sick day clickin'

I spent most of yesterday in bed, jumping out only to pull toddlers from toilets and throw away piles of tissues. I've been fighting this phantom, nagging illness for nearly a week now. It feels like a cross between seasonal allergies and a mild cold, but it's worn me down. I couldn't avoid the sick day any longer, so I gave in on a day off from work. I ate chicken noodle soup in bed and did a little online adventuring, the following of which I highly recommend:

I refrained from purchasing Jessi's advent calendar, because I didn't know where we'd spend Christmas this past year. But today she announced the release of the Naptime Diaries Lent Calendar, which just so happens to start on our new (and pretty official-sounding) farmhouse closing date. So I went for it. I can't wait to get my family's hearts ready for Easter in just the right fashion - with this beautiful thing hanging down my banister!

I stumbled upon this video as I thumbed through Facebook upon waking, and I couldn't wait to herd all of my cats onto the couch after breakfast. In our usual style, we watched it twice. It blessed me like nobody's business, to be ministered to by a nine year-old kid with so much wisdom. If you haven't seen it already, prepare to weep.

When I met Raechel last year, I was struck by the way she shared her story of childbearing. She mentioned her family's loss(es) at the Influence Conference when appropriate, but then we'd move on to different topics. It was an honor to read her five-year tribute to a daughter no longer with us. What an example of grace, of weaving a tragedy into part of a much bigger, life-giving identity.

I absolutely must stock up on the right kind of tissues, and do some damage-control on my chapped nose. Burt's Bees is not the answer. Happy Thursday, folks!