Real Life Date Night.

It's an autumn-cold morning. You know the kind. You need a sweatshirt but you like the bite of the floor as you wake up and feel the chill. As I sit and drink my Starbucks coffee [that the mailman talked me into buying even though it was too expensive]-I am so thankful for everything I woke up to. Mabel on my left side. Nora crawled in to tuck tightly on my right. And then I snuck out of bed to meet the redheaded boy in the hallway so he wouldn't wake up my girls. I spent time relishing him as we cuddled under his Bob the Builder comforter early in the day and I watched his soft, little hands rub his blanket's edge. I purposed myself to remember those precious hands so that when he is grown I will know the joy he brought me in this moment.

Yesterday was a perfect day. It was a rough morning with the kids but all of that faded when Daniel called to tell me some great news. More on that soon to come!

We decided to take the opportunity and celebrate so we asked MeMe to watch the redheads and daddy took Mabel & I out on our first date since she was born!

There was nothing about yesterday that wasn't wonderful. Mabel looked beautiful as she kept her big eyes on me during dinner. Daniel said I act like a first time mom-whipping out my phone and snapping pictures at every chance. Let me just clarify: There is something about Mabel that makes me feel like a first time mom again...in the best of ways.

I ate my dinner with her laying across my lap and I could feel the warmth of her newborn body making me feel alive. Something about the day was etching inside of me this feeling of complete joy.


We stopped by Target to look at Halloween costumes and to get the redheads a couple of toys. It's amazing how much we miss them after just a couple of hours. It excites us to bring them home something that we know they will enjoy.


Seeing my husband with a new baby still amazes me. He's such a good dad and I just can't believe how much I'm in love with him sometimes. And I'm incredibly proud of him.
As we were driving he smirked and said, "You make me feel so young..."
Fall is our love season, remember?
Jeni warned us publicly on my facebook wall not to celebrate too much since it is fall and all. [thanks, love.] I reassured her that with a screaming newborn, there wouldn't be much celebrating past the Starbucks. A night out is exhausting, by the way.


When I came home and was putting brother to bed I started our normal routine.
"Ok, lay down. Cover up. Hold my hand so we can pray. Ok buddy put your binky in. Now give me a hug and a kiss."
It was then that his hand met his forehead and he said to me, "Ugh mom...I can't do all of this!"
I laid my head next to his and laughed and laughed.


The other day I was asking Nora to talk to Aunt Rachel on the phone. She recited her Bible verse among other things but when I started asking her simple questions she started to get silly with her answers. When I said, "What's daddy's name?" she answered, "Daddy Larson," and giggled. I said, "Nora, what is daddy's name. What does mommy call him?"
she replied confidently, "Babe."...
It probably wouldn't have been half as funny or cute if Rachel wouldn't have pointed out years ago that us calling one another 'Babe' was one of the first things she noticed about our relationship. Even since we had the kids, we call them 'babe.' People have all kinds of loving names for one another and obviously ours is noticed by everyone. It was so cute and I never want to forget it.


Our tire blew out on the van yesterday. That was one downfall considering I'll have to spend the money for a new one today. But I really didn't even notice or remember that it had happened. Sometimes the enemy is sneaky and he gets desperate. I mean after everything that God did for us, the only thing left for the devil to do was to try and discourage us with a blown out tire?
Hmm.


Apple N' Pork is today and then we have Grandma & Grandpa's annual wiener roast tonight! Fall has arrived and as always, I feel more in love than ever. I am thankful for these days. I am thankful for this time. The years are flashing by but moment to moment I pray that my embrace will hold and I can grasp the importance of the now.


8:15 am.
Let the day begin.