Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

Making "cookies" with Aunt Vinnie

Merry Christmas!

Happy Creative Christmas Eve :)

making Christmas tree ornaments with Aunt Vinnie and Eliot

Grandma JoJo helping

My cutest cousin named Eliot

Uncle Craig, my favorite uncle since childhood

Our early Christmas celebration with Wendy, David, Caroloine, and Laura -- December 10th

Caroline and David

Wendy and Laura

Me, Fiona, and Caroline

Fiona and I

Knife Sharpening

Energetic Knife Sharpening

The main activity of the evening

Such friends -- Fiona and Caroline go to school with each other and enjoy spending time together.  We are both enjoying getting to know her and the rest of her family.  We are looking forward to seeing them more when we get back from Indiana.

Wendy and I

Fiona's Holiday Wish List :)

The e-mail I sent out to family and friends for this holiday season (in addition to the wish list on this blog):

 

Hello all.  

A few people have asked, so I thought I'd check in with Jeremy and then get out a list for things Fiona might like.   As always, don't feel obligated to buy something for Fiona -- these ideas are just ideas -- and second-hand is great!

She is adjusting to living in two different places these days.  I know it's hard for her and I know the adjustment is just starting, in many ways.  We are so glad that the three of us will be able to be in Indiana next month.  We have been stressing to Fiona that our love for her has not changed, that the divorce is in no way her fault and that there is nothing she could have done to change it.  That the two of us tried really hard for a really long time and that this feels like the right decision to make.  We are reassuring her that we will take care of her, and that we'll all keep figuring out this new way of life.  These are ideas you all can talk with her about if the subject arises.  We are trying to not make the divorce a taboo subject, but one that is an accepted part of her life and something that we can talk about easily.  I've talked to her about how her feelings are valid and normal -- that she can be angry, sad, happy, worried -- and that those are all okay reactions.  That Jeremy and I feel all those things at different times right now as well.

Feel free to keep asking us all any questions you have.

We love you all,

Buffy, Jeremy, and Fiona

* stickers

*7T swimsuit

*boots
*scotch tape
* glue/glue dots
* gift cards to Michaels,  The Tattered Cover, Timbuk Toys, Wizard's Chest or Fancy Tiger
*small figurines/animals, etc.
* beginning embroidery/needlework supplies 

*crochet supplies
*subscription to National Geographic (but the real one, not the kids' one -- we've learned our lesson there.  :))
*money to be used towards camps, classes, supplies, or events 
*fun socks
*band-aids

Her favorite colors these days are pink, gold, black and purple and she is wearing a 6-8 T and 12-13 is probably best for shoe size. 

We have a gift registry here -- just take a look under "Fiona"--

http://www.atoygarden.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=users.registry&act=search

  

 

As always, you can check out my Amazon wishlist, which has some books and music on there for Fiona:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2IITTE7RHRM10/ref=cm_wl_sortbar_o_page_1/104-8471223-8250321?ie=UTF8&page=1

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

Image via Wikipedia

I'm not even sure how to start this blog post.  I'm in a really, really low place in my life.  I feel alone, I feel aching sadness, I feel deep grief, and I feel raging anger.  I feel abandoned and unwanted, I can't imagine how to make this new life work and I'm scared to death of the future.

At the same time, I feel so supported, so cared for, so lucky, and so blessed.  I can't begin to make a complete list of the people and things I'm thankful for.  People who have known me for years, new friends, and a few I've not even met, from very close by, from across the country, and in a few other countries, are the only reason I'm still keeping my head above water.  I know I keep saying that but it just really is the essence of my life right now.  I'm so sad and I'm so scared, but if I try just a little I remember that there are some people out there who love me and think I have some redeeming qualities.

I know I'm gonna need to figure out how to make it and I know there is a lot for me learn.  I know there are going to be some more amazingly hard things thrown at me.  But sometimes I think that maybe some good things will come as well -- it's just harder to imagine what those things are. As I said a few months ago, I'm pretty sure that the tears of the recent past have brought me a few more lines on my face, but I'm trying to have faith that the world has more laugh lines in store for me as well.  I'm thankful for hope.

I'm thankful for running water and the cat who is currently between me and the back of my chair.
I'm thankful for friends who open their hearts & homes to me.
I'm thankful for my daughter who is healthy, kind, and strong.
I'm thankful for phone calls, e-mails, letters, and care packages.
I'm thankful for those who give me the benefit of the doubt.
I'm thankful that life is both so short and so long and I hope I can remember both of those aspects.
I'm just so thankful, so gol-durned thankful for love.

Image via Wikipedia

I'm thankful for people who believe there is goodness out there for me and tell me so -- and for those who believe there is goodness in me and tell me so.
I'm thankful for people who get that I know it could all be so much worse -- and yet get that it still all sort of sucks at this moment in time.
I'm thankful for really cozy blankets and deep bathtubs.
I 'm thankful for hand-me-down jeans that feel good on my body and for crafty projects to work on and for the crafty friends who help me learn new skills.
I'm thankful for pretty peaceful snow falling from the sky.
I'm thankful for sleep and for chapstick.
I'm thankful for lotion and safe neighborhoods.
I'm thankful for bills that are slowly being paid off and customer service people who are kind to me on the phone.
I'm thankful for people who are kind to my daughter and who are walking alongside her in this time of change.
I'm thankful for clean mirrors and fun socks.
I'm thankful for you if you are reading this and feeling compassionate.
I'm thankful for ridiculous songs I can sing along to and I'm thankful for new possibilities, even if I can't envision them right now.
I'm thankful for my grandparents and the presence they were in my life. 
I'm thankful that I'm here today, able to live and love and try and fail and try again and be thankful.

So I know you're all pictured out, but I just have a few more sweet Halloween pics from Lauren...

An overload of Halloween pictures

A beautiful Halloween sunset in Highlands Ranch.

First off, giant thank yous, love, and kudos to my friends Dara and Amy for all the help they gave me while I made Fiona's purple wings -- my first endeavor of this kind.  And Dara graciously, in the midst of many, many other things going on in her own life, made Fiona's black and red skirt. 

Fiona made my necklace at school last year.

Glitter.

Trying to avoid the camera.

How cute are the fairy and the garden gnome (Fiona's dear friend Kolya)?

Psychedelic.

Kolya and Fiona were ready to go home before we were.

They did agree to pose for one more picture, though.

Loot.

Luckily, Lauren is very organized.  ;)