bloggingforwineandcheese

[bloggingforwineandcheese]

Love is in the air #weddingvibes #rehearsaldinner #wecleanupnicely (at Peekskill, New York)

#weddingvibes #rehearsaldinner #wecleanupnicely

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Sometimes you feel like baking a cake 🍰#homemadeblackberryjaminthemiddle

#homemadeblackberryjaminthemiddle

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Today was for adventuring #andgelato (at Paradise, Mt. Rainier)

#andgelato

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Summer in the city #hydoplane #alittleurbanwelding #cityfolk (at Westlake Park)

#hydoplane #cityfolk #alittleurbanwelding

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Multitasking Mama 👯

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#ohyoufancy (at El Sirenito)

#ohyoufancy

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Lavender Festival (at Sequim, Washington)

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A beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful Mama to be! #babyboy 👶🏻🦊❤️ (at Magnolia, Seattle)

#babyboy

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Back where we belong #mariners #whereiroot (at Seattle Mariners)

#mariners #whereiroot

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Well at least it's affordable 🙄

$7,500/mo/4 br

Seattle, WA

#affordable

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“My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life. She ultimately died of it. She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases. She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles. Seek help, fight for government funding for mental health programs. Shame and those social stigmas are the enemies of progress to solutions and ultimately a cure. Love you Momby.”  -  Billie Lourd.

[bloggingforwineandcheese]

Ain't No Family Like A Dysfunctional Family

I haven’t posted this here yet, but we have moved back to Seattle after a year on the east coast. It was wonderful, hard, and filled with experiences that I am so grateful we had! Ultimately, coming back to the west coast was something we knew we wanted to do, eventually, so when I got a great job offer we took it as a sign and made our way back.

One reason we did leave was because we were in search of family. Family we could count on, family we could have healthy relationships with. We found that in Maryland. It was what we wanted/ needed and very hard to leave. Thank god for FaceTime!

On my first day back in Seattle it was made clear to me that the family we have here (at least this portion on my side) is made up of people that I am related to, but who are not my family. (Ridiculously executed confrontations in the middle of a store by someone you haven’t talked to in six years will do that too you.) I’ve always known that my relationship with this part of my family has been toxic and not what “Family” means to me, but it was reaffirmed through this meeting.

My initial feeling was “This is why we moved! Why are we back here?” Then I decided that was not the right response. The right response, for me, is, “Ok! That’s over and now I can move on!” I am making the conscious decision to let that go, and focus on the amazing family I have, my unbelievable mom, husband and daughter, and the family we have CHOSEN in our friends, who we missed more than ever! And who have been just as supportive and loving through distance as they always were. We are forever grateful to you for all you give to us!

TL;dr: We moved home. Family is what you make it. Toxic relationships (even when they are related to you) need to be eliminated.

#family #it's complicated #and can be lame

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Fabulous way to start my birthday! #rosèallday (at VIN 909 Winecafe)

#rosèallday

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Snaps with my girl ❤️ #wildfridaynights

#wildfridaynights

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💕 #laneysworld

#laneysworld

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New specs 🤓👀👓

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Laney at school today while the kids sang her Happy Birthday 🎂 #thatmiddlepickillsme

#thatmiddlepickillsme