Summer Days

Summer is here at last! After the snowy winter and rainy spring we had in Michigan, the long, sun-soaked summer days seem especially decadent this year. Since the last day of school, we have been taking advantage of every fun-filled moment! 

We started our summer with a celebration - Will's 31st birthday! Will's dad was able to book a last-minute trip to Michigan to help us celebrate. In true Brazilian fashion, our celebration revolved around food, family, and late nights. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law treated us to picanha - a savory, melt-in-your-mouth Brazilian meat. We are so blessed to call these wonderful people our family!

One of my high school friends was in town, so we gathered our kids for a fun day at the pool. As you can imagine, we had a lot of catching up to do - after all, it's been 11 years and almost 10 kids since graduation! What a joy it was to spend time with these ladies! 

We also spent time in Grand Haven with my parents. I loved spending summers in Grand Haven when I was younger - swimming in Lake Michigan, walking to the lighthouse, and eating ice cream on the pier before it could melt. It's fun to continue the tradition with Asher!

I also completed a fun DIY project. I have a small major obsession with Downton Abbey, so when I saw this idea on Pinterest I knew I had to give it a try! This project was a lot of fun! Since we don't really use cloth napkins around here (getting Asher to use a paper napkin is a huge victory most days), I'm using them to decorate different spaces throughout the house. Now the sarcastic wit of the Dowager Countess is literally everywhere we turn. I am much more excited about this than Will is, as you can imagine.

Will says this quote is very fitting in our house. Should I be offended?

I've also had time to read ... for FUN! I just finished East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and the novel left me speechless! This story is a breath-taking re-telling of Genesis, focusing on the story of Cain and Abel. Steinbeck's characters are unforgettable, as is the tale of love and hate, betrayal and redemption that unfolds on every page. When I was in college, a literature professor asked the class, "What book do you wish you had written? What book would you like to call your own?" I've never been able to answer that question with any degree of certainty. I LOVE books. And I've always had a list of books I consider my favorites. But I've never really wished I could claim a book as my own. Until now. East of Eden is the book I wish I had written. I'm certain I will re-read this book often in the years to come. 

Finally, I've continued recording my gifts in my gratitude journal as inspired by Ann Voskamp. I feel like a kid gathering fireflies in a jar as I record all the blessings God has lavished upon me - I've counted over 200 so far! God is so good!