Strolling Along....

My husband and I will celebrate our 2nd anniversary on November 28th. Our family currently has a blended dynamic: I came into the marriage with William who is now 11 and Kiersten who will be 9 in 5 days. Charles came into the marriage with his daughter Sadie who is now 8. Together, we have added Max, our Jack Russell and Miley, Oliver, and Gage, our cats.

Sometimes Charles and I talk about adding a baby into the mix. Although we know that this is not really an option for us, it is still fun to think about. We talk about whether we would have a boy or a girl, or whether or not we would want twins. We talk about names-he sometimes wants a Charles, Jr. and I would like a Alexandria.  We dream of little toes and a little nose.

I often picture myself on a beach. I see myself with a stroller, one of those joggers, enjoying the afternoon sun with my baby cuddled up and me taking in the scenery. I see my husband and our kiddos playing in the water and digging up sea shells, and Max digging in the sand. Or we are walking the trails through the forest, the baby and I trailing behind the rest of the family.

It's funny the way our minds work, I can almost smell the salt water and feel the sunlight as I push the newest member of our family in that stroller. I can almost hear the older kids yelling at me to catch up as the trail turns around the bend. No worries about the fact that I will be 35 in less than a month, no worries about financial burdens, no worries about what our families will say, no worries about not having enough room, just strolling along, in my mind....