almost one

oh dear, i'm afraid i'm head over heels.

Feeling blessed to be married to my best friend.

Just returned from Nashville where we bought a sports car I mean, we bought tickets to the Kentucky games. We had a wonderful time! Perhaps more important to note...the fact that I left the children for the first time and went out of town! I left them here with my mom so I wasn't worried (about anything but her sanity!) but I still had moments of Empty Arms Syndrome! The first night we arrived, we were having a quiet, romantic dinner (two adjectives I haven't used in a while) and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a lady doing the violent knee bounce with her 8 month old...trying very hard to enjoy herself, eat her steak before it turned to ice, and have a conversation with her husband...all the while trying to keep her baby boy from ripping the tablecloth off and ending the date. At once, I felt both relieved to be enjoying some time away and also out of place being without my babies. As we walked back to our room that night, we saw a room service pizza box outside someone's hotel door with a crayola masterpiece on the top of the box and we immediately smiled that "we miss the kids" smile. (And then we proceeded to sleep soundly and HARD for quite a few hours straight...which made us smile, too!) We stayed at the Opryland Hotel...which is now one of my favorite spots on the earth. It is similar to a cruise ship in that everything is under one roof...and that suits me just perfectly. We will take the kids back in a few months.
As for the Cats...what can we say? Saturday's game was tons of fun. It was the first one I had been to in several years and we had fantastic seats. I do not have the words for Sunday's game....it was so so much fun. The arena was deafening and the energy inside was unreal. Each time I looked over to give Tommy a high five, he had chills! Is that a true sports fan, or what? No chills for me...but a sore throat and sore muscles from the screaming and jumping. The girl in front of us had a sign that read "CALL ME, COUSINS!" And I am still laughing about that. Happy to be a part of such a state-wide tradition. Happy to love the state in which I live.
Very, very happy to have spent a weekend with my best friend.

**Thanks for the grandbaby-sitting, Mom. We owe you!**

mine

I love the way you start every sentence with "Mommy..." and end it with "Mommy." As in..."Mommy, can you hold me, Mommy?"
{And seriously, yes, yes I will. For the rest of your life.}
I love your wit and sense of humor. You are so funny. It's in your genes. Your father is the funniest guy I know.
I love your hair {even though it is what makes you look so much like a big girl.} When it's wet, it goes all the way down your back.
I love the way your eyebrows move up and down when you talk about something secretive.
I love that your teachers at school love you.
I love that when I pick you up from school, you run to me like we have been apart for weeks.
I love that you are mine.
Mine to be proud of.
Mine to pray for.
Mine to dress up.
Mine to kiss.
Mine to snuggle.
Mine to care for.
Mine to shop for.
Mine to surprise.
Mine to make things for.
Mine to hold hands with.

You are mine...and I love you more than you know.