What to do on a summer day.

The days slowly become shorter. Summer is coming to an end. As I sit on the couch with a hot cup of chai, I look back at some of my favorite moments; like this one: little sister and her cousins having a water fight under the warmth of the Canadian sun.  

♥

I refill and refill their buckets with water, getting ready for more captured water droplets and momentary smiles and eyes tightly closed. 

 And as the water comes, I stay close to their happiness. I don't step back, trying to avoid getting wet. 

 

The sun goes down.

  

Caged bird.

The caged bird sings of freedom.
♥

{Dear Lucy}

It was a warm evening, sometime in middle August. The cool breeze was blowing, and nothing but pure and soft yellow light shimmered through the trees. We were enjoying our time together, Lucy and I. Talking, laughing. Just being friends.
Then I knew it was the perfect time for pictures. 

 

She's beautiful.

I couldn't get over the yellow light. The way its magic poured down on her, releasing all its beauty. Creating beauty. 

I love Lucy. She is the kind of person who can always make you smile, whose heart is always filled with joy. 

I wish we lived closer to each other. 

Dear Lu, I hope you like these as much as I do. ♥   

Annie 

Picking cherries.

My family and I are still traveling. But just now, I've found some time to come back and share a few words and photos. 

Last week, we spent time with some friends. Right next to their house there was a beautiful tree, that every summer brings life to the biggest, juiciest and sweetest cherries one could ever taste. So many there were, that even after filling two buckets all the way to the top, the tree still was still covered in them, as though every time a cherry was plucked, a new one would take its place. 

♥

It was absolutely wonderful. 

Do you have a favorite fruit? 

-Annie ♥

There's always time to be grateful.

Tomorrow, my family and I will be going on a trip. We'll be going out of the country, doing several things such as leaving my oldest brother in college and visiting family. Today has been a rather busy day, mainly because packing and getting ready have been the main activities. 

As I write this, heavy rain pours outside, its music accompanied with the roaring thunders. I must say, it calms me. For me, there is nothing more soothing than the sound of rain and thunder, especially in the later hours of the day. 

As I heard the first drops of water hit the ground, I stopped putting things into my suitcase. I decided to stop and think for a few minutes. Take some time to be grateful. 

Life- it's a very busy journey. So busy that sometimes all we do is worry and do things just because they need to be done. But we forget about doing the things that matter the most. One of them, for example, is being grateful. How many things does God give us? Everything. How many times do we thank Him for that? 

So here I am, taking a few minutes from what I was doing, and writing the things that I'm thankful for today; right now. Because the Lord is good, and His gifts are endless.

I am grateful for: 

The rain.

The sun, moon, and stars.

My brother, who is ready to start, ready to live his adventure in college next month.  

Traveling. It is such a blessing that we get to travel a lot, to live wonderful experiences when we don't  deserve any of them. 

My mom. Always so loving, always so caring.

Summer days. 

Sunny days.

Sweet tea.

Fun with friends.

(photo of me, taken by a friend.) 

Laughter.

Family. 

Music.

Busy days.

Lazy days.

The book of Psalms.

Friends.

My sister, who no matter what, always has the ability to make me laugh, to make me love her more everyday. 

My dad, always so thoughtful, always so gentle.

Hugs. Tears. Comfort. 

Mexico: my home.

Flowers dancing with the wind.

Books.

Hot chocolate.

Photography.

Sunsets. 

What else? Just everything. Because the Lord is good, and His gifts are endless. 

-Annie

♥ [Because my family and I will be traveling, I will not be able to post in some days. I'll be back soon!]

Summer goods.

Have you noticed? With the help of my wonderful mom, we changed my blog design. And I think I like the change. I like the fact that the photos are now bigger, and everything looks nice and clean. What do you think? Any thoughts? I'd love to know! 

♥

♥ Summer is going by beautifully. I am truly enjoying it. The weather has been perfect; sometimes rainy sometimes sunny, sometimes windy, but always warm. The days have been filled with bright smiles and laughter. And as for me and my camera, we can't stay away from each other. How could it all be better? 

♥ I've been searching for a way to make simple objects, the simplest every-day things to look beautiful. 

(my entry for "sea green" over at project 64.)

♥ I've been loving these verses: Psalm 147: 7-8:

"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises on the harp to our God,

Who covers the heavens with clouds, 

Who prepares rain for the earth,

Who makes grass to grow on the mountains."

♥ I've been enjoying some of my time with beautiful friends. 

♥ And of course, eating my favorite kind of chocolate: Belgian, raspberry- filled chocolate. It is wonderful. 

Its sweetness combined with the sourness of the raspberries just make it, every single time.  

How has your summer been so far? Do tell. ♥ 

-Annie

Red and juicy.

Red and juicy. The perfect apple for a warm summer day. It couldn't get better.

        
 Annie

Beach favorites.

Every time my family comes back from a trip, I enjoy cuddling up on the couch with my computer, perhaps with some chocolate on the side, and look through all the pictures I took during the trip. I pick out my favorites, and while doing so, the created memories run through my mind. Last night, I picked out my beach favorites. 

♥

 Needless to say, Isabel absolutely loves to jump over the small waves as they slide on the shore. 

-Annie ♥