I Will Not Take My Love Away Chapter 3: Colorado and a First Date

Chapter 1 Here

Chapter 2 Here

So there I was, a college Freshman, spending my days daydreaming about a guy I had never met in real life and my evenings glued to my computer screen hanging on the words he typed to me. I'd still only seen a small picture of him that my friend Tara had shown me and I am pretty sure he had never seen a single picture of me at this time. Crazy to think about it, but we had such a connection that it didn't even matter to us that we hadn't met. 

About two weeks into our friendship Shawn and a few of his guy friends packed up and drove to Colorado to go skiing. Neither Shawn nor I had a cell phone so we knew it would be really hard for us to keep in touch that week he was gone. I couldn't believe how much I missed our daily conversations on the computer and over the phone. I couldn't believe how much I missed him. 

One evening my dorm room phone rang and to my great surprise it was Shawn. He had borrowed one of the guys' cellphones to call me. The relief I felt in hearing his voice told me that maybe just maybe there was something real happening between us. We couldn't talk long because we were using the guy's minutes but every second was absolutely wonderful. I was giddy when I hung up the phone. Giddy! I might have squealed and ran to tell my roommates he had called. I mean, if a guy calls you from a ski trip in Colorado it has to be something, right?

It wasn't long before Tara was setting up our first date. It worked out that since both Tara and Shawn's parents still lived in Eldon that we would meet there. I would go home with Tara for the weekend and Shawn and I would go on a date that Friday night. He would take me back to Tara's and I'd spend the rest of the weekend at her house. I probably spent five hours trying to figure out what to wear for our first date. I vividly remember standing in my dorm room sifting through all my clothes until I found the perfect outfit. I ended up in my favorite jeans, a white tank top and white cardigan. It totally sounds boring right now, but in 2002 it was the height of fashion, ha! I think *gasp* I might have even worn white sandals, but I can't be sure on that one. 

Tara and I left as soon as our classes were done on Friday and made the long drive to Eldon. All the while I knew that I would be meeting Shawn in person for the first time. We talked the whole way there about the situation and how nervous I was. The miles went by so slowly and at the same time soooo fast. I was ready to meet him but I was a bundle of nervous energy. It seemed like we had gone about everything backwards. Aren't you supposed to meet first and then spend all your time getting to know someone? Here we were both feeling like we knew the other and yet had never met. 

We pulled up to the high school (our designated point of meeting and Tara's place of dropping me off to go on a date with a guy I had never met) and she showed me his car. She pulled up right behind it and his door opened. I stepped out of her car and . . .

Stay tuned for Chapter 4: The Date 

Happy Three Months, Easton!

Dear Easton,

Well, my little man, you are growing up. Three months is a big milestone for you. You are not really considered a newborn anymore and are venturing into the stage of babyhood. We are so excited to see you become your own little person but it is still a bit sad to leave the past stage behind. I guess that's part of life though. I always pray that I can be completely in each and every stage of yours and your sister's lives.

*Blanket made by your Meme Hutsell*

There is no way to describe how perfectly you have completed our family. No way to describe how up until just three months ago we didn't know what we were missing. No way to describe the way you showed up and completely stole the hearts of every person in this house. Your sister is your biggest fan. She loves you more than anything and still asks for you every time she wakes up. She worries about you when you are crying and makes sure that I know I need to get in there and take care of you. I pray that your relationship with her will be one of the sweetest in your life. She will be your built in best friend. I pray that you will realize just how special that is.

Easton, you are getting so big! You weigh around 13 pounds and are in the 100th percentile for height! You are definitely in only size 3-6 month clothing. It is time to pack away those 0-3 month clothes that are taking up space in your dresser. You have your daddy's long arms. It cracks me up that you can be in a pair or pajamas that fit you length wise and the sleeves will stop at your forearm or the top of your wrists. You will make one lady very happy one day since you will be able to reach everything in the upper cabinets. You are wearing size 1-2 or size 2 diapers. For being as long as you are you aren't all that chunky...there is more of a solidness about you. You look adorable in your little summer shorts and tee shirts and you especially look cute in all of your St. Louis Cardinal apparel! I am looking forward to the fall when you start sporting the Mizzou-wear and making your daddy oh so proud.

You have the sweetest smile in the world. You are still pretty stingy with them, preferring to be serious and intent on whatever you are studying. You can easily recognize my voice and you will follow us with your eyes wherever we go. You have started gripping things with your sweet little hands. You will grab my hands and hold on to them with all your might. You also love the little plastic links that hang from your activity mat. Another absolute favorite of yours is your little taggy blanket Mandie made you. You grab it and rub it on your face or put it in your mouth. It is so sweet to watch you become more involved with the things around you. You also really love your WubbaNub. We think you are absolutely precious when you have that little monkey. It is perfect for you and your little grabby hands. You suck on the pacifier and cling to the monkey. You have started squealing...especially when you are happy! You flail your arms and legs like you are really going somewhere and just coo and squeal to your heart's delight. Lauren loves it when you "talk" to her and she makes up what she thinks you are saying to her. Could it get more precious than that?

As far as sleeping goes you are still not sleeping great during the day for your naps (which I totally expect). You are pretty sporadic about them. Some days you will sleep in your crib for an hour (hallelujah!) and other days the most I can get you to sleep on your own is around 20 minutes. I know that your naps will start to settle into a routine so I am not too worried about it but it sure would be nice to have a little bit of time to get some stuff done!  At night you are still sleeping in the bassinet by the side of my bed. We've been considering moving you to your crib in your own room, but you are still waking up every 3-4 hours and it is so much easier right now to just grab you, nurse you, and then put you right back to bed without me having to get up. Selfish of me, but I need my sleep! I am sure it won't be long though until we have to move you. You are almost too big for the bassinet as long as you are.

You will not take a bottle. You scream and cry and throw the biggest fits in the world when we try to give you one. It's not that I mind nursing you exclusively, it's just that sometimes it would be nice to go on a date or something, ha! We keep trying to get you to take one but you are pretty set in your ways right now. Maybe as you get older? Or maybe when you start eating rice cereal we can leave you for longer periods of time.

I know I tell you this all of the time, but I love you son. I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of loving another child. I pray that you will grow up knowing how deeply you are loved not only by me and your daddy and sister but most importantly by your Father in Heaven. I pray that you will have a heart that runs to Him, that desires Him, and that finds joy in learning about Him. You are an incredible gift. One I am so unworthy of. I thank God every single day that He made me your mother. I love this job He has called me to. I love spending my days with you. I. Love. You.

I love you to the moon and back fourteen million times,
Mommy

Wubbanub Love!

Easton loves his Wubbanub! Lauren never had one of these too stinking adorable pacifiers but I don't think she would have taken to it like he has. I love watching him grip the little monkey and try to get the pacifier into his mouth. Today he was flinging it around and laughing at himself. I could have died at the cuteness!!!

His little smile is almost too much for me. He is usually pretty serious but when he flashes one of those little smiles I just melt inside.

What a little man he is. I love that he is just chilling with his arms behind his little head.

I love that he is doing such a great job gripping objects now. Today he held on to the little monkey with everything he had. Is it silly that it made me so proud?! And, are those not the cutest little chubby hands ever? I could just eat them up!

Swim Lessons

Tonight was our first night of swim lessons for Lauren. We were so excited to get there and get our swim on! Shawn and I were both a tad bit nervous about how she would do in the water. Well, not actually the water part but more the lots of kids and people swimming next to her part. She is painfully shy and has a tendency to freak out a bit if she isn't comfortable in a situation. Thankfully, tonight there was none of that! She was totally at ease and so extremely excited to be in the water that aside from a shy moment when she wouldn't tell her swim teacher her name she did great. She is enrolled in the parent and child swim course so tonight I got to get in and swim with her. It was such a precious time for me as I got to devote 100% of my attention on her. She soaked it up!

Shawn watched from the sidelines and Easton slept the entire time! Shawn will go in the water with her tomorrow night. I know he is excited for it and Lauren is too!

The joy on her face was so precious. She had the biggest smile the entire time and looked like a little natural in the water. I was so proud of her for being brave and putting her face in the water, floating on her back, and jumping into the pool all on her own.

She really hated to leave the pool but with the promise that we would be back tomorrow night she agreed to head home. I'm so glad we decided to go ahead and sign her  up for the lessons and I am thrilled that she loves the water as much as she does!

Pre School and Random Ramblings!

I am so excited to begin Pre School with Lauren and even though we won't "officially" start until this fall, I already have a bunch of fun ideas and plans in the works for this summer! I am using this time to ease into a school routine and to see what works and doesn't for our family before we go all out in the fall! Today will be our very first day of intentional learning time. I am so excited and I hope that little brother cooperates and lets us have some fun! Plus, we have already had the TV on way too much this summer and I am really over it!

We've been experiencing some a lot of whining around the house lately and I am desperate for some relief from it! Enter the Marble Jar! I'll post pictures soon. Any time I catch Lauren speaking like a big girl or doing something with a happy heart or what-have-you I will let her put a marble in her special jar. Anytime a fit occurs or whining beyond a warning happens she will get a marble removed from her jar. Oh how I hope this works! :) I'll keep you posted!

I've been loving Pinterest! Are you on there? If so, let me know and I would love to follow you!!!

I'm in the middle of a complete organization and life-management overhaul around here. One of my favorite new blogs is I Heart Organizing. Check it out...fantabulous!!! I've ordered a few of her adorable charts and I am feeling SO much better already about keeping our house in check. I can't wait to post some of my before and after pics as well as my new and WAY improved Recipe Binder and Home Management Binder!

My motto lately has been - If it Takes Less Than 30 Seconds, Do It. I read that somewhere in a book one time and it is working! I have a bad habit about walking by something that I could totally pick up. I've found that if I follow my little motto my house stays much tidier!

My little man has slept 6 hours straight the last two nights. I realize that by posting that, he will never again sleep for that long in one stretch but I am just giddy with excitement over it. He will be three months on the 4th and I just can't believe it. I love that little man so deeply!

My friend Mandie posted some great homemade cleaning supplies on her blog today and I am anxious to try a few of them out! The other day I cleaned my stainless steel sink with a paste of baking soda and vinegar and I cannot tell you how shiny it is! Nothing I have ever used on it has left it as clean as that simple mixture! I'll never buy another expensive cleaning product for my sink for sure!!!

Has this post been random enough for you? Kelly over at Kelly's Korner started posting all the details of a day in her life so that she can look back one day and see what her life looked like with two little ones. I am seriously considering following in her footsteps. Would anyone be interested in hearing about my mundane life? There is sure to be at least 50 diaper changes in it! In all honesty though I think it would be fun and I just might do it. For the two of you who read you might want to find something else to read those days if I am too boring!

Bible Study

My friend Kelly told me about a Bible study called Duty or Delight  she and a friend were working through this summer and as soon as I heard the premise of it I knew it was for me. My spiritual life has been lacking lately because I've been filling the time when I could be studying God's word with picking up a never clean house and lamenting the fact that I. Will. Never. Have. A. Clean. And. Organized. House. Again. Ever. 

When I told my friend Miranda about it she said she'd like to do it along with me. The cool thing is that she lives in Hawaii and so we are going to hop on iChat once a week to discuss what we've learned and been challenged by. I love it! I thought I would give you a little excerpt from the book that jumped out at me and I have just not been able to shake.

"Here's the revelations: God deeply, deeply loves you. He loves who you are right now. The broken you. The one who wishes she was perfect. The one who beats herself up because she's imperfect. The woman who desperately wants to go up that mountain she's been circling for years. The one who can't seem to get her spiritual act together like all the "good Christians" she knows." ~ Tammie Head

Wow. I can't even begin to express what those words did to my heart. Especially in this new season of motherhood with a little one and a toddler and no time and a lot of mommy guilt and a lot of being frustrated with myself.

I can tell you that I have made it through the first week and It. Did. Not. Disappoint. At. All. In fact this study has been balm to my soul and water to my thirsty heart.

I will leave you with one of the most profound moments for me in the study so far. It happened from a few verses in Genesis that I have read a million times because every Christian knows the story of the Fall of mankind. Honestly, when I figured out she was leading us to that part in Genesis I kind of groaned inside. I mean, I know that story. Eve ate the apple. Bad Eve. Eve led Adam to the apple. Bad Adam. That choice caused sin to enter the world and it's been downhill since then. I get it.

Thankfully, I decided to go with Tammie and hear her out. She asked us specifically to read the verses again (Genesis 3:7-10, 21-24) but to concentrate on the heart of God. What? Not the sin of man? As I did that, focused on the heart of God, I got goosebumps. The story says that when God met the man and woman in the garden he gave them the consequences for their sin. He didn't turn his back from them. He didn't lash out at them. He didn't disown them or rub their faces in their sin. (All things I expect from God when I sin.) Then, he made clothes for them and sent them on their way. Do you see what I saw there that gave me goosebumps. He, the God of the Universe, made them clothes. He made them. He didn't speak them into being (well maybe He did, but the word is "made" and I am definitely not a Bible scholar but that makes me believe that he put his loving hands on their garments). So, Adam and Eve sinned and God lovingly made them clothes before they had to walk in their consequences.

I don't know about you, but that hit me so hard. Our God is loving. He loves me when I sin (even though that is so hard for me to comprehend) and if He would stop and create garments for the two people who committed the first sin in the world, why would he not do the same for me?

Swimmin'

We don't have access to a pool around here and Easton is just too young for me to venture out to a public pool with both kids. So, we decided to pick up a cheap blow up pool for Lauren to enjoy this summer. It's been a pretty good ten dollar investment so far.

We've been thinking of getting Lauren in swim lessons this summer to help her feel more comfortable in the water. I was excited to find out that they offer parent and child lessons in the evenings so that Shawn and I can both go and one of us get in the water with Lauren and one of us stay on the side with Easton. I am going to try to get signed up for the next session today!