Sunday Enlightenment -Treasuring the Moment Now

Yesterday, Sunday - home from vacation, I was back to my routine of holding babies at early church. This is something I do every summer. I prefer to volunteer my time with the babies, it fits my summer rhythm of low structure. In the infant room there is no curriculum, lesson plans, or prescribed snack time and no structure.

Yes, sometimes they cry, but I love the challenge of trying to get them distracted and happy so the parents can enjoy their time at church.

I love babies, but I am not interested in any more of my own. My love on the other hand, would like more so we could "have more adult children coming home for Christmas some day!"

While I sat there with two little boys who were crawling around, I played with them and talked to them all the while admiring their feet (baby feet are so cute).

I realized how quickly time goes by, I know everyone says it, but it really is true that a baby is only a little baby for one year. That is one Christmas, one Easter and one Summer. I tried to remember my first baby's feet once so small. What I would give for my bookworm's time machine I would zoom back and hold those baby feet once more.

I am reminded to treasure the moment I have now. I will relish the time I have with my thirteen year old and cherish this moment with his big old man feet. The Artist's feet are as big as his fathers, but I will focus on enjoying his sweet spirit and growing responsible nature sprinkled with some teenage angst and attitude.

Hit rewind to three weeks ago, I was at a baby shower and six of the women from church in attendance were pregnant, all due in late July & August. At the shower, it dawned on me that I would most likely miss holding most of these babies because next summer they would be walking and walkers go to the walker room not the infant room. I marvel at how fast humans develop muscle control and change so rapidly in front of our eyes. It is a true miracle.

After early service, I noticed one of the young mom's from the shower holding her precious bundle of joy in her arms instead of her belly. I felt a tug at my heart, does she know what's coming or how fast it will go? Of course not and neither do I. I will wander on in my journey with parenting my tweener and school age child and try to enjoy every stage knowing that before long they will be grown. The physical and emotional transformation goes so fast from baby feet to man feet.

He's only a boy, and yet when I do the laundry, I can hardly tell who's pants I am folding my son's or my husband's.

Shoes for One and All

I love shoes!

One of the few clothing items I really love to shop for are shoes. Yesterday, my daughter needed some new tennis shoes and one thing led to another (buy one pair and get the second pair 1/2 price) and before we were done we had bought shoes for the whole family.

Final count

1 pair for the artist

2 pairs for the bookworm

2 pairs for my love

3 pairs for yours truly

Total = 8 pairs. We did find a really good sale!

Did I mention I love shoes.

Comment on how many pairs you have if you feel like it, it will be a little shoe poll.
My total = 28 pairs, after I throw out two old yucky pairs.

Vacation North - Fun Fun Fun!

Wow - what a trip - we fit in a lot. Yosemite

Our utimate destination the family cabin in Northern California.

We finished with the California coastline on the way home.

Some Things are Worth the Wait

Living in the country on a large property and doing most of the work ourselves means many, many, many projects are never finished. I am blessed to share this country life dream with my husband and brother, two men who can build anything and have a fantastic work ethic and vision.

Over the years we have accomplished much on our land including putting in a five acre vineyard, planting trees and putting in irrigation. They have also built fences, a sunflower house, retaining walls and a stone entry gate. The guys have done a lot of work to improve our lake.
On a grand scale, they built the barn, it is beautiful. Maybe, more beautiful than our house. I was a barn widow for three long years.

So with all this work to do, our little front yard has been largely ignored over the years.

As you enter the property, you drive through the vineyard past the beautiful roses and then arrive at our yard. Our yard however, consists of mostly dirt and a few piles of rocks that make it look more like a construction zone. Once a stranger visited our house and asked if we were the "caretakers " for whoever owned the vineyard and lower land. I have often been frustrated that our front yard was so overlooked. Being a goal oriented girl, I need reminding to enjoy the journey and not get so hung up on the concept of having something FINISHED.

Last weekend, I begged my husband just to move the rock piles so we didn't look like the local stone yard. What a nice surprise when he said, "If I move it, we might as well use it and implement our landscape design."

Sunday afternoon the kids and I rolled up our sleeves and helped my love construct a dry creek bed, complete with stones, boulders and weed fabric underneath it all. The kids and I have continued the work an hour each morning before it gets really hot. We are hoping to finish some of it today! I must admit, I am not traditionally good with plants and don't usually do much of the work outside. I am proud of myself for getting involved.

It sure helps that the kids are older now and can really help.

Timing is everything in life and I believe this experience was worth the wait. The four of us, myself and my three great loves accomplished this together!

Summer in a Glass

Summer Strawberry Slush

6 ice cubes
16 strawberries ( frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup frozen concentrated lemonade*
1/2 cup water

Put all items in a blender and pulse until ice is crushed and ingredients are blended.

*You can use limeade instead of lemonade, but we prefer lemonade.

I make this drink every summer, it is a yummy treat that my kids love. When my big family comes to town, they all request this drink. With 22 people in my kitchen, my blender just keeps going... thank goodness. To me it represents summer in a glass.