tee-ired

I'm tired. For the second time in 3 weeks, I traveled to Texas and back over the course of a regular weekend. That is just crazy.

My body does not know what time it is or why we are at work. And we caught some sort of ickiness on the airplane home, we think.

That is why the eyes are simultaneously trying to close and pop out of the head.

That is why the nose has decided to run more miles than Mrs. Darling does in an average week.

That is why the throat keeps trying to get the rest of the body's attention, spasming "AHEM" every 30 seconds.

That is why we all want to go home and back to bed, even though we were in bed for 11.5 hours last night.

Bored with the blog...

I'm having blog-envy. I like the lovely templates of my dear blog friends far better than my own. I have scrolled through the few available templates on blogger.com but I don't really dig any of them. Where else can I scour for a new blog template?

And how do I personalize it at the top with a photo?

If you read this, do me a favor and become a "follower" so I gain blog-self-esteem.

And finally, what is Twitter?

There's a new Byrd in da house!

My dear friend Amy (okay, I guess Josh should be mentioned too) just welcomed their first baby, a beautiful girl named Emma Lucille! To follow Emma's adventures, go here!

Dog Posin'

My friend Jenn came over the other night and brought Koda, her adorable Sheba Enu, with her. Sophie and Koda had met once before and romped & stomped like old friends, so we were excited for the reunion.

Sophie

Koda

Many, many attempts at a group photo...

Attempt #1: Lure Koda with a bone

Attempt #2: Lure Sophie with a bone

Attempt #3: Try to get Sophie facing the camera

Attempt #4: Trying to get Koda to face the camera and Sophie to look up

Attempt #5: Simply manhandling Sophie into an acceptable pose, Koda now eyes the bone

Final Attempt: Can't win 'em all, but this was the best shot we got.

Ferry & a Wedding

Two weeks ago, my friend Ashley got married in Poulsbo, WA. To get to Poulsbo from Seattle, you have to take a ferry. This was only my second time to take the ferry (the first being when Christine, Chrissy & I visited Seattle in January 2006 and took a ferry to Bainbridge Island from Seattle), and I quickly remembered how freezing cold it is if you step outside to get a better view.

Chrissy & me on the ferry

Jesse and me (and my super cute new Nine West handbag) on the ferry

The back of the ferry

Ashley has always been unconventional, so it was no surprise that her wedding was held at a campsite. The ceremony and reception happened here, in a large cabin, and it was beautiful.

Ashley's bridal room, just outside the cabin.

You know who these two are...at the wedding.

Following the path of unconventionality, this was the wedding cake...although, apparently this is the new thing so maybe it will become conventional after all. For now, they are key lime cupcake-wedding cakes.

I know Ashley from the church I went to when I first moved to Seattle, so there were a few people from that church I saw again that I hadn't talked to in about a year, including Mark & Vanessa (on the right, above)...a super fun couple who sat with us for the afternoon.
Pictured here: Jesse, Chrissy, Me, Greg (the groom), Ashley, Mark & Vanessa

Breaking the Mold

Randy Itschner died 09/04/2008.

Fay Holmes died 12/03/2008.

Louise Itschner died 03/19/2009.

She was the last of them...all parents and grandparents are gone. I'm tired. I'm also averaging one death every 3 months. I'm a little afraid of June.

My grandmother, Louise Itschner, passed away this morning. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1992 and went to live at a care facility in Kerrville, TX, in 1993. She was clearly a fighter. I believe the average survival is 7-10 years after diagnosis, so she broke the mold.

She always had broken the mold, though, so none of us were too surprised. She was strikingly beautiful (see below), very much like the actresses of the 1940s. She was nearly the youngest of 13 children, and established her own unique, engaging personality and identity. She established herself in the real estate market in Rockport, TX. She ran a household like no other. She taught me all the manners she could teach to a 10 year old. She raised 2 boys, who were quite the handful, to be responsible, good men and caring fathers.

So, I think my motto for Louise Itschner is "Breaking the Mold."

reunited

I hopped on a plane to Denton and reunited with some precious friends there this past weekend. A few selected highlights:

After indulging in the best sesame chicken on the planet at Mr. Chopsticks, Cookie, me, Uyen, and Angie posed in the parking lot.

Angie, Madame Yoga Master showing us a pose

Angie coaching Cookie in yoga technique. Her coaching went something like this, "Get your legs up! Make 'em straight! STRAAAAAIGGHHHHTTTTT!"

Cookie & Marcy--aren't they beautiful?

Marcy & me--I love this gal, one of the finest friends in the world.

Wine & dessert (okay and a little tequila for SOME of us), and loads of laughter at the Grindle house (Cookie's)--Angie, Uyen, Cookie, me, Marcy & Sara.
An aside: Supposedly Marcy & I are both 5'7"...I think she shrank. Also, it's ludicrous how high my waistline is when you look at all of us together like this. Ludicrous.

dream

so for a long time after daddy died, i had nightly nightmares. nightly, as in every night. it was very disturbing. they had not yet subsided when grandma died. so i got new kinds of nightmares. they finally were slowing down a little, and i had been getting better sleep.

last night, i dreamed that grandma had died but was sitting up and talking to our whole family. she was telling us the good things she loved about each of us. then she started saying horrible things to one member of the family. it was awful. i tried to stop her, but she wouldn't.

then you know how in dreams, things will just kind of fast forward and you'll be in another place but still the same concept of the dream is happening? well, that happened and i was lying on a bed with my mom. she looked at me and i looked at her and we said nothing. then we both cried and held onto each other out of grief for losing grandma.

i realize that grandma was a big part of my comfort when mama died. i have had no such comfort this time, and wish that mama was here.

i wonder why God has decided i'm strong enough to handle so much death by age 30.

My favorite time of year...

Girl Scout Cookie Time!