blessed beyond measure

A few notes: Aden never claps on the clap verse. No clue why. Points to his temples when his face surely shows it. Love this. The background commotion you hear is Trey watching/playing the NBA Allstar Game. It was very intense. The child is obsessed.

...to our most favorite coach, Daddy, husband.

Well, the snow we knew we wouldn't get this year actually came. Sandwiched between sixty-degree days, we got four beautiful, white fluffy inches of family togetherness. And I was literally counting my blessings to find that Trey's snow gear from last year still fit. The wooly worm predicted a mild winter, and I made the decision last fall to not spend $40 on snow stuff that might never get used. Thank you, adjustable straps. My name would have been mud otherwise. So we got all gussied up, and the four of us plus Nana & Granddad headed out into a winter wonderland. With a very specific agenda, provided by Trey. First up, sledding. Aden was not to be outdone. He was quite offended at his Dad's attempts to ride the sled with him, opting instead to go it alone. Loved every second. Then the tandem run. Which Aden loved also, until Trey shoved him off the sled face-first into the snow. It was traumatic. Aden went with Nana to dry off, and Trey herded us all to join ...

Saturday: Sunday:

Time is fleeting. As was this very short, rare moment of quiet safety for both boys. For total safety is hard to come by, and quiet does not exist. But time is fleeting, and so with prayers for strength thankful praises to God I will continue to yank Aden off the countertops and learn to talk to myself over Trey's supersonic speech. Gotta love these moments.

Thought I'd share this year's answer to my anti-boxed-valentine stance. Over the summer I was looking for some wall decor for Trey's big boy room makeover, and found Wallies . Stickers for a wall, basically. I was looking for sports-type decals, and found some really neat ones on clearance for $1.50. Score! Clicked to look at the full clearance page, and found some super-cute trains. Also $1.50. Then thought to myself, "Self, how can I justify buying these?" Self responded, "Self, stick them to card stock and make valentines." My other self thought that was a brilliant plan, and together we added to cart. Score! Here they are, the valentrains. Soooo much easier than last year's vowlentines . And Trey did a fantastic job writing names.

Late last night, after cleaning up puke for the nth day in a row (I've lost count, think dozens), I lay awake in bed listening to the washing machine. And thinking about how, quite often, my life is very much like that washing machine. Working myself into a frenzy to make everything right, all the while knowing the rightness will only last a few days. Or even just one day. Or, as we have been living lately, a couple of hours. Aden has been very sick. As sick as he's been in his whole life. High fever stretched over several days. And when I say high, I mean like 105. I never knew a human's temperature could get to 105. Of course the worry and sleepless nights have worn on us, but perhaps the worst of it is the drastic change in him. This precious little one, happy, lively, rambunctious, with an unquenchable zest for life, reduced to a burning, shaking, moaning, thumb-sucking heap who could barely lift his head. He seems to be coming out of it. Praise, praise the Lo...

(No clue.)