4th of July Celebration

I forgot one thing.

My journal.

Oftentimes when we travel, I bring my journal along but I've found it rarely finds its way out from beneath the pile of folded dresses, various books, and other items deemed agreeable for the trip.

This 4th of July, in the quintessential setting for celebrating the land where I'm free, I missed my journal.

Would I have actually spent time putting pencil to paper instead of staying up as late as I possibly could keep my eyes open to sit under the pergola lights with coffee and some of my favorite faces?

History says no.

But with every taste of summer and wholesome freedom, pool mornings and lake afternoons, baby smiles, twin quilted beds in Granny and Grandpa's attic, fans and Coke and Momma's stove-popped popcorn, I wanted those pages.

As it were, I sidled into fresh sheets on Neal's twin bed each night before bed, and spoke the words into the dark room I would've written, ceiling fan spinning out the hot summer air.

How much I love to laugh that hard.

How whole I feel with him and them and me, all together.

And little things, like how I like drinking Coke out of a mason jar. 
And such.
Maybe a few pages of words will still make it into the journal.

For now, I'll let a few photos do the talking.

See last year's celebration here.