I am grateful for....

• Adam's delight (as he laughs and looks up at me as I wheel him around our yard in a wheelbarrow): "Again! Again!"
• Adam's pride (as he shows me the aforementioned wheelbarrow piled high with flowerpots and backyard toys): "I did this for you, Mommy!"
• Adam's tenderness (upon being informed that I have a cold): "I will take care of you, Mommy, and I will cover your mouth for you when you cough."
• Adam's creativity (despite his parents' focus on building all the Lego "sets" he builds his own machines): "This crane's name is Crewstep."

• Norah's favorite game - saying "yum yum" to me and trying to "eat" my hair - then I snuggle her up and say, "No, you're my yum yum!" while I kiss her all over her soft little face and neck while she giggles and says, "No, me yum yum!" (repeat at least twice)
• Norah's new words - "bless you" when someone sneezes, "helmet" (for our Lego motorcycle riders), "open it," etc.
• Norah's passion for art - she has enthusiastically rediscovered coloring books and is also coloring her own sheets of paper, is always ready to paint, and she loves to visit my studio and generally get into anything in there!

• David's thoughtfulness - washing and folding a load of my laundry. Making dinner.
• David's perseverance - to weed...and weed...and weed...and weed...in our yard.
• David's support - as I make decisions about my health.
• David's presence - a full half hour to snuggle in bed before the kids woke up!

• My health - (exercise) that I have trained and feel up to giving my best shot running a half marathon on May 31st! (diet) that we are eating more vegetables, switching to brown rice.
• My interests - (creative) trying out scherenschnitte - intricate paper cutting - a Swiss folk art that I've always wanted to learn; (cooking) baking my first apple pie - a delicious recipe from the Joy of Cooking; (reading) The Mommy Manual and not only finding very helpful advice, but also knowing myself and my principles well enough that I know where I disagree with the author's advice.
• My convictions - knowing what I am and am not willing to do in regards to follow-up on my health. Living and moving forward in hope and the trust that God will take care of me, that I am saying no to living in fear of getting cancer again.