All Things Considered, Summer 2011

I have survived summer. Quite well, too. After my last post at the end of June when everything was overwhelming me things slowly improved. Currently things could not be better.

Break a Leg
Olivia began practices at Seattle Children's Theatre the start of July for the play Jungalbook (a darker version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book). She auditioned for this play in April and was proudly cast after call backs in May. We drove into the city each business day for a month. It was torture. The traffic, the road construction & street closures, the many events happening in the city,  the daily grind of leaving my laptop, gathering the girls, & coralling the dogs was challenging to say the least. We had all but survived the stress and then on the afternoon before Opening Night Liv jumped down from a platform in one of her roles as a vulture and broke her foot.
After the dr. visit, the specialist visit, the cast, the CT scan, and the quick lesson in crutches--she took to the stage. Her role as a wolf had to be cut as it was a very active one in which she spent a great deal of time on stage but since she could not bear any weight on her foot she was only able to play her vulture role. It was short and strong--best acting gig of the night according to her oh so biased grandmother! The girl is a trooper. She missed out on a camping trip with a friend, afternoons at the pool club, and a trip to Lake Chelan, WA. But her dear friends, babysitters, visiting grandparents and her kid sis have pushed her in wheelchairs about the mall, presented her with gifts, played games and picnicked on the lawn with her.

Olivia as the Vulture, Seattle Children's Theatre, Jungalbook 2011

Kind Cuties, Alderwood Mall ~ August 2011

Pixie Bella Beauty Bash~ Audrey turns 8

Audrey & Papa birthday morning~ ice cream for breakfast before he heads to work

Audrey Elizabeth turned 8 years old on July 13. We celebrated with all things feminine and frilly from the decor to the darling gifts she received from her sweet friends. The party guests enjoyed hair updos, makeup, parfaits, and girl time. It was a big success! Audrey also was in a little play at a local drama camp that week and she was a fabulous firefly in The Secret Garden!

Audrey as Firefly #4, The Secret Garden, Missoula Children's Theatre performance at Driftwood Players, July 2011

Sunshine & Sweets

In between acting stints Audrey opened her lemonade stand (created by Eric) which she named, "Sunshine & Sweets" with the motto "May every bite be blissful". Too bad it has only been open for one weekend! We can blame that on the combination of weather (grey, rainy summer) and a child's fleeting desires! 

Proprietress Audrey, July 2011

Summer Lovin'

My wonderful folks came out again to assist with the beauties and beasts of The Manor and to spend some family time. 

Dinner on the Water, Edmonds~August 2011

They also watched the girls for a spell as Eric and I escaped to Portland and Bend, OR for  few days. We rode bikes, tubed down the Deschutes River, enjoyed amazing meals, tasty brews, and reconnected. Priceless.

Portland, OR~ August 2011

Who's Your Daddy?

Eric and local dads from Audrey's Montessori school days performed at the girls school again this summer at the "welcome new family" picnic. It was a great night with dancing kids, smiling parents, and wanna be rock stars (who are truly talented) who did this PTO mama one big favor. Again. Huge thanks to Meme and Papa & Carrie and Jewel who showed their support again this year. 

 Here's your daddy~ Eric, August 2011

Rock On! Papa Frank & Audrey girl

Supportive Sweets~ Rebecca, me, Carrie

Quick k PR update

Work wise all is chugging along very well. Bustling in fact as we head into Fall. I have had new client meetings in addition to big client projects on the horizon. I remain grateful to my team and continue to love, love, love what we do. 

Savoring Summer

Today the girls go to one of their closest friends birthday parties (happy day, Schy guy!) and Eric and I will spend a couple hours at the pool club (with Liv's busted foot, Audrey on antibiotics for swimmer's ear and the the sun not shining until August we've only been twice this summer)! Tonight we head to a "Movie on the Lawn" party with friends from the girls school. The way I feel about their school family is it's own blog post. How we love the community we  are part of there and it is not an exaggeration in the least to say that the friendships and relationships we've built at Brighton are a dream come true. 

In a couple of weeks we head to the coast for our annual end of summer escape and chill time and then it is back to school and down to business. Thankfully, we cannot wait for the next season but until then we will savor summertime. 

Grateful Girl

When I woke this morning my mind was running a mile a minute with things I wanted and needed to do as it does most Saturday mornings. Should I walk now, bake for the neighbor who just lost a loved one, balance our checkbooks, run to the market, write out cards for all my dear friends summer birthdays, get some work in before Monday morning, and the list goes on. But I was most compelled to blog about our summer days and my grateful heart. 

After another magical date night with my husband I went to kiss our sleeping girls last night. I found Livvie sprawled out on the floor with her purple cast dangling over the side of the air mattress (she has a loft and cannot get to it to sleep in due to her cast). She was spent. She has been acting as a junior counselor at the girls school during the days for 3-6 year olds and she is simply adored. News of the adoration comes to me from the teachers and the kids. I am so proud of her. She is a beautiful girl inside and out. She is driven, clever, strong, and lovely. She laughs easily with sparkling eyes and how I love her sweet freckles. My heart overflowed watching her. I have said it before but it bears repeating the day I gave birth to Olivia I loved like I never have before. I had that same swell of love for her as she slept last night. She is my Bliss. 

As for her sister, Audrey is like another limb of mine. She is always by my side, touching me, looking into my eyes, sharing her thoughts, her heart and her days. I miss her terribly in the hours we're apart just as you would if you had a limb missing. What a blessing that child is to me. 

And then there is Eric. He kissed me out of nowhere in the middle of two stories I was sharing last night and I wonder if he knows that those gestures makes my heart feel like it could jump out of my chest. He will reside in it always.

I am one happy, fulfilled, blessed girl~ all things considered. 

Eric found me curled up with a book in the waning sunshine when we were in Bend. 

I cherish this photo as he captured the summer break I was craving. As you can see I got it. Lucky girl.