A Summer's Dream......

 

This time of year in July is a favorite of mine! Why? We celebrate the birthday of my husband and usually spend it at or near the beach! Our children grew up loving the water and being near the ocean almost every summer. We packed the car summer after summer and made our journey near the water somewhere. We have swam in the Atlantic and the Pacific but I would say we are most at home when it comes to the Gulf  Coast waters! They are just so beautiful and azure blue this time of year.  Of course I loved the Mediterranian Sea on our recent holiday to France! Beautiful shade of soft blue water still lingering in my mind. Our world is a fascinating place, brimming with seas, rivers, and lakes....perfect for summertime fun!

What is it about the ocean that calms and soothes the soul? It might be the gentle waves rolling in to shore steady and sure or the sand we can see for miles and miles as if there is no beginning or end. I love the seashore and the glistening rising sun and the beautiful sunsets, the seashells and the little sea creatures sometimes found still in the shell!  But, a favorite reason is the atmosphere that embodies a holiday where the focus is togetherness! Just hanging out, building sand castles, listening to music, reading a new book, catching up on what has been happening in each others lives.....this is what a beach holiday is to me. I love my family being all together! I am thankful as the years have passed our children have continued to cherish each other and can break into laughter at any given moment! Our family has energy! Everyone is upbeat and positive (most of the time)! They work hard and play hard! They have style too, even at the beach!  I often wish I could bottle it.....I would be a rich woman!

More thought has gone into this year's trip and birthday planning for a new decade is about to begin for my husband. If the way the decade has ended is any indication of the future then I am excited! We still have a great marriage,  we have our joy in the Lord, our children are either married or in relationships with people they love and care about. We have been blessed with five beautiful grandchildren. We are blessed with family and friends who we love too! You know, the simple things of life really do make for a summer's dream come true, especially when it involves a birthday celebration as significant as this year. Big dreams are still ahead for my husband!  We should all have big dreams for our future.  May I encourage you to dream big? I always have! "Each of us are born with a great capacity for knowledge. We cannot make capacity, but we can cultivate that which God has given." Dr. Henrietta Mears.....She was always reaching for more, dreaming big!  

A few years ago, we rented a beach house and right before we turned the key to open the door, we looked up and there was a sign that said......"DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!"   What a great way to begin a beach holiday! I hope all your dreams come true too!