There are weeks when I am perfectly content to go for days...I should really go so far as to say there are months when I am perfectly content to go for WEEKS without seeing other souls. I say that as though I wander the lonely halls of my house in solitude when that's not quite the truth.

 My halls are full of little people and a big Golden Retriever and piles of laundry and I rarely ever am truly alone. And we do go to the gym regularly. I think this largely explains my contentment with my faux-solitude.  My mental and emotional faculties are maxed out without ever adding any other humans into the mix. And then, of course, there is my husband who somehow manages to have a total revitalizing effect on me, in spite of being another person around. Funny how love works like that! 

And then comes a day like today when all in one 24 hour period, I am surrounded by people from morning to evening and find myself thoroughly enjoying it. I do that in small doses, however.

Today started out like our typical Sundays - early and rushed because none of us like to get out of bed at all, really. And we have to be at church to work in the nursery first service, and since I'm the nursery hallway coordinator, TECHNICALLY, I'm supposed to be there 30 minutes earlier. Ha! 

But we made it, and just in time, as our hallway was FLOODED with babies. In the nursery class that I usually end up assisting, there were 14 babies - envision a room full of what are essentially semi-mobile puppies roaming about like needy grubs, mouths drooling, noses running, alternately wailing and playing. I'm not sure what's going on at our church, but our attendance in the first service nursery hallway is on a steep incline, and I'm sure each Sunday, I earn a new grey hair. 

I love serving in the nursery, I really do. Kyle and I have served in the nursery for over 7 years now, and we have been so blessed. We make great friends, meet new parents, acclimate little babies (and often their parents too) to our nursery world, grow to love each and every little one we have and then watch them move around our hallway as they get older. It's a great thing! But it's been a tad stressful lately.

So I started out covered up with babies and parents and classrooms.

Then, as many of you know, today Little Rock was host to a Marathon, and I had a friend running a 10-K and another running the marathon. I've mentioned before on this blog that I am part of a ladies' group that meets periodically, and one of our gals recently took up running and did the 10K (plus a few extra miles) and we had an after-party to celebrate her accomplishment.  Long story, but she trained for the half-marathon and her entry was botched. 

Our ladies' group (plus spouses and kids) met up for brunch at one of our houses, and it was wonderful! Despite being a most diverse group of women from all different backgrounds, we have the best time together and even our husbands and kids get along well.

Immediately following our After Party, my dear friends John and Sarah and their sweet kids, Sam and Lily, met us back at my house when John completed the marathon! They live in Ft. Smith and really wanted John to be able to take a shower before driving back home. It was so wonderful to see them. It's been ages since we've really spent quality time with them, and it always feels so comfortable to be with them. We made sure John was nourished and recovering from his physical ordeal before sending them home.

It was a very good, fulfilling day.

And that is all without even mentioning the most important part! 

Today is Dorien's 2nd birthday!

My little precious baby is two.  Coincidentally, my midwife friend, Holly was at our After Party brunch and she and I relived his birth (via story) in the kitchen. She told me how she got nervous when I was delivering him because at one point, as my body progressed so rapidly, propelling him out the birth canal, his heartrate dove. About a minute later, he was born, and things were fine. But it's not often that births go so quickly and it was a little alarming. 

And he is the light of my life.  He adores me and I him.  He still sleeps with me and Kyle and is a super cuddler. He tells me he loves me and kisses me with a fishy-face and then hugs my neck tightly. He has a charming grin and can be quite impish. He's funny and strong-willed and tender, too. He loves his Boopwin and August and every day enjoys being a part of their play world more and more.  He loves to see himself on iPhone videos. He loves to look at pictures on my iPhone. He is bossy to Singer, and is convinced she'd make the perfect pony if only I'd let him ride her. He also loves to rub blankie silkies like August and I do. I'm sure I had nothing whatsoever to do with that... As you can see in the pictures, he also got a big boy short hair cut this week! 

I'm so blessed. With opportunities to love and take care of 14 babies at church, sweet friends (new and old)  with whom to celebrate life's accomplishments, and precious children who enrich my life in countless ways.

My cup truly runs over.

And now Dorien has an elephant lunch box to make his little world complete.