July 4

Our great nation's 250th birthday was a quiet, calm one at our house. 

Most of our overt observance of the occasion centered around food, as we nibbled on red, white, and blue donuts and cupcakes; homemade apple and cherry pies whipped up by Adam; strawberry, blueberry, and banana fruit skewers by Abby; and of course, hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato salad. My girl even made herself a beverage she found online that featured Sprite, blue Gatorade, grenadine, and whipped cream. (I didn't taste it but it looked pretty cool.) And for good measure, we also had red, white, and blue M&Ms and fourth of July themed Sour Patch Kids (which were, of course, red, white, and blue).

We watched some baseball and World Cup soccer (sorry, it's soccer) on TV, and enjoyed a quick round of US History trivia (courtesy of Abby and Google) after dinner. It was all very chill.

But the calmest, quietest part of the day came as the sky darkened and Adam took Abby and Brady closer to downtown to watch the fireworks display at the fairgrounds. I'm not big on crowds and loud noises (even loud music is too much for me these days), so I opted to stay home. As the light outside grew increasingly dim, I donned my robe and flip flips and stole up the steps to the observation deck.

The sunset was of the pretty, muted pink and orange ilk, and I stood by the railing watching as the color faded to a steely gray and the lights of the valley below appeared, one by one, flickering like fireflies. I could hear the bang, bang of fireworks in the distance and occasionally, the fingers of one would briefly reach high enough into the sky that I could see it. None were particularly close, but I enjoyed the view nonetheless, because in that moment, I still recognized that it was a beautiful view, even without a special show.

But then something unexpected happened. After 15 minutes of squinting to see tiny spectacles on the other side of the valley, there was a bang that sounded much closer followed by a beautiful spray of white light off to the left. And what followed was the same stunning display that Adam and the kiddos were seeing from a different vantage point. I watched, mesmerized, as variously colored lights ascended into the sky, exploded, and showered the earth with their splendor. It was a display well-suited to a 250th birthday.

As I stood there watching from my perch, lots of thoughts flitted through my mind. One is that this country may have its problems, but it's still an amazing place to call home. And those of us blessed enough to live here are just that --blessed-- whether we truly realize it or not. We can watch fireworks and eat cupcakes and hamburgers and have parties with friends and express our opinions and dress how we like and worship as we choose. Life isn't like that everywhere. It's also a land of opportunities and second chances; it's a place where patience and perseverance can yield rewards that are bigger and better than we could ever have imagined. 

So today, I am grateful to God for 250 of this nation. And I pray that He will continue to have His hand on our leaders and that they will do what is right in His eyes, even if it's not always what is popular.

July 3

Abby's first summer term ended yesterday and since she didn't have any homework, she came with me to the Mother Ship this morning.

In honor of reaching a milestone in her program, I bought her a frou frou drink. (I don't remember exactly what it was, but it had blue cold foam on top and matcha in the drink itself. The important part is that she liked it and I didn't just flush $6.75.)

From there we jaunted through Target and then Grocery Outlet. Abby often expresses how she'd hyped for the fourth, so she wanted to get red, white, and blue food for tomorrow.

It was a pleasant day with my girl. We haven't had a lot of time to hang out since summer school started, so the outing was a blessing.

July 2

I had the munchies a little while ago, so I trolled the pantry and found the box of Strawberry Vanilla Chex that I stashed in an out-of-the-way (also known as Brady Resistant) corner yesterday. The angels sang. (Not really, but I was really pleased and may have fist pumped the air.)

It's probably more sugar than I need, but it's definitely one of my favorite cereals these days. 

So I sat in my seat in the family room and happily crunched those little squares while Adam and I watched the evening World Cup game on TV.

It's a very small thing, but it made me happy. So today, I'm thankful for the blessing of tasty snacks that hit the proverbial spot.

July 1

My allergies flared overnight and I woke up sneezing. (And then I sneezed some more. And more.) I did my customary Starbucks run to see Terry and the guys, dropped by Safeway for some yogurt (since Brady texted me that his teeth hurt from his new retainers so he didn't have much to eat), and then returned home for the day.

I spent the rest of my Wednesday trying to lie low as the sneezing continued and the sinus pressure increased. But rather than frittering away the hours doing nothing at all, I decided I'd buckle down and do some more work on the little pink blanket I've been crocheting for the past few weeks.

I know I've said it before, but it's true that I get a great deal of satisfaction from doing things for other people. I have no idea who will eventually receive this particular piece, but I know that God knows. And I'm grateful that He gave me a practical talent that can be used to bless other people.

June 30

After the extravaganza of busyness that was yesterday, today was very calm by comparison.

In fact, it was more or less a run of the mill day that featured Brady playing computer games and Abby going to class. And it also included our usual date night, this time at Cattlemen's.

It was, as always, good to sit there with my hunny, just going over the day's happenings as we lingered over dinner.

So for the blessing of time together, I am grateful.

June 29

It was a busy Monday at the Wight house.

Bright and early (even before coffee), Brady has his braces removed after a comparatively brief 16-month term. (Abby and Isaac were not so fortunate.) We "celebrated" at Starbucks (even though it was really just me wanting the previously referenced coffee). 

Abby took her new car --her graduation present, which arrived over the weekend while she was in Illinois wedding'ing it up-- for a maiden cruise up the freeway to her class. She reported that it went well.

And Isaac packed up his suitcase and headed to Young Life camp. This year they're going to British Columbia, so rather than dropping him off to catch a bus, his friend Tyler's mom drove them both to SFO to catch a flight to Seattle.

And me? After a brain toot caused me to miss my Bible study, I went home and continued working on the border of a small blanket. 

It was a busy day that featured several firsts for our family: Brady's first moments post-braces and his first piece of gum in more than a year. Abby's first time driving a car that's titled in her name. And Isaac's first trip out of the US. So for the blessing of fun firsts, I am thankful.

(And I'm also thankful for the timely arrival of Abby's car and for Isaac's camp schedule, because my car decided to have a fit over the weekend and is in the shop for the time being. With Isaac out of town and Abby having wheels of her own, I'm free to use the kid-car. Phew. Thank you, God, for Your provision!)

June 28

This image is largely representative of today.

To put it plainly, Isaac was in really, really good mood. And that exuberance made him a wee bit crazy at times.

Like in this image, Brady was trying to throw pitches into his target, but Isaac kept trying to grab his legs. Although I'm sure it annoyed him a bit, it made Brady laugh.

So for the laughter and the lighthearted moments, I am grateful.