Diva

A milestone for her

Ivy slept without her bottle for the first time last night. 27 months is all it took... and a sippy cup with cold water with ice, just like her big sister.

Seattle... guess the year

This train bridge (at the Lock & Dam) had such strong lines, and the reflections in the water got me feeling all artsy. I love how this photo could have been taken 50 years ago or more.

Still here

A dear friend of mine just discovered that I actually have a blog, although I had to qualify that with the statement of how often I publish anything... and so I checked-in, realizing it's been over a year. Not intentional at all-had no idea I was that much of a slacker.

I have so much going on in my heart and my head these days... it's so much that I really feel as if I am going to burst or break down or just lose it all. I am an incredibly blessed person and my biggest fear is losing it all. I need to compartmentalize my thoughts and feelings... like I can only feel certain things on certain days because it is all just too much to try and do at once... but also I cannot let go of anything that I have. Losing any of it would be much worse than having a crazy life.

The new nanny is working out great-her name's Kristina and I kind of love her right now. She's keeping me a bit sane as my house is falling apart around me. Dishwasher is broken. Panel from the drawer from the dresser we have in the bathroom pulled off. Washer isn't spinning clothes well. Oven isn't working. But Blake fixed the toilet! One thing at a time I guess. Oh, and we got crazy and ripped all of the beadboard off of the bathroom walls and now it is a mess and crazy.

Icky cold and snow isn't melting. Driving me nuts.

Trip last week to Seattle... beyond words. I seriously love it there. Just played around with some photos I took--not bad for my camera phone.

written last week:

Greetings from sunny, yes SUNNY Seattle. As in so sunny, that I just had to move my laptop to a table that is not in the sun (at coffee shop--big surprise, right?). It was sunny yesterday when I got here, too. 60 degrees today! Tomorrow should rain until I leave, but it's awesome for now.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love the Pacific Northwest? Like love, love, love. I had some wine last night that almost made me cry, it was so damn good.

Still waiting to hear how we came out on the benefit... really wondering how much we raised. Hoping that it's around $30K. Isn't that insane? You know what is so freaking cool? All of my cousins were there--from BOTH sides of my family. The only one who couldn't come was my cousin Patrick who lives upstate here, and instead he sent $5K (he's the one who's crazy rich). I mean, just amazing. And then my cousin Melissa won the barrel of booze, and she donated it back & we auctioned it off, raising another $900.00. I was bawling by the end of it--it was just amazingly beautiful to see so many people be so generous. My uncle sure is loved... I hope he walked away with that love surrounding him... he needs every bit of it for this fight.

and later:

Oh my dear wonderful gracious heavenly whoever--we raised $42,000 for my uncle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!