lemonade.

  So I make many lists. To-do lists mostly but they normally give me the incentive to do things. They serve many purposes. Some list the items that need to be packed for a trip. Some outline the errands I need to finish for a certain day. Others give me an allotted time to get things finished. This past summer I created a list of fun things that I would like to do while the hot sun was shining brightly in the sky. Making strawberry lemonade was one of those tasks.
  I traveled up to the lovely Lake Junaluska in Waynesville, North Carolina with my boyfriend, Jason, and his family over labor day weekend. His grandparents live in a small house right on the edge of the lake that makes a good place for making memories. Jason's parents are missionaries in France. Before they shipped out, they wanted to hug their kids' necks. It was a blessing for them that all four children were able to gather with their families (and girlfriend) to say their last goodbyes. Good food and great memories were shared while the rain tickled the roof of the outside screened in porch. We received our first taste of fall with temperatures dipping into the sixties. Laughter flooded every room. Sometimes it was brought on by a funny story or by Grandpa Don doctoring the large blister on my foot.
 On a trip to the store, Jason and his dad decided to get some lemonade mix and strawberries for me to make nothing less than a wonderful batch of strawberry lemonade. While Jason mixed the lemonade, I crushed and cut the strawberries to adorn the glasses and fill the sweet, southern drink. From the looks of the pitcher at the end of the meal, we gathered that the treat was a hit.
  The trip was as bitter-sweet as the strawberry lemonade we made. It was hard to say goodbye, but the assurance that we will see them again soon was comforting. There is nothing like knowing that people are following the path that the Lord has set before them with full confidence.

Currently Listening: "And it Spread" by The Avett Brothers