This moment, 4:51pm, Sunday

Two posts in a row about how grateful I am for my life is probably going to make me seem a little mushy, but I just can't help it!

I can't help but be overwhelmingly grateful for this moment, right now. I'm sitting outside on this cool, springish afternoon, watching Gabriel play with his water/sand table as he chit chats with himself and sings Happy Birthday to nobody in particular. Adrian is behind me being the awesome dad that he is, sanding down Gabriel's soon-to-be swing set that has been sitting on the side of the house for, hmmm...8 months?

I'm thankful for moments like this where I'm able to see clearly how blessed I am, unclouded by trivial things like who is making dinner, why the living room isn't clean or how I can convince Gabriel to take a bath without going into major meltdown mode.

I didn't have high hopes for this weekend, I must admit. It started off spiked with a little anxiety and fear, leading to an unexpected trip to the doctor. Nothing has been resolved yet which, although extremely frustrating, does not excuse me from my daily duties as mommy and wife. I'm sure it's nothing to be overly concerned with; I'm most likely worrying for nothing and I'm hopefully being paranoid, but who can say for sure?


Luckily, Adrian and Gabriel have a way of making everything insignificant in comparison to my time with them. Most of the time, they are an escape for me.

As Adrian and I were pulling weeds on our wild and crazy Friday night (again, watching Gabriel entertain himself in the sand), we reflected on how far we've come as a family.

Three years ago, Friday nights would have been filled with a haze of booze and bright lights, followed by an extreme headache.

Two years ago, I was nursing a newborn, sleep deprived and mostly unable to leave the house.

One year ago, we were desperately searching for the perfect place to live (in fact, I think I had just recently started this blog!), considering the best environment to raise our then one-year-old.

Yes, a lot has changed since 2008. We've graduated college, changed jobs, had a baby, gotten married, moved (numerous times), lost everything, gained it all back, purchased a condo, moved into a house (with a yard!), made new friends, lost some.


This weekend, like these past few years, was filled with possibilities, the perpetual motion of building on our life together. We did some home improvement, weeding and mowing, purchased a weed whacker and some patio furniture. Enjoyed each others' company, and that of close friends. Contemplated a vegetable garden.

It's impossible not to be thankful for weekends like this. Especially when they end with watching my husband teach our two-year-old how to swing a baseball bat.