a visit

This weekend, while we were so far from home, we decided to push ourselves a little more and take a peek into the future. It seemed silly not to, being only an hour and a half away... and the visit would need to be made at some point. Might as well go the hour and a half today rather than make the whole five hour drive on a separate occasion. And so we found ourselves on the campus of Santa Fe College... at the teaching zoo. We sat in the car as the rain poured down and my insides squirmed at the thought of how quickly two years will fly by. But excitement, and the crowing of peacocks, pushed the uneasiness aside with the rain.
Our zoo guide, armed with her book of facts, led us through their little zoo and gave us just the appropriate time to ooo and ahhh over the animals. We asked her questions about the zoo program and she happily answered and shared how much she was enjoying it and how afraid she was to enter Section "D"... reptiles, snakes and alligators.

I have a feeling we'll visit again, maybe officially.  If Laura wasn't already in love with the prospect of zoo college, which she kind of is, the ocelots just may have clinched it.

Driving away, the sky opened up again... and we were thankful for the dry hour and the peek into what might be.

two gifts wrapped in one week

Typically, summer means that the kids are off on a little trip with Eric's parents... and Eric & I have a week or two, just for us. This time, Eric & Cam were the ones away... gone to camp, and it is was just us girls.  It was a week I will never forget. A week I always want to remember. While I try not to focus on the time that is slipping through my fingers, the fact that I cannot halt it, or even slow it a bit, never wanders too far from mind. And so this week, during which we played and worked together in harmony, has been a gift. A true and beautiful gift. 
Another gift wrapped up in last week?  Having the privledge of watching my daughter interact with the kids at the horse therapy camp where she is working.  Each day she comes home covered in paint and dust... and totally exhausted, her heart overflowing with joy.  I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice... she is the one receiving the gift, though the time she gives is a gift to the program.  My own heart feels so full... so happy that she gets it.   It may be better to give than to receive... but when it comes to giving your time, your energy and your heart... the gift you give fades from sight and the gift you receive is all that matters. 
One week... two gifts.   Beautiful, beautiful.

Linking up to Emily's Chatting at the Sky on the Tuesday...

the weekend

We logged 647 miles in the car this weekend. If we had a choice of how to spend a holiday weekend, this would not have been our first choice. Or even a close second. But it was the only way to bring him from here...

to here. Week two of Cam's summer camp adventure.

Maybe it wasn't our first or second choice... but the only choice we would want to choose. It gave us almost 24 hours of being together, the four of us.  We heard the stories of Boy Scout camp and white water rafting and four merit badges earned (if there had been fish in that lake, he might have earned 5!)  Just being four again was worth the miles.  Add in the two giant hugs from my son?  I might have driven 'round the world and back...

verbs

We stepped in the door just moments before the sky opened up and the storm began raging... and we watched through the window as the streets filled up and puddles grew deep. Inside, safe and dry... there was quiet chatter and the whisper of glaze-laden brushes scraping over bisque. Thinking. Creating. Spending time with my girl. And now we each have a new vessel for tea.

It is now my new favorite mug... full of verbs. A to-do list of sorts.
Dream. Smile. Give. Believe. Pray. Encourage. Kiss. Love.