The Summer in a Nutshell

August has a way of creeping in stealthily. It reminds me of our childhood pet, a cat that would peacefully curl up on the edge of my bed supposedly sleeping. And then when I least expected it, he would pounce on my face. August is like that.

In general the summer was a dream, for me anyway. Brian spent it toiling away on his last five courses in law school. For him, the low point was the high point -- the heat wave that scorched Michigan for a few weeks in July. (He is convinced fire and brimstone is an accurate descriptor of eternal torment; for me, hell definitely freezes over.) Nonetheless, he soldiered on and is currently studying for finals in a refrigerated library on campus. Earlier in the semester, I was proud as punch when he made it to the semi-finals for a four-campus mock trial competition.

Meanwhile, I spent the summer traveling, imbibing the farmers' market, preparing Sunday School lessons, and building a professional development website for teachers at a community language school. In northern Idaho the end of May, I gloried in my sister's posterity and marveled at the amount of laundry a family of six (now seven) can accumulate. We were thrilled beyond belief to welcome baby Claire to the mix! Not long after returning to Michigan, I flew to the Big Apple where I spent a few days exploring NYC with my cousins, Kristen and Amber. Among other adventures, we took the ferry to Ellis Island, meandered through Central Park, visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and imagined what it would be like to study at Julliard. I finished June at a soul-satisfying writing retreat in Amish country with dear friends/colleagues from MSU. After this trip, Brian informed me that we had been apart something like 28.7% of our married life.

Speaking of which . . . "Married Life" is delicious. Of course, it helps to be married to a man who regularly does the laundry, wakes you with a kiss, and has a work ethic that puts worker bees to shame. We are learning together, occasionally stepping on each other's toes, but mostly reveling in the joy of it all. For us, marriage is like a long drink of cool water after being really, really thirsty.

And suddenly it's August 5th, our five-month anniversary. In ten days we'll be loading the moving truck. Spokane, here we come!

I rest my case.

P.S. In honor of our 5/12 Anniversary, I'm posting a clip from the wedding luncheon. (I am finally keeping a promise to those of you who couldn't make it to the wedding. You know who you are.) For the rest of you, just remember: this is six minutes of your life you will never get back!