blessed beyond measure

In general, I'm a fan of predictability. Not only does the methodical hone my already-overdeveloped skill of planning based on every remote possibility, but it also provides built-in structure and much more of a sense of control. Yeah, there hasn't been much of that lately. Between holidays and windchill and some typical-for-us winter weather, the boys have gone to school only six of the last thirty days. I kind of feel like routine makes us better people. Things like more sleep from a regular bedtime, mental stimulation from school and homework, proper tracking of screen time, no forgetting to do devotions, scheduled teeth-brushing - they just happen because they are supposed to. We have lost all sense of routine. Unmedicated Ashley would have probably lost it round about ten days ago. Happy Ashley's going with the flow. Poor, poor Brandon got sick in the midst of this. Nasty sick. Like, whole tub of Lysol wipes and I'm moving into the boys' bathroom kin...

So for whatever reason, blogging seems hardest in January. Between the bitter cold weather-induced cabin fever, our insane and constantly shifting schedule, the lack of presence of mind to snap a dang photo every once in a while, et cetera. It just doesn't work. And in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, I need to blog. But what about? Basketball? Food? Or...basketball? Or food. Ooh, snow! There is no snow. So maybe basketball? You see how it goes. So here's a list-style January life dump in no particular order that, yes, does include basketball and yes, does include food, and no, doesn't include a ton of photos. And you're welcome, and now I can feel better about having pushed publish. Toughness I have a fractured knuckle. I've had a fractured knuckle since September but didn't know it was fractured until I finally went to the doctor for it last week. It happened in a front-yard football game where I went to block Trey's kick and his fo...

When I chose the word new for 2017, it was a near-desperate grasp at something that might somehow make things different. There was no plan or goal for how that would show up, other than I thought that maybe I'd try some new things here and there. And I did so many new things. Some were intentional, like going to a kind of bucket system for managing our money, that has made all the difference in the world. Some were super spontaneous, like placing money into the outstretched hand of a panhandler, facing deep-rooted fears and smacking the devil in the face. Then of course the happy accidents, like feathers I've stashed in frequented spots, collected over the course of months when I learned more about the Lord and myself than I ever have. And really, there are no accidents. There is much, much that has changed. The house is different. For my birthday, my mom painted the kitchen a beautiful, cozy teal. Which I guess inspired her to go the distance and replace the old bey...