I wanted another baby, but got a puppy instead. I have often wondered what the hell I was thinking! Lucas helped name him Charlie Pasta. This dog. This beautiful dog and I first locked eyes when Charlie was just 23 days old. Back then he was named Logan (he is so NOT a Logan). He…
Not a day goes by that I don’t think of something I wish I could talk to my parents about. I regret not truly thanking them for my life. Literally. And all the opportunities they gave me. I wish I had expressed my gratitude for being good parents, staying together, teaching me right from wrong,…
It was almost 5 1/2 years ago and many details of that day remain fuzzy. I’ll always regret not standing up to say anything. At the time, there were no words, but still I should have thanked everyone for coming and declared my love for my parents publicly. Sometimes I’ll hear one of the songs…
Dear Charlie Pasta, You came right to me. You chose me. Out of all your equally adorable little brothers and sisters, you stumbled your way to me. I didn’t want an orange and white Brittany, I wanted a liver (chocolate) and white. But your little face won me over. Thank goodness you couldn’t see very…
Recently our landlady found out we have a puppy. We’re guessing it was the photo on our holiday card. See below. According to our Renters Agreement, no pets are allowed. I thought my husband had cleared Charlie Pasta’s arrival with her over the summer, but apparently he did not. After berating him (my husband, not…
The year: 1986 The location: Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa The cast: A family of four: mother (37), father (39), eldest daughter (15), youngest daughter (2). The scene: Christmas morning, parents wake their daughters and the family is soon gathered around a sparsely decorated tree in the corner of their living room. Holiday music plays…
Oh yeah, they’re adorable and seem like a great addition to the family, but do not be fooled, puppies are a lot of work and will try your patience in every way! Even more than you think your children do. I’m dead serious. Charlie Pasta turned six months old on December 1 and after having…
Have you ever felt giddy over getting another stamp in your passport? Have you ever been approached on the street in Yaletown and asked if you needed help with directions, restoring your faith in the kindness of strangers? Have you ever been caught in the rain on Robson Street and laughed so hard you cried?…
My husband has taken Lucas on his own several times, but for the first time we went camping as a family this weekend and it was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t that I was anti-camping before, I just simply had zero interest. Zero interest in going without a shower, sleeping in a bag outdoors,…
My father was born and raised in Shamrock, a small town 89 miles east of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. In its heyday there were 3,778 people living in the once popular stopover on historical Route 66. With the construction of Interstate-40, the town was bypassed and all but forgotten (think of the movie Cars…
