summertime

Theodore sitting on a fallen tree in the St. Francis River. Aug. 10'

Last week, Ryan was able to work from home. Up until now, opportunities to work from home have been scarce, but our hearts are prayerful that we'll see more in the next year. We stayed with Ry's parents during the week, providing me and Boy Wonder with a plenitude of activities to keep ourselves busy (and out of the Senor's hair). And busy we were! We filled our time with a visit to the Munsinger Gardens, a lake day at Theodore's great-grandma Krutzig's house, a playdate with the Alcott cousins, and a trip to the Oliver Kelley Farm! We had a blast, out and about enjoying my favorite time of year...the summer (* always said with a sleepy, smiley sigh). The afternoons were also lovely. With Ryan's work behind him by 4pm each day, the three of us headed off on our own adventures, mainly swimming in the St. Francis River (stream that runs through our property, just down the road from Ry's parents). One of my most beloved memories from my long courtship with Ryan was swimming together on a hot August day in the Elk River. It was so fun (and special) to now take our son to swim in an adjoining stream. How beautifully our lives have flowed together since those early days.

You will see from the video below, Teddy LOVED playing in the river. Although it's clear waters aren't visible in the recording, the St. Francis is a beautiful, clean stream. Winding its way through the dog days of summer, void of the green algae found in many rivers this time of year. We love spending time there.

Now, with last week behind us, Ryan was called to Michigan on short notice to help inspect repair work on a pipeline. Teddy and I flew out yesterday to spend the week here with him while he completes the job. We rented an adorable little cottage on a lake about 45 minutes west of Detroit. The weather has been gorgeous and we're having a delightful time. Today, also marks both my sweet mama's birthday and my sixth month into the pregnancy with baby boy. It's been a good day.

Blowing warm summer kisses from us to you.