The extra mile.

Early this morning [aka, late last night] I was cleaning up the kitchen and we had a ridiculous amount of recycling to take out to the bin. I loaded up two armfuls, balanced a can or two or seven on my head, used me feet to kick a couple more and was about to head out when I realized I didn't have a single extra limb to get the door with. I asked Levi with the sweetest "honey-do" look I could muster [while continuing to balance the mismatched assortment of aluminum and plastic] if he could open it for me. After seeing the balancing act, he was more than willing [or perhaps just afraid of the horrendous noise I might create from losing balance trying to do if myself if he said no, but either way] as I got closer he swung the door wide. I teetered through and started to edge an elbow towards the light switch, but was [not unusually] pleasantly surprised, Levi wasn't just willing to grab the door. He opened the door, then he held it open while I walked through, then got the light behind me, then he closed the door behind HIM, watched me walk over to the bin, waited for me to walk back and then got the door for me to go BACK through, then he switched off the light behind both of us.

Really the boy does so much more than he needs to. I can now tell you from experience, when someone is doing that much for you? When someone is taking their time, and their energy to go that extra mile? Even in tiny little ways like waiting for me, with me, out in the garage, even little acts of appreciation like that. When someone's doing things for you that they don't have to, it sure does make you want to spend that much more time on them. My dad told me once how you gain love for someone by doing things for them, not by the things they do for you. He also told me once about a family counselor he knew saying never to keep score, but to never let the other person in the relationship, out-serve you.

It's true. I have no idea how many extra miles Levi has run for me as opposed to how many I've run for him, but I'm pretty sure with the way he's racking up his numbers that I'm way behind. I can pretty much guarantee you that ten years from now I'll still be trying to catch up, because honestly, who thinks to wait out in the garage with someone when all they asked you to do is get the door? I'm the luckiest girl in the world because Levi makes such an effort to put me so high up in his mind.

When you're way up there like that? It's pretty hard not to slip down a little farther into love on an extremely regular basis.

We made it over to Levi's dad's tonight just in time for some amazing traditional dinner. Roast and potatoes. YUM. And, somehow the other night when we went out for some groceries we ended up getting...[drumroll please...] a TV! A really big. Really new. Really nice TV and as soon as he gets done with finishing up a little work we're off to test it out with some Gabriel Iglesias. Kind of a beautiful way to finish off a weekend. Kind of a beautiful way to start a new week. Kind of a beautiful excuse to cuddle up with the boy. Kind of a beautiful life!