So yesterday afternoon, my Gdawg stuffed a nerf gun, a birthday present and a ball cap in his back pack…along with a small piece of his Lola’s heart…and hopped on his bike to ride four blocks up the way to a birthday party.
All by himself.
Four long blocks where you turn corners and are out of sight from the woman who used to rock you til you fell asleep and then wouldn’t put you down because she knew this day would come.
I went back in and put his little sister to her nap…and I may have held her a little longer than I needed to.
Then I went and put Joely Bear down and I spent some extra time watching his chest rise and fall and those lashes that go on for days rest on his chubby cheeks.
And finally I went down and sat extra close the one who tries so hard to keep up with and outdo, whenever possible, the kiddo who was running around in some yard four blocks away with about ten thousand angels surrounding him…if God answered all my prayers.
So all you mommies and daddies…grandma’s and grandpa’s….don’t blink.
Don’t miss a minute.
Soak in the every day’s because…
it is in the ordinary that God pours out His richest treasures <3
We celebrated someone’s birthday this weekend with great joy and lots of personality.
With the help of these three…
and the original three R’s…
we gathered in Kansas City and took Papi to the stadium he and his family would visit as children.
The youngest of us helped make his favorite cake before we left…
I decorated it in retro style from his 35th…
because apparently I have always had a flair for cake decorating…
plus the kids wanted to do a reenactment photo and …
which brought me so much joy and laughter…I can’t even capture my heart with a thousand words or pictures or happy tears, though believe me…I have tried.
So today I am led to do one of those number things because I think they are fun to read so I hope you agree because that’s what I have for you today.
38
The number of years since this one and I covenanted to love each other for better or worse, and so far the worst hasn’t really been too bad at all and the better just keeps getting better.
0
The number of times we stayed up late talking and while I hear of couples doing this, I am totally fine with the fact that we talk in shorter increments of moments. Also, I out talk him by a long shot and even I get tired of hearing me ramble on so it’s all good.
8
The number of homes we have lived in, starting with our little apartment and ending here in a ranch style that I fought tooth and nail because I love traditional two stories and now thank God every day for the ease of getting to live on one level.
5
The number of months we dated before we knew we would be miserable until we could be married.
11
The number of months we were miserable until we got married.
1
A great podcast I listened to yesterday https://thewarriorshe.com/5-vital-virtues-warrior-wife/ that made me cry because she talked about how our spouse should be our “battle buddy” and that’s what this guy has been….for all of us under his love and care.
Even though, lately he seems to have eyes for a younger woman…
The original plan was that I would go to spend Easter with John. Russ would attend church with Zach and Rachel and company and Tia would be in St. Louis.
I am usually not adaptable to plan changes, but this one…was so overwhelmingly precious I struggle to even put into words.
Oh yeah…it was hectic…
and done our way…which is anything but quiet and calm.
Some of us flew for the first time…
and while we loved some parts…
take off’s and landings may have guaranteed we will be traveling by land for the next few years.
Or decades.
Uncle John took us to a dinosaur park..
The Zoo…
We nabbed Tia from the airport …
Hit up the children’s museum…
Got in each other’s personal space…
visited Uncle John’s apartment…
Took as many group pictures as time and personalities would allow…
We had a whirlwind weekend full of a church conference, an impromptu afternoon with our kiddos dropping by and a trip to Chicago yesterday.
The Intentional Church Conference offered some great insight into the challenges we who profess to follow Christ are facing in the rapidly changing culture of today.
The kids were full of energy which meant much bike riding, ball throwing and bucket carrying.
And the trip to Chicago was where Russ fulfilled some more of his “for better or worse” commitments and drove me to the Spring Stylemax at the Merchandise Mart so I could order the rest of spring and summer clothing for Tournesol.
I want to give you a few takeaways from the conference in tomorrow’s post so you have that to look forward to.
The pics scattered throughout the post catch you up on some of the fun we had with that little crew of loveliness.
And to sum up our trip to Chicago…
<3 I will take the concept of four cars ahead of me at the traffic light being rush hour EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. of my life, please and thank you.
<3 If I ever wonder what my face would look like at a hardware store convention, I have seen it mirrored on my dear husband as he found benches to sit on and marveled at the sights that are the world of fashion.
<3 I am beyond thankful for that man because he allowed me an opportunity at this age and stage in my life and encouraged me to pursue something that I always held in a spot tucked away in my heart filed under impossible dreams.
<3 We drove home alongside the edge of a pretty serious storm. On one side of the highway was clear skies and a bright sunset and on the other side was the darkest, heavy cloud. Rain was pounding down on us even though the light of the sun was pouring in through the passenger side of the car.
As we outdrove the front, off to the side where the storm was, there was the most vivid rainbow I have ever seen. I was driving or you would have a pic, but the light of it caught my eye.
I am not exaggerating – the bottom of the bow was visible on the field right outside my window.
I have never seen a rainbow that close or that tangible.
I pray today whatever storms you are on the edge of or in the middle of, you experience the tangible proof that your God is WITH YOU and I pray He delights you and I pray that you worship Him when He does that incredible thing that affirms His Presence and His Promise FOR YOU!!!!!
