I just finished photographing the Ultra Orphan Conference for Centric Health Resources and boy did it ever make me thankful for my health and the health of my loved ones. A panel of patients dealing with rare illnesses talked at the conference about the struggles that they go through dealing with their illnesses when it comes to their health care. Things that I really never thought about before. I can’t imagine fighting for my life while at the same time trying to find doctors and providers that know about my disease and how to treat it. I can’t imagine fighting to gain access to the medications that I need and then trying to figure out how to pay for treatments and the slew of meds that I need to survive. I’ve heard the numbers before, but these individuals really put it in perspective and made it real. Imagine paying over $100,000 a year for one medication. What about $300,000 for one medication? Now think about taking 10 different medications or more to treat yourself. I really can’t imagine. Can you? You’d never know these individuals are living with these rare diseases and struggling with everything associated with their illnesses. They look like you and me. They are uplifting and inspiring. Thank goodness for the various organizations, companies and individuals who work hard to improve the quality of life for those who are living with various illnesses while helping provide therapeutic advancements these people deserve. I am so thankful for my health today and I only hope that I never learn, from first-hand experience, what it would be like to have that taken away.

My beloved espresso maker passed away this week. Very sad day for me, but I’m glad that I had ten years of blissful espresso, lattes and cappuccinos using that beauty of a machine. I placed an order for a new machine, but in the meantime, I’m enjoying coffee in my French Press. Yummy dark roasted beans {ground coarsely}, hot water, time, a stir and a plunge {pressing the grounds down} all in the sake of some good coffee. I’m so thankful for my French Press this week. Sure I could still make drip coffee in my regular coffee maker, but I really like some strong coffee in the morning and the ritual in making it. It may not produce my perfect cup of espresso, but I’m getting some great coffee and for that…I’m thankful!

We got new windows in our kitchen recently and our kitchen is getting a remodel very soon as well – all thanks to my handyman – my husband! Michael’s been enjoying woodworking since he was a kid and I get to reap the rewards of his labor of love. In college, he made me a bed frame that would lift my bed up and my desk would fit underneath since my room was super small and I had a full-sized bed. I was so surprised when he installed it for me and it looked like a beautiful bed frame I’d buy in a store – only much taller. The head & base boards had curves with nice double beveled edges. The bed posts were hand-carved and he painted it a shiny black to finish it off. Took my breath away. Certainly wasn’t the type of thing I saw in the dorm rooms that most college students used. The second thing he made me was a gorgeous coffee table. Again, I was in college and he thought my apartment could use something to fill out the living room. His inspiration was a coffee table we had seen at Pier One. His parents use the coffee table now, but it’s still as beautiful as the day he made it. Since then, he’s made numerous pieces of furniture for ourselves and the projects he’s done around our house are so many I can’t even count. Hardwood floors, new stairs, wood shop, finished basement, gutted bathrooms to make them completely new and our own, crown moulding, new baseboards, solid wood six paneled doors with shiny french hardware, the baby’s room including all the furniture, etc…  Then of course there are all the lil’ handyman projects around the place that he’s done that’s really saved us big time – garbage disposal goes out…no problem; backed up plumbing…don’t worry about it; heater starts pushing COLD air out…easy fix; and on and on and on. Our house has truly been transformed for the better because of him and I’m thankful every day for all that he does. Eventually we’ll leave our starter home and move on, which is very exciting to think about, but at the same time I know that I’ll be a bit sad to leave behind all the sweat that has gone into this place. I’m sure it’ll be even harder for him. So today…I just want to thank my dear husband for all of his hard work and for making our house truly OURS!

Last week, us Niemann’s headed off to Chicago for, what is now, our annual family vacation. Lily LOVES the Windy City and she’s been talking about going back there all year, so you can only imagine her excitement when she was packing for her trip! Unfortunately, our lil’ one was under the weather with a bad cold, so she wasn’t quite herself, but she was a trooper and had a great time. When we asked what her favorite things were about Chicago, she said that she liked Navy Pier, the beach, the buildings, traffic, the Disney Store and her new twinkle shoes. Michael and I also enjoyed those things, but we also savored the museums, parks, shopping, pizza at Gino’s East and our favorite German food at the Berghoff Restaurant. This time we stayed at the Swissotel that gave us beautiful views from our 18th floor room. Lily was a big fan of their swimming pool as well!

As a professional photographer, I decided to challenge myself and use only my old camera, ONE lens {35mm}, and one memory card {1GB} on this trip. GASP! This isn’t something that I’ve done before. I usually bring my favorite camera {or two}, a few lenses for all the situations that I think I’ll be in as well as a couple of 4GB memory cards. It was actually a bit liberating and allowed me to enjoy our family time that much more.  Sure, I missed a few shots here and there due to this choice, but as Lily would say, “No Biggie!”

Here are a few of photos from out trip! Enjoy!

The big challenge to get this image...making sure MY reflection didn't show.

Just a few details around Chicago that caught my eye.

The Chicago Theatre & our favorite restaurant - the Berghoff

Lily picked out this Minnie Mouse outfit at the Disney Store. She wore it a few hours every day.

We spent a lot of time at the Navy Pier.

Our Night Life

This was our view from our room of the Swissotel!

The other evening the weather cooled off enough for me to break out the red wine for my husband and I to enjoy with a lil’ bit of chocolate {we usually enjoy white wine in the hot summer months}. As I sipped that first bit of Zinfandel from my glass, a flood of memories came back to me. You see, Michael and I used to work at a wine store back in college where we had the privilege to learn about wine through wine tastings, dinners and other events. It was a lot of fun to figure out the different flavours and descriptors, but mainly it was the memories we were building and how we associate different wines with those moments. That bottle of shared Zinfandel wasn’t just a bottle of wine to us – it was the evening Michael proposed to me, the carriage ride we took on my birthday back in 1997, romantic dinners, cozy evenings in front of the fireplace, decorating our Chirstmas tree, toasts we’ve made around our dinner table, the bottle of wine we bought to celebrate our pregnancy that we couldn’t open until 10 months later, that first taste of wine after Lily was born, and deep talks where we discussed our past and how we imagined our future.

Michael and I have saved every cork from every bottle of wine and champagne that we’ve had since our wedding day. They fill vases around the house and every time I see them, I’m reminded of all the happy moments we’ve had since the day we said our vows to each other.  Some corks even have Michael’s handwritten notes on them about the date we drank the wine along with a quick sentiment about that moment in time. They are all cherished and great reminders of our lives together.

To us, our favorite wines aren’t dictated only through their balance, tannins and acidity, but also through the gift of  memories they give us – freezing moments in time – and giving us the opportunity to relive cherished moments through each sip. For this, I’m thankful!