December 8

Today was a little busier than usual, as I picked Adam up from his office in the South Bay early this evening so I could join him and his team for dinner.

Now it's several hours post-meal and I'm back at home, sitting alone in the family room while this year's beautiful live tree sparkles over in the corner. (And no, the picture in the wall isn't usually right there, hence the apparently awkward positioning. It was displaced by the tree.)

I do love the glitter of lights and the twinkle of tinsel that comes with this time of year. And I also love the quiet reflectiveness that looking at the lights can --for some reason I can't quite put my finger on-- usher in for me. So for those blessings, I am thankful.

December 7

We went up to Adam's parents' house after church today to help decorate their Christmas tree.

It was a good time, beginning with the Bills/Bengals game on TV over cheese/crackers/veggies for lunch, continuing with a quick celebration of Brady's upcoming 15th (whaaaat?!) birthday, and finishing with the official decorating of the enormous tree.

And afterward, as we were preparing to head home, Brady and then Isaac thought it would be fun to climb up on the wall back behind the house. And I thought the sight of them in the fog (because man, it was foggy in Lafayette) in their grey pants and shirts contrasted with the bright string of lights along the roofline made for a cool image. (And lest I should forget some day, they decided that it would be a good idea to do the 6-7 hand motion, too.)

So for the blessing of family and for the gift of preparing for Christmas, I am thankful.

December 6

I channeled my inner elf this morning and got to work putting out more Christmas decorations. And between decking the halls and adorning my vintage ceramic tree with colorful pegs, I went online, made our Christmas cards, and then drove down to CVS to pick them up. I even addressed a few and took them out to the mailbox. 

I wouldn't go so far as to call it a herculean effort, but it felt really good to continue to prepare for the upcoming holiday. It felt good to set up the colorful lights and to scroll through my phone in search of the perfect images for our card. And it felt good to write mini updates on the back of said-card.

It felt good to get things done. And it felt even better to think more about the real reason for the season, which is the birth of our Savior.

So for all of those very good things and for the excitement of preparing for a big event, I am grateful.

December 5

I had a great time downtown with Nikki this morning.

We started off at Peet's for some coffee and tasty treats (because their baked goods and sandwiches are so good. All love to the Mother Ship but Peet's has ya beat in this area).

Then we ventured to the nail salon for pedicures. (We both opted for seasonal sparkly red! My toes have never looked so jolly.)

And of course, there was lots of chatting and sharing life. I love this girl so much and am so grateful for her continued presence in my life. She is a true gift from God.

December 4

When Isaac trudged up the steps from the garage this afternoon, he was carrying a McDonalds bag. I looked at him quizzically as he pulled out a packet of fries and 20 Chicken McNuggets. He grinned and, as he settled into his place at the table to chow down, explained that it was his "celebration meal."

And celebrate he should, because this morning he received his first college acceptance: Biola University in Southern California.

Isaac did a lot of work to figure out where he wanted to continue his education. He created and then whittled down his list of choices to a trio: just Biola, Azusa Pacific University, and Abby's school, Wheaton College. Adam and I tried more than once to convince him to apply to more schools, but he was set on just the three.

And although he deliberately chose to pursue only three options, he worried that he wouldn't get in anywhere. In fact, just last night he laid down on the rug near me in the family room and asked the same question he's asked numerous times over the past few months: what if I don't get into any colleges? And I replied with the same assurance I gave Abby four years ago: you will not be rejected from the school God wants you to attend.

So here we are: one app submitted, one acceptance in his back pocket. He still needs to finish the other two apps. I have no idea how those will pan out for him, but I'm thankful that he can relax now with the  knowledge that there's at least one school that wants him to be part of their student body next year. 

December 3

I was really tired early this evening (thank you, aging process) so I laid across my bed and listened to the boys play Mario Kart in the living room.

They laughed (and yelled at times) and listened to music and compared their Pandora music stats from the year (which, as an aside, were quite amusing to me: they're both big country music fans, Isaac is partial to Morgan Wallen, and based on his play history Brady's 'music age' is 37).

And then after we finished dinner, they laid on the kitchen floor. I don't really know what the plan was, but they wound up scooting all around the island. (It was weird.)

It's a blessing to continue watching their friendship grow.

December 2

The sky was ablaze with pinks and reds and oranges as I drove Brady home from baseball practice early this evening.

The color was so vibrant that even he --my kiddo who doesn't typically involve himself much with the small details-- noticed and commented on it as I turned the car onto our street.

Natural beauty --the kind of that only God can create and put on display-- is a blessing to all who get to see it. And I am thankful that I saw it today.