The Real Midsummer

The sun has gone down. It is dusk, on a warm summer's evening.

Perhaps I should have gone down to the garden a little earlier. But first it was dinner, then Family Home Evening. We played Bingo ... still a classic. No treat, because we had it right after dinner: homemade crème brulee. Ohhhhhh ..... so smooth and creamy under the crunch of caramelized sugar! I don't want to even THINK about how many calories are in those babies.

I take a bowl and my girls and we walk down to the raspberry row. Light is fading quickly, so there's not much time left to still see berries. We'll have to hurry.

The raspberries are on the downhill slide of harvest. This year's crop is much smaller than last year, but that's ok. Emma swaps sides of the berry row as she carries first a few berries to the bowl, and then brings the whole bowl around to the pickers. My heart jumps when I see the bowl tilt precariously, as she avoids the mud puddle from Todd watering the garden earlier.

The girls head back to the house first, with about two cups of berries in the bowl, ... but I am not far behind them. Although the sky still looks light, it's too dark to pick anymore. The evening star has come out, and it's a waxing quarter moon.

I pause to look at the freshly-mown grass, and think of how the girls have taken over that job since the boys have been gone. I see the silhouettes of trees, the annual flowers that are blooming madly, and the string of lights between the decks.

And it's right then that I remember what Todd said this evening in the living room. It is July 15th. For all intents and purposes, our summer is half over.

Really??? Half gone!!

I'm feeling blessed. I've had a conversation today with a good friend who is holding her life together, but struggling under the surface. My heart goes out to her, and I'm thankful again for the many ways my life has been truly, truly blessed. I look around and know that there is a God in heaven who tenderly watches over His children.

I'm also feeling like my summer has snuck away and left me with too little. I love this time of year when the time and deadlines of the school year has vanished and we all have the freedom to breathe more easily. My own summer goals haven't gotten very far. Life happens, though.

In 16 days, Cameron will return home from his mission in California. I'm not prepared, but I'm oh-so-ready to see my son again! I've gotten his mission blog caught up, but this family blog is rather
"behind".

I return indoors, and decide that it's not too late this evening to still get a few things accomplished. Starting with a blog post. It's a little out of order, but it won't hurt to write it anyway.

Life is good. And life moves on.