THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for sunshine in the storm, laughter in the tears, and the fact that life keeps moving forward, even when it's messy. What's something that you're thankful for?

OUR FIRST LICENSED DRIVER

Silas' afternoon went something like this.

First stop - Go to the DMV to take a license test.
Second stop - Head home to drop off Mom.
Third, fourth, fifth, and sixth stops - Get some local birthday freebies on first solo driving trip.
Seventh stop - Pose for Mom upon pulling into the driveway.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for cool mornings. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

DEVON'S BIRTHDAY - 2018

Devon's another year older! Over the course of a week, he played dodgeball with a bunch of friends, received cards and gifts from friends and family, chose his birthday dinner, had a doughnut date with Tim, and posed in the birthday outfit.

 We didn't take very many pictures, but he enjoyed the celebration!

NINETEEN YEARS

Today marks the last anniversary where our marriage is a teenager. Double decades, here we come!

*****

I posted the picture above on Facebook early this morning, but came back in the afternoon to share the following picture and message. I wanted to share it here, as well.

Dear everyone who reacted to or commented on the picture I posted this morning in honor of our anniversary,

Today Tim and I won't see each other, other than a few seconds in passing, because that's how Tuesdays are. Yesterday we had a conflict that put a damper on the entire day. The day before that we spent a few hours together, going out to lunch and enjoying each other's company in an early celebration of our anniversary. Highs, lows, and neutrals.

On Sunday, while out on our date, we were walking with our pinkies linked and I thought it would be fun to get a picture of our hands like that. A great idea, but this first shot looked like our fingers ended at the knuckle. We tried again until we got the shot I posted earlier today.

The pictures remind me a bit of marriage itself. Sometimes you mean well and try your best, but the results leave a lot to be desired. Other times you put more thought into what you do, learning from the past, and nail it. It's the same hands each time, though. What they are doesn't change, and the link is there no matter what, but how those hands interact makes all the difference in how things work out.

Sincerely,
one who admits to still brooding a bit over the tension of yesterday *and* is feeling grateful for Sunday's date while eating the leftovers I brought home *and* thinks 19 years of "for better or worse" is a big deal (but not as big as hitting 20 will be next year!)

FATHER'S DAY - 2018

Either Tim's shrinking or the little Ws are becoming less little.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that my favorite female will be in the same state as me tomorrow. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

BIRTHDAY BUDDIES

Kit and I have birthdays ten days apart, so we celebrated together today with lunch at Oswego Grill. 

Then she sent me home with a cheesecake! It's like she knows me or something. Right? I'm pretty sure the other Ws will enjoy tackling that deliciousness with me!

I'm thankful for her friendship and a chance to spend some time together today!

BIRTHDAY DATE

Tim told me a few days ago that he wanted to take me out to dinner for my birthday. This isn't my birthday, but it was the night that worked best with our schedule, so we headed out for part of the evening. I had no interest in driving somewhere, waiting a long time for our food, or changing out of the clothes I'd worn all day. I did, however, want to enjoy the sunshine and eat somewhere local. 

We ended up walking down to Metropolis, which we hadn't visited yet, They have a neat set-up in there! I really hope it's a success for Metropolis and all their vendors. We'll definitely have to visit again.

We got dinner from Hungry Lion. My pad thai was good and Tim's teriyaki chicken was really good. His spicy teriyaki beef was fine, but too spicy for my wimpy self. One of the employees came out mid-meal and brought us a little plate of the teriyaki pork Tim had asked about, but had chosen not to order. She just wanted us to know what it was like for our next visit. How nice is that?! It was really good!

We opted to take some of our dinner home so we'd have room to squeeze in a visit to El Paisanito for some ice cream.

We headed out to the plaza to eat it, then walked back home. It was perfect, just a low-key evening together.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that we have a roof over our heads. What's one thing that you're thankful for?