blessed beyond measure

We have made it to the final day of a year like no other. If you had told me back in January that, in short order, life would end up looking like it does now, I'd have rolled my eyes. Because no one could ever even dream up something like 2020. Enough has been described in the few blog posts I actually felt like writing this year. If I want to remember anything, it is that we adapted. Every day of living and breathing this year held the possibility of something else coming out of left field. And the most bizarre thing was, these changes didn't just affect our family, our community, or even our country. Everyone around this gigantic planet had to deal with upheaval and chaos this year. I won't call reaching the end of 2020 a victory. The four of us within these walls have all wrestled with restlessness, apathy, negativity, laziness, and a stalled walk with the Lord. Most of this year has been like tumbling down a hill. It's not how we intended to get down, but at least...

I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play And mild and sweet their songs repeat Of peace on earth, goodwill to men Then in despair I bowed my head There is no peace on earth, I said For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, goodwill to men Then rang the bells more loud and deep God is not dead nor doth He sleep The wrong shall fail, the right prevail With peace on earth, goodwill to men Peace on earth Peace on earth Peace on earth Goodwill to men Merry Christmas, everyone

The remnants of tropical storm Zeta are swirling around us, the thirty-first named storm of the 2020 season. It canceled our schools for the day and left behind a winter storm in Amarillo, Texas. Halloween is on Saturday, but of course there will be no traditional events even though this is the one time of year people actually get excited about wearing masks. Even Apple has stolen our precious Charlie Brown and Linus' great pumpkin, the first time in history it will not be offered on regular TV. Also this weekend? A full moon and daylight savings time. Let's see. Hmm. The last time there was a full moon and daylight savings time on the same day, the pandemic began in the US. Jokes abound on social media, one of my favorites being that maybe this will force a hard reset. I'm afraid it won't. Because we are but a few days from Election Day, an election that has severed political parties from each other and nearly ruined the nation. As a family, we are digging in our h...

The frogs and crickets have taken to the early mornings, their chirps greeting the sunrise through hot, thick air. It’s a sure sign of late summer in these parts, and they are awakening in me the audacity to believe that time actually is going forward. What a long year it has been, even at two-thirds through. The pandemic has been a global pause button, in many ways a wonderfully refreshing blessing. In others, a frustrating monotony of loneliness and laziness. There may never be a normal again, but there will be a schedule, and it will be an absolute beast to get used to. The boys go back to school next week. And when I say school, I mean the building. The teaching, the learning, the shaping of their minds, the broadening of their horizons - all this is up in the air. Oh how I hope they learn. Watching them lay around all day every day because it’s too hot to go outside and while I’m working I don’t have time to coax and guide them through chores, I just can’t take much more of it...

Only a few days left in July, and so far it's been in the nineties every day. Stupid hot. About a week into the month, we started leaving all the shades down and as many lights off as possible. Our poor air conditioner can't keep up. Oh how I dread the electric bill. Rain has been in short supply as well, so we've made several creek trips to water the garden. The garden has been a story in itself. Everything but the corn and tomatoes had to be replanted at least once, and even in the replanting, probably half the seeds did not come up. What ended up growing has done well, and we've eaten heartily off of it. Bumper crops of zucchini and tomatoes, a few squash and cukes each week, about thirty ears of corn frozen, and black-eyed peas almost ready. Not only have we eaten heartily, but the rabbits and squirrels also. Green bean rows decimated. Cornstalks dragged from the garden to a shade tree, ears stripped and cobs left to taunt us. Brandon is seething and has vowed to...

He's a teenager now, our Trey. And such a joy all around. Fantastic sense of humor, equal parts sarcasm and goofy. Tall and handsome, he is maturing and growing so quickly, we can hardly keep up. Dependable, creative, sometimes-considerate, snuggly, energetic, and strong. He's used the quarantine to start regularly working out and improve his cooking skills. We couldn't have asked God for a better young man to make us parents. Oh Trey, the next several years will be exciting and unpredictable and, more than likely, difficult. Don't ever forget that we and your grandparents are on your side, always here for you, always wanting the best for you. The Lord has great plans for your life, and what a privilege it will be to watch them unfold. We love you so, so much and are proud of you. Happy birthday, Trey!

Things are kind of a mess right now. Pandemic numbers are a daily roller coaster. Hate has taken center stage amid racial tension, rioting, destruction, and a push for what might as well be anarchy. America is as broken as I've ever seen her before, and I fear much of it can be attributed to the polarity of our political parties. "There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution." -John Adams It is sad and depressing, and if I wasn't so utterly convinced that God is still in control, I'd feel rather hopeless. We're praying for our front-line friends, for our leaders, for revival, and trying to maybe ignore it a bit, for sanity's sake. Our days are this new kind of normal, though there's really nothing normal about them. ...

Aden, you're ten today. You've been with us for a whole decade. Your bright blue eyes, whole-face smile, and snuggly hugs have changed our family for the better. You look and act like your Daddy more every day, and still love your Mama like no one else. You're getting taller, but really, not much has changed about you over the last year. Another thing that hasn't, and could never change, is how very loved you are, my blue-eyed boy. Your dad, your mama, and your grandparents are just crazy about you, and beyond thankful to the Lord for all the joy you bring into our lives. You are funny, compassionate, and insightful. We couldn't be more proud of who you are, and look forward to watching you grow into all the Lord has for you. Happy birthday, Aden!

For two months now, the quarantine has ruled our lives. It's touched everything, I guess, in one way or another. So strange. Nothing on the calendar, leading to a new routine of, well, here we are again. We've done homeschool. We've exercised and spent as much time outside as possible. We've planted the garden, twice. We've had countless Zoom meetings for work, Sunday school, Bible study, prayer groups, and church committees. We've sent long-distance hugs to grandparents and then finally given in to real ones. We've missed the heck out of sports. We've watched more movies than all our five years of dating combined. We've worn out decks of cards. We've disinfected every grocery or household supply that has come through the doors. We've knocked out some home maintenance to-dos. We've supported first responders and front-line workers in any way we could. We've thanked the Lord for the precious gift of health and time together, mayb...

The world got sick. It seems a whirlwind of change put us where we are today, and at the same time the month of March felt more like three years. There were rumblings in what little news we keep up with, maybe starting back in February. We discussed it a little at work, the thought of maybe having to offer only online courses. Life in a bubble or whatever it was, I took none of it seriously. The week of March 8th was scaring us all a little, as the time change, a full moon, and Friday the 13th all fell on the same week. We laughed over that. On Friday the 13th, they closed schools for two weeks. And over the next two weeks, and all the weeks that followed, we watched wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the virus tore through an America that had been ordered to drop everything. Education was indeed taken online for the remainder of the year. No sports. At all. Retail stores and restaurants closed, except for those who offered curbside pickup or delivery. Churches empty. Every entertainmen...

Well. Let's just go ahead and call it what it is. The new decade has thus far shown itself to be completely different from what anyone could have expected. Like, in a bajillion years. Our winter, if you can call it that, was defined by approximately eleven tiny snowflakes that might not have even hit the ground. I mourn a year with no puffy snowsuit photos of my gigantic sons, no hard freeze to kill the weeds and bugs, no snow days to give our poor, overworked brains a break from the relentless vice-grip of learning. Spring came early, and the buds have taken their time appearing. I'm late on the yellows this year, but have very much been enjoying the pinks and purples. After about a week of mild sickness for Trey and me, Brandon got the flu. He always gets something at the end of basketball season. He set up camp in the man cave, while upstairs, we practically bathed in hand sanitizer. Thankfully, it didn't last too long and wasn't nearly as bad as it could h...

That's all it would take if someone should ask how we're doing. Six words. The Christmas tree is still up. Ornaments and all. In my defense, every other Christmas decoration has been stored away, including the gorgeous quilted tree skirt my Mama made for me. No skirt makes the tree look a bit strange. But the advent of February also makes the tree look strange, so whatever. Also in my defense, the tree is in the basement man cave area, so it's not like we're being judged by a bunch of passers-by. It actually seems not to bother us, as the maybe two times we've been home at the same time and purposefully sat down to spend some time together down there, it has provided very nice lighting for us to immediately fall asleep to. January's kicking my tail, y'all. Brandon is coming up on the end of a very difficult basketball season. The win/loss record certainly doesn't speak to the team's effort, and they have seemed to improve with each game. ...