January 31

Brady loves Pixar's "Planes." He and Isaac watched "Planes: Fire and Rescue" this morning, and then this afternoon, as we walked, they pretended to be planes. But as I watched from behind, I saw something else entirely.

I saw crosses, the symbol of Christ's undying love for us. And on a day when we remember Logan even more intensely than usual --the day that he should be here with us, turning exactly 8 1/2 years old-- it seemed like an appropriate reminder of what's real and what's been promised to us.

January 30

This morning, I took Brady to preschool, bought a few things at the grocery store, got my coffee, and then took a quick turn around a local park. As I walked along, this ordinary bit of groundwork caught my eye.

It reminded me a little of human life: lots of bumps and uneven patches, but still pretty and artistic when viewed as a complete whole from one end to the other; from beginning to end.

To take the analogy a bit further, it features lots of different "paths" that can be taken. Most of the big rocks --the obstacles-- can be avoided by taking different routes, but some have to be scaled to continue onward. And that's okay, because God is with us throughout the journey: when we're meandering the wandering, flat trails and when we're standing in the foothills of life's biggest "rocks," poised to climb, climb, climb.

January 29

Okay, so I admit that it kind of looks like Hello Kitty's head.

But when I first unwrapped this should've-been-totally-round peppermint patty this evening, I thought it looked like a heart. Then I smiled to myself and mused over how it's comforting to be able to find little visual reminders of love wherever we go. -- Even inside a candy wrapper, and even if it only looks like love because it's not the perfect, archetypal patty I'd expected to find. That is surely a message worth mulling, if you ask me: love is perfect even though we're not, and it often shows up in unexpected forms and places.

January 28

It's another "kids in the tree" pic. Yep. This time, it's Abby and her friend, M. (Lest anyone should wonder what on earth she was thinking with that expression, I should say that M was deliberately making a funny face.)

I'm thankful that Abby can count this gal as one of her friends. Though she hasn't had the easiest time of it so far in life, she's funny, sweet, and polite, and I genuinely like talking with her and hearing about her days. Her enthusiasm and joy are infectious, and I'm glad that my sometimes-solemn girl gets to spend time with someone who's so outwardly cheerful. Happiness is, after all, a contagion worth spreading!

January 27

Some days, I see something and think "that's it!" and then promptly forget about it until I'm searching my phone for the image I want to use. This is one of those days.

This morning, I took the kiddos to school and then headed to the outlet mall to get coffee. As I drove back toward home, this scene really spoke to me. The way the light shone through the clouds --like the arms of God reaching down to cradle the earth-- reminded me that even on gray mornings, there's plenty of beauty to be found, if we're open to seeing it.

January 26

My kiddos are big enough now that I refuse to lift them into the 'baby swings' at the park. Unfortunately, this particular park lacks big-kid versions, so Isaac climbed up on his own to take a ride this afternoon.

Brady, of course, couldn't resist the opportunity to give his bigger brother a push, and within a few seconds, they were both laughing maniacally as the latter swung through the air in a toddler-sized basket.

The scene spoke to me on several different levels. It reminded me that working hard (like expending energy to climb up into a swing) brings rewards. It also reinforced the notion in my mind that small people can accomplish a lot (like comparatively little Brady effectively pushing his bigger brother).

And beyond all of that, it reminded me --for the upteenth time this year-- that kids really know how to live and love and enjoy this life on a fundamental level. There are so many good reasons why they're so very precious to Jesus, and I'm thankful for the reminders of those reasons.

January 25

Today, I'm thankful for the oft-overlooked wisdom espoused by children.

This evening before bed, Isaac was perusing the sale flyer for the house across the street. He cooed over the professional photos and said how nice it looked, except for one thing: it wasn't messy enough.

I'm a below-average housekeeper. It's kind of embarrassing, but I own it. Isaac's comment about the other house warmed my heart because it told me that he's comfortable and happy here in our lived-in house. And knowing that he's content is a big blessing to me.