August

 The clouds are hanging low and the field of Sunflowers I can see through my window are gently waving in a soft breeze. The weather affects me. Every season there are these glorious days that in another season I would not appreciate so much! This month has been incredibly hot here. My house heats up to such high levels that we are dripping with sweat and it feels hard to cope. A cooler greyer day like this in August is a blessing that might not be taken as such in, say, December. There are also so many wildfires all around and this rain and cooler weather is so needed at the moment! How has your Summer been going? Mine has been a challenging one on so many levels. I am taking it one day at a time and finding the beauty and precious moments when I can. The children thankfully provide me many opportunities for that.

This Summer my three year old has learned how to swim and he loves to jump off our neighbor's diving board over and over. Each time he jumps off he paddles his little legs in the air and lands with the biggest flop. He is so fearless and happy when he is swimming. It is adorable and heart warming to watch.

My seven year old has made some new friends. For the first time we have neighbors directly next door with children that are close (ish) in age. They are younger than her but in many ways that is perfect. Every day she is excited to go over to the neighbors to play and they spend hours with their favorite stuffies jumping on the trampoline and that seems so normal and so wholesome and so happy to me. I am thankful.

My thirteen year old has taken over most of the cooking in our home this Summer. She has blessed me so much with this. She also helps me with grocery shopping and is just so confident in these areas of life. She has also worked on school work all Summer with a gracious attitude and although her and I have so many personalities differences and dont often agree I am so thankful for her kindness and willingness to give and serve.

My eleven year old has had a hard Summer in some ways but today is a good day. His dad has taken him to an island on a canoe. He has his two pocket knives and a heart full of adventure and I know that he is going to have his cup filled to overflowing. Something really special for his this Summer as well has been going to counselling. It has been hard for him but he is learning new things and thinking new ways and it is doing good things for his soul.

This season of Summer is almost over. Soon children will be headed off to school and the Autumn grey days will come and these hot hot days will be just a distant memory. I find more and more as time goes on and I have clearer vision in some areas that was cloudy before, that I am thankful for my children. I can't express it well. It seems like a given thing ~ being thankful for your children. This is my first Summer in years I have had decent sleep and my brain is working on a different level I guess. I have always been thankful for them but there are so many levels and parts to that. I am just glad to see their strengths and weaknesses and see how they are changing and growing. It is a beautiful process to be a part of.

Sending you love,
Tansy