Red Geranium: Summer Retrospective

This morning I woke up. My room was darker than normal due to the cloud cover and lovely rain outside. It reminded me of mornings when I was little. I'd wake up in the 6:00 or 7:00 hour and could hear my dad getting ready to head to work in the bathroom. I would slip out of bed and go sit on the floor in the hallway outside of the open bathroom door and watch my dad shave. I remember the Gillette shaving cream with the red cap, the way it smelled. The way he spread it evenly and the scratchy sound the razor made as it went over his face in precise lines. He'd let me come in the bathroom and put shaving cream on my face, too, and I could pretend we were shaving together. I'd follow him into his bedroom and watch him get dressed for work and spray his Calvin Klein Obsession cologne on...that smell will always remind me of my dad. I felt special and secure and warm. I was blessed with a lovely childhood...something that's more than a bit of a treasure trove of memories.

I felt a little like the woman in Nanci Griffith's song where she talks about sitting on a southbound train in the rain, thinking about her childhood and trying not to cry.

Lately I have been remembering a lot. I've thought about the way the house smelled and the expectancy in the air on Christmas Eve, among other things. Childhood is something magical I think in part because you really don't realize how quickly it will be gone and become a memory. Sometimes I wish I could go back.

I felt distinct peace and sweetness this week on a couple different occasions. One was yesterday, out working in my garden. The kids were asleep, the sky was gray which made it not so hot and it was windy. I had the sprinkler going in the backyard, and I was out weeding and raking through the rows making everything tidy. It was so quiet. Just me and the dirt. Everything stripped down to simplicity and careful, tending work.

And the other day I was folding laundry during naptime. I was listening to the recent conference talk Mothers and Daughters by Elder Ballard. It brought tears to my eyes. I thought about how much I love being a mother, how much I love my kids, how I don't want this time in my life to ever be over. It brought strength and conviction and peace. And I felt such gratitude for prophets of God. It is a truth that resonates within me over and over and over again. I'm not sure if there are many things that I am more grateful for than that.

And fall is creeping into my thoughts and coming around the corner. I am oh so ready for 75 degree weather in the middle of the day instead of 95. But I'm not ready for garden harvest to be over...so I can wait. I am excited to decorate for fall. And, of course, for the holidays. I am finding that they are more and more fun as the kids get older. Returns me to my own childhood. I feel alive again from the brightness of their eyes and their excitement, energy, expectancy and wonder. It is a lovely, magical, beautiful thing. I baked zucchini bread recently and smelling the cinnamon and cloves baking just about did me in and made me want a wide selection of fall candles to burn and fill my house with delicious aromas. You see what this does to me.

So yes...I am anxious, oh so anxious for fall...but looking back on a summer that has gone too fast. A small selection of photos, in no particular order.

Goofing around before bed

Bedtime stories. This guy is a very committed, great dad. He doesn't give himself enough credit. I don't tell him enough how great a dad he is.

This view I love so much when I look back when we're in the car. These are the best days of my life, and I know it.

Before bedtime.

Our sweet boy.

Wheelbarrow rides

Watching the "cul-de-sac of fire" --- lighting off fireworks in Scott's brother's family's street.

Snuggling during the parade for the 4th

Me and these sister-in-laws of mine that I love

Cousins visit from Arizona and stay with us

Love these bright yellow flowers in one of the flower gardens in the backyard

My garden -- love love LOVE!

Camping -- took my sister's girls with us, too

Summer mantel

Scott and I cracked up over this picture. Isaiah had the camera and we didn't know when he was taking it. We laugh every time we look at this pic.

LOVE

I love this pic...but it makes me sad...she looks so grown up!

Playing before bedtime with her daddy. Love this pic.

Hiking to some lovely falls in beautiful mountains and here we're crouched around the water, tucked back in a small little cave.

I got to go to girls camp because I am in young women. I love these women that I serve with and have gotten to know. They are lots of fun.

Hot air balloons for the 4th. Love this tradition. Someone told me that they had to double take looking at me because they thought I was Julia Roberts. Far too high a compliment, but not too shabby considering it was like 6:45 am and I was unshowered, no makeup (which isn't uncommon no matter what time of the day) and in my pajamas. ;)