Could it be?

Some days I find myself pausing, and thinking, "Could life really be this good?" Sometimes I am so grateful and so immensely filled with this gratitude I don't know what to do with myself. I usually ruin these moments by letting thoughts like this make their way into my brain: "Life is too perfect. Nothing can really be this perfect. Something bad is going to happen because it's all too good to be true.. Oh God, what is going to happen?" Horrible, right? But I can't help it. I don't know how to stop it! Normally I don't really ponder this for long however, and instead choose to dwell more on the grateful moment itself. Like tonight.

Today started out like a pretty ordinary Monday. I was tired. It was hard to get out of bed. I needed to stop at Starbucks to get myself through the commute. I caught up with coworkers in the morning. I had a lengthy staff meeting. Nothing all that great. Then I met my mom and grandmother for lunch as my mom had to pick up something and it worked out well to meet up. It was such a nice pick-me-up to my day... enjoying a wonderful meal with two of the greatest women I know. Especially with my 89 year-old Gaga, because alone-time with her is much more rare than I'd like it to be these days...

Then, when I arrived to pick up the boys after work, Aidan was excited to tell me about the "Mommy Robin Hood he saw feeding her baby bird and the Daddy was there too." Yes, Robin Hood. He is the cutest 3 year old on the planet. :)

I arrived home to my house being the cleanest its been... well... ever. Thanks to the 2 cleaning ladies who will be cleaning our home every 2 weeks! It was their first day and I was not prepared for the feelings that would overcome me when I walked in to see the result of their hard work. It was truly heaven. I literally grabbed my camera and took a picture of every room in my house. I kid you not! I was SO happy that our house looked this good and it was not ME who spent all day doing it!! So so so so so so grateful for my new BFFs- the cleaning ladies.

After dinner, I put Gavin in the stroller and Aidan drove his truck around the neighborhood. We ended up at Sophia's house (See pictures below). She is Aidan's new love, the almost-3 year old who moved in a few months ago. She came running up to his truck, yelling, "Aidan Aidan!" Aidan was excited to pick her up and take her for a drive like usual. After that, other neighbors from across the street brought their gentle giant, Kobe the dog, out to play. We all smiled and enjoyed watching Aidan and Sophia chase Kobe around and try to snatch the ball from him. All 3 of them were having so much fun, I could have watched them play all night and not gotten bored. I am so grateful on nights when Kevin works late that I live where I do, around the people I do, (and dogs).

After baths and last drinks, Gavin fell asleep on me for the first time in months. He is normally an on-the-go, not cuddly, big baby these days. So getting to rock him as he slept on my belly was the best feeling. I then read Aidan a Dr. Suess story, did our usual cuddles and giggles and put him to bed. Then while it was still dusk, I snuck out in the fresh air, monitor in hand, and went for a 2 mile run around the neighborhood. After each loop, I ran inside to check on the boys, who were sound asleep, and would do another loop (4 loops=2 miles). I have just started running again after a long hiatus and this night run felt oh so good. When I finished, I just walked up and down our sidewalk to cool down, looked at the moon, breathed in the best summer air and just thought...

"Wow. What an awesome day. Life is so, so good. Thank you, God."

Driving off into the sunset :)

Aidan and "Ophia" - Belden Buddies.