love languages. . .

i read the book about the five love languages when i was in college. the basic premise is that each person has a language of love that they respond to the most. as the boys continue to grow it has been fun to see their love languages develop.
christian's love language is definitely physical touch. the kid is such a lover. he can't get enough hugs, kisses, and i love you's from me in one day. his language is easy to communicate every day.
gabe's love language on the other hand is challenging. his language is personal time. he loves having rick or i or both of us to himself. we struggle with finding the time and opportunity to love him in that way.
but, rick and gabe had the best time last saturday hiking at table rock state park. . . just the two of them. gabe was so excited. he came and woke me up before they left. he had his backpack on his back, and when i asked him what he had inside, he said eight starburst, some water, and some snacks. he was so prepared.
i warned him that he might not make it to the top. he was fully expecting to get there. i encouraged him to do his best and have fun and they were on their way. meanwhile, christian and i spent the day running errands. around 11:00am my phone rang. it was gabe on the other end to proudly announce that he was at the top of table rock. i was so proud of him and of rick for pushing a little of the way up!
after hiking, they spent time swimming in the lake (yuck! glad i wasn't there for that!). hope you enjoy the pics of their little adventure. super proud of you, gabe!