a little vacation recap

there was mango italian ice. lots of it. at night under the brightly lit and boldly painted picnic tables. there were children in brand new swimsuits, carrying buckets and wearing floppy hats. bike rides to the gazebo and back. bike rides at night looking into houses. the tiny ones by the shore with worn shutters and chipped paint. the mansions on the back avenue that could easily hold four of our little cottages.

and i tell you, if God cannot be found along the sea at twilight, walking on smooth shells with water lapping at bare toes, with the moon high in the graying sky and only a few lone sailboats along the horizon, something is amiss. i never fail to feel so beautifully inadequate standing on the shoreline. i didn't bring my camera on the beach, so i failed to capture its glory, but i probably couldn't have anyway.

but now, we are home. and one hot shower, game of fetch, and soul-filling catch-up session with a dear friend later, i sat on the couch around midnight. the kitchen still a bit smoky and smelling like bacon after robert got a feather in his cap to make breakfast for supper at 10:00 p.m. and i gathered them in my arms. these boys of mine. and thanked the sweet Lord above for making home the place i want to visit most of all.