November 11

I got up at a reasonable hour this morning because Kristine was scheduled to come over for coffee, and when I came downstairs, I found a pajamaed trio of kiddos happily playing Mario Kart.

I'm using this image partly because they were getting along so well that it made my heart smile, and also because the living room furniture will be delivered tomorrow so this view will be vastly different from here on out. At long last, my adulthood dream of having a "nice" living room will come to pass.

So today, I'm thankful for coffees (and wine, because Heidi came over tonight for some of that!) with friends and children who play together peacefully and new furniture. All good things. All blessings. All things that make this life of mine sweeter.

November 10

I never did move my Fall bean plants out to the garden. They're still in the punchout window in the kitchen, and they're still growing on hope. (Literally.)

I inspect them every morning when I get up and then again at night before I go to bed. Right now, they're dotted with an assortment of little white flowers and teeny, tiny fledgling beans. (Seriously, just-sprung beans are just about the cutest veggies ever.)

I've never grown bean plants indoors before so I wasn't sure what would happen if I didn't transplant them, so I'm pleased that they're still doing so well and still continuing to grow (and beginning to produce!). 

And yep, I'm also awed that a small seed buried in dirt can grow into something so impressive. If a vegetable seed can do this, just imagine what YOU can do where you've been "planted."

November 9

Craig was the Youth Pastor at our church until a few months ago. All of the high schoolers were sad to see him go, so Abby was pleased to come face to face with him tonight during a Costco run. (And a quick note: they slid their masks down for approximately two seconds to take this pic. That's it.)

Anyway, he always had a good rapport with the kids, so they had a quick but pleasant interaction about her birthday and her surprise party and Young Life.

I could tell that the exchange made Abby happy, so tonight I'm thankful for brief encounters with friends and for the blessing that Craig has been in her life and in those of her friends. People who can connect with teenagers in a meaningful way for an extended period time are amazing.

November 8

After a few months of covert planning, Abby's surprise Sweet Sixteen party was this evening. (And in fact, it's still going on right now as nine appropriately socially distanced teenagers are in the backyard at Gracie's house wrapped up in blankets watching "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.")

But I'm getting ahead of myself, so I'll take a step back. I've not been super great about celebrating our kids' birthdays with their friends and since this was a big one for Abby, I'd texted Angela a few months back to see if she and Gracie (now known to me as The Best Best Friend Ever) would like to help me plan a surprise party. The response was a very enthusiastic yes, and my co-planners got to work. Gracie came up with a host of truly great ideas and we wound up settling on a cheeseburger bar for dinner followed by a presentation of said-movie (which Abby had off-handedly mentioned to Gracie that she'd like to force her friends to watch. Score one for the bestie paying attention to details.) 

Angela and Gracie did the lion's share of the work, with Angela cooking and setting up and Gracie baking desserts and handling the invitation list. I just brought a sash, hat, balloons, plates, and napkins, and Adam bought a LOT of fries at McDonalds (which, as a funny aside, prompted the employee who brought out his order to speculate that we were serious vegetarians) when he brought the boys over to join the party for dinner.

It was a wacky weather day that featured our first rain since Spring and significant winds so we weren't sure how things would pan out, but it was clear (albeit cold) by the time we gathered in front of Gracie's house to execute the surprise. And Abby was definitely surprised. The group sat in a circle talking before dinner, and then Gracie pulled out the amazing cake she'd made for Abby (so she could safely blow out a candle, given COVID guidelines) and cheeseburger cupcakes for the guests. (That little burger Abby is holding? It's a cupcake! So amazing.)

After the cupcakes were consumed and the movie projector was set up, I headed back home to let the teenagers have their mom-free time. 

As I sit here and reflect, I feel so blessed. I'm blessed that Angela and Gracie love planning parties and were so eager to do this for my girl. I'm blessed that Gracie is a terrific best friend. I'm blessed that the Great Waymaker didn't let the weather ruin the day. And I'm blessed that Abby was celebrated by a group of people that she genuinely enjoys... and that she was so happy to be celebrated. Good friends are such amazing blessings, and it warms my heart to see her surrounded by so much care. 

November 7

I was less than thrilled when I got up this morning to find that Isaac and Brady had dumped their extensive collection of cardboard boxes right smack in the middle of the foyer. When I questioned them about their intentions, they said they were planning to build something epic and assured me that they'd clean up the mess before they went to bed today.

I took Abby to the store to buy some fabric for a school project, when we we got home, I found that this was the fruit of their labor: a rocket ship for their stuffed animals (pictured: Chub on top, Slime on the bottom). It's complete with wings, windows fashioned from Ziploc bags, and rocket boosters on the backside.

They were super duper happy with their creation and I loved seeing their enthusiasm spill over as they hauled it outside to show it to Adam, who was reading in the backyard. There's really nothing quite like seeing your kids exercise their minds and create. (And the bonus blessing? They kept their word and cleaned up, and I didn't even have to nag. Actually, that's not just a blessing. That may well be a miracle.) 

November 6

I got up earlier than usual this morning so I could head out for coffee with Kim.

Kim's daughter was one of Abby's best friends in elementary school. Although the girls have grown apart, I've always found Kim to be a funny, down-to-earth kind of chick, so I was happy when she said she'd be good to meet up.

It was a chilly, windy morning (which was quite the contrast from yesterday's 87 degrees!) and it took a whopping 45 minutes for the Mother Ship to have our drinks ready, but I was truly glad to have some time to catch up while we waited (and for a little while after). It served as an excellent start to my Friday, and I am grateful.

November 5

This is currently sitting next to the staircase in the entryway of our house:

It's a nine-foot pre-lit artificial Christmas tree, and it's going to go in the living room next to the window that faces out toward our street. We also (finally, at long last!) ordered furniture for that room earlier this week, so I'm already envisioning how lovely and homey it will look for the Christmas season. (For the record, we'll also have a smaller live tree that we'll pick out at a lot later this month that will go in the family room. Yep - two trees!!)

This year hasn't given the collective us much to be happy about, but looking at this box makes me look forward to what will be. And that's a blessing.