Volcanos, Road Trips, and the Burbs

Volcanos, Road Trips, and the Burbs

25 Years in Seattle!  Yep, it was 25 years today that I arrived fresh off the ferry from Alaska.  The sun was brightly shining then as it is right now.  I checked out of my dorm in Fairbanks, drove to Sitka, caught the ferry to Bellingham, and then used my Thomas Guide to navigate to my rental home in the University District.  All this on my own with $800 in my pocket and a pet beta fish on the front seat.  I had a brand spanking new Bachelor’s degree in hand and was ready for any and everything.

There have been so many adventures – too many to count.  Here’s a silly list of some of the major components of my life.  What time of my life do you most remember? 

• Home
• University District, Ballard, Crown Hill, Edmonds, Lake City, Bothell
• Churches
• University Presbyterian, Meadowbrook, Canyon Hills, Inglewood Presbyterian
• Jobs
• Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Schwartz Brothers Catering, Security Pacific Bank, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Seattle, Nintendo, John L Scott
• Cars
• Renault Alliance, Nissan Sentra, VW Camper Bus, Toyota Camry
• Home-Based Businesses
• Tupperware, Creative Memories, Usborne Books
• Parenting
• Evergreen Hospital, Elite Kids of Kirkland, Mack Elementary 

Through this amazing journey I have experienced lots of life lessons, met cherished friends, and created a family with my love Gene.  My mind is flooded with all the memories. 

Spring for me has always been such a special time – fresh new beginnings, the garden opening up, the days getting longer.  But 10 years ago, in May 2005, our joy was stripped away.  I’ll never forget it, as my heart broke and I was changed forever.  Noah Michael Lowry is your name and you’ll always be our son.

So 25 years after that spring day when I drove into town, I find myself a wife, mom, and real estate broker living in the Seattle suburbs raising a beautiful little girl.  It’s a busy and yet simple life.  We need to buy a new washing machine, but will likely buy a small travel camper instead.  Simple, just simple.

As for the volcano – Mount St. Helens erupted 35 years ago today.  I was an 8^th grader living in Missoula, Montana.  The town was shut down for four full days while ash cleanup ensued.  I’ve got bags of the stuff somewhere in storage. 

Our Seattle family of friends is huge and we so appreciate your friendship.  My Seattle journey has been remarkable.  Cheers to the next 25!!

2012

I posted twice on my blog in 2010 and twice in 2011.  How about I start out 2012 with a blog post?

Not much to say at the moment, as I’ve been sick for three weeks.  I just coughed through the second half of December.  Doc says it’s likely pneumonia.  The cough is just horrible, and each day I think I’m finally getting better, another coughing fit and back to what feels like square one.  I’ve been in this darn house for four days now.  The steroids for my lungs keep me awake.  Ugh.  Happy New Year!  I guess it can only get better from here, right?

There’s so much I want to do in 2012 and so much I NEED to do.  I’ve got to stay focused and ensure that I go after what I want.  I feel like the past few years have just “happened” and I’ve sat on the sidelines watching in disgust.  There have been way too many disappointments and it’s time to turn this ship around and get back to the Kirsten that got lost.

I’ve got a new website – thought of the name all on my own!

www.readinginseattle.com

If you want to get technical, the site is really  http://www.myubam.com/ecommerce/main.asp?sid=P3490&gid=131368612 , but that’s a dumb url so I took care of that!

I love Usborne books and Amelia is now hooked – she’s reading!  I don’t know what she’s going to do in the fall when she gets to Kindergarten.  I hope their ready for my genius child.

The books are really fantastic – check ‘em out for yourself and order a few.  If you need more details or have any questions, just drop me a line.  I’m on Facebook at www.facebook.com/readinginseattle.

So, let’s see where 2012 takes us, but rather, I’d like to see where I take it!

Love to all,

K.

It's Been Six Years

It’s been six years. In some respects it does feel like six years have passed, yet some days the pain feels raw enough to be from yesterday. A song, a random thought, or even driving by a specific place or on a specific road can release a flood of tears.

Oddly enough, one of the clearest memories I have of that time is of sitting in the funeral home just staring out the window. Gene and the man were making arrangements and I sat quietly, fixated on the beautiful rhododendron just outside the window. There were bumblebees swarming around each bud. The man said or asked something and before Gene answered I turned and replied, “Look at all those bees.” It’s all I had. I was probably still in shock since just days prior I had been blissfully pregnant and now I was sitting in a funeral home making decisions for our baby boy.

Six years ago I was completely naïve about the miracle of pregnancy and birth. We decided we wanted to start a family and didn’t give it another thought. It never occurred to us that the journey to parenthood would be so full of heartbreak. To this day I cringe when someone proclaims their excitement to me with “I’m having a baby!” I think inside to myself, “No, you’re not. You are pregnant.” There is most definitely a difference. Having been pregnant three times, I got used to not having a baby. I was just always pregnant. I’m certainly happy for my friends who get pregnant and have babies. I just know from painful personal experience to not make any assumptions. You could say I’ve been hardened.

My life is certainly different now than it was in May 2005. The biggest change is that we have a healthy almost five-year-old running around our house singing, dancing, and playing teacher. I realize how much of a blessing Amelia is to our lives.

Where am I at now? I mourn for what could have been. I mourn for what I was teased with. I will never know the joy of birthing another baby. After Amelia was born I was never able to get pregnant again, not even with the help of modern medicine. She truly is a gift from God and we do treasure her each day.

Noah Michael Lowry, Mommy and Daddy miss you so much. We’ll see you in Heaven someday dear son.

"Kiffkk. Kiffkk."

Slow and methodically, Amelia said "Kiffkk" a few times as we were pulling into school this morning.

I asked her "What is a Kiffkk?"

As we drove past the fast food restaurant on the corner to park the car, she spelled out "K F C."

Smart girl sounding out those letters!!! Maybe she's also hungry for chicken. Acronyms will come later.

Memorial Day Weekend

It's Memorial Day Weekend and it's raining... and I have two more words that apply to our home at the moment...

CHICKEN POX!!!

30

It took 3 years, 5 months, and 13 days.

That's 1262 days. And that's how old Amelia is today.

Amelia hit 30 pounds even on the scale.

She's still one of the smallest kids in her class and barely on the pediatrician's chart, but really - who cares!?

Pledge of Allegiance

Amelia has learned the pledge of allegiance at school!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wR1K0zE3JI