June 30

I didn't do a whole lot today, but I did head out late this morning to have coffee with a friend. Since Adam had already gotten me coffee --I'd forgotten to tell him about my plans and he was being sweet!-- I went with something different:

It's a berry/prickly pear something-or-other. I didn't stir it off the bat so my first mouthful was so sour that it actually made my mouth pucker. I learned from my oops, gave it a quick run-through with my straw, and the next swigs were much more palatable.

Life can be like that. If we focus on one bitter, sour, or otherwise unpleasant aspect of our existence, it can spoil the entire cup. But if we can view it as a conglomerate of experiences --a mixture of the not-so-great and the sweet-- it's much tastier. And we're much more likely to enjoy the whole thing.

Perspective can be beautiful, no?

June 29

We took our annual trip to the Alameda County Fair today. It was nice to go on a weekday for a change; far fewer people meant less jostling and less crowding, which is always a good thing in my book.

Anyway, we did our usual activities in addition to a few new ones. Isaac and Brady took part in the kids' tractor pull (and Abby could've done it as well, but figured her legs were too long to pedal efficiently. As a former tractor pull kid myself, I know she was right). We also cheered on the pigs during the pig race, watched frisbee dogs do their tricks, checked out some drummers and acrobats, finished a scavenger hunt, and walked through the exhibits. And of course, on the way out, we stopped to take our annual photobooth pic, too.

It's not exactly the same as the county fair I knew so well as a kid, but it's fun family time nonetheless and it does, in a way, take me back to the old days. And both of those things are blessings.

June 28

After feeling sick yesterday evening and enduring a mostly sleepless night, I got up this morning and discovered that my laptop had decided to quit on me. No matter what I did, it wouldn't turn on. But this guy came to the rescue almost immediately.

Just a minute after I remarked that I couldn't get it to work, he abandoned his own activity and tried to it himself. He did a web search to troubleshoot, which led him to determine that he needed to take it apart. But in order to do that, he needed to drive 30 minutes down the freeway to a specific store in order to buy the correct tools to pry it open. So off the store he went. For me.

When all was said and done, he wasn't able to get it to work, so we replaced it this afternoon. But I'm humbled and touched by his dedication to getting it sorted out for me. Of all of the people in this world, I'm probably most likely to take him for granted, but ironically, he's probably my biggest blessing of all. And it's definitely good to be reminded of that now and again.

June 27

I'm not feeling particularly well this evening so this'll be a quick one. One of Adam's presents from the birthday party on Sunday was an updated version of a game we've played at the cabin. So tonight, we tried it out with the Little Boys. (Abby is at a sleepover.)

In a totally oversimplified nutshell, it's something of a challenging game that requires players to connect a number of European cities via railway. I expected the boys to half-get it, but as they so often do, they surprised me and wound up strategizing admirably well -- almost well enough that they may well have beaten me, in fact. (I don't know because we opted not to keep score. This time.)

Anyhow, it was a pleasant, low-key experience. And some days, that's more than enough.

June 26

Sometimes I like to take pictures of the kiddos when they're not looking. Like this one from this morning:

He was engrossed in a game on the phone and wasn't paying much attention to me (until I took this. Then his expression changed completely and Mr. Goofypants came out). I love watching them do things they enjoy when they don't know I'm paying attention: dancing, throwing a baseball, swimming, playing a video game. And I love studying the details that make up their faces, like Brady's long, full eyelashes and the sprinkle of freckles that dot his cheeks and the bridge of his nose.

It's all beautiful and good. And all that is good comes from God.

June 25

We fell a bit behind with celebrating birthdays in Adam's immediate-extended family, so today we drove up to Adam's parents' house to shower some attention on the March through June honorees.

(Yup. A lot of March and April celebrants in this family -- and Isaac representing June.)

Anyhow, as we sang happy birthday and watched the lot of 'em blow out the candle, it once again occurred to me that birthdays are blessings. I'm not sure that I love adding years to my own age --especially since my next birthday will be a big one-- but every year we get with friends and family is a tremendous gift.

June 24

This is one of the many empty pots that dot my patio right now.

A typical June would see this pot and all of its buddies filled with leafy green plants: peas, snap beans, tomatoes, and whatever else I had a yen to grow. But not this time. This year, I didn't get around to my usual Spring planting sessions. So the pots sit empty.

I feel like that empty pot sometimes: like I'm filled with perfectly good soil yet I don't yield much. I'm not particularly proud of that admission, but it's true.

However, because God is a merciful God who doles out grace beyond what any of us deserve, I know it's okay that my yield doesn't always equal it's potential. And for that truth, I'm infinitely thankful.