Designer Deals

Have you ladies (and gents for that matter) heard of this?! It's limited time offer sample sales and it's free to join and shop. I was impressed with some of the latest merchandise and the prices. Check it out here if you're interested.

Miles for Melanoma

I have LOTS of great photos to share from our trip to Connecticut over Memorial Day weekend but first allow me to post something a little more serious if you will. I don't talk about this a whole lot because quite frankly I don't want it to define who I am but the reality is I am fighting the war against Melanoma. I had it twice before I was 30 years old and will have to be vigilant for the rest of my life in watching for another occurrence. It's hard sometimes but you get used to your "new normal."

I've been lucky. Both of my melanomas have been caught very, very early. I have a lot of scars to show for my battles but nothing more. A lot of people are not so lucky.

There are a lot of terrible diseases out there that people suffer from and they all deserve funding for research to find a cure or a treatment. Melanoma is just one of them. But it's the one that directly affects my family. And so, once a year, I bring this up and ask for support. Melanoma is one of the many diseases that is grossly underfunded. If this cancer is not caught early the survival rate is usually less than 10%. It's a death sentence because the funding is not there for scientists to find adequate treatments. Chemo doesn't work, radiation doesn't work.....it's not like any other type of cancer out there.

There is a wonderful woman who has started a foundation to raise money for melanoma research. This foundation is still gaining momentum but the money they bring in goes directly to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and specifically to their melanoma research facility. It's the real deal folks. The woman who heads this foundation lost her son Brad to melanoma just a few years ago. He was 27.

This year there is kind of a new element to this for me. I have a little bit of a new fear now that I'm a mom. I want to see my son grow up. I want to be here when he goes to kindergarten, learns to drive, graduates from high school, gets married....the list goes on. I don't want this disease to "get me." And I also don't want this disease to "get" Grant. I think that is my greatest fear that has come about this year. And although I know God does not give us a "spirit of fear" and our "days are written in the Book of Life" and as I often say "I could get hit by a bus tomorrow," (that last quote doesn't quite seem to fit with the others....haha) I do think about mortality a little more than the average young adult.

Since having my melanomas I've tried to balance being offensive (wearing sunscreen EVERYDAY and staying out of the sun) with living my life. I love the beach, the pool....all those great summertime activities and I haven't let the melanoma stop me. I've just had to play this game of life a little smarter. And I want to try to do the same for Grant. Although I can pretty much guarantee you that my son will be the one at the pool with SPF 500 that hasn't even been FDA approved yet, a full body suit with SPF fabric, hat, sunglasses and a float with built in shade. Please be friends with him anyway! :)

And so, at the risk of being known as "the melanoma girl," I ask you to give to this cause if you can. There is the annual "Miles for Melanoma Walk" this Saturday in Coppell. We will be there with Grant AND Dakota and would love to see you there. The event itself is free but it is hoped that each participant will make a donation. You can find all the info and online registration here. We want you to still be our friend so please don't feel pressure to give any money or participate in the walk! We just want to put the invitation out there.

I'll quit my ramblings on melanoma for this year. :) We'd LOVE to see you for a nice stroll around the pond on Saturday morning!

Love,
Lindsay

Lunch with "The Greats"

We got a rare opportunity today to have lunch with my grandparents and my grandfather's brother and his wife. So that means Grant had lunch with his great grandparents and his great, GREAT Uncle Buck and great, GREAT Aunt Lillian. Is that awesome or what?!?! My Grandaddy is 91 and his younger brother, Buck, turns 90 this summer. Do they look fantastic or what?! Truly amazing people we got to spend a couple of hours with this afternoon. Thanks for letting us crash your lunch date, Greats! :) Love you all.

Breakfast at Little Pete's

We woke up to a GLORIOUS day yesterday so what did we do? We slept in (well, sort of....how late can you really sleep with a 7 month old in the house.) But really we did sleep in until 8am when the little mister finally started fussing at us. We decided to play hooky from church and head to our favorite "hole in the wall" breakfast place on the lake. It was cool enough for long sleeves and jackets. So great!!! We sipped coffee, had some breakfast, fed the ducks, and just enjoyed an uncharacteristically cool May day in Texas!

Main Street Days Festival

We live in a town that LOVES parades, festivals, carnivals, wine, music, and just plain ol' community fun. This past weekend was the annual Main Street Days festival where they close down Main Street and set up tents with games, food, and wine. There's a midway with rides and several stages for various bands to play. And this year one of the big attractions was the Budweiser Clydesdales. We had a very good time checking it all out this year and Grant was totally entertained, too! :)

Random Fun

Does it amaze you how very intelligent my child looks in these pictures? :)




And this one just makes me giggle! :)

Mother's Day 2009

Well, the sad news is we took absolutely no pictures on Mother's Day. Not even one! What is wrong with us?! The good news is, I was treated royally on this Mother's Day. :) Jason, my dad, and Craig all cooked lunch for me, my mom, and Mimi and it was delicious! We weren't even allowed in the kitchen. We were told to sit down, relax, and drink our Mimosas. You don't have to tell me twice! :)

Jason was so awesome and got me 2 dozen of my favorite peach roses, with a big bottle of tequila and margarita mix that I was to drink while perusing through the scrapbook he made of my "journey into motherhood." It was so sweet. I personally think alcohol is what every mother deserves for mother's day. (hehe....wink, wink). But truly they were such thoughtful gifts. :)

(Cha-Cha's - does this bottle bring back memories?!?!)



And then my in-laws were so thoughtful and had Jason buy me these beautiful, blue hydrangeas. I just LOVE hydrangeas....don't you?!?!

Thanks so much for thinking of me, Marilyn and Ron!

Then and Now

My friend, Melanie, tagged me for a "then and now" picture of myself. I didn't have a whole lot of pictures of me as a little girl saved on the Mac, but I had this one of me and my brother. I'm thinking I'm about 5 or 6 in this one. Oh how I wish my hair was still that naturally blonde. :)


And then the "now" picture. I didn't have one of just me (unless you wanted one of me sipping a margarita which was featured a few blog posts ago). So I did some cropping and what you've got left is me and the little mister. Me: 30, Little Mister: 6 Months.


Thanks for tagging me, Mel! This was fun. :)

Main Street

Mom and I went over to Main Street yesterday for some lunching and shopping. Thursdays and Saturdays Grapevine has a little outdoor market where vendors sell their wares and the Farmer's Market is open with all their fresh fruits and veggies. We had a yummy lunch at the Main Street bakery and Grant enjoyed being outside. He was quite the hit with all the vendors at the market. :)

Cinco de Mayo

We couldn't let Cinco de Mayo pass without at least having a margarita! So after the little mister went to bed last night we busted out the blender and the Patron. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Baby Dedication

On Sunday we had Grant's Baby Dedication service at church. We were HONORED to have so many family members present for this event. Thank y'all so much for sharing in this with us! We love you!

Grandpa Saf (a.k.a. The Cool Saf)

The self-proclaimed "Cool Saf" came to visit this weekend and brought his fancy camera. Here's the evidence...... :)


















Can you tell with the rising cost of higher level education which school we are pushing?! :) Are you proud, Uncle Craig?!?!