blessed beyond measure

Another weekend come and gone, a weekend crammed full of rare and thrilling memory-making moments. Someone sensed my heart's desire and, after half a century or so, brought back the county fair. Seriously, y'all, I could be right at home on an episode of Andy Griffith, and my visions of canned pickles and sledgehammer swinging were gloriously fulfilled. Strolling around to homegrown southern rock, the smell of funnel cakes and deep fried Oreos wafting through the air, ridiculously expensive games, and beautiful flashing lights in every color on the spectrum. We rode the ferris wheel, the boys and me, and for a moment, I was suddenly ten years old at the Pavilion in Myrtle Beach. Oh, to pass on the glee of my childhood to my sons. There's nothing like it in the world. And then, a day on our lake. Hours of fun on Poppop's boat, looking for the biggest houses, and spying out quiet, empty beaches to drop anchor and swim a while. It meant so much, a day to embrace...

Because we do so love a good hoopla around here. If you know me at all, you know I had to mark the back-to-school occasion with a bit of kid-approved fanfare. Which of course manifested itself as a weekend packed full of exhausting, memory-making fun. But first. Open house day at school, where both boys would find their classrooms, meet their teachers, turn in their $100 worth of supplies (public school is not free, y'all), and very most importantly, see which friends were in their classes and hopefully seated near them. That last one is crucial . Both boys strolled into the building like they owned the place, channeling a bit of George Jefferson. Trey's the old pro, knows everyone, and everyone knows him. He soaks up the attention, cheesing like a pig in slop as we navigate the wham-bam of signup tables formerly known as the lobby. And Aden's the new guy, but all the grownups knew he was coming and just gush all over him. Have I ever said how much I love that sc...

It's here. You've been counting down the days, probably since you watched your brother walk into his first day of school three years ago. In the morning you will strap on a backpack (assuming you can calm down long enough to do so) and walk boldly into your future as a certified, grown-up Kindergartener. Oh, my sweet baby. How on God's green earth did we get here so fast? It might have just been yesterday that I sat on that hospital bed in the pre-dawn stillness, your tiny newborn frame propped up on my legs, staring at you with an incomprehensible joy and freedom, utterly amazed that my heart was big enough to love yet another person this much. You know what? That joy and freedom and love? It still takes my breath away every time I look at you. Well, maybe not every time. A couple weeks ago you tried to ride your pillow racer down the basement steps. Not my best moment. I'm sorry, buddy, for the times that my impatience or unrealistic expectations or mis...

Our bellies are full. The pork was pretty dry, as twelve years in and meat is still hit or miss for me. But the potatoes, the ones we dug up on Saturday night, were perfection. With kitchen clean-ish, we head outside. Trey with equipment in hand, as always. He starts out on his own, hitting one single ball off a tee, commentating his own game. Aden is pounding the dirt with is golf club and telling himself a story. Daddy is strumming chords on the porch. Mama is watering red, yellow, and white potted flowers, amazed that they have stayed alive all summer. Even with the sun quickly disappearing behind the tree line, it's hot out. Summer-hot, and not too sticky. But our glowing skin has soaked up sunlight all day at the pool, so the hint of a cool breeze feels amazing. Then the call comes. "Mama, will you pitch to me?" "Sure, babe." I'm not a pitcher, but it's good enough for Trey. One by one he zings them overhead and across the front yard...

I tell you what. These two, who I love big as the sky outside, are some brave folks . Not once, but twice this year they have taken my immeasurably sweet but freakishly energetic boys all the way to Florida all by themselves . Ah, the courage of grandparenthood. Thanks to my Mama for oodles of photos from the ocean, pool, condo, zoo, bowling alley, lighthouse, putt-putt course - just a flurry of activity that Trey and Aden will remember for the rest of their lives. Precious. It's a quad-selfie fail (poor Poppop), but oh, how I love it. The little hams are living the dream. And they're crazy for their Giga and Poppop.