june is a good thing

lots and lots happened in june.  more than anyone can even remember. but here are some things!

i met Lauren Fleshman!  who is Lauren Fleshman you ask?  only a prime example of women's running awesomeness!!  she runs for Oiselle and runs a performance bar company called Picky Bars with her fabulously hot triathlete husband Jesse Thomas.  and then they have a cutie pattootie baby called Jude the Dude.  Anyway, I got to meet Lauren, and whipped out my sharpie and asked her to sign my arm.  She obliged, signing me with the most perfect penmanship ever!  Adorable, fast, inspiring AND good penmanship.  Life is so unfair! 

Aly and Janet went with me to meet Lauren.  Aly had already met Lauren in Boston, but they became reaquainted, Lauren even recognized Aly, and she wasn't even afriad!  We had to travel ALL the way into Seattle.  But lucky for US that where we met her, was super close to my ne favorite guacamole location - Poquitos!  

Father's Day happened.  As many who know Eric already know, he is an amazing dad!  I am so lucky to have met a man who is such a good man to both me and our children, showing such patience and always helping the kids to learn how to be good people themselves.  so of course, what does any dad want for father's day?  Drinkers from Glassy Baby of course!!  ok, so he also got a big old hunting knife and a french press coffee contraption for camping.  he was going to get an 18inch machete but i felt weird about buying that, so i went for the big old knife instead.

thank goodness for the time saving BJ's app!!

 another big thing in June was Seamus's and my trip to San Diego.  Actually, SD was an extra special bonus to a trip we were already going to take.  I belong to a support group for craniopharyngioma patients and caregivers.  for the past year, they have been getting together for a picnic in southern california.  i wasn't able to go last year, but i made it a priority to go this year.  i asked seamus if she would like to go with me since she helped last year to make key chains and necklaces for everyone, and she helped this year to make key chains, and she said yes.  i was excited to have the special time with her on a special girl's trip.  and LUCKY for us Jennifer was in San Diego already for the summer and she said we could stay with her!  oh i love Jennifer!!  so i was super excited and couldn't wait for the trip to get here.
seamus and i woke up super early on friday and flew to san diego.  i slept on the plane, seamus did not.  as we were landing, the pilot told us it was 64 degrees out, but as we stood outside to catch a shuttle to get our rental car, seamus commented that it was the hottest 64 she had ever felt, and that was the truth.  it was very much hotter than hades.  we picked up our rental car and drove straight to the Safari Park.  after a short while there, we got ready for our safari caravan.  we all loaded onto a truck that drove us out and around several types of giraffes, rhinos, dear, antelopes, and other cool animals.

 after a while, this giraffe decided to walk up to our truck to get a snack.  everyone on the trip had the opportunity to feed the giraffe several times.  it was pretty neat, their hair is kind of prickly and their tongues are very long.  the guide answered all kinds of questions and it was really a very cool opportunity,

 we also got the chance to feed the rhinos!  they don't always say you get to feed them, because they aren't that interested in a few apple slices apparently.  but we were lucky and got to feed them and pet them.  they are bigger than hippos by about 1000 pounds - i know this because i asked for a comparison, and their teeth do not really look like marshmallows the way that hippo teeth do.

 after the safari was over, the park was pretty much closed, but seamus and i booked it trying to see eveything we hadn't already seen.  we went into the aviary and seamus stood like a tree to see if any birds would land on her.  we also got to walk with the lemurs but the keeper told us that they lemurs can pretty much tell time and they knew it was getting close to 5 and they know that they go in for the night around 5 and if they go in without a fuss they get treats, so they were all huddled over by their night night spot, ready to get tucked in.

 after the whole adventure, we headed over to jennifer's.  we got hugs and kisses and then headed out for dinner.  seamus and jennifer hung out waiting for a table while i went to get some beverages.  seamus could hardly believe it when i came back with this giant strawberry amazingness all for her!  and she finished the entire thing!  she had already had a busy day, but then after dinner she jumped in the pool at jennifer's and swam until past 10pm!

saturday was the picnic.  i wasn't sure what to expect and i was happy that jennifer was going to come with us.  we made the two hour drive and found the park.  we found every one quite easily and settled right in to meet with everyone.  it was so wonderful to talk with all these people who i had only previously exchanged email and facebook posts.  it was great to meet their parents and families.  there was only one other person there who had been diagnosed as an adult, everyone else was either diagnosed as a little kid or by the time they were a teenager.  every story was so different and everyone has different struggles ranging from blindness, learning disabilities, hypothalmic obesity, excessive hunger, strokes, and the inability to produce life dependent hormones.

me, trevor and elizabeth

Matthew, Matthew, Kathleen, Alex, Marian, Elizabeth, Hiran, Jason, Trevor, and me

 after a busy day of picnicking, we headed back to jennifer's, introduce seamus to In and Out Burger and then swam again until super late.  seamus never once complained about being tired, hungry, hot, or bored.  she was an absolute pleasure to be with!

sunday morning came way too fast.  jennifer had an appointment so she dropped me and seamus off in Encinitas.  seamus at a huge breakfast and then we headed to the beach!

 she played at the park for a short while and then went into the ocean.  i wasn't about to get in with her, and i was a nervous wreck watching her float around, jumping waves and having the time of her life.  she was only in up to her knees, and sometimes wading in a bit further, but i now know what it was like for my mom so many years ago, watching us at the beach in florida, convinced that we would be caught off guard by an extra strong under current or a drop off that would send us into the big ocean blue.

 after a while, seamus came out and buried herself in the sand.  i tried to give her a mermaid tail, but the sand was too dry to mold, but she still posed like the best of them!

my two girls!!

after a few hours at the beach, we went back to jennifer's, got seamus showered up and then headed off to the airport.  only moments after finding our gate, the long weekend finally started to catch up with the little one.  she curled up and instantly passed out.  and she was OUT for sure.  such a sweet one.  and such a wonderful trip!!  she did wake up with plenty of time to get on the plane, and once on it, i was asleep before they were even done loading it, although she was awake the whole flight.

eric and sirus were there to pick us up.  sirus was being a little mopey, which i was a little afraid me might be.  he just sorta said hi and didnt hug me or anything.  then i asked him if he missed me.  he half heartedly said yah, and then i told him how much i missed him to which he quickly warmed up and gave me a giant hug telling me how much he really did miss me.  gosh, how did i wind up with two such amazing kids??  i am the lucky one!