April 30

The fifth grade class at the boys' school graduated from the DARE program this evening, and Isaac was one of three students chosen to read essays they wrote about their experiences. So I watched proudly from my seat as he got up in front of his classmates --and a whole theater full of parents-- and did just that.

Although I enjoyed watching him in action, my favorite part of the evening came a little later, after the DARE officer presented each of the three speakers with medals and then introduced a secret special guest.

As soon as Isaac got a glimpse of the DARE mascot --a lion-- in the back of the auditorium, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. The smile persisted as the mascot made his way down the aisle and onto the stage, where he gave the kids high-fives.

I love that innocence so much. I know these days are rapidly coming to a close and that life will get significantly more serious for him in the years to come, but I'm happy that he's still sweet enough to get really excited over someone in a lion suit.

April 29

When I got home late this morning, there was a package waiting for me by my front door. I wasn't expecting anything, so I checked the return address and saw that it was a from a friend.

When I pried off the tape that held it together, I found a just-because gift that included the makings of a virtual coffee date :) and something representative of a long-standing inside joke of ours.

And though it was a very simple gesture, it warmed me to my core because it is so, so sweet to know that someone was thinking of me.

April 28

Our nephew Asher celebrated this third birthday this past week, so today we went up to Concord to observe the occasion with a red (as in the color)-themed party. The grown-ups (and teenager) chatted while the kids frolicked in a mini bounce house and ran around like energetic little people are wont to do on exciting days. (Or on any day that ends in Y.)

It was a lovely day to be outside and equally lovely to see the cousins having fun together. Time flies by, after all, so it's always a blessing when we have the chance to celebrate one another.

April 27

It was a very good Saturday at the Sports Park. Both boys had games at 9:30 this morning, and since Adam is the scorekeeper for Isaac's team, I hung out on the bleachers at Brady's. Abby lingered nearby, at first talking with Adam's parents (who came home from Kaua'i yesterday, which enabled them to attend their first games of the season) and then sitting by a tree reading when they changed fields to catch the latter half of the Braves' match-up.

While I watched Brady's team languish in person, I also watched Isaac's team fall behind their opponents in the first inning via GameChanger. It seemed like yet another frustrating set of games was in the works, but slowly, things began to change.

Brady's team outlasted the very-good starting pitcher for the other team, slowly erased a seven-run deficit, and wound up taking the win by one. And a few fields over, Isaac's team scored three runs in the bottom of the final inning to secure a one-run victory of their own. Although I wasn't there to see it in person, I saw the game go final via GameChanger and happily threw my hands in the air. (Yep. Literally.) I was especially pleased when I read the recap and saw that Isaac drove in the tying run, and their leadoff batter stole home --with two outs, no less-- to score the decisive winning run.

I wish I'd been there to see the celebration that ensued (because goodness knows, these boys haven't had a lot to celebrate this season), but I did run over (again, literally) in time to see the coach present Isaac with one of the two Game Balls. Since he's only handing out Game Balls when they win this season, it's a big deal that he has one.

Good days are blessings. And this first double-win day of the season was a pretty big one for us. And beyond being a good day, it was also one that reminded me that situations that begin negatively can always take surprisingly positive turns. So never, ever give up.

April 26

When I was a kid, I always thought it would be fun to live in a neighborhood with all of my friends. (Or even a small handful of them. I wasn't picky.) That didn't happen, so I dreamt of having kids who could live in a neighborhood with all of their friends. That didn't really happen, either, but lately, Isaac and Brady have been hanging out with a brother/sister pair --Tyler and Kaylin-- from their school. Tyler is in Isaac's class (and on his baseball team) and Kaylin in a year ahead of Brady.

After school today, the four of them skittered over to Tyler's house for the afternoon, where they played video games and in the pool and collected eggs from their chickens (which Kaylin and Brady have actually turned into a little side business, as funny as that is). Then when the evening hours rolled around, I took Brady home, picked up some pizzas, and dropped Isaac and Tyler at church to go bowling with the youth group.

I love that the two of them finally have good friends close by because friendship is a huge, huge blessing.

April 25

After tomorrow, five weeks of school will remain. In some ways, the year has absolutely flown by. In others, it's dragged along at the speed of a punch-drunk sloth. Tonight, I closed out one aspect of my year --and one chapter of this life of mine-- when I ran my last PTA General Association meeting at the boys' school.

I never wanted to be the President, but stepped into the role when no one else wanted to do it. I was optimistic when the year began and hoped to --and genuinely thought I could-- make a positive difference within the community. Truthfully, it's been a much harder and much, much more painful experience than I'd anticipated, and though I wish I could erase some of the hurt I've felt, I'm thankful for the perspective I've gained about the challenges of leadership. It's really easy to criticize someone else for her decisions, but until you've done her job, you really shouldn't feel that you have license to speak. I know I'll be kinder to --and more understanding of-- leaders I encounter from here on out. And I'll be a better person for it.

April 24

It was warm out today, so Brady and I went inside the Starbucks while we waited for Abby to walk over to the shopping center after school. (Isaac had a play date with a friend.)

He'd begged me for a cake pop during our last several visits, so I decided today would be the day I'd let him have one. So we plunked down at a table and I watched him as he nibbled on his treat.

It's a blessing to be able to give my kiddos little extras now and again. They don't need them, of course, but the smiles I get in return are worth the investment.

April 23

After logging a whopping seven losses and a tie this season, Isaac and the rest of the AAA Braves finally got their first win tonight. (And I mean finally because it was a long, long time coming for both the boys and us parents on the bleachers.) Following the game, his coach ushered them over to the snack shack and let them order whatever they wanted on his nickel.

It's just a single win, but it means so much to these boys to have a one in that column. They've put in a lot of work and have suffered a lot of unfortunate luck along the way, but they kept trying. Although I felt a wee bit conflicted over rooting against this particular team --which is managed by Isaac's coach from last season and includes several of the boys he played with last year, including the pitcher they absolutely shelled in order to take the lead in the top of the seventh inning-- I'm glad and very, very thankful that the pressure is off. It is, after all, just baseball and they are just nine and 10 year old boys, but it feels really good for all of us to come out on top every now and then. And as a mom who's had to weather the disapointment with her son over and over again of late, I'm glad they finally got to savor the flavor of victory.

April 22

Both boys had games today: Brady played for his own team, and Isaac served as a pool player, which is a stand-in for a team that doesn't have enough kids available for a given game. Brady's team handily defeated their opponent, and Isaac's team-of-the-moment also came out on top of their match-up, which kinda-sorta gave Isaac his first win of the 2019 season. And he wasn't just a warm body; he contributed to the outcome with two hits and some defense. So I was proud him for putting in his usual solid effort on the field.

But beyond that, I was really proud of how well he integrated with the boys on the team. He may have been wearing a different uniform than most of them, but he cheered as loudly as anyone else (and even started some of the chants), encouraged the pitcher when things got dicey, called out the game situations from wherever he was positioned on the field, and chit-chatted with the boys in the dugout --most of whom he hadn't met-- like they were his friends.

We were definitely blessed with a good-natured human being in Isaac, and I don't think I could be more thankful.

April 21

Easter is a cry-in-the-shower day for me.

Although the sharp edges of other special days have dulled and softened with the passage of time, my human heart still grieves and that personal truth remains: Easter is a cry-in-the-shower day.

But that’s not all it is. It’s a long walk with the family day and a cinnamon rolls for breakfast day and an egg hunt in the back yard day (even if The Bunny was a bit later than usual this particular year) and a close my eyes and feel my soul coming alive while singing songs of hope and redemption at church day.

And it’s a day to be thankful for, because without it, death would’ve won and Logan would be forever lost. But he’s not, and it’s all because of Easter.

So I cried in the shower and then dried my eyes and went about the rest of the day as I always do. Although I’m painfully conscious of what I’ve lost and my mama-heart longs for the little lamb I can hold only in my memories, I’m also conscious of all I have to gain whenever Some Day arrives.

And for that --for the tears and the walks and the laughs and the relationships and the promise of Heaven-- I’m thankful.

April 20

After a long (and rather excruciating) day of baseball at the Sports Park, we finally headed home in the late-afternoon hours and engaged in one of our annual traditions: Easter Egg dyeing.

Although the pomp and circumstance of the activity has lessened as the kids have gotten older and busier --and in fact, I'm not even sure we were going to do it at all this year until Isaac asked about it after his game-- I still have fond memories of all of our kids taking part. So I'm glad we were able to make it happen again this year, because it's always a blessing to remember those distinct mental snapshots of days gone by.

April 19

Abby found a unique way to make today interesting and terrifying all at once.

I'd just gotten back home after dropping the boys off at their friends' house for a play date this afternoon when she fell in the kitchen. I initially thought she was being silly, but when she stood up, she was very obviously disoriented, upset, and --to my surprise and alarm-- bleeding from a gash on her eyelid.

Longish story shorter, I took her to the doctor and she's okay; simplest version is that she stood up too quickly and fainted because her blood pressure didn't adjust to her change in position. She was instructed to never skip meals and to make sure she stays hydrated, and that was that.

Kind of. Given our history, I lose it a little whenever Abby, Isaac, or Brady does something strange that could potentially have neurological roots. The first few years after Logan died, I agonized over every single twitch or tremor I saw from any of them, and it nearly drove me nuts. So though I stayed outwardly calm this afternoon, I worried on the inside. But even as I worried, I noticed something: I wasn't as worried as I'd gotten in the past. I didn't feel panic rising up in my chest and the room didn't feel a little too small and a little too short of air. I was concerned, of course, because that's what moms do. But I wasn't in panic-mode. And that's a big deal to me.

So today, I'm thankful for progress that I didn't even realize I'd made. (And for prayers. Those are good, too.)

April 18

The boys asked for some Super Glue (they actually had a good reason but don't ask), so I went to the store in search of some after a coffee meet-up with a friend this morning. I didn't wind up finding any at my first stop, but it wasn't a totally unfruitful trip because this caught my attention as I conducted my search:

In case it's hard to tell, it's a bottle of purple glitter paint amid a sea of its plain white counterparts. It made me smile for a few reasons. For one, I sometimes describe myself as purple glitter (which will make more sense to some of you than to others, but roll with it). And for another, it reminded me of an important truth: it's not a bad thing to be yourself and to stand out from the crowd sometimes, because --to come dangerously close to conjuring up memories of the Veggie Tales-- we're all unique creations with different giftings and talents. And we should celebrate those things that make us special --the things that make us sparkle like purple glitter amid a sea of white-- as often as we can.

April 17

Sometimes my kids crack me up. It was a beautiful, delightfully warm afternoon, so I had the car windows rolled all the way down while we waited for Abby to walk over to the shopping center after school. Isaac and Brady saw her before I did, and they did something that made me laugh aloud: they shouted "Abby! We love you Abby! Abby!" over and over again.

I'm not entirely sure she could hear what they were saying, but anyone walking by the car during those moments certainly could. Although I'm pretty sure the gesture was intended to embarrass her, there was a hint of genuineness to it, too, so today I'm so thankful for the love my children have for one another -- and that they're not afraid to express it. (Even in public.)

April 16

I have a headache. I've had one since before Isaac's baseball game began at 5:30. So it's a quick and simple one for ya'll today.

I'm thankful that this stuff exists. Ideally I'd never need pain relief and I'd never need help falling asleep, but the reality is that both of those things happen sometimes, so a wee bit of medicinal assistance is a very good thing.

April 15

It rained (again) today, though only during Isaac's baseball practice this afternoon (because we're just that lucky!).

But you know something? As has been the case all Spring, the rain didn't stop the boys from hitting and catching and running. They played on, even as more and more drops fell from the sky.

Just like we should all aspire to dance in the rain --to not just weather the storms but to embrace the challenges and see the good that can result from our less-then-great moments-- these boys continue to play in the rain. (And given their current record, I mean that in both figurative and literal ways.) And I like it.

April 14

Roughly 10 years ago, I helped four-year old Abby prep for her first-ever dance pictures, and she left the house in her "Good Ship Lollipop" red-white-and-blue with ringlets in her hair and blush on her still-plump-with-babyhood cheeks. Today, I stood back and watched in the mirror as my 14-year old painstakingly applied her own lipstick. I still got to twist her locks into a low bun --though she had to squat down since she's taller than me and I can no longer see the top of her head-- and carefully paint on the eyeliner, but the lipstick... this time, it was all her.
I held back the emotion that arose in my throat, and we had a pleasant ride to the studio, the photos were snapped, and we headed back out to the car. As I spontaneously flipped my phone to face us to take a selfie, this happened.

I love this girl and I love this moment and I love this picture. She's smart and incredibly witty and kind and I don't think she knows how amazing she truly is because she's also excruciatingly hard on herself.
She's growing up so much more quickly than I ever imagined possible and sometimes I wish we'd been gifted with a pause button to halt these far-too-fast years, but I'm beyond thankful that this girl --the one who belted "The Good Ship Lollipop" and painted her own lips red as I looked on with tears in my heart-- is mine.

April 13

Playing organized sports can be a humbling experience. And this season has been particularly humbling for Isaac's team, who, with five games in the books, sports a less-than-glittering record of 0-4-1. But after an especially tough outing to start the day, the boys headed to the far end of the park for pictures and, as they often do, shook off the dust of the loss and got on with their day.

First this trio spent 10 minutes laughing over a cell phone game. (It sounded like they were gleefully --and fittingly-- running up the score of a simulated baseball game.) Then a little later, as more of their teammates trickled onto the scene, they set up a scrimmage amongst themselves and played until they were summoned for their photo session.

I know it's hard to lose a lot, but like I've said before, I'm thankful that these boys' appreciation of the game supercedes their need to win because there's a whole lot more to life than winding up on top. And honestly, the art of losing gracefully is a pretty important skill to learn.

April 12

The last really big event of my tenure as PTA President was this evening: the Spring Fling Carnival.

I moved it from the Fall to the Spring when I created the PTA calendar a year ago (more daylight is better than less, I reasoned at the time), helped set up, stayed the whole time (with my family), and then helped clean-up after the madhouse that was the prize table finally distributed its final trinket (and let me tell you, distributing prizes to a throng of parents and kids can be utterly terrifying), but other than that, I didn't do a lot. But those who did take care of the details did a really great job and I hope they're proud of their efforts because they should be.

As I stood on the blacktop and watched the kids playing games and shooting hoops and having their faces painted and crafting and cake walking and enjoying popcorn and cotton candy, I felt a sense of pride set in. It's been a really difficult term for me in many ways, but the big events we've thrown have been done very well, and I think I'll always feel a sense of satisfaction when I think back on them. And for that, I'm thankful.

April 11

When we walk to the car after school, I often fall a few steps behind Isaac and Brady and just watch them interact. Sometimes they walk in lock-step; others, they put their heads together and laugh. Today, they walked a few arm's lengths apart. The scene is a wee bit different each time.

This afternoon, it occurred to me that my days of watching them leave the elementary school together are rapidly coming to a close, since Isaac will move on to middle school in the Fall. So I'm going to make a conscious effort to savor the simple moments like this one, even if they're nothing more than walks to the car after school.

April 10

A Baseball Mom am I so most of my days --unsurprisingly-- feature some iteration of the sport. Today featured games for both Isaac and Brady. At the exact same time. (But fortunately, at adjacent fields.)

As has frequently been the case this Spring, the games didn't exactly go their way -- one match finished in a tie, while the other was a loss -- but I was proud of how the boys played. I was proud of Isaac's team for once again surging in the late innings to transform what looked like a blowout into an actual competitive game. I was proud of Isaac for turning in yet another great performance (2 for 3 with a double, 2 RBI, and a run. Dude is batting .417 so far this season!). And I was proud of Brady's team for playing hard and behaving respectfully -- which, unfortunately, couldn't be said about everyone present at that particular game. (Longer story there that I'm not going to address but suffice it to say that there was a bad moment that involved an adult who lost his cool.) And I was most proud of both of them for being pleased with their time on the diamond, even if that time didn't end with wins.

Winning isn't everything, after all, and I'm thankful that realize that and that they're just happy be able to play.

April 9

The sky this afternoon was beautiful.

I'm sure I've talked about it before, but the interplay between light and clouds and blue sky is just so soothing to me. And given that I've been just a bit stressed of late, those moments of respite when I can just look up and see something well-beyond myself --both literally and figuratively speaking-- are always blessings.

April 8

I don't really know what the deal is this year, but for some reason the terms 'baseball game' and 'rain' seem to consistently appear in the same sentences. After a warm, mostly pleasant day, the clouds rolled in this evening just in time to offer up a nice, soaking sprinkle throughout Brady's third game of the season.

Although the Red Sox didn't get the win this time, Brady took his first turn on the mound as a AA player, tossing 2/3 of an inning and striking out two.

I'm frequently impressed by his composure. Unlike his mom, he doesn't get rattled and virtually always has this calm demeanor, even in stressful situations (like facing a batter with runners on base). Like this evening, he just stood there, glove in place, adjusting his grip on the ball (because it's hard to grip a wet baseball!), chomping on a big 'ol wad of bubble gum, looking like he was mentally compiling a list for our next Target run.

I aspire to achieve that level of tranquility on many levels, so I'm thankful for the example my little Muffin sets for me.

April 7

No one (well, at least no one I know) likes coming home after a vacation in a fabulous place. But today was an easy enough transition to reality that featured sleeping in (for some of us), baseball clinic (for others of us), test driving cars (for the adults among us), and dinner out. And here's a shot from dinner that I found particular amusing:

The second we were seated, I realized that the boys were all facing the TVs, which happened to be showing the Warriors game. Which happened to be the last regular season game ever played at Oracle Arena. So of course, their eyes all migrated to the screens like lemmings to a cliff.

So yeah, though it's a bummer that Spring Break is over, there's comfort in a return to our current incarnation of normal. ;)

April 6

After breakfast on the lanai at the club and a quick stroll for me (gotta get those steps in, after all, and that can be a challenge on a travel day), we loaded up the van and Adam's parents drove us to Lihue Airport for our flight home to Oakland.

The reality --for me, at least-- is that vacations never seem to last long enough. (Though we were pretty darn close when we went to Kaua'i for three weeks back in 2017 during Adam's sabbatical.) There's never enough time to see all of the sights or to truly immerse myself in the experience because on some level, I'm conscious that it's a finite trip. As I mused to Adam at one point this past week, I'm really quite bad at relaxing. But still, it was a huge blessing to have this time with my family. And for that --especially knowing that Abby is 3 1/2 years from college and in fact, received her very first piece of we-want-you-come-look-at-us college mail today, Heaven help me-- I'm so very thankful.

April 5

We head back home tomorrow, and I think it's fair to say that we squeezed every drop out of our last full day on Kaua'i.

Adam and (well, he was already up for a business call so really just) I got up early and took the walk around the golf course again. (And once again, I can confirm that it's no joke. Six-point-seven miles of up and down. Beautiful, but phew. I needed that coffee and yogurt and granola afterward.) Then while we stayed with Isaac (who was still a bit under the weather), Adam's parents took Abby and Brady for a golf lesson on the practice range. Afterward, the five of us hit the road to have lunch (well, Abby had an awesome burger from Kickshaws and the rest of us kind of cheated, with me and Isaac going for some Fresh Shave shave ice --Dirt Squirrel for me, Creamsicle for him-- and Uncle's for Adam, Abby, and Brady).

Then we headed back to the house, where we picked up the in-laws and headed up to the club farm for fishing and boating lessons. The short people and Adam's dad tried their hand at fishing (and I'd make up a one-that-got-away story, but eh, the fish weren't bitin' today so no dice), and all of us took turns trolling the lake in kayaks. (And given that I'm not a water person, it was kind of a big deal for me to be out there. The 'when in Rome' vibe ruled, I guess!)

Then we all headed back to the house. After a short break, Abby, Adam's mom, and I headed back to the club for a lei-making class. After spending an hour and a half painstakingly creating a flower crown, I have a brand new sense of appreciation for that particular artform. Phew. It's a lot of work! And then finally, we went back to the house, where we had take-out from Da Crack (yep, that's the name of this particular Mexican joint) and played a few hands of cards.

So yeah, busy, busy, busy. But all of it was good. And for that blessing, I'm so thankful.

April 4

Well, a second child found himself hit by the flu stick today, which was disappointing but not entirely unexpected given how much time he and Brady spend together and how they hang on one another. So that meant another relatively low-key day here. Kind of. After Abby and Isaac (who wasn't overtly ill at that point) returned from riding golf carts around the golf course with their grandparents, Adam and I set out for another hike by ourselves.

We stopped for lunch at Kickshaws --a food truck that serves up the Awesome Burger and a frou-frou grilled cheese that I like-- and then headed back up the Waimea Canyon Road to the Koke'e State Park grounds. We were supposed to take the Berry Flat Trail, which is a roughly .7 mile loop through the forest, but Adam wasn't quite sure where that trail actually began, so we wandered. A lot. Down one rutted dirt road and then another rutted, muddy dirt road. We finally came upon a trail head --for the Wainininua Trail-- which he implied was what we were looking for. (It wasn't.) Long story shorter, with nothing less than the hand of God on our side (because Adam fully admitted as we walked back toward the car that the person who wrote the trail access instructions was probably a drunk imbecile because they made no sense), we did eventually happen upon the Berry Flat Trail, and we did take it, and we did see Hawaiian redwoods and lots (and lots) of mud. And greenery.

But I was hungry for a view, so we stopped to take a look at a big waterfall along the side of the road on our way back down into town. Once back to Wailea, we stopped at JoJo's again for some shave ice (since that's what we do and all).

Our time here is rapidly winding down, and though things haven't gone exactly as I would've liked, it's a blessing to just be here at all.

April 3

So yeah, by objective standards, today could've been better.

Brady awoke with a fever, headache, sore throat, and cough, and a trip to urgent care revealed a Type B flu diagnosis. So Adam and I spent most of the day dealing with that while Adam's parents entertained Abby and Isaac with paddle boarding and pool time.

Today also happened to be Adam's mom's birthday, so there was a cake to bake (thanks hunny) and celebrating to happen. (Which for me, made the mai tai on the righthand side of the collage quite lovely since I was kinda sorta tired by day's end.)

I'm an active traveler, so it was frustrating to be stuck at the house for most of the day. And I'd rather not be dealing with the flu while on vacation, but it is what it is. But what also 'is' are these things: we have health insurance, so the trip to urgent care was no big thing and the acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and tamiflu we had to buy were also no big things. Brady's fever was down this evening so hopefully he's on the mend. I got to exercise on a treadmill that faces the ocean. The sky was clear, bright, and blue all day long. I spent my hours with some of the people I love the most. And sickness aside, I'm still on Kaua'i, which is still an amazingly beautiful place. I'd say the sum of those blessings outweighs the day's frustrations.

April 2

Today I will call The Tale of Two Walks.

The first of the two strolls began bright and early when Adam, Abby, my mother-in-law, and I set out on a power walk around the golf course. The golf course here is, of course, totally stunning, and features sweeping views of the Pacific as well as lovely greenery. But it takes a long time --and lots of elevation changes-- to complete a walk around an 18-hole course. Phew.

Then a few hours later, the kiddos stayed with their grandparents while Adam and I drove about an hour east/northeast to hike the Moalepe Trail, which is located within the island's interior and courses through forest and along lush ridgelines. We'd never taken on this particular path before, and though it had fewer views along the way to its terminal point (and beyond), the striking scenery that punctuated the last few hundred feet made it worth the effort.

With more than 37.6K steps in my bank for today, I'm pretty tired, but I wanted to touch on one truth before I drift off to sleep. We --literally-- almost turned back when we got to an especially muddy spot on the Moalepe Trail, but we opted to navigate around the muck and press onward for a few more minutes, and that decision is what gave us our best memories of the day, I think. It's a great reminder that we need to keep navigating and moving forward, even when our circumstances seem tougher --or messier-- than we might like them to be. After all, we often have no idea what great blessing will be right around the corner.

April 1

Day two was what we term a 'non-adventure day', but we didn't just hang around the house. (I mean, we did a little bit of that but it wasn't our main event, so to speak. 'Non-adventure day' typically means 'no major, potentially gut-busting hike' in Pleasanton Wight-ese.)

We left relatively early in the day to take the drive to the top of the road that skirts the Waimea Canyon, and stopped at each overlook along the way to take in the views.

Then we stopped at Jojo's on the way back for some shave ice (duh), and then a little later in the day --after a downpour squelched beach plans-- Abby's friend April joined us for some time at the club's pools.

Since the weather changes so quickly here (the whole "don't like the weather? Just wait 10 minutes" thing is total truth), you can't ever be sure what you'll be able to see when you drive out to the canyon, but today we were fortunate to get good views at virtually all of the overlooks save the final one (which is represented by the pic of Abby and I standing in front of gray sky. Because that's what we saw there: clouds. Lots and lots of clouds). Life is often like that, I think: you don't really know what you're going to get until you reach your destination; sometimes you get what you hope for, and other times, you face a bit of disappointment. So it's important to dream, be optimistic, and have a little --or a lot-- of faith.

March 31

Ah, our first full day on Kaua'i. Here's a visual retrospective of the happenings. (Though no, I wasn't intending to use such a huge image of myself and am partially mortified that I'm doing it. Although I'm actually pleased with how I look right now --because I've worked pretty hard to get here!-- I've been fighting with my ailing computer for an hour now to get it to let me choose a different image but no dice. So y'all get a huge pic of me with Brady and Adam's mom in the background playing in the Pacific at Donkey Beach.)

Anyhow, I was the late-riser in our party of seven, and after I made may way out of the Ohana (where Adam and I are staying -- it's the little house across from the big house) at 7:30ish, Adam, his dad, and I headed over to the clubhouse, where I had some of their truly delicious coffee (I seriously love the stuff and could drink a gallon of it in a single sitting). Then the three of us went for a walk along a set of paths that meander along the road and through the golf course.

A little later, we all changed into swimwear and headed eastward to Kapaa, where we lunched on Bubba's burgers (Abby's island favorite) before walking part of the Kapaa Trail along the ocean past the Pineapple Dump and finally to Donkey Beach. It was a lovely day out, marked by blue skies, a light breeze, and a temp that I'd term almost ideal. We all enjoyed some time in the sand (and in the water -- yep, even non-water loving me dipped my toes in the ocean) before trucking it back to the car. From there, it was on to Uncle's (Adam's fave) for some shave ice. And then there was swimming and croquet (for the boys) and pizza for dinner. And now, at 9:30 PM, I think there's a good chance that everyone but me is already in bed.

So what can I say about today? I think my main reaction is a sense of gratefulness. Mulitple times today, I was struck by how fortunate and blessed we are to be here, and by how fortunate and blessed we are to have one another to be here with. Not everyone enjoys those brands of blessings, so I'm thankful.