Grateful Friday

the whole dog and pony show

 We have been having a good time.  The routine loving introvert in me, who is also fighting fatigue from my treatment, gets tired, but I have been going to bed ridiculously early and it works out.

These kids are delightful.  

We love just being around them.  

We had s'mores one night.  It felt perfect sitting around the fire pit, roasting marshmallows and squashing them with chocolate and a fresh raspberry between graham crackers.  One of the joys of summer.

We got up early on Tuesday and had a photo session at Thanksgiving Point, which Erin told me about and I'm grateful to learn about.  I hope we have some good ones.

Later that day, we went to the park and though it was cool enough that I was wearing a sweatshirt, QE ran into the splash pad, as in we rung out her dress and hair and put my sweatshirt on her.  She loves water and adventure and runs in headlong.

Wednesday Mark and I joined them at BYU for a little while.  QE loved BYU, especially when she got some chocolate milk.   What's not to love?  I was disoriented by the construction and demolition on campus.  I think BYU's aim is to keep their alumni constantly off balance by changing things around. Adam came too, from work, but by then I was feeling tired so we headed back home.  

It is a challenge for me to accept that I'm tired, but here we are.

Yesterday we hit two splash pads and Braeden and I took a walk together and talked about all the things.

I am grateful for this time we've had.  I'm grateful for toys on my floor and this on my table.

I'm grateful for her little voice saying, "I love you Nana."

I'm grateful for his smiles that could power a small city with their wattage.  

I'm grateful for slow mornings, washing berries and cutting up toaster waffles with a pizza cutter.  I squirt a round of whipped cream on top and stir it around the way the little queen likes it.  I'm grateful for sunsets on the deck after the little ones are asleep.    It is peak summer and peak Nana time.  And I'm grateful.

As we're about to celebrate a big birthday, I'm grateful for America too.  Sometimes I feel discouraged about America.  I don't like the incivility or the polarity.  People who watch Fox News or read Truth Social live in a different country than people who watch CNN or read the New York Times.  Who is correct? The reality is somewhere out there, but where?

There's still a lot to love.  If the World Cup tourists taught us anything, we can revel in ranch dressing and free refills.  We have magnificent and varied scenery and magnificent and varied people who do good things.

I'm grateful to be here.