July Harvest

The alarm rings at the same time every morning. But then my feet seem to hit the floor a little later... and later...... and later......... and later....................... than the day before.  My walls are covered with calendars and sticky notes and chore charts and menu plans, but then the laundry isn't folded, the children are eating ordered pizza for dinner, and I keep checking to see if I'm wearing pants because it sure feels like I'm forgetting something.

Since when did moving cross-country feel like being sucked into a whirlpool?  There are a hundred and twelve balls being tossed in my direction and I've been instructed to catch them, juggle with them, and remember all their names. But there's a whirlpool, I want to say to my child's teacher who is throwing another ball my way. And it's sucking me in, I want to say to my children who seem to think that they need to eat three times, every day.  So I might die, I want to say to my husband who is convinced that clean underwear is important. 

But I'm choosing to ignore all of that right now, and catch you up on my July Harvest.  (I know your calendar says September... but don't worry about it.)

1 - Good Friends - My friend (in the striped swimming suit) threw us a goodbye party before we left Miami.  I miss her, I miss them, good friends make life beautiful.

2 - I know this guy already made it up on the blog somewhere... but he is just so beautiful that he deserves to be up in this post as well.
3 - I'm sailing!  I'm sailing!  I sail!  I'm a sailor!  I sail!
4 - Chattanooga, Tennessee.  (Wow... there are a lot of double letters in those two words.) Rock City just about made my whole life.  Loved the beauty there.
5 - Beautiful Flowers
6 - Meet me in St. Louis
7 - Atlanta, Georgia at my cousin's house. Something about a rocking chair on a southern porch, plus all those shadow-lines... beautiful! My cousin's husband thought I was crazy for crouching down to take pictures of his rocking chairs at odd angles.  'Um,' he said, 'I think we just got those at Home Depot or something.'
8 - Ten thousand years in the Cave of Wonders oughta chill. him. out!
9 - Hanging fern.  Pretty how the light sifts through the leaves, right?
10 - Back at my cousin's house in Atlanta. She maybe thought I was crazy as I took a picture of her front door.  I think I made a good impression on them...

11 - Laramie, Wyoming.  This picture is beautiful on so many levels... first of all, love the stormy clouds in the background, and the highlights on the kids (my phone did a decent job considering all the different levels of light!). Second of all, it was a perfect night after a very emotional day.  Driving through Wyoming is a little depressing when you're moving from a beautiful place like Miami.  But these kids had just as much fun in this park than they ever did in Miami and reminded me that we can choose to be happy anywhere.

12 - Who said that weeds can't be pretty?
13 - Road to the clouds.
14 - My handsome husband. Gosh I love him.
15 - San Francisco.  Can you guess at which pier we were?  (Hint: it was 39)
16 - Seagulls near Alcatraz, waiting for food to be thrown (or dropped...they weren't picky).
17 - I don't even know what this thing is, but it's so... symmetrical.  Beautiful.
18 - Beautiful breads at Mama's for breakfast in SF. 
19 - Foggy Day - amazing.
20 - Incredible supports on that giant bridge.

21 - Pit stop across the country.  You all know how I feel about temples. :)

22 - 24th of July Fireworks
23 - A beautiful baby in a beautiful setting
24 - This. Kid.  He is gorgeous.
25 - Happy Timothy.  That smile is my favorite.
26 - My little niece Mia.  No description necessary.
27 - TK meeting his great-grandpa Alder
28 - Apparently I thought Miles was beautiful this month.  Sorry other children... I really do think you are beautiful, too.
29 - Weathered Flag
30 - Delicious AND beautiful.

31 - The aquarium in Salt Lake City.  There is a giant part of me that is pleased I won't have to worry about sharks anymore.  I hear they're quite rare in the desert.