Summer Dinner

Before the groceries could even be unloaded, we were eating our summer dinner. (Talmage and Sariah were especially hungry by the 7 o'clock hour because they chose not to eat their tuna sandwiches at lunch and were living on a couple of apple slices.) It was a crowd pleaser, and the crowd actually did most of the preparation. While eating my dinner, I realized I hadn't sat down for one meal today. Usually, I get to sit down for dinner at least.

In my eternal partnership with God today, these were my most precious moments:


Even as a teenager, I remember that I loved holding the little hands of my brothers and sisters. I could hold little hands like Hyrum's forever. I especially love when they reach for mine.

Bryant really worked hard today to earn a couple dollars for a stuffed toy he had seen at Walgreen's last week. He started by selling me his candy stash. I feel bad just confiscating all the sugar that they have earned and gathered, just because it is what it is. So, when he offered to sell it to me, I took the opportunity to get rid of it. Then, he spent a considerable amount of time outside this morning filling a quart jar with "weeds"---maple tree sprouts. After that he folded and put away a batch of clothes. Then he vacuumed out the van, the best job of it he's ever done. Then, another batch of clothes. And finally, he wiped down all the kitchen chairs and bar stools. He was really motivated to earn a couple of spending dollars despite the $150 or so he has hidden away. But, the classic moment of the day was when he went to pay for the toy at the counter and he dumped the couple of bills and loose change onto the counter out of a long tube sock. I couldn't help but grin---BIG.

I love to sit in the rocking chair and listen to Talmage practice the violin. The squeaks don't bother me a bit. It thrills me to watch him do something I can't do. (We had an emergency run to the music store today when I broke one of his strings trying to "tune" it.)

Sariah's precious moment of the day came when she searched for my hand at nap time and gave me three consecutive squeezes (morse code in our family for "I LOVE YOU".) This she does each time I get a chance to lay by her as she drifts off to sleep at nap time.