Saturday, August 30, 2008
Kev...Alex...Amy...Alex and so it goes!
Hand Off She's Mine by the English Beat from One Step Beyond..... That is a on the ipod right now when I write this to you. I am just rolling along tonight going though images and trying to catch you up on all the adventures and lives of the famed Mike and Amy.
Kev and Amy took Alex out for the day and once again had more fun than any person should have the legal right to have. These kids just play and play and take funny photos all day long! I love these shots.
Kev and Amy are doing great. Very much in love and taking care of one another. Life is good and all is well in our world. We knock on wood and thank our lucky stars everyday for the life we have.
MIke and Amy ride like the wind
Mike and Amy got the go ahead to start riding bikes again so they have been going out on a regular basis and riding together. It has been a great thing for both of them. They feel great when they come back tired and inspired.
Amy always complains because she is talkative the entire ride and comes back way more tired than Mike. She says he is such a good listener.
I told her that is his strategy. Let her do all the talking and he conserves his energy. That way he is back barely tired and it makes him appear to be in better shape than her.
He is a real smarty like that. They have really bonded over the donation and recover. I am so happy for both of them.
Foil Boy
My son is a creative genius. He wrapped his face with foil the other day at the Art Center. It looked so cool that I had to share it with you all. I love kids and especially this one. He always makes the day an adventure. He left balls of foil all over my office and I just left them as it made me feel like I was part of his creative process. Actually, Alyssa my assistant was working up some cool ideas with him. She is a great inspiration to him.
Alex is surrounded by artists! Lucky sucker.
Celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary.
How amazing is this .... I just started to write this and the song Golden Years comes on the ipod by David Bowie. I love this song.
Mike and I celebrated our big 3 year wedding anniversary. I got teary when he presented me with a delicate ruby ring and thanked me about being by his side through all this years health issues. He is my best friend and my love and I am so lucky to have him with me. We both can't believe what a miracle it has been to have the kidney Amy donated to him. It is working so great to make his healthy and well.
Mike took me to a french dinner and a drive around Balboa Island. We just drove and listened to the radio and enjoyed the night. I want to have my fifty year anniversary with this man someday. We will be old and crotchety and still in love!
Back from a break
I went away for a bit... stayed home for a bit and worked a great deal this summer. I am back and back into the swing of the fall semester. New exhibitions, new artists, more fun and games in the world of art. Mike is back teaching and is doing amazing. He is stronger with every day. Amy is back teaching six classes and hanging in there. Alex is back in school and now in the 3rd grade. He is thrilled and asked to go to school today which is a Saturday. Wow how things change.
I am listening to Miss America by David Byrne right now and rocking out. Next up Orlando... Coming (Deep Remix). I have a ipod that Amy made up for Alex and I must say she has great taste in music or at least this mix is very uplifting. She has a wide range in her music library so you never know what you will get on this ipod.
The images above were taken at Huntington Lake above Fresno CA. I went up for a couple days to relax and just be! I rented a fishing boat and went around the lake. Olive (my Dog) and I took off and we stayed in a cute cabin together at Lakeshore. Very cozy! Watched the jays fight in the trees, played in the water, ate dinner with a wonderful stranger named Richard and got to visit Alex for a bit as he was staying up there with family.
As child of a divorced family Alex has vacation with Mike and I and vacation with his Dad and Ann, cousins and grandma. I showed up on his vacation with his Dad for a few hours which was real nice. Mike cannot travel yet so he stayed home and held down the McGee homestead. What a sweetheart.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Amy has a happy scar!
When Amy and I went to her doctors appointment last week we surprised Dr. Chamberlain. I drew a happy face on Amy with a sharpie marker. The happy scar!He laughed and we laughed and he took a photo of her. It was great fun. He gave Amy a clean bill of health and told her she could get back to her normal life and start
doing exercise again. It was very encouraging. Amy gave the transplant center her autograph on the OC Weekly article for her show and everyone was happy.
Amy has been getting back to life and teaching, moving and working on art and press etc. But, there has been a bit of a cloud over head these days. You see one of the things we never prepared for was Amy feeling uneasy, sad at times and feeling a sense of loss due to her kidney donation. She has just pushed forward and recovered so well that we never thought about that part of the recovery process.
It is not unusual for a donor to feel twinges of loss and some sadness after donation. Once all the pain subsides your body and mind are still recovering from the trauma of the whole event. Amy has said time and time again that she would do it all over again in a heart beat to save Mike. But, her body is healing still and it has been hard at times.
She has experienced lack of sleep due to vivid dreams which have lead to fatigue and more stress on her body and mind. She worries about Mike and thinks about visiting her kidney in her dreams. She and I laugh about it but we are also try to deal with it in a way that will ease her mind and help the healing process to continue in a positive way. She says she does not want me to worry about her because I have enough to worry about with Mike. But, I care for both of them dearly and worry about both of them. There is no turning that off.
She and Mike are connected in a very deep way. She has trouble hearing it but she did something that most people would not do or could not do. She is a brave and wonderful lady and I have deep feeling of gratitude for what she did for Mike, for me, for Alex and for everyone who loves Mike. It is an amazing thing.
So, the plan is that we are trying to make sure she gets rest, she and Mike make time to get together and hang out and chat about iphone applications and other tech stuff that they enjoy, she gets time to herself and time with Kevin. It is all a balancing act. I know we will get though this OK.
It is hard to think about so much all the time. We have been under so much pressure for so long. But, the clouds are clearing slowly and we are all alive and well.
Speaking of well, Mike got the thumbs up that he is clear of the E coli in his blood. The doctor told him he could get back to exercising and even ride his bike again. So tonight we went on a long ride and it was amazing and beautiful out. We celebrated and rode through the streets until it was dark out! He rode past me at one point and said with a smile.....I'm Alive!
posted by Andrea
Monday, August 4, 2008
go rilla
If you get the chance check out the bike show at Go Rilla gallery. Alex was impressed by this half lego bike in the front window. It is a great space and and fun show.
Also check out our new stencil show at GCAC featuring some great work by local artists!
Don't miss it!
Also on the Mikie front.... He is doing better each day. He is done with his antibiotics and we are waiting to see if the E coli is all gone. Today he went in for blood work so we should know soon. Mike is getting out more and driving his new car about town.
Amy is busy teaching and doing Amy things. Her next big artist workshop os on August 9th so please plan to attend and learn to knit if you can. he show is up for another two weeks so come and check it out before you miss out.
posted by Andrea
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