The Speed of Light

In-between 8 trips to Houston, and flights to Washington D.C., Wisconsin and Newark over the last three months, life and death happened. It has been a blur. Here are some highlights and lowlights (with hopes these pictures will help me to remember it all):

October:

~ Visited my sister in Marshfield,WI and enjoyed some beautiful Fall colors and crisp air.

~ My in-laws, Jim and Sheryl were in-town for a week over Ian's Fall break from school. As usual, we enjoyed lots of great meals, glasses of wine and cups of coffee.

~ Ian and I participated in the 42nd Annual Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA 5k. I don't have any pictures to prove that I actually finished the run...but I did! It felt great to complete a goal that I set for myself and I had a blast running with my hubby. Next hurdle: PF Changs 1/2 marathon in January. Yikes--I guess I'd better hit the pavement again to prepare for 13 miles!

~ This Halloween Ava was Rupunzel and her daddy was some scary looking Grim Reaper.

November:

~ Ian and I had a fun double-date night out with out friends, Amy and Kyle. We went to the Arizona Wine Growers Festival at The Farm.

~ Went to an ASU Football game.

~ Attended Ava's first Kindergarten parent/teacher conference, and she's doing great!

~ Ian chaperoned Ava's school fieldtrip to the Phoenix World Wildlife Zoo. (apparently, Ava's lips are blue from eating a blueberry snowcone).

~ My aunt Bethy (my dad's youngest sister) died at the age of 57. She struggled her whole life with addiction and her little body just finally gave in. I believe we all battle a demon or two, some of us just aren't strong enough to win every time. May she find some much needed peace in heaven.

~ I attended the funeral for my friend from Jr. High and High School, First Class Army Sergeant, Todd Harris in Tucson. 37 years old, killed in Afghanistan on Nov. 3rd. It was surreal and so terribly heartbreaking.

~ Attended Ava's class Thanksgiving lunch.

~ Hosted my 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Day lunch/dinner with my family.

~ Celebrated my 36th birthday with a lovely dinner at Flemings with my handsome husband and made him take me to see  the movie "Love and Other Drugs", so I could drool over Jake Gyllenhaal. =)

December:

~ Then this past Sunday, Dec. 5th at 8:30 pm, my Grandma Pat (my dad's mom) died in a nursing home in Tucson, just after my parents and aunt Margo left her bedside after saying their goodbyes. Funeral will most likely be this coming Saturday in Tucson. My heart aches for the losses my Dad has had to endure in just one month. I will miss my Grandma, but she was such a woman of great pride, and being in a nursing home was torture for her. The angels in heaven will welcome her beauty and grace I'm sure.


And even though I would at times, like to stop the hands of time, or at least make them slow down for a little while, I know this is how life and death happen. It all spins around me...and I sit here trying to make sense of it all. And I think the toughest part is trying to still make "life" special for Ava, especially this time of year...when life is supposed to be MAGICAL.

I don't know if life is "magical" for me anymore...I find it most cruel. And yet somehow, some way, I still manage to find the beauty, the joy in very simple experiences. Maybe that's the best lesson I can pass along to Ava. You can't let the darkness cloud your view of the stars.

The lights are up on the house, Christmas cards are in the mail to our loved ones, presents purchased, and flights are booked to Memphis for the Christmas holiday.

And so it goes...life, that is.

Jet Set Jordie

I know...I know...I have not kept up my commitment to blogging at least once a month. Slacker. But I have been up in the air flying back and forth between Phoenix and Houston every week, so that's my excuse. I accepted a new job back in July, and started the second week of August and have been traveling ever since. Crazy, I know. Everyone asks me, "How is Ava and Ian handling you being away so much?" Well, it's been an adjustment to say the least...but they're managing and being as supportive as possible. I'm lucky that way.

As for me, I can only say that I'm doing the best that I can, and trying to make everyone happy. I signed up for this gig and on days when I'm questioning everything, I remind myself that I'm making sacrifices for my family's future. Plus, I guess a part of me enjoys the insanity of it all, and I do enjoy being "back out there" interacting with the world. I'm pretty tough ya know, but there are times when I just want to cry.
For instance, a couple of weeks ago, I had to fly to Houston when some pretty bad storms were over the state of Texas. The whole flight was pretty bumpy and miserable. However, the worst part was when we were just about ready to land (wheels were down, I could see the ground coming in closer and closer), and just as we were about to touch down, the pilot lifted straight up and back up into the air like a rocket. I saw my life flash before my very eyes! I still have no idea why the pilot did that, but clearly our plane did not have the ok to land at that moment. We circled over Houston a few times and then finally landed. We all cheered when we slowed down on the ground. I went straight from the airport to the client offices that day, and was pretty shaken up. And just as we were packing up for the day at the office (around 6:30 pm) and ready to head to the hotel, the office emergency system went off saying the 2nd and 3rd floors were being evacuated. (I was on the 8th floor). And guess what--the elevators were shut down! Tired, pathetic me had to lug my luggage and laptop down EIGHT sets of stairs in 4 inch heels! My legs and arms hurt for a week afterward. All I could do was laugh...otherwise I would have cried for a very long time.

On a happier note:
Today Ava had her first Kindergarten field trip to an ice cream shop and to the park. Luckily, I was able to arrange my travel schedule so I could be home and go with her class. It was important to me to show Ava that her mom is still there for her. Because at the end of the day, nothing means more to me than being there for my family. Unfortunately, I have to make a living as well...

Ava is doing really well in Kindergarten so far. She's still attending a small private Christian school near our house and she loves it. I'm amazed and grateful that Ava has such a thirst for learning and spends a lot of her free time voluntarily working on her writing, reading and math skills. She even tries to test her dad and I and corrects us all the time. She definitely loves playing the part of a teacher or principal. Little miss bossy!

Next week I'm back to Houston for a few days, and then heading to Wisconsin to visit my sister. Ian gets to play Mr. Mom and Dad again. I know it's been difficult for him, and yet he continues to manage it all and support me. I seriously feel so blessed to have him as my best friend and partner for life. Is it possible to love someone more and more, even after almost 10 years of marriage? Because I do.

In other (less sappy) news, I signed up to run my first 5k at the end of October!! I have been training when I can, but I need to kick it into high gear this next 30 days! We shall see if my old body can still rally. ha!

Hello to my fellow bloggers out there! I miss reading all of your posts!

Brilliant in Blue

Ava all dressed up in her dance recital costume. Too bad we'll be on the road heading to San Diego on the day of the actual recital. Luckily, Ava doesn't seem to mind too much. Afterall, it's all about the outfit anyway and there will be many more recitals in her future.

Where Art Thou Jordie?

You all were wondering if I was still alive weren't you? Yes, I'm still around...just having computer issues and I've been lacking the patience to sit here for an extended period of time waiting for pictures to load. And then I thought about shutting this blog down...but then thought again. I know some of my family members and friends who live out of state, check this site often to stay up-to-date on what's going on with Ava. I'll try to at least post something new a few times a month to keep my faithful readers happy!

So, what have we been up to? Lots.

The Graduate

Ava graduated from Pre-K at the beginning of June. This past year Ava has grown up so much and has learned so many new things. We're so proud of her, and happy that we made the decision to keep her at the small private Christian school next year for Kindergarten. Ian and I both feel Ava will continue to benefit greatly from being in a small classroom where the student/teacher ratio is 12:1. We also love that Ava is learning about the bible and all of the important life lessons and beliefs that come with learning about Jesus. We hope it's a great foundation that will help guide her to make good decisions in her life.

The Graduate.

The proud parents.

Ava with her Pre-K teacher, Mrs. Mise.

Vegas Baby!

Ian was invited to attend a teacher conference in Las Vegas earlier this week, and Ian was nice enough to invite me and Ava to tag along. We were able to stay at Caesar's Palace for free, and when Ian and Ava checked-in on Sunday, the receptionist upgraded our room to a suite! We were livin large!

So while Ian attended the conference, Ava and I went to the pool @ Caesar's and soaked up some sun, shopped until we dropped at the Forum Shops and checked out the Dolphin Sanctuary & Siegfried & Roy Secret Garden to see the Lions and White Tigers at The Mirage. We also took Ava to Circus Circus to ride some rides, and to the M&M Store (4 floors of M&M stuff). The last day we were there, I took Ava to the Bellagio Hotel to see the water show, but sadly, it was under repair (you'll see her sad face in the picture below). I also took her inside the Bellagio to see the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. It was gorgeous! Ava thought Vegas was very exciting and fun and she kept yelling "Vegas Baby!"

Our view of the Vegas Strip from our Suite! The lights at night were amazing!

Striking a pose at Caesar's Pool.

Fun @ Circus Circus

Ava really enjoyed selecting all different colors of M&Ms.

(And I've really enjoyed inhaling about half the bag).

Checkin out the dolphins at The Mirage...or were they checking us out?

No water show today...

Ava starts a summer school program next week, which will last for about a month. Ian's home for the summer, and hopefully he'll try to stay busy so I can still get some work done. The month of June is already flying by and soon we'll be packing up the car and heading to cool San Diego for 10 days to play in the ocean. I can't wait to feel the sand between my toes and smell the salty air.

I love summertime...even in HOT Arizona.

Cousins

Sadly, Ava will probably never have a brother or sister to call her own.

Which will fortunately save her from years of unnecessary fighting during her youth.

However, this unfortunately also means she will miss out on the amazing experience of growing up with someone and knowing she has a sibling to help her out when mom and dad grow old

and become crazy and helpless.

And even as I wrote that my stomach sank.

And yet, I really don't see Ian and I trying to have another baby. The clock is ticking fast folks.

And life is complicated enough as it is. That's been our excuse anyway.

Plus selfishly, I really don't want to get fat again and

have a chest that fills sizes of bras not found on any charts.

So, (to get to the point of this post), I am incredibly grateful that Ava has cousins...6 of them to be exact.

And last week we spent some quality time with 2 of them--Ethan and Emma,

who happen to now live in Marshfield, Wisconsin.

Emma and Ava are like sisters. They love each other whole-heartedly and

yet still manage to fight over silly stuff. But when all is said and done, Ava thinks Emma is the coolest.

And Ava has adored Ethan from day one.

We had a fun day exploring the rides at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

We took our girls and their dolls to the American Girl Bistro for lunch.

We had a blast bowling.

We attempted to take a beautiful walk, but Ava had other plans...

she was overly tired and had a meltdown instead.

It was unseasonably warm in Wisconsin for April, so we spent as much time outside as possible...at the park, or kids were over at the neighbors house jumping on the trampoline.

My sister bought the girls matching dresses and they wore them out to lunch one day and to the movies.

We checked out the local bookstore, visited the mall,

and the kids visited a nearby Dairy Farm to get ice cream.

Ava was on cloud nine all week being so busy with her cousins.

I was happy to just be there with my sister and hug her.

I needed to see where they lived, so I can picture them most clearly on days

when I'm missing them desperately and feeling particularly sad.

And I made sure to spend a lot of quality time with this little Jack Russell Terrier, Hailey.

Prior to meeting our husbands, me and my sister adopted her as a puppy and raised her together for a little while before she went to live with my sister and her husband full-time.  And as Hailey gets up there in age, I cherish every moment I have left with her. She is one incredible doggy...and I'm so grateful my sister has had such a smart, loyal, loving creature by her side during a very dark period in her life.

The day before we had to leave, my sister stayed up until the wee hours of the night/morning, putting together Easter baskets for the kids and hiding eggs all around their backyard. If you know my sister, this would not surprise you at all, because she always goes the extra mile. The kids loved waking up to discover their goodies, (so I hear anyway, as I was too busy still sleeping). However, when I did finally make it upstairs to the kitchen, I was quite touched to find a present also waiting for me.

I think the sign sums things up pretty well.

Spring Break- Round One.

Last week was Ian's spring break from school. And Ian's parents, Jim and Sheryl were in town for the week. We love when they come out to visit us because we love hanging out with them and because we know we can count on eating some amazing meals, drinking delicious wine, and drinking lots of coffee. And Ava loves spending time with her grandma and papa.

Unfortunately for me, I had to work during the day,

but still managed to enjoy some wonderful meals and adventures.

As soon as we picked Jim and Sheryl up from the airport,

we headed straight to Chelsea's Kitchen for brunch. We drank refreshing

white sangria, which I highly recommend if you get a chance. And then later that same day, we headed to

My Florist Cafe for dinner. Yes, I'm still full just thinking about all that I ate that day.

The following day it was raining...so we headed out to a dance store to buy Ava new tap shoes and ballet slippers, and then headed to Chandler Fashion Square mall. We had a relaxing lunch at BJ's Pizzeria, and then headed home to watch the Oscars. I was so happy for Sandra Bullock!

She was my pick for best dressed that night.

Tuesday it was still raining for most of the day, so they went to the movies to see 'Alice in Wonderland'. They all loved it. That night we were invited over to our neighbor's house (Beth and Paul) for dinner. We devoured Beth's chicken tortilla casserole. Yummy!

Wednesday--the sun decided to finally make an appearance,

so Ian, his parents, and Ava headed to the zoo.

Later that evening, we went to Wildfish in Scottsdale to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

Ian and I celebrating 9 years of wedded bliss!

Grandma and Ava caught chatting after we inhaled dessert.

I love this picture. Ava took it--she did a good job!

Thursday:

Desert Botanical Gardens- Butterfly Exhibit.

Apparently the butterflys really liked Ava's braides.

That night after Ava's dance class, we met a friend of Sheryl's out for dinner @ True Food Kitchen at The Arizona Biltmore Fashion Park Mall. The food was delicious and so healthy.

It might just be my new favorite place.

Grandpa's Girl. Lucky couldn't get close enough to him. So sweet.

(and yes, that's Ian's foot behind Lucky)

Friday:

I finally had a day off from work, so it was girls day out and we headed to the nail salon,

then to Paradise Bakery for lunch, and then to the mall again

to get a few  items for our photo shoot, scheduled for later that evening.

The photo shoot backdrop:

White Tank Mountain Reserve. The desert is so green right now from all the rain.

Professional photos are forthcoming--we can't wait to see what Erika of Yellow Pear Blog captured of our family. We had so much fun posing and joking around.

Erika was such a good sport and we all really liked her. I'm such a fan of her work.

And I gave her permission to "photoshop" all that she can! Ha!

After the photo shoot, we were all starving, so we headed to Cibo for their amazing pizza and wine. 

Then Saturday arrived way too soon, and we had to say good-bye to grandma and papa. =(

While it is NEVER easy to say good-bye, we are so grateful for the time we do get to spend with Jim and Sheryl. They are the kindest, most generous people I know. And we are so lucky to have them in our lives.

Thank you for a wonderful week.

And in another week, Ava and I will be on a jet plane heading to Minneapolis and then to Marshfield, WI to visit my sister and her family for Spring Break, Round II. Can't wait!