3 pounds of bacon,

two loaves of bread
and a passel of lake-lovin', smelly boys!
(sung to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas)


That about sums it up!
Minus a shout out to my lake-loving, strawberry eating, sunscreen applying expert of a girlie who loves to catch fish, find turtles, jump off the dock in her lifejacket and !

Last day full day up here at the beautiful and much beloved cabin.  It has been a lovely week full of great family time, deep restfulness, fun friend visits from the Anderson crew on Thursday and Friday and then at dinnertime last night the arrival of Pearson (Jeb's friend) and Louis (Cooper's friend).  Last weekend starred Jack (another buddy of Coop's) and Abe (Jeb's sweet pal).

I feel like I've fully relaxed for perhaps the first time in seven months.  My mom even remarked as she rubbed my shoulders yesterday that all those "bubbles" she has felt when she's massaged my shoulders for the past months are nowhere to be felt.  I'm profoundly grateful for this time away.

This week has been a true gift for our family.  Summertime memories we will store up and treasure.  A victory for me, personally, of staying up here all week with the kids and feeling very at peace with anything that might or might not happen with Luke's seizures.  Nothing happened.  Thank you, Lord, for that respite.

I've spent a lot of the week in a dialogue with God where I keep circling around and He just keeps holding me and quietly building me up.  We have much ahead of us this school year.  So much of it joyful and incredible, with the addition of Emma Kate in the next months ahead.  There are reams of beautiful things to look forward to for all of us.

I'll be honest and say there's much I'm anticipating and looking toward with what I'm trying not to have as worry, but instead readiness.  And without a list of all that it is here, instead I guess it is best to remember for myself that God is going before us and He knows.  He is there.  He is able.  He is ready, and even now in advance I see ways He is preparing us for there.  For what's to come. And it is all for His glory and our good.

My anticipation of Him, is sweet.  He is our stronghold.   He is my rock, and the giver of every good thing.