Midnight Sun and My First Love
My tween heart exploded this week when I finally got to read Midnight Sun. Please don’t laugh like my husband did, though I’d forgive you because I’m unapologetic. If you’re not familiar, it’s from the Twilight book series, and it’s been 15 years in the making. Now, I say tween, but have to admit that when these books came out, I had already survived my tween years. I was twenty years old, a newlywed, and at the time, I worked at a middle school. I remember actual tween girls gushing over this book and how much they loved it and were “literally dying” for the movie to come out. I…
Rough Edges and Power Tools
I’ve learned more in this deck-building process than I ever thought I would. And we’re still building. When my husband committed to this massive DIY project, I didn’t think I’d have much of a hand in it. I might be a lover of HGTV and Fixer Upper, but I’m just watching it for the part where they stage the home— I’m a sucker for home decor. Despite my expectations, my husband showed up one day with a truck full of wood and a pallet of concrete, and I found myself chipping in. We had hoped to find wood from Home Depot to set the posts for our sunshades and eventual…
Fire Restrictions
The breeze blew steadily through our house, in the front set of windows and out the back. Occasionally, it came in stronger gusts, and the leaves of our trees fluttered at their mercy. The temperature had found that elusive place of perfectly comfortable, and we enjoyed the evening as the sun made its slow descent behind the mountains. The boys began asking for s’mores, and my husband obliged since nice weather makes the experience much more enjoyable for parents responsible for 95% of the process. John went out back, dragged our copper firepit to the center of the yard, and began to fill it with wood. Upon lighting, the fire…
Deck Building
I’m trying to envision what our deck will be like when it’s finished. I imagine the feel of the smooth wood underneath my feet and picture red-stained boards marking the view outside our patio door instead of the existing shifting concrete and ugly gravel. I envision myself lying on a lounge chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the quiet of my backyard— obviously, in this dream, my kids aren’t outside at the same time. I think of how wonderful it will be to wheel our daughter outside instead of two-man lifting her and her chair, all 110 lbs of them, down two stairs that feel massive under the…
Dress for the Season
I smooth my hands down the front of my wine-colored dress, assessing my appearance reflected in the mirror. Does this dress hide my mommy tummy or accentuate it? I twist side to side and look at all sides. The back is lace detailed and stunning, but at a certain angle, my front looks about 2-3 months pregnant, which I am not. I dejectedly pull off the beautiful, yet unflattering dress, and root around in my closet for another. My anniversary is approaching; we are celebrating with a night away and a delicious dinner. I want to dress up and feel pretty, but since I’m planning to eat in abundance, I…
Good Enough
I lay back in the warm water, body cradled by my pool float. I close my eyes to the blinding sun and feel its heat across my skin. Living thousands of feet high in elevation makes the sun feel more intense. A comfortable 89 at sea level feels different in this dry heat, and I can feel my skin absorb the invisible rays. Bobbing in the water, eyes closed, my mind relaxes. It’s like I become detached from the space, even though I’m listening to the raucous sounds my sons make as they splash near me. I imagine I’m in the bay, my favorite place, and feel the motion created…
Hello July!
It’s July, my favorite month of the year! It is the month that we celebrate America’s birthday, Flash’s birthday (y’all remember that wild day), my birthday, and my anniversary. When I think of this month, I think of watermelon and sweet tea, sunshine and sunburns, summer vacation and celebrations. My husband gets a little tired of all these dates to recognize, but sorry, not sorry; I love any excuse to eat charcoal-grilled hamburgers and have cake. This year, July is more dear to me than usual. It is month 7 of the calendar year, meaning we did it; we have survived half of 2020 and this crazy roller coaster we’re…
Best Mommy Ever
“You’re the best mommy ever!” My five-year-old exclaims as he gives me a big hug for consenting to his most recent request. His eyes light up, and he excitedly runs off to enjoy an afternoon donut snack; my little boy loves sweets and his happy smile will soon be smeared with chocolate icing. But don’t go getting the wrong impression; I am not actually the best mommy ever. Give me about 15 minutes during which time I will scold that child for fighting with his brother and deny his next request, and this will quickly become the “worst day ever.” His eyes will fill with tears, and his beautiful smile…
Holding Hope
I’m sitting in the shade of my patio, listening to crickets chirp, leaves rustle, and cars pass by in the distance. It’s time to write, the opportunity is ripe, but the clacking of my keys is sparse. I keep looking around me, taking my eyes away from the blinking line awaiting my words, words that don’t want to make the journey from my brain to my fingertips and into this digital world. My eyes continually flit back to the porcelain mug on my glass top table. Drips of coffee have dried on its white surface, there’s a smudge of peanut butter from my breakfast, and the words hope*writers stare back…
Pulling Weeds
These last weeks I have watched our yard come vibrantly to life. The barren brown landscape offered its first hints of color a couple of months ago but held tightly with bated breath. Nature has finally exhaled and brought to life the leaves on our Aspen trees now flickering in the wind, the blossoms on lilac bushes peaking through with clumps of color, and a sprout of what I hope is sage popping out from beneath the faded, old mulch. This beauty should have been enough to force me outdoors to begin the maintenance of such gifts, but it wasn’t. Instead, I watched from my window and enjoyed the view,…
