Dear Reader:

“Blessings from heaven” probably means different things to different people but for all of us, in the lowcountry, it means rain…and yesterday we got it! A nice, slow, steady rain…the kind we have been praying for over the past several weeks…months. The sound of rain…is there anything more wonderful?

Originally Joni Mitchell, then later the Counting Crows all sang  the lyrics from “Big Yellow Taxi”….”Don’t it always seem to go… That you don’t know what you’ve got Till it’s gone… They paved paradise And put up a parking lot.” 

Yesterday it was the rain that we had missed so desperately… forgetting what we had until it no longer rained again.  A few big drops fell on Rutledge and me in the park near his house…and we both danced the rain dance in happiness. By the time I got back home to Summerville it hadn’t started raining yet…but it was dark and overcast…I was so tired. Rutledge slept with me Monday night…laterally. What is it about small children and lateral sleeping?…They must like to play criss-cross applesauce in their sleep.

But how could I turn down Rutledge’s request…seriously…how many more times will Rutledge want to sleep his ole’ Boo…the days and nights are numbered.

All Rutledge wanted for his kindergarten graduation was for me to bring his dad’s old football trophies, letter jackets, football jerseys, scrapbooks, etc. I surprised him by getting Beth LaPrad to make him a Green Wave youth jersey (just for him) that matched his dad’s jersey when he played high school football.

It was too cute…I don’t know who was more excited…Walsh or Rutledge?

I told Walsh when Rutledge put on his Summerville jacket and Walsh’s Shrine Bowl jacket…that one day we will look back at these pictures of the jackets coming down below his knees and instead see a man with a jacket coming to the waist.

Memories…for special occasions…more important than any toy or expensive gift…Rutledge loves family history…and it is just a matter of time before he, too, will pass it down to his son or daughter.

Honey sent Eloise a precious bikini…I sent her a picture and let her know that Eloise got it just in the nick of time…it a tight fit…pretty snug…with the old stomach hanging out…welcome to a girl’s world Eloise…the dread of trying on swim suits.

The family was there to support Rutledge for his kindergarten graduation…he is now a big first-grader with his sixth birthday coming up on June 18. Congratulations Rutledge! So proud of you!

I gave Lachlan a shark pair of swim goggles and a water kick board for finishing his next pre-school grade level…he liked the goggles to much he wore them for Rutledge’s graduation.

So until tomorrow….Thank you Father for all Your blessings from heaven…rain, family, and memories.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh