Summertime Grillin'

I can handle the heat of our Midwest summers but the humidity is something that tends to keep me indoors and hiding behind (or in) the air conditioning. On the days when the humidity is low I do venture outdoors and enjoy the warmth of the season. I truly do enjoy being outdoors-it's just a conditional relationship and I know that all too soon I will be complaining (even if only internally) that it is too cold! So, today Justin and I, at the very last moment decided to not only go to the park but to also grill and have our dinner there as well. Which, by the way, was a fabulous idea!

It took us all of ten minutes of frantic running throughout the house to grab the essentials and then we packed up the car and headed out.

With three children and a husband who are all on different schedules, planning our events, tends to be the only way that we can make "outings" run smoothly. However, a little spontaneity here and there does us all good! Its fun to throw caution to the wind and to "go with the flow" even if today that only meant that we were all taking an unplanned trip to the park.

The only thing that we did end up forgetting was some bug spray and a pan to cook the beans in. Luckily, there was a gas station near by that carried some bug repellant and we ended up sitting the can of beans directly onto the grill. The beans ended up being my favorite part out of our whole meal. I had never had them cooked like that and the smoke from the flames had changed the flavoring in the yummiest way!

I truly love these moments of "family together time". My heart always feels as its glowing from the inside out. Its possible that the summer heat may also have something to do with that feeling. Or indigestion fro the beans? Anyway, its kind of funny how something as simple as going to the park with my whole family can rejuvenate me (and sometimes wear me out all at the same time). Getting away from our everyday hustle and bustle can be so refreshing!

 

When I was little and in foster homes I prayed for days and moments like these.

I prayed for a husband who would love me for who I was and who would treat our children with tenderness.

I prayed for family to play with, explore with, discover life together with and to grow old with.

I find it odd that when I was young I would pray for these things but when I was a teenager (who of course knew everything), I didn't think that I needed anyone, including God to feel happy or complete. Around the single digit age I would pretend to be the "mommy" in all of my games and as a teenager I had always said that I wouldn't be one.Yet here I am, a wife and a mother of three beautiful and amazing girls. While there are days that I go to bed crying from pure exhaustion and (or) frustration there are many more uplifting and positive days, like this one, that reboot me and keep me going strong.

I love being a wife and I love being a mother.  I don't know how I could ever live my life any other way than this. There are many times that I have found myself wondering what did God put me on this earth for. What's my purpose or my calling? Truthfully, I think I am actually doing what He has called me to do. I may not be doing it the exact way that He had originally planned for me to do it and I have made my fair share of daily mistakes but sometimes I feel like God intended me to be a stay at home mother. He intended for me to be what I never had. On really hard days I like to tell myself that this is a possibility and it makes it a bit easier to endure.

I prayed for my days to be full of life, love and happiness and boy has my prayers been answered!