summer days

It's our 4th week of summer camp at Camp Eagle, and although I do not play an active role in the programming, I still like to be around for meals & morning/evening experiences. But, what that means is that I have other time throughout the day to do "non-camp" things:


1. Garden! Our garden is going insane. Thus far we have canned 17 jars of pickles, 8 cans of peaches (those were from a farm, not our garden though!), and have frozen shelled beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Our tomatoes are about to explode here in a few more days, which means more recipe searching and canning for me. (If you have a great recipe, please pass it on!)

Something about gardening just makes you feel good about yourself. And maybe if I couch that emotion in phrases like, "It brings me so much joy to 'subdue the Earth', " etc, then it wouldn't sound so selfish. :) But it IS a good thing, so I think it's okay to feel good about yourself doing it.  (Just now, I had a cucumber and tomato salad- all from our yard. And I liked it, which is highly unusual for me to like anything with tomatoes! Result? Good juju.)

2. Quality time with other women here at camp. I'm really enjoying getting to re-know these ladies on a deeper level. In so many ways, I still feel like I'm emerging from my Gwendolyn cocoon and finding that my life is beautiful. Tonight a handful of the married ladies at camp are getting together to share dinner, and discuss Feminine Appeal. We wanted to do a short, but challenging book study for the summer, and I'm excited about how it's going!

3. Time with Malacai. I have an adorably round, twelve pound chunk of a new best friend. I feel like I'm learning so much about the way God loves us through my love for Malacai - and His love is unfathomable!

I'm convinced that loving Gwendolyn and losing her for the time being has made me a better mom for Malacai. I relish every moment with him. When I could be tempted to be irritable from lack of sleep, or frustrated that everything takes two times as long with a child in tow, or that it limits my social abilities... I remember how blessed I am to even have a reason to be irritable or frustrated. And so I'm really just happy and content. Psalm 131 has come to mind frequently throughout the last two months:

"O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore."