a simply wonderful life

(listen as you read)

It’s a beautiful Saturday.  The door keeps opening and slamming shut again as the children take turns running in and out for what specific reasons I don’t always know.  What I do know is that they’re busy, it’s summer, and these are perfect days to enjoy their childhood.  The windows are open and I can hear wind chimes blowing musically in the breeze.  When my husband comes in I will ask him to make me a cup of coffee (he likes to).  My eyes are sleepy from reading this afternoon, outside in the sun by the pond, with friend/daughter Grace contentedly by my side.  Our little boys Seth and Caleb swam for a while and then ate popsicles.  It’s good to sit and type, thinking about my family and how thankful I am for these days.

Yesterday was a very rainy fourth of July and we did NOTHING patriotic.  (Wait, is grilling hot dogs patriotic?) I was exhausted and filled with determination to  reorganize the downstairs boys’ room, and we did it.   Ahh, it feels so good.  I threw away several bags of garbage and old toys.  I also weeded through their bookshelves and added another couple of bags to the pile to donate.  The boys now have a lovely clean room.

Ironically, today was the annual library book sale.  We all went, in two vehicles because Rich had to take our old broken freezer to the dump.  After leaving behind three bags, and taking a new box of books, we went to the diner for lunch, and then I read outside on a blanket with Grace.

NEW BOOKS!!  HAPPY DAY!!

My children will have memories of coming home with bags of used books, carefully chosen from the laden tables at our local library.

I was so happy to find another old C.W. Anderson “Blaze” book, the children love them.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people

who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen

(my personal stack)

 

(playing a card game)  I love seeing the siblings pair off and do things together.  They are forming such wonderful bonds for life.  Grace and Jacob get along so well, and of course Jacob and Ethan are practically like twins with the way they’ve grown up together.  David does well with Ethan, too.  Caleb, Seth, and Sarah play together all day long, riding bikes and swimming.  This is probably the best part of having lots of children, there’s always someone to spend time with and someone else to spend time with when the first person gets boring.  🙂

 

(clawing another’s face)

 

(spying)

 

(wondering)

 

(reading)  That red book is my journal in which I write the titles and reactions to the books I read, along with dates and sometimes a quote or two.

 

(sunning)

 

I was looking down into my flower beds from the porch and spotted Billy sleeping.

 

 

He didn’t come.  I sent Caleb out with a message for his dad that I would like a cup of coffee please.  Two minutes later Rich stomped serenely through the house to get ice and a towel for his hand….”what did you do?!?”……. “oh, I burned my hand on that motor what kind of coffee am I making?”

I love my husband.

 

*****

glorious summer days

 

“Then I said softly to myself—-

‘That must have been the Sun!”  

Emily Dickenson