It's been awhile!

Well, first, here's the boy. Doodlebug is just over two years old. He'll be 27 months tomorrow!

I've been exploring new recipes these last few weeks, and it's been really fun to expand the food repertoire. Healthy and creative, and tasty too, these have become fast favorites with our little family!

Recipe 1 - Baked Chicken and Orzo

Oh my goodness. What deliciousness! I made this because I was bored of my regular rotation and I had a house-full of people to feed (the in-laws were in town for awhile). Of course, with a toddler, food is always a challenge, but Doodlebug ate this one up, especially the orzo. He just loved it! It was hard to not overcook the chicken. I was easily phased by this one because you do not precook the orzo. It cooks while in the oven, so I set the timer for longer than suggested because I just wasn't convinced. But it turned out beautifully, aside from dry chicken. :) I will definitely be making this one again. And the fresh sage is a must. Really added great flavor to the dish.

Recipe 2 - Soy Sauce Drumsticks

Wow. Just Wow. First off, if you can, marinate this one over night. Make sure to, as the author suggests, score them once or twice on each side, because that marinade will just soak in and you have less of a chance of drying out the meat inside. 

This is so good! I served it with rice and a garden salad. It was a fantastic meal and again, we will add it to the regular rotation. Do make sure to turn them every 7 to 10 minutes or so so they don't burn. And they do taste better the next day!

Future recipes on the menu for the next week: 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Now, I am going to school for wine, so at some point I hope to tell you what wine I paired the meals with and how it tasted! For now, with summer, beer and hard cider have been tasting very good. And strawberry margaritas.

A better attitude

I was chatting with a friend online, and mentioned how I was done with 2013 already.  With financial stress, my back issues, and the three of us going round and round with colds and flus...

She responded with "You said the same thing about 2012, too.  There have been some really good things that have happened for you guys already in 2013!"

And you know what?  She's right.  April has been full of surprises, despite my back issues and Wesley's current cold.  It would be inappropriate to share online right now, but it's safe to say some really good things are happening.  And there's lots of potential for even more good things if Matt's next project takes off (more on that when the Kickstarter begins).

So, you want to know how I'm doing?  I'm really good.  Wesley only wakes up a few times a night and, when not sick, goes right back to sleep after a bottle.  He is very opinionated, interested in everything, and is trying to climb the furniture.  He is happy, healthy, and strong willed.  He is the best thing in my life, for sure.

Matt and I are doing well, too.  He surprised me with a date a few weeks ago - came home early, had lined up everything, from the babysitters to dinner and the movie.  It was wonderful to have some time for just us.

While one day of daycare is gone, I still can take Wesley to her house on Mondays, and then my sister comes on Friday afternoons to watch the boy so I can get work done, go to the gym, etc.  This will certainly cut down our childcare expenses!

So yeah, things are good.  Still hard, money is still very much a struggle BUT we have our health.  Our house.  Food on the table, and heat in our house.  Loving family and friends.  Really, we are truly blessed, and I need to remember that when the road of life gets bumpy.

Sick Sick Sick

I can't remember a year when I've been sick this much, and where so many of my friends and their kids are just as ill.

January and February was a stream of colds and the flu.  Wesley was sleeping through the night for a stretch, so that was helpful.

But then, one weekend in March -  last weekend - he threw up.  Just a couple of times and both were such isolated incidents that we didn't really think anything of it.

However.

Late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, I fed him a bottle, and as I was leaving his room, I got hit hard with overwhelming nausea.  Out of nowhere, I felt the need to throw up almost immediately.  But instead, I got some crackers and sparkling water, ate a little, and went back to bed.

Nope.  Throwing up ensued.  And our poor son had never heard this awful noise from an adult before so he totally freaked out.  At least the first two times.  By the time I ran the bathroom for round five, he was sleeping like a champ.

Around 3 or 4 am, Matt emailed his boss, said he'd be late to work.

At 6:30am, Matt got up to go to the bathroom.  I sat up, felt the need to upchuck again, and ran straight to the kitchen.  That's when Matt heard a thud and ran to find me on the kitchen floor.  I had fainted.  I woke up dazed and confused, sat up, and started throwing up again.  That marked seven times in seven hours, to which Matt responded "I'm taking you to the emergency room."

After seven hours in urgent care, including an ekg and a CT scan, 3 bags of saline to get me rehydrated, and some anti-nausea pills, the doctor still didn't know what was wrong with me.  I had to go see my physician the next day to find out.  It was Norovirus!

Needless to say, these last few days I haven't been very hungry.  I usually live to eat, but these days I have been eating to live.  I'm still pretty weak, and very tired.  My boys were absolute champs in taking care of me, I'm very luck to have them in my corner.

All in all, avoid Norovirus.  It's miserable.

Life Without Facebook

As most of you know, I gave up Facebook for Lent.  I had Matt log in for me once, and take care of something, and that was it.  I happened to see that I had 194 updates and 3 messages.  In just two weeks!  People, that's just crazy.  It's been clear to me for these last few weeks that I spend WAY too much time on Facebook.  After the end of March, I'm going to keep it off of my phone.  I'm spending more time getting things done, quality time with my family, and my life feels much simpler.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's harder to keep in touch with people.  There are a few that I only connect with on Facebook, like Lena.  I miss sharing photos with those closest to me, especially of Wesley.  But Matt updates me on the big stuff, like our college acquaintance getting a new position in Seattle (Congrats, Louis!).  I continually tell him to be on the look out for an update regarding a friend of ours expecting a new baby.  I know I'm missing a lot.  But then, I also cannot keep in touch with 650 people. I think I'm going to have to remove quite a few people from my friends list, even though I know who everyone is, I don't talk to or keep up with all of them.

Wesley is doing great.  He's crawling all over the place, I spend much of the day just chasing after him.  He's interested in everything, pulls himself up wherever he can, and has started walking side to side when he's pulled himself up on the couch or coffee table.

I cannot believe I'm going to have a one year old as of Sunday.  CRAZY!!

9 Months Old!

Ohmygoodness!

NINE MONTHS OLD!!  How in the world has time gone by so fast?

You are starting to crawl, well, sort of.  It's a combination of pulling yourself on the carpet, military crawling, and rolling.  You're not terribly interested in crawling.  If the object of your desire is too far away, you'll look around for something closer.  You are definitely my kid.  :)

You have some separation anxiety, and there are a few people who you don't really care for, including your god-father, Steve!  I've come to the conclusion that the majority of men in your life don't have beards, but Daddy does.  And so does Steve.  So I think it's not so much that you're scared as you're confused.

You love people, still.  You love to smile, but laughing doesn't come easily.  Until, I found the pop-up book.  With the jumping frog.  And started saying "ribbit" every time it jumped.  Oh, what joy ensued!



You had a doctor's appointment today - 18 pounds and 10 ounces!  The doctor is very pleased with your progress.  Everything looks good, and no shots!

We had a good Thanksgiving, except we forgot your booster/high chair thing, so dinner was a little awkward, as you tried your hardest to grab everything in sight, including dishes and silverware.  Everyone loved you, and you just yummed up all the attention.  

You are STILL not sleeping through the night, but you are an easy baby during the day.  Very patient if we're late with meals, so pleasant when we are out and about.  You just love to observe what's going on.

We had a bit of a rough time, you and I, in November with Daddy being gone on set.  You are so happy he's home, and so am I!

I love you, my sweet sweet boy.  I can't wait for your first Christmas.  It's going to be magical!

Love you lots and lots,
Mommy

Welcome, 2012 Babies!

Owen, Brandon, Wesley, Kai, Matteo, Archer, Madeline, Wesley, and the latest to join the group is little Caitlyn, born yesterday at 5:58pm.  I am anxiously awaiting details and photos!

I apologize if I have forgotten any babies, it's been a whirlwind of a month. 

And no, that's no mistake that Wesley is listed twice.  There's our little W, and then my cousin and his wife welcomed their W-man on July 3, which means "The Twesleys" are exactly 4 months apart. :)

But don't fret, there are more on the way...and I'm sure there are more we just haven't heard about yet that will be greeting us around the holidays. 

What an incredible year for babies!  And looking at those names, it's the year for boys.  Sheesh.

Baby Wesley!

Baby Wesley made an early arrival.  As in, a month early!  My water broke around 10am on March 3, and he was born at 5:15 that evening.  There's a very detailed, interesting story, and it all started with me getting out of the shower, looking down at my belly and saying "I can't wait to meet you!"

WHOOSH.  Water broke.  Not kidding!  It was like something out of a movie.

But I am too tired/overwhelmed/in love with our little boy and our new life as parents, so you'll just have to settle for some photos.  :)

Born 3/3/12
5:15pm
4lbs, 15 oz
17.5 inches long

We took him in to the pediatrician today and he's already gained back .8 of an ounce and grown about half an inch!

Eight. Months.

It's official.  Just two months or so, and our baby will be here.  Where has the time gone?  I can't keep track of anything these days.  If it didn't happen yesterday or today, I won't remember.  My Google calendar is full of reminders to call friends and family, appointments, and things to do around the house.  Somehow, I'm also squeezing in a decent amount of work.  I'm really feeling the pressure to accomplish so many things at work because I know, in as little as FIVE WEEKS, I'll have a newborn to take care of and everything else will just have to wait.  

I've decided to stop panicking about money.  We have gotten (and been blessed to receive) so many used items from friends that aside from the crib and lounge chair.  I'm not concerned about the crib because he'll be sleeping in the bassinet for the first 2 or 3 months anyway.   Matt will get back paid, he's getting a raise with the new job, and since the best thing for me to do is remain calm and relaxed, then that is what I am going to do. 

Work threw me a lovely baby shower yesterday.  It was so sweet.  They are all so excited, because the youngest "kid" is now 17.  I was so touched by their generosity and excitement.  I love working with these people.  They are more like family, which is how it should be when you are working for the family business.

The baby showers will happen soon.  The first one is next weekend, and it's the friends shower, at our house.  Matt got pictures up on the walls last weekend, and they look really good.  We have one wall in the hallway dedicated to family photos, and we are so excited to add pictures of the baby!  So many friends are coming from out of town, and I can't tell you how much this means to me.   I am truly honored to be surrounded by such amazing people.

The 25th is the family shower in Seattle which I am also excited about.  Family members from my side and Matt's side will be there, as well as a few close family friends.  I am really excited to see everyone.  I love my family through and through, and I am blessed to have them in my life.

Eight months.  Five to 10 weeks to go.  I can't believe it.  But you'd better believe that in addition to all this other stuff, Matt and I are squeezing in as many date nights/lunches as we can.  Time is limited, at least for a little while!

Oh, and I should also mention that baby boy is big enough that now, if he kicks hard enough or moves around enough, I can see the movement along with feeling it.  Which means during my meeting yesterday at work, Grandpa was entertained by his grandson's movements.  It was really cute.

31 Weeks down, 9 weeks to go!

How is this possible?  I mean, really.  9 weeks left to get for little man's arrival, that's just crazy!  Thankfully hubby painted the nursery this week, and it's a really lovely shade of blue. 

I am feeling pretty good, just tired.  Annoyed that I've got swollen feet, ankels, and hands, but I'll take that over heartburn.  Little boy loves to climb as high as he can and wedge up against my stomach and liver, which makes bending over a huge task.  Hubby has the joyous task now of tying my shoes every morning.  And rubbing my feet every night.  My feet look like little sausages by the end of the day.  It's a sad and somewhat amusing sight.  It would probably be a little more funny if they didn't hurt so much.

But all in all, I can't complain.  I'm having a healthy pregnancy, no complications, work is busy, and the house is looking pretty good.  Hubby is happy and fulfilled, and busy as can be.  So many friends and family are having major traumas in their lives.  Hubby and I are so grateful that we are in a good place for the time being.  I know it won't last, another bump in the road is on it's way, but for now, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

30 Weeks!

I suppose the biggest thing I've noticed is that I need to start slowing down.  Up until now, I could schedule 2 or 3 things a day, and be fine, as long as I could get at least a 30 minute cat nap in.  Now, I've cut my work schedule down to working from home 4 days a week, and going into Redmond once a week.  Two gatherings is more than enough, and I have to separate them out between morning and late afternoon so I can get a nap in.  If they're one after the other, then it's hard for me to go anywhere at night because I'm so tired.  This is really hard for me because I am such a social person.  I get lonely rather easily, and poor hubby is the source of so much conversation and entertainment these days.  And as I get bigger, I rely on him more and more for even the simplest of things, like tying my shoes, or giving me foot rubs to help combat the ache in my feet from the swollen ankles.

Our house is slowly getting there.  We've cleaned out numerous closets, made some serious progress on the nursery.  Hubby has now asked me to schedule us time on the calendar to work on house projects so we feel like we're getting things done.  Tonight we'll get the rest of the nursery cleaned out, and then Hubby will put up the paint tape.  We've picked out a color already, which is exciting.  It's going to be so cute, I can't wait to see what it's going to look like when it's all done.  We have a boatload of clothes from friends, which has been wonderful.  I, of course, have already sorted them by size and put away the 0-6 months in the dresser, while the rest is in bins that will go into his closet.  Other places that still need work are our now combined office, which looks like the closet threw up, and our garage, though Hubby has made serious progress there (and kitty who pees on floor is still in there.  Every time I think about letting him back into the house, he pees next to the fridge, so clearly, he's a garage cat now.  I'm hopeful he'll be a backyard kitty over the summer). 

I'm not sure that I necessarily feel overwhelmed, and I think that's because Hubby and I have this schedule now.  I want the nursery cleared/cleaned out and painted by the 18th, which is when we have the Friends baby shower at our house.  I also want a clean room where we can put/set-up all the baby stuff.  But I know poor hubby is totally overwhelmed.  He has so many film projects going on, in addition to his pregnant wife constantly needing him for this or that (mostly emotional reassurance, or as he calls them "heightened emotional states").  He will be gone for a few days next month in Pasco for a conference, and my dear friend Paige is flying up to help me out while he's gone.  But now he might be gone for a few more days after he gets back from Pasco, and I told him he needs to figure out/find someone to take care of the cat boxes.  Anyone want to come stay with me for a few days and clean out some litter boxes?  Sounds glamarous, I know.  Try to resist.  :)

Baby is kicking more and more, which is so much fun.  As the date gets closer, I find myself thinking of my family in different ways, specifically my parents, and what life must have been like before my sister and I came along.  I also think about how they each had their own childhood, and how when I was a kid, I never thought about that because they were always just mom and dad, y'know?  I am just thinking of and viewing everything differently these days.  It's quite an experience. 

22 Weeks!

Geez, it's December already. I should have known. Just by looking outside, our cars are covered in frost. People wonder why I like the rain so much. Well, it keeps me from having to de-ice my car, and the temperature stays above 40 degrees. Of course, I don't live in a flooding area, so I suppose I would feel differently in that case.

22 weeks. It's pretty obvious that I'm pregnant now. All those big shirts I bought in September that were WAY too big (making me look fat rather than pregnant), are now fitting just right. My frustration is with maternity jeans, those elastic waist bands that never stay flat. The just roll down, and create discomfort. I suppose I need to straighten them out and iron them, but what's the point when they are getting to be so uncomfortable? Mommies, do you have any suggestions? I am having more meltdowns, the latest freakouts have been about hubby being gone in March (though he'll be home every night), filming JourneyQuest 2. My worse-case scenario is going into labor by myself and not being able to get ahold of anyone. My first pick, obviously, would be to go into labor when Matt is home, either at night, or on one of the non shooting days. But it's not up to me. My control-freak self is getting a big lesson in patience with pregnancy, that's for sure.

Did I mentioned we registered? It was actually kind of fun, mostly because I took a good friend with me who has 2 young kids, and could walk us through what was necessary and what wasn't (like wiper warmers -- really?). To make a long story short, it didn't take as long as I thought and by the end, while I was overwhelmed, I was so glad to have my friend with me. She made it so much easier, and even had snacks for me afterwards so I could replenish my tired, hungry self.

As for Thanksgiving, it was hilarious. Up in Packwood, at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin, with my Mom's side of the family. Some of those guys can talk about the same thing for hours and hours and hours but I don't mind, I'm used to it. But poor hubby, he just went crazy. It was kind of comical. :) And one of my relatives, upon seeing my belly, exclaimed "Oh my gosh! You just grew overnight! What happened?" Um, well thanks for making me feel so much better about my changing body, auntie. Babies grow, and I'm 5 1/2 months. What did she expect?

And may I just throw in that I love my pre-natal yoga class? What a godsend!

JourneyQuest Season 2 Kickstarter Campaign!

Yes, I know, it's been 4 months.

Yes, I know, most of you know what's been going on, and I will update sometime in the next month.  I promise.  Most of the things happening this summer weren't very internet friendly.  Let's just say that I had to go back to counseling, and there was much drinking and a few melt-downs.

But that is not the point of my post, here, dear reader(s)...(if anyone is still reading).

Matt's (with Ben Dobyns, ZOE, et al) webseries, JourneyQuest, has launched a fundraising campaign for Season 2.  (If you have not seen Season 1, watch it here on Hulu or here on YouTube.)  They have raised over THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS in just 3 days!!  What an incredible start!  Now with 57 days left, they have just under 28k to go.  And you can help!  Even $1 helps.  And if you can't dontate, that's ok.  I just ask that you share the information so that this can happen.  I believe this is Matt's best work to date.  Please help!  And thank you for your support!  :)

Wow, I haven't blogged in nearly two months. I guess you could say I just haven't felt like it. There's been lots of stuff going on, in my life and in my head, and to try to sort it all out on the Internets just takes too much effort sometimes.

The latest show I'm in is finally winding down this weekend. It's been an amazing experience, probably my best role ever, what a challenge! For the first time I wasn't cast because I look young (not that I have a problem with that), but I feel that I was cast because of my abilities as an actress. This is the toughest role I've had to play in my post-college career, mostly because of all the physical attributes. And what's really neat is that I learn something more about my character every time I go on stage. What an adventure! I love it. I'm really going to miss the cast and crew. However I am going to LOVE having my weekends back, as well as my weeknights. I have been in shows pretty much straight through, from August until now, and I'm tired, friends, I'm so tired. That's not to say that I won't audition again, because I will, but likely not anytime soon. The rest of my life needs attention, and I'm excited for upcoming plans, including a HUGE wedding that I get to be a part of, vacation with my hubby in April, possible trips to Spokane this summer, and getting our house in order...maybe we'll finally paint some walls! There are other aspects of my life too, that need attention, but I don't want to publicize them all over the Internets, but for those of you who I've talked to in the last couple of months, you know what I'm talking about. :)

I've been thinking a lot about my future too, not in a panic, but more of ideas of where I want to be, and what I want to do. I definitely want to travel more, but I also want to go back to school and get my masters. The tough question is IN WHAT because, as you know, I'm interested in so many different things. Writing, journalism, Japanese, cooking, marketing, hospitality...oy...and it would be hard to find a program that would combine all of those. So I'm going to take a little time in my head, do a little research, figure out what I would like to do, but still stay open to possibilities. I don't want to think that I'm where I'm going to be for the next thirty years, because thirty years is a long time and who knows what's going to happen?

Almost Play Time!

For those of you in Seattle, in the Northend and Eastside, here is the information on the play I'm in. We'll be performing in Bellevue for just one weekend. I hope you can make it!

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
Bellevue Civic Theatre @ The Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th St
Bellevue, WA

The longest-running play in history. A group of strangers stranded in a boarding house during a snow storm, one of whom is a murderer. The suspects include the newly married couple who run the house. Others are a spinster with a curious background, an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef, a retired Army major, a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift, and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. Into their midst comes a policeman, traveling on skis.

Originally written for the late Queen Mary in celebration of her 80th birthday, The Mousetrap is in its 59th year in London's West End.

With:
Wendy Enden
Scot Garrett
Travis Tingvall
Yvette Zaepfel
Robert Alan Barnett
Camille Mesmer
Jeremie Wallis
Nathaniel Jones

Directed by Curt Hetherington

Opening Night - February 3, 2011 at 7:30pm
Shows: February 4 and 5 at 8pm, February 6 at 2pm

Tickets:
$30: Adults
$27: Seniors
$15: Students & Under 18
425.235-5087 or bcttickets@bellevuecivic.org

For those of you in the South Sound (and for others who miss the weekend we're in Bellevue), we'll be performing in Renton at the end of February through mid-March. I'll post more information on that later. But if you're really eager to get tickets, or just want more info right now, click here.

Blogging Every Day?

I was on wordpress (where my poor little abandoned travel blog is located), and they are encouraging everyone to blog every day or once a week. So I'm going to aim high, and see what happens!

Today I'm at home, my final day off of break. I have a lot to accomplish, mostly going over my lines and working on my character for the next play. It's a large amount of work because this character is unlike any that I've ever played before. I need to do her justice, to make her real. It will help when I get my lines down and then I can really start diving into quirks and characteristics.

Rehearsals are going to kick up this month, as we open in Bellevue for a weekend in one month! So I'm going to try to go walking during my lunch break for about 20 minutes every weekday so that I can get a little exercise in and get the blood flowing. I went to bikram yoga on Friday, and naturally picked the hottest spot in the room. It was insane, but I felt so relaxed afterwards. I can't wait to go back.

Have you ever seen Friday Night Lights? So addicting. Matt and I got a Wii for ourselves for Christmas, and we can now stream Netflix to our television. Also addicting.

3 for 3

I still can't believe it, but Matt isn't surprised. I got a part in another show! I'm playing Miss Casewell in The Mousetrap at Bellevue Civic Theater and Renton Civic Theater. We open for a weekend at Bellevue the first weekend in February. Then the set moves to Renton and we play at that theater for 3 weeks starting at the end of February. I am so excited to be part of this play! It has been running in London since 1952 and has had over 24,000 performances. I'll post performance dates and times when the time gets closer.

I haven't been blogging lately because there's nothing new to report. I'm tired, busy, seeing friends, and trying to eat well. I have little time or energy to exercise, yada yada yada. Matt and I are doing really well, he's really happy at his job, and we hosted a lovely/successful Thanksgiving dinner this year. Oh, and we got our first live Christmas tree! It looks beautiful.

I am also really looking forward to girls weekend January 7/8/9. It can't come soon enough!

Amazing News for JourneyQuest!

Matt's latest webseries, JourneyQuest, is now on HULU!

Click here to watch it. For all seven episodes, click here.

I am so proud of my hubby and everyone at Dead Gentlemen and ZOE. Congratulations!!

700

Wow. Blog entry #700. When I first started this blog, it was May of 2005 and we were on our way to Los Angeles. I had no idea what crazy adventures awaited us, and I had panic attacks in the middle of the night because I was so excited, and so terrified. Here we are, five years later, and life has taken us on paths we never expected. But I wouldn't be who I am now without those experiences, and I'm grateful for most of them.

I never imagined that when we moved back to the Pacific Northwest that I'd be doing two plays back to back. I hadn't been on stage in five years, and now I've got my first lead role, ever, and it's in a Shakespeare Play. The experience of this role has been intense to say the least. I'm exhausted, emotionally spent, and have time for little else. But now the show is winding down. We have just two weekends left. And I'm finding myself incredibly sad that I won't get to see these wonderful people every day, only on the weekends. I have had a strong feeling of loneliness untill I started rehearsals/shows, and now that things are winding down, it's back in full force. It probably has something to do with the holiday season approaching, and all that Mom stuff is trying to bubble up. I'm really trying to not let it get to me, but there's only so much I can do. Sometimes it's hard to hold the tears back because I just feel so much better after a good cry. And maybe that's what I need to do. To just let go. Maybe I'm just going through an adjustment period that is going to last longer than a few months. Who knows? I am working on taking all of this day by day. I don't like feeling lonely and sad because I know that I have a wonderful supportive network. I just haven't had the chance to really reach out, I've been too reliant on these productions to fill the void, which isn't really a good thing because it's only a temporary fix.

Ok, moving on...

What I do have to look forward to is having my weekends back! I have so many friends that I want to see because I've missed you guys, and Matt and I have a house that really needs some TLC. We have boxes to put away, a garage to clean out, and some rooms that need to be painted. Rooms need to be cleaned, gutters need to be de-leaved, and the fridge could probably use a good scrub-down. Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and if we are indeed going to host this year, then we have quite a bit of work to do!

Here are some pictures from Sherlock Holmes: The Doom of Devilsmoor. Enjoy!

9 years and counting...

Nine years of being with my hubby.

How did time go by so fast?

We've had our fair share of ups and downs, and thankfully we're on an upswing right now. Communication is fantastic, we have jobs we enjoy for the most part, and are on the same page when it comes to various life paths. We're supportive of the other's artistic and personal goals, while pretty much being on the same path with our relationship and goals.

Whenever I get frustrated or mad at him, or on occasion disappointed, all I have to do is reflect back to when Mom was dying, and how amazing he was with her, with my crazy family. Or how we got through some REALLY tough times prior to Los Angeles; how we came together and stregthened our marriage while in California; how he took care of me last year at this time when I got food poisoning on our 8th wedding anniversary (how romantic...throwing up multiple times in the middle of the night...I tell ya)...he's just been incredible. And I can't imagine my life without him.

Here's to continuing this fantastic year, sweetie. I love you!

Busy Busy Bee

Finishing up Sherlock Holmes and the Doom of Devilsmoor this weekend.

Next weekend, and for the following 2 weekends, I'm in Titus Andronicus.

I'm never home.

Matt got the cat pee smell out of the carpet (yay)!

Work is long and hard, but the online catalog will be online soon, and there will be more to come.

I was sick for two weeks with a cold and pink-eye. This nasty cough just will NOT go away!

I miss my friends and family, but I'll get to see you guys when these shows are done. I'm taking the holidays off from plays.

I can't wait to paint our house and put up pictures, to clean out the garage, and get this place feeling like home. I'm excited to decorate for Christmas and get a real tree!

And perhaps, most importantly, Matt and I are celebrating our 9 year wedding anniversary on Wednesday!