decade
Not talkin’ ‘bout a year
No not three or four
I don’t want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you
People spend so much time
every single day
Runnin’ ‘round all over town
givin’ their forever away
But no not me
I won’t let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you
Like a handless clock with numbers
an infinite of time
No, not the forever found
Only in the mind
Forever always seems
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems
to be around when things end
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you
The song that was playing when I walked towards you on the beach 10 years ago today.
Ten years of marriage. A decade. Unreal.
Happy 10 years. I love you forever.
Quinn,
This past Saturday, your daddy gifted me with my very first surprise birthday party. It was on a rainy night in Center City when I thought we were just going out to a casual dinner with Mike and Scott. It was also on a totally unexpected year. (Who has surprise parties when they turn 37?)
While not all our friends could make it on this stormy night, it was truly a great surprise and a very fun evening filled with good people, good food and tequila. I feel extremely special and truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and a husband who loves me so much, that he wants to surprise me on a random birthday (not just the big ones).
If there is anything I can teach you in life, it’s to surround yourself with people who want to make you feel special on the random birthdays. Not just a life partner, but also your friends. It’s the best decision you will ever make for yourself. Good love + good friends = a wonderful life.
Jeremy,
You are my dearest love, my best friend and the one I want to share my life with. I promise to listen to you, encourage you, comfort you, and celebrate all of your successes as well as the ones we will share together. I do not fear the obstacles we face because I know I have your strength beside me. I look forward to uniting our families and I promise to love and honor Dakota as a son and also a friend. I will be faithful to you all of my days, will be honest with you always and will cherish and adore you every moment of my life. You will always be my husband and my greatest treasure.
Nine years later, I still mean every word.
I love you.
Today, daycare was closed so I took a day off to spend the day with my girl.
We ran some errands, did a ton of gardening, ran more errands, went on a long walk, spent some time at a playground and then randomly decided to go for dinner, just the two of us, in a restaurant. I can’t believe we have never done that before. It was fun to have a girls day together. It was fun to have a dinner together at a decent restaurant. I can’t wait to make it a more regular tradition.
My favorite part of the day though? The 4-5 times you ran up to me to tell me that you loved me for no reason. This has never happened before unless I asked you to tell me (begging for love, I’m not too proud to admit it). Of all the habits you seem to pick up every day, this one is clearly the best.
I’m reblogging this so I can show it to Quinn later. Happy Valentines Day!
Elmo learns the meaning of love from Winston the beluga whale.
Oh my goodness.
You literally would not believe how many times I hear the word “Elmo” every day.
Some days are better than others, even though you can’t put your finger on why that might be.
At work today, you and Daddy Skyped me from home. We hadn’t Skyped in awhile and when you saw me on the screen, you got all excited and screamed, “Moooommmmaaa!!!” Then we spent the next few minutes giggling and pretending to give kisses to each other on the computer.
Tonight, you guys picked me up from the train and brought me home. Then, you and I took a long walk outside around the neighborhood while daddy stayed home and made us dinner.
We strolled slowly, holding hands tightly the entire way. We stopped to chat with neighbors and pick some flowers. I sang you the “Alphabet Song” while you mumbled incoherently to the melody. I sang you “Old McDonald” while you answered correctly every time I asked you what a specific animal says.
Me: “What does a cow say?”
You: “mooooooooo”
Me: “What does a dog say?”
You: “wwwooooof, woof, wuff”
We sat on the stoop of a neighbor’s house and watched cars drive by. Every time one would pass, you would look at me with a surprised look on your face and say, “Whoooaaah!”
I asked you if you wanted to go see daddy. You nodded your head yes and we were on our way home.
We came home and you ate dinner. When daddy sneezed, you said “Bless you.” When did you learn how to say that? After dinner, you danced with daddy around the dining room and later, I read you The Ear Book-three times. It’s one of your favorites.
We skipped the bath tonight because we were just having so much fun together. Also, for once you weren’t completely filthy-a miracle, I know. Sometimes, it ok to skip tubby time for a few extra minutes of play time.
The night was really no different than most other evenings in our house: I get home from work, we hang out, you eat, we play, you go to bed. But something about this night…the normalcy of it, the simplicity of it, everything about it, just made me extremely happy for some reason.
I love you kiddo. And from what you told me over and over again tonight, you love me too. So happy you finally learned how to say that. :)
Photo 20 | A photo of the person you love June 27, 2011
I love that Old Navy is doing this.
Hopefully, when Quinn is my age, loving whomever you want will be completely acceptable and no big deal. Until then, we can only hope.
And Quinny can wear this awfully cute t-shirt to show her support.
last night…
…you softly patted my face as I rocked you until you fell asleep. Right before your eyes shut, you looked up at me and leaned up with puckered lips to give me a kiss.
Just for the record, I like this better than when you slap me in the face when I try to kiss you.
Much love…
My funny Valentine.
No words.
All of my love.
I can’t even explain the amount of love I feel when I look at this.
our moment
Tonight, after a thunderstorm swept through the city, the temperatures dropped from the upper 90’s to the low 70’s. It was a much welcome break from weeks worth of record-high temperatures. Your daddy and I decided to seize the moment and take you for a short stroll around the neighborhood before bathtime and bed.
As we walked around I held you closely against my chest. Normally, I hold you high over my shoulder so you can watch the world pass us by as we walk. But tonight, I held you lower. It was Sunday night and in the morning, I would be off for another long week away from you at work. I didn’t want to just carry you, I wanted to hug you. I wanted to snuggle you.
You’re not much of a snuggler unless it’s first thing in the morning after you eat and we are hanging out on your rocker. And even then, it’s not so much snuggling as it is you and I hanging out together and having fun while you lounge on my lap.
But tonight, as we walked along the neighborhood in the beautiful weather, you wrapped your tiny arms around my shoulders, turned your head to the side, pressed it against my chest and nuzzled your head up under my chin. And you stayed there, nuzzled into me, for the rest of our walk.
It wasn’t a fleeting moment where you accidentally plopped down on me because you were tired and ended up staying because you were too lazy to move. And for once, you weren’t just nuzzling into me to rub your eyes because you’re about the fall asleep.
You intentionally recognized me as someone who loves you and wants to protect you and you held onto me with a purpose. You wanted to hold me as much as I wanted to hold you.
And in that moment, and for the rest of the walk, I had my first real feelings of you as not just a tiny baby who doesn’t know what’s going on or who we are, but as our daughter. A daughter who recognizes her parents and is beginning to love them as much they love her.
It was without a doubt, one of the best moments of my life. Thank you for being a part of it.
