Summer Dreams

This summer has been a bit of a whirling dervish. All told, I have spent about a month 'on the road' - some of it with my people, and some of it just on my own, or with my mom. I truly love traveling alone when the opportunity arises. I love being agenda free - with nothing to do but absorb the sights, sounds and people along the way.

Alone, but not really.

I got to do a little bit of this,


and this,


with her,


in Portland - a city I have wanted to visit nearly my whole life. My brother was born there, and from as young as I can remember, I was woo'ed by the mossy, oceany photos in our albums.

I spent some time in Deadwood - in the Black Hills of my youth, visiting with my parents and cousins and having late night laughs and 'remember whens'.

I spent some time traipsing the Midwest - Reid behind the wheel and children in tow - through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming & back again. Reid and I retraced our early steps together - the church we got married at in Nebraska, the hills in Wyoming where he asked me to marry him, the road in-between that we tore up traveling between first laying eyes on each other in Colorado and our wedding day 5 monthslater.

We decided it has been good. 16 years later, we can look back and say that it has been so, so good.

We got to see some of this,

and this,


and this.

We have spent time at ball games, spent time playing with fireworks, time waiting for heat and time desperately trying to escape the heat. Time with friends, with icy drinks on the porch, time celebrating Life through really good food.

Time watching the gardens grow,

And the children grow.

Cousin Time. Grandparent time. Aunt & Uncle time. Hanging Out With People Who Love You kind of time.

I took the time to turn 37, and my baby took the time to turn 5 - meaning that time for a new season in my mommy life is right around the corner.

We took some time on our road trip(s) to read aloud Little Britches by Ralph Moody. Beautiful book. Loved by all of us.



In Portland mom & I visited my Aunt and Uncle, newly settling in to an assisted living facility. I had a lot of time there - to ponder life and death and love and beauty and commitment. To ponder loss and love and hurt and forgiveness and bitterness and joy and how much those choices really create who we are in the long term.

Time, Time, Time. I spent it, cherished it, wasted it, longed for it and fell in love with it.

Maybe that is why they call it Summer Time.

A lot of traveling. Even for me, when I have never thought one could have too much travel.

It has made me realize a beautiful thing. That I love my home. That I love our habits and our rythym and the life we have created. When I am in the middle of it, I oftentimes think it is Not Right. That we should be Better and More Organized and I have moved often, with no regrets, having always felt like Home was wherever we happened to be. And it is. But for right now, Home is also a place. And I find myself surprised that I like it that way.