the blissful days of summertime....

I often post about the things that bug me, like matching socks and dishes left in the living room from the late night movie watchers, but I have plenty to be happy about, too.

1. Sunny days. Today is supposed to be 90 and sunny. We have a pool. We don't have to go anywhere.

2. Watermelon. I bought another one. Yum. The store in town has them on sale for $2.99 next week, so I proposed to the kids that we buy one for every day.

3. Long weekends. Paul took Friday off, so that is a four day weekend for him. It is so nice to have him around.

4. Teenagers and older kids. I know I am guilty of venting about the challenges, like how they hog the washer and use all the coffee cream, but they are the BEST company. They tease me and tell me truths, and are very clever about bringing things back around to ME when I exhort THEM....but they are good kids, helpful and kind and smart and funny.....and they love me.

5. The pool. I LOVE the pool. It is round, 28 foot across, it is a place for not only exercise and being refreshed, but for having fellowship with the kids...we are contained in a small area, and have some really funny conversations in there.....

6. My cell phone. How did we live without texting? Benjamin texted me last night and told me about the car they bought, sent me a picture, too. Sadly, he also told me that he is being sent to California in August for a month of Pre-Deployment training, and after that he will be ready to go with a 72 hour notice....he said he would probably ship in December or January or February. Funny how one little snippet of info like that can make a mom want to get on a plane to Washington state and go hug her son, NOW.

7. Coffee. I savor that morning cup. Yesterday, somehow, I forgot to drink my coffee....I was leaving to go for groceries, and forgot to bring it with me....I was tired yesterday....then, at 9:30 pm, Evelyn surprised me with a huge mug of perked coffee! Far be it from me to hurt anyone's feelings, so I drank it. I figured the worst case scenario would be that I would have trouble sleeping, but I really didn't. I had to pray for peace and rest about Benjamin, though.

8. Grilling on the new grill. Yum, and fun. The chicken wings I made the other day were supremely delicious. I baked them in the oven first until they were probably fully cooked, but still pale, then tossed them in barbecue sauce and put them on the grill...

9. Rosie-The-Bad dog. I can't help it, I love her. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't. The way she turns her fuzzy head when I talk to her, trying to figure out what I am saying, she is perpetually excited to see me, they way she follows me around. She is five feet from me when I go on the treadmill. It can be irritating, but it is rather nice to have a fan club. Even if it IS one big clumsy dog. (she is smart, but also stupid. She bumps into things all the time, yet when Joseph takes the mirror off the living room wall and holds it in front of her, she thinks it is another dog, and barks her head off.) (then the smart older boys start saying how smart Rosie is....)

10. That I don't have a job. Since I am the stay-at-home one, I should probably have this place gleaming 24/7. ha. But we have our fun, keep it clean-ish enough, always have plenty of clean respectable clothes to wear, and good healthy food to eat....good enough for me. Mostly. Once in a while I try really hard and knock myself out trying to make this place spotless...it doesn't last. Nor the spotlessness, or me trying to make it that way.

11. Sugar-free Jello. I have not tasted it yet, but when I read the box and saw that one can consume the ENTIRE box for only 20 calories, I decided to buy some. There is a big bowl of it in the 'fridge now, along with some regular sugary stuff for the kids....I am thinking of making some yogurt parfaits this afternoon....