Friday night, we had a celebration dinner. Ryan is so good at making things special, for all of us, but it's especially fun for Abe. He put on some soft music and placed a candle in the middle of the table. He really talked it up and made a big deal about our special "restaurant at home". He even tucked a white napkin on Abe's lap! Abe was so well behaved at our "fancy" restaurant!
After dinner, Ryan surprised me by sending me out for the evening. He had a bit of money left on a Starbucks gift card he had received for his birthday, so he gave it to me and told me to enjoy myself! I was stunned--usually, my outings alone consist of a mad dash to the grocery store, hoping to get back home before the boys wake up from their naps so Ryan can keep studying! And when we do have some down time, we usually try to spend it together. In fact, after I arrived and ordered my pumpkin spice latte (YUM!!), I sat down with a book and was tempted to leave after 15 minutes. I just didn't know what to do with myself all alone!
I forced myself to relax and read my book, and after a while, I was able to really to enjoy my time. The only noises were the whirr of the coffee machine, the soft murmur of voices, and the occasional jingle of the door. I cozied up on a comfortable chair near the fire for over 2 hours. I even finished my book! I came back home to sleeping little boys and a clean house. I smile now as I reflect on my husband blessing me in that way. I simply adore him and am so blessed!
The next day, we had a leisurely morning, and after a light lunch, we headed out to a pumpkin patch at a gorgeous home in the country. Abe had been looking forward to this all week long!
A group of financial advisors had come to Ryan's school to speak to the students and invited anyone with children out to their event. These advisors mainly target area physicians, managing their assets, helping pay down their debt quickly whilst making the most of investments. There were a small number of students and residents, but mostly doctors who are already their clients. Of course, their goal is to "win over" the students, so when they're finally done and earning money, they'll continue to use the company. And I must say, they do a very good job! Wow, this event was fabulous.
Everything was free of charge. We were able to pick out as many pumpkins as we wanted. There were inflatable slides and bouncy houses, a clown who did face painting and balloon animals, crafts, plentiful snacks, a bonfire with s'mores, and fall photos in the orchard. We were also invited to a Physician Spa Day in a few weeks, where both Ryan and I can choose from a complementary manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, make up application, or hair style. Of course I want to do this! But I haven't decided yet if I will--I feel badly, because we aren't actually clients. They assured us that it's just "all part of the game" and we are very welcome, but I just don't know. We'll see.
Some photos from the day:
As we headed home, our boys zonked out in the back seat, Ryan and I discussed the irony of it: the people who need it least are the ones who are targeted and seem to get it most. None of those families really need such luxurious treatment. Their children have easy access to fun events such as that. All of those families can easily afford to buy pumpkins to carve each fall. But how special would it be for a child from the inner-city to go out to a pumpkin patch in the beautiful countryside and enjoy the games, crafts, and s'mores?
The discussion then turned to equal opportunity and whether or not our lives are merely what we work for or if some people are just destined to live impoverished due to their circumstances. Having worked in foster care and as a substitute teacher in "inner-city" Peoria, my heart is drawn toward this. It's certainly a whole blog post in itself, one that I'm not sure I'm qualified to write about, but I do think it's something to really consider.
Anyway, that evening we watched the movie "Cars" with the boys. Such a cute movie! Sunday, we decided to just stay home and call into Peoria for church. Sometimes it's just such a comfort, to be as close as can to "home." We ran a few errands that afternoon and just relaxed that evening.
Oh, it was such a wonderful weekend! I was sad to see it come to a close. I'm deeply humbled by the blessings God has given us and pray that I might live a life truly worthy of Him.
Thanks for reading!
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