September 2

I was crocheting early this evening when Brady appeared and told me that he'd been pitching in the backyard. He then said that he wasn't sure if he was throwing hard or not and his voice trailed off, so I read between the proverbial lines and asked if he wanted me to watch. (He did.) 

So I followed him out the back door and observed as he got set, kicked his leg, and delivered what was a pretty hard pitch at the target. He repeated the process several more times and I confirmed that yes, I thought his velocity was good.

He hasn't thrown all that often of late; he's not currently on a team, school is in session, and Isaac isn't here to play catch. So it was a blessing to see him out there of his own volition, doing his thing. 

My baby is growing up, and I am grateful for the gift of watching that happen.

September 1

I'm not entirely sure how it's already September but here we are, on the brink of my beloved pumpkin season. How sweet it is.

Anyway, since today is Tuesday, I dropped Brady off at Youth Group (or more accurately, he drove me over and I left with the car). And then I met Adam at Gay 90s downtown for dinner. 

We hadn't been there in quite some time, as we tend to get into a rotation of eatery destinations and it wasn't one of them, but I think we both enjoyed the experience. The cheese curds were light and tasty (and the cheese had an excellent pull factor) and the pizza actually felt healthy; not greasy at all with a delicious crust.

And of course, the company and conversation were top notch. 

So for another night out with my number one hunny, I am thankful.

August 31

As Abby so eloquently put it in her text, today was her second first day of second grade.

She sent us a photo as she was leaving her grandparents' house this morning, bound for her maiden experience with student teaching (and then later in the day, the beginning of her own fall instructional term at St. Mary's. She's going to be busy!).

I haven't heard a whole lot about her Monday just yet and I'll let her share as she pleases, but I'm very proud of her for taking another big step toward becoming a teacher. I know she's nervous about what's to come and doubts her own abilities more often than not, but I'm pleased that she's continuing to move forward in faith as God continues to direct her path.

Go get 'em, Miss Wight!

August 30

Sometimes, things just don't go according to our plans.

Tomorrow is Abby's very first day of student teaching. She was assigned to a second grade classroom at a school in Walnut Creek. Since that's much closer to her grandparents' house in Lafayette, she'll be staying with them for roughly half of the week and then returning home for weekends during the Fall semester.

When she went to make the drive to Lafayette this evening, her car wouldn't start. She and Adam (and I) spent a half an hour trying to troubleshoot the issue, but it just wasn't happening, so we finally had her take Charles the Explorer instead.

I know she was rattled and frustrated, but my prayer for her is that she's able to get past the hiccup. And that she'll have a great first day with the kiddos. And tonight, I'm thankful that Charles was available and that Brady is willing to drive my car so he can continue to get his practice behind the wheel. Things may not always go according to our plans, but I'm grateful for backup options that work.

August 29

When Abby was in college, she was consistently in contact with us. She texted multiple times a day and we generally knew the names of her friends and what was going on in her life, even though she was 2,000 miles away.

Isaac's approach to communication is very different. He typically responds to texts with one or two-word answers and never gives specifics. I'm okay with it, really; he's 18 and off on his own adventure, and it's his choice to share or not share as he pleases.

However, it's still really good for my heart to get a wee bit more information about his experience, so I was happy to be able to video call with him this afternoon.

He shared a little about his classes and his burgeoning friendships and how much he likes the breakfast food served in the dining hall. (It's apparently the best meal of the day, with the pancakes and waffles and fruit. And whole milk. He's discovered that he really likes the creaminess of whole milk. Go figure!)

So today, I am grateful for video calls and for the way they help to keep us connected to those who aren't nearby. And I am thankful to God that my sweet kiddo seems to be enjoying his first few weeks of college life.

August 28

I was awakened a little ahead of schedule this morning by the unmistakable plink, plink of rain against the windowpanes. 

When I say that it doesn't rain here during the summer months, I mean it does not rain here, literally, so I hopped up out of bed, pulled back the curtains, and peered outside. 

And this is what I saw: distinctive rain clouds overhead, and the reflection of the opposing trees and houses on the street below. Sure visual signs of the raindrops I could hear.

But somehow, even though I saw the evidence of water, I still had trouble believing that it was really rain. So I squinted my eyes and pressed my nose against the glass to try to discern those teeny tiny drops.

And in hindsight, I think my response to those unexpected showers is the way we often react to God's work in our lives. We can see the evidence of His handiwork all around us, but we can't quite believe that it's real. 

So today, I am thankful for the rain, and also for the tangible reminder that He's always at work.

August 27

It's been an interesting week. It's not uncommon for stuff to break while Adam is out of town so I wasn't exactly surprised when both the countertop nugget ice maker and the Nutribullet bit the dust. But then the sun rose on today and a whole 'nother level of weird began.

Incident numero uno commenced when, as I was vacuuming in the family room, I spied movement on the couch across the room. I took a closer look and spied the itty bitty lizard that Brady first saw while I was at dinner with Sherrie. He'd sent me a text with a picture of the little guy and asked what to do. By the time I replied and told him to try to shoo it outside, he said that it had already scurried under the couch. When I got home that evening I couldn't find him, so Brady and I made a pact to not mention his presence to Abby and hope he'd just come out on his own.

Anyway, I approached little liz with a Starbucks cup and, after much maneuvering, managed to trap him against a cushion. He remained quite calm, and occasionally looked up at me through the plastic as I tried to figure out how to get him all the way into the cup. Long story shorter, I eventually summoned Abby to give me a note card, carefully slipped it under his little feet until he moved fully into the cup, and rushed him outside and to freedom.

Incident numero dos followed a short while later. I cleaned the washing machine filter and started a fresh load, only to discover that I hadn't pushed the filter fully back into place. So yep: water all over the laundry room floor. Since this happened a few years ago as well, I decided to go to Walmart to buy a shop vac, which I set up and put to work. I guess I was probably yelping in the laundry room --I was definitely trying to keep myself calm by saying things like "it's a blessing to have furniture for lizards to hide under" but I'm sure I was muttering less inspirational things too-- because Abby left and returned with a coffee for me. As she handed it to me, she explained that she felt bad because so many things kept happening to me today. And then she laughed. And I laughed, because this week has indeed been pretty ridiculous. It was a super sweet gesture on her part and honestly, I almost cried when I saw it. 

Yep, it's been a weirdly tough week. But my girl made it so much better with a simple act of kindness. So for her thoughtfulness, I am thankful.