Mid-Summer Passing

August is here.

The month when you begin to look back and realize the summer is nearing the fall. 

When you suddenly feel the pressure to do all those things you haven't done yet. 

The month when you begin to evaluate whether or not your summer has evolved suitably enough to meet your high expectations.

I can honestly say that, for me, this summer has.  Exceeded expectations.  And not just because of what we've done or said or with whom we've spent time ~ although each has been important and meaningful.  But more because of how His plan has continued to unfold in our marriage and our home and our lives.....in spite of us.

This August I want to thank Him because He loves us so much and never, ever throws in the towel over our stubbornness, pride, attitudes, and mistakes. 

Waiting on Him is one of the most difficult things I will ever do, but it continues to be worth it again....and again....and again.

My heart is full tonight as I reflect on the last several weeks, but one can only share so much in a blog post.  Hopefully this little gallery of our family from the last couple weeks will show a glimpse of what I savor each day.

Our big family task last week was to build a shed roof to protect our winter supply of firewood.  15 cords to be exact.  For those who don't know how much 15 cords of wood is, let me just say: It's a lot.  I'll have to show you the finished product in another post.  Here's my amazingly skilled hubby sporting a tool belt while he directs the rest of the crew. 

And Gabriel, with a smiling face in spite of the labor and the 80+ heat, pausing to pose for my camera:

Here's me with my boy, beginning to stack wood while Greg and Gabriel staple shingles above.  What great visits we shared while stacking wood together!  I may resort to this "task" frequently during the teenage years~

Here's my precious Amaya, proud to have completed the entire jungle puzzle for the first time all by herself.  (Notice, however, her tattered blanky in the background she's had since birth.  Ahhh, she's still my baby....)

And of course I always fit in a little "pretty-time" around the house.  I found these slate tiles on clearance at Michael's last week for $.74 each.  How cute do they look on these baskets of books?  Such a simple thing, but makes me smile each time I walk by:

We spent this last weekend watching Isaac's final baseball tournament of the year, cheering wildly after he made the most impressive horizontal slide across the wet grass, glove supernaturally outstretched, while the whole crowd held its collective breath, and caught a fly ball hit way over everyone's heads. So much fun.

 (Will I ever get over how cute these boys look in baseball uniforms?)

And finally, summertime would not be complete without horses.  Weekly riding lessons have left us covered in horse hair, with manure on our boots and aching in our sit bones, but we couldn't be happier about it.  This is Rosie...

...and the shaggy guy is Bullseye.

So many good memories already....and it's only August :)

Many blessings on the rest of your summer.  May you embrace every moment~

Jaimee