November 30

After dinner, Abby wanted to do something fun so she decided we'd all (well, most of us would) make gingerbread men (or girls). So she drew outlines for me and herself while Isaac and Brady made their own outlines and filled them in.

I'm routinely struck by their unique perspectives and opinions, and when I look at their artwork, it's kind of like looking at those differences laid out in tangible form. Abby with her attention to detail and girly flair, Isaac with his dedication to the traditional (and his desire to include everyone-- he's holding both his own picture as well as mine even though no one asked him to do so), and Brady... well, Brady's gingerbread man looks kind of like a green monster, so I'll just note his love of green. Green monsters. (But not the Red Sox. I can't have anyone thinking that.)

I treasure those differences, and I also treasure the moments when they all come together to fulfill a common goal because teamwork is a blessing.

November 29

We decorated our Christmas tree this afternoon. I'm something of an ornament addict so I own quite a few of them, and I don't use every single one every year. In fact, sometimes several years will pass before I'll open a given box. So I was gratified when the box that I randomly chose to open first held this and a number of previously unopened ornaments dated 2006.

That particular year is of significance because it's the year of Logan's birth. Opening those boxes of fresh ornaments that I bought when he was just a little baby was such a gift to me; it was almost like unsealing a time capsule. It made it feel like he was right there with us, pushing the buttons on the mechanical ones and dancing with the music playing in the background and laughing with Abby, Isaac, and Brady as they decorated the tree together. For that gift, I'm grateful.

November 28

Today was pleasantly plump with activity. Abby and I got up (at a sane hour! I'm not one of those wack-o-paths who rises long before the sun comes up) and went out to do a little casual Black Friday shopping. Then we met her friend Bridget and her mom for lunch before we headed home, where we found Adam and the Little Boys putting out our lights and lawn decorations. Then we headed to a tree lot, chose the perfect-for-us Christmas tree, and came home again to put it up.

(Here we are at the tree lot.)

Then we closed out the day by watching "Home Alone." The kids went to bed a few hours ago, but I can still hear their laughter ringing in my memory.

I absolutely love it when "busy" days double as "good" days. So often I think we find ourselves so overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that we forget to step back and enjoy the moments -- even the nutty ones. I think we all like --and at least occasionally crave-- quiet, easy times, but we miss out when we fail to appreciate the fast lane times, too.

November 27

We went for another walk this morning before heading out to Thanksgiving dinner. As we went along our way, I noticed these orange flowers and how the necks bent so the sweet little faces could look upward toward the sun. I kept walking at first, but turned back to take this picture (via Adam's phone, since my battery had gone kaput).

I was struck by how smart they are to look toward the sun. Almost all flowers do it; they instinctively (inasmuch as flowers have instincts, of course) seek the sun -- the source of heat and light and, to them, goodness.

It reminded me that we're supposed to have a similar relationship with God; we're supposed to look up toward Him and rely on Him to be our warmth, light, and goodness. And on a day like this one, it's important to be mindful of that, to actually do that, and to be thankful.

November 26

We went for a walk this afternoon. With the time change, it'd been a while, so it was nice to get out and just stroll together.

At one point, Isaac's good buddy's mom texted me to ask if we could meet at the park, so we did. While we were there, I couldn't help but notice something that I so often overlook:

Grass. And not only grass, but actual green grass. I know that seems like a pretty trivial thing --I mean, how often do we look down and marvel over something as mundane as grass?-- but it was a big deal to me because the grass around here has been sparse and brown for nearly a year now. So the rain we got last week really brought it to life.

The experience reminded me once again of the importance of stopping and noticing --and appreciating-- the simple things in life.

November 25

I took the kiddos out for brunch this morning at a favorite local haunt. The restaurant features a bunch of carved bears as decorations, and as self-respecting bear-lovers, they were primed to go inside and "collect honey" for Bear-Bear and the rest of their gang of fluffies.

Like I've said many times before, I love their creativity. I love how they're able to look beyond what's real and concrete and into a world that exists as they want it to exist. So yep: they collected honey for their bear-friends, and took it out to the car to share it with them. And I couldn't be happier about it.

November 24

When I was growing up, school was out on just Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week, but they do things a little differently here: here, our kids are off the entire week. After a morning of collectively lying around and doing a whole lotta nothing, we took a trip to Target this afternoon.

They had fun looking at Skylander figures (the Little Boys) and Disney Infinity figures (Abby), and then raiding the Christmas aisles, where they tried on a series of funky holiday headbands. (There are indeed photos, yes.) Eventually, we found ourselves in the refrigerated section, where a fight over GoGurt flavors very nearly broke out until Abby called her brothers over for a summit.

The goal of the meeting may have been something incredibly trivial --Brady wanted blueberry and cherry, while Abby and Isaac lobbied for cotton candy and strawberry-- but seeing them try to work together to come to a collectively agreeable solution was priceless. It gave me a little bit of hope knowing that they're willing to at least make a go at the art of compromise, because so much of life is about give and take.

(And for anyone wondering... the meeting wasn't so successful, but it didn't matter. Once Brady got a taste of the coveted cotton candy yogurt, he was satisfied with the outcome, even though it wasn't what he'd wanted.)

November 23

We celebrated Abby's birthday with (most of) Adam's family today. We had dinner and she opened her presents, and afterward we had cake and ice cream.

The kiddos adore their grandparents and the little things they do to make them feel special, like making them fancy leaning-tower-of-Pisa style layer cakes featuring five different shades of purple.

Those little gestures matter a lot.

November 22

It rained again today, which is a big deal when all you ever hear is how bad the drought has gotten.

After lunch at our usual haunt, we walked back to the car and I stopped to take a photo when I saw this:

The trees may be busily shedding their colorful leaves to signify the end of one cycle of life, but those delicate pink, rain-dotted blooms were such a sweet reminder of the fact that life IS indeed a cycle. And an even sweeter reminder that one day, everything will be new once again.

November 21

I went to Walmart this afternoon to pick up a Christmas present I'd ordered online for Isaac (or Brady... not sure yet!). While I was there, I did what I always do and wandered down the Cars aisle. It's a habit that I developed when Logan first discovered his love of those Cars with faces, as he called them. And though he's no longer here, I've continued searching for them anyway. I scanned the Hot Wheels and Matchbox pegs for Corvettes, and then turned to the Pixar section, not expecting to see much. But I got a pleasant surprise.

So. Many. Cars. The store must've just gotten a shipment of new vehicles from the Tokyo Mater short because there were a bunch that I'd never seen before. As a succession of gleeful fireworks went off in my heart (and yes, I know how corny that sounds), I picked out the new ones and put them in my bag. As I started to turn to walk away, something caught my attention and I took a closer look.

Right there, completely out of place underneath those pegs of Cars with Faces, was a grey Corvette. My heart surged, because in that moment, it felt like Logan had left that little grey car there for me to find, looking up at the Cars with Faces that he loved so much. It was like a little present just for me.

And that's always a good thing.

November 20

I don't often use photos that picture my kids when they're ticked off, but this story amused me so much that I had to do it, just this once.

For some reason, Abby (and Isaac, to some degree) decided to put on a little Thanksgiving play after school today. They made their costumes and rehearsed before calling me into the room to watch. After Abby and Isaac (wearing enormous pilgrim-style hats) "crossed the ocean to the new world," Isaac did a little jig while Abby changed into her "Native American" garb and helped Isaac learn how to plant his crops.

I don't remember exactly how it all progressed, but at some point, they mused that they needed a big fat turkey for dinner, and Brady appeared, a turkey face hat on his head and paper feathers stuck to his bum. Isaac squealed, yelled "BANG BANG" and Brady fell over. Then Abby picked him up and heaved him onto the table, explaining that it was time for everyone to eat. This is when Brady decided he no longer wanted to play the turkey and wriggled away.

I don't know; maybe it was a had-to-be-there kind of moment. But all I know is I'll treasure the memory of that little play, both because it showed off their collective creativity, and because it made me laugh. It's important to laugh sometimes, and I know I don't do it nearly often enough, so those unexpected moments of glee are a blessing to me.

November 19

Today was something of a crazy weather day. The hours were filled with a succession of raindrops, clouds, and sunbursts. I spent plenty of time looking for that elusive rainbow, and as I waited outside for Abby's parent/teacher conference to begin, it finally showed up in extraordinarily grand fashion.

I've spent some time on both Maui and Kaua'i, so I've seen my share of rainbows, but this may well have been the biggest, most brilliant one I'd ever seen. It literally sparkled as a fine mist fell all around, and the vibrancy of its color was incredible.

Waiting to see that rainbow was kind of like waiting to see Heaven, in a way. I knew I'd see it eventually, and when it arrived, it absolutely, positively exceeded my expectations with its grandeur.

And for that... I'm thankful.

November 18

Abby and Isaac had a half day of school today. After pick-up, Brady scurried atop the park sign and said "cheeeese!" until I took a photo.

It was predictable that Brady wanted me to take his picture, because he often wants me to do so. It was a little less predictable that Isaac ran over to join him. It was not predictable when Abby joined them.

I love it when my kiddos surprise me for good reasons; when they want to be together like they wanted to be together in this image. Sibling unity is a precious thing.

November 17

I love this stretch of road, especially during the Fall when the leaves are so bright.

It's the road that runs behind our house. I confess that I loved it more before it connected all the way through the next town over, but it's still a pleasant drive on weekday mid-mornings.

Today, I drove through, then deliberately flipped a u-turn to repeat the experience. I always say that between the warm temperatures and dearth of beautifully colored leaves, Fall isn't a real season here. But this single stretch of road reminds me of home and of a real Autumnal experience. And for that little slice of familiarity, I'm thankful.

November 16

Before dinner tonight, the Little Boys sat together on the family room floor playing a video game.

I love how much they enjoy each other's company and how they get along (most of the time). They're good friends. Since that's one of the things that I most wanted for my kids long before they were born, it's a blessing to see them having fun together and relying on one another.

Simple as that.

November 15

My sinuses are trying to make me miserable yet again, so I opted to lie low today. Translation? Lots of cheesy Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel while I transcribed and ran celebrity interviews I had last week with Rev Run and Wil Wheaton. My sweetest moment of the day came as the Little Boys were getting ready to go to bed.

Isaac was already sitting on my bed with me watching TV when Brady came in to say good night. In that moment, I suddenly needed to take a picture with the two of them and Lambie, who was on the pillow next to me. So I did just that.

I love all of my kids. I'd always envisioned myself as a girl mom so I was delighted when Abby was born, but I adore my boys more than I ever thought possible. Logan's sweetness paved the way for his little brothers, and I'm so grateful for all of them. It just goes to show that life's surprises can be sweeter than we'd ever imagine they could be.

November 14

We may not get much rain these days, but that doesn't stop the clouds from rolling in at times. And today was one of those days that repeatedly draws my eyes to the heavens with the perfect melding of shadow, light, and fluffy white vapor.

The sky truly does offer up the most beautiful artwork in the world; we just often miss out on admiring its loveliness because we're too busy looking at what we can see at eye level.

This scene reminded me of the importance of looking beyond what's right in front of me --beyond whatever may be going on in my own life-- because I miss an awful lot of important things when I don't.

November 13

Unlike yesterday, there was no definitive 'aha' moment today. It was, as it happened, a rather unremarkable set of hours. They began with an unusual but welcome event --rain-- and continued with clouds and the usual drop-off/pick-up/play/break-up arguments routine. After dinner, I stood in the kitchen for a moment before my attention was drawn to my old silver camera. The kids gave it to me for Mother's Day several years ago. I haven't used it in some time, but I knew what was on it because every now and then, I allow myself to hold it and to scroll through a few of the images and videos before I feel my heart break and have to stop.

But tonight, I flipped through all of them. I watched Logan hunt for Easter eggs. I saw him perched on Adam's shoulders, watching the fireworks display at Disneyland. I saw him laughing as he rode in a shopping cart beside a very chubby Isaac. I saw him lying in his hospital bed, a mask over his face, grinning as he hugged baby Brady. I saw him sitting at the nurses' station with one of his favorites, her face frozen in a laugh and a sly smile parting his lips. I saw us together, seated in a booth at a restaurant, his million megawatt grin resplendent like the sun.

I looked at all of it. I felt my heart break, but I looked anyway.

I think a lot of people avoid the pain because they think it's easier to skip it and get by. But for me, if I never feel it, I never really experience the comfort and the peace of God. And for those moments of peace --and the tangible memories of yesterday-- I'm thankful.

November 12

Today's wink was so flagrant that I couldn't possibly have missed it. (And yes, I so love it when that happens.)

After I retrieved Brady from preschool, we headed to the mall to pick up Abby's birthday pictures. The JC Penney studio was (shockingly) empty, so the manager quickly located my envelope and emptied its contents onto the table for me to peruse. As she did, she said "okay, so here's Logan..." and then she stopped short, shook her head, and said "wait, I have no idea why I just said Logan." She pointed to Abby's photos and said "That's not Logan, is it?"

Her words took my breath away. I've been going there for years, and she probably did a shoot featuring Logan at least once. But as she said, she had 40 appointments yesterday alone so the fact that the name of a random kid she photographed once or twice more than two years ago came to mind... nothing short of miraculous.

A small moment, but a beautiful one indeed. One I'll hold in my heart over the months to come.

November 11

Another month gone by, another 11th. It's almost impossible to believe that today marks 2 3/4 years since Logan flew Homeward. But I got a nice little reminder today, even though at the time I got it, I wasn't even conscious of the date.

Before we loaded up the car to head home from our weekend at the cabin, we took a relatively short walk around a local trail. As we approached the little water tower at the top of a moderately steep (but mercifully short) incline, I looked skyward and saw it: an L. I don't know if anyone else would see what I saw, but to me, it was crystal clear.

So for those walks in the woods on crisp fall days and those little reminders that I miss if I'm not looking, I'm thankful.

November 10

Adam took the Little Boys for a walk this afternoon without telling me. We're out in the woods at Adam's parents' cabin and I'm not intimately familiar with the trails in the area, so I had more than a few panicked moments as I waited and waited and they didn't return.

(I don't have a great photo, so this is just a scene inside this evening, when the boys were in bed and Adam, Abby and I were watching TV. Just a tranquil scene, I guess.)

All sorts of awful scenarios ran through my head, and it took me back to the days when I worried, 24/7, about Logan's health and what would happen.

Eventually, they came home, bearing tales of fun with sticks and wood piles, blissfully unaware of the heartache their absence had caused me. As I paced around the kitchen a few minutes later trying to settle my heart, I realized something important: Logan may not be here with me, but I've never once worried about where he is. Despite my own insecurities and doubts and fears, I've never doubted that he's in Heaven in the arms of Jesus. Never once. So although today's experience wasn't a fun one, it did remind me to remember that we're all safe in Jesus' arms; that even when I don't know where someone is at a given moment, it's okay because God knows.

November 9

I introduced Abby, Isaac, and Brady to the photo booth program on my iPad this evening and hilarity ensued.

It all started when Brady climbed into my lap and asked what I was doing just as I was closing the program. I opened it back up, and showed him some of the sillier images. We flipped between his favorites but spent most of our time on the mirror, which generated the most incredible fit of giggles that I'd heard from him in quite some time.

Then Isaac decided something really fun must be going on so he came over and joined in. And of course, Abby noticed the crowd and wanted in on it, too. So we sat together on the couch, making silly faces and laughing and jockeying for position. And it was fabulous. Life is, after all, comprised of little moments strung together to make a complete experience. And I'm thankful for the silly moments and for the freeing feeling I get from laughing and from hearing my young ones' laughter.

November 8

The funny moments in life are so often among the best.

It's kind of hard to make this one out, but it's a picture of the kiddos in the back of our car tonight. We were in the middle of a moderately long drive and tempers were flaring, but the second I turned on Taylor Swift's "Red" album, the tone changed dramatically. All three of them sang along (some more successfully than others) and danced in their seats.

At one point, Isaac even started talking to Abby about all of his crushes and then asked Adam and I how old he had to be before he could get married. (He explained that he planned to marry Swift.)

I love listening to them talk and finding out what's going on in their sweet little minds. And for that gift (and for the random moments of bizarro that make me laugh out loud), I'm grateful.

November 7

I was a little early to pick-up at preschool this morning. After I'd parked, I spent a few minutes gazing at the lovely trees across the parking lot, so I got out to snap a quick pic before I headed inside.

I know I've waxed quasi-poetic about the virtues of the changing seasons before, but I'll say it again: new seasons bring new chances for new blessings; a sort of shedding of the old and less productive (like the trees shed their leaves) in preparation for better things to come.

So for those pretty colored leaves and what they represent, I'm thankful.

November 6

I was working on a project this evening so I was only peripherally paying attention when Abby dropped a homemade envelope addressed to "Mrs. Sherry Wight, Family Room, Armchair" beside my hand. When I opened it, I was immediately humbled and gratified by the letter (or perhaps I should call it a proclamation) I found inside:

Everyone has an opinion about everyone else's parenting styles. It's true. Whether or not we're willing to admit it to ourselves, we all silently judge one another in one way or another.

But even with that truth in play, the only opinions that I want to care about are those of God and of my family. So Abby's little stamp of approval was a lovely way to bring my day to a close, and an even lovelier way to show that I'm doing something right with the kids. Her willingness to express thanksgiving to others and to express appreciation is a gift to me. (And the Lego trophy is pretty rockin', too.)

November 5

Today's tale is one of perseverance. The elementary school held its annual fun run today, which is designed to raise money to upgrade the computer lab. Isaac likes to run so he was very excited to take part, but just as I arrived to watch, from a distance I saw him hopping on one foot as he talked to his teacher, who then ushered him to the school nurse, who briskly walked him toward the office. Long story short, my poor boy was stung by a bee. He tried to hold back the tears, but he kept saying that it hurt as the nurse put ointment and a bag of ice on the affected area. After a minute, we got up and made our way back out to the field. I wasn't entirely sure that he'd want to take part, but he did.

And he did so with gusto. He ran hard, circling the field 12 times --plus two bonus laps for the distance he traveled to and from the nurse's office-- before time expired. I know his little calf must've been smarting the entire time, but he didn't complain and he didn't show any discomfort. Instead, he threw himself into the task at hand and got 'er done.

His perseverance in the face of an unexpected unpleasant surprise was inspirational to me. Had he thrown in the towel, not a single person would've blamed him. But he didn't; he chased his goals and participated and had fun.

That kind of heart and soul is priceless.

November 4

The morning started off on a high note. When I went to bed last night, I had a gut feeling that I can't really explain that told me that my recap of 'Dancing with the Stars' would perform well. And it did just that.

There's something utterly thrilling about seeing something I've written be read. It's nice to be paid for those views, of course, but the exposure is almost as satisfying.

As I've said many times before, I know I don't need human approval in order to be happy or successful in God-terms. But it's nice to get little treats like this every now and again.

November 3

Abby turned 10 years old today. Ten! Double digits!

She started her day by going to school and running the mile for PE. And then, in typical Abby fashion, she changed into a sparkly party dress for the rest of the school day. And I love that about her.

I love a lot of things about her. I love how she likes sparkles and how she may be able to resist laughing aloud when she finds something funny, but she can't hide her enthusiasm because her eyes dance anyway. I love how she understands and embraces sarcasm.

And I love it --my heart surges with pride-- every time someone calls her my mini-me. I don't feel like I've done a lot of purely right things in my lifetime, but being her mom is most definitely one of those things. Happy big #10, girl of mine. May God guide and bless and keep you this year and beyond.

November 2

This morning at church we celebrated "family worship," which is a fancy way of saying that the kids stay in service with us instead of attending Sunday School.

It's always an interesting experience. Fortunately, they're usually well-behaved, and even more fortunately, today was no different than the norm. And I even had a nice moment.

I held Brady during worship. As I sang, I could feel his arms wrapped around my shoulders and his little head pressed against my neck, and even though he's not a light kid anymore --he WILL be four next month, after all-- I felt lighter than I have in quite some time with him in my arms.

For those precious moments when motherhood makes me feel weightless, I'm deeply thankful.

November 1

While Adam and the kids were at swim lessons, I went outside this afternoon to check on Logan's tree and noticed this on the patio.

I stood at admired it for a little while; based on the complexity, I knew Abby had drawn it, but I didn't know if it was a scene she'd imagined or one she'd replicated from elsewhere. So I asked her about it later after they'd gotten home.

She grinned, and explained that it was how she imagined the garden from "The Secret Garden" looked.

It's not as cool as it would be if she'd said the Garden of Eden or Heaven, but I remember reading "The Secret Garden" when I was about her age, so it kicked my feelings of nostalgia into high gear.

For the upteenth time, I was reminded that it's a blessing to watch my children grow and experience some of the same things that brought me joy once upon a time.