Funkalicious

I'm in a bit of a funk. I'm not entirely sure why. I guess it's just the way life ebbs and flows.

There certainly is plenty to be happy about.
My Jeep is back.


It's red, shiny and almost perfect. I missed driving it. I'm such a Jeep girl. It's loud, it rugged, it's rough, and it's got great curves.

Scott survived getting dropped on his head. He had a little accident in his wheelchair and went backwards, landing flat on his back, cracking his head on the floor. Sounded horrible, looked horrible but alas, wasn't horrible.
It must be all the donuts he's been eating. No joke kids, on Saturday night Scott sent me a text message that he had eaten 5, yes FIVE, donuts in one day. A whopping 1500 calories. He had at least 3 on Sunday and today he was on 2.5 when I left him before bed.
Buy Entenmanns stock people, it's profits are on the rise.

I got a new phone. My old one was on it's last legs. It would refuse to tell me that I had missed a call or that I had voicemails. It even stopped sending emails and texts properly. New phone is shiny, happy and after much work, all set up.

I've gotten a few other overwhelming surprises in the last couple days. I'll be sharing all about those soon. I just feel like I can't quite put to words what I'm feeling about all of it. It's important to me, so I must give it proper space.

A huge new blog redesign over on the other blog. I would love to know your thoughts. I'm still learning, and there are a few things to tweak but it's headed in the right direction.

I continue to plot the holiday cookie exchange party details. Anyone out there care to help Jay'me and I out with the planning. I'm thinking we should turn this into some type of charity event. Maybe raise some funds for EDNF or the National MS Society. I've got lots of great ideas but I'm short on time.
Send me an email werewitty@gmail.com or write to me in the comments section.

Scott's got a full schedule this week. Haircut, hearing test, flu shot and boys night. I'll be playing chauffeur and Kate will be entertaining people along the way.
It's the Witt way.

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Kids

There has been much chaos in the Witt house. Weekends are normally pretty busy around here but for some reason this weekend just seems to have hit fever pitch.

Everyone is fine, well as fine as can be expected. It's just chaotic.

The chaos doesn't seem to phase Kate, it never has really.
She's just rolls with the punches and goes with the flow.

Yesterday at the birthday party, all the kids just went with the flow.

It seemed to me that the younger they were the better they adapted. The older kids had a harder time waiting. They wanted to know what was next and when it was going to be cake time.

The littles, just hung out and waited. Dancing when told to dance, bowling when told to bowl and eating when told to eat.


They played, they laughed and they caused mischief but they waited. Not worried so much about what was going to happen but what was happening now.

I love the innocence of a child. Let's turn off all the lights, make everything look strange and ask them to play. They go willingly.


Let's put them in costumes, paint their faces, tell them it's ok to talk to strangers just this once and they rally. Embracing the costumes, putting on their favorites and ignoring the scratching. They do it because they're told it is what's expected of them.

Succumbing to peer pressure, doing everything they can to be like the rest.

As we grow, this need to conform grows. We're tossed into a world where everything is about keeping up with the Smith's. We slowly lose our ability to adapt. Everything becomes structured, planned, and detailed. When we find our adult lives shifting, we look around to see what others have done. We don't just live in the moment we attempt to force the moment.

This post should just be a happy post. All these wonderful faces. So blissfully happy.

So naive. So willing.

We as adults need to look past the youth in these photos. We need to not see the brownie covered faces or the wild hair. We must instead try to see the knowledge in those eyes.

These kids get it, where we adults don't. It's not about the destination. It's about the journey. Stop forcing, start living. Take today, this moment for what it is.


I'm going to be working on that this week. I'm going to forgo dishes so I can play ponies one more time. Leaving the cobwebs in the corners for another moment of sunshine.

Let the youth guide us for a change. We might just like what happens.

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Not yet

The family is all snuggled in after what has been a rather long past two days. I'm curled up with my laptop, a bottle of water and a bad movie in the background. I was all prepared to write about the misadventures of Witt's when I heard it. Something, I was completely unprepared for. It took me by such surprise that I simply sat stunned with mouth hanging open.
It's done, it's over. I have officially heard my first Christmas song commercial jingle.

Overstock.com you ruined my night.

Our dear friend Jay'me sent me an email today asking about some kind of cookie exchange gathering for all the WWW blog friends. A way for all of us to fill the holidays with as much love, warmth, friendship and family as possible. I'm loving the idea! We're going to be cooking up something. So stay tuned for details and start dusting off your best cookie recipes.
It won't be on the scale of this summersbash. But I promise a good time.

All this Christmas talk has me exhausted. I'm not ready... not just yet.

Lots of photos to share from Kate's first school friends party today. We both had a great time. You can see one of my "artsy" photos from the day on the other blog.

No circus tomorrow but maybe, if I get lucky, Kate and I'll get to fly in the morning. Crossing my fingers and toes. The fall sky is calling my name.

Peace out ya'll.

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Stream of Consciousness

I cannot wait to get my Jeep back tomorrow. My pretty red baby is finally coming home. I can't believe it's been a month since the accident. Ready for this to be over with.

I love that when S12 brought over a few slices of his homemade chocolate cake tonight Kate didn't argue with me when I told her she could only have one bite. She didn't argue at all, not a peep. She just very sweetly, with the biggest "I'm a good girl" smile on her face asked if her bite could have "lots of frostin' please Momma?" I'm so proud of her negotiating skills. Nothing compares to the way she plays Grandma though. Remember this?

Kate has her first "kid" (non-family) birthday party on Saturday. I can't wait for it. She's growing up so fast. Her first bowling adventure. Don't worry, I'll have plenty of photos, you'll all feel like you're right there with me. I'm obnoxious like that.

We're working on getting some tickets for the Circus on Sunday. I'm really hoping Scott has the strength to go. It's been a long week already and if tonight is any indicator it doesn't look good. Go away upper respiratory infection, you've worn out your welcome.

My need for my happy place goes unquenched. I simply have to make it happen next week.

I love how this photo looks like it is processed using selective coloring. When it's shot in full color with absolutely no adjustments.

Chicago has such beautiful skies.

I'm just realizing that I never ate dinner. Well, unless chocolate cake counts. No wonder I'm not hungry. Better set the alarm back an extra half hour. Somebody is going to need a little more cardio.

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It takes a village

I talk a lot about family. Some of it is family by blood, some of it is family by choice and some of it is family by internet. I'm not one to get stuck on the idea that someone has to be of blood relation to be a piece of your heart.


You've seen Scott's brothers and you've seen my parents and brothers over and over again. To me there is no difference between these groups.
Once you're a part of the family, you are family for life. I'm not a fair weather friend. Good, bad, ugly, beautiful, fat, skinny, rich, poor...I'll love you know matter what. It's just how I am made. I may not always agree or like what you're doing but you're family regardless.


Maybe it's because my Dad isn't really my Dad. We share no direct DNA. You wouldn't know that though. I have some of his mannerisms, his music ear, and I married a guy just like him. I love him the way every little girl loves her daddy and he loves me right back. Even if he wouldn't stop picking his nose when I was in junior high.

My point is we have a big family. A support group, that grows with each passing day. As I've said time and time before, if you're reading these words you are, in your own way, a part of that family.
I believe that you cannot get through life alone. You simply must share life with the people around you. It's just the only way to go.


All that said, Scott wanted to do something special for me for our anniversary, my birthday and Christmas. For Scott to do so much as get a card takes a small army.
He wanted to give me something that I've been coveting since before it's release a few weeks ago.

These photos of Kate that you've been looking at were all taken this morning. Kate chose this outfit right down to her rockstar shoes. She looks pretty cute doesn't she. And old, she looks really, really old.

We were having a fun time running and playing for a few minutes this morning.

So what do you all see when you look at these photos? Maybe you're saying what a beautiful little girl, or Brandi is a crazy mom that photographs everything. Heck maybe you're looking at that gray Chicago day.

When I look at the photos I see soft focus. I see distortion. I see grain. I see a slow shutter. I see cloudy images. **
I didn't always see these things. In fact, there was a time that I would have died with excitement over the quality of these photos. Those days have passed. I've grown, I've evolved, I've learned. I now have a better eye than my camera can keep up with.
I've been longing for, drooling over and obsessing about this beauty.

This is what I've been dreaming of since I first heard the rumor of it's existence. It's the Nikon D7000 (for more specific sexy info go here).
She's beautiful. She can take 6 frames per second, handle high ISO, has 16.2MP, can take HD video and has 39 glorious focal points (my current camera has 3).

The D7000 is exactly what this photo nerd desires.

Scott wanted to get me this.
His words to me were "I know you'll get this eventually, I want to be here to see you enjoy it."
Because Scott is a smart man, he knew I would balk. So, he went around me. He went to my parents, my siblings, my Grams, asking all of them if they wanted to help make my photo geek dream come true. They all did, they are super fabulous like that.

Then Scott took it to the next level and started talking to S12 (the Scott of other blog fame). Scott wanted to make sure that the D7000 was really the right choice so he went to the best resource for camera gear that he knows. In discussions between the Scott's, S12 said that he had some benefactors (that are unknown to me at this time) that wanted to help as well. S12 had shared our story with these unknown people, he shared the blog and told them how far I had come with my photography and what the pictures I was taken of were for.
I'm overwhelmed to say that these people, wanted to help too. S12 began getting donations for the "Brandi needs a D7000 fund".
I knew nothing of this, Scott knew nothing of this. It's something that S12 did alone out of the goodness of his heart because he cares. Or maybe because he is sick of listening to me complain about the camera I have now. Whatever his intentions were, I am beyond grateful.

Grateful for my husband for wanting this for me. Grateful to my family for supporting Scott and wanting to make my dreams come true. Grateful to S12 for going above and beyond and helping make this happen. Lastly, to the anonymous donors, in this time of financial hardship for almost everyone to have people want to contribute and make this happen for me... well... I'm at a loss. I'm humbled, overwhelmed, elated and awe struck.

Here again my family, rallies. Finding a way to rise above and let love shine. My family, some of whom I may have never even met.

My pretty new playmate has not been ordered yet. Soon enough she'll be on here way here and I will be able to share the D7000 love with all of you.

From the bottom of my previously hardened heart.... thank you. There simply are no words.



**All these photos were taken straight out of camera (SOOC for us photo geeks) no alterations of any kind except for some cropping so they fit on the webpage properly.
The Nikon D40 is a truly fantastic camera. I am honored to have it and if it's all I ever had I would be one lucky girl.**

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And I'm out.

I'm sorry to report kids, all my creative juices got sucked out of me. I left them over at the other blog. I didn't mean to let you down. I know you came here to hear the big announcement, see the big unveiling. It will have to wait another day. It's that important to me.

I will tell you all about our trip to Rush. Saw Dr. Jacobs and PA Jen, and PA Nicole and Dr. Ben. Oh and we met a second year med student that asked me questions like I was the surgeon. Silly kid, I'm just a stay at home mom that can explain AVMs, AV fistulas and talk you through the proper way to dress a wound like Scott's.
I love med students. They are so much fun to mess with.
It was like one big family reunion. It was lovely.

Scott had a wonderful check up. We don't have to go back for three months, assuming Scott doesn't do anything creative between now and then. It was nice to leave there and really see how far Scott's come.
Scott still has his issues. His fatigue, weight loss, general overall well being is a lot worse than before. There is no doubt he's sick. He can't fake it for even a minute anymore.
But for the first time in ten months I don't feel like when the next aneurysm blows it will be fatal. I feel like the healing in his leg and the very recent increased appetite (thank you marinol) has given him a head start. It's given him a little bit of fight.

We'll take it and we'll make the most of it.

Never squandering the sunshine, never saying no to a few minutes of baseball, never forgetting to embrace life.

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Happy Anniversary.

Seven years ago we stood with our 'family' and said "I do".

After just a short 13 month courtship we took the plunge.
Some people, plot, plan, and wait for the perfect moment. Scott was diagnosed with VEDS just three months after we started dating, and we knew that time would not always be on our side.

I wanted Scott to be his authentic self at our wedding. No drugs, no ailments, just the same carefree, spontaneous, find the best in everything, guy I had grown to love.

I got exactly what I wanted.
We danced, we laughed, we loved.
The two things that mattered most to me were the music and my dress. I got the band of my dreams and my dress... oh heavens, my dress!
Thank you Mom for letting me cut into your dress. Thank you Grams for not only making Mom's dress for her, but for revamping it and make it mine. Having a dress with so much of the two most important women in my life poured into meant the world to me then and now.



Our anniversary has been a trying day. We had Scott at the doctor this morning, came home with antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. Kate has been a full on maniac since she got home from school and had the worst behavior ever when we went to get Scott's meds after nap time. There was a dead goose in my front yard from the hunters that shoot in my backyard. I got a sad goodbye from someone that I'm worried about. And the place we wanted for dinner is closed on Mondays.

Mmmmm... not so much.

But, we're here. Scott and Kate (who is almost back to normal) are playing together downstairs. I'm taking a much needed time-out. Josh and Brogan came and removed the offending goose from my front yard.
The icing on the cake has been the completely overwhelming amount of loving, caring, thoughtful notes, texts, cards, and emails from all of you. It all warms my heart.

Tomorrow will be a trip down to Rush. Time to check back in with Dr. Jacobs for what I hope to be a routine visit. Also on the docket for tomorrow is a blog post about what Scott did for me for our anniversary. It's taken a village to put together and it deserves a full post.

Whatever the future holds, I've had the past seven years and nothing can ever take that away.

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