November 24 2022
On our way! I get to enjoy the scenery for the first time in 14 years! Lillian went over yesterday (so we could get there before 5:00pm.) 🤪😂🤪
Fun times at The Romano Casa! 🎉❤️🎉
October 31 2020
Thank you Michelle Dvorak for hosting the The Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society Halloween dance party!! What fun!! Everyone looked amazing and fun in their costumes!! 🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃
October 31 2020
First time over to The Romano Duo’s since December. A whole pot of vegan chili just for me … with a virgin Bloody Mary!! 🧡🖤🎃👻
We had a fun time getting to visit The Romano Duo at their place. All three of us haven’t been since Last December.
We ate dinner outside and then I took Thomas and Lillian around the neighborhood for trick or treating. It was great to see how creative people were with safely handing out candy. Thomas was a secret service agent (who forgot to tuck in his shirt until after photos … Oops!). Lillian was once again The Rose Fairy Princess. 👻🎃💀
Thomas and Lillian also got a surprise visit from their dad who they’ve not seen since 2014. He phoned as we were driving to The Romano Duo’s place and said he’d be driving through town in about an hour. He visited for about 20 minutes before continuing on. 🤷🏼♀️
Home now. Time for Thomas and I to watch Arsenic & Old Lace. ☠️☠️☠️
April 11 2020
The Romano Duo came for a visit! YAY!!! ♥️♥️♥️ They were delivering a ton of Lillian’s foods my mom still had at her place. They stayed downstairs just outside the front door and we sat on the patio upstairs. It was great fun to chat with them!
October 23 2018:
First dinner with The Romano Duo in their new place in Dayton. What a treat!!! They made me my own pot of vegetarian pasta sauce!
For fun, we drove through Virginia City on the way here. We’ll leave earlier next time so we can stop for pictures.
Next time we’re gonna have the ingredients so I can have a virgin Bloody Mary!!! It’ll be just like old times, but different! We all had a great time!!! 🎉🎉🎉
October 27 2018:
I walked in Trader Joe’s to get a few items and walked out with Dark chocolate heaven. Wow!! 🖤🍫🖤
June 11 2018:
Team TLC sunset walk tonight with The Romano Duo and Robert. Beautiful night. And fun being silly with pictures. They head back to Surprise, Arizona tomorrow morning. A few more pictures to follow. xoxo
June 12 2018:
I’m in love with the leaves of this tree. The little veins, the color, the blue shimmery speckles, and the shadows. I have probably taken about 15 pictures of them.
June 12 2018:
Such beauties …. xoxo
June 13 2018:
It’s like a small miniature world in there.
June 14 2018:
Sunset walk with Lillian last night. It was a beautiful night and just what we both needed as we’re both experiencing “re-entry pains” from our respite from one another.
We followed this with a swim in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. Ahhhhhhh …. Just what we needed. xoxo
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Another sunset walk tonight with Lillian and I just had to give this one its own post. There’s just something about this one that pulls me In. Ahhhhhhh ….. xoxo ….
Sunset walk with Lillian tonight. I could not stop making pictures. So incredibly gorgeous and dreamy.
Ok. So, I had to give this one its own post too. Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sun make an arrow pointing directly back at me. Just WOW!! Thank you Sun. Thank you Nature.
May 24 2018:
Tomorrow morning is the beginning of the Team Member L and Romano Duo adventure! Lillian is riding back to Surprise, Arizona with mom and Frank for a vacation for her!! Which means respite for me!
It’s been nearly 3 years since I’ve had respite from Lillian. I’d be telling an un-truth if I said I wasn’t a tad bit excited. And, I know she is too!! May the force be with The Romano Duo … And all the Angels too!! Photo from September 2015
May 25 2018:
They’re off!!! Let the “almost” respite begin for me ….. As I have Thomas here with me. 😜
Lillian’s gonna have a great time!!! Yay for her to get a vacation!! She gets to spend nearly 2 weeks with The Romano Duo in Surprise, Arizona!! Wahooo!!!
May 27 2018:
Sent an hour and a half after she left on Friday!! Ha!
I am incredibly happy she’s getting this time with The Romano Duo and I’m getting a break.
After nearly three years straight of her needing me, talking to me constantly, and being me walking buddy; I’m bouncing back and forth between thinking I should be doing something, being relieved that I don’t have to do anything for her, feeling sad because she’s not here, and feeling free because she’s not here. Crazy stuff …. Yet, all good stuff!!
May 30 2018:
I’m as excited about this as Lillian. Well, maybe almost as excited. Turns out one of our Chromosome 18 friends, The Bakers, live near Surprise, Arizona!!!!! Katie came over to the Romano Casa and spent a few hours swimming and hanging out with Lillian.
The Bakers were one of the first families we became friends with at our first conference in 2009 in Vegas and every conference thereafter. Katie deemed herself honorary big sister to Lillian. One of the major reasons going to conference is so incredibly important to Lillian. So beautiful!!!xoxo
June 3 2018:
She’s been swimming and watching movies and eating donuts!! Lillian is having a great time with The Romano Duo.
June 10 2018:
She’s back!!!!! And she’s cracking me up! “We stopped at the alien store …… “ Only driving through the Nevada desert!!! And, “Patty and Frank say a lot of cuss words under their breath.” And, telling on herself. “I stayed up all night long while I was there. I stayed up till 2:00 one morning.”
May 1 2018:
There goes a piece of my heart. Thomas is headed to spend nearly 2 weeks with The Romano Duo in Surprise, Arizona. He’s incredibly excited!! I love love love that young man. Gonna miss him!!
He made it!!! The Romano Duo met him at the gate in the Phoenix airport! Now for the 45 minute drive to Surprise. Yay!!! He’s gonna have a great time! So glad he gets this respite!! Lillian’s turn at the end of the month.
May 2 2018:
He’s having a GREAT time!! I’m so happy for him! Hiking on the Waterfall Trailhead this morning with Frank and swimming this afternoon. Thanks so much to The Romano Duo for the pictures and treating him to such fun! xoxo
May 5 2018:
Thomas is thoroughly enjoying his respite time with The Romano Duo (in Surprise, Arizona)! More swimming and a trip to the library (pictures are of the lake outside of the library). xoxo
May 9 2018:
Thomas continues to enjoy his vacation with The Romano Duo … Lake Pleasant a couple of days ago. Looks beautiful!! Also, I think I may have been disowned as I have not heard from Thomas in two days. (My mom is keeping me up to date though … Whew!) xoxo
May 11 2018:
The one called Thomas is on his way back to Reno via a car trip with The Romano Duo! Set to arrive tomorrow afternoon. On Wednesday, he got treated to a drive to see the Grand Canyon!
This Thomas vacation was a great and uncomfortable learning experience for me …. AND I didn’t even go anywhere! I have to admit I was a tad bit jealous and sad as we both have had the Grand Canyon on our bucket list for quite some time! And, I wanted to be the one he saw it with first. Yet, now he can be the tour guide when he and I get our chance to see it together. xoxo
May 12 2018:
He’s home!!! xoxo
**THROWBACK POST**
November 10 2012:
I am filled with gratitude for the unconditional love of my Mama, Patty Romano, and my step-father, Frank Romano ….
They never openly judge or question my actions or inactions. They support me the best way they can and know how. I missed my Mama so much during all those years from 6th grade through the age of 20 years old. I’m happy for the times we saw each other during that time and am grateful and blessed we’ve made up for all that missed time in the last 22 years.
I love you lady with all my heart, body and soul and am blessed to pieces that you are my Mama!! Frank: I’m grateful that you came into my Mama’s life 26 years ago … You are a sexy, kind, gentle, giving, rockin Italian ROCK STAR of a man!!!!!!! Thank you for being such a fabulous step-father and grandfather to Thomas and Lillian!!!
December 25 2016:
Cheers from Team TLC and The Romano Duo!
We toasted to good health and well being. I’ve been incredibly sick since last Monday and not the best host. Grateful to The Romano Duo for their understanding.
Lillian is having her sleepover with them tonight! May the force be with them!!! xoxo 🙏💤
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December 26 2016:
Lillian says, “I don’t like it when their visits end. They seem too fast. I had a lot of fun with them and I always do”! Thomas says, “Seemed so short and don’t like it when their visits end.”
Today was their last day here …. and my first day to come out of the house since they’ve been here! So we could at least have a picture of all of us. This sickness has been kicking my booty!!
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December 27 2016:
They left early this morning … Safe travels Romano Duo. Til next time!!!
Got a good shot of the sweater Thomas loves. Going on the 3rd day straight wearing it! xoxo
Lillian says, “I don’t like it when their visits end. They seem too fast. I had a lot of fun with them and I always do”! Thomas says, “Seemed so short and don’t like it when their visits end.”
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December 30 2016:
Oceans of gratitude to you Kathy Montoya Duncan for giving me a really good trim. I am grateful for this thick hair, yet it can get pretty heavy feeling being as long as it was. And, deeply grateful for trading my book for the cut!!! Blessings and love abound to you!!!
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December 31 2016:
My art fortune from Pan received earlier this month. Things got crazy busy with Biggest Little Photographer and this got buried in papers. Just came across it again.
I had just met Pan minutes earlier. He did not know the ideas that come to me daily nor that walking is so deeply intertwined with who I be.
Win the day, I have to say, forthcoming, will be the way. …… Walk With Me and Lessons from Nature ….. I AM Ready .… xoxo
December 11 2016:
We’re getting to have a drive by quickie visit with The Romano Duo on their way to see Heather Schutzler and Brian Schutzler in Washington. They’ll be back here next week! Happy Thomas and Lillian!!!! xoxo
Sautéed onion, garlic, and potato salad with beets, cashews, raw pecans (from a Mississippi pecan tree – courtesy of The Romano Duo), raw sunflower seeds, sulfur-free dried apricots, sautéed broccoli, chopped pickle, olives, English cucumber, sprinkle of prairie sunset cheese topped with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. Potato mixture sautéed in coconut oil, Himalayan pink salt, black pepper, paprika, chili powder, and ginger.
Yum!!!!
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December 16 2016:
Yum, Yum dinner last night!! Mixed mine with romaine lettuce, pickles, beets, English cucumbers, and aged balsamic. Thomas had his sans the salad.
Sautéed sweet onions, garlic, raw pecans, raw pistachios, and raw sunflower seeds in coconut oil with Himalayan pink salt, black pepper, and ginger. Mixing in gluten free Tinkada pasta and sprinkled with Prairie cheese.
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And then there was this ….
Vegetarian chili infused with fresh sage ….. With sautéed sweet onions and garlic, big pinch of unsweetened cocoa, dash of aged balsamic vinegar, Himalayan pink salt, black pepper, chili powder, paprika, and ground ginger. Needed quick so used 2 cans of Trader Joe’s organic vegetarian chili and 2 cans of fire roasted and diced tomatoes.
And …. it is soooooo good!! xoxo
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December 17 2016:
Finally took time today to get caught up on some “love” details.
We had a party, cake, and gifts for Lillian’s birthday in September; yet, I had not made her card. I also finally made Thomas’ 11th birthday poster for his November birthday.
I love making homemade cards …. xoxo …. 💙💚💜
