A day of joy

Yesterday was one of those days in which the blessings just seem to flow, one right after another.  So I just took a deep breath, smiled, gave thanks, and enjoyed the moment.

Brendan won the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade spelling bee at his school.  The funny thing was that, in the days leading up to it, the kids and I had joked numerous times about how I lost my sixth grade spelling bee with the word "lightning."  I added an "e" right there in the middle, and somehow the memory has stayed with me ever since! 

Two little Indians! Kate so wanted to match Nick for Halloween this year.
I wish I had more pictures that captured their cuteness,
but my camera gave out later in the day. 

Ironically, Brendan began his fifth grade spelling bee with that same word.  And he got it right!

Meghan was up next, and she won the seventh- and eighth-grade spelling bee.  I told them they should be happy the school didn't suggest they go head-to-head to find the one true winner! It would have been a battle!  I laughed last night when it occurred to me that homeschooling them for a year didn't do any permanent damage!  (Actually, I grow more thankful for that year all of the time!  I'm not sure it affected the spelling bee, but it did seem funny when I thought about it, and about all the fears I had to overcome to take on that year!)

After school, Meghan and I went for a run.  It was only our second day of doing this together, but I hope it becomes routine.  She needs some extra activity in between sports seasons (volleyball and basketball), and I think she also needs some extra time with me.  She loves to talk at bedtime, but sometimes I am just way. too. tired.  I love the way she opens up as we run together!  And I love how it feels to be exercising!



I don't know how Nick caught on that there was yummy stuff in those bright packages, but he made more sounds than I'd ever heard from him when he saw it.  And then I kept finding him walking around, trying to chew them through the wrapper! I actually ended up paying my kids a few dollars each, just to buy the candy from them and get it out of the way!
You can tell here that my camera now refuses to focus.  All I can think is that it got wet walking to the car after the kids' Halloween parties. My camera is just one on a long list of rather expensive things that have stopped working in the past month or so.  Which is another reason having all these blessings in one day was so very nice!

Brendan was at basketball practice after school.  He is just blooming this year!  He was determined to not play basketball.  We were just at a party a month ago, when I noticed his inability to even join in on a game, because he did not feel confident with the ball, and was too timid to just jump in there!  But when I picked him up at school the day practices started, he said, "Mom, I think I want to go to basketball practice,  I'll never know if I don't try, right?"  I couldn't have said it better myself -- in fact, I think I did say those words to him!  The best part is that the coaches are amazing, and he is absolutely loving every minute of it!  I never realized until this year just how much of a difference exercise makes for my boys.  I am so proud of him for having the courage to give something new a try!  And I am so happy it is bringing him joy!

In the evening, we drove to Ann Arbor for Meghan's volleyball banquet.  We had dinner and watched a collegiate game, and the kids had so much fun!  I wasn't planning to stay for the whole thing, but I just decided that as great as carpooling is, I wanted to be the one to take Meghan home, with all of us, and it was worth the wait.  We sang at the top of our lungs (sorry, Brendan!), and just enjoyed being silly together.  It was a nice, light moment, after realizing that next year she will be one of the eighth graders.  Where have the years gone?

Isn't this adorable? A mom in Kate's class made this --
the fruit and cheese kabob hair was delicious!

One other very special addition to the day was when my husband, who is a chiropractor, called home to say a patient had left money for him with instructions to take me out to dinner.  Apparently, my husband had helped identify a health problem that, if left untreated, could have cost this man his life.  It was such a beautiful act of generosity for him to reach out to us in this way.  It felt like God was just reminding us that yes, He always will take care of our needs, and more.  And just knowing that my husband, who has such a passion for helping people, was able to make this kind of a difference in someone's life, was a gift in itself.