Triple digit temperatures + Us =

This is what you call a Puerto Rican slip n slide!
It was fun to watch them slide down the hill

Although they crashed enough to make me not want to try!

Justin

We got the diagnosis on Justin, it is Mitochondrial Myopathy. It is a pretty rare and complicated disease. I feel like I have been in a fog since the Dr. told us, this was so much easier when it was me. It seems like it is all me and Marce talk about right now, our new reality. Reading about the disease is my new past time. We are heartbroken. Our son is this big, strong beautiful young man and we are devastated that he has to go through any of this. Watching him grow up into this man right in front of our eyes has been such a gift, I just wish I can take this from him and say "go on mejio, I will do this for you. The Dr appointments, the tests, the physical therapy, the pain, take the medications, all of it" But I can't. All I can do is stand next to him and hold his hand and tell him how much I love him. It just doesn't feel enough. We will encourage him to stay strong, enjoy every opportunity that comes his way. Live a great life right now! Don't wait for anything! Keep making that amazing music that you do so well. Keep your great sense of humor. Keep working to reach your goals! Keep inspiring the people around you. This disease will not stop you! It does not define you! You will always be the wonderful person you are now. And we will always love you!

Hello Monday....

We had one of those great weekends. Friday we went downtown to the bite of Seattle. Have I mentioned how much I love Seattle. Saturday was a very relaxing day for me and the kids, hanging out at home, bike rides, BBQ, I even got to make a run to the LSS to pick up some more stash....:) Marce on the other hand decided to go and build a shed....craziness. And then there was Sunday......oh Sunday!

There was Paramore....there was No Doubt. There was all of my most favorite songs in the world right now and I was right down in front with all the other crazies, in the pit! Jumping, screaming, dancing and singing my heart out as loud as I could and totally off key....but I didn't care! I was having a great time with Marce and Marisa and my new friends.....Haley and Miss Gwen.There was Gwen, she was wonderful and inspiring and put on the best show! Marce took all the pictures which I so appreciated! I got great pictures all while I was having such a great time, singing both sets:)

There was my husband and my daughter with me. There was laughter and really loud music and thousands of other people enjoying it with us. Marisa had such a great time which just made it all that much better. Truly a night to remember for a long time!

16 Years!

"Life isn't about finding yourself.......Life is about creating yourself!" - author unknown -

Since we were practically children when we got married, we had a whole lot of growing and creating to do. So to him.....thank you for giving me and continuing to give me the freedom, security, support and love that I needed in my ever evolving creative process.

A week in the life of....

This has to be my all time favorite quote from a TV show or movie. Of course it was on Dexter:)

Deb to Dexter: "What the f@*# is scrapbooking?"

Dexter in his matter of fact way of speaking: "The tradition of putting photos and memorabilia into a family keepsake albums, along with relevant journaling"


I laughed and laughed and laughed! I love it! Maybe you just had to be there.....or be a scrapbooker:)

Last year I did Alie Edwards "a week in the life of" and here are a couple of pages from my finished album. This was a really fun project and the whole family joined in with me. It was such a great reminder to document your life and celebrate the everyday!
Putting these on my blog just made me want a 12x12 scanner even more!!!!! I will add the rest of the mini later when I have more time to play.

I started my week of documenting on a Monday, which worked out to be a very typical Monday. Your suppose to do a regular, typical week of you life to show your everyday stuff. I did find that I love my everyday and find comfort in my everyday rituals. I am so very blessed that everyday I have, I spend with my favorite people in the world!!! Lucky me. Cant wait to post the rest of this album!!!!

Mattias cracked me up last night!

Mattias: "Mom I think I want to be a lawyer when I grow up, they make good money on the legal fees that they charge. Do you think I should be a lawyer for Barnes and Noble or Starbucks?"

Me: "Why are you thinking of only those two companies?"

Mattias: "Well I really like Barnes and Noble and I'm GOING to like Starbucks one day and I can bring you home a coffee every night"

It cracks me up that he sees how much I love coffee and he figures that its in his future as well. I also love that my happiness is helping him decide what career choice to make....yeah I know he's 9. When he is really making career choices I will be at the bottom of his concerns....I'm OK with that! I will enjoy him while I have him:)

4th of July ~ 2009

Boy Debbie and Bill know how to throw a PARTY! The weather was great, the food was great, the company was the best! Spending the day with all my favorite people made me feel like a very lucky girl!!!!!!!!

Crab feast! Yummy!

So nice having our family here visiting. This was the first time I had all of my God Children together in one place and I didn't get a freaking picture!!!!! What kind of scrap booker am I???

Papa enjoying some sweets and watching the volleyball game

Steph giving Misa a ride:) How sweet

"No fire here, Please" We tried to sit in the no firework zone, didn't work out so well.

Mattias enjoying some sparklers

Brings me back to my childhood..hanging with my cousins

"this is our fate, I'm yours!!" Every time I think about our little sing a long I just smile and smile! Like Nana said "Jonathan and Kristine, thank you for giving us Donavin!"

This morning.....

The house was full, busy and happy. I'm so happy to have our family here! Marce, Justin and Steve went for a very early round of golf and I slept in. Monica cooked up a monster batch of Menudo and the house had a lovely comfort food scent

The girls munching and being silly

My kitchen has turned in a Mexican cuisine restaurant

The master chef at work. Can't wait to eat!

Marce helping Papa with the laptop

The kids playing a game. I love morinings like this, talking, coffee, just being at home, just relaxing , just being us.

Got the fireworks and we are ready to pack up and go to Debbie and Bills for the big bash. All I need is a little tranquilizer to get me through the night(the fireworks make me nervous...I'm getting so old)

Us and the City

Lets see....Monica, Alberto, Leilani, Stephanie, Lil Alberto, Steve, Lisa, Tess, Jace and Zach are all up here this weekend for a 4th of July visit. I love when family comes up for a visit! We love to show off our beautiful city:)

I love to get flowers whenever we go to the Market, Marisa liked these ones.
Stopping for a drink and some food. It was hot...hot for us at whopping 85 degrees. Yuck!

Very patriotic

Note to self:

Don't forget to......Rest
Nuture your relationship

Soak in the beauty around you

Nurture yourself

enjoy the little things

Let your mind wander

and Breathe

3 Days.....

Just us. Just him and me for 3 blissfully lovely days. It was just what we needed:) A Road trip with really loud music and me singing my heart out.... a tribute to MJ. Marce made us a CD with some of his best stuff. We were actually very busy: bike rides, hiking, golf, lots of talking, reading, waterfalls, Marce's Birthday:)....we did it all.