August 21

When Abby and I got home from the Mother Ship this morning, we found one of her sneakers at the top of the staircase as we came up from the garage.

A few moments later, we spied her other shoe underneath Berto (the Roomba) in the dining room. The little vacuum was no longer running, but I could tell that quite the battle had taken place in our absence.

As I stood there gawking at the strangeness before me, Abby simply quipped "it's like a dog." I snorted aloud, but I laughed and laughed inwardly because it was an incredibly sharp, accurate assessment of what we were seeing.

I'm still not entirely sure why Berto attacked the shoes, but it made for a funny moment. And for that, I am grateful, because humor makes for a light heart.

August 20

I was watching TV with Adam this evening when Brady called out "the sky is pink" from the other side of the house.

So I got up and went to the bedroom window for a look. And what I found was indeed pink and quite lovely.

There's nothing quite as awe (and aaaah) inspiring as a beautiful sunset. The way the colors appear from nowhere and then morph and change as they slide across the sky and down into the horizon can be breathtaking.

So tonight, I am grateful for a creative God who shares his paintings with us every single day.

August 19

Today after coffee and before Costco, Abby and I took a little ride to one of her favorite places: Hobby Lobby.

The store near our house --the one where she worked a few summers ago-- closed and moved to Hayward quite a while ago, so we made the trip to Southland Mall.

And my girl was in her element. She practically floated from aisle to aisle, oohing and aahing over the pillows and wall art and scrapbooking supplies and artificial flowers. She even asked me to take this photo of her in the very pink part of the Christmas section because it was just so totally her vibe. (She really, really likes pink.)

The greatness of the store aside, however, I think her highlight was when a little girl pointed at her and declared that "her looks like a princess!" I thought she might cry as she relayed the compliment to me a little later.

For the blessings of more time with my girl and of witnessing her as she walked around like she'd stepped through the gates of Disneyland, I am grateful.

August 18

Abby came with me to Starbucks this morning, and then we embarked upon an epic impromptu (mostly window) shopping trip.

When she was in high school, it wasn't unusual for us to spend our Saturday afternoons hopping from shop to shop, but save our usual Black Friday outings, it'd been a while since we'd done that. 

But today, we went from Starbucks to Target to Wendy's (because I love the freestyle soda machine) to another Target to Michael's to the mall. There was a lot of walking involved and I was pretty pooped by the time we got back home, but it was also a lot of fun.

We don't always see eye to eye on everything and we have our share of disagreements, but I adore this one and only daughter of mine. And I'm thankful that we were able to spend so much time together today.

August 17

Adam and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary today with an upscale dinner at Haps.

So much has happened since we said our I dos back in 2002; back when we were fresh-faced 24-year olds ready to dive into married life and all of its joys (and, little did we fully realize, pains).

We've moved four times --all within the comfy confines of our chosen hometown-- from apartment to apartment to townhouse to duet to --at long last-- house with unattached walls. We've welcomed four amazing, beautiful babies and said an excruciating, heart-rending see-you-later to one. We've attended countless sporting events and dance recitals and have sent two off to college. 

We've argued and made up and argued some more (and made up some more). We've tackled differing communication styles and come to an understanding to live and let live with respect to issues on which we simply disagree.

Perhaps most importantly, we've tried --and hopefully succeeded-- at modeling a faith-driven life for our children. We've been united in wanting them to know that there is a God who loves them deeply and wants to bless them, and that there is a Savior who died to save them from themselves. 

Our marriage is not perfect, but it's good. And I can't imagine navigating the ups and downs and the heartbreaks and joys with a better partner. Happy 24th, hunny! I love you.

August 16

It's been a truly lovely Sunday. It began with an excellent and inspiring message at church and continued with a kick-back afternoon at home.

Later in the day, after the A's game ended, I reminded Adam that my laptop was on its last legs and he suggested we head over to Costco to look at replacements. (Although I used to be a bona fide computer-killer, I've actually had my old machine for five or six years, maybe longer. She's had a good run but the mouse doesn't really work anymore, she only runs while plugged in, and the McAfee pop-ups are out of control.)

Anyway, it was a great Costco run. As we jetted up and down the aisles in search of popcorn for Brady, it felt like the old days, back when we were younger and life was simpler. Although I wouldn't trade away my experiences --because every one of them has revealed more about me and brought me a fuller understanding of the true character of God-- the sense of nostalgia unlocked was pretty special. So for that, I am thankful.

August 15

The house feels very still and quiet, probably because the boys aren't wrestling in the living room and chasing each other up and down the stairs. It's a little strange. Actually, this time of transition is more than a little strange; it's a lot strange.

Given that I'm someone who doesn't love things being different, I'm grateful for familiar things in my life, like Adam and Abby and Brady. And even BearBear, Brady's stuffed bear who's always had a "thing" for me. (It's part of the extensive lore.) He sat on my shoulder for a while this afternoon.

Of course, change is most definitely an integral part of God's design so I'm grateful for new experiences that bring us closer to becoming the people He wants us to be, too.