Friday, August 01, 2008

Last night

I wanted to camp out in the backyard but another massive storm moved in just as Darren was arriving home which should have come as no surprise but which was disappointing nonetheless, but only for a moment, because instead of pitching a tent and inflating numerous air mattresses we instead set up camp chairs on the porch and huddled together and watched the rain blow and hail stones bounce across the lawn and it was just as much fun, if not more so. Nothing says "togetherness" quite like cuddling excitedly frightened children while waiting for a thunderous storm to subside; even better when those said small children still delight in climbing right up into your lap to surround themselves in a protective embrace.

We roasted hot dogs over the fire pit on our porch and ate companionably around the picnic table, munching chips and sipping root beer and admiring the multitude of lovely blues painting the brilliant twilight sky. Later, Darren roasted marshmallows and my children and I indulged in the exquisiteness of deliciously warm, sticky s'mores.

After kicking a soccer ball around the yard for a while and watching with captivation the numerous Sphinx moths flitting about the butterfly bush, we were on our way back into the house when a stunning array of light caught my eye. Glorious rays of fast fading sunlight had broken through the tops of the clouds, dazzling the sky in a show not to be missed by my children. "Wow, look at how beautiful the sky is!" I said to them.

With upturned faces they gasped with astonishment and, full of childish wonder, Caitlyn asked so sweetly, reverently: "Mommy, are we seeing Heaven?"

I do believe we were.

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