My Valentine

My Sweetest Daryn,
You asked me 12 years ago today to marry you.
Wow. I mean, wow.
Is it as unbelievable to you how fast these years have flown as it is to me? It's hard to even remember what our lives were like back then, remodeling the house, you in graduate school--full time and working full time too. But when I think back on it, it makes me smile. We had so much fun. Um, it seems like we also had alot more time. I feel like we sometimes went to two movies a weekend. Can you even imagine two movies in a weekend? We are lucky now if we see two movies a year (animated kid flicks not withstanding). But I wouldn't trade that time for anything, and I wouldn't trade this time for anything either.
I love you more now than I did 12 years ago. I love you with a better understanding now, at least I think I do. I love the man that you are, with your foibles and imperfections and your huge and sensitive heart. I love your willingness to do whatever you have to for the four of us. I love that you still love me.
You are amazing, my sweet husband.
Will you be my Valentine? Forever?
XOXO
ae

Be still my heart...

Ok, I'm not really obsessed with the sky outside my breakfast table. But seriously. How can you NOT take a picture when the sky in the morning looks like this. There I am eating my bagel and strawberry cream cheese, and the sky is pink. And for a girl like me, that is a sign of a great day to come! (I'm totally changing my coloring strategy in coloring books from now on. Clouds forever after shall be pink.)



And this beautiful sight is inside. A giggly boy getting kisses from his daddy.
Be still my heart...

Hammer and Nails

Ok, so you two have been playing outside alot the past few weeks. No, you have been playing outside ALOT. I think this is wonderful, it is what little boys do in my imagination. They run and race and chase and ride bikes and race little cars down steep driveways and climb into drainage ditches and get dirty and stinky........and you have been doing all these things with aplumb! So yesterday, the idea came about to build a go-cart....how these ideas get started I will never know. We settled for just practicing with a hammer and nails (I think you might need a plan to build a go-cart. And wheels. I'm just sayin'). So Jakey started to help Nick (notice the size of his hammer).

Apparently, it's a man-thing. Because if you can't solve your problem with your current hammer....you just get a bigger one.

There is something about trying to stand on the sidelines while your children have hammers, and ideas. Trying to balance the urge to scream "WATCH YOUR FINGERS" with this little heartswell of pride that your sons are adventurers--wild at heart--builders and foragers and dreamers.

There is something honest and true about a hammer and nails...didn't I read once that Jesus was a carpenter....