Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back.

 Today I celebrated my 4 year birthday!

4 years ago I was laying in a hospital bed, with stitches in my chest,

paralyzed on my left side, unable to walk by myself.  Today a couple of my new friends brought me some flowers, some of my old friend took me out to lunch in the Pearl District and then out to Cupcakes.  It was a great day.

 

After my surgery I had a new sense of urgency.  A sense that what I did and when I did it  really mattered, that I had to do things, see things, and meet people. I had a sense that I had something to do, I just wasn't sure what.  I spent a couple of years struggling, wondering, even envying Spencer for finding his niche and being able to go after it.  Well this fall I found mine.  And happiness hit me like a train on the track.  Lyrics from "Dog Days are over" from Florence and the Machine. 

 

I love the fall, I have been enjoying every moment of this beautiful month.

 It feels good to be happy again.

 Flowers from my new Friends, and a new necklace from Spence

 Little Big Burger in the Pearl District

 

 A little garden park in the Pearl that we found to eat our cupcakes:)

By the way, I think I am going to pursue a Masters degree! Sounds crazy, I know especially when if,you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I don't know where a comma goes in sentence and I have a tenuous grasp on the English language in general.

Summer Highlights-a Funeral

 

sisters and cousins

This August my Dad's first cousin Kirk Anderson died.  We were all really sad.  He was my Dad's age and he wasn't sick.  The upside to this was that Holly, my parents and I all went on a little rode trip to Boise, ID and met Kiran to go to the funeral.  At the risk of sounding disrespectful, we had the best time. I love my family with every fiber of my being, there is no group of people I'd rather be with on the planet with than them.  They are the kindest people in the world to me, they don't judge me, the love me, and they make me laugh not until I cry, but until I can't breath.  So to go to a funeral not just with my family, but with a chapel full of my family, I was kind of elated.  It was wonderful.  The funeral was beautiful, funny,  jokes told by everyone, laughter everywhere.  Afterwords we went out to lunch with more extended family and they too were the most kind thoughtful caring people you ever want to meet.  I love family. 

After the funeral I got to spend the rest of the weekend with my Mom, Dad and Sisters.  It was a nice break.  Right before I left Spencer said to me, "Aren't you going to pack some snacks for the trip?" I said "No, I'm not the Mom on this trip, I'm the daughter and younger sister, you have no idea how good that feels, how relaxing." and with Spencer being gone so much I needed the break from packing other people's snacks.

The drive to Boise is about 7 -8 hours.  Holly and I rented 3 movies, we didn't watch 1, all of us talked the whole time. That's an Anderson trait. When we arrived home in about 7 hours I was disappointed and thinking "I was promised an 8 hour drive, circle around the neighborhood Mom!" I'm not ready to be the Mom again.

I can't stress this point to strongly, I love my family and don't know what life would be like without them.

 

We spent 2 hours in this thrift store shopping,

my poor kids got plenty of back to school clothes there:)

 

Boise,ID neighborhoods have mini-libraries right in the middle of the houses. How cute.

 

This is my grandfathers old store.He fit people for prosthetic limbs.

 

This is what I want for my next birthday.

 

This is the cemetery where my grandparents are buried.

 

 

 

Mom's Brother Joe.

One Last Trip before School

For Labor Day Weekend we decided to take one last trip to Seattle.  We went for several reasons. 

1. A couple weeks ago I asked the kids what their favorite event of the summer was.  Much to my dismay, their response was "The Village Vendor"  That's the 76 gas station that we go to so often they guy that works there knows me.  They have $.69 ice cream cones and penny candy.  How can you top that.  But still, that's all we did this summer.  Now, in my defence, we went to Disneyland right before school got out and when my kids gave me their answer they were in no way complaining.

2. Spencer and I talk about moving to the city a lot.  We LOVE the city.  Spence loves San Francisco and his weekends down there, we both love New York and L.A., so we wanted to see how the kids would do in the city.  For the most part they did great and for the most party they loved it. With the exception of the Pike Place Market.  They kind of hated it but who can blame them, it's crowded and touristy.  When I went to New York I avoided Time Square for the same reasons. 

 

 

 

I could spend a week in City Museums.  We loved the Aquarium! So kid friendly.

 

 

 

I love Auri's face in this photo.

 

 

The Star of the Show, the Sharks.

This is what Warren looked like walking around in the city, he walked about 5 steps ahead of us, knowing where he was going the whole time, not afraid of anything. I think we are city people. 

The view of Seattle from our hotel room.  The highlight of the trip for the kids was the hotel pool.  

 

 

 



Pike Place Market Doughnuts

 



 

This picture really nails it.  This is how Warren felt about the Pike Place Market

 

 



 

A short walk on the Board Walk.



I loved Seattle!