A Year of Dates: Where we began

You didn't think we skipped a month did you? It was a little tricky to find the free time to get away since Ryan is gone during the week and wants to see the kids on the weekends, but we did manage to find 2 hours to take for ourselves. 

So, what was on the docket in April...

April is our dateiversary which was 16 years ago!!! I still even have the dress I wore for that first date and posted this pic on April 6 with this caption:

16 years ago, I put on this dress with some killer doc marten sandals, some too dark lipstick and gold hoop earrings. A boy came over to pick me up in his jeep with the top down and doors off. I split my dress trying to get in (bc he clearly had lifted tires), my hair was a mess by the time we got to the restaurant and he had a horrible case of poison ivy on his eye. We were a mess sitting there eating our fancy salads and crazy entrees but we stuck with each other. We are still a mess. That dress quit fitting 3 kids ago. That jeep is rusting away in the driveway. And I've sadly said goodbye to those sandals. But we keep sticking and who knows maybe in 16 more years that dress may fit again.

And then for date night... I did the unthinkable...I put the dress on. And it zipped. Y'all.

IT ZIPPED.

#butletsnotdiscusswhatsundertheshirt

And no I didn't actually wear it out 

#becauselookatthatslit

#thankyoujeep

But we did head out on a date. 

We enjoyed a meal free of wiping other people's faces or telling anyone to eat. We people watched and talked about all the couples missing out on each other by staring at their phones and just enjoyed a couple of hours to ourself. 

At the place it all began.

I love that my last first date was with this man and that all my dates here after are reserved just for him.

Tiny Tales Thursday...

Dear Lord -

Thank you for this beautiful day. And weather. And Miss Tori coming to visit and bringing me baby Ryderrrr. Thank you for me reading and being smart even though mommy kept trying to help me with the words and I knew them and she kept talking when I didn't want her to because I remembered my site words. It was annoying but I didn't yell at her. Even though she talked when I didn't want her to. Thank you for books. And Radley. And Landry.

Amen.

Actual prayer from Emersyn King, age 4.

Then and Now...

This could be a post all about how it used to be when I was a kid. A post that provided every tiny detail of what Field Day used to be.

A post about how we had matching shirts, ran real races (and not silly water games), COMPETED to WIN (and not just have fun) and spent all day at the high school track.

Yes, it could be a post about how much greater we had it as kids and how hard it is to parent in a world that protects them, shields them and at times feels like steals the joy of childhood away.

But this isn't that post. 

THIS post is about how much fun he has. How much he loves what he gets to do, the games he gets to play and the memories he makes with his friends.

This post is about the silly jokes he makes with his friends and the way he can't wait to tell us about his day.

This post is about the blessing you get as parents to watch them live the moments that they will talk about with their kids. 

This post is about him.

And the joy that he brings to me.