Forcing a Slow Down... embracing Summer

Life has thrown at us fast and furious in the past year...

We - who love a slower pace and to chill out and just keep it real.

We kept pace and finished strong
and held on to each other and on to His grace...
and now, Summertime has arrived
and in all her glory, slowly unfurled before us!

I am a Fall Girl... I LOVE Autumn...
I wrote an entire 31 Days series on it...
but oh how I am always ready for the
Slow Down of summer when she finally arrives!

How is it that it can seem like she takes her own sweet time in coming...
but if you blink, she is half gone already!

This summer is unique and we will never have another one like it.  Our Only is feeling like this is it - her last real summer... She is in between high school and college... making plans and working nearly full time - but clinging to what has been, for the whole of her life, 'normal' summer: sleeping in, cuddling close, movies and parks and playing in water... soaking in the sun and the laughter, making memories wherever she can.  I can see her determination - just a look in her eyes, when I glimpse over and can feel her Slowing Down Time... to drink this in.

I love that she knows that she can do that! That when life is coming fast and lists get bossy and you can start to feel overwhelmed... I love that she knows that she can do that!  Just breathe it all in slow... look around and within and really SEE... and exhale out the worry and the rush... I hear her whispering under her breath, counting on... giving thanks... and I know...

I know everything's gonna be alright!

After all - not one of us really knows what tomorrow holds.  It can feel like a lot of pressure to figure it all out - but when we slow down time... lean in to Him and trust... we can feel ourselves remembering that He's got this... even when we aren't sure what 'this' is!  So we are breathing in slow, and partaking in all the Summertime that our community offers...

Friday night concerts - indoors and outdoors, all over town... Thursday night Downtown Market, Sunday Farmer's Market & Sunday night movies in the park... Lavender Fields and Orchards all around... We are counting gifts... 1000 and more... and embracing Summer while she lingers here!

Here are some of my gifts...

#1370 - Fresh Berries - ALL the TIME!
#1371 - My Honey, working out with me at 9:30pm to Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred!
#1372 - Tonya, Amy, Rebekah, Nikki, Kim, Jennifer, ...+ so many others... Online friends who are Oh So Supportive!
#1374 - Breakfast Cookies (Healthy and so good!)
#1376 - The Summer Nights Movie in the Park Kick off... a snuggly family, watching a movie on the outside wall of the theater, popcorn and red vines, stars twinkling, and Community happening all around us!
#1380 - Music in the Park (different park... different night!) - again, a free Community event filled with lawn chairs and blankets, picnic baskets and ice cream cones... dancing and relaxing, and listening to local talent!
#1381 - Learning how to make Mango Curry Chicken (from Bread and Wine) - Delish!
#1382 - I am learning to just roll with it more and more!  I'm learning that some of the BEST days are the spur-of-the-moment, let's-go-do-something, unplanned days!
#1383 - (Still learning this one:) How to type withOUT a keypad on my phone!
#1384 - My Honey... worshiping on his guitar... inviting the Spirit of God to enter in... drawing our hearts to His.
#1387 - My Girlie being brave - her first time giving blood.
#1390 - Chilling with friends at the Thursday Market... listening to live music, eating street food (Gyro's - Oh My!), then walking over to Cafe Vittori's for a latte and coffee talk!
#1394 - The front patio in the summertime - early morning, bathed in sunlight, filtering through the black walnut tree, dancing on garden, skin, and pages.
#1395 - Dark Chocolate Red Wine Truffles from Brights (Walla Walla) - Divine!
#1396 - Our shadows... my Honeys' and mine - growing tall in the evening setting sun, on a stroll in the summertime - holding hands... connecting and reconnected over a slow steady walk... Bliss!
#1399 - A Wide Open Saturday!


Linking with Ann and Multitudes on Mondays...