Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
American Cancer Society
I just wanted to embed a video about the American Cancer Society. What a great organization!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Affected
So I found this blog that I feel I must share with the world, or at least the small world reading this. Some of you may already know this guy's story, but if not, check out his blog here.
His name is Matt, a 30 year old computer guy living in LA, originally from the Twin Cities. His life has been turned upside down in both amazing and horrific ways. In March, his beautiful wife delivered their baby girl prematurely - though small, baby was and still is fine. The tragedy occurred the next day, as his wife was preparing to be wheeled down to the NICU to touch her baby for the first time. She felt lightheaded and collapsed, dying of a pulmonary embolism.
It's hard to even type that small synopsis of his story without feeling like I'm going to lose it. I don't know what it is about these people that have affected me so much. The mom was born in September 1977, just like me. They were both from Minnesota where Eric has family and has spent much of his time. They welcomed a baby daughter that they wanted so desperately. And the blood clot to her lung could've been a result of the five weeks of bedrest she had, followed by a C-section - and I've had two of those.
I don't know, it just seems so close to home for me. Then I get pissed at myself for not having this sympathy for other horrors happening around the world. I mean, if some dad were having to do it alone because his wife got shot in drive-by, for example, would I feel this pain for him? Or if a mother died in some suicide bombing somewhere across the globe, leaving behind her young daughter for someone else to raise? I mean it happens all the time. Is it possible to feel so deeply for something happening so out of your own world?
To watch the love of my life die in front of my eyes, oh Lord I can't even process it. And the thought of my little girls not knowing me, or so much worse, me not knowing them? Not ever touching their skin or seeing their smiles?
Please don't avoid his blog because it's a tear-fest. It is that, but so much more. He's a beautiful photographer and writer, open and emotional, raw but funny too. And the kid is the spitting image of her mom, which makes it even sweeter and more dear to see photos of them together. I just know in my heart that this little girl is going to have a happy and wonderful life, thanks to her sweet and doting dad.
Do yourself a favor (with Kleenex close by) and please check it out. I promise you will be glad you did. It has truly changed the way I look at my family.
on a lighter note, I despise the colors of my blog but can't figure out how to make it better. I may change the template all together. ugh. where's angela when you need her?
His name is Matt, a 30 year old computer guy living in LA, originally from the Twin Cities. His life has been turned upside down in both amazing and horrific ways. In March, his beautiful wife delivered their baby girl prematurely - though small, baby was and still is fine. The tragedy occurred the next day, as his wife was preparing to be wheeled down to the NICU to touch her baby for the first time. She felt lightheaded and collapsed, dying of a pulmonary embolism.
It's hard to even type that small synopsis of his story without feeling like I'm going to lose it. I don't know what it is about these people that have affected me so much. The mom was born in September 1977, just like me. They were both from Minnesota where Eric has family and has spent much of his time. They welcomed a baby daughter that they wanted so desperately. And the blood clot to her lung could've been a result of the five weeks of bedrest she had, followed by a C-section - and I've had two of those.
I don't know, it just seems so close to home for me. Then I get pissed at myself for not having this sympathy for other horrors happening around the world. I mean, if some dad were having to do it alone because his wife got shot in drive-by, for example, would I feel this pain for him? Or if a mother died in some suicide bombing somewhere across the globe, leaving behind her young daughter for someone else to raise? I mean it happens all the time. Is it possible to feel so deeply for something happening so out of your own world?
To watch the love of my life die in front of my eyes, oh Lord I can't even process it. And the thought of my little girls not knowing me, or so much worse, me not knowing them? Not ever touching their skin or seeing their smiles?
Please don't avoid his blog because it's a tear-fest. It is that, but so much more. He's a beautiful photographer and writer, open and emotional, raw but funny too. And the kid is the spitting image of her mom, which makes it even sweeter and more dear to see photos of them together. I just know in my heart that this little girl is going to have a happy and wonderful life, thanks to her sweet and doting dad.
Do yourself a favor (with Kleenex close by) and please check it out. I promise you will be glad you did. It has truly changed the way I look at my family.
on a lighter note, I despise the colors of my blog but can't figure out how to make it better. I may change the template all together. ugh. where's angela when you need her?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Glass is Half Full Again
It's amazing what stepping out of the whirlwind of work can do. It took over two weeks for me (Eric) to decompress from my trip to the surface and not get the bends.
There were some therapeutic moments that helped make everything better:
- Walking on the beach with Meg and Stella.
- Cooking dinner with Marian.
- Playing a round of bridge with the ladies at Figure 8.
- Just "bumming" around downtown Wilmington.
- Eating crabcakes, shrimp, Indochine (a Wilmington Thai restaurant), and other great stuff.
- Amstel Light and Sarinac Variety Pack. Nice blend!
- Reading back issues of Inc. Magazine. This is a lot more fun than you'd think.
- Sunrises and good coffee (yes, I'm drinking -some- coffee again, for anyone who has followed that bit of saga).
- Driving through Huntsville at midnight. Oddly satisfying.
- Samuel Smith Oatmeal Porter with my brother, Wade.
- A walk around the old neighborhood with my sister, Katy, and her husband, Chris.
- Going to church with my dad and seeing an old friend.
Through it all was the woman of my dreams. I think I would enjoy a vacation to Hades so long as Marian could be with me.
It was quite warm on this trip, but not THAT bad.
There were some therapeutic moments that helped make everything better:
- Walking on the beach with Meg and Stella.
- Cooking dinner with Marian.
- Playing a round of bridge with the ladies at Figure 8.
- Just "bumming" around downtown Wilmington.
- Eating crabcakes, shrimp, Indochine (a Wilmington Thai restaurant), and other great stuff.
- Amstel Light and Sarinac Variety Pack. Nice blend!
- Reading back issues of Inc. Magazine. This is a lot more fun than you'd think.
- Sunrises and good coffee (yes, I'm drinking -some- coffee again, for anyone who has followed that bit of saga).
- Driving through Huntsville at midnight. Oddly satisfying.
- Samuel Smith Oatmeal Porter with my brother, Wade.
- A walk around the old neighborhood with my sister, Katy, and her husband, Chris.
- Going to church with my dad and seeing an old friend.
Through it all was the woman of my dreams. I think I would enjoy a vacation to Hades so long as Marian could be with me.
It was quite warm on this trip, but not THAT bad.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Traveling with the Kids
What's up strangers! This post is perfect for us because we have been traveling a lot the last month - one of my many excuses as to why I haven't blogged. This idea stems from my girl Erin's Mama Monday blog series. And if you go to her site, scroll down to the post that precedes her Mama Monday post to check out two beautiful pics of our girls. OK, traveling...
1) The last two trips we've taken (Wilmington and Alabama) we've put the girls to bed in the car and driven at night. Why didn't we think of this before? I think I feared the worst - getting them all off their schedule, them not going to bed when we finally arrived, etc. Let me tell you, it's the way to go. The worst part is US getting tired, but they both zonked out pretty well considering they're not in their comfy beds. And for this heat-hating mama, it was a lot cooler too.
2) I let Stella pack a toy box (canvas storage thing) full of stuff for she and Meg and it goes between them in the backseat. Tons of books, flash cards, her favorite stuffed animals, whatever will fit in there she can take. She can reach it and she's content with everything in there b/c she packed it herself.
3) Snacks. Granola bars, raisins, yogurt pretzels, fruit, juice boxes, water bottles, etc. The usual with maybe a few treats tossed in.
4) Tons of stops. If you do have to go during the day, you just have to be flexible. When we came back from Wilmington to the mountains, we stopped at a mall with a huge play area and food court where she could move. We stayed for two freaking hours. Of course I was ready to pull my hair out but it did make for a better second leg. That said, our nightime trip to the beach took about 7 hours. When we returned in the daytime, it took about 10. Somebody shoot me.
5) DVD player. We take it but don't bring it out unless we really need it. Out of the 30 plus hours we've spent in the car in the last few weeks, Stella watched one movie the whole time. The Aristocats - her favorite - and I must say I love it too. Anyway, she usually does pretty well but we certainly are not above using it when it will really make the trip more bearable.
Really, Stella for the most part is a kid who just loves to go places. We've had some great times over the past month together as a family just road trippin it. But I'm glad to be home.
Soon, pics from our beach trip and more updates...tired but happy around here.
Bye!
1) The last two trips we've taken (Wilmington and Alabama) we've put the girls to bed in the car and driven at night. Why didn't we think of this before? I think I feared the worst - getting them all off their schedule, them not going to bed when we finally arrived, etc. Let me tell you, it's the way to go. The worst part is US getting tired, but they both zonked out pretty well considering they're not in their comfy beds. And for this heat-hating mama, it was a lot cooler too.
2) I let Stella pack a toy box (canvas storage thing) full of stuff for she and Meg and it goes between them in the backseat. Tons of books, flash cards, her favorite stuffed animals, whatever will fit in there she can take. She can reach it and she's content with everything in there b/c she packed it herself.
3) Snacks. Granola bars, raisins, yogurt pretzels, fruit, juice boxes, water bottles, etc. The usual with maybe a few treats tossed in.
4) Tons of stops. If you do have to go during the day, you just have to be flexible. When we came back from Wilmington to the mountains, we stopped at a mall with a huge play area and food court where she could move. We stayed for two freaking hours. Of course I was ready to pull my hair out but it did make for a better second leg. That said, our nightime trip to the beach took about 7 hours. When we returned in the daytime, it took about 10. Somebody shoot me.
5) DVD player. We take it but don't bring it out unless we really need it. Out of the 30 plus hours we've spent in the car in the last few weeks, Stella watched one movie the whole time. The Aristocats - her favorite - and I must say I love it too. Anyway, she usually does pretty well but we certainly are not above using it when it will really make the trip more bearable.
Really, Stella for the most part is a kid who just loves to go places. We've had some great times over the past month together as a family just road trippin it. But I'm glad to be home.
Soon, pics from our beach trip and more updates...tired but happy around here.
Bye!
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