blessed beyond measure

The windows are open. The house is cool, the air is fresh, and everything just looks better. Phil got it so very wrong, apparently, because we're basking in springness. The daffodils and pear trees in their bold, blossomy glory seem not at all bothered by their shortened rest. Brandon's basketball season with its disappointments and stress has ended, and how eternally thankful we are to have him back with us. His birthday is this week, and for the first time in my life I have made an entirely from scratch chocolate cake. With entirely from scratch glaze-style icing. It's immaculate, and he is more than worth it. Trey has been nominated for the gifted program at school. He is growing and changing and finding his place. Aden scored fourteen points in his basketball game last Saturday. Like a boss. He is amazing. I walked a mile over lunch at work yesterday. Breathing deep the vitamin D and fighting hard against my screaming calves and tush. It was the most aliv...

We don't live in a big, huge house. It's probably small to average-ish. Despite its, we'll call it coziness , there are times when the house feels downright ginormous. Like when Monkey wanders off on his own or the kitchen basketball has up and fled, and someone's world is just ending , y'all. Or on those far-away game nights waiting for Brandon to come home, laying in the bed pretending not to be the least bit scared but all the while praying hard that tonight won't be the night where I have to actually use my firearm training. Or, you know, when I clean. Which is maybe twice a year, though that doesn't stop me from almost quitting in exhaustion halfway through because dang it, everything is going to be dirty again in five minutes. Sometimes the house seems very big. And sometimes it seems very, very small. Like lately. As far as my two sweet, precious boys are concerned, everything I've done in the last week or two is wrong. This isn't t...