January 6

We're gradually working our way back to the normal school year schedule. We've enjoyed a wonderful couple of weeks hanging out at home together, but Abby heads back to Chicago on Sunday (which doubles as my birthday) and the boys go back to class tomorrow. (Yes, on a Wednesday. I have no idea why.)

And tonight, Isaac and Brady went back to Youth Group while Abby joined Adam and I for our date night at Mexico Lindo. 

My rather grizzled appearance aside, I've had a really good break. I've enjoyed having my babies in the nest. I've enjoyed listening to them laugh as they played Mario Kart and Mario Golf. I've enjoyed playing cards and listening to music. It's been a blessing.

It's also been a blessing to have Adam home. He doesn't take much time off work, so it was good to see him able to relax and nap as he saw fit.

So yes, as we move on to the Spring semester, I am grateful to God for a successful Fall and a restorative break. And I look forward to what He will do next.

January 5

I've been taking the kiddos to Black Bear Diner for brunch during school breaks for... well, several years now. Since the boys go back on Wednesday and Abby has a conflict tomorrow, we went this morning.

They were legitimately little kids when we first started going to Black Bear; I can remember them debating over which of their stuffies should come along to visit with the bears. So it's kind of surreal to sit with them there now, since Abby's an adult, Isaac will be an adult later this year (which is uber shocking to me), and Brady is a mid-teen.

I could be sad over the reality that they're now little anymore and part of me does indeed miss the sweetness of those days, but I'm more grateful that they're growing and maturing. And I'm most grateful that I get to be part of their lives because motherhood  is a huge blessing.

January 4

I feel like these three have had a really good weekend of sibling bonding.

There was Top Golf and video gaming yesterday.

And then today, there was church (where I had them take this pic in front of the hearth before said-hearth was undecorated for the season). And then this afternoon, they settled into the living room for yet more video gaming. It was such a blessing to sit in the family room with Adam, half watching football games and half listening to the three of them laughing and shrieking and just generally enjoying one another's company on the other side of the house.

I am grateful to God for their relationships with one another, and for how they can have fun as a group.

January 3

Our Christmas gift to Adam's dad was time at Top Golf, so we drove down to the South Bay this morning to execute the plan.

Aside from a number of trips to Putt Putt when I was growing up back in Maryland, I don't think I'd ever held a golf club before, so it was a new experience. And I can now confidently say that I am most definitely not a natural (or anything close to a natural; in fact, I'd call myself an "unnatural" or maybe even an "awkward"). 

Anyway, we settled into our two bays on the third deck and enjoyed a selection of appetizers (including some surprisingly yummy mac and cheese bites) as we battled for golfing dominance. Abby figured out a cautious strategy that worked well for her and Isaac and Brady hulked away at the ball like the baseball guys they are. And Adam impressed me with how far he was able to hit the ball. (Really.)

It was, all in all, what it was supposed to be: good fun with the fam. So for that blessing --especially as the boys head back to school this week and Abby finishes up with her own Winter Break-- I am grateful. Family is often one of the greatest gifts God gives us, but it's probably also one of the most frequently overlooked, so I'm thankful that I was able to enjoy mine today.

January 2

I spent most of today hanging out with this guy.

He brought me coffee this morning and then once it seemed like it wasn't going to rain, we went for a reasonably long walk around the neighborhood.

Then this afternoon and into the evening, we watched two movies. I felt like watching a classic Hitchcock film so I went with "To Catch a Thief" (which I'd seen before but didn't really remember). Then he picked the much more recent "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery." Both mysteries but quite different choices, but both good picks.

At this moment Isaac has some pals over, Abby is running, Brady is at a friend's house and said-husband is snoozing across the room on a couch.

Nothing about today was pre-planned, but the activities as they rolled out were perfect. And I am grateful to God to have had another day of goodness with my favorite folks.

January 1

Happy New Year! We kicked off 2026 with Martinelli's (for them) and prosecco (for me) at midnight. (Or a few seconds after; the ball drop replay was behind so we got confused.) And then we all went to bed. (Us Wights are big partiers! Incidentally, lest it looks strange, my hair was pulled back awkwardly since I'd been walking on my wee treadmill.)

Anyhow, we spent the bulk of the actual daylight hours watching college football bowl games. Isaac went to the gym and Brady biked to the park to long toss with a friend and Adam and Abby went for a walk around the 'hood. While everyone else was doing their own things, I spent some time in prayer to try to center myself.

I've not historically been one to set resolutions; I have what I call an addictive personality, so my "goals" for myself more often than not turn into fixations (or even obsessions in some cases). So I go easy on setting standards or timelines for accomplishments. But I do want to make sure to savor every moment I have with these people this year, and I'm hoping to be able to take some fun trips (to as-of-now undetermined locations) with them and just soak in the goodness of being their wife and mother. Because the gift of being part of their lives --of continuing to grow alongside all of them as they continue to grow-- is one of the biggest blessings God has given me.