Beauty in the Breakdown

I dont even know where to begin! 

Lol

Its been a crazy/beautiful month. 

These past few weeks especially. 

So, so sooooo many things.

So many.

Our highlights were this week, a visit from my Dad and my lovely stepmom Aura (love her) as well as a visit from (in the same week) Jasons mom, dad, sister (and my friend) Rosemary and her her son TJ. 

It went sorta like this:

My dad and Aura arrived on a Tuesday. 

The next day J's fam. 

The day after that, J left to go to his Company's annual conference thingy in Texas which also happened to be the morning we had to let Woodsy go. 

Skip to today, where all fam has parted ways and I have a moment to reflect and appreciate a little more.

I got like, no pics of J's fam which sucks but none the less it was wonderful to see them.

Looking forward to a holiday visit in good ol Ga.

Spending time with my Dad is....priceless. 

The days went by too fast, as usual. 

I seriously never want him to leave. 

I never contemplated moving back to Colombia more since i have been here in Miami. 

I feel like there's this empty piece in me still, that will only be found by going back and living/understanding my roots. Even if its found by visits.

So lucky to have had him here when it all went down with Woodrow, Jason had to leave that morning on a flight to Tx so my dad came with me. 

My aunt and uncle have been AMAZING since moving here. My Dad and he go back many years. 

If you look up the term "support system" in the dictionary you will see a pic of my uncle Checho and my aunt Tatiana. 

We are lucky, and i am learning to not feel guilty when family offers to help out. 

Miami is becoming a life changing experience for us, in a  lovely and complex way... 

in so many ways.  

Such is life.

 

The handsome TJ and the beautiful Miss Daisy figuring it all out. Is it a ship? Is it a tower? 

Because its fun. 

Wook. Isa feather. 

This little guy has been giving me a run for my money lately. 

Honestly, these past few months have been some of the most challenging for us with Liam. Among those challenges though, have been a breakthrough of so many words! Imitation, and words. Makes it hard to hold on to those more challenging moments/days. 

He is like a little butterfly emerging, day by day.

A butterfly with wings that cause occasional tornadoes. lol

Hes lucky hes so darn cute. ;)

P.s. The shirt is fitting. 

P.P.S. Unless you 'know' , then you dont know.  

#sorrynotsorry

Serious about her Popsicle. 

Thought it was a perfect time to do the robot.  Tati looks like shes doing the jig. lol

Smiles. 

I love this picture. ^ This dude. lol 

Love him. 

Teaching things/Learning things. 

Surrounded by beautiful people. 

Blessed.

Mi Papa.

Moments

Sam came with his plate to ask for more chips. 

Mo Chi Mama pwease. 

MO CHIIIIIII. 

lol 

The boy likes his chips. 

This lady is amazing. Love her. 

I wish i could have taken more...Liam and his cousin Tj who is 5...playing beautifully.  Love it. 

This pic says it all. 

I never want him to leave. 

I feel like he gets me so well. 

Its a beautiful thing when two souls just...get each other. 

No words needed. 

The years missed dont even matter. 

Moejoe says he knows whats up. 

Love and light,

A

My parents divorced when i was about Sam and Daisy's age. My mom and i moved from Colombia to the U.S. and my father and I didn't begin to have a real relationship until a few years ago...  

so i have no real memory of their love for each other. 

I think its important for a child to know that they came to be, from love. 

It took 34 years, but no matter.

Now, I do. 

And that's what matters.

Drink up baby doll

Are you in or are you out?

Leave your things behind

'Cause it's all going off without you

Excuse me too busy you're writing your tragedy

These mishaps

You bubble-wrap

When you've no idea what you're like

So, let go, let go

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

It gains the more it gives

And then it rises with the fall

So hand me that remote

Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow?

Such boundless pleasure

We've no time for later

Now you can't await

your own arrival

you've twenty seconds to comply

So, let go, so let go

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's alright

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, yeah let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go,

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's alright

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, yeah let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

In the breakdown

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

The breakdown

So amazing here

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

This.

Drink up baby doll

Are you in or are you out?

Leave your things behind

'Cause it's all going off without you

Excuse me too busy you're writing your tragedy

These mishaps

You bubble-wrap

When you've no idea what you're like

So, let go, let go

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'cause there's beauty in the breakdown

It gains the more it gives

And then it rises with the fall

So hand me that remote

Can't you see that all that stuff's a sideshow?

Such boundless pleasure

We've no time for later

Now you can't await

your own arrival

you've twenty seconds to comply

So, let go, so let go

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's alright

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, yeah let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go,

Jump in

Oh well, what you waiting for?

It's alright

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, yeah let go

Just get in

Oh, it's so amazing here

It's all right

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

In the breakdown

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

The breakdown

So amazing here

'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

To Woodrow with love

Woodrow Parch 

R.I.P.

We lost a member of our family today.
Woodrow aka Woodsy aka The Woods aka Woody aka Nuss aka Pupanup.

Man.
I cant even talk about it without falling apart into a blubbering mess.

He was suffering, and we had to make a decision. Not having the money to spend on saving your dog really sucks. Like when you would be willing to spend whatever to save your furry baby if you had it but you dont so you have to make really fucking shitty life decisions.

He was suffering tremendously and I knew that I would not, could not make him suffer anymore just to soothe our bleeding hearts.

And so it is that i am sitting in my bed, going through years of photos of Woodsy on my computer, smiling and crying and just...missing our pup.

*

Before Woodrow, we had a dog named Warren.

Someone had abandoned Warren in the parking lot of Jasons work. So, Jason brought him home. He had major health issues from teh get go, he threw up everyday from the day we got him several times a day.Probably why he was abandoned.  We brought him to several vets, bought all sorts of different prescription foods...to no avail. We knew that he would not live long and the vets would simply tell us that as long as his quality of life was good otherwise that we could ride it out and see. We loved Warren. We knew his little life would be short lived and it was. We made sure he had a happy and fun year, and he did. He passed shortly after turning 1.
Of course, even though it was expected, it was still heartbreaking.
We said we would not get another dog, but a few weeks later Jason came home and said that he had paid a visit to the Fulton County Animal Shelter and that he had adopted a little golden retriever mix. J said that the house felt wierd without a dog. I agreed. He was still to little to come home so we would have to wait a few weeks. He said that he was the only puppy from that litter that wasnt jumping around in everyone's face, instead he stayed back and was quietly observing but was very affectionate when you approached him. Jason said he instantly fell in love with him and so it was. The shelter had named him Charlie but we wanted him to have a "W" name in Warrens memory. So that is how Woodrow came to be.

A few weeks later Jason brought him home, a little tiny ball of golden fur, with little crimps and curls in the fur around his ears and a furless pink belly like a little pot belly pig. He was such a young little pup that he actually lost his baby dog teeth during the first few weeks home and they were these teeny tiny little things. I kept them all of course. lol He was a bundle of puppy energy! Miko immediately took to him I think because they were only a few months apart, and they became best buds. He went everywhere with us. Woodrow was really like our fist real furry baby, the cats too but well you know, dogs are different :)

Happy pup.

Fast forward some years later and i was amazed at how great he was with the kids. Liam would ride him like a horse and he wouldnt even flinch. When the babies came they would climb him and pull on his fur and he would just lay tere and let them. So chill. So sweet.

Woodrow loved sitting on our front patio in Newnan, just taking in the sun. He loved finding and chewing the biggest most gigantic sticks he could find in the yard. He loved being brushed. Loved having his eyes rubbed and ears scratched. He would give me little licks/kisses when would do that. He loved the fall when the leaves would cover our front lawn and he would just lay there and roll around.
He had a mean bark which was great for strangers at the door and we loved it but we knew he would never hurt a fly.

Before he started to have trouble with his legs he would love to climb on our laps like he was a small little lap dog, only he weighed between 80 and 90 lbs. He didnt care though , he was so lovey. A big bear.

Right before the move he injured his leg. It had begun to heal and during the move while jumping down from our van in the parking lot of a rest stop he re-injured it again. Then his hips stated to go. It kind of all began going downhill after that. He developed a chest cough recently, and every week it seemed there was something else wrong until finally a few days ago he just took a turn for the worse and stopped getting up. The past few days have been heart wrenching, knowing that a decision would have to be made and then finally this morning, after a sleepless night and him being in pain, uncomfortable and just...not ok, i just knew. It was time.

And so.

I kissed his big nose, rubbed his face, buried my face into his furry body and bear hugged him like a person. I told him I loved him and that I was so so sorry that we weren't able to take care of him like we wanted to.

I am only happy that he is no longer in pain.

It will take a while to be able to think of him without tearing up.

We love you Woodsy, and you are already very missed.

 Woodrow is survived by his mommy and daddy, human brothers Clayton, Lima and Sam, his human sister Daisy, his little big dog brother MoeJoe:

 his cat brother and arch nemesis MorrisKitty:

and his Cat BFF Miko:

Love and light, 

A