Love-ly moments

The past week has been filled with some sweet moments with friends and family. Unfortunately, Valentine's Day itself was somewhat odd, since we had several appointments, and James and Isaac had a Cub Scout meeting, and then James went to work, so we didn't really get to do anything special as a couple. It was a good reminder though, that we shouldn't just love our sweethearts on that day, since with three young kids, romantic dates are few and far between! I am thankful we both know that and accept it, and work hard to keep our relationship growing, because I know that doesn't happen by accident.

A good example of that give and take, and meeting each other where we are, is how James and Isaac had a special Cub Scout banquet the other night, and I had the opportunity to have a girls' night out. It was such a rare occasion for me, and since Elijah and I would've never survived the 3 hour banquet, I was so glad to escape and be with friends instead. We had coffee, a movie, and Mexican. It can hardly get better than that! We laughed, shared hard stuff, and celebrated the news of the beginning of the life of a new little one. It was remarkably special. Elijah was passed around and loved on too, so stayed very content throughout it all. James had the big kids, who enjoyed time with him, and so that was awesome.

During the week, Elijah began to coo and giggle more, and we just totally enjoyed that. I savored moments where Isaac talked to him, trying to get him to respond, and when Elijah lit up with a smile at his big brother, it was awesome! Abigail has been such a great helper, and loves being a little mama to her baby brother, and is eager to help soothe him if I'm cooking or something, and happily runs to grab a diaper or burp cloth whenever I need her. However, she says she doesn't plan on having babies herself. Actually, she says she's never leaving me, or getting married or anything. I told her we'll see about that at a later date. :-)

Our youth and college kids had a benefit dinner at church Wednesday night to raise money for students going on mission trips soon, so we really enjoyed their hard work at serving our meal and entertaining us, plus getting to visit with other couples while our kids were cared for in another building was great too.

We love holidays so much, and celebrating Valentine's is a favorite time for our family. James woke us up that morning with goodies - sweet cards and candy for everyone. We had Chick-Fil-A for breakfast with a group of friends from church, then had a Valentine party where the kids decorated their bags and received lots of treats and cards. We love having such a close-knit community to share life with. Our kids get along well, and it was a fun time for those of us who homeschool, and our kids didn't miss out on the fun valentine exchange I look back on fondly from my school days.