March 7

I was looking through my robust yarn stash this evening when I came across this gem.

Isaac gave me a handful of skeins for Christmas and this is one of them. And honestly, it's perfect for me. It takes one single ball to make a shawl, and though it's hard to tell here, it's sparkly and pinkish in color. 

Given that I think one of the deepest longings of the human heart is to be known by others, this ball of yarn is a blessing to me because it shows that my child knows me. That he gets me.

And for that, I am thankful.

March 6

Brady got a little bag of s'mores supplies back around Valentine's Day and has been itching to use them, so after dinner tonight Adam lit up the table out back and the Brositos got it done.

It was amusing to watch Isaac and Brady sitting there in the glow of the fire, slowly toasting their marshmallows until they reached a suitable level of done-ness.

It was quiet and sweet and just pleasant. And I am thankful.

March 5

Today was huge because it marked Abby's first-ever drive to the Mother Ship. (And this is our first-ever selfie of her in the driver's seat and me riding shotgun.) It was glorious.

Coffee jokes aside, it really was a good day for her in the driver's seat. She asked yesterday if we were going to drive today and I said okay. Since she prefers Adam's Explorer to my X5, we borrowed his keys and we were off. We took a few turns around the neighborhood streets before heading for a parking lot where she practiced turning and watching out for pedestrians and parking and reversing. Then we headed back out onto the road, and though it wasn't planned, she wound up on a slightly busier street than I'd intended and since we were most of the way there, I said I'd get her a frappuccino if she drove to Starbucks. So she navigated her first few intersections, made it safely into the lot, and got her treat. And then she drove home. Yep: with the exception of one rather wheel-screeching Fast and Furious-like right turn (which was totally my fault), it was a lovely afternoon of trolling the streets.

It's crazy to think that she's already 16 and already learning to drive, but I continue to be thankful for her continued growth and development. We can't take anything for granted in this life of ours, so I am grateful for what is.

March 4

Isaac had his second round of baseball evaluations this evening. I sat in the stands and watched him soft toss and then field and then hit (he's the blue dot with the red helmet at the plate here). And then I watched him fetch his glove and trot out to the far reaches of the outfield. While many of the boys clumped together in little packs, he stood alone. So I asked him about it later as we walked to the car.

His answer? "Well, I wasn't going to get too close and I wasn't going to talk to anyone because I didn't want to mess up my beats."

I wasn't quite sure what he meant, so I gently pressed for details.

He replied "Everything in life has a beat. I was on the field so I was listening to my baseball beat. I didn't want anything to mess that up."

I'm still not entirely sure what to make of his remarks, but I'm thankful that he can --and does-- focus when it counts. Given how often my mind wanders, I'm grateful that he's able to hone his into whatever he's doing in the moment.

March 3

Abby had a Young Life Bible Study downtown early this afternoon, so after I dropped her off, I got myself a chai tea latte (I know, I know, not coffee!) and walked up and down Main Street.

Rather annoying and decidedly tiresome COVID restrictions aside, this truly is a nice little town. It's cute and sunny and, well, generally pleasant. 

I'm not the world's biggest fan of California as a whole, but if we have to live here, I'm grateful that we get to live in this particular little enclave.

March 2

Whenever I feel a yen to clean, I try to capitalize on it before the desire fades, so that's what I did today. Between cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry, I stepped out onto the deck and took in this scene:

We're 11 months post-move in and it's still an idyllic scene to me. 

And what makes it even better is that three of my favorite people are in it, enjoying the sunny skies and warmer temps: Abby is walking along the mid-tier (halfway up the steps by the firepit) and the boys are sitting at the table under the canopy.

Beautiful weather. Beautiful place. Beautiful people. This life is definitely filled with pains and challenges, but moments like this remind me that it's also blessed.

March 1

I popped into the new-ish candy store downtown last week. After poking around for a few minutes, I decided to buy Adam some Necco Wafers, since he likes them and they're not exactly available everywhere. 

As I was checking out, I spied a little piece of paper taped to the register that read "$5 minimum credit card orders." Since I almost never carry cash, I stressed for a split second before I hustled over to a display of stick candy and scooped up a small handful to meet the minimum.

I haven't had a stick candy in a long while, but I can remember getting them at the High's off Main Street in Damascus when I was quite young; stick candy and a soda in a glass bottle with one of those fun-to-peel styrofoam labels.

Good memories are always blessings, I think, especially when they show up to sprinkle sunshine when you least expect them.