🦅 Happy Birthday Griffin 🦁

"Happy birthday, baby."

Blue Dahlia

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FALL INTO THE STORY of GRIFFIN ENTRANCE

🦁

Wild One First Birthday Party Theme

The Best Ideas for KIDS

🦅

Eagle mini cheese balls

Hallmark

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"A griffin."

"Good eye."

"Symbol of strength—and vigilance."

She turned her head, cocked it so that she could see his face. 

"You know the

oddest things, Jack. But yeah, that's why I chose it."

Captive Star

Oh 👶

“Can we say baby shower? A double-the-fun theme,” Hope decided. 

“Or what comes

in pairs, sets of two. Something like that. 

I’ll work on it. We should schedule it in early

October, just to be safe.”

“Baby shower.” Clare sighed. “More and more real.” 

The Perfect Hope

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Host a Baby Shower Everyone Will Love

A baby shower  is all about celebrating the mama-to-be,
and what better way to do that than with a fat slice of cake and
a cup of baby shower punch?

30 Adorable Baby Shower Cakes

Baby Shower Etiquette

Easy Appetizers

Creative Baby Shower Themes

The Best Games to Play During a Baby Shower

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"Mrs. Haggerty? Our Mrs. Haggerty was there?"

"Not only, but she won the song title game. You have to write down the most song titles with 'baby' in it.

You'll never guess one she wrote down."

"Okay. I give."

"'Baby Got Back.'"

Now he grinned. "Get out. Mrs. Haggerty wrote down a rap song?"

"Then rapped it."

"Now you're lying."

"She did. Or at least a couple lines. I nearly peed my pants."

Blue Dahlia

Science of kissing: why a kiss is not just a kiss

"Let's call it a draw," he suggested, lowering his head.

Her hand shot out, wedged between them. "There can be no mouth on mouth. This is not permitted."

"Kisses are illegal in your world?"

"A kiss is a gift." 

Now it was she who was breathless, from the press of his body, from the knowledge that his lips were nearly upon hers. 

"One given in promise between those who mate."

A World Apart

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By KoS - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1280529

In early human societies, it is believed mothers weaned their babies by chewing up their food and then passing it to their babies by lip-to-lip contact. Evolutionary biologists suggest that erotic kissing is a so-called relic gesture, passed down through cultures from these early practices of the mother’s deep kissing and the infant’s searching tongue movements.

“If young lovers exploring each other’s mouths with their tongues feel the ancient comfort of parental mouth feeding, this may help them to increase their mutual trust and thereby their pair-bonding,” 

IRISH TIMES

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She rubbed her lips together, experimenting. His taste was still there-his flesh, yes-

but it was more. His mouth, the intimacy of the kiss that had been like- feeding each other. 

She hadn't known such matters could have such heat, and yet be tender.

She had never known tenderness, nor had she believed she required it.

Small wonder that in the world she knew, a mouth kiss was reserved for lifemates and

 was part of the sacred vows that stretched for all time.

A World Apart

"Happy Christmas. To All of Us."

Christmas Day went by in a blur. 

She tried to imprint specific moments on her mind-Mason's sheer delight in the antique medical bag she'd found him, Harper and Austin squaring off over a foosball table. 

There was Lily's predictable fascination with boxes and wrapping rather than toys, and Hayley's joy in showing off a new pair of earrings. 

She loved seeing Logan sitting cross-legged on the floor, showing Stella's boys-his boys now-the child-sized tools inside the toolboxes he'd made them. 

She wanted to slow the clock down-just for this day, just this one day-but it sped by, from dawn and the excitement of opening gifts, to the candlelight and the lavish meal David prepared and served on her best china. 

Before she knew it, the house was quiet once more. 

She wandered down to take a last look at the tree, to sit alone in the parlor with her coffee and her memories of the day, and all the Christmases before. 

Surprised when she heard footsteps, she looked over and saw her sons. 

"I thought you'd all gone over to Harper's." 

"We were waiting for you to come down," Harper told her. 

"Come down?" 

"You always come down Christmas night, after everyone's gone to bed."

Black Rose

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Christmas can seem so loud with activity and busyness that often times, we aren't really enjoying it.  It can be such an amazing time of the year, if we just allowed ourselves time to be quiet and simply enjoy the season with family.

JOY IN THE HOME

Romance After Becoming Parents

With his own sandwich, David slid across from him. “It is good you came to me, young student, for I am the master.”

“I know. I thought about just walking over one night, maybe with a bottle of wine, knock on her terrace door. The direct approach.”

“It’s a classic for a reason.”

“But she’s nervous about Amelia, about having any sort of, you know, encounter, in the house. At least that’s my take.”

“Is encounter code for hot sex?”

“Damn you, you’re too clever for my pitiful ruses. Anyway, I could have her and Lily over for dinner, and after the baby was asleep—a little wine, a little music.” He shrugged and felt he was riding around the same circle again.

“There’s also a reason why fine hotels have room service and Do Not Disturb signs.”

“Room service?”

“Work with me, Harp. You take her out to dinner—fancy dinner. Let’s try the Peabody. They have lovely rooms, lovely service, fine food—in-room dining.”

Chewing thoughtfully, Harper played it out in his head. “I take her out to dinner—in a hotel room? Don’t you think that’s a little . . . brilliant,” he decided after a moment.

“Yes, I do. Wine, candles, music, the works, all in the elegant privacy of a hotel suite. You’ll be bringing her breakfast in bed the next morning.”

Red Lily

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"24062012-Son pied entre mes doigts (7438753628)" by WiLPrZ from Rabat, Maroc - 

24062012-Son pied entre mes doigts. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:24062012-

Son_pied_entre_mes_doigts_(7438753628).jpg#/media/File:24062012-

Son_pied_entre_mes_doigts_(7438753628).jpg

A major challenge for parents, especially new parents, is finding the time to be together in ways that foster romance in their relationship. 

HUFFINGTON POST

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He laughed and drew her to face him again. "About that fantasy…"

"I'll meet you at midnight," she whispered. "Right here."

"You bring the wine, I'll bring the wood."

"It's a deal."

Tonight and Always