double dates, singing in the rain, berry picking parties, and get out the vote!

The date...the date was so blissful and it was compliments of this sweet friend, as a thank you for those three little quilts. After my buff, rugged and gorgeous date had shaved and put on his cologne and after I donned high heels and a dress that I just been waiting for an occasion to wear, not that it would have had to have been an " occasion " per say I could have gone out exactly as I was in capris a tee shirt and flip flops, no one one have known the difference...but I decided that day that sometimes you have to make your own occasions if you want a good reason to wear a pretty dress with heels. So I did. After all that we went to a little Italian restaurant/pie shop nearby where dinner was fabulous and the company, even more so. I mean you can't beat that combination. And you better believe we ordered dessert. We laughed and chatted, hand in hand and remarked how nice and relaxed it felt not to have to be fishing our two year old who gets called Monkey by her father more than she does her given name, out from under the table every few minutes.

Meanwhile at home, with not just one but two literally Great Aunts ( David's Mom's Sisters ) Annabelle was having a ball. When we got home Aunt Lynne told us " boy is she ever a going concern." Which I think meant, she was very good and very busy and kept them quite entertained in true Annabelle-like fashion. Which means lots of facial expressions, excitement, occasional acrobatic feats and an endless list of other funny little antics.

After dinner we decided we'd like to enjoy what you could say is our version of a double date: mostly meaning two dates in one night, so we headed over to Starbucks and parked ourselves for another hour where I got my wish to sit with my knees up in a big overstuffed chair and flirt with my boyfriend. Well we went between flirting to trying to concentrate on the list we were making...plotting out our future, or what David has begun to refer to as our "exit strategy." The exit stragety inclueds the end of his current job, the sale of our current home sweet home and leaving the area we live in...and it involves jumping into much anticipated on my part anyway, yet uncharted waters for us. As he prayed tonight at the table " Lord, please guide us and show us where we need to go and what we should do. And help me to be brave. " It's a big deal this striking out on our own. Especially since we don't know where exactly we are going or whether any of our ideas for owning our own business will make enough money to sustain us. I am beyond excited about the unknowns in our future, but then I am not the one responsible for providing for us either. Seeing it through, David's eyes, I understand the prayer for courage. After all he is giving up his perfectly good job for we aren't even sure what yet. The one thing we are certain of is that we want to be closer to our family. After this coming weekend, it will have been my 10 th trip to ID since Mothers day. And that cannot go on forever.

But then there was the flirting. Lots and lots of flirting. And then we ran into the grocery store for chocolate covered gummy bears, and a couple bouquets of roses which we had decided to "pay" the aunts with. As we walked out of the store we were amazed, finding ourselves under a most amazing sky, of deep cobalt blue. It was dusk and even the clouds looked as if they had been dipped in buckets of indigo blue paint. Neither of us had ever seen anything quite like it. And I rather think it was one of those although far from significant, precious little moments that you just know you won't forget and will always be able to pull up a visual for, in your minds eye. The kind of moment you would have completely missed if you had been rushing out of the grocery store, juggling babies and a shopping cart, rushing home, instead of strolling out starry eyed, on the arm of the one you love.

He had me in stitches all the way home. It was so refreshing to get to be a little bit care free and enjoy the romance that often gets overshadowed by the sweet little interruptions of daily life. And knowing that Annabelle was being read to, and loved on by such dear babysitters was a really good feeling too.. I mean really, how many of you were lucky enough to have two great aunts dote on you and spoil and give you their sole attention for three entire hours at a time, repeatedly?

Truly, as happy as she was to see us, she didn't even miss us one little bit. And I can almost say the same about her.

" Mommy I want to go outside and play with your ******** (insert a word here that I can not for the life of me decipher ) after over a dozen "say it again honey" I asked her if she could show me what she meant. She took my hand and lead me to the coat closet, I opened the door, in she goes to pull out my yellow umbrella. " Mommy want to go out in a muddle puddle and go? (demonstrating) " stomp! stomp! That be fun? "

Well of course I do. I am always looking for a good reason to dress her in her beloved hand-me -down ladybug raincoat and wellies.

In other news, our blackberries are ripe. But there is no way I can possibly get all of them picked before they spoil or fit that many gallons in my teeny tiny freezer...so consider yourself invited to a berry picking party at my house. Any time in the next month, open invitation. Come and get your fingers purple with us!

My dear friend Dawna is a semi-finalist in a recipe contest over at Saucy Eats that I really want her to win. Not only that but she is amazing and just plain old deserves to win. Just this once, there is no hesitation in deciding who to vote for. So if you get a chance could you pop in there and give her your vote. Also you can read the super darling post she wrote up about her Top Secret Recipe here. And please if you think about it, she could really use your prayers today.