May 31

It's been an interesting experience to watch apples grow on our tree. I've never had an apple tree before, so I've enjoyed watched them go from little white blossoms to tiny bulb-like protrusions to full-fledged mini-fruits.

God does some really amazing things through plant life. Watching a plant grow is, I think, akin to watching a human life unfold in ultra fast forward; all of those stages over such a relatively short period of time.

It's a beautiful thing.

May 30

Abby can be quiet and reserved. Sometimes, I'd even call her sullen and overly introspective.

But she's not like that all the time. Sometimes, she's part of lighthearted, silly scenes like this one:

This was taken at the very end of a birthday party she went to this afternoon. She and her friends were goofing off on a pair of video game motorcycles, calling them horsies and rocking back and forth before dissolving into giggly fits.

I don't see her silly side often; Logan was the one who most often helped her bring that side of herself to the surface. So I'm grateful for the moments when I can see that element of his personality making her shine. It means so much to me that he continues to live on in her and the Little Boys.

May 29

After Isaac's dance class, I decided I wanted some iced coffee, and opted to be Nice Mommy by getting the kiddos smoothies. I quickly asked the Little Boys what they wanted (since they were with me), and they each piped up with a different flavor. So I ordered those two plus a third flavor for Abby.

Then, of course, they changed their minds and decided they wanted the flavor that I'd gotten for their sister. After a few moments of bickering, they came up with a stunning solution. I can't remember who suggested it, but it was as good as a symphony to my ears: Let's share two different ones!

And that's just what they did! One started with strawberry banana while the other claimed mango pineapple. And they spent the next 15 minutes swapping cups. Back and forth, back and forth. The sharing was amazing. But what was even more amazing was how much they loved the experience: they giggled the whole time.

So much genuine sweetness in small packages.

May 28

A brand new Hobby Lobby opened in the next town over not long ago, and Brady and I ventured inside for the very first time this morning. It's an insanely overwhelming store stuffed to the gills with every kind of crafting item I could imagine. I went in to buy a scrapbook and pages for a project I'm working on; I left with more than that (of course). My haul included these:

Brady and I traversed the aisles, taking it all in, until we came to the one devoted to car models. Brady was agog over the never-ending rows of build-able cars, but these Matchbox and Hot Wheels like minis are what got my attention. I hadn't seen this particular brand in some time, so I stepped in for a close look. I was immediately gratified to find not just one but two different Corvettes. So naturally, I bought them.

I haven't said much about it here, but I've really missed Logan lately. I'm not sure what triggered the feelings, but I actually cried last night thinking about it. And that's a big anomaly for me of late. So seeing those brand new-to-me Corvettes was like a little hug from Heaven.

May 27

I was walking through the family room tonight when I spotted this book on my recliner:

My guess is that Brady brought it to my chair so I could read it to him at some point this evening, and then he went to bed before we had the chance to check it out. I like that he likes to listen to stories. I've always been a reader so it's nice to see that he is, too.

But more than that, I love that he picked this particular book. Sesame Street gives me such a sweet jolt of nostalgia that it makes me smile to know that he loves it, too. I see God in those kinds of mom-to-child connections -- even the seemingly little, inconsequential ones.

May 26

Abby and I went for a walk this evening while Adam was putting the Little Boys to bed. Along the way, we came across a few handfuls of these little purple flowers strewn along the sidewalk.

Abby scooped them up and carried them through the duration of the stroll. I didn't think a lot of it at first, until she jokingly uttered the words that she'd so often twittered as a toddler: pick pick! Pick pick!

It was kind of her thing when she was really small: she'd toddle along, come to a stop in front of every single flower she saw, point a chubby finger in its direction, and then turn to us with an inquisitive expression on her face as she chirped pick pick?

We've told her that story many times and I know it's one of her favorites. But somehow, seeing her clutching that bunch of flowers and hearing her say those words again... it kind of took me back for a few bittersweet seconds. You see, this time, I didn't cluck no, no pick in response. This time, she got them for herself. Because she's growing up and doing more and more things for herself. And that's a blessing.

May 25

I have a two-parter today that begins with a confession: I've been on the brink of calling it quits on this blog. I can see my stats, so I know there aren't many folks who still read it. And some days, I wonder if it's worth the effort since those aHA! winks are so rare of late. But then after church this morning, out of nowhere, my friend Barbara encouraged me to keep writing. She had no idea what I'd been thinking so I took it as a green light to continue, despite the dismal numbers. I hope someone is still getting something from these entries.

Now onto point two. Since I didn't have my phone on me this morning to snap a pic in the moment, I decided to just keep my eyes open until something else popped up. And of course, I found something that's always here:

It's a silly face selfie, taken per Abby's request. My not-quite-so-little sidekick and I spent much of the afternoon watching a Diagnosis Murder marathon on the Hallmark Channel (again, because she wanted to, as funny as that is). I love seeing how her mind works; how she reasons out the cases and figures out the whodunnits. She's smart. I always wanted to have a bunch of little girls, and I may have wound up with just one, but she's the best one I can imagine.