Wordless Wednesday || Sunset from a Kayak

"Tomorrow mornin we could hit the river

Sittin in the tubes and simmer

Workin hard on a sunburn all day

Or if we stay up late we'll sleep in

'cause everyday is like the weekend

Thank God for the months after May."

-Ben Rector, Summertime

Give me our kayaks, some water, a sunset, and these people, and I'll be a happy clam all summer long.  We hit Big Woods Lake last Wednesday after Beau got off work, throwing a few cider beers and some cheese in a cooler and taking off just as the sun started to go down.  Kayak adventures are with my family are some of my favorites right now.  Cruz is big enough to paddle around all on his own, and Mila hangs with me in my little flat top, so we have plenty of girl time together to braid hair and sing some Taylor Swift.  We dip our toes in to graze the water, listen to music, and bump into each other every now and then.  Whatever it is about woods and water seems to have a similar effect on the four of us.  Our shoulders relax and our souls feel light.  And at sunset, our faces glow as bright as our hearts feel.

We found our favorite little sandbar on the far southwest side of the lake and set up camp in front of the sunset.  Big Woods isn't necessarily swimmable, but no matter how many times we tell the kids that they always find their way in.  And once those feet touch the water, there's just no convincing them otherwise.  Back and forth they ran down the sand hill and splashed into the water, sometimes holding hands and giggling and sometimes pushing each other and whining in revolt.  But mostly, they were just free, their faces glowing with that wild look of summer. 

We paddled back to the truck after the sun had went to sleep and the stars started to twinkle in a dark sky.  A few fishing boats were still out casting their lines, an old vintage pontoon with a couple playing cards and drinking wine were taking their time heading back to their dock, and a group of campers were hopping in their floaties for a moonlit swim.  We got in the truck, rode home with the windows down, and Mila spotted her first firefly of the season.  So as Beau and I unloaded kayaks, they ran through the back yard, little arms cupping the air until the caught a little light in their hand.  From the big sun that made the lake look like glass, to the little flashlight bugs that twinkle every July, God sure gave us a lot of sparkle to admire in the summer.  Here's to noticing it and catching it in the palm of our hand all summer thru...