Gaylord Texan

We went up to Dallas and stayed at the Gaylord Texan for a couple nights. We wanted a little get away before school started and I am so glad we did it! It was so fun and relaxing and the hotel is so beautiful with so much to see.

There was a mini river walk inside the hotel by the restaurant we ate at. The kids were fascinated by the Koi fish in there and by all the fountains to throw pennies into. 

When Crew would make his wish and throw his penny in, he would kiss it first. It was so cute! This kid is so darn funny!

My little poser girl :)

Jaylie posing for the camera

Crew seeing his sisters pose so he wants to also. His smile is so funny! He squints his eyes so much :)

Rolling down the hill

More fish in another pond to look at

This was the funniest pose Breklyn did the whole trip! Loved it!

All three kids in their headphones with a their electronics on the way to Dallas. Jaylie had her DS, Breklyn the DVD player and Crew had the iPad. It was funny.

Crew didn't get naps at all on this trip, so he fell asleep a couple times in the car and surprisingly stayed asleep when we got to a restaurant. 

We met up with some of our great friends, Erin and Scott, and their 4 kids to eat. I wish we lived closer to them! This is of Kajsa (their daughter is named Kajsa-how cool is that!), Jaylie and Breklyn

It rained on our last day in Dallas. We went to eat at Rain Forest Cafe and then headed home.

Jaylie's First Day of First Grade!

 Jaylie could not be more excited! For the past 5 days she has told us every 30 minutes that she can't wait for Monday. She did a happy dance last night and was sooo excited! I drove her to school and walked her to her classroom. She found her cubby with her name on it, put her backpack in it, sat down in her seat, then smiled and waved and said "bye mommy!" very excitedly. My little girl is growing up! I hadn't even given her a hug yet! I stayed around for about 5 more minutes, not wanting to leave her there. I miss having her here, but I am thankful she gets to start school with all the other kids. She is so happy!

 My little first grader!

 In front of her school

 In front of her classroom. I already love her teacher!

This was from meet the teacher night before school started. I took Jaylie clothes shopping before school and she saw this shirt and fell in love. It is her fav shirt ever! She was so excited to wear it :) After we met her teacher, we were leaving and Jaylie did not want to go! She wanted to stay at school and never leave! 

Team Oakley

 Please do what you can to help this deserving family, they have been through so much! Their little boy has been cancer free for a year now but has problems from the radiation he received.  The proceeds go to paying his deductible and medical bills. Thank you!

http://www.giveforward.com/teamoakley

Oakley with his sister

Last swim of the summer

I loved these action shots of the kids jumping into the water. The kids love swimming! Its pretty much all we did this summer! We forgot all 3 of the kids swimsuits! Luckily my mom had some at her house that worked and kind of fit them!

Walk for Cancer!

Just a reminder that there are 2 walks coming up!

We were going to do another Team Jaylie 5k this year and have the proceeds go to helping kids around Austin with cancer, but these two walks were going on around the same time we would have done ours, so we figure we will just join theirs this year.

Please register and walk or run, or if you can't go, please donate. They are both for such good causes and are dear to our hearts. It would mean a lot to have everyone go and walk in Jaylies name. I might even get some t shirts made up for those who want to walk so we can all have Team Jaylie shirts on. Just click on the links to sign up or donate under Team Jaylie!!!

 Brain Power 5K 2012 

2012 Austin CureSearch Walk

Another Commercial

 Click HERE to see another Make A Wish commercial with Jaylie in it :)



Tune in to KVUE News all day on Monday, August 13th for

Make-A-Wish's Miles for Smiles Telethon  

 

Make-A-Wish needs more than 2.5 billion miles,

or 50,000 round-trip tickets, to grant wishes each year

Every Mile Can Make a Difference

Donate Your Airline Miles

If you're not in the KVUE viewing area,

you can still donate by calling the number below  

or visiting our site at www.cstx.wish.org  

Call (512)-904-9474 on August 13th

or click above to donate!

Share the Power of a Wish®

Good MRI Results!!

 No sign of cancer!! Another clear scan, we are so grateful! Thank you for all the prayers and sweet thoughts. Scan time is always so hard, but Kip and I both felt really calm and peaceful about this one. She will have another MRI in 3 months (beginning of November). She gets to stop taking her antibiotics that she has been on for over a year! And she gets to have surgery to remove her port from her chest, its probably the only surgery you actually get excited about :) She starts 1st grade in a couple weeks too and couldn't be more excited! We are truly so blessed to have her in our lives.

Her thyroid is not working like it should, so we are going to see a pediatric endocrinologist and get her on medicine to regulate it. She has been gaining weight like crazy, like 3 pounds every month! I knew it was probably her thyroid because she has been eating healthy and exercising well. Radiation is a horrible thing. Many of the brain tumor parents refer to it as the gift that keeps giving. Radiation caused her thyroid to not work and can cause many other things and its not right away, it happens over time, even 5 years out. Its nasty and not fun, but it saves a lot of kids. I will take thyroid problems any day to have my girl here with me.

 Playing games while waiting to go back for the MRI. 

 After she woke up from the anesthesia she was freezing cold! They have nice blankets that are warm but they weren't helping, so I tried to wrap her up as much as I could :)

 There was an injured butterfly at the hospital while I was waiting for Jaylie during her MRI. A lady I was talking to picked it up, it was so cool!

She always has to get a picture in front of Hello Kitty :-)

  This picture is of Jaylie, Breklyn and Crew with Kendyl. I took some pictures of her with the kids today after we got back from Jaylie's appointment. She watched the kids on Tuesday and then today too.  Kendyl is a true saint. I really can not say enough good things about her. She is the awesome girl who babysits Breklyn and Crew for all of Jaylie's appointments. She did it all through chemo and still watches them for me when Jaylie has appointments. She has served us and has put in so many hours of her time and for that we will forever be grateful. Everytime I think about her I get emotional. She made my life so much easier during chemo, I didn't have to worry about who would watch them, she did it just about every week. She is beyond amazing!!!She is leaving for Utah to go to nursing school in about a week and we are so sad. We will miss her and the kids will miss her.  We love her so much! Thank you Kendyl for all you have done for us!

 Shelly came to visit a couple days before Jaylie's MRI.  Jaylie is wearing the two headbands that Shelly has gotten her. She always gets Jaylie a little surprise they day Jaylie gets her results from the MRI. She is so thoughtful! Jaylie loves hanging out with her!