M.I.A.

I am so sorry I have not been keeping up with my blog. Here's the scoop on our lives lately. The first week in June we went on vacation to Florida. What an unbelievable time!! Brian's parents have a place on the ocean in Indian Rocks Beach, so we spent every single day at the pool. Long way to travel to go to a pool, but after trying to go to the beach a few times we pretty much gave up. Ella wanted to have nothing to do with the ocean and is such a girly-girl we kept hearing, "ick, ick, eeek!". Emerson, on the other hand, is not so afraid of anything and tries to eat pretty much everything. After, digging numerous sea shells and other unmentionables out of her mouth, we decided the pool was the place for us. Ella absolutely loved it and by the end of the week was much braver using just her water wings to swim in the pool.
Emerson also enjoyed it, but in a much different way. We could not keep her awake!! It was probably mid 90's which was just to hot for her and the constant sound of the ocean (which by the way is what plays on her sound machine for naps and sleep, oops!)we could not keep the child awake. She slept in her stroller for most of the vacation. We also got to Disney world which was the highlight for Ella. She was in princess heaven! Her jaw was literally dropped for most of the day there. Very fun.
So overall, a very relaxing trip except for the last day. Here's the run-down. We left too late for the airport and were trying to speed through traffic to get there on time. Except that there was a traffic jam so Brian was weaving in and out of traffic to catch our plane. All of the weaving in and out got Ella car sick and she proceded to throw up all over the carseat and car that we were 20 minutes from turning in to the rental car agency. I have never seen so much puke in my whole life, I didn't even know where to start. Thankfully, it was just from being car sick and not the flu so it wasn't as nasty as it could have been. Anyway, Brian very smartly pulled into a hotel overhang and they were nice enough to provide us with cleaning materials. We get to the airport with 30 minutes to get through security and catch our plane. Well, no such luck. Our flight was delayed for 3 hours!! All I was thinking was, "What in the heck are we going to do with 2 overtired kids at an airport for 3 hours???" We decided to go dinner to try and occupy them with food. Great idea, except when we left I realized I left my purse at the airport restaurant. When I ran back to our table, GONE! After asking everyone and their brother if they saw the purse, a bus-boy ran to the back and retrieved it, WHEW! Well, we did make it home by the wee-hours of the morning, exhausted and ready for a vacation. :)

That was the good news. When we returned home, we found out that my grandpa who was on hospice after a long battle with lung cancer was not doing well. We went to go see him the day after we got back and were able to say good-bye. It was really the hardest things I've ever had to do. My grandpa was a wonderful man, so much fun and so full of life. He was a huge part of my life because my mom had me when she was just 17 years old, so needless to say my grandparents played a very large role in my up-bringing. He died two days later. While we have been so sad to see him go, I am glad his suffering is over. He is in a better place. I did his Eulogy at his wake and funeral service and have realized that I am stronger than I give myself credit. It is amazing how if you dig deep enough you will find strength and peace.

This week we are in full benefit preparation. The event is this Thursday and I hope that it goes off without a hitch. I feel as though I really need to prepare to say something at the benefit. I think that I can now talk about Emerson, WS, and what our family has been through without crying, but you never know. We created a website at www.williamssyndromeawareness.com that talks about our story and also shows where all donations will go and the type of research that Dr. Bonnie Klein-Tasman does. I wanted to put together a board at the donation table that shows the "faces of WS". I am wondering if some of you, my blogger friends, would give me permission to print a picture of your child from your blog so that I could create this. I would love to have Emerson's picture up there with all of her "cyber-friends". Plus, our kids are just so dang cute! Let me know.

I am sorry I haven't commented on your blogs lately. I have been incredibly pre-occupied and admittedly a bad blogger friend. I have kept up with all of your blogs (thank you so much for the distraction) and you and your kids are always in my thoughts!