It Started as a Typical Lunch...

We went to lunch after church today.

Just the five of us.

We ate at one of our favorite places at the request of Miss Peyton Lou.

We sat down, ordered and started snacking on our bread. The big girls colored and Mika Lynn snacked and played. Then the food came and we started fixing plates and handing out food. Mika and Laila split a child's pizza and Peyton ordered a salad (it is so funny to me how much my 3-year-old loves salads). Seriously, I think salads are nasty and it blows my mind that my little picky eater would eat salads for every meal, every day. Crazy girl!

Jared and I were laughing because I commented that I felt like I was part of a circus. Things were so crazy. One of the girls was constantly needing something (except Peyton, who was just happy as a lark eating her salad).

When we go out to eat and it is just us, it doesn't leave much time for observing the people around us. We pretty much stay wrapped up in our little world, trying to make it through dinner without breaking a plate or dropping too much food on the floor or spilling a drink everywhere.... you know what I mean. :)

We were finishing up when the waitress sat down a little mini dessert (chocolate cake with ice cream) in front of Peyton. Jared and I looked at her strangely and she said it was from one of her other tables, that they were impressed with how well she had eaten her salad and how grown-up she had been acting. The lady who sent the dessert spoke to us, saying that they couldn't help but notice the girls and thought it was so great that Peyton ate her salad so well and was so well-behaved.

I was so surprised. Immediately, I felt so proud of my "baby" girl. My heart was overflowing. I couldn't stop smiling and I was fighting back tears.

If that wasn't enough.... P took one bite of her dessert and just when I thought I couldn't be more proud of her, she fed Laila a bite. She shared her special dessert. Jared and I were praising her good behavior and just watching our girls interact. Huge smiles on our faces.

Then, in typical fashion, the girls started pretend playing. The LOVE to pretend that Peyton is the Mommy and Laila is the daughter. So Peyton was calling herself Momma (ex: "Let Momma have this bite then I'll give you one, ok.") and Laila was calling P Momma. I was cracking up! Jared looked at me and said "Looks like you've been replaced." Ha!! She was so proud of her dessert and had the happiest look on her face (as did Laila... chocolate cake and ice cream, what's not to be happy about?!).

I reached in my bag to grab my camera because I wanted a picture of this special lunch, but I quickly remembered that I left my camera on my bed this morning. :( I knew I wanted to remember this lunch forever, so I am recording it here.

It started as a typical lunch.... but turned into so much more! I left the restaurant so full of joy and happiness and love. It is amazing how something as simple as a mini dessert could mean so much.