April 30

There were no games this evening (a truly stunning turn of events) so Brady opted out of practice, the boys went to Youth Group, and Adam and I enjoyed dinner out at one of our usual haunts. (Strizzis, for all you locals.)

After we'd finished our meals and perused the dessert menu, I ordered a decaf mocha. A few minutes later our server appeared with a cup of decaf coffee and an apology: they were unable to get their machine to work properly to make my mocha, so I got coffee on the house. I do love my coffee so I accepted the complimentary substitute, but a few minutes later, another employee appeared with a glass containing... a mocha.

She'd apparently continued fiddling with the malfunctioning machine in the back and eventually got it to work. So they brought it to me and comped it as well.

While I always appreciate free coffee --especially multiple free coffees!-- what I appreciated even more was their determination to deliver what I'd ordered. That's excellent service. And a blessing to my coffee-loving soul.

(P.S. -- I drank every last drop.)

April 29

I dropped Brady off at practice this afternoon and then, after consulting GameChanger (also known as The App That Mostly Controls My Schedule Between March And August), I whimmed it and headed over to the Sports Park to catch some of Nikki's son's game.

I very uncharacteristically didn't think to take a selfie so this hastily snapped shot will have to do, but I had a lovely time chit-chatting with my pal as we kinda-sorta watched the game.

Nikki and I have been friends since Brady and her son Austin's first year of preschool, and she's always been someone I can count on to "get" me and my quirks.

So for her and for our continuing friendship, I am so, so grateful.

April 28

Adam and I went for a stroll around the neighborhood this afternoon.

It was a sunshiney, blue-sky kind of day so vague worries about an allergy rebellion aside, I breathed in the goodness of being outside.

At some point we encountered these purple flowers. They were so bright and lovely that I felt compelled to stop and take their glamor shot.

Human beings were given the intellect to create all sorts of things, but there's really nothing as stunning as a flower in full bloom. And only God can make those.

April 27

There was a lot of baseball today for Brady's Intermediates team.

They began with a 9AM House game. This particular match-up was played at the Sports Park in town where virtually all of the boys' years of Little League were played, so the nostalgia was strong for Adam and I. Brady batted leadoff and went 4 for 4; they won that one.

The second game was against a Gold team from Livermore that they'd played three times before, but Brady skipped that one in favor of our nephew Asher's 8th birthday party. (They won that one, too, and given that this was the team that threw at Brady's head during a game last month, I wasn't too disappointed to miss it.)

The third and final game was at 6PM in Livermore against the undefeated and definitively imposing Gold A-team. Given that our boys had lost to this team twice (and badly both times) they had low expectations going in, but they fought hard. Brady started the game and threw 80 pitches over four innings, giving up four (three earned, although it really should've been scored as just one) runs on six hits while striking out four. He also had no walks and no hit batsmen (which, given his history, showed a lot of growth as a pitcher, because Livermore's lineup is a tough one). They wound up losing that one, but I was super proud of Brady, and very gratified when one of the umpires --who happens to be the principal at Isaac's school-- approached us after the game, shook hands with Adam and I, and opined that Brady had thrown a heck of a game. 

So tonight I'm grateful for my kiddo's talent and success. And I'm grateful for and to all of the coaches who have helped him along the way thus far. And I'm grateful for the gracious and supportive big brother he has in Isaac. I have no idea how long he'll play, but I do know that it's fun to watch him now. And I'm thankful for that gift.

April 26

Today's JV baseball game had some unlikely spectators.

Yep, after the final out was recorded and we shuffled our way toward the parking lot, my friend Amber spied a family of bunnies nestled into the grass behind the bleachers. Cognizant of their skittishness, I slowly and carefully approached to get a good look at them and their cute cottony tails.

Although I'm quite allergic to rabbit fur, I still think they're some of the cutest animals God created, so I'm grateful for the sweet surprise that was their presence.

April 25

When I picked up Isaac after school today, I watched as he bent down and plucked a flower from a plant that somehow seeded itself by the base of a stop sign. When he got in the car a moment later, he offered it up to me with a smile.

The scene, while a sweet one in and of itself, reminded me of one of my very favorite images of Logan. He was very small, and just as I snapped the photo, he stretched out his little hand to offer me a flower.

Two sweet gifts from two sweet boys, offered up many years apart. For the gift of what was then and of what is now, I am thankful.

April 24

The Dons had a game in Danville this afternoon so I picked Isaac up at the appointed time and we headed north on the freeway.

It was a cooler and definitively overcast day but aside from the tennis ball that escaped a nearby court and nearly whacked me in the head while I waited for the game to begin, it was a pleasant enough afternoon.

Once the action began, it was a mixed bag for Isaac: he had a pair of swinging strikeouts, but his third at-bat netted a single while his fourth was a pop-out. Defensively he played the entire game in left field, where he made a great running catch to snuff out a mounting rally (among other contributions). 

Although they came out on the losing end, he was chatty as he emerged from the dugout, and spent the ride home talking about the game and various other topics. Given that I'm well-versed with The Moodies these days, I'm very grateful for that chattiness.