6/9

Summer, you sweet, sweet thing. I’m feeling so very thankful for the nice break it has given us the last few weeks. Surely, it’s been close to heaven for me. So relaxing and sweet and quiet, with no schedule, with nothing to do, nowhere to be but present and here. I wish it could last forever and ever.  

The boys have been swimming their little hearts out every single day, all day long. Our backyard is so much easier to play in than our old house, for some reason. I love having a door right off the back porch, and no nasty decking to keep up! In the early morning, we open all the windows and the French doors leading onto the patio and we come in and out all day long! The weather has been so nice – that perfect early summer temperature. I was thinking just last week how much I fall in love with Pocatello in June. The weather is perfection, the trails are so close, and all the Russian Olives are in bloom. We are so blessed with prosperity and safety here. My heart has been super content lately.

The boys have been busy following our new chore chart for the summer and earning allowance. We lucked out and found a whole stack of magic tree house books at a yard sale a few weeks ago. And Morgan had read half of them within a few days. He loves those books so much and he’s such a good littler reader. He follows us around the house with a book in his hands. He’s so cute. And so sweet. The boys have loved bike riding this summer. Danny is such a good little rider. He loves showing off his trick (a small wheelie).

We’ve been planning and preparing the backyard for our cows and they were finally delivered earlier this week. Danny was in absolute heaven. I just know someday he’ll be our farmer Dan. He loves anything and everything to do with being outside.  He’s such a good little worker with such an eye for detail. He loves keeping things nice and tidy outside.

Mr. Keller has been working hard in our yard – his poor back is paying for it. We finally rented a skidster and grated the back area behind our shop and had three semi truckloads of gravel delivered. He’s been doing sprinklers and electric fencing, and a million other things, and when he sits down at night, he just crashes. I love this hard working sweetheart of mine. I love that he loves what he’s chosen to do. He’s the most ambitious person I know. What a blessing it is to have him leading this little family of ours.

I turned thirty-one last week and it broke my heart. I was crying before I even got out of bed. The boys were so sweet, and they made me the sweetest cards, and Mr. Keller wrote me a “card of feelings”, which is the only gift I ever request from him (printer paper folded in half with his love written down and “card of feelings” scribbled on the front). I even took a three hour nap! But I cried all day long. While some ladies are worried about wrinkles and skin and whatever else, I’m over here at such a loss over where the time has gone, particularly with my children. The days are so fast and so full that I scarcely find myself pausing to take any of it in the way I know I should be. That is not a good way to feel, and it’s a rather empty way to live. We grilled and had a nice dinner and tuxedo cake. We ended the day with a hike up our very favorite trail. We waited until it was almost night time because it had been such a hot day, and I’m so glad we did, because the air was so delicious and cool and perfect and just what I needed to gather myself in and resolve to make this year less, and more. More hugs, and books and songs before bed. More counting freckles and finding shapes in the clouds. More walks, more talks, more holding. These days are fleeting, and I know it. God bless that I can cling to them as tightly as they deserve to be clinged to.  

Next up, Danny Jared’s fifth! He has been so excited for this birthday, he can barely stand it. He’s been talking about it for weeks and weeks, and he looked forward to be sang to in Primary all week long. Today in Sacrament, he said, “I’m going to ask for 60 Reeses after they sing to me!”. He continues to be our entertainment. We love our birthday boy.