pm- fell asleep during movie. Woke up dry. Had a big pee in potty!!!
6:50 pm- another pee-pee success
7:20 pm- a little dribble in the potty
8:10 pm- a slightly damp undies but a successful pee-pee in the potty
8:58 pm- potty before bed success!!! Explained to cry for mommy if he needs to potty tonight. Have the puppy potty pads down.
Can't lie today has been exhausting. Have not left Cade's side all day. Asked him constantly to tell mom if he needs to pee. I did break the rules a bit and I took him to the potty pretty constantly even if he said he didn't have to go. I must say, so far my little tweak has worked. And I also bribed a bit (which it also states not to do) by promising to play outside if he pottyed, and that worked too. So again this is just what has worked for me.
I am so ready for an hour or two of me time before I crash out. The blog will continue tomorrow!

Day 2
3:10 am- crying Cade. Accident in the bed :( I could tell it was old pee bc the sheets were cold and his undies were only damp. So who knows how long he had slept in it. Took to potty, no production, went right back to bed.
8:05 am- woke up dry :) pee-peed in potty!
9:40 am- no potty. Holding poop. Scared to poop in potty. Never thought pooping would be a frightening thing.....
10:00 am- peed in potty.
10:15 am- poop accident. Very very small though. And he told me immediately. Tried to get him to finish in potty, still refuses

Trying to keep the munchkin occupied

10:50 am- pee-pee in potty
11:50 am- pre-nap pee success
1:05 pm- woke up dry. He made me so proud, we had a pee-pee and a poo-poo which resulted in 3 stickers and outside time!!!! I wanted to take a pic but I thought that might be too much!!!!! Hehe
2:50 pm- another pee-pee success.
3:40 pm- pee-pee in potty now outside having a snack!
4:45 pm- potty and more outside time with our feet in the pool

5:50 pm- pee-pee in potty before bath
6:45 pm- pee-pee in potty after playing in bath forever
Something I forgot to mention this morning: So even after my friends told me NOT to do this, I did it for some odd reason. Last night I woke Cade up around 11pm to potty. It was misery! He was out of it and so disoriented. Of course there was no success in pottying, so FYI, don't do it. Like they always say "never wake a sleeping baby".
7:20 pm- poo-poo accident. Made me so sick. Gross. Thought I was going to vomit. Hard to not get mad but I held it together.
7:22 pm- pee-peed in potty while I cleaned poop undies.
8:10 pm- peed in potty
8:55 pm- peed in potty before we took our housekeeper home
9:10 pm- peed before bed. Sleeping on puppy potty pads again. I will not wake him up tonight. Hoping for a dry night.
Also praying for a complete breakthrough with the #2 tomorrow. I'm not liking the poop undies. Nausea big time....

Day 3:
7:55 am- hear little pitter-patter of Cade's feet running to my room. Undies dry!!!!! Lonnnnnggggg pee in potty! Bravo bravo!
9:45 am- peed in potty
In the car- totally against the rules, we aren't suppose to leave at all but sometimes you have to bend the rules. We have a puppy potty pad in his car seat and 2 change of clothes. Praying I don't mess up the success.
11:10 am- Cade would not pee at gas station, but still dry!
1:00 pm- peed at Whataburger
2:50 pm- peed at Sam's (notice still no poop), told me in the car he needed to pee, but told me he could wait a little bit! cutie!
4:00 pm- pee pee accident, honestly my fault, good advice for everyone: take your child to pee before and after every car ride! sadly my phone rang as we drove up to the house, unfourtanetly it was regarding a sad situation in our family, i couldn't hang up, and that's when Cade had the accident, right outside the car :(
6:00 pm- outside, Cade told daddy he needed to POOP!!! and yep he sure did- in the POTTY! pee and poop success! 3 stickers for that one!

Cade playing with the bubbles daddy brought home as his potty present!!!!
8:50 pm- no pee-pee before bedtime but I am assuming he did it while taking a bath :), woke up dry though!

So, would I do this program again???? Most definite. I will admit Cade was ready so I feel that made it a little easier. He is now telling us when he needs to go. I expect some accidents here and there, but there will be no diapers or pull-ups on Cade's butt again anytime soon!!!
My most favorite part of this program was all the time I spent with Cade- we read books, played ball, watched movies and just had a blast!

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Parker and Cozumel Dental-style

2011-02-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

So I have been BEGGING for a BIG dog since we now have an acre and I felt we had plenty of space. I also wanted a puppy I could train to run with me (that will begin after the 1/2 Marathon training is over in March) So in Christmas, Colby surprised me with an envelope. The envelope had a pic of the cutest boxer pup ever. He was currently living in Arkansas and his was named Romeo. Well he flew into McAllen and his name immediately changed to Parker (Parker bc that is the county Colby and I met in). He has been so much fun!!! Him and Bugslie are BFF which has made Cosmo more of a momma's girl than ever!!!!
This is pic from the breeder that I received on Christmas morning:

And now he fits right in!

And recently I went with my "Boy BFF" Austin on a cruise to Cozumel for a dental continuing education course. Only thing I learned the entire weekend is that I love sleep and I love tequila!!!! Sadly the course was very very very basic, or maybe my dental school was very very very advanced, or maybe I am just very very very smart..... Hehe

And we loved this crazy boat ride! Enjoy!!!

Chuggington

2011-01-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

And yes, I was having as much fun as Cade!

Same ol' same......

2010-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Cade had planned to tell Santa he wants a choo-choo-train.
Well....... I bet you can guess that didn't happen.

Turkey Day- Valley Style!

2010-11-30T18:16:00.001-08:00

This was my 1st real Thanksgiving to host all by myself!
I made: pumpkin cheesecake, green bean casserole, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing/stuffing, and salad.
I bought: a smoked turkey from New Braunfels Smokehouse, rolls, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie.
I was gifted: a spiral cut ham.
It was a feast!!!!
There were 10.5 guests (0.5 being Caders) all at OUR house! It was FANTASTIC!
Pool, washers, darts, ping-pong, and Sequence were the games of the weekend.
We were lucky enough to have AMAZING weather.
I loved having everyone here. It was the BEST turkey day I have EVER had!
Thank you Langfords for letting me be part of your family!
And enjoy the variations in attire in the family pic below (some thought it was hot, some thought it was cold, and I was going to a wedding) :)

Halloween 2010 and Jen's Wedding

2010-11-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

A little late, but here it is!!!!
Cade hung out in his Halloween costume for all of 15 minutes and then tore it off. He had no interest...... But he sure looked adorable!

Last weekend we visited La Grange (actually some small town outside of La Grange, no clue what it was called) for my cousin Jen's Wedding. We wish her and Dusty many years of happiness!

3 Day 2010- Dallas

2010-11-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Susan G. Komen Dallas/Fort Worth 3-Day for the Cure began on a chilly morning with an emotional Opening Ceremony at Collin Creek Mall. We were greeted right out of the gates by the first of 11 private cheering stations at the University of Texas at Dallas. Along the route, the Richardson fire department was out cheering and taking pictures with their pink t-shirts. We passed 4 local elementary schools throughout the day with children out to cheer. Lunch was at beautiful Valley View Park and was followed by a walk along the White Rock Creek Trail before we arrived at camp, our home away from home for the weekend.
We arose early on Saturday morning after a chilly night, ready to hit the Brookhaven College jogging trail. After pit stop 1 we crossed the first of 3 pedestrian bridges, where Citibank was cheering us on. There was a huge outpouring of community support along the way - more than 21 private cheering stations. The New Balance cheerleaders greeted us at pit stop 2 along with the school mascot of DeGolyer Elementary. Lunch was hosted at the Hockaday School grounds, and students were out cheering and helping direct traffic. As we passed the last public cheering station at Valley View Mall, we strolled by a continuous mile of private cheering stations - very invigorating! Next we headed into the town of Addison and into the Komen Corral at pit stop 4. We crossed the Addison suspension bridge and were on to the final stretch. That evening, we gathered back at camp for a Candy Coburn concert.
We began our final day of walking with a warm bus ride to Ursuline Academy. Sunrise brought warmer weather in the 70s and bright skies. We enjoyed a scenic route through the gorgeous Highland Park area and another tremendous day of community support all along the route. We received many treats, stickers, bracelets, beads, water, candy and doughnuts. Lunch was at the beautiful Reverchon Park with a pink fire truck for all of us to sign and take pictures with. We exited lunch on Katy Trail and crossed into the historic West End. We passed the American Airlines Center, the JFK Memorial and Pioneer Plaza into pit stop 4 at Main Street Garden. The final miles took us through Deep Ellum and our incredible journey ended with a celebratory Closing Ceremony at Cotton Bowl Plaza with our friends and family there to greet us. (written by Susan G Komen blogger)

Walked for my Aunt Carol who is fighting Triple Negative Breast Cancer.
Loved my team- 16 Pink Ladies and 1 T-Bird

60 miles- 3 Days- All for a CURE!!
2011- San Diego here I come (and most likely Dallas again too)
Susan G Komen 1/2 Marathon- Dallas, March 2010

CHRISTMAS CARDS...

2010-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

So we took these pics for our Christmas cards, I had planned on keeping them a secret, but.....
I CAN'T RESIST!!!!
The boots Cade's wearing are from when Colby was a baby! SO COOL!!!! His mom gave them to us when we had Cade.
Last year, picture taking in a studio was a NIGHTMARE!!!
This year, Linda (our AWESOME photographer) suggested a park, and wow, what a difference! PRAISE GOD!
And yes, we will still be sending out cards! So look and forget these pics! Ha!

HOOK EM- Love The Langfords!

Cade Turns 2!!!

2010-10-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Cade turned 2!!!!
He's a super small 2 year old! But he's the cutest 2 year old I know!! 24.4 pounds (10th%) 32.5 inches (10th%) and his head circumference was in the 5th percentile! He's a SHRIMP!!! He's still wearing 18 month bottoms, size 4 diapers, but 24 month shirts, and has the stinkiest size 5 feet ever!

He is talking soooo much! Most of the gibber-jabber I don't understand but he is saying a lot of words.... fish, dog, cat, water, milk, breakfast, I love you (one of my favs), football, light, donkey, monkey, Sponge Bob, Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and we love when he acts like an elephant- it's hilarious! He eats almost anything, but he won't even touch a vegetable! I hope he grows out of this!!!

Cade was lucky to have 2 parties, 1 at school and 1 at home with family. And we are all ready for Cade to LIKE having Happy Birthday sang to him with cake and candles!
Enjoy the pics below!

School Party

Family Party

Cade is getting ready for the BIG 2!

2010-09-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Prayers.....

2010-09-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

Please pray for the Knight Family
Missy's an amazing mother, person, and Christian.
Her FB status last night.....
"Samuel received his healing tonight. He is now dancing in Heaven, eating ice cream and brownies. I will forever love and miss my perfect little boy."

Paul says, "we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Temporary. This too shall pass. And the day on the other side of this night is going to be awesome!

When your heart has beaten for the last time, there's only one thing that God will be looking for at the gates of eternity: Jesus, His Son, with His arm around you saying, "This one's with Me."

Support The Pink Ladies + 1 T-bird!

2010-09-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the United States. That's a pretty startling statistic. No one should have to face this disease, so in order to create a future without breast cancer, I walk in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

It's a 60-mile walk over the course of three days that raises funds for breast cancer research and community programs. Last year, I had an incredible experience participating in this event. I raised $2300 and met so many wonderful friends along the way.

This year is a VERY special year for me. Sadly one of my favorite aunts was diagnosed with Stage 4, Triple Negative Breast Cancer earlier this year. The news hit our family like a ton of bricks. It makes you realize that at any moment, you or a loved one could be diagnosed with the awful disease.

Walking 60 miles was hard, but I will keep walking until breast cancer is no longer a threat. I walk because everyone deserves a lifetime. I walk because I can. I walk to support my aunt and my family and my friends.

Please make a donation to support my fundraising efforts and this important cause. Then consider making that donation every month for the next four months, using the payment plan option available if you donate online at The3Day.org. Many companies have matching gifts programs, so please ask your employer if they will double your donation with a matching gift**.

To make a donation, simply follow the link below to visit my personal fundraising Web page. If you don't want to donate online, you can download and print a donation form from that page that you can mail in with your donation.

I appreciate your support. The walk is the 1st weekend of November so please donate today.
Donate for your mom, your grandmother, your father, your aunt, your child, or yourself!

EVEN $10 will help!!!!!!!

Warm regards,
Pennie

P.S. I plan on reaching my fundraising goal by November 1, so please don't wait. Donate today!

http://www.the3day.org/goto/penniedds

Still in transition....

2010-09-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

So we FINALLY closed on our house a few weeks back. We were able to get a Professional Loan with Compass Bank (thanks to Courtney for the advice) and closed in 2 weeks. It's amazing what a different lender can do. There were no questions or concerns, it was smooth sailing. Praise God for that!
So presently we are still in a waiting period.... We are updating the house a lot! From floors to lighting to a new oven to painting to new light fixtures, you name it, it's happening right now. It's going to be gorgeous once we finally move in! This whole experience has taught me SO much about patience! Patience is one of my weaknesses for sure. The projected move in date is September 25, and I need prayers from ALL of you that this will happen!
So presently we are residing in "retirement-ville" as my good friend MP likes to call it! Ha! We literally are the youngest by at least 50 years! This place is where the winter-Texans reside. Most of the people here are either A) going through a separation, B) bored with life C) winter-Texans that have never left or D) all of the above. SO obviously us being in our 30s with a baby is a site for the other residents. We are bunking it up in a little 2 bedroom furnished (year of decoration most likely 1967) duplex that's on a major highway, so we are blessed with road noise 24/7. The queen bed Colby and I are sleeping on forces us to the center, so a lot of "cuddling" and maybe some "love kicks" are occurring nightly! Poor Cade is sleeping in his travel Baby Bjorn crib, and I think he's about fed up with that! I know I sound negative about this whole experience, but honestly it has been quite comfortable, comical and just down-right interesting! Hahahahahaha Our "neighborhood" is called the Texan Guest Ranch, YEE-HAW!!!! It has a Workout Barn and a Laundry Barn, I know you are SO jealous! I can always take any of you on a tour anytime you visit us!

But since my last post, we have had a lot of fun. We visited Puerto Vallarta for Melissa Peters wedding. Her and Adam are now Mr and Mrs Allgood. Yes, they changed BOTH of their last names, so cool. It was a fabulous vacation and a gorgeous wedding. Below are a few pics!

And last weekend we went to Fredericksburg, one of my favorite places to visit. My family and Colby's family all went together. How blessed am I that our families get along so well. I am sure all the wine drinking helped that (in all seriousness, the families really love each other and we all love wine too which helps)! The trip was fantastic and relaxing. I think this may end up being a yearly tradition!

And then Cade showed his Texas spirit this weekend! Hook em'!!!!!!!!

Tough times......

2010-08-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

WOW!
Us Langford's have been through a whirl-wind of crud lately!!!
It started June 27, we decided to stay in McAllen and buy a home.
We found our dream home very quickly and we were so excited.
We began the process, and wow, what a process this has been.
Due to the whole mortgage crisis, getting a loan is like pulling a distally bony impacted wisdom tooth without anesthesia!
Colby and I have credit scores in the mid-high 700s, we have plenty of money in the bank, and we have steady, dependable jobs..... but that's not enough these days!!!!
So we were told we would close today, Aug 6.
Well yesterday I get a call, our mortgage insurance has not approved the appraisal. This appraisal has been done over twice and obviously this woman has no clue what the heck she is doing, lovely!
So obviously our closing date isn't happening today.
But the best part of this is........... ta-da!
We are homeless. Our rent house already has new renters that are moving in Monday!
So today we have packers here, packing our stuff. Tomorrow they move it into Pods.
Then we move to the Drury Suites (which sounds a bit drury to me).
PRAISE GOD we leave for Puerto Vallarta next Wednesday for 5 nights, we will need a break from our suite that's not going to be as sweet as we desire!
So say a prayer for us.
Imagine a 2 room suite with me, Colby, Cade, 2 pugs, and a cat! Wow this adventure may get comical!!!!!!!
We are requesting a new appraisal, by a new appraiser. We will know Monday if this request is granted. Then when we return from PV, hopefully we will have good news. If not, we will move into an apartment till we find another home that we love!
Pray, pray pray!!!!

The chicken

2010-07-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Cade loves this box, he spends hours playing in it, and now he acts like a chicken..........

PawPaw Thad's Bday

2010-07-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we ventured up to Lake Murray in Ardmore, Oklahoma for PawPaw Thad's 87th birthday.
We had SO much fun visiting with family and PawPaw seemed so HAPPY!
Cade LOVED everyone and was such a good boy!

Cade's Personality is Starting....

2010-07-15T19:36:00.001-07:00

WOW, here we go....... The problem is.... he KNOWS he's cute!

Baby Ealy #2!

2010-07-11T05:55:00.000-07:00

It's crazy to think Baby Ealy #1 is what inspired me to start this blog.
We have a 7/11 baby!
Olive Reese 8lbs 2oz, 19in

Happy AMAZING Father's Day!

2010-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my dad! I appreciate him so much!

And Happy Father's Day to my fantastic husband. Colby is such an amazing, loving father to Cade, Bugslie, Cosmo, and his favorite- Kalvin the cat (notice he has no picture with Kalvin, hmmmm). Although, this is his most memorable and favorite moment of Kalvin.....

Sea World, Cade's 1st Real Vacation

2010-05-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

So Cade has probably flown more than most average Americans, BUT, he has never been on a real vacation.
We decided it was time. With a little convincing from The Horns, we were ready for this boy to have some fun!
Cade is basically obsessed with fish, he loves saying the word fish, although it really sounds like "ish". But we get the point.
Here are some pics! As you can tell, he did not love the life-sized penguins, he loved the dolphins, he loved the aquariums, but most of all he LOVED HAYDEN HORN and Daddy Horn!
It was a great trip!!!!

Miami, Cruise, Mother's Day Celebration

2010-05-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

We had the best 10 days EVER.
It started off by flying from McAllen to Houston to drop off Cade with Aunt Cathy. And of course, I was able to enjoy me some Gringo's!
Then the following day we flew to Miami! We stayed at the AMAZING hotel- Fountainebleau on South Beach. We were so lucky to be able to see our friends- Joslyn and Jayson- they drove down from Gainesville, FL to visit us. We had such a great time together!

Then after 2 nights of living-it-up in Miami- we boarded our ship Carnival Destiny. It was so great to get away, away from life, away from phones, away from the internet, away from work, away from all of the stress we encounter everyday. It was just refreshing to watch our boat float away from land!
South Beach as we were departing

Here we go!!!!

Our 1st day was at sea as we headed South, which means we RELAXED. We had massages, napped, shopped on the boat and just chilled!

Then our 2nd day, we woke up to Grand Turks. What a GORGEOUS place! We snorkeled, visited the stingrays, and enjoyed Margaritaville!!! I kissed the barb (the stinger) of the stingray, which they say promises 7 yrs good-luck so I kissed it twice!!

Then we turned north on our 3rd day and woke up to a private island named Half Moon Cay (pronounced Key not Cay). This place was seriously paradise. Only 30 people actually live on the island and it is only 6 miles long, 2 miles wide. Super small and our favorite island by far! The water was as clear as the water in a pool. While visiting the island we rode horses and went horse-back-swimming! AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our 4th day we landed at Nassau Bahamas. Much more developed than either of the other islands we visited, but still gorgeous!
We were lucky enough to swim with the dolphins at the Atlantis Resort. It was one of the neatest things I have ever experienced. Swimming under deep water with them by your side, is breath-taking. If you ever have the chance, please swim with dolphins! And we loved the Atlantis too, we are considering taking Cade there next summer. Very pretty place with a lot of kid-friendly activities.

When we arrived back to Miami- 5 days later, we were itching to see Cade! 7 days without our little hellion is not easy! Here's Colby with the present we bought Cade! HAHAHA!

On Saturday night, after arriving back in Houston, we visited family at dinner for a Mother's Day / Kim (cousin) Birthday Celebration. My mom came into town as well, and I loved seeing her and my Aunt Cathy on Mother's Day, so special!! We had a great time. Our family has finally come back together, and I can't explain how important that is to me. Family is so important!

After writing this blog, I realize I am so blessed with a wonderful husband, wonderful marriage, wonderful son, and wonderful family! I am so thankful Lord!

Bubbles and More Bubbles with a little Chelsea Thrown In

2010-04-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

So Cade has found a new love! He loves BUBBLES!
We can keep him happy for a LONG time with Bubbles!!!!!!

Last weekend Colby and I went to Austin to celebrate his 33rd birthday. Cade went to stay at Gigi's (my mom). We stayed at the amazing Driskill Hotel and loved every minute of it. On Friday night we went to see Chelsea Handler. She was hilarious. Love that lady. Saturday morning we woke up to room-service in bed, followed by massages, and then a BBQ with some friends. That night we enjoyed eating at the Driskill and then Sunday we woke up late and loved the sleep!!!!

So the more bubbles comes in here....
When we got home, McAllen had gotten A LOT of rain! Our water fountains outside smelled HORRIBLE from all the water sitting there for so long. So Colby had this AMAZING idea of putting some dish washing soap in the them to "clean" them out. Well here is the result.......... LOVELY!

"BUT IT SURE DOES SMELL GOOD" - direct quote from my husband

Easter 2010

2010-04-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Easter! We are so thankful everyday for God sacrificing his son for us. What a tough decision to make as a father. I can't imagine the pain he felt when watching his only son die on the cross. But have no fear, Jesus came back, and how AMAZING is that!
Cade woke up to an Elmo Easter Basket! He could have cared less about the candy, he wanted to throw the plastic eggs as he said "ball, ball, ball".

Then we headed to church, went and ate some good ol' Cracker Barrel, and came home for a much needed nap!
When Cade woke up, to his surprise the Easter bunny had come by and left him some eggs and a pool!!!!
He HATED the pool but loved hunting the eggs!!!

We sure wish we would have been closer to family and friends on this very special holiday. Hopefully next year that can happen!

Mr and Mrs Hodges!

2010-03-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Colby and I had an ADULT weekend in Oklahoma City.
My Aunt Cathy and Uncle Bruce, graciously flew ALL THE WAY down here to babysit Cade for the weekend. And well, considering Cade had fever when we left which was followed by a lovely course of explosive diarrhea, I think the correct choice was made!!

My sister-in-law Mandy married the love of her life- Adam. I can remember her coming to visit us down here when Cade was 1st born, and I could tell she was beaming! Then she told us about a new guy from work that she had met. I could see in her eyes that he was the one. And the rest......

We started the weekend out at County Line for the rehearsal dinner, it was great, and reminded me of Austin!

When we left dinner, that's when the front began to blow in. The temp dropped 30 degrees in 2 hours. We woke up Saturday morning to snow on the ground. And it proceeded to snow ALL DAY. Snow AND 40-60 mile per hour winds does NOT make a bride happy, but have no fear! It was still an AWESOME, FUN, and GORGEOUS wedding!!!!!

The wedding took place at a little, intimate, rustic chapel connected to a gorgeous reception area, Briar Rose Place.
This bride allowed herself to forget about the BLIZZARD and focus on HER MAN!!!

We had a blast!
Congrats Mr and Mrs Adam Hodges!

Hmmmm.... Well...........

2010-03-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

So I see a pattern here.....
I am ALWAYS behind on my blog.
So I guess I should say sorry, but I have a feeling this won't be changing!

A few weeks ago I visited Oklahoma City for the 1st time. I went to celebrate my sister-in-law, Mandy's, bachelorette party. I had a BLAST!!!!! I love all the women that came along. I was excited to meet her best-friend and bridesmaid Carla, she is crazy! We head to Oklahoma City again this Friday for the wedding and I cannot wait to hang out with all these ladies again!
There are some pics I will not post on here, for fear my life may be in jeopardy!

The cousins, Jen and Mendi, and my sister-in-law, Alicia

Me and Carla

Me and Mandy, the bride-to-be

And of course I have to put up some pics of Cade. He is SO excited about the weather being nice. He LOVES LOVES LOVES outside. And he loves his car! He was hoping to pick up some chicks!

And the girls have become his best friends. He walks around barking all day. So funny!!!!

And here is my HANDSOME hubby! He went up looking for bad guys in the DPS helicopter. He wasn't successful, but he had fun trying!

And on a more serious note. At church last Sunday, a great message was taught. It's interesting how our society correlates busyness with success and importance. But have you ever just felt too busy or burned out?? Well that's because busyness is not healthy 24/7. Jesus took many moments to rest, rest his soul, sleep, and pray. Remember: Without a rhythm of rest, our hearts become hardened

Valentine's Weekend

2010-02-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been fantastic!
Yesterday I had a hydrotherapy massage followed by a 90 min deep tissue massage.
Then last night we went to Lansky and Brats for a romantic dinner.
We have been babysitting our friends Boxer this weekend as well, and Cade loves him and loves his kennel!
I promise I didn't lock him up in here!
Happy Valentine's Day friends and family xoxoxoxo

Lots of emotions and confusion

2010-01-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Just a vent post........
Sometimes we wonder why God puts us in situations, we wonder but we know not to fight it because we know it's right.
Oct 2008, being moved to the valley took me and Colby by surprise. We never knew the challenges and difficulties we would encounter. We both had/have major job challenges, our son was (hopefully stays in the past) always sick, we live soooo far from family/friends, we didn't know many people here, and so on and so on. It's been SO tough.
It's really hard for me to complain and whine considering I know we have so many blessings but sometimes I just want to :(
Today has been one of those days.
I am confused, unsure, and just not clear on what my purpose is here any longer.
It's been tough and difficult.
I know I have to keep thanking God for those awesome blessings He has given me and my family. I know I have to keep trucking and keep my head up.
Enough of the saddness, sadly I don't have time to be!

Family and Darker

2010-01-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

We went to Houston this past weekend and it was too wonderful!!!!!
Friday night I was able to visit an old high school friend Amanda Langston at the FAMOUS Gringo's. It was so great to catch up with her, it seemed like no time had passed! I wish we would have gotten a pic, but hopefully we will see each other soon again!

Then Saturday we attempted pictures with Cade and his 4th cousin Sarah (the 2 babies on my mom's side). Well as you can imagine it was a DISASTER!!!! Sarah was a PERFECT angel and Cade, well, he was HORRIBLE!!!!!!! So we were able to capture many cute pics of Sarah and just one with the two of them, and Cade's expression was the same as when he saw Santa last month. I will post as soon as we get them, just for a good laugh. I hope Cade out-grows this whole separation anxiety thing, it's depressing, embarrassing, and just ridiculous (or RI-DIC and my MIL likes to say)!

Saturday afternoon we had our family all together. It was so great to see everyone. I hadn't seen Kim (my cousin I grew up with, she's almost like a sister to me, I lived with her for a few years when I was little) in over 3 years, my cousin Beth (Kim's sister, bridesmaid in my wedding) since my wedding, Brittnie (Kim's daughter) in over 2 years, Rodney (my 2nd cousin) in about a year, and I had never met Sarah (Brittnie's daughter, newest addition to our family). It was a very nice visit and I truly hope we never go this long again without seeing each other.

Aryn and Anna also came by for a short visit. Anna is a doll. Her hair is getting curly and she makes you melt!

Another high school friend of mine came by as well, and we didn't get a pic either :( Brandy has a 3 yr old baby girl named Ellery. She is the smartest kid I have ever been around. It's amazing all the stuff she knows and can do! But if you know Brandy or if you have read Brandy's husbands abstract about some quite/passive stuff, you would know where she got it from!
Besides the Cowboys losing on Sunday before we flew out, it was a great trip!
Oh the darker part of my title, my hair. It's my natural color with a few highlights on top. I had no idea how dark my hair had gotten. But I love the new look! If you don't like it, well sorry, it's staying :)

Christmas at the Langford's

2010-01-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

I will let the pics tell the story.......

That about sums it up!

Wow! Santa

2009-12-11T15:41:00.001-08:00

Last year

THIS YEAR, hahahahahaha

I think separation anxiety has began......

3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, Phoenix 2009

2009-11-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have been training and anticipating this weekend for SOOOOOO long; and now it has has come and gone way too quickly. Never knew how fast time flies when you are walking AND having fun!

My sister Johna e-mailed me in March and challenged me to a 60 mile walk with her. If you know me, of course the answer was yes without even thinking about what I was getting involved in. "Heck I can walk forever, 60 miles won't be a big deal." Well how wrong I was! Yes it's just walking, but 60 miles is a lot longer than you think.
For instance things that are approximately 60 miles: Eastland to Weatherford, Dallas to Ft Worth then back to Dallas, Newcastle to Wichita Falls, from my house to the Mexico border 10 times, you could climb Mt Everest 5 times, 240 times around a football field, you could swim across the Nile River 10 times, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND STEPS!
Get the picture now??

So this whole thing began with many breast cancer survivors and breast cancer scares in my family. My grandmother is a survivor, she had a partial mastectomy and many lymph nodes removed. My cousin Jen, my Aunt Cathy, and my sister Johna have had scares which were diagnosed early with early detection breast exams followed by mammograms and other tests. After I posted I was doing this walk, many people began opening up, my close friend Juliette's mother is a survivor and Kesia's (Cade's teacher) mother-in-law passed away from breast cancer. It seemed like once I signed the dotted line and committed to this, many patients with breast cancer were sitting in my dental chair or people would write me to tell stories on Facebook. It seems like so many women I know have been effected by this evil disease.

So the training began. I was lucky enough to meet someone on the walk website who lived here in the valley. Dalila (her aunt is a survivor) and I walked together every weekend. We did the small trainings alone during the week but for the long training walks, you seem to go crazy alone. The last few Saturdays prior to the event, we were walking 18 miles in the HOT, HUMID valley weather. It killed us, but we were in it together. We walked all over the city of McAllen, people thought we were CRAZY!

So I arrived in Phoenix, nervous, anxious, excited, and just hoping I could do it......
Friday morning I woke up at 5am to be at Freestone Park in Gilbert (suburb of Phoenix) for bag drop off, group stretch, and opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was just a little hint of the emotions I would experience over the weekend. Flags were carried with words describing emotions and words describing relationships. The sun was rising and it was a gorgeous scene.

So we were off before 8am for a stroll, a 20 mile stroll that is. Little did I know how cool this walk would be. There were cheering stations along the way. Kids at Gilbert Elementary, family members of walkers everywhere, signs cheering us on, everyone honking at us, millions of cameras taking pics, people dressed in costumes, survivors everywhere telling us thank you. WOW!!!! We felt famous.

And we had pit stops. The 1st pit stop began my "love" of the porta-potty. I peed every hour or so in a porta-potty. I also learned we were NOT going to be hungry on these walks, there was TONS of food at these pit stops. Uncrustables, string cheese, oranges, bananas, pretzels, Lays, bagels with cream cheese, candy! And bottled water and Gatorade. All you want!!
And we learned about the sweeper vans, these vans were everywhere. Just waiting for someone to get hurt or someone to realize they couldn't make it. All you did was stand there with your wrists crossed above your head, and rescue would be on its way! (I never used these but I saw A LOT of poor people get picked up on day 2 and 3).

We also had awesome safety crew at all the intersections making sure we crossed safely. They all had motorcycles decked out with loud music playing so we naturally danced at every intersection. AWESOME!

Lunch was a chicken burger (or veggie burger for us "vegetarians"). Lunch was great. A time to sit down in the grass, take your shoes off, stretch, and change socks (key to no blisters is preventing wet feet). Also a lot of people would doctor their feet with Moleskin on "hot spots" and 2nd Skin on blisters. Lunch was time for medical and relaxation.
After lunch we had tons of cheering and we headed to Benedict Park for our home away from home. We slept in pink 2-person tents that only fit our twin air mattresses and nothing else! The air mattress was a saviour! Thank God for that suggestion. It was ironic to sleep in tents in AZ considering they have a jail called Tent City where all the inmates sleep in tents. So when they called it tent city, everyone thought that was hilarious!

Dinner was spaghetti with meatballs (mine were tofu and so divine), salad, and a brownie that was awesome!
I took a shower in the trailer of an 18-wheeler, which was surprisingly decent, and the water was super HOT!
Then I couldn't handle keeping my eyes open anymore. So I went to bed at 6:30! But since I was sleeping in my paper-thin pink tent, I was able to hear ALL the karaoke going on. These women were crazy! And the singing was definitely not American Idol appropriate! HA!!!

Then Day 2 Begins....
Since it NEVER rains in AZ, well it was raining when we woke up at 6am! JOY oh JOY!
And it was cold, 42 degrees, which is very cold mixed with rain.
So the ponchos we purchased were utilized!

I attempted to warm up with coffee, a biscuit, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. The coffee began my peeing escapade for the day. I peed and peed and peed, which meant I was lucky to have lots of encounters with the porta-potty again!
We started out with local high school cheerleaders cheering us on, building pyramids, and throwing basket tosses. Pins and stickers being passed out by strangers everywhere. And of course more horn honking! Honk, honk, honk.....
Lunch was a chicken wrap (veggie/cheese sandwich).
Then we were met by girl scouts everywhere cheering for us and tons of neighborhoods encouraging us and thanking us for our dedication as we paraded through. There were a little less than 2,000 of us.

Day 2 was the most challenging for me. By the time I arrived back at camp, I could feel EVERY BONE in my foot, and there are a lot of bones in your feet. I was sore. It looked as if our camp was functioning in slow motion, no one was walking at their normal pace. Everyone was hurting. More people got picked up in the sweeper vans than any other day. People broke bones in their feet, had blisters covering their feet, sprained ankles, pulled tendons, it was a rough night at camp.
Dinner was chicken and pasta with cream sauce, mixed veggies and strawberry short-cake. YUMMY!
But this night I was able to stay awake, why you ask???
Well the night's entertainment began with the AZ Sun City Pom Group, which is a group of senior citizen women who do pom routines, AWESOME!
Then the karaoke finals were followed by a dance party, and Pennie does not miss a dance party. It was a blast and a great way to loosen up those muscles. So much fun and awesome how everyone is completely themselves and not worried about what anyone thinks of them. I wish us women were able to be this way all the time!

Day 3 then began, the last and final day.
Well since there is NEVER dew on the grass in the morning in AZ, we woke up to everything being soaked due to the dew everywhere. Our tents and our bags (that don't fit in the tents) were all VERY damp. And it was COLD, so the dampness from the dew was miserable! But that didn't get my spirits down, it was day 3 after all!!!!
So after taking our damp tent down and packing our damp bag, we were off.
We started off with coffee of course which again led to peeing and peeing and peeing and my love for the porta-potty was becoming very short-lived..... Eggs, hashbrowns, and cereal.
We were 1st greeted by bagpipers, something you don't see everyday. Then the Cub Scouts met us out. Cute little boys got my brain thinking of Cade of course!
We were headed up hill to U of A (the mountain has a huge A on it, which wasn't Awesome to me) then through Papago Park. The park is gorgeous except for the fact that you are on rolling hills going up a mountain, so even going down the rolling hills, you are still going up hill. This sucked! But it was pretty (sarcasm).
Thankfully though after going up, you must go down, so we ate lunch which was a turkey sandwich (or hummus).

At the last pit stop I ate my 1st Uncrustable, and loved it!
I also learned why all these people kept saying "save 2nd base" all weekend, can you believe it took me that long to get-it???
We then trekked through old town Scottsdale, which is an awesome little city to our final destination, Scottsdale Stadium.
I was able to spend my last few moments walking with a breast cancer survivor my sister had met while training, her spirit was amazing. Her family was waiting for her, a few of them had flown in for this event. They were all headed to a celebratory dinner afterwards in her honor. So touching. And my sister Johna and I were able to think back about our amazing grandmother who is a survivor.

When I saw 1 mile to holding area, the excitement began to rush through my veins.
My burnt orange blood temporarily turned pink!

Then it happened, I saw the finish line. Tears began to well up in my eyes.
I think a moment of shock occurred until I heard the cheering begin.
People were EVERYWHERE waiting for us. Cheers, yells, air horns, claps, smiles, tears.

Then the closing ceremony.
4.1 million dollars raised.
I will let the pics tell the story.

Dallas 2010 here I come.
Save the tatas, save 2nd base, TNT (two nice tits), free breast exams (some dude).
Everyone deserves a lifetime. Susan G Komen

I still haven't reached my minimum requirement of $2300. Please donate! I have a few more weeks left to collect the money!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's crazy to think this was Cade's 2nd Halloween. Last year we went to our neighborhood Halloween party and he was a few weeks old. He wore a little onesie and he had no clue what was going on. I was still breast feeding and I was still drugged up on pain meds from the c-section. We knew nobody here, we were the new ones on the block. We had just moved to the Valley and we NEVER thought we would be here an entire year.....
WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Things sure have changed in a year!

This Halloween was A LOT more fun!!!!!
We had 2 different costumes this year.
1st costume for the warm valley weather was the moose.
2nd costume for the cooler Houston weather was the lion.

Cade was a moose at our neighborhood Halloween Party. He won 1st place in the baby costume contest. He's too dang cute for words!!!!!

Cade then was a lion. He seemed to really love being the king of the jungle!
His mane cracked me up, since I know Cade will never have hair even close to this long, dad won't allow it.
We spent Halloween at Anna De Lisi's 1st birthday party. She was a cupcake and her parents were chefs! Super cute. Anna is the daughter of my best friend from high school, Aryn. I have a feeling Halloween for the next 18 years will be spent with the De Lisi's, which is just awesome!!!! Anna and Cade are meant to be!
Notice Cade is not in any of the birthday party pics.... you ask why? He slept through the entire party. Party pooper already!

And for a laugh, here's Kalvin wet..... HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

Coolest Pic Ever...

2009-10-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Teacher Kesia created this pic for us.
She is such a blessing!
We all agree Cade belongs on billboards!

Cade's 1ST Birthday and Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary

2009-10-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we celebrated Cade's 1st Birthday. We celebrated at my bother Brad's and his wife Cynthia's house in Austin. We are so blessed to have such gracious family members- thank you so much for letting us use your home!! Brad was our griller and Cynthia was our chef- they are both fantastic people! We love you guys!!!!!!!!!
There were sooooo many people there, many of whom I did not get pics of (Carrie, Lockie, Warren, Tristan, Melissa Peters, her main squeeze Adam, my sister Johna, and many more I am missing)
It was a very successful party, lots of food, sangria, beer, cake, ice-cream, cupcakes, candy, balloons, presents, etc, etc.......
Loved every minute of it! I know we will have many more fun parties to come!
Elmo loves you and so does his goldfish Dorthy!

4 days after Cade turned 1, we celebrated our 2nd yr anniversary.
It seems like we just never get to really celebrate, last year I was drugged up after a c-section, breast-feeding every 1-2 hrs, and I just had no interest celebrating anything!
This year my hubby got stuck working. Doing undercover crud!!! But he loves the scary stuff!!!
So we are celebrating on Saturday night, we are headed to a great steak place, and no- there will not be any Kobe beef this time!
Here are the flowers he sent to my work! Good man! I love him!

Let the festivities begin....

2009-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today began the start of Cade's 1st birthday festivities.
We had cupcakes at Cade's school. We also learned that Cade does NOT like balloons, which should be interesting at his real party this weekend considering we have a life-size Elmo balloon, I'm sure those pics will be interesting!
His teacher Kesia bought Cade his 1st build-a bear, and it's in overalls, just like Cader Bob wears!!!

Also I added a video of him taking some steps.

More pics to come after his party this coming Saturday!!!! I still can't believe he's already going to be ONE!

Just a thought....

2009-09-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

So I am sure most of you are aware, but I am walking the 3-Day Walk against Breast Cancer.
The event is Nov 13-15 and I am participating in the Phoenix Event because my sister lives there, and this whole CRAZY idea was hers!!!
We will walk 60 miles in 3 days, yes I said SIXTY!
We will sleep in pink 2-person tents each night.
We will take showers in huge trucks- not sure how this works yet.
We don't know our route, we find out when we get there.
We have to train every week, lots and lots of miles.
We will be with thousands of complete strangers.
We will be sore, in pain, have blisters, and just OUCH!!!!

But today brought a whole new light to this entire event.
I received a prayer request on my Facebook page for a family. I read and read and read this family's blog. I kept going back further and further to see why this was happening to this family. After about 5 pushes of the "older posts" button I read it- Sara has breast cancer. No I don't know this family at all, but my eyes just flooded with tears. It emotionally just got the best of me.

Basically it made me realize the challenge I am about to face is nothing compared to this family's ordeal. She is such a gorgeous, beautiful woman, wife, and now mother. Prayers are headed their way by millions.

So I have dedicated my walk to Sara Sullivan. I will think of her every moment of that walk.
Every woman deserves a lifetime.
So this walk will be my way of supporting an amazing cause and obviously millions of amazing women.

http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/

Cade's Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

While mommy was in Seattle.... Daddy and Cader Bob visited Nannie and PawPaw.

Seattle and Beanie

2009-09-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Went to Seattle for Labor Day weekend with my best bud Austin to visit our fellow dental school friend Amrit. She just bought a home in West Seattle and its so cool and in an amazing area!!!
It was a blast from the past for sure!!!

And here Cade is sporting his Halloween beanie! He's trying to look scary :)

Also Cade had his 1st ride on a HARLEY with his PawPaw Chip! Not really, but he's practicing!!!

The Box Again

2009-09-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Like I said..... Cade loves boxes.
This is Cade in his box at daycare.
I love his teacher, she always sends me cute pics ;)

Bad, Bad, Blogger

2009-09-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

So with Facebook, work, church, life, bible study, football season and being a mom/wife, sadly the blog has fallen WAY behind.
I am going to TRY my hardest to keep up with this better because so many wonderful and fun things have been going on in the Langford household!

Cade loves boxes, just like his daddy did when he was a baby:

In July Cade had his pictures taken, here are a few others that I just got from my photographer, whom I love by the way!!!

The day after Cade had his pictures taken he got Pink Eye, since my son catches everything imaginable...

In August we went to Graham to visit my family (Grubb's) and Colby's family (Langford's). Yes, both of our families are originally from Graham, and I know what you are thinking, and NO we aren't related!!!
And Cade went on his 1st 4-wheeler ride, daddy was beaming!!!!

In August we also had a romantic getaway to Fredericksburg. It was amazing!!! We hiked Enchanted Rock and followed that with wine tasting. You can see the wine lead to a new pair of boots that I just had to wear! Yee-Haw!!!

life is like a box of chocolates

2009-08-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Life is truly like a box of unlabeled chocolates- you really never know what you are gonna get....
This week has given me a wake up call to remember God is in control.
It is so hard sometimes to just sit back and trust God and His plan. I often wonder why? Why is this happening? Is this a bad dream? How is this good? It is so challenging to allow yourself to not only think His plan is always good but to KNOW and to BELIEVE His plan is the BEST plan.
I am just so grateful to have the most amazing support group consisting of my hubby, my family, and my friends.
God is good.

Cade's Pics!!!

2009-07-14T11:20:00.001-07:00

July 11, 2009
Photographer: Linda Blackwell, McAllen, TX
www.lindablackwellphotography.com

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

We took Caders swimming in a BIG pool today.
It was a lot of trial and error on the floats, but we finally found one he liked!
Our friends we met down here invited us over for a lovely day of swimming and grilling.
Happy First 4th of July to my baby!

Random Pics- June 2009

2009-07-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the past month since I have been such a bad blogger!

Colorado Springs with Aunt Cathy and Uncle Bruce

Haircut- when you have a hubby who only believes in "high and tight" your son could never have LONG hair!

Playtime- just having fun!

Girls and Kalvin (I think they think we have forgotten them)

Vegas- celebrating my 30th! Cade wasn't there due to too much "adult" activity!

Little Fishy!

2009-07-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today was little Cader Bob's 1st pool experience.
It was a little emotional for me since I couldn't be there but my AMAZING daycare sent me a pic!
And as you can see, he is checking out all the senoritas.
He is the only boy in his class so I am sure he enjoyed all of them in their bikinis!

Busy Busy Busy

2009-05-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Langford Household has been SUPER busy!!!
Colby and I left April 30th for Cabo. It was a stressful moment due to the whole Swine Flu joke and leaving Cade for the first time, but it ended up being a perfect, needed, restful vacation.
We stayed in an awesome HUGE house, ate great food, danced at Cabo Wabo (worse tequila ever), rented a private catamaran, saw whales and sea lions in the ocean, had a private chef come to our house, went to a beach bar, had sushi on the beach, and didn't get SWINE FLU (go figure)!

When we got back, we headed to Lubbock 2 days later for Colby's sister's graduation from Tech, but I still was singing the "Eyes of Texas"! We are so proud of Alicia, we know she has an amazing future ahead of her, we can't wait to see what God has in store! Here's what Cade thought of the whole thing:

Then today was the best day I've had in a long time. Yes, it's Mother's Day and I love being a mother, but the best part of it was Cade was dedicated to the Lord today. It was a neat experience for us. We pray Cade has amazing love for Him and relationship with Him!

Happy Birthday and Teeth but No Pics

2009-04-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

Colby's birthday was Thursday April 16. He turned a whopping 32!
We went to an amazing dinner on Friday night at a cool steak house here called Lansky and Brats.
Well here's the story:
Colby has never had Kobe beef. I encouraged him he should at least try it. When I ate meat, it was the BEST in my opinion. So he got it, and yes, he agreed with me, it was out of this world. So we continued enjoying the meal, which was on the same line as Morton's, in other words, AMAZING!!!
Then I got the bill..... The prices listed on everything were completely reasonable for a steak house, and actually a little lower than normal. But I saw the total and gasped, yes gasped. Colby's amazing Kobe steak was $160, yes people ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS!!!! The menu listed Kobe at "market price". WOW the market is proud of its Japanese Kobe beef!!!
We laughed and laughed and laughed. He's only allowed a roll and water at each outing for the next month to make up for his $160 dollar steak!!!

And when we got home, I noticed something cool, Cade had a tooth sticking out, and the other one is right there under the gum tissue. I knew he was teething because he chewed on everything, but I was expecting fever and tantrums, which never happened. I guess he knows I am a dentist and I would take care of him.
So yes, I am going to go buy a finger brush this week, and teeth brushing will begin.
Poor kid doesn't stand a chance!!!

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Such a beautiful day to celebrate an AMAZING Jesus!

Where has the time gone???

2009-04-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Cade turned 6 month old.
I remember February 11 2008, finding out I was prego, and crying my eyes out.
Colby and I had only been married 3 months and we had decided to not have children.
Well I cried for months while Colby was surprisingly beaming from the news.
I just knew I was having a girl, and at about 20 weeks, my gut feeling was proven wrong, we were having a boy.
We named him immediately while the sonogram was still taking place and we left the doctor's office that day and bought his blue camo bedding.
I all of the sudden was so excited I couldn't wait to meet him.
October 8th I checked into the hospital, October 9th I had a surprise c-section and finally met little Cade.
Now it's been 6 months and I can't believe how fast time flies.
Those first few weeks were very challenging, but I wouldn't trade these past 6 months for anything!

6 month stats:
16.14 pounds
26 inches long
16.5 inch head circumferance

Bouncy Bounce and Beach Baby

2009-04-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

So.......
We have had Nannie and PawPaw here for a week.
It was so nice having them here. We miss them so much in between our visits.
When Cade sees them he just lights up.
For instance, he has loved his bouncer, but he has never bounced in his bouncer.
They arrive and check it out. Tigger has arrived! (Well Tigger Jr, Tristan Ealy is the REAL Tigger)

When we took Nannie and PawPaw to the airport in Harlingen to say our sad good-byes, we decided to head on over to South Padre for Cade's 1st beach trip. Its' nice being so close to the coast. And Cade LOVED the beach, I think he will be a true beach baby!

DFW Visit & MawMaw's Birthday

2009-03-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

We had an AMAZING long weekend.
We left Thursday from the Valley and flew up North to our old stomping grounds- DFW.
Here's Cade chillin on the plane

When we arrived we headed to good ol' Uncle Julio's for yummy Mexican food (since we don't get enough of that down here) and Ritas, yummy Ritas. It was so great to see my best buddy Austin. I miss him so much!!

On Friday we headed to our old hometown Weatherford. It was great to see old friends. We saw my old trainer Micah and then visited with my close girlfriends from Eastland- where I used to work. My friend Raquel brought her baby Isaac and I was able to kiss his sweet little cheeks. Colby and I wish we could have been able to see more of our friends but time wouldn't allow us to. BOOOOO!!!!

Saturday we traveled over to Newcastle, TX- where Colby grew up. It's a cute little-bitty quaint town, Colby graduated with 13 people if that explains anything! We went to celebrate MawMaw's 80th birthday. She sure doesn't look or act 80. The party was a success! She had so many visitors. Colby also had a great time. Many of his friends came to see him. He really misses all of his friends and family. As you can tell, Cade still was the star of MawMaw's birthday party- and that's exactly how she wanted it!!!!

Cade was SPOILED ALL weekend by his Nannie and PawPaw. Below are pics of him loving life. He also met his MeeMee for the first time this weekend. He's the luckiest kid in the world!!!!

5 months

2009-03-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Cade's growing up too FAST!!!
5 month check-up:
15.13 pounds
25 inches long
He's still only in the 25th percentile for everything. But he's BIG to us!!

Below are some pictures of last weekend in Austin. We had a great visit. Another birthday party and his first time to meet Aunt Carrie. Cade LOVED her!!!
And Granny came to see him of course!

Cade's First Party

2009-02-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

We were invited to out first "friends birthday party".
Cade of course was the youngest of all the children present.
The theme was Bob the Builder, they gave little tool chests out as the favors with plastic tools and candy, very creative!!!
When all of the kids escaped the jump house to hit the pinata, Cade got to enjoy it!
And yes, I took him down the slide too. I enjoyed it more than him I think.

Happy Early Easter!

2009-02-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

Eating Green Beans

2009-02-18T18:22:00.001-08:00

Here are some pics of Cade eating green beans.
He apparently loves them. He's so cute!
They are blurry because they are taken with a cell phone.
His teacher took these at school, I think he may be one of their FAVORITES!!!!
I LOVE his daycare, it's so great!!!

Valentine's Weekend

2009-02-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

Cade got a new toy for Valentine's Day- he loves this thing!!!!

And we put together his Rainforest Bouncer. He can't really touch the ground so we did the pillow trick that many of you have taught me. He likes it but not like he does that walker!!

And just an update on his solid foods- he HATES bananas! We will keep trying but as of now he just gets really upset!! But he LOVES applesauce!

And my hubby took me to PF Chang's- our Valentine's Day tradition- and bought me some new diamond earrings! What a great hubby!!!!
Here's Cade in one of his Valentine's outfits! He was cuddling and showing some love to his big sisters.

4 months already.....

2009-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

Can't believe Cade turned 4 months yesterday, wow how time flies!
Cade has truly accomplished so much:
1) He's rolling over- when he feels like it that is
2) He's pulling himself up
3) He's already had his first MAJOR cold and bronchial infection- YUCK!
4) He's been on an airplane twice and was a perfect angel!
5) He recognizes a bottle and gets SOOOO excited! It's hilarious!
6) He laughs and laughs!
7) He's drooling like a mad man!!!
8) He's been called "big" by many people at the airport- which is funny since he's only in the 10th and 20th percentile for everything! Random people can say some of the weirdest things FYI!
9) He had a mini-birthday party at daycare. They sang to him and had balloons- too cute!
10) And he's eating cereal with a spoon and loving it!

On Friday we go to the doctor to get his health stats!!!

Our 1st Video!

2009-01-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

Here is Mr. Cade in January with Nannie!

Good News or Bad News First?

2009-01-28T05:46:00.001-08:00

Well I always ask for the bad news first, so I'll do the same for y'all....

Our poor little Cade. He just can't get better fast enough.
It started with a cold almost 3 weeks ago. Then that turned into a double ear infection. And now he has the WORSE cough EVER. It wakes him up almost every 2 hours and yesterday the daycare called to tell me he had been coughing for like 3 hours straight. He still has no fever, he's still eating, and he's still in great spirit, but it has literally become so exhausting for us all.
So yesterday we started Albuterol drops and breathing treatments through a Nebulizer.
Thank God they have invented a Nebulizer with a pacifier because the mask was a "no-go".

The good news starts with that he only woke up once last night. So hopefully these treatments are going to work.

The other good news is that we have had two amazing weekends in a row.
Cade has been a hit with everyone.

Two weekends ago, Nannie and PawPaw Langford came to visit. He LOVED them both so much. Even though he wasn't feeling great, he loved all of the cuddling and kisses. He can't wait to see them again in March so he can get some more lovin'.

Then last weekend we trucked on up to Houston. Cade and Bugslie decided to pass the time on the drive up by hanging out. Yes Bugslie is IN the carseat with Cade!!!

We went to visit for multiple reasons. First was so Cade could meet his future wife. Her name is Anna. My best-friend Aryn had her baby on Oct 31 and since Cade was born only a few weeks prior, we were unable to be at each other's births. So Cade and Anna FINALLY met and it was love at first sight in my opinion!

Next we went to visit family. My mom's side of the family all got together and it was so great. Luckily my dad and Karen were able to come see us too. I love my family!!!!

Then we ended the weekend with friends, wine, and laughter.
Below is Judah & Romi, Aryn & Anna, and Me & Cade. (We all went to Pearland High School c/o 97)

And don't forget- REAL men LOVE pink (Cade loved Anna's pink chair)!!!

Once we got home, Cade crashed on the couch with his sisters! What a crazy few weeks!!

Does It Ever End???

2009-01-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

Poor little Cade had a really rough weekend.
The cold just doesn't seem to be going away!!!
We had Colby's parents in to visit, which was a blessing because they helped me love on him continuously.
So we took him to the doctor yesterday to check his lungs and they were still clear, but his ears were a little questionable. With all of the congestion, there were worries his ears were becoming infected.
Well today the daycare called me and sure enough..... Cade had been screaming and crying all day while tugging on his little ears. Still no fever and he's still eating, so that is a blessing as well.
So now Cade is on prescription cold medicine and an antibiotic- Amoxicilin. And Vicks Baby Rub and saline mist for his nose.
Please pray our little munchkin gets better soon.

I hate colds!!!

2009-01-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

Poor little Cade has had this STUPID cold for over a week now.
We have tried everything!!!
1) Suction bulb- which he hates and I would too! And the snot is so thick that I can't get anything out!
2) Saline drops- which he also hates and I would too again! Try putting drops up an infant's nose, real fun let me tell you!
3) Cold mist humidifier- I guess that may help???
4) Vicks rub on his feet, chest, cheeks- we've tried it all!
5) Inclining his bed! Good idea, but not so great! I woke up at 3AM and couldn't see Cade on the video monitor because he had rolled to the bottom of the bed. He was just snoozing away at the bottom of his mattress. It's funny now, but it FREAKED me out! And I BARLEY inclined it for all of you asking!!!
6) Warm baths
7) Steam from the shower
8) Vicks plug ins- this cool thing you plug in and it emits Vicks vapor smells!

So after a week of this crud- Cade has now lost his voice. Not that he really talks, but his cries and his "cooing" has an interesting sound. He is so hoarse! Poor little guy!!

So the doc called in some medicine for him today. Let's pray it helps!!!!
I know you are suppose to let it run its course, but I have allowed this course to run long enough!

3 Months

2009-01-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

Cade went to the doctor today for his 3 month check-up and because he has an icky cold, BOOOOOO!!!!!
But luckily he has not been running any fever and he is still smiling and laughing, happy as can be!!
They checked him for RSV- he was negative, thank God!
And the cold is all upper respiratory- his lungs are clear as water!!!

He is growing like a weed still, but honestly he still is a little peanut!
Weight- 13.6 lbs (50th percentile)
Height- 23 inches (20th percentile)
Head circumferance- 15.25 inches (10th percentile)

So tonight we will be using a humidifier and putting Vicks on his itsy-bitsy feet.
Hopefully he will wake up and all the sniffles will be gone!!!!

I Made It and I Made the Right Decision

2009-01-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Me and Cade before my 1st day back

So I made it through my first week back to work.
Not only did I survive, but I realized I made the right decision.
By right decision, I mean I accepted the correct job.
If you all remember, I had two really great offers, but a lot of prayer lead me in the right direction, thank you God!!!
My job is awesome.
I LOVE it so much.
I have a great staff and my boss is amazing.
It's so great to only drive a few miles instead of 150 miles a day.
And it's so nice to get respected as a dentist.
Even though I am bragging like crazy about my new job, I do still REALLY miss the girls I worked with in the dental clinic in Eastland. But we will all always remain friends.
Life is full of change, and change has been really positive for me this time!!!

Play Date and Other Stuff

2009-01-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

It has finally happened... Cade got to meet one of his future best friends.
If you all remember, Lockie's birth to Tristan is what inspired me to start this blog.
Tristan wanted to play, but Cade is still too young to understand what the heck is going on!!!

Tristan and Cade

Tristan and Cade Again

Lockie and Cade

Tristan loving Cade's Fishy Swing

Cade started school last Monday. I decided he needed to start a week before I go back to work so I could adjust!! I did ok, no big tears surprisingly!!
He has done so well! He loves it. The teachers say he's a great baby who loves to eat and loves to be Mr. Observant!!!

Cade on his first day of school- December 29, 2008

And here are a few other pics we took during all of our family visits over the holidays!

Christmas- First Half

2008-12-26T20:43:00.003-08:00

We had an amazing First Half of our Christmas....
We went to my dad's parents, my grandparents in Bastrop for Christmas Eve. It was the first time my grandparents met Cade- so important to me!!!
Then we headed to my brother- Brad and his wife- Cynthia's house in Austin.
We will stay here until Sunday and then head back to the Valley.
It was such a great celebration.
We wish it was possible to be with all of our family for every holiday, but as we all know, we can't be that lucky!!
We will celebrate with my mom on New Year's- so more fun to come!!
And we will see Colby's parents in January- YAY!!

Proud Daddy!

2008-12-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

So I was out at the gym running my butt off trying to get my hot bod back (hahahahaha) and this is a pic Daddy took of his boy!
He's so proud! Especially when he's sporting the Camo!

Let the Fun Begin

2008-12-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

So during the past few weeks, Cade had started to kinda smile, but it's a GENUINE smile now.
He is the cutest little guy.
He smiles and "coos" for us all of the time now.
He loves to "talk". He will talk to himself or anyone who will pay attention to him.
It's the most awesome thing to see your baby respond to you.
We spend every evening just staring and laughing with him.

He loves this elephant he got from Nannie and PaPa as one of his Christmas Presents.
It made him laugh!!!! Which in return, made us laugh right back at him! SO CUTE!!

The Valley

2008-12-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

So here is an interesting site for you all.
Living in the valley is an interesting experience.
Nothing surprises us anymore.
People around here that don't have trucks still make-do!!

Weekend With Aunt Mandy

2008-12-14T12:43:00.001-08:00

What an awesome weekend!!!
Colby's little sister Mandy came to visit us from Dallas. It was the most perfect weekend.
She got here Thursday and stayed till Sunday, not long enough at all.
We did some shopping, we ate a WHOLE lot, the girls went to an Aveda salon for pedicures, we cooked-out, we went to some neat restaurants, we tried on cowboy boots, we experienced the McAllen mall on the weekend, we thought we lost a dog, we laughed, we loved, and we just enjoyed her so much.
It made us realize how much we miss our family and friends.
We appreciate her making the long trip to visit us. She has a huge heart with so much love to give.
And Cade just ADORED Aunt Mandy!! He misses her sooooooo much already!

Proof that Cade has developed a "baby mullet" HAHAHA!!!

Santa and Cade

2008-12-11T18:02:00.000-08:00

So today Cade met Santa!
He was just SOOOO excited as you can tell!
We had to wake him up for all of the excitement.
I think Colby and I enjoyed the moment more than he did.
But Santa said that Cade sent him a really long list, I just wish I knew what was on that list..... I think he pretty much has all he can handle at this point!
But he sure is a cute cowboy that loves Mr. Santa!
Yee-haw reindeer!! Get moving!

2 Months Old

2008-12-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

So lil' Cade turned 2mo old on Dec 9!
Wow, how the time flies!!
Our 2mo check-up showed that Cade is growing like a weed, but he's still a little peanut! I call him our Magnificent Little Munchkin' Man!

Weight: 11.10 lbs (50th percentile), previously 7 something
Length: 22.25 in (25th percentile), previously 19.5 in
Head circumference: 15 in, previously 14 in

The shots were icky. But I really think it's so much worse for us parents than it is for them. And I thought it was awesome that one of the vaccines was oral! And one of the shots had 3 vaccines in one shot! Can you imagine how many times we were stuck 30 years ago when we were babies??? Technology is awesome!!

He just started wearing his 0-3mo clothes.
But he seems so much bigger to us, even though he's really not!!!
He's been eating like a champ. He loves his nightly cereal meal- it's his favorite without a doubt. And he has been sleeping 7-9hrs each night, thank God for that!! The bath has gotten more enjoyable. He used to truly despise baths, but with some great advice from friends and my mom, he has started to really love it. And we love his "talking", he goes on and on forever like he's have a true conversation with us, it's so dang cute.

Oh and he's going bald! It's so funny. He has his hair still on the crown of his head and above his neck. It looks like he has a little mullet. I have been tempted to cut that mullet hair so people don't think we came from some backwoods honky-tonk, but I won't, I promise!!! It's so funny!!!!!!

We are loving having this awesome creation in our life. He's gorgeous, he's perfect, he's sweet, he's a cuddle bug, and he's just so darn cute! Not that I am partial or anything! HA!!

You Go COWBOY!!!

2008-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

So this morning we played dress-up with Cade!
It was hilarious!!!
The hat is a gift from Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Brad.
The boots are a gift from Aunt Carrie.

Are you serious?? What is this on my head??

Ride em' Cowboy!

Too Cute!!!

This cowboy ain't happy!!!

Cowboys love kisses from their momma!

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

Cade's first Thanksgiving was perfect!
Our neighbor's graciously invited us over for a feast.
It definitely wasn't our grandmother's or mother's cooking, but it sure was close!
I have to say, the past few years, the holidays have just been so blah.
But this Turkey Day I was so excited. It's amazing how having kids brings out the kid in you. I was so excited all day that it was Thanksgiving! I watched the parade this morning with my lil' Cade and sang all of the songs and danced with him. I baked a cake and licked the bowl and the mixer thingys. I put whipped cream on everything all day. I definitely was in the spirit for a change!
I also thought a lot about the true meaning of Thanksgiving and how awesome our country is. We are just so lucky to live in the USA and have the freedom we have. Regardless of what is going on in our country today, God has a plan for us, this country will be taken care of.
I teared up many times today just because of how thankful I am for the life I am living. God has blessed me with so many amazing things. I just love the Lord for all of the love he has shown me and my family.
So Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Below is Cade in his Thanksgiving "get-up"