July 18

Brady has historically gone on cooking jags. I can't remember them all offhand because there was been a few, but I know that at one point, he really liked making pancakes, so he ate and consumed a lot of them.

His current culinary interest is working with potatoes. And more specifically, potatoes and the air fryer I bought Adam for his birthday (which said-husband does not use).

He started off by just reheating pre-cooked items like frozen French fries. It helped him to get a feel for how the machine works. Then he moved on to grating fresh potatoes to make hash browns. When they were a little too loosey-goosey for his taste, he added cornstarch to said-hash browns and created patties that held together. 

Then today, he decided to make potato chips. He used my veggie slicer (which is a marvelous contraption, for the record), brushed them with olive oil (as he doing in the image), and sprinkled them with salt.

I had one after they were done and it was quite good! Definitely crispy, and I am definitely a girl who prefers crispy to not-crispy when it comes to my air fried potato products. I think he was pleased with the outcome, and I was pleased to see him successfully tackle a new task. It's a blessing to witness his confidence --and patience and perseverance-- grow over time.

July 17

I was working on my latest crochet project in the bedroom this afternoon when Isaac and Brady suddenly (and loudly) appeared. 

Now they don't just enter a room together these days; it's truly more like they storm castle gates. There's lots of chatter and arms and legs flying everywhere. It's simultaneously funny and exhausting, and definitely overstimulating.

But I love it nonetheless. And then I loved it even more when, a few minutes later, Brady left to find BearBear and Isaac picked up my stuffed cat SOC (pronounced "sock") and wrapped him in an embrace. 

I watched him as he sprawled across the foot of my bed hugging my cat. And I smiled to myself. He may be 18, but he's still my little boy. And I am grateful to God for the gift that he continues to be to me.

July 16

This is what I get these days when I say "okay, I want to take a picture of you guys."

Fine. It's fine. Really, totally fine. I love that all of the recent photos I have of them look more or less like this.

But to my actual point... Isaac has chalk paint on his face and they're wearing matching green t-shirts because they're both volunteering at VBS this week. Isaac is a teacher for the older kids, and Brady is a youth leader for the younger ones. (That's simplified because I can't remember exactly which grades they're each with.)

I'm pleased that they both chose to spend some of their time --and if Brady's glue-stained shirt and Isaac's face are any indication, also a bit of patience-- helping to tell the next generation about Jesus. It's a small act, but who knows -- it could wind up having huge implications for a child who attends.

July 15

Although both Abby and I were dealing with stuffy noses when we got up today, we still enjoyed a nice trip to the Mother Ship and then Costco.

After we finished strolling up and down the aisles and checked out, we stopped by the food court for some lunchtime munchies. 

We chit chatted as we finished our pizza (her) and hot dog (me), and then I offered to buy a big chocolate chip cookie and split it with her. 

She agreed. And here I am with my half. (And her half, actually.)

It was a good time with my favorite girl enjoying a sweet treat. So for all of those blessings, I am grateful.

July 14

I didn't sleep particularly well last night; I'm pretty sure I have an allergy/cold combo platter and it makes resting simultaneously essential and difficult.

So I spent most of the day keeping up with decongestants and cough drops (because part of my ailment involves coughing... lots of coughing). It wasn't very exciting, but it seemed to help.

So this evening, on this day that involved me mostly lying low, I'm thankful to God for medications that alleviate symptoms and for my wonderful pellet ice maker. Because small comforts can make a big difference.

July 13

Isaac came home from the first day of VBS, went to the gym, and then came home and crashed on the couch.

He slept and slept and slept some more. And he talked in his sleep, because he does that sometimes. I'm not sure what he said because it was fairly mumbly, but his words were animated if not intelligible. He was clearly engaging with someone in his dreams.

It was good to just watch him rest for a while. He'll be off to school in less than a month; in fact, he got his roommate assignment today, and I know he's looking forward to meeting Thomas from Kentucky. So I'm very conscious that the the days of summer are waning. And I want to be sure to try to soak up the moments as best I can, because the moments --the little ones like these that are so easy to miss-- are blessings.

July 12

It was a hot, muggy day, and for some reason, Abby and I decided that it would be fun to take a walk during the mid-afternoon hours.

Of course, when we left the house, we didn't know that it was hot and still a sticky out. So we stuck it out and wound up having a lovely stroll up and down some of the nearby streets as we burned calories and chit-chatted about life.

It was good, unexpected quality time with my favorite girl and I'm always thankful for that. She's funny and intelligent and has lots of interesting things to say. God is crafting her into a remarkable young woman and watching the transformation is a gift.