Blog posts contain affiliate links. When you click on these links I earn a small commission that could eventually buy Max  new shoes.

Hi there!
We are still in disbelief that we have a 2 year old! I don't usually post about our infertility struggles. One day I might be ready to talk about what we went through. But, for now, know that it was hell. Eleven years of  awful.
But, we have a 2 year old!!

Can you guess our theme?

It's Chika Chika Boom Boom! I wonder how long Max will let me theme his birthday parties around books? We love to read at my house.
Since we are still not in our house (see post below); We had Max's birthday party at The Children's Museum of Houston. It was a great alternative to a home party. They cater the food and provide paper plates, plastic utensils, balloons and, disposable table cloths. They even help you pack and they clean up. Yay!

I made these silly little coconut trees for the tables. We spread out foam letters and "coconuts" (brown pompoms) on each table. The letters are stickers so, each child could decorate their own little party hat. It was cute. My brother-in-law did not like these trees. Haha! He taped them down to the tables and because the table cloths were disposable, the trees would lift up and fall over. It was funny. 
Have I mentioned how amazing my family members are? They came early to help set up and made sure we got everything packed up and in the car. I am blessed with my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and, my mom. My mom is the best!

Needless to say, based on the picture above, Max had a great time. He loves to listen to people sing and thought everyone singing Happy Birthday was great. He has the best smile. 
My husband and I went round and round about what to get Max for his birthday. We settled on a Cars Bicycle. He loves it. We are working on getting him to ride, a little a day. We decided to get him a bicycle because he is obsessed with them. Thankfully, the teenagers at our local park are so sweet. They let him touch their bikes and will play with him.
My mom got him an awesome wagon. We have used it so many times already. Among a bunch of other fun toys, Max was given this dog that sings and claps. It was hilarious watching the kids dance and laugh when the button was pushed.

We were told we could possibly go home this week. That would be amazing! But, it really isn't safe with a toddler and a tiny dog. 
Soon...so, soon. I can't wait to be home.

xoxo
​Rebecca

Blog posts contain affiliate links. When you click on these links I earn a small commission that could eventually buy Max  some broccoli.

Howdy friends! 
I have been a little stressed out over here.
In 2016, our house flooded. This was after several months of remodeling. The day we were getting new counter tops (and finally finishing out remodel) we had about 3 inches of yucky, gross, disgusting, filth water run completely through our house. 
Thankfully a friend sent me a text, that woke me up, to check on us. Otherwise, we might have slept through the event. That was the last sleep we got for about 3 days. I have never cleaned so much in my life! We bleached the heck out of things trying to save brand new cabinets and flooring. It's something I don't want to experience again.
Thankfully, our city doesn't want us to go through that again either. Plus, doing this just helps the city in general. 
The city hired an engineering firm to determine what needed to be done to prevent flooding. The firm gave the city suggestions, one of them was to apply for a FEMA grant to elevate about 60 homes that were pegged as continual loss no matter what fixes were done. 
To our shock, we were on that list. And, even more shocking we were picked for the first round!

We were given 3 companies to interview and decide which would work best for us. We had a total of 6 interviews (2 with each company) and we decided to go with a company that is run by architects. Then I had to clean out our garage....not an easy task.
First things first, there was a lot of digging. Lots and lots of digging. Then jack hammering. Lots and lots of jack hammering. All excess concrete had to be cut away. The center of our attached garage was cut out.
Our garage will stay usable. The floor stays on the ground and the walls are built up to meet the existing walls. Does that make sense?
Anyway, we are only a part of the way through this process. Currently, we are living in an airbnb in the Galleria area of Houston. We picked this area because my husband can walk to work if he wants. It is nice that he gets "home" really early now that we are so close. But, this will only last about a month. This girl is ready to be home already!

Our little house is now close to 4 feet in the air. Well over the 18 inches above the floodplain that is required. I did get a video of one of the "pushes". Each "push" is about 8 inches. It is quiet and quick! In fact, I didn't realize it was happening until a couple of bracing boards fell. 
Next up: new pipes and new concrete then build up the new "walls".
A part 2 will be coming. Soon....

xoxo
​Rebecca