13

A lot happens in 13 years. A whole lot.

birth of the first grandchild for two sets of parents ~ countless sleepless nights ~ trips to the ER ~ first steps ~ first haircut ~ birth of another son and another son and another son ~ swimming lessons ~ loss ~ joy ~ throw up ~ broken bones ~ heartbreak ~ guitar ~ homework ~ beach trips ~ basketball ~ iphone ~ braces ~ friendship ~ family ~ 

love

Happy Birthday Number 1

Another day, another story,

Em

this summer

This summer means following our country roads to fun and adventure.  Most of the time, we roll all the windows down, blare the Eagles or Van Morrison and every single one of us scream sing along. 

Sometimes the road takes us to the perfect, satisfied gulp of root beer after a big bite of a bacon cheeseburger. 
It means going from pj's (read: boxer shorts for boys) straight into swimming trunks, day after hot and endless summer day. It's finding last year's beach sand in your bathing suit.  It's learning to execute a perfect dive off the dock during the mammas and boys week at the lake. 

It's a cheery yellow smiley face kickball, and games with cousins on Sunday afternoon.  Raucous family baseball games at sunset.  Skin that's too brown to be burned but too pink to be tan.  

It's this reminder of the real good {abundant} life at the breakfast table and homemade ice cream cones on the deck after supper. It's listening to the baintrain chatter incessantly and blend right in with the cricket-song. 

This summer is visiting cousins, reconnecting and re-introducing ourselves.  It's learning to wakeboard and getting up on your first try:: limbain! White water rafting and ziplining all in one day.

It's going to camp and finding your favorite peeps waiting for you on the cabin porch. It's the self-confidence to play two solos at the talent show.

The road leads to a dirt road, where driving lessons take place on the way home from church.  It's your first fishing lessons on the dock with your grandmother.  The ka-thunk of a good jump from the homemade log diving board into cold creek water.

 It's the blessed sound of a perfectly healthy boys hollering "Watch this Mom!"  And going home tired and happy and exhausted and ready to do it all (whatever it all is) again tomorrow.  And in between it all, it's prayers for rain and nieces and friends and biopsies and open heart surgery. Yep, fear dares to rock our summer boat ride, but can't be allowed to take over.

It's bad jokes and a sometimes over tired mom who banshee-screams when the baintrain plays tennis in the back seat with a water bottle.  And speaking of water bottles it's making sure you always have an empty one on a road trip, because this summer is all about range extending.

This summer there's time for the road to take us nowhere but to the every-blanket-and-pillow-in-our-house fort located in our living room.  That curvey country road took us to one of my hero's childhood homes and an old soda fountain that serves black walnut ice cream.

We could never learn to be brave or patient if there was only joy in the world- H. Keller

This is a summer of  alien mom saying YES!  even to a bowl of the butterbain's favorite: cotton candy.

This summer there days are at the local pool with your closest neighbor cousins, complete with water slide races, whoops and howls. It's mulch spreading and weed eating, tomato and squash picking.  And bug killing, lots and lots of that.

It's treats like Ultimate S'mores made with Nutella and rice crispy treats and a perfectly carbonized marshmallow.  It's checkers and streaming Netflix (danger!!) and connect four. It's one more chapter because we can sleep in.  It's walking past the stacks of un-hung pictures and unfolded laundry and and not worrying about when to fit that in. Okay, wondering how to fit that in, not worrying. 

 

I don't want to  travel a single mile down the road of this summer of abundance without my word of the year reminder front and center.  It's one of the few things that's been re-hung, and a perfect admonition before I embark on any further adventure. 

Blessings, 

Lib
 linked Here and

My last {first} Mohawk

It began as a sleepy Saturday morning conversation about a haircut.  Our groggy pillow talk quickly turned into my last {first} mohawk.  His first; another last first for me.

Butterbain brought me the keys and hopped around until I agreed to drive him to his uncle's house for the clippers.

In about the same time it's taken you to read this post, butterbain went from my fluffy haired baby to a six year old wild indian. 

That's the last time those clippers will ever make a first mohawk...at least for the baintrain.




LIB 

A book worth reading

You know I love to read.  Last year I won a book worth reading, and was fortunate enough to preview the next in the series by the same author, Davis Bunn. 

Although Hidden In Dreams is written as part of a series, it's a stand alone read.  It's truth filled fiction and weaves a myriad of themes into a tight and gripping story.  Here's the trailer:

I thoroughly enjoyed Davis' descriptive writing; his characters were believable and his thought-provoking ideas challenged me.  The story drew me in just like an adrenaline-filled episode of 24!  I loved trying to decipher Davis' foreshadowing clues, but could never quite figure out what would happen next. Predictable, he is not.

Shortly, Davis has penned a basic good vs. evil story, and he bravely flavors his story with multiple layers of mystery, romance, intrigue, danger, Christianity, hope... Though I felt the end was a bit rushed, I'd still give this novel 4.7 stars. 

I think there's something extra sweet about Summer reading, and savored this book at the lake, before bed and at the creek.  

No matter what your favorite summer reading genre is, I'd place my money on this book being a perfect match for your list too! 

Lib 

 

Disclosure:I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Howard Books, A division of Simon and Schuster. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.