Love Notes

I just realized what romance is. It's finding love in the unexpected. Last weekend I was wiping the sawdust of the wood paneling of a room we were painting. Ed had gone to Lowe's to buy paint. While he was gone, I found this.

Isn't it strange how a simple expression traced in dust can leave me so profoundly grateful, happy, and even relieved. Relieved that in the midst of busyness, schedules, changes and challenges, there can--and should be--romance. It's the best love note I've ever received.

There are many ways to say I love you.
by Mister Rogers

There are many ways to say I love you.
There are many ways to say I care about you.
Many ways, many ways,
Many ways to say I love you.
There's the singing way to say I love you.
There's the singing something someone really likes to hear.
The singing way, the singing way,
The singing way to say I love you.
Cleaning up a room can say I love you.
Hanging up a coat before you're asked to.
Drawing special pictures for the holidays
And making plays.
You'll find many ways to say I love you.
You'll find many ways to understand what love is.
Many ways, many ways,
Many ways to say I love you.
Singing, cleaning, drawing, being understanding,
Love you.

Going Swimmingly

With the first of the fall coolness in the air tonight, it is with great urgency that I toss up the last evidence of this of summer's adventures. 

For the first time in almost 15 years, I taught several swim classes. It was fun to be back "blowing bubbles" again with so many cute kids. I also worked with Jane quite a bit in the water. Turns out, she's very comfortable there can can float several feet without any help. 

The girls had loads of fun swimming, and even had a "spa" day complete with banana smoothie masks, painted nails, and cucumber eyes.

Our one vacation was a weekend jaunt to Bear Lake, where we, along with half the population of Northern Utah, swam, jet skied, and with it being a family reunion, ate our guts out. 

My sister-in-law reserved this great cabin, called "The Gathering Place". 

Here's Jane loving the canoe ride.

She even enjoyed her time out on the jet ski with dad.

Of course, no family gathering would be complete without a massive fort-building endeavor by all of the grandchildren. They're inside there somewhere, watching a movie.

Now, well into September, I'm not sure why I was so anxious for the kids to return to school. Sure, those last few weeks in August can be trying for even the best parent. And yet, here I am, up to my neck in schedules, dance lessons, therapy appointments, field trips, work, canning, church responsibilities, home improvements, and the PT-freakin-A, and a small part of me is yearning for just one more week of  a lazy, dazy summer.