Ashworth Alcove

Ben left for Afghanistan in March. Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. After countless phone calls and skype conversations he finally returned stateside. As much as I hate deployments there is one thing that they give me that is rare to have as an adult. It's the feeling I get when I'm about to see him again after being separated for months. It's like the feeling you have on Christmas Eve as a child. Pure and authentic excitement. Elation. Joy. It causes a commotion in my stomach and stirs my soul. It's intoxicating. He arrived back at Fort Lewis, Washington and I flew out to see him. After much discussion and thinking, we decided not to bring Violet out this time. It was asking a lot of her to fly eight hours there and eight hours back. Asking her to sit still and do nothing for that long is laughable. The other reason is because Ben and I needed time together, just the two of us. It was what was best for our whole family. It was what was best for Vio...

Growth & Appearance: You appear taller and slimmer. Any and all traces of baby are pretty much gone. Swept away by the winds of time. You look most baby-like when you're asleep. Other than that you look very much like a big girl. Your hair is long and a little wild at times. It hangs in your face a lot. You've recently started pushing it out of your eyes. It's long in the back and flips out sometimes. Your cowlick is very noticeable these days. Your skin is still very fair and recently someone commented that you look like a living doll. You weigh 30 lbs and stand 32.5 inches tall. Holding steady in 2T clothing, though sometimes I buy 3T so you can wear things longer. Size 5 diaper. Size 5-6 shoe. Teeth: Sixteen. I had to triple check that in my head to make sure I was right. SIXTEEN. We should be done for a while. Two-year molars will be next. Talking: You know many words. I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 100. You've only recentl...

I knew going into it that this would probably be the last Halloween I had the opportunity to choose Violet's costume. I know that next year she'll probably choose to be something weird like a troll or a grasshopper. I love the classics. Last year she was a good old-fashioned witch and this year she was Little Red Riding Hood. Almost every element of the costume was something we already had or was handmade. What we did buy was found at thrift stores. That fancy smancy white frilly thing? Goodwill. The cape and hood was made from an old sheet. She had a little brown basket for trick-or-treating and she got the hang of the whole concept very quickly. Before we went trick-or-treating we took her to a trunk-or-treat (a first for me) and she learned that holding the basket up and pointing would earn her candy. By the end of the night she was holding her basket up to random people who didn't even have candy to give. Cheers to persistence. Halloween night was cold with the mo...

I'm twenty-five years old today. And you know what? It feels pretty damn good. Twenty-five is a good age. This feels like a turning point. I've heard people reference the "seasons" of life. Of course, you have spring, summer, autumn and winter. I can feel that I have transitioned from spring to summer. I've built the foundation, now it's time to build the walls and paint them my favorite colors. I didn't move into summer overnight. It's been a transition. But I know now that I'm in summer for a few reasons. - The Pandora station I'm currently listening to isn't Iggy Azalea or Pitbull. Nope, it's Ella Fitzgerald. - I think my parents are cool. Like, they're the only people I hang out with and the kicker is... I'm okay with that. - My idea of a good time is eating popcorn and wearing sweatpants. - I'm making a quilt. - I know my credit score. - I'm pre-approved for a home loan. - I say things like, "When I ...

  If fall was music it would be some quirky folky stuff. It'd probably be weird to you, but I'd love it. I do love it. Fall - People turn inward, both physically and mentally. That's one of the reasons why I like fall so much. It's introvert season. The season represents the aging of oneself I think. And I mean, I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of mid-sixties at heart, so... It's fitting. As far as I'm concerned we all need to spend more time with quilts. I began this month with a sort of unofficial plan to try harder to be more carefree. Once upon a time I was downright laid back. I just want to free flow, but I get in my own way. So I set out to relax a little. Just chill the hell out. I'm happy to report that I got the hang of it faster than I anticipated.

I can't sugar coat this. I hate summer. Anyone who knows me knows that already. It's not a secret I keep. Summer makes my hippocampus shrink and the power go out in my frontal lobes. I am woefully uncomfortable from May until October. I just don't see how anyone can think that 90+ degrees and maximum humidity is enjoyable. Summer is for outgoing, extroverted, optimistic people. I'm none of those things. I'm beyond ready for my sweaters and for everyone else to put their flip flops and knarley toes away for the year. I made more of an effort to enjoy my least favorite season this year. Because Violet doesn't know what summer is. She just loves being outside. So we went outside. We even planted a garden and checked it daily for growth and goodies to harvest. I admit, it was fun. The truth is this summer has been a stagnant time for me, in many ways. But what's not stagnant is Violet's spirit. It's so pure and free. It's good for me. I think...