The Candy Corn of Life...

Hello, friends and fam.

Where have I been? The answer is everywhere and nowhere. So much is going on the lives of the Grahams these days that I can barely keep my head on straight. I believe that you have to create your own pathways and then actually have the guts to travel down them, but wow. Sometimes there is a lot of mud and piles of who-knows-what to wade through until the path is dry and clear. The possibilities are so exciting and wonderful, but man, you HAVE to put in the time and the hard work. And the knowledge that it's worth it keeps us from poking our own eyes out.

We're in the muddy phase of creating some new adventures for ourselves in regards to work as well as our personal lives. Some of it is the kind stuff you have drop everything and jump on, no matter how busy or tired you are, for fear of passing up an opportunity that could change your life.

So there's that. On top of "that" we are still working furiously toward our remodel of the studio and it has created some strict schedules and zero social life. In summary, there just aren't enough hours in the day if you actually ever want to sleep.

And somehow, life has a way of reminding us that no matter how busy we are working on what we think is important, everything pales in comparison with family situations. Namely, an illness in the family. It's the type of thing that stops the earth from turning and real life from moving forward. I have too much experience on the subject, as far as I am concerned, but that's a story for a later time. Or maybe never.

But most recently, my mom's partner, Dan, had knee replacement surgery. No big whoop in grander scheme of things. Unless you are of the older persuasion and not the pinnacle of health to begin with. He is currently back in the hospital because he was having a hard time breathing and my mom urged him to let her take him in to see a doctor. Turns, out he's got two blood clots on his lungs, and today there will be an ultrasound to see if there was something going on in his leg and if it was traveling up his thigh(BAD).

We just returned home from seeing them last night, and this happened right after we left their house. We will know more today, but basically, if it's just his lungs, they will train Mom to inject him with blood thinner shots and he can go home. If there are more, then he will remain at the hospital for further care and observation.

[UPDATE: Since the above was written, we learned that his leg was clear, and they trained my mom on the injections and released Dan from the hospital. He's doing well thus far...]

I feel so bad for my mom, who has barely slept in the past week since he returned home from his knee surgery and she's doing all the care taking and has basically been lying awake at night making sure he remembers to breathe. And yet... her entire house is decked out in Halloween decor.

And if you knew first hand what that means, you'd know what an amazing feat it must have been even under regular circumstances, let alone coupled with being someone's nurse.

I used to make fun of her fervor for decorating, or over-decorating - there is not one single room or surface NOT containing holiday fanfare. Not one. I have an entire photo album dedicated to documenting this phenomenon. However, on the way to her house the other day, I started getting really excited for Oliver to see all her cool stuff. Like the mini Halloween town that's all set up on top of her roll top desk, and it lights up and makes sounds. And then I remembered that although it was never really as excessive as it is now (save for Christmas), she has always decorated for every holiday since I can remember. Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. It was magical to me as a child, and I will never ever forget how it felt to come home from school each day to get the holiday tingles all over again as soon as I saw the goofy ceramic pumpkins and clay witch on the kitchen table. And I decided that from now on I am going to copy her.

Oliver was fascinated by the Halloween wonderland at her house, and I am excited to continue the tradition long after he starts making fun of me for it.

So, life, here's to you. You are exciting, infuriating, surprising, and glorious. You are what we make you to be. Thank you for inventing holiday decorations.