This week Cam’s class watched the dress rehearsal of the big children’s concert. I knew his cousins were in the show. I also knew he probably wouldn’t have followed much of the performance, even sitting super close to the stage. But I asked, ‘Did you see Craig?’ Cam said, ‘No, I didn’t see him. But I knew he was there!’ He said it with such calm assurance. Such no-big-deal peace of mind. It was for me a slice of grace – a picture of faith.

And another 39 things for which I’m saying thanks:

 

1608 Date night at dusk – Tin Roof Café

1609 Peacocks squawking strange and sad in the twilight

1610 Late night powwow with Murray to plan for end-of-year ground rush

1611 Sunday afternoon ice-cream cones on the kitchen stoep

1612 Pilates ball-bouncing and general hilarity with Cam and Scott in the lounge

1613 Walking at Morelatakloof under grey skies

1614 Cam practising his Christmas concert songs with concentrated actions and profound earnestness and unbelievable cuteness

1615 Friends who fill unique spaces in my life

1616 A snatched snooze

1617 Cam remorsefully giving himself timeout on his bed after hitting Scott with a broom

1618 Guys from the Tree Clinic doctoring our garden – transforming the foliage – branches opening wide and free to the sky

1619 When people choose honesty, for the sake of deepening community, instead of the pretence of perfect agreement

1620 Camping weekend booked

1621 Tireless munching of silkworms silently getting fatter on the kitchen counter – small strange kind-of-gross miracle

1622 Discussing Thursday night’s storm with Cliff as he piled paving bricks

1623 Tiles instead of carpets, for Lola’s muddy traipsing through the house

1624 Riding bikes in the cul de sac –

1625 And Cam saying, ‘Run next to me, Mom, and get fit!’

1626 Geyser bursting while we were home (rather than causing even more damage had we been away)

1627 Geyser bursting at 10h00 and replaced by insurance at 15h00

1628 Geyser bursting and damaging ceiling boards in three rooms – reminding me not to be so precious about perfect walls and floors and ceilings

1629 Joy and privilege of hot clean instant water

1630 This opportunity to speak

1631 Months of piled-up filing done

1632 Ladies committee with fantastically diverse gifts and passions

1633 Cam and Scott hugging each other –

1634 And playing tricks on each other at breakfast (sneaking away a cereal bowl after a not-so-surreptitious tap on the shoulder)

1635 Engagement party for Mark and Heather

1636 People God brings to our kitchen table for talking, laughing, sobbing and solving world hunger

1637 Super service at Budget Nursery –

1638 And such lovely plants making their homes in our empty flowerbeds

1639 Coffee at Andante with Laurie

1640 Cam suddenly liking yoghurt again – another breakfast option

1641 Teenagers admitting they’re not sure about Jesus – way better than complacency

1642 Boys wrestling with boy-type sound effects

1643 Wakaberry frozen yoghurt on a Friday night for Cherise’s birthday

1644 Scott and Craig making sandpit mud in the plastic wheelbarrow for Cam’s dinosaur garden

1645 Paul up from Cape Town and visiting with pizza and laughs and history and love for us and our boys

1646 Scott thanking Jesus for ‘happy hearts’

  

Frozen yoghurt photo credit