Normal Day

Normal day, 

let me be aware of the treasure you are. 

Let me learn from you, 

love you, 

bless you before you depart. 

Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, 

for it may not always be so. 

One day, 

I shall dig my nails into the earth, 

or bury my face in the pillow, 

or stretch myself taut, 

or raise my hands to the sky and want, 

more than all the world, 

your return. 

-Mary Jean Iron

Making Strides

Today was a breakthrough day for Jack... he finally became a walker!  In the past, Jack has been a cautious experimenter, often squatting into a crawl immediately after Nathan or I let go of his hand.  No matter how much we would encourage, Jack was going to do the walking on his own time.  And that time has finally come.

See for yourself...

4th of July

We spent the 4th of July in Loveland at Nathan's aunt and uncle's house.  The adults had fun eating, visiting, and playing bocce ball.  Jack had fun playing in the water bucket!

July Brunch Bunch

Play Date with Baby Brady

Jack's buddy Brady is visiting from Wyoming for a couple of weeks so he came over to hang out with Jack one afternoon this week. Jack and Brady were born the same month and their daddies grew up together so they have a lot in common and had a lot of catching up to do!  (After all, they haven't seen each other since New Years.)

They shared their snacks...

...and their toys!

 

During Brady's visit, we walked down the street for some ice cream.

Brady and his Grandpa Ed

Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg

In the book Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg, Helen Ames is a 59-year-old author who has recently been widowed.  Upon her husband's death, Helen is surprised to discover that there is not enough money set aside to support her and, as a result, she reluctantly accept a position teaching a writing class.   Surprisingly, she finds that she enjoys teaching and develops a fondness for her students.  Meanwhile, Helen is also navigating a tricky relationship with her twenty-something daughter and sorting out a quiet secret her husband was harboring which may answer the question of what happened to all their money.

There is only one reason I paid $0.99 for a copy of Home Safe... it was pretty.  All of Elizabeth Berg's books are. There is something about the covers of her books that attracts me to them.  And so I finally read one. 

It was okay.

Helen is not a particularly likable character, but I felt she was realistically portrayed.  I could appreciate the insecurities she had about her writing ability and her motherly desperation to connect with her daughter.  My favorite part of the book was the stories that were written by the students in Helen's class. 

I will definitely give Elizabeth Berg another try but I do hope the next one I read is a little better than this one was. 

A Morning With Friends

Earlier this week we spent a terrific morning with the Shank family. We went to Focus on the Family and spent time in their wonderful childrens' area, and then headed to The Egg and I for breakfast. It was a great morning with great friends!

( My appreciation for the Focus on the Family childrens' area is not to be interpreted as direct support of the debatable politics of "family values".)