August 26

Today was a nice one on a number of fronts: No jury duty, and more 'mores': more one-on-one time with Brady, during which his Super Duper Chatterbox status was solidified (seriously, the running dialog in his little head must be utterly exhausting); more of Isaac's reflections on how he loves learning; and Abby's admission that she likes her teacher and thinks she's going to really like fifth grade. So yeah: a whole lot of blessing packed into just a few hours.

But one of my favorite moments of the day came this evening.

While we were at the cabin a few weeks ago, the kids discovered a love of the Game of Life. We don't own it here, but Abby came home and downloaded an app so she can play a computerized version on Adam's tablet. This evening after we got home from the store, she plunked down on the sofa and started a round. I sat with her and watched as she played: I watched her laugh as she taunted her computerized opponents and celebrate as she scored good spins.

Although life is most definitely not a game, it was good to see her enjoying herself and taking risks on the wheel, even when they didn't pay off. Because as our pastor said on Sunday, sometimes, God wants us to do those risky things.