February 1st – Waking up just before dawn to a snow-sprinkled fairyland.
February 2nd – Watching Sophie’s baby videos with her and adoring her smallness—then and now.
February 3rd – Taking a five-minute family walk around the neighborhood and being stopped by one, two, three cars of friends saying hi and offering a ride.
February 4th – Giving up delusions of a productive sick day and snuggling into bed with Sophie to nap the morning away.
February 5th – Discovering a wonderful e-mail from an old friend hidden away in my Junk folder.
February 6th – Listening to Natalie spin elaborate stories about the princesses she was coloring all afternoon.
February 7th – Spotting four perfect new buds on my red daisy plant.
February 8th – Braving a couple of Old Testament chapters and finding only goodness inside.
February 9th – Having a lovely, long conversation with a friend who’s taken years to open up.
February 10th – Reliving the joy of marker on my hands and glitter in my hair as I helped the girls make valentines.
February 11th – Hearing from two different long-lost friends out of the serendipitous blue.
February 12th – Tasting snowflakes with the girls and getting caught up in their excitement. (S: “Hooray! Hooray! Sophie excited!” N: ::bubbles over with laughter:: S: “Sophie thinking about Missmas trees!” N: ::jumps up and down for joy::)
February 13th – Getting treated to a twenty minute concert about tenniiissss, we should play tennniiiissss, but be caarrefuulllll when you play tennniiissss because of the bad bugs who like to plaaaaayyyyyy TEEEENNNNNIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS!
February 14th – Playing LIFE as a family to wind up Valentine’s Day and giggling over the girls’ name choices. (Sophie christened her husband, three sons, and four daughters each “Sophie Bassett!”; Natalie chose “Prunes” for her husband and “Creams” for their son.)
February 15th – Listening to thousands of birds chirp and giggle as they spun in circles outside, punch-drunk on sunshine.
February 16th – Having a hug for dessert.
February 17th – Starting the day with a family snuggle in bed.
February 18th – Being in our ailing car with the girls as it breathed its last… right in front of our house… the same day we were finally able to get a bank account to buy a new car… and realizing God might have had a hand in all the timing.
February 19th – Despite all our Valentine’s plans being derailed, having one of the best dates ever at the living room bar with Dan.
February 20th – Enjoying every minute our family car-shopping day. (The girls’ favorite part? Careening around the biggest car lot in a golf cart. The parents’ favorite part? Finding the perfect car for the perfect price.)
February 21st – Wondering over our future and feeling peace despite the uncertainty.
February 22nd – Getting in and out of the post office in under a minute – a miracle!
February 23rd – Beating the winter blahs with a personal concert by Natalie and super-speed Giro Giro Tondo* until we all collapsed laughing on the rug. (* Italy’s “Ring Around the Rosie”)
February 24th – Grooving to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” while hanging laundry outside for the first time this year.
February 25th – Posing the girls on top of our old car for goodbye pictures just as the next-door-neighbor, who already thinks we’re crazy, walked outside.
February 26th – Trying to teach “Jesus Loves Me” to Sophie, who very sweetly (and wildly out-of-tune) crooned, “Yeeeessss, Jesus loves you! Yeeeessss, Jesus love you!”
February 27th – Taking our new car for a spin around Lago Trasimeno with the windows down and the stereo thumping.
February 28th – Giggling our goodnights with two small girls who still love to be tickled.
