Our Life...'Better Together': A Little of This, A Little of That

Monday, August 29, 2011

A Little of This, A Little of That

Now that we're falling into our back-to-school routine, complete with our three-family-dinners-a-week, early evening bath nights, and fighting to keep C-Diddy (Beau's new nickname for Cruz) up past eight, weekends are as valuable as a precious gem. We welcomed Friday and kicked off our weekend with steaks at Texas Roadhouse. It was a special night, as Cruz ordered off the kids' menu for the very first time. Instead of a smorgasbord of foods from our orders, Cruz got his very own plate of mac 'n cheese with a side of applesauce. He loved it!

The rest of our weekend was filled with lots of this and that. A busy day on Saturday, followed by a quiet Sunday. Feeling blessed to be adopted children of God at Orchard Hill's The Gathering, and watching Beyonce reveal her baby bump on the VMAs. An airshow picnic, a new pair of shoes for Cruz, and a raspberry peach pie from the Farmer's Market. A clean fridge, a nap with dad, and a grandpa on a birthday saddle at the Texas Roadhouse.

Yes, we had Texas Roadhouse twice this weekend. And yes, Cruz had mac n' cheese and applesauce twice. The funny thing is, I think I could eat Texas Roadhouse again tonight. It's just that good.

While Beau, Jordan, and my dad celebrated his birthday with 50,000 other people at the Waterloo Airshow on Saturday, we decided it'd be safer on Cruz's ears if he'd just go shopping with us. And since he couldn't hang out with the guys and watch stealth bombers soar through the air, we spoiled him. His very own peanut butter blossom cookie at the Farmer's Market, a new pair of Robeez from Peekaboo, and a grilled cheese panini at Soho. After a stroll through my favorite street in town, we spread out a blanket and did a little plane-watching of our own next to a go-kart track and miniature golf course.

Cruz barely napped on Saturday, but proved to be quite the sport. We put Grandpa Curt on a saddle for his birthday, and by the end of the night, Cruz was ready to lay his head in his mac n' cheese and call it a night!

After Sunday morning's church service at Gallagher Bluedorn, a performing arts center on UNI's campus, Beau and I decided our church should really consider worshiping there every week. There's something so thrilling about pulling up to the parking lot and seeing literally hundreds of people 'gather' together to kick-off another school year with Christ as a focus. The theme for the service this year was on adoption, and I left Gallagher Sunday feeling more than blessed to be a child of God.

After church, we visited the fountain at the Union and held tight as Cruz attempted to pry himself out of our arms to take a swim. His only distraction from the water was a group of college girls writing on the cement with sidewalk chalk. He thought they were cute, so he waved!