What Happened to Posting Every Day?

Oh friends, I tried so hard to post every day last week and it just didn't happen. If you could look at my calendar and the schedule I've been maintaining you'd feel as sorry for me as I do for myself :) In this economy, I do not take for granted the blessings I have been bestowed. But, there are times when I want to cry, 'UNCLE!' I'm sure many of you can relate.

You might be wondering what my next event is. Well, it's my brother's wedding on August 29, in the middle of my parent's apple orchard in northern Michigan. Yes, the setting is as beautiful as it sounds. My parent's have owned this orchard since I was little. It's over 50 acres in size and is not only home to the apples but also to pears and bees!

I remember so distinctly roaming this land with my brothers and sister. We knew where the best running brook was with the coldest drinking water. Which pear tree had the sweetest pears. Where the bees lived {my Dad allowed a man to raise bees on a section of the property in exchange for bottled honey and fresh honeycomb}. And where the deer liked to rub their antlers.

As a child, I took this all for granted. But as an adult, I see the beauty of God's hand. I see how precious that land is to my parents {especially my Dad}. I see how hard they've worked to care for it. I see the pride in my Dad's eyes when he shows me the plot he's prepared for the wedding. And I feel the pain of my Dad's realization that he won't be able to care for this precious piece of heaven on earth forever.

Because my brother is the last of the siblings to be married, it seems fitting that he chose my parent's orchard as the location of this special day. Once again, we will all be gathered together on the land of our childhood for the final wedding celebration. And I can't think of any other place I'd want to be on August 29.

~Jodi