blessed beyond measure

We have spent more time in and around our garden this spring and summer than ever before. And it's showing. Weed removal. A direct consequence of sin, so by definition it can in no way be pleasant. My hoe and me with our love/hate relationship have strengthened our bond and my triceps this year, and with the rhythmic pounding of steel to earth I chant curses against Eve. Though as the hard work has started paying off in both beauty and bounty, amid my backbreaking work I find myself noticing strategically-placed bits of shade and perfectly-timed breezes, and slowly the curses to Eve become praises to the Provider. In Eve's defense, and because I do not have a hoe in my hand right now, I would have screwed it up too. There's a good reason the devil used food to tempt a woman. Anyhow, the garden is growing fairly spectacularly and lessons are being learned. In weed removal and gratitude. In off-season prep and humility. In growing style, in seed placement, and in ...

"Aden, what kind of birthday party do you want to have?" Mama asks. He stops mid-stride, squints his eyes and begins shaking his head as if I have just asked him what color the sky is or if he likes cheese. "Mario," he answers. The duh was implied. And so it was that we put on a vaguely Super Mario-themed at-home family birthday party for our new five-year-old. To make it special, because apparently those birthdays evenly divisible by five are supposed to outshine the others, and to allow Aden even the most temporary sensation of being able to leap and tumble without repercussion in the style of his video game hero, we borrowed a small bounce house and set it up as the entertainment. It was much, much enjoyed. Took Aden a few blows and a fairly generous mist of spit to douse all the candles, as they were spread out pretty widely amid the Mario figurines. Not my finest moment in Pinterest-worthy parenting, cake and icing from a box and some little plastic...

He's five. My Aden Levi is five today. It's almost like we're playing pretend. Yes, son, you can pretend to be five for a little while, but then let's get back to reality where you're still my snuggly, chubby little blue-eyed baby . Denial, she'll bite you right in the rear end. Because here we are. Five-year-old Aden is growing every day, and so, so very strong. Solid as a rock. Loves impressing us with his strength too. Not at all out of place for him to walk into a room toting a chair or a suitcase or the vacuum cleaner. Energy has subsided not one little bit over the years of his life. Trying to think this will not be a hindrance at school, that he has to visibly fight so hard to sit still for anything. He is compelled to move as much as he is compelled to breathe in and out. Airplanes, tractors, trains, and trucks continue to top his preferred toy list. They crash. All of them. Frequently. Either into people or off some furniture cliff....

though we're not entirely sure where from. The video of Trey was taken by his teacher on the last day of school. For fun she popped in a Just Dance and let the kids go at it. Then Aden's was an impromptu performance in our driveway as the sun set on our Memorial Day cookout. Thank you, Fresh Beat Band. Enjoy!