All the comforts

Just like all of us have our comfy loves, so does Rookie the dog.  I decided to paint our door this weekend and while I pulled out an old sheet to cover the floors out popped Rookies “baby” from when he was a puppy.  All of us, including Rookie I’m sure, thought this was gone years ago.  It has been pretty funny watching a 100 pound dog walk around with a little pink poodle in his mouth but it does bring back the puppy in him.  He has been so gentle with it and surprisingly hasn’t even attempted to tear it up.  If you ask him where his baby is he will go running and bring it back to you being ever so careful not to let you take it. 

This week my youngest girl cousin had her first baby; baby Brayden was born on Tuesday morning. I have only seen pictures since she lives in Colorado but from what I have seen he sure is adorable.  It is crazy to think that she is just starting what we started just 11 years 11 months and 360 days ago.  Yep, my baby boy turns 12 on Friday.  As you hold that precious little one in your arms for the first time you really do not have any idea how fast your life will go.  What fears you had for yourself will seem irrelevant because from the moment that little one is born your entire life will be consumed with everything that relates to the welfare of that child. 

I read on another blog that is written by a young mom.  She blogged that she has a good relationship with her parents, they still say “I love you” before saying goodbye on the phone or in person yet it is still hard for her to ’get’ that she is to them what her son is to her.  The other day she was at her parents’ home watching her son play and her dad says “you kinda love him, huh?” she replies “yeah, kinda” with a wink and then adds how sometimes she feels like she loves him more than anyone has ever loved anyone else.”  Her mom and dad looked at each other and laughed and replied “And you’ve only known him less than two years!  Just wait until it’s been almost 28 years." Her dad leaned over to her and smiled as he hugged her and said “You’ll love him even more”.  These words actually brought tears to my eyes.  This really goes both ways.  From parents to their kids and kids to their parents; I find that I grow more and more in love with my kids as they grow and my love for my own parents deepens the older I get.  Then there is Blaine…I really feel like we are growing up best friends, how many people these days can say they have been with the love of their life since they were 15; and still miss them in the middle of a work day, feel the world is ending if they are not coming home that night, and are just happy to sit quietly doing nothing as long as their hand is in yours. I have said it many times before but I will never tire of saying “I am blessed".

Yesterday Justin had his first football games of the season, he played three 20 minute games, and I am happy to report that they were undefeated .  These games don’t technically count towards the season; as Justin says…this is our preseason, but all the while they are still wins to me.  The past 2 years the Cobber’s have only lost 1 game (we try to forget about that one) so to start out the season this way sure sets the tone for the year.

During the 2^nd game I was able to stop visiting with friends for a little while to shoot some pictures and was lucky to get some of Justin’s best plays of the day.

Here he is doing some blocking.

Here he is getting the hand off.

Shaking off the tackle

And running it in for the touchdown

Way to go Cobber’s!

Speaking of comforts, I had 7 kids having a water-balloon fight in my front yard tonight when a few came running in, I stammer my usual “no running in the house” when they announce "were getting money...the ice cream man is here!" And then I hear the music, how fun!  It’s still not the same as when I was a kid seeing the ice cream man riding around on a bike with cutesy music going and great grandpa and grandma handing over the money, but all the same…ice cream coming to your house is still a treat.  Each kid got something and there were smiles galore, I felt great comfort in knowing that my kids have such nice friends to share a beautiful Sunday night with.