38/365: Spread

When we cook out, we do it right...hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage links, baked beans, and all the fixin's. Yum!

37/365: Dancin' Feet

My kiddos love to dance whether it's by themselves or together. Throw in a dj and a real dance floor and you've got a little show to watch.

36/365: Mmm

This is just a sampling of the many fruits and veggies we picked up at the grocery store. During the summer months I would rather frequent the local farmer's market. There are a few to choose from around here, but they are only open on Sat and I didn't get to make it to one. The grocery store had plenty of fresh produce to choose from and we stocked up! My fave are blackberries - yum! They are also at the top of the son's and youngest daughter's list. The oldest daughter - strawberries all the way for her. We also picked up grapes, avocados, pineapple, apples, grapefruit, bananas, tomatoes, carrots and some fresh spinach. We have plenty of onions from my father-in-love's garden. It will all be gone by Saturday and I can venture down to the Farmer's Market.

35/365: Golden

Recently, we celebrated my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. While it was a great time for our family to reconnect, I also was moved by what we all were there to honor. The fact that there were so many guests attending was a testament to the fact that my aunt and uncle have touched many with their lives. Their four daughters, their sons-in-law, their many grandchildren, their numerous nieces and nephews, their siblings, their friends - they were all there to honor my aunt and uncle. 50 years has brought much to this couple's lives. They have seen much joy and much sorrow, but to watch them on this particular evening you could only see the deep love and devotion they have for one another. I watched a video slide-show that had been prepared and tears came to my eyes. Partly because off the photos with faces of loved ones that have already passed but also because of the legacy of love and commitment that had been modeled through the years. I don't believe they set out to be an example, but they are. They are an example of the joy that can come when you fill your heart with love, forgiveness, service and devotion. This day and age, 50th wedding anniversaries are getting rare. I am grateful for my aunt and uncle, for the legacy they have lived and will continue to live. They are a rarity. They are golden.

34/365: We Are Family!

These are the cousins. We recently came together to celebrate my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. There are four cousins who couldn't be there. This was the first time some of us had seen each other in over 10 years. I love family. I love celebrations. I love recalling stories of when we were younger and the memories we have. I love seeing my cousins' spouses and children. I love that my children get to see my childhood family, the cousins that I use to play with (or tag along with) just as they play with their cousins now. I hate that it took this long for us to reconnect and I am making a commitment to myself that I will do my part not to let this much time go by until we are together again. We are no longer just a few hours away from each other, we are spread out all over the US and even beyond. But we have Facebook, email, texting, and dare I say it...phone and snail mail. I can carve out some time to stay connected. I can comment on a Facebook page, send an email, mail a card, shoot a text or even dial a number. Family is important.

We are family. These people represent a branch on my family tree and that of my children. I am proud of my heritage and the stories we have. This is who we are.

33/365: Fire Station

The husband took the boy to check out our neighborhood fire station. The firemen gave him a first class tour. He even sat in the driver's seat of the brand spankin' new fire engine. He had that gleam in his eyes that little boys get when they are around man things. The shiny red truck, the awesome tools, the loud sirens - a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon for a boy and his dad.

32/365: Teachers

These are my oldest daughter's 5th grade teachers. In a word - amazing! 5th grade is such a year of growth and these three women helped to ease the growing pains. I truly believe that God handpicked them for that school, for that grade, for those students. They are truly called by God and serve Him by loving and pushing the students that grace their doors on a daily basis. They strive to light a fire in each child, not only for learning but for a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ. They do not just teach, but they live their lives before their students and model a walk with Christ. They lift their students up in prayer, they hug them, they listen to them, they instruct them, they laugh with them, they cry with them, they ask their students for their prayers, they challenge them, they celebrate with them, the love them.

31/365: Graduation

My daughter graduated this past May. I know, it was only from elementary school, but it was a milestone in my book. Half of her grade school career was spent in elementary school. We are at the half-way point (insert look of shock here). She has spent seven years in school and in seven more years we will be seeing her walk across a stage getting her high school diploma. She is moving out of girlhood and into teen world (frightening). The dolls are not played with, the Barbies have long ago been passed down to younger sister, the Polly Pockets and Littlest Pet Shop are only looked at when she's feeling generous enough to play with her younger sister. My little girl is not so little any more. And yet, I see such an innocence in her that reminds me that she has far to go. She is still a little girl in so many ways. She still cries for me to hold her when she gets hurt (physically or emotionally). She still thinks her Daddy is the strongest, most handsome man in the world. She still has fun when she does play with her sister (but would never admit it). Yes, we have entered the world of crushes, girl drama, clothes issues and body changes but they are also mixed in the world of little girl things too. I will stay in this world for as long as we can.