lately ...

i am in middle of two fictional novels and one biography. and loving it.

For The Birds

I just ordered an urban chicken coop for the backyard!  I am super stoked about it!  Raising chickens is an idea we have tossed around for years.  Both Seth and I had chickens growing up.

From an early age deviled eggs was one of the first things I learned how to make.  SO.MANY.EGGS.

Our coop is going to be much smaller than the one I had growing up, but it is appropriate and proportional for our backyard in the city.   I think it will yield the perfect amount of eggs for our family.

The plan is to have three or four girls in there.  We may put up some chicken wire to expand where they can roam during the day, and shoo them back in the coop at night.

So anyway, here is a couple photos from online ... when we actually get everything set up I will probably take some of my own.

Dandelion Wishes

FDA Approves Cystic Fibrosis Drug - The Wall Street Journal

Kalydeco, Drug That Treats Root Cause Of Cystic Fibrosis, Approved By FDA

This news is big. HUGE in fact. This is the first time that there has been a drug to tackle the root cause of Cystic Fibrosis and not just a symptom. People throw around the word CURE left and right, and this my friends is the closest thing to a cure that I believe we will see.

More than 1,000 mutations in the CFTR gene have been identified in people with CF. I have the classic and most common ΔF508, and one other mutation.  This drug, which was approved by the FDA today is for only one of these mutations, G551D, as far as I understand. While G551D is NOT the most common, it causes CF in about 4% of the CF population, some 1,200 people in the United States. I have heard of other CF friends (G551D's) who were participants in the trial phases of Kalydeco, and who claimed it was immensely helpful.

Just to clarify, since this is my blog, this drug will probably not affect me. Not only am I the wrong mutation, but I am post transplant and so my health worries lie elsewhere, such as infection/rejection. Even if they were to develop a drug for ΔF508's, in a way it is too late in my own life. At most I could imagine it helping perhaps with my sinuses and G.I.

But that is not what I want to talk about.

I want to talk about my childhood prayers. My wishes on every birthday cake. My wish for every dandelion I blew into the wind.

A cure for CF.

And although I am fully aware that this is not exactly a cure for all CFers, I now have hope for that dream. For those babies being born today with the gene mutation of G551D, it is coming true.
This might snowball into other drugs being developed for other CFTR mutations.

If just one child can be spared the suffering and pain I have had to endure because of Cystic Fibrosis, than my wish has come true.

1,200 people being CURED.  What an awesome, amazing, exciting day in the CF community.
And ΔF508 is next guys, just wait and see.  Correcting G551D shows that it is possible.
We're coming up!

If anybody reading this has ever donated money to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation I want to tell you, as I hold back the tears - THANK YOU. It certainly has helped a hell of a lot during my lifetime!

Thank you God, from whom all blessings flow ...

Lemonades

I love having a lemon tree. Picked, washed and squeezed up some fresh lemonade from our yard this afternoon.  It was a gorgeous day, a flip-flop, walk-to-places-instead-of-drive kind of a day. And if anyone near wants some lemons, swing by, because there is still more than plenty hanging on our tree.

"I love you making lemonades" - Aiden (to me)

song of the day. been slinking around the house to the non acoustic version of this song all week long.  pretending i'm sexier than i really am.

today is the last day of christmas break.  i love levi to death - but i am so ready to send him back to school.  i don't know how people homeschool.  props to ya all.

it's more fun this way

Finalization!

Hello!  I am way behind on update type posts.....

Aiden is adopted!  Yay.  Everything is done!  No more paperwork, social worker visits, etc.

It feels good.

Aiden is now related to us as if he had been born to us.  The finalization was November 18th - oh what a fun day it was.  We all came to the courthouse, told to invite as many friends and family as we wanted.  My good friends Myrna and Christina came with their kids.  My grandparents drove all the way up from Southern California.  My parents came and so did Aiden's old foster family, Beth and Lily and their kids.

We arrived at the court, I had to stash my weapons (mace, haha) in a bush on the outside of the building.  We all went through the metal detectors and then crammed in an elevator to the courtrooms.  The mood in the air was such a contrast to the last time we had been in court.  Back in April when Aiden's biological mom was losing all of her rights to him, it was a very sobering, sad day - even for Seth and I.  This time was different.  The atmosphere in the air was one of happiness and joy.

The county did such a great job of making it super special for us.  They had a table of refreshments, they gave Seth apple cider, myself a bouquet of flowers and Aiden a bouquet of balloons.  The newspaper photographer was there to capture the moment, along with two other photographers.  We sat down as a family, they arranged us, took a few shots and five minutes later handed us a framed family portrait with the date printed on it.

When it was our turn to go before the judge in the family court, everyone could come in.  All of the normal courtroom rituals and rules seemed to be thrown out the window for this very special occasion.  We did not stand as the the judge entered the room, the bailiff didn't call the court to order - everything was very casual.  Every child in the room was allowed to pick out a stuffed animal to take home.

The judge walked up to Aiden and asked why he was here.  He said "a party"(hehehe). She then proceeded to ask who I was... he said "my mom"  and then she asked who Seth was.  He said "my dad"
The whole thing was adorable and sugary sweet.

We signed a paper to finalize (even Mr. Aiden got to sign) and then we raised our right hand as we swore to love, protect, care for Aiden and treat him as our own.  Then the judge introduced us to her mother and proceeded to tell us that she was in a quilting group and they had made a quilt for Aiden!

We then gathered and took a few snapshots to remember the special day by.

Afterwards we came back to the house and had a potluck type party. Aiden had so much fun he said he wanted to go back and do it again.

Also because of national adoption day being Saturday the nineteenth the newspaper decided to run a front page story and the family they chose to feature was ours!  Also the Watsonville Patch did an article about us too.  Here is the link to the Santa Cruz Sentinel if you want to check it out:

Forever family: Parents, children seal lifelong bonds in Watsonville courtroom

to do list

( and finish Christmas shopping... )

the annoying thing about having a really bad cold is it slows you down to the point where all you can do is lay around and think. but at the same time your brain is too foggy to think. it really is a pretty lame catch 22 if you ask me.

noël

We chopped down a tree today!  Way too late for my taste, but we have been in and out of town like a fiddler’s elbow.  Christmas music, hot chocolate with marshmallows, candles and love made for a great day.

For Marjie

For Marjie. (She is always encouraging me in my writing)

- - -

Fiery red hair and sparks of wildness tamed into an ever gentle sweetness.  A quiet warrior - pain. heartache.  Things are good, things are great, things are not so great and there a smile remains upon her face.  Lips stretched across her teeth as if holding the world together, holding her family together.

The amount of lullabies that have passed through those lips, the amount of stories read, memorized.  Reciting without the need to glance down at the pages upon her lap.  Sparking children's imaginations, feeding their artistic souls.

Nurturing,
Nurturing,
Ever Nurturing.

Her glamourous, old hollywood beauty catches you off of your guard.  Timeless gorgeousness as a sunset. Grace and kindness with every bat of her eyelashes and with every giggle.  A little girl, a mother, a grandmother all wrapped up.  Eternal.

Legacy.  Children, like jewels, adorn the crown which is her glory.  Strength, honour, loyalty.

Blushing.
Humble.
Loved.

my pancreas hurts

or an ulcer?

maze

- james jean

Shooting Friends

Two of my favourite things are:
1) Friends
2) Taking photos

Put them together and I am a happy girl.  That's what this is below ... a photo shoot I did of some very good friends of mine.  I have known Jalen since he was just a kid himself.  He is full of attitude, determination and bursting with personality.  Stacia is an awesome, responsible mom, and has a great sense of humor.  And little Harmony is so cuddly and is cute as a button.  I could snuggle with her all day.  I love them tons.

As I said earlier in the month, this October has been beautiful and warm here in Santa Cruz.  It was slightly nippy the day we took these but not bad for October, not bad at all.  I had so much fun shooting them, and they have asked me to take their wedding photos down in LA next summer.  I am already looking forward to it.

Swing

 This past summer after browsing the interweb, feeling full of crafty inspiration I came up with the idea that I was going to build a swing for my backyard.  I saw a photo of a regular chair with the legs sawed off that had been painted, hung and converted into a nice little swing.  I posted it to facebook stating my intentions to go build one of my very own.

Well that very same week I learned that my great grandma was about to pass away.  I put all plans on hold - and traveled with my mom and kids to Southern California to go visit GGGG (for short) one last time.  It was a really hard week emotionally.  We had a sucessful trip - made it down to Oceanside in time to give our goodbye hugs.

When I arrived back up in Santa Cruz I found this chair waiting for me at the back door and attached to it an absolutely perfect card from my dear friend Julie.  She had scored it from her bargain hunter landlady and very thoughtfully dropped it off for my craft project.

What a sweet surprise.  I immediately went to work. Seth let me use his power tools... but I didn't want him helping me - I wanted to build it on my own.

First I sawed off the legs. That part was fun.

Then came time for sanding. I did the large areas with an electric sander and the more intricate parts by hand.  I had to take a couple of trips to the hardware store to buy primer, paint, chain and a 2x4.

 . . .

I bought spray cans for both the primer and final coats of paint thinking that it would be easier that way, but if I could go back in time and do it over I would totally use a can and just brush it out. That way I could apply the paint thicker. The wood just soaked up the paint and so I had to apply way too many coats of both the primer and the final colour.

I finally settled on candy apple red. I painted the 2x4 portions to match and then screwed the chair onto the boards for a base, and for somewhere to hang the chain from.

I really love the way it turned out - HAHA ↓

Thank you again Julie. I love you friend.

skinny love

song of my week.  i love this version of this song.  on repeat.  and more repeat.

and this video makes me want to watch the newest jane eyre again.  i saw it at the cinema and watched it several times when it was at my house from netflix.  but i enjoyed it so much i think i am going to have to buy it.

love
love
love it.

now if only someone would create a decent movie of her sister's book wuthering heights.  i loved the book, but have yet to have seen a film that even comes close.

the brontë sisters are rad

note to self.