Happy Monthversary

 

Happy Monthversary, Love! Today is our 1st month anniversary living together. Kind of one of those you imagine, fantasize about, and reality has been that and so much more!

Simply put, I could not have found a better partner to share life with. He is truly my Boaz and a million times worth the wait! 

I love that he is the last person I see and kiss and feel at night. I love that I sleep better than I can ever remember knowing he is next to me and I love waking up laughing at something completely ridiculous he says the moment I wake up! 

I love knowing at the end of busy days, he's who I am coming home to. I love that when I walk in the door, the dishes are put away or washed. Does he know I loathe putting away dishes? I laugh because he never knows when they are clean or needing washed, because I scrub them clean before I wash them.

We are kind, loving, thoughtful, and highly considerate of one another and he adds to my life in so many ways I didn't expect. 

This month passed by seamlessly and in a blink! 

He is an excellent cook and of course I am beyond thrilled to come home and a homemade dinner is fresh prepared and ready. I wasn't fully aware how good he is in the kitchen. What a wonderful suprise!  On Thanksgiving Eve, we cooked side by side for his family coming over, he lacks in nothing. Thanksgiving Day was at my mom & dad's with everyone together. 

I am rich, blessed, and highly favored. I am rich in every way that money cannot buy and blessed I am comfortable as well. I take nothing for granted. I look back and see the road that brought me here and I know, I know, I know what I have with David and I am grateful.

Nostalgia

 

Paying bills this morning and putting my utility bills in a drawer, the drawer for the first time wouldn't shut. Pulling the drawer out, I found a Valentine's card from my grandmother dated 2013, that somehow slipped under the drawer and decided to make itself known.

Nostalgia fills my mind. She always sent me cards and handwritten notes. There is something so special about a handwritten note, which truly is a lost art. Email and texts are quick and easy, but a handwritten note from my grandmother in her handwriting is special. 

She always dated her cards and I never really understood why. Now, I get it. 

Her letter shared snippets of details and at the end she wrote, "I do enjoy you coming to visit." She loved my driving to see her in the mountains. I can imagine how wonderful I would feel if I was 80 years old, like her at the time, and one of my grandchildren pulled in my driveway to spend a couple days with me. She would greet me on the front porch and laugh in delight when I pulled in. I can only imagine. 

ON THIS DAY: 10 years ago, on Facebook was a post I made:

Life flows along normally... All it takes is

one moment, one day, one phone call

and everything changes forever. *Please 

keep my Mariah in your prayers.

I cannot believe it's been 10 years today since the phone call came. Eric said he needed to talk to me, his test results are in. I remember sitting down in the chair in my living room, when he said he has ALS. I hadn't heard of it, "What is that?" He said it was terminal. 

We were one month away from the 1st anniversary of Brooke's dad's death, when this second blow hit. 

Life is but a vapor. Some seasons seem to last forever and some slip by in a blink. 

A quick conversation with Mariah acknowledging the date. It's important to me that my girls know I am aware of dates. I never want them to feel they are alone in there thoughts. I was there, too. 

One take away from today, I will begin dating my cards. How I would love for my grandbabies to find a card from me one day, many years after I am gone, and them simply remember me and smile. 

Kindness Matters

 

               

My babies waking up one by one, their sleepy faces, morning snuggles, and I had time snuggling, rocking, and talking softly to each of them. It's not that easy when they are all awake. 

It was my day off and my day completely open, which made for a perfect date date with my Sofia. She said, "mY fAvOrItE tHiNg iS hAvInG a dAtE dAy wItH yOu!" It was that moment we just got in the car and she knew she had my undivided attention, a full day ahead of us, and she reminded me that it's her date day, she's the boss, and picks when and how we do things.

Little Miss Determined knows exactly what she likes and wants to do, very clearly communicates it, no question there. I love her mind, her heart, seeing life through her eyes, and sharing life with her. 

It was a very busy, action packed day and before I took her home, we baked cookies. She told me Miss Joann, their elderly neighbor at their former house, her husband Paul died, is in heaven and Miss Joann is very sad. We baked cookies, put them on a pretty glass decorative plate, and knocked on her door.

Miss Joann was delighted to see sweet, little Sofia. In the way that an elderly person is who doesn't get much company and is lonely. We stepped in her door and she happily asked about everyone, especially our new little Claire. 

A plate full of chocolate chip cookies on a pretty glass plate, a quick visit, and we wished her Happy Thanksgiving. I love Sofia's heart and of all things we teach our children, kindness matters. 

All Our Babies Together

 

We had talked about it for a long time, what it would be like to get all our babies together... and we did.

Claire and Emmy are two weeks apart. Addison and Sofia are one year apart with the same personality, and then there is sweet Rowan who was crazy about David's Brooke. We both have a Brooke. 

Our families meeting, our own children + spouses meeting, our beloved grandbabies meeting, and our Sue's meeting, it was quite the happy birthday celebration success for David. 

Happy Birthday(s)

 

Closing on his home, fully moved in, buying a new home, a move right before Christmas, our schedules, then four birthdays within a week with several individual celebrations, our families meeting for the first time, time change, then changing our mind on the new home, life calls for a big slow down.

Wednesday was my handsome Scorpio's birthday and we went to a fabulous restaurant that is built on the side of a cliff overlooking the water. It was quiet, relaxing, and he was wow'd! Both of us tried swordfish for the first time and it was perfect slipping out of town, even if for the evening, just him and I. 

I'm glad we are not moving before Christmas. The thought of moving all his stuff again, packing up my home, it would have been Christmas chaos. We changed our minds for a couple of reasons and are at peace with it. There's no rush. 

The weather is ready to crap out and get cold, but with yesterday being 67 degrees, we planned a day off together, loaded up our bikes and biked the towpath. Being in nature and getting exercise was more than needed. He likes his new bike. Happy birthday, Love! 

Worth the Wait

It's been a really busy week. we started off the move with him in a fever and sick, then our all over the place work schedules, days worth of packing boxes, moving boxes, and finding space in my home. Movers moving the big stuff, and my relief we not only puzzled it in my house, but aesthetically it still looks good. 

The basement is packed with a mountain of things. Basically, we have 5,000 sq. feet between two homes into 2,000 sq. feet and a basement. My mom and dad's basement is filled, too. We thought downsizing to buying or building 1,800 sq. feet, open floor plan sounds ideal, perhaps after a major purge. 

We are making decisions as we go in our pace. 

I love having him here. I love knowing no matter how conflicting our schedules are, at night we are sleeping together. 

Our mornings start off laughing out loud before we are even out of bed. He is hysterically funny and lavishly showers me with affection, words of affirmations, and laughter. I never know what he is going to come up with, but he always surprises me with something wildly funny and laughing out loud before your feet hit the floor is good for the soul!

I'm happy. Really happy. He is so, so, so, so worth the wait. 

 

The Scent of a Man

 

My home is very feminine and now it smells like the scent of a man. His clothes put away, I can smell him when I walk up the stairs and in the bedroom. 

Putting away his clothes, I forgot I used to like doing a man's laundry, as odd as that sounds. I don't know why, I just do. 

All the little things are moved in, now the movers need to move the big stuff. 

My girlfriends have been calling and checking on me often. Anyone who really knows me, knows this is huge. There are many on the sidelines who must not believe I am capable of this, because I've chosen independence for so, so long. He is my best friend, he is my love, and I cannot wait to share life with him.

My house is quiet for the moment and I am content in the stillness knowing we are only days away from David being fully and officially moved in. 

He and his presence is intoxicating and I am ready!