Time to say goodbye...

Trying and failing to get pregnant for so long was a really rough time.  At some point, I decided to do everything I could to make my body healthy, and that's when I met you.  There you were, simple, clean, but to me, so perfect.  There were models that were more attractive, more expensive, but at the time, you just felt right.  So, I took you home, laced you up, grabbed the dog leash (Of course Griz was attached to the other end, it would have been silly to jog down the street just carrying a loose dog leash) and we headed out the door toward the marina and the waterfront.   Your rhythmic pounding on the pavement, the comforting jingle of Griz's leash, and the soothing sound of Lake Washington lapping against the piers of the Marina. I. Fell. In. Love.  

I found something I could do where I didn't have to worry about anything but myself, my dog, and just putting one foot in front of the other, and some of that is because of you.  Together, we got my body on the right track, and I got pregnant with Harper, and what thanks did you get?  None. You got shelved, but once she was out and I was ready to focus on me again, we hit the trails.  This time in the woods, and wouldn't you know it, my body started healing, so much that I got pregnant again with Sawyer (are you sensing a pattern?). 

You were not shelved so long this time, and we headed out the door, in extremely poor shape.  I was so happy when we conquered a mile, over joyed when we passed two, then three, quickly rounding past four, and beyond proud when we made it to five.  I know there marathon runners, and triathloners...  but that's not us.  We are simple in our love.  Emptying our minds, not having to worry about kids, work, family, just soaking in the solitude and nature's beauty.  Climbing that hill, hopping over that tree running as fast as we could down that muddy slope without falling and breaking something crucial.  That's really what we are about.

Miles and miles we ran, the three of us together, and I started to notice a change.  As I was getting stronger, you were getting weaker, less supportive.  No longer perfectly molded to the shape of my foot, you were falling a part, and in fact, causing me pain.  I am sorry you had to hear my loving husband, say that not even a homeless person would want you, but I saw his point.  I knew sooner or later, we would have to say good bye.  You will always have a special place in my heart.  This journey started with you, but it will not end there.  Your legacy will live on in your replacement, and your replacement's replacement.  You will never be forgotten my friends, well maybe someday you will be, because, you are just a pair of shoes, but you have been an amazing pair of shoes.  So to you, I say thank you, you have done more for me, then you will ever know.  With much love, I bid you adieu. 

The first job after Sawyer!

Our new favorite spot

And another

After trying on numerous shoes, your replacement, the fancy minimal trail shoes.

Goodbye dear friends.

Happy Birthday Sawyer Belle!

I am actually sniffling as I type this, because I just put my baby down for the last time as a pre-one year old.  I'm not going to reminisce about what I was doing 1 year ago... you can find the old blog post if you really want to.  What I am going to reminisce about is the super duper girly birthday party Sawyer had yesterday!  I know, you are thinking, WHAT?! Girly? Pink? Ruffles?  WHO are you Lonnie King?  I don't know, I think I am embracing the fact that I have two little girls.  Anywho, It was bird themed, and it was pretty cute, and we truly appreciate everyone who cam to celebrate, and everyone who was there in spirit!  Also my apologies for the lack of specifics and details in this blog... but I am just to saddened by how my baby is growing so stinking fast, that I cannot possibly put together a coherent thought.    Here are some random photos...  (please note that there were other people there... but I was not on the ball photo-wise, sorry people!)

Alright, so this was not taken yesterday, but saddly little Sawyer Belle (aka Sissy Belle) is not feeling well, and I didn't really get any happy shots, so here is one Whitney and I took a few weeks ago.

Here is a random picture of Kennedy to prove other people were there.

This is Harper Willow, she has a good face.

Harper HAD to have this dress, I tried to talk her into something a little less... just a little less, but no, it HAD to be THIS one!

Sawyer kind of enjoying her no-sugar apple-carrot cake with apple cream-cheese frosting, BACK OFF! I wasn't ready to give her sugar yet, okay? (on a side note, I also made cupcakes with actual sugar and with little chow-mien nests on top, but I am a monster and got no photo of those)

Its her birthday, and she'll stand in that box if she wants to!

No.. really... I think we could have gotten a bit more pink and lace in there somewhere

Opening presents always takes two small children.

Bunting!  You know its cute... its okay to admit it.

But obviously this is way cuter.

Also this, Mamu (aka Ryan's Step mom Debbie) did some A-mazing painting.

Because no party is complete with out a Lonnie rhyme.

Speaking of Mamu and Peepa (I think maybe that is how you spell it?) How special is it that they were able to be here for Sawyer's party and also got her (and Harper) this super fancy double seater wagon.

Here they are, on their first wagon outing!

Lets just finish this off with a little extra Sawyer Belle cuteness.

 

You are my SUNSHINE!!!

You know those disaster movies where people have been holed up indoors somewhere for awhile, and they first step outside into the sun after so long in the dark and they are all shielding their eyes to better look at this new world?  Well that is pretty much how we feel here when the sun finally shows its face after a long rainy winter.  When I first moved here and it would hit 50 degrees and people would be wearing short sleeves and laying out on the grass in the sun, I would think people were INSANE!  Except now, I am one of them.  On Saturday, it was such a nice morning, that I did a little jig when Griz and I stepped outside in the sun to go on our jog.  By the time we had gone the first 1.5 miles, we counted 12 other dogs, (well I counted, because Griz can't count, if he could, I should probably be making money off of that) because everyone else was like SUNNNN!!! Lets GO!  Also by the time we hit 3 miles, I had tied my sweatshirt around my waste, and was wishing I'd worn shorter pants, so my legs, which are so white they are more blue, could get a little vitamin D.  Then I got home and raked up leaves that I've been working on for weeks, because we just didn't last Fal Of course by Saturday evening it was super gross pouring.

Then on Sunday I woke up to the sun AGAIN (also I slept in until 7:30 because my AMAZING husband got up with the girls WHAT!?) and then I was like LET'S CLEAN ALL OF THE THINGS!.  I don't know what it is about the sun that makes me want to clean things, but it does, of course by 1, we figured that was enough, and really I pretty much just made the house dirtier, but I don't even care.

 Then this morning SUN again, and Whitney, Natasha and I FINALLY got to take the kids to the park! AGH!!! SUNNNN!!! I missed your face soo much, NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!

This is what they are doing, right now, as I type this, my little sun puppies.

Harper has been helping me with the leaves, and by helping, I mean, not really at all

Are they not the cutest of friends!?!

Harper was practicing last week, just in case it did get sunny, she needed to plan her accessories.

Sawyer does not like to be left out.

SUNNNN!!! SWINGS!  YEEEES!

The Cold of Doooooom!

And yes, when I typed that title, in my head I was saying it with a scary eery voice.  And no, I do not think I am being overly melodramatic.  This cold has been THE WORST!

Last Saturday Harper came down with a cold, she had the cough, runny nose, feeling yucky, and a fever which spiked to 104 on Sunday night.  So Monday morning, I called the Doctor's office every 10 seconds at exactly 8am until someone answered, and Sawyer and I accompanied Harper to the Doctor.  She was actually oddly excited about going to the doctor because she's been watching Doc McStuffins lately, and then she was quite disappointed when a middle aged man came in wearing a mask and not a little girl in piggytails.

Luckily her fever came down and she just has a persistent cold that haunts her and will never leave.  Of course also on Monday, Sawyer and I started getting it, and it just stayed and got worse, I even took a couple of days off from working, kinda, and I even took naps, WHAT!?! I know! Crazy.  And I made my super duper homemade chicken soup with 89 different vegetables and we still didn't get better.  Then this weekend Ryan started getting sick UGH!  On Monday, Harper, Sawyer and I went to the Doctor again (side note, the nurse thought the girls had the cutest first/middle name combos), and Harper still just has a cold, but Sawyer and I were like "We see your cold, and we raise you bronchitis!" and Harper was like "Ummm... no, you guys are crazy, I fold."

So Sawyer and I are on meds, and as I write this Harper is climbing on her chair, to her table and then flipping over the back of the couch, which probably I should not let her do, but even though she is still cold-ish, she seems to be acting fine obviously.   Annnd now my baby is crying OH, because also she was like, "Also I think I will finally cut some teeth and make this bronchitis extra delightful".   I hope the Cold of Doooooom does not strike your house, because it won't ever leave and you will go through 15 boxes of tissues!!!!

I don't really have a lot of pictures of my sick kids, cause crazy enough they are not all about it... but I do have these...

Sawyer Belle is pretty much the tiredest, which is understandable

Harper at her first Dr. visit, she was singing "Time for my check up!"

Harper wanted to read to Sawyer, I just thought it was cute

1 Year Later

One year ago, it was early morning, we were getting ready for work, I think my sister had asked me if I talked to Dad yet, of course I knew what that meant, but I talked to him on the phone anyway, and he let me know that my grandpa had passed away.   Even though I was expecting it, it was still hard, I still had to cry myself into hysterics a bit.  The fact that I was 7 1/2 months pregnant didn't help with the hormonal reaction.  But in the end, I knew he was no longer in pain, so probably it was for the best (even though I told myself that, it still sucked, lets me honest).

The last time I saw him was sad, I knew then that it was to say good-bye, but the time before that was even harder I think.  Harper and I had gone home to visit, and we went to my grandparents house to see a bunch of the family who had gone there to help with some landscaping.  I was sitting on the floor of the living-room and Grandpa was in his usual seat, and then he kind of went into his own version of life is short speech, and also told me that he thought I'd married a pretty good guy (I happen to think so as well).  I didn't really like hearing him talk that at the time, but I'm glad I did.

Unfortunately I could't make it home for his funeral.  Luckily, I have some awesome family members, my Aunt Julie sent me a box of things from his funeral, including a DVD of the service, my Aunt Jan sent Sawyer a blanket she had made while sitting with him in hospice.  Even though I'm so sad I didn't get to say good-bye or make it to the funeral, part of me is glad that I didn't have the chance to see him at the end, I can remember him, although frail... still Grandpa-like.

Well, its been a year, and I'm assuming that blogs are available in heaven (obviously).   So this is to you Grandpa Jay... We're doin okay.  The Friederich clan is doing good, growing, evolving, in mostly positive ways.   I'm remembering the words you spoke to me that afternoon, and I'm keeping most of them to myself, just for us.  Keep out of the rough Grandpa.

Just incase you want to revisit... here is the link to the post I wrote before he died:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9060107970721988822#editor/target=post;postID=4227055583398880609

We keep this up on our fridge.