Small and Great Blessings

After we planted all those seeds the rain practically came to a halt. I think I need to go out and water, which is not a chore I had bargained for. The marigolds have sprouted already, and so have the sunflowers. Something promptly munched off the top of each sunflower sprout, so we may need to start over. What I am actually anticipating, more than buds and blooms, is a move. Irony: After months and months of indecision, we would have to move quite suddenly and just as the flowers were getting bold and ready to burst forth in a riot of color and fragrance.

William is doing well as a fourteen year old boy. We celebrated his birthday with pumpkin pie, spaghetti, garlic bread, and his friends, Adam, Jacob and Tamsyn. He's already read two of his birthday presents: Tuesdays With Morrie and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Both books turned out to be a big hit with him.

Alex and Max were out last evening trying to revive the tent. It has been rain battered, and with Tamsyn's help they hung it up to dry. They are feeling the early call of spring and want to prepare for camping and adventures. Geoff feels the call too. He thinks there may be a road trip in our near future.

And Maria just keeps smiling and stretching and saying "ooh, ooh." She sleeps well, and eats well, and she holds herself steady. Like Max, she enjoys standing on her steady legs. Unlike Max, she does not jump and jump and jump, which is just fine. We are all still in awe, and every morning begins with the boys slipping in to our room, so they can see Maria wake up and enjoy her first smiles of the new day.

And me? I am happy. There are moments when I feel wonder that cannot be expressed. There are moments when I feel freakin' whooped. I might complain about my weight, and the silver strands of hair, the only ones not falling out, that hang in my face. I might bang my head over the endless laundry or weep pitifully because the cat won't barf outside. If you are observing any of this, I hope you can see that we are okay in spite of the chaos. Perhaps we are better than okay. We have love and shelter. We have possibilities. We have each other.