Friday Friend or Family Feature...

Today's Feature is...


Marc !



You have already met Marc. He is married to Heather. Their daughter is Neve. They are our best friends in the world. We are Neve's godparents. I have mentioned how we met, but here is a short recap. Steven lived in the guest house of Heather and Marc's main house in New Mexico. They shared a courtyard. They were fast friends. It is fitting that I write this now, Steven has just flown to meet Marc HERE.

Yep, they are going to spend three days in the sun watching motorcycles go around in circles. Why this is interesting, I don't know. I am just so relieved that neither one of them ride motorcycles anymore. That is a hobby that they both enjoyed until Heather and I broke them of the habit. They both begrudgingly sold their bikes and settled down. Now they like cars...



Marc is REALLY into cars and REALLY into E-Bay.(Remember when Heather auctioned off some of her paintings because she wanted to contribute to our adoption? Marc facilitated the entire auction on E-Bay). Every once in a while we will get a phone call, "Hey guys, I am coming to town...picked up a '67 Jaguar on Ebay...good project car." Sometimes Heather will have to pick him up halfway home when something the previous owner failed to mention comes to the surface.

Marc is a very successful architect. He works for a company that specializes in green building. He gets really excited about projects like this. This is a design that fills him with much pride. Here is more info about it. There are other things he has to do as an architect that make him feel terrible. For instance, he just helped a couple design a bathroom that includes a $ 20,ooo toilet. Yep, you read me correctly. The couple wanted this toilet that requires no toilet paper. Please don't ask me how it works. I would really prefer not to describe it. This kind of excessive consumerism really rubs Marc the wrong way.

Marc has a sense of humor that is hard to explain. Some may call it plebeian, or even scatological. The truth is there are very few people who make me laugh so hard that I spit water out of my mouth. Sometimes in life you need one of Marc's stories to get through the day.


Marc also has an amazing ability. He says what everyone else is thinking, but is afraid to say. He just puts it out there. Many times this will illicit a, "MARC!!!" from Heather. It is one of the cool things about their relationship. Heather knows when to not say something, and Marc will say what needs to be said when no one else will.



I feel very lucky to have a friend like Marc. I feel that there is nothing he wouldn't do for me. Marc is family. He and Heather are probably the only two people I feel completely comfortable with. I mean the kind of at home, by yourselves, comfortable. If you are upset, need to cry, feel like venting, it is okay. Go ahead.

This is a picture of Marc and me on his couch. (You may notice that Ted has his leash on. That is because we practice attachment parenting with him.) I had just had a sauna. They designed an authentic Finnish sauna in their house. It is amazing.



There is very little in life that can't be fixed with a sauna and a sangria at Marc and Heather's house.

There are always dogs...



Lots of dogs...


And now there is a child; a beautiful, smart, funny, mischievous child...

Marc is a great father. He and Neve go on adventures every weekend so that mom can paint.



How will my adoption impact Marc?

Marc was there when Steven and I first met. He has seen every single stage of our relationship. He and Heather watched us fall in love. They have emotionally supported us through some very trying times.

You know who is really going to appreciate Marc unique sense of humor? Two small toddlers! They love poop jokes! It is what they live for. No seriously, I will be proud to introduce my kids to someone whose only t.v. looks like this...

(Can you even see it? It is that minuscule thing between the books and the fireplace.)

Marc will be an integral part of our children's lives.

Marc just designed a house for my parents. These were the preliminary sketches...
This house, designed by Marc, will belong to my kids' American Nana and Papa. In this house our kids will learn many important things. They will learn that one of the most beautiful places in the entire world is New Mexico. They will smell pinon burning in the kiva fireplace. They will see unbelievable sunsets through the carefully positioned windows. The will eat green chile in the kitchen. They will learn the magical, medicinal powers of a Finnish sauna. (Well, actually a steam unit but close enough.)

At this house, or at Marc and Heather's house, or maybe even on one of the hiking trails in the Santa Fe forest, our kids will learn the most important thing of all...

What it means to be a friend.

Thanks Marc. I love you.

Have a great weekend with my husband. He's pretty good company, BUT PLEASE NO MOTORCYCLE RIDING!