Summer Graces

Bluebirds, blueberries, and books (and a whole lot of goodness)

Our summer is the best kind of full. I wish I could bottle up our days. To keep the feeling of both kids leaning into me as we read our chapter book aloud. To feel the splash of water as they jump into the town pool. To see the joy on their faces as they laugh with friends at the park. To savor the ice cream cones and popsicles. To hear the cheers from the sidelines during ball games.

Bedtimes are later.
Snacks are constant.
Bathing suits and towels rarely dry before the next use.
Spray cans of sunscreen are emptied.
This is our summer on repeat.

I’d love to share with you some scenes from our summer. A glimpse into the beauty of this season and God’s grace meeting us in the gifts of nature and friends.

One evening Isaac and I joined my mom and a group of Master Naturalists to make bluebird houses. The plan: make a wooden bluebird house, put it in your yard, and keep track if a nest is created and eggs are laid. Isaac took on the task of making the birdhouse with the help of a friend, and that night we put the boxes up in our yard. I reiterated to Isaac that we might not get a nest or that it could take a while before we see anything. “I know,” he said.

Each day he checked the boxes for a nest.

One morning as I pulled the wooden door down, I screamed in delight. “It’s a nest!” We had a nest with one single egg inside. I quickly snapped a picture and sent it to the friend who made the bird house. “That’s a bluebird egg!”

For the next few days we went outside and checked the nest. We found a new egg every morning until there were four. When I walked toward the backyard, the mama bluebird would flutter out of the box. While I watered the garden, the bluebirds kept watch of me.

But then a few days later I noticed the bluebirds weren’t hovering so close. I didn’t see or hear them at all so I decided to take a peek into the box. Slowly, I opened the wooden door and positioned my phone to take a picture.

There were no babies, just one egg.

It was too soon for the eggs to have hatched and flown away. Yet, I couldn’t imagine how the eggs would have gone missing from the nest.

I remembered the statistic that only 45% of birds survive their first year. But the fact that the eggs were missing still stings. The box was supposed to provide extra protection. We did what we could.

There’s nothing else to do, but we decided to keep the bluebird boxes in our yard. Maybe another mama will claim it for her nest.

In the mornings as I sit on the porch, I listen to the birdsong and marvel at each bird.

Their song continues.

Living in Missouri I’m no stranger to seeing pics of families enjoying afternoons at a creek. It’s been on my list of things to do for several summers. Finally, one morning I take Isaac and a friend to the creek. On the shore, the boys change into swimsuits and start watching for fish and crawdads. A large tadpole swims away just out of their reach. Laughter, splashes, and bird calls make up the only sounds we hear. I wade in the water to my knees.

I’m able to breathe deeper at the creek.

This, I think, is how I’d like to feel throughout my days. More relaxed. More present. More attune to the smile on Isaac’s face. More open to play.

More present to the grace before me.

The kids and I are lathered in sunscreen and make our annual trip to the blueberry field. In the car we talk about all the years we’ve been coming. I remind them that I first came before they were born. And then I picked blueberries with them in carriers and strollers. Eventually, I say, you were able to pick them yourself, but manage to get more in your mouth than in the bucket.

What a grace to have a place to anchor us in our summer. To be able to mark our growth and the love we’ve shared. To relish the taste of fresh picked blueberries and to taste the goodness of God’s grace, year after year.

Grace Will Be There

One of my favorite authors who happens to be a friend has a new book releasing on August 4th. Katie Kelley's Grace Will Be There was the inspiration for this post reflecting on the grace in my days. Here’s what Katie says about her upcoming book: “This book is not a typical Christian nonfiction chapter book. There are stories and braided essays and a defining word piece. There’s a lyrical essay called “How to Fix a Hole in the Wall” that’s a little bit about learning to patch drywall and a lot about longing for God to patch up my heart. There’s an essay about what childhood trauma and redwood trees have in common.” Give Katie a follow and if you’re looking for a powerful book of essays, Grace Will Be There is for you.

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What I’m Reading

• Fun summer reads include: Elin Hilderbrand’s The Five-Star Weekend, Katherine Center’s The Shippers and Annabel Monaghan’s Dolly, All the Time.

• Currently Reading: The Calamity Club for my local book club.

What I’m Reading with the Kids

• The Lost Year by Katherine Marsh: I got to hear the author talk at the UCM Children’s Literature Festival this past March. She shared her research and family connection to the story in The Lost Year. The story sheds light on a horrific famine in Ukraine that the Soviet government covered up for decades. Brought up lots of conversation about propaganda, journalism, and speaking up for others.

• Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr is our pick for family book club. We’ll be getting together with some friends next week to talk about this delightful story set in Norway (and of course we’ll have waffles to eat!)

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May the God of the gentle wind and rushing storms
trickling creeks and towering mountains,
quiet your soul.

May you dig deeper
into God’s Word.

With every daybreak and nightfall
may your body be a prayer
your life given in love,
for the sake of your neighbor
for the sake of the world.

(Excerpt from A Blessing for Summer from Small Steps: Blessings to Lift Your Soul on the Pilgrimage of Life)