LFHMC

Today was the monthly LFHMC gathering. We love the 'hood. Funky houses & wonderful people. I can't imagine living anywhere else. I only captured some random pictures. Thank you to Derrick, Candace & Shay.

Tickle Me Tata

Arcadia Fire!

We were returning from Melanie's Wednesday when I saw serious black smoke rising in the near distance. It was the historical Arcadia Theater on fire. I took these as we drove.

My Best Girlfriend, Kiley ...

Sleepless in Dallas

The last couple weeks have been difficult. Mostly lack of sleep for Tata & Mama. We've slept on the floor & sat next to Danijela for countless hours. I know she has suffered. Tuesday Dr. Nale confirmed it's a serious ear infection.

Tonight I watched a PBS documentary on childhood cancers. I haven't wept like that in a long time. It quickly put my sleeplessness into perspective & humbled me greatly. I want to learn to care for Dejan & Danijela without complaint. I know I'll miss the time we've all shared together in the quiet of the night. We love you, Danijela.

Say "Cheese"

Big Girl Eatin'

I've mentioned it before but Danijela loves cereal -- specifically Grape Nuts. Growing up my parents rarely purchased sugared cereal for us & I totally understand why now. But I always thought Grape Nuts tasted like itty bitty rocks. My tastes have changed as an adult, but I'm amazed Danijela goes for it every morning.

Flood Waters

My parents returned to Austin Wednesday. And 10,000 gallons of water was sitting in their dream home. The entire 2400 square feet. This master bathroom is where it started. Apparently a control valve broke & water from their rain water collection system starting pouring into their home. I took this image while I was there. I promise it wasn't my fault.

June Cleaver

Sad but true ... another goal was to iron. Danijela clings to me most days & I don't have much of an opportunity to iron. I was actually looking forward to it. As I went about my task, a deer & two fawns grazed on the property just outside the window. Then mama deer pooped. Thought that was funny.

Truck & Table

Drove down the road in our truck. This is an image from my parents' front porch of the truck & the child's table I brought to paint. Austin is beautiful.

The Architect

I drove straight to Kevin & Margaret's property on which their house is being built -- a house designed by Kevin. It is incredible. Kevin will build the doors, vanities & kitchen cabinets. Those he completed are amazing. This crummy picture doesn't do it justice. They sit on just over 2 acres. A large majority of the back structure is glass from floor to ceiling & provides a private view of the property. They have a screened in porch & concrete floors. My description sucks.

I found Margaret, Andi & Sam at the property (Kevin was out of town). I departed to my parents' new home down the road as they headed off to walk Feliz & Maple.

Texas Stop Sign

Dairy Queen is the Texas stop sign. I informed Dejan & Devra that my first goal was to stop at Dairy Queen & buy a chocolate chip Blizzard. Devra said I was aiming low & should succeed. You have to understand. I LOVE ice cream. And Dairy Queen is the best. It is creamy & never too sweet if you know your stuff. This is not your standard "chocolate chip". They pour the chocolate dipping sauce in the vanilla soft serve & mix. I produces tiny melty yummy chocolate bits that are not too over powering ...

Home Alone

This last weekend my husband supported my desire to "get away" for a day or two. At the last minute I decided to drive to Austin. My parents were in New Hampshire @ a Dartmouth reunion so I stayed at their home alone. The irony, of course, is after the first night (maybe 12 hours) all I could think about was Dejan & Danijela. I missed them & wanted to go home. The next several posts are "a day in the life of" pictures of my first day.

My Table

So, this is a super cool story. Our good friend, Richard, was settling his mother's estate & found a child's table & bench that both his father & he enjoyed as children. The items date back to the early 1900's. I hoped to restore them, but a deep ink stain was a stumbling block. They have now been painted & Danijela is thrilled. She loves it. It is "Beehive" yellow & sits in the middle of her room. Need Richard to sign it & write a note about its history. Thank you, Richard. From your family to ours ...

The Jungle

What a cool morning. Danijela & Kiley reached a new milestone. They can climb the "jungle gym" by themselves. They climb & slide & laugh. It's awesome to see them get so excited. Lots of giggles. Thank you (always) to Melanie for catching while I shot these images.

Tata & Me

I could go on & on & on about what an amazing father Dejan is ... He comes home every day & swoops Danijela up in his arms & loves her. Yesterday we stripped her down to play on the deck while Mama prepared dinner. He is amazing. Thank you, honey. I miss you.

Pool Party

The summer is so stinkin' hot. Danijela loves to be sowside (outside). I've been looking for public pools in the area so she can be outside & cool (in the shade). Earlier this week we tried a pool & had a great time.

Mother's Day Out

You may already know, but I returned to work part-time. I'm incredibly blessed. I work for a great management team that is incredibly flexible. If this situation doesn't work nothing will. And I truly love what I do -- analysis. Sounds boring, but it is very rewarding to me because I'm helping people do their job & our company succeed.

Danijela now attends Mother's Day Out (MDO) at a Baptist church in the 'hood two mornings. Here is a glimpse of her first day as I picked her up. Great atmosphere. Great program. I missed her sooooooooooo much.