Something strange is happening.

When did my husband and I start to grow up? I mean, we both are rather "mature" for our age from our upbringings and tribulations we've had to endure, but my question is more, where did we take each other's hands and jump into the unknown of doing all the "grown up" things?

I am sure it started somewhere about the time we moved into our first apartment together. We made a house, played house, worked, he juggled school as well and we did all the things "grown ups" do. But did I feel grown up then? No. We got married almost a year after (*GASP* We lived together before marriage! ;)) and it still didn't hit me, we still were the high schoolers who fell in love with each other and spent hours after school just talking, putting off going home. The high schoolers who wrote each other TONS of notes. Which Joey saved ALL of them, even from the first time we had dated our sophomore year of high school and when I found this box of notes, after some teasing, I took them and made a book of all of them. But I digress. So my question is still out there, unanswered, of when we actually became grown ups. After we got married we moved to Louisiana from California to start a new life with the promise of something better. Joey got a job for a company that gets contracted to fix oil rigs offshore. Yes, I am a hippie in search of a cleaner, "greener" home and am married to a man who works for the oil companies. Luckily his job is FIXING them and not adding more to this world. We have so many hopes for a solar/wind/water powered home in our futures. Alright Katie, back to your topic and your question, WHEN? Was it when we moved? Still no. Not that I feel. Shortly after, we got pregnant. Are we grown up now? Maybe but I didn't feel that way. 9 months later here comes Leena! The most beautiful person I have ever met. How did we get so lucky to have her as our child? Even if she is going through the "I'mtwoandIamgoingtodowhatIwanttodo" stage she is still the most beautiful person. Ever. Okay so this is it right?! Slimy baby in my arms, crying so much as they sat her on my chest to clean me up and do whatever it is they DO down there after a baby comes, this should be it right? Joey and I should feel like adults now. I still don't think it was at that moment. Then we flash forward a bit more time. We buy a house. At 21, we own a home. We MUST be grown ups now. Nope, still two high schoolers, madly in love, playing house. (I'd like to point out that me even saying 'grown up' instead of 'adult' is still proof I still might not even be one yet.) We do all the things "grown ups" do but why is it I don't feel that way?

Lately though, I don't know, strange things are happening and I am actually starting to feel, truly feel, like a grown up. We have a new direction and a new purpose in life. The changes we are making in our relationship, ourselves and our parenting are for the better. I am so thrilled to be on this ride, hand in hand with my love, setting our course, blazing ahead into the future. Our world has endless possibilities for it and our child, oh our beautiful child, will set the world on fire with her vibrancy and love. We will leave this earth hopefully at least a bit better than it was when we were brought into it and with people knowing we truly loved them. I am not afraid to be me and and so lucky to have a husband who loves exactly who I am, even if that me is constantly changing (for the better I would hope). I guess this hit me most today when I was making a bowl of Malt o Meal which I have a new found obsession with these past few weeks, and looked into our spice/baking cabinet. Odd that it hit me then?

Well an organized spice cabinet is UNHEARD of in our house and even more thrilling was that Joey was the one to organize it. We definitely are growing up together. Oh what a beautiful process it has been.

We will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary soon and 6 years together shortly after. I pray and hope God blesses us with many many more. I was told by Joey yesterday that he hopes to have at least 78 more years with me. I think I'll make a HOT 101 year old. :P So while we still have semi good hips and can skip, here we go, skipping merrily into what is still the unknown, still growing up together and still madly in love and into our wonderful future.

Thank you for being you.

Don't worry everyone, I will be back to blogging like normal tomorrow. I think I got all the sappiness out. :D

I will leave you with these photos of Leena being, well, Leena.

Today was a kitty cat kind of day.

Daddy was tickling her toes.

Anyone up for a fencing match?

This was from last week but forgot to share it. :)

And how about a video?

She was supposed to be napping. Instead she wanted to yell, "Joey" and then go onto having a conversation about pizza.

Peace and love everyone. :)