September 7

It was a quiet, uneventful Sunday.

Just church with Isaac (while Adam and Brady were at the latter's game), and then time at home watching football and napping. (And there was truly plentiful napping.)

I've been out and about on weekends quite often of late, so the downtime was very much appreciated. It's a blessing to have time to recharge my batteries, so I am grateful for the low-key day I was able to enjoy.

September 6

It was back to the diamond for us today as Brady's team played their first few games of the Fall season. 

I'll leapfrog the details and sum it up by saying that they could've played better, but it was, as is always the case, good to see Brady out there on the field doing his thing. He made decent contact when he hit, showed good discipline at the plate, and threw solid pitches from the mound.

It's a blessing to be able to watch him play live, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to take in the action -- even when they don't play as well as I know they can.

September 5

I met up Nikki this morning to do one of our walks around the mall.

I hadn't seen her in several months --I think the last time was before the kids' summer vacation even started-- but it was so good to hang out (and burn some calories) and laugh and sniff candles (and deliciously honey-scented lotion that we may have to go back and buy.)

Our friendship is just so easy; I know I can be my completely unfiltered self around her with no fear of judgment or criticism. And I hope she feels the same way!

I may not see her often, but I'm so, so grateful for her continued presence in my life because she is awesome. And awesome people are big blessings.

September 4

After a brief hiatus, it's that time again: it's baseball season.

(Honestly, it's been baseball season at our house since 2014 or so, but I digress.)

Brady had practice this afternoon, and after a trip to Target and Walmart to help Isaac find a birthday gift for his friend, I returned to the diamond to watch him swing the bat.

He was animated and invested in what he was doing, and that was really good to see. It's a blessing to see my kiddos enjoying themselves, so I am grateful for the happiness that the game of baseball continues to bring to our lives.

September 3

This is the only pic I took today, so it'll have to do.

This is me on the way over to the boys' back to school night. Since Adam is out of town on a work trip, I had to pick and choose which classrooms to visit. After consulting with Isaac and Brady, I wound up going to Isaac's first three classes and Brady's last three. And I also stopped in to meet two of their other teachers: Ceramics for Isaac, since the same guy was also Abby's teacher when she was in high school, and Algebra 2 for Brady (because the classroom was located on the edge of campus near the exit, so it was easy).

As I sat and listened to each of the presentations, I felt a sense of gratitude rising in my chest. As a mom, I know very well that working with teenagers is hard work. I'm grateful for all of the teachers who choose to devote their time to what can definitely be a challenging pursuit. Their care and commitment are blessings.

September 2

I'm not generally someone who's particularly concerned with her appearance. (Ask anyone who's seen me around town on any given weekday and they'll confirm that.) But the wiry gray hairs that started popping up on the crown of my head a few years ago were starting to get on my nerves, so when I saw my hair gal a few months back, she suggested trying a glaze next time to help settle them down. "Next time" was today, and I took her advice. For the first time ever, my hair is colored.

The gray isn't entirely gone, per se, but most of it is covered, and what isn't blends in really well. It's a smidge darker than my natural color, but not dramatically so; Brady didn't even notice it was different. (Isaac, however, stood and looked at me for a moment before asking if I got a haircut. I said yes, and then I asked if he noticed anything else. He paused and looked as if he wanted to say something, but held his tongue. I filled in the blanks for him, and he quickly blurted out 'ah, I thought so. It's much darker.' He is the details-boy.)

I know it's the inside --the heart-- that matters most so part of me feels weird about writing this, but it's nice to feel a little bit younger and a little bit more put together on the outside. 

September 1

We stopped at the candy store in Murphys during our drive home this afternoon. It's become something of a tradition and I know the kiddos look forward to it.

After perusing the jars of hard candies and cases of chocolate confections, we each selected a treat: a variety scoop of hard candies for Brady, a scoop of cinnamon squares for me, sassafras for Adam, and chocolate boulders for Isaac.

As we walked back out to the car, I asked Brady to retrieve Cubey from his roost in the door so I could take a pic of the boys with their boulders.

It's kind of silly, but it amused me. And a well-timed chuckle is always a blessing.