Our Summer

M.I.A. Apparently, I have jumped ship this summer. Where are all those blog entries I talked about writing? Do they count if they're in my head? Bam, just like that summer is almost gone. A major highlight were the uninvited, ever-present, glaring, painful migraine headaches constantly banging on my door. I count 3 trips to the ER this summer, that is a record for me. It's a good thing I didn't blog while I had one of these monsters. Who knows what might have showed up on here!

Hope. For the first time in a long while, I am feeling hopeful again. It's a combination of things but really at the core it's Jesus. He orchestrates all of life whether we acknowledge it or not. I had been rather angry at Him but I wasn't ready to admit it. You have to tell Him the truth, He can take it. He can use anything, anyone He wants to get through to us. Because He loves us that much.

For me, it was a 4 year old boy's book called "Heaven is For Real." I read that book and in my heart I saw Jesus in heaven, so clearly. But I also saw Jeff. And it gave me a peace that needed to move forward. And moving forward meant moving forward toward Jesus. I am ready to need Him again and trust Him.

The kids and I were able to take a vacation to Florida. We brought Jeff's nephew Jack with us, he's 20 years old and I'm sure I wouldn't have survived Disney World without him. We only went to DW for 3 days and I'm not sure I could've handled more. I must be getting too old for this break-neck pace, staying up until 3am, neck whipping back and forth, 75 mph adventure! Just remembering it makes me want to lie down.

My favorite part of the family vacation was the 3 days spent at Cocoa Beach. People will ask "what did you do there?" We did nothing, absolutely nothing. And it was the best part of the trip. We sat on the beach, swam in the ocean, made sand castles. It was perfect. You know, the Travelocity commercial. Except with a widow. Sorry, had to throw that in. I waited for George Clooney to walk by but he never showed up. His loss.

We have had many, many pool parties at our house this summer! Maybe you have been over for one of them. Chillin. Listening to BOB fm on the radio, doing a Cannon Ball in the pool, eating watermelon (my favorite summer fruit). Maybe you played some basketball or tennis on our court, fun times. Glad you came. We love summer and friends.

Baseball games, many were played. Good job, Ben and those Rockets! Softball games, lots of games. Good job, Olivia and those Hot Tamales! This mama has sat and sat and sat. She has cheered for her babies! Eaten a ton of seeds, laffy taffy, licorice ropes and drank way too many gatorades! But tan, she is soooo tan. She loves her baseball/softball families, they help her carry her load, which is often too heavy, they make her laugh, they are her heart.

And in a blink school will be upon us. Joseph will be an 8th grader, Ben a 6th grader and Olivia a 4th grader. Time is fleeting. You cannot get it back. And every day is a gift, do not waste it. Each day I realize how much their daddy is missing but I now KNOW he is truly in a better place. He is waiting for us to join him when it's our time.

Until then, we will have a lot of pool parties, make friends, tell them about Jesus, go to baseball/softball/football games, movies, church, go on vacations, play games, read great books, cry when we're sad, laugh when we're happy and make a lot of memories until we meet Jesus.