Sweethearts on the Hill

  We all knew it was coming. And while for several years his illness seemed like a painstakingly long death sentence, in the final hours it felt like he was passing without warning. And now he's gone. And while the world keeps turning and the sun continues to rise, there is a voice that won't be heard and a face that won't be seen, but only in our memories. There is an interesting, emotional complexity that comes with being the adult child of a "broken" family.   I put "broken" in quotes because I'm not even sure exactly what that means. I think we're all a bit broken in our own brutiful way... but what I mean right now is that my dad had a way of making life hard for those around him... especially for my mom.  And as a sensitive girl who still believes her mom can do no wrong, observing, recognizing, rejecting, and ultimately accepting that which you can't control or change can be a lifelong journey. My opinion of and feelings that I have h...

  With a new city comes new traditions...   Richie and I are now officially partners in crime in the Halloween costume world - and we kicked off our debut duo as Slash and Axl Rose. Never have I been so inclined to get a tattoo.... Someday....  Luke went with Harry Potter Sam brought back the Zombie costume from last year (which meant that I got to do his makeup again... soooo fun!) And Charlie was Monopoly Man :)  Always something random for this kid.  I love it! Living our best lives in Franklin, TN

With it being our first Halloween in 15 years away from Dunbarton Oaks, we had to go big. It's always been one of our favorite holidays, and it's hard to beat the extravaganza we've always been able to enjoy right outside our front door in Knoxville.  The kids handled it like champs and Richie and I decided to go all badass...  We had a blast...  and it sooooo gave me the itch for a tattoo...!  Someday it will happen. And a nose ring....  not so sure about that one though. Sam loved his zombie costume from last year so much, he decided to double up on that...  And I got another run at doing his makeup, which I thoroughly enjoy It's not often you get to see Slash and Harry Potter in the same place... but we managed to make it happen. And Charlie put together this great Monopoly Man costume... love his creativity. Another year of off the wall pumpkin carvings.... so fun! These are the days, right?  Gotta do it up big while we've got these ...

  For Sam's 15th birthday, he asked his buddies from Knoxville to come spend the weekend with us. Instead of allowing them to numb their brains with electronics the  entire weekend, we decided to rent a pontoon for the day on Old Hickory Lake. Bad news is the day we had the rental was the one cloudy, rainy, 62 degree day that was baked into a solid 15 straight days of sunny and 80... Good news is kids don't care for some reason. They were total troopers and had a blast!  These kids have been so close for so long... it's really adorable to be a witness of their friendship.  I know it has been so good for Sam and Charlie to maintain such close friendships with their Knoxville crew... I think there was a day that they thought these would be lost... I believe having to figure out how to maintain these bonds from a distance now will actually help them preserve their friendships as they all start dispersing for college and life beyond. The laughter knows no...