How wonderfully you have grown since July of last year....

On this last day of July, I stumbled across this beautiful piece by Morgan Harper Nichols who nails it every time with her gift of art and words. 

July Twenty-Twenty-One

 

“Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments—often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light. A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable. I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith.” -Brene Brown 

"We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love."  - The Book of Common Prayer

“I sometimes forget that

I was created for joy

My mind is too busy

My heart is too heavy

Heavy for me to remember

that I have been

called to dance,

the sacred dance for life,

I was created to smile

to love

to be lifted up

and lift others up

O sacred one,

Untangle my feet

from all that ensnares

Free my soul

That we might

Dance

and that our dancing

might be contagious.” 

Hafiz

"Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. " 

-Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

“Grow old with me, the best is yet to be.”

- Robert Browning

Holding down the fort

It is so good to know that Poppy is holding down the fort as we head to Montana for some family time this next week. 

Sunny Days

sunny days 

walk at Seward Park with Jenn Zubeck 

dinner with Jeanette, Genny, Elizabeth, and Meghan 

Anna and Claude at the Atkins' hot tub 

evening in Ballard 

Fruit Pizza Cookies- YUM! 

visit with Dereck and Rachael this afternoon (SPU colleagues) 

Lake Life

 

Anna and Taylor out on a boat with neighbors yesterday afternoon 

Anna wake surfing behind a boat yesterday afternoon with neighbors. 

Looks like they are getting her ready for California! She got up on her first try!!! 

https://youtu.be/NatP2YtQCPg

biking across 520 with Lake WA showing off behind us today 

Celebrating Twenty-Five!

celebrating twenty five years!! 

Such a treat to go back the Post Hotel where we went for Jason's 50th for our anniversary celebration 

breakfast view 

("First Dance" garden sculpture-- my anniversary gift to Jason :) 

 

We came home to find that Anna had decorated the porch and the kitchen for us! 

celebrating TWENTY-FIVE (almost!)

This photo is one of my favorites and was taken twenty five years ago at our rehearsal dinner on the night before our wedding... Happy Almost 25th!!! 

Christmas in July 2021

We had a special lunch with our friend Fredrick and his girlfriend Taylor Emmaus and brought out a few Christmas decorations for the table for Christmas in July. Because- why not? 

Puppy Love

We are so glad we got to be with the newest member of the family while he is still a puppy as we know Rafa will be a big guy when we see him again at Christmas. Puppy Love!!