Thankful on a Thursday: real love

Real romantic love looks so much smaller than what is portrayed on your tv or the big screen, but it's so much bigger. It's bigger than candlelight, flowers, jewelry, poetry, music or even public displays and  dynamic gestures.

Authentic love is personal, deep, moving. It's things that look trivial or seem normal to onlookers but often means the world to two people.

This morning I started out the day in a hurry. Ben and I decided to get a little more snuggle time in but fell back asleep and woke up late. I forgot how nice it felt to relax in his arms because I was too busy trying to get stuff together for Malakai and I to be away from the house for the next 8 hours (diapers, extra clothes, breast pump + all it's coordinating pieces, bottle, milk, snacks, lunch, laptop, wipes, bib, bowl, spoon, fork, cup...). 

On the drive to work this morning, a young girl pulled out almost into our car. I honked but instead of stopping or even LOOKING she just kept going forcing me to slam on my brakes. I was furious, and even more so when I noticed she was applying her makeup while driving. I resisted the overwhelming urge to get out of my car at the stop light and knock on her window to give her a piece of my mind, or to gently tap her bumper to give her a scare. 

Where do uncharacteristic thoughts like that come from? Oh, that's right. The enemy. The devil, who if we forget he exists, delights in our ignorance. 

Once I got to the apartment (late) to watch Henry I thought things would calm down. Then I realized I forgot my breakfast, the stroller wasn't in the car for later, and I forgot my power cable. I vented all of this to my husband over text, he's a good listener and always makes me feel better but I was still grumpy about my situation. I tried to get over the things that had passed, but my stomach was growling I kept dreading having to tote Malakai on my hip along with his diaper bag and cooler across campus to see my sister.

About an hour later I was trying to quiet my unusually crabby son when my phone buzzed and then there was a knock at the door. Since I wasn't at my own home and I was alone with two babies, I wasn't planning on answering. I checked my phone and Ben had texted "Get the door?" 

There he was standing in the hall holding coffee, a scone, and the stroller. My heart fluttered. It wasn't your typical romantic scene, but this was a gesture of authentic love and I've never found him sexier than in that moment.

He had borrowed his co-workers car whom he carpools with when I work to get all the things I needed. Best of all Malakai was instantly in a better mood just getting to see his daddy for a few minutes and he's now snoozing away peacefully. My hero!

So today, it's obvious what I'm thankful for.

91. Ben.

92. God's peace in times of stress.

93. coffee + orange-cranberry scones
 















94. Sun breaks on cloudy days.

95. my stylist offering a free cut + style, it's been over a year!

96. sleepin' babies.

97. our house beginning to feel like home.

98. naps.

99. lunch dates with my sister + mom

100. happy babies.