Pure. Simple. Genuine. Love.

It had been a lonely week without Levi, and for the first time, Lucas had a very difficult time with his absence. He just adores his daddy and I was asked nearly 100 times where he was. Sad, I know. The night before Levi returned I told Lucas to grab his blankie and pillow and jump into mommy's bed. Boy was he excited!

As I laid next to him and leaned over to kiss his cheek, he whispered with the sweetest little voice and the sleepiest little squinted eyes...I love you mommy! My heart instantly melted and a tear quickly started to flow. As adults, love can often be crazy and complicated. But when a child is brought into the equation, what they feel for you is pure, simple and genuine love. You are the comfort that they so desperately need and the protector of all things bad. I am so blessed to be a mother to such a wonderful little boy and I truly love every day that I spend with him. Waking up next to his sleepy little face was the best way to start the day and it saddens me to know that he is growing up so quickly. I'm always amazed how one little person can change your life and become the greatest gift that you will ever receive. I love you Lucas!

(He always sleeps with an angry face, but the camera flash didn't help either!)

One Step Closer.

I did it! My nursing application has been officially submitted and now it's just a waiting game to start the program. Whew. I was devastated when I finally made the decision to return to school...only to learn that I had missed the deadline. I've had a hectic summer, but one that has ultimately pushed me to go further into the nursing profession than I had originally anticipated. My advisor has high hopes that I'll be bumped up sooner, so I've realized that it truly pays to be a nerd! I've been searching all of the nursing positions available at the local hospitals and I'm sure getting antsy. These unborn babies are calling my name!

And maybe I'm just a little full of myself, but I'm thinking that going for my Masters may be possible. Or the PA program. Hmm...

Where'd the summer go?

I know that life is always throwing you curve balls and that things do not always work out as planned, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing. As a family, we had big plans for this summer and I feel like we barely got anything accomplished that we intended to. Granted, we both made the leap to go back to school (and that in itself consumed most of our time), I'm still upset that the summer has nearly passed and we haven't enjoyed it as much as we should have. I didn't anticipate for Levi to work out of town as much as he did, and unfortunately he still has much work to complete. (But I suppose that really is a good thing.) The way I see it, I'm barely gonna see my hubby much at all for the rest of the year. Very sad.

My last final is on Wednesday and I am taking a pledge to get out and about as much as possible next week. I've managed to take Lucas on at least one small outing a week during these hectic months, but I am determined to be more persistent. I spoke with Lucas old in-home nurse about pre-school programs and she said that no one will take him until the age of 3. The best way to further his development and to continuously stimulate him is to get out and socialize while exploring and learning. So I am dedicating all of next week to my amazing son: music time at the zoo, park play date with friends, Library reading time, berry picking/miniature hike, and the Imaginarium at the museum. Hopefully this list will just be a fraction of what we do!I haven't been very active in my mommy group, but that is all about to change. My son needs more stimulation, so activities...here we come!