Lets back it up!

After we packed up most of the mess (toys and toddler crap essentials)

 that usually covered every surface of our tiny home, 

we wondered 'how the h.e.doublehockeysticks are we gonna 

keep this house clean enough to show and sell'??? 

 There we were, girls napping, dogs outside barking their fool heads off 

and two moms basking in the bliss of cleanliness that had been so elusive for the past 2+ years; 

insert lightbulb over head

We need to get out of town!! 

 We decided that this would be the only possible way to sell our house,

 so we talked it over and decided that if we were gonna split we were really gonna SPLIT! 

Andi had wanted to get to Hawaii one last time so this was the perfect opportunity for that, 

plus "the girls" have not ever been on a real beach vacation as a family.  

How could this be? 

 Well, clearly we are bad parents!! 

We made arrangements for the dogs to go away for ten days!

 Sounds easy enough, but you probably haven't met our dogs... 

so after much pleading, bribing and expert canoodling we suckered  got some friends to care for them.  The only thing left to do was buy tickets and find a place to stay. 

We rented a big condo that seemed, well, too big for just "the girls" 

so Andi and I had a chat.  

I knew my parents would never go to Hawaii on their own and Val really really needed a vacation, 

and that is how the seed was planted. 

 Val agreed and we all pooled our pennies together,

 talked my mom and pops into the idea and
the de la Griswalds were off on a tropical vacation to remember.  

We  had an amazing time! The girls loved being with their Yaya, Pops and Annie Val,

 the moms loved the small amount of freedom that afforded us i.e. sunning and cocktailing. 

 It was the perfect way for us to say thanks to parents who ALWAYS put us first, who helped us out emotionally, financially, selflessly even into adulthood.  

Thank you thank you thank you Yaya and Pops! 

We love you berry berry much!

  Oh, and while we were out sunning in the tropical paradise, our house sold!  

It was not without a little drama, and I won't even go into the fact that Andi broke out in head to toe hives because of worry, because all that's important is the memories and that we 

SOLD OUR HOUSE!

Here is what the trip looked like in pictures.

Vanished

After four months away, well, here I am.

Probably writing just to get the words out without any followers left.

 I could just say sorry, but that would not really be my style, now would it.

You see, what had happened was...

...I was tucked away in rehab!  

Rehab from my life in Seattle. I missed my friends, my house, and everything that had made up my life for the past six years.  After my 30 days, I thought I was well, but I was WRONG.

 Clearly I was still interested in drowning my sorrows, so I started to have an illicit, scandalous, and very very romantic relationship with another.

 Her name is... 

Sun.

 Oh, how she shines!  

She illuminated my life and her warmth made me love her more and more each day. 

 We would spend hours together just hanging out, at the pool, eating ice cream, 

and gasp... even playing with my kids.  

If I'm gnna be honest, I'll tell you, 

I did not always wear protection, and I know,

 I know, I'm sooooo lucky I did not get burned. 

But every night she gave me the same story, 

" i have to go, i just can't stay, the time has come for me to set". 

What did she mean, I was so confused, I thought we really had something.  

Every morning she came back and we were hot and heavy again,

 but this cycle was getting old. 

 She has been a little distant these days and our affair seems to be cooling down. 

All I have left is  some tan skin and a vitamin D level like I have not seen in years!! 

I had nothing left to do but split. 

 I went back to my old life in Seattle. 

 It was so glorious to spend time in the life I used to live,

 no kids, no early mornings, no sun, cocktails anytime, and well,

 some of the best people a gal could know and love!! 

 We said we were going back for our bestie's wedding, but truly it was for a tiny little fix of Seattle loving. That is over now, and after taking a long hard look at my life I really had to get it together. 

So I got on my computer, found a job, a nanny, 

bought some clothes and shoes and am ready to go!! 

 On  Monday my "summer of love" is over and I return to reality.

 A new woman in a new career with a mission to keep up this blog.  

PEACE OUT!

Some of you may have been wondering why the heck I stopped blogging.  Or maybe, you just gave up on checking the blog all together.  Hopefully we still have one loyal reader.

Well the reason/ excuse is that WE ARE MOVING!!!

We are taking the whole gang and 

MOVING BACK TO CHICAGO!!!!!

(More on that later!)

 We're moving? To live with Yaya and Pops?!?  

YEAH!!

What do you mean you are gonna ship us off?

Okay, well, if we have no choice

Here we go!

Let me close it up 

READY!  

Chicago, here we come!!

It's official!

So here it is- the post of all posts! 

 I found it fitting to share our pictures on our anniversary, which has now been replaced by another date.  Back in September, after New York legalized (gay) marriage, we got hitched.  We had been planning a trip out to NYC for Andi's birthday and to visit one of our nearest and dearest, Maree.  NYC will always be very special to the two of us because it was the first place we lived together. It is where we discovered so much about each other and made plans for our future together.  There was never a doubt in my mind that this would be forever; now i'm not saying it has not been work, and hard times fall on all great couples, but our determination to see our love thru anything is greater than any promise I have ever made.

 We decided to keep this very very intimate, meaning, well, no one was invited.   

Not because we did not want others to share our joy, but this was about my buddy and me! 

My sister and Bill flew to Seattle to "watch the girls" which was code for "get engaged", and we took off to tie the knot!  It was a love-filled weekend!  The very first time we headed off for the Big Apple, we were accompanied by my bestie Julie (and Sean) who also has her own NYC love story.  We would have loved for her to join us to be one of our witnesses, but alas she has two kids and a Sean to tend to.  Lucky for us, the girls' fairy godmother Maree lives in the big apple and she helped make our day and weekend very, very special.   

We arrived in New York later than scheduled, after an overnight flight.  Sleep-deprived, but full of excitement, we hauled our butts out to the shuttle.  As we sat and sat and sat and sat, we asked ourselves "what the F@#%K are we doing on a shuttle?!, let's take the train!"  So we hauled our bags and our tired old selves off the shuttle and got on the rails.  Up stairs, down ramps, in pee-soaked elevators, hustling and bustling thru the rush hour commuter traffic, we finally made it to city hall- we had a deadline!  Mind you, our plan was to get to Maree's, shower, and get glammed up for our big day. Instead we were sweaty, had on our "airplane chic" attire, and big ole bags in tow.  I guess no one really has a picture perfect wedding day, right?  

Then there were the wedding day jitters!

 jet lag... or did we pick up a bug in the subway??

our number came up

 the license was issued and signed

We met Judge Mike, who we instantly loved! 

check out our bags in the corner, yes he did ask about them.

We looked into each other's eyes!

we exchanged our vows

We placed our rings. 

 Oh, and for those of you who know Maree, yes she was crying and so was Judge Mike.

 We had great vows, and he took a time-out to tell us so!

And with loud, thunderous excitement, he pronounced us...

  

MARRIED!!

Then we celebrated, and this is what that looked like.

  Here's a look at our "wedding pics":

 can ya find us?

 can ya find us now?

That's right!

and we lived happily ever after!

Finally!

I find this post to come at a very serendipitous time.  For one, tomorrow is the anniversary that we have celebrated for EIGHT years! And yesterday in Washington, marked a day we will hold dear in our hearts for always, because well, Washington is where we started our family, and now, are legally married.  Back in September we went to NYC  to see our dear friend Maree, celebrate Andi's birthday and well, just before our trip, marriage became legal for us, so we decided to get hitched.  I mean, why not, we have only been totally committed to one another for seven plus years, bought a house, had two dogs and then two kids, built the life of our dreams... Oh yeah, because the U.S. as a whole does not view our relationship as valid, worthy enough to marry.  We are a threat to some moral fiber that blankets the U.S. and blinds people of the fairness and dream for equality this country was built on.  Slowly but surely this blanket is coming undone, and underneath are people just like you and me, who fight every day to love and live out loud! Proud of what we have achieved and proud of the families that we have created.  We just want to have our children be proud of their two moms without looking over their shoulders; we hope to one day not have to explain our relationship, to one day go to work and brag to anyone about my wife and kids and not feel judgment behind the eyes of my patient's parents and coworkers. I just want to be "one of the gang".  So HURRAH for the open-hearted and open-minded people of Washington, New York, Washington D.C., Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Vermont who have fought and continue to fight for the rights of ALL people; and to the rest of us who will continue fighting until there is equality for all fifty states.  Thanks to all our family and friends who have never once made us feel different or unloved.  We will continue to fight until our unalienable rights are truly for ALL.     

 With that said...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! 

HAPPY SOCIAL JUSTICE! 

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY WIFE!

LOVE!