Sometimes,” said Pooh, “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
—I saw this on Joanna Goddard’s blog. SO true!
All the crap you read in magazines about honesty, sense of humor, communication, sensitivity, date nights, couples weekends, blah blah blah can be trumped by one word: loyalty. You and your spouse are a team of two. It is you against the world. No one else is allowed on the team, and no one else will ever understand the team’s rules. This is okay. The team is not adversarial, the team does not tear its members down, the team does not sabotage the team’s success. Teammates work constantly to help and better their teammates. Loyalty means you put the other person in your marriage first all the time, and you let them put you first. Loyalty means subverting your whims or desires of the moment to better meet your spouse’s whims or desires, with the full understanding and expectation that they will be doing the same. This is the heart of everything, and it is a tricky balance. Sometimes it sways one way and sometimes the other. Sometimes he gets to be crazy, sometimes it’s your turn. Sometimes she’s in the spotlight, sometimes you. Ups and downs ultimately don’t matter, because the team endures.
[via almosthalfway:sequinsandsideeye:profashional]
true that.
Claira absolutely loves her babysitter, Amanda. Amanda also works at Claira’s daycare and therefore they get to see each other nearly every single day. They have a crazy awesome bond and it makes Dan and I feel so good that when we need a night away we know Claira is in such good care and is so comfortable around her.
Every single time that Amanda has walked through our front door, Claira has screamed with excitement and instantly begs to be picked up and hugged by her and once Amanda is with her, she could pretty much careless if we stay or go.
Amanda is soon to be graduating with her masters and with this news means she will probably be moving away as soon as a job offer comes her way. We will be so sad to see her go, but know she is going to do good things for children in need.
She has many special talents, and fortunately for us one of them is photography. Here are some of the pictures she captured the other night of little Miss Claira….
Out at sea.
Thanks Cory C.
Dan’s PERFECT halloween costume for 2012! “A dad on vacation”. This is awesome!
In the last month or two it has become pretty clear that you are a very smart little girl. Your mother and I can almost watch your little mind solving problems and noticing things that you just passed by before. We watch through the two little windows that are your eyes. Your eyes lock onto something and your little brow furrows as you process new experiences. About a week ago your mother was blowing bubbles and you would try to catch them. Pretty soon you just blurted, “Bubbles.” Clear as day. Your mom and I just looked at each other, wide eyed, “Did she really just say that.” Now just a few days later you have quit trying to catch the bubbles and moved on to strictly bubble popping. When you walk out of the room I can say, “Claira you better come back here.”,and I can hear your feet do an about face and in a few seconds you will be waddling back to me. You are becoming a little girl so quickly. It is wonderful watching your mind grow and come to life with new discoveries, but it is a little sad watching our infant fade away. I know this is not the last time I will wonder how time can go so fast, I just wish I could find a way to make it go a little slower. You are such a wonderful little girl and I love you so much.
Awww Portland, be still my heart.
(Source: partiallycommitted)
