In the midst of the aggravating there's always some awesome. Following are the exact awesome moments that negated any of my aggravations during the past week:

Saturday, March 29
10 a.m.-11:18 a.m.

I was invited to screen Disney's THE PIRATE FAIRY last Saturday in the theater before it was released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday. Andrea, Brianna and Jim joined me. Together we sat in the dark munching our movie treats Andrea had smuggled in for us, surrounded by giggling little ones — some dressed in their finest pirate wear for a pre-show contest, all enjoying the film.

It was a cute movie (grandkiddos will love it). More so, it was an awesome time with the majority of my family doing one of our favorite things.

Saturday, March 29
7:20 p.m.-10:12 p.m.

After returning from the movie, Brianna had a first date that evening. A first date with a fella whom Jim and I already approve of — in fact, we were instrumental in their connecting.

As of date time, Brianna and her date had texted one another but had never met. Brianna called me at 7:20 to assuage a bit of the nervousnesss before entering the restaurant to have dinner with a virtual stranger.

For 20 minutes or so after, Jim and I watched the clock while we watched a movie, crossing our fingers the date was going well. After 20 more minutes, we agreed the date was in full swing and hoped it would last at least a full hour. Twenty more minutes passed and we figured that was a good sign she and her date survived the blind-date awkwardness. Then 20 more minutes passed. Then 20 more and 20 more and more.

That date lasted nearly three hours. Brianna's 10:12 p.m. phone call to let me know how it went lasted 22 minutes — with much of that being her telling me in various ways how much she enjoyed the evening and how much her cheeks hurt from smiling. Success! Awesome moments for sure... especially for my daughter, who so very much deserved such moments.

Tuesday, April 1
3:35 p.m.-3:53 p.m.

This. Was. Awesome. I spent 18 minutes on the phone with an editor from a publishing house where I'd recently submitted a picture book manuscript. She called me. She had great things to say. She holds my future as a picture-book author in her hands.

Stay tuned for details; I'll share them eventually... when I know them myself. Oh, and please cross your fingers those details are what I've been crossing my own fingers for for a long, long time. Thank you.

Tuesday, April 1
4:09 p.m.

My youngest daughter's response when I texted her after my conversation with the editor.

text from daughter

Tuesday, April 1
5:44 p.m.-5:53 p.m.

Tuesday was, of course, April Fools Day. I forgot that. And I forgot how much Megan loves foolin' others:

April Fools joke

It was only in the following awesome moments that I learned — from Bubby — what a fool I'd been.

Tuesday, April 1
6:16 p.m.-6:52 p.m.

FaceTime with Bubby and Mac can be a treat or it can be an exercise in frustration for PawDad and me. Frustration comes when Bubby and Mac attempt to multitask — chatting with us while riding their bikes... or roaming the house... or hanging out with their friends.

Our 36-minute FaceTime session on Tuesday was not an exercise in frustration. We talked about Bubby's school day... and April Fools Day and the fool Gramma had been to believe Mommy. I showed Bubby my fridge doors that are in need of new art from the boys. Bubby drew pictures to send — and gave us a preview — while Mac enjoyed glimpses of Abby and Isabel (our cats) and rustled up his dinos to compare to the dinos PawDad shared from here. We talked, we laughed, we loved every second.

Our FaceTime session was a true treat. It was awesome. It was right up there as one of my very favorite stretches of moments from this past week.

loving brothers

Thursday, April 3
7:16 a.m.

Our yard — our city and state — desperately need moisture. At this precise time I realized how marvelously snowy it really was outside. I later spent more than an hour trying to save branches from breaking from the weight of the wet snow, but the ever-so-awesome wetness of it all made it worthwhile.

Spring in Colorado