July 7

Between Abby's missions trip and the boys' backpacking adventure and baseball and swimming and work, I wasn't sure we'd make it to the Alameda County Fair this year. But though the mercury rose into the 90s, today wound up being the day.

We headed over to the fairgrounds mid-morning and hit all of our usual stops: pig racing, kids' pedal tractor pull, exhibits. We wandered and absorbed the atmosphere and I had my annual mental journey back in time to when I spent many a warm August day at the Montgomery County Fair, riding rides and eating delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and tasty ice cream and helping my mom and grandma with the Home Arts' clothing department --and rescuing balloons that had escaped their owners and floated to the tippy-top of the building's sky-high ceiling. Good days, they were.

So yes. Today was about taking a glimpse back at those days, and about spending time with my own family. Given that I'm physically far from where I grew up, it's always a blessing when I can conflate my then with my now.

July 6

Adam and I walked again this evening. At one point as we strolled along Martin Avenue, he looked up at the sky and after a few lingering moments, I followed his gaze and saw this:

I recognized an angel right away, and Adam concurred. It sounds cheesy, but it made me think that angels truly are all around us. And that's a comforting thought.

July 5

Before the Little Boys went to bed this evening, they came into the kitchen --where I was prepping to go pick up Abby from a VBS volunteer meeting-- and each gave me a hug. As they headed for the stairs, I called them back and squeezed them both at once until they giggled.

Every time someone who hasn't been around my kids for a while sees them, they marvel over how much taller they've all gotten in the last year. It's true -- they really have grown a lot. And in that moment in the kitchen tonight, I was suddenly more keenly aware than usual that they're only going to be their current sizes (still smaller than me!) for so many more years. So I decided to embrace it. Literally. And the resulting giggles? Just a blessed bonus.

July 4

I only took one photo today and it's a little reminiscent of yesterday's, but it's a good one so I think I'll keep it. And him.

I've been debating about how truthful I want to be here, and since I'm pretty honest by nature --even when it winds up being to my detriment-- I may as well go full-throttle: much of this year has been hard. I've spent a lot of it feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and even a little invisible at times. But I can always count on this guy --who accompanied me on a long walk around the Sports Park and then took me downtown for some Rita's afterward-- to listen and to try to help make things better or give a fresh perspective.

It doesn't always work, of course, because he's human just like I'm human and we all do the wrong things and say the wrong things now and then (or more often, since, well, human). But I always appreciate any and all efforts driven by love. And his most certainly are just that.

July 3

Since tomorrow is Independence Day, Adam suggested we have family movie night over dinner, so that's what we did: we dined on Chinese food and watched "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." (And it prompted a lot of guffaw-inducing kid-questions, let me tell you.) After the kiddos went to bed, I still needed a bunch of steps so I asked Adam if he wanted to go for a walk. And so we did.

The sky was a bit hazy --probably from wildfires burning in the state-- but it was an otherwise lovely, temperate evening.

It was such a blessing to just be out with him, chatting about the day and listening to the wind rustling the upper boughs of the trees. Simple moments are so often the best moments.

July 2

Today was just another lazy summer day that featured a grocery store trip (mainly for my sanity) and then baseball for Isaac while I took a walk around the mall (again, mainly for my sanity). The boys watched World Cup action after dinner, and then I headed off for a walk by myself (and happened to run into my friend Steph, so it became a walk with her instead).

So yep, just a regular old summer day. There was nothing particularly exciting about it, but it was blessed nonetheless because I got to go through it with these guys and with Abby and with Adam. And any time with them spent doing anything at all is blessed.

July 1

After church this morning, as I was wrangling Isaac and Brady, I looked over and saw Abby standing in a circle of high schoolers. (I was a little late snapping this pic but you get the idea.)

Tears stung my eyes because though I knew she'd connected well with some of her fellow travelers this past week, I realized in that moment --when I saw my child who shies away from people actively engaged in conversation with "scary high schoolers"-- that she'd really bonded with them on a deeper level. I spent a lot of time quietly praying that she'd come out of her shell, and feel so blessed that that desire was granted.

She's an amazing, amazing person, that daughter of ours. And I'm so thankful that she opened herself up and allowed more people the chance to see those incredible traits in action.