2012: July and August

I read Don’t Miss This by Jena Strong, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith, I Couldn’t Love You More by Jillian Medoff, Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian, Light Years by James Salter

We spent a week with my sister and her family, newly home from Jerusalem, and celebrated both my mother’s birthday and the Fourth of July.

Grace, Whit and I went out to Walden early one morning for a swim, and found the pond deserted, still, quiet, and sacred.

I took Grace to sleep away camp for the second year in a row.  Last year, she clung to me as we said goodbye, crying, asking me not to leave.  This year, she waved at me, frowned briefly at the tears in my eyes, and turned into her cabin with her friends.  Just as it should be.  I made it out of the gates and had to pull over to cry for a moment.

My favorite blog post: Transition

We played the License Plate Game, and by the end of July had found all but four states (Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Nevada).

We spent a wonderful weekend with one of Grace’s godmothers and one of my best friends, and her family (including my godson).

I participated in the August break for the 2nd year, sharing a photograph rather than words each day.

I turned 38.

Grace, Whit, and I went to Legoland for four days and the four of us went to Lake Champlain.  The second half of August was stuffed full of sunshine, laughter, pictures, and happy memories.

If you’re really listening, if you’re awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold evermore wonders. ~ Andrew Harvey