an unexpected blissful reality

Life is……an unexpected blissful reality

The year is flying by. It's getting to the end of September and Christmas will be here before we know it. This month Nathan and I celebrated 8yrs together and 2yrs of marriage. I can’t believe that it has been 8yrs and that we have a little boy who is 8 ½ months old.  Sure I imagined that one day I would get married and that we would have kids, but never did I think I would live in a fifth wheel camper part of the year traveling around the country. Nor did I think I would have a house in Cody Wyoming that needs a lot of work.  Never did I think I would meet someone so completely perfect for me.  A man who would do anything for me, but loves me enough to say “No” sometimes (that might be a little confusing to some but it means a lot to me). I thank God every day that he has given me a life that only He could have planned, because the life I envisioned in my little human brain was good, but not this good. No, it is not perfect and it is difficult at times, but through each trial we grow and we always come out better than we were before. My daily reminder of how blessed I am wakes me up each morning with the biggest smile he can muster and the best little chubby hands on my face.

Harlan is so close to being able to crawl. It is so fun to watch him trying to move this way and that while attempting to get across the room the fastest.  His current method is to put his head on the floor to support himself, move his hands forward, and then inchworm his way on his belly to his goal. This, combined with rolling, usually gets him across the room pretty quick. At times he tries to raise up on his toes and bear crawl. I'm not sure if this is an attempt at crawling or if he would just as soon get up and walk.  Currently his “crawl to” goals consist of the dog’s toys or the dog’s water dish. We are learning the word “no” quite well. I am so thankful for these everyday moments that I get to see this precious boy learn and explore and grow. I love watching the expressions that come across his face as he studies a toy or object and learns to grab, turn or manipulate it. Harlan also loves to be around people. We get a lot of attention in any store as Harlan has to make sure and smile at everyone he sees, and he gets especially excited when he sees another kid or baby.  Harlan has a completely different level of excitement, however, for his Daddy. Just the sound of Nathan’s voice is enough to produce the happiest smile and sometimes even a squeal. At times Nathan has to leave the room or get out of the line of sight just so Harlan will eat or go to sleep. I love it. Most of the time it cracks me up. If you ask Nathan, he might say he has that effect on most people.   I am so glad that we are able to be here with Nathan as he is working. It may not be the ideal situation for living with a baby, but we are so much happier than we would be if we had to be apart, and the memories we will have are worth all of the sacrifice.