We spent so much of our summer swimming and swimming and SWIMMING!

We visited my sister in New Jersey. We went to Sesame Place. We went to Land of Make Believe (a hidden gem in NJ).

I photographed some BEAUTIFUL WEDDINGS.

We saw APRIL THE GIRAFFE!

We spent time at the farm.

I photographed BEAUTIFUL families.

We spent a day at BUCKTAIL.

Jared & Fitzy played golf.

We volunteered at the Troy Fair.

We spent time with my brother and his family.

We got an updated picture of the Trout grandchildren.

We celebrated 4 years of mania recovery. We slept in a few hotels. We saw some exotic animals. We fed a miniature horse and goats. And some more goats. And yet more goats.

We got together with some friends from church. We walked. We went to the park. We played in the rain.

We swam. And swam. And swam some more!

I took an Instagram break for July and then August and most likely September too – but I DID make sure to take photos throughout the months!

In early August I got a message from my friend. A friend that I haven’t SEEN in person in YEARS. Years and years. She was my bestest friend EVER in Kindergarten. And first grade. And second grade. And then the school districts changed and we lost touch. But we reconnected a few years ago on FB. We’ve messaged about life and kids and Jesus and hopes and prayers. She messaged me and said – I have a strange question. I have to work out your way on Wednesday and Thursday and I was hoping that maybe you could watch my kiddos? Her daughter L is 11 and her son J is 6. I told her that I had some errands to run and we would most likely go swimming – but if she was okay with that and they were okay with never having met me – then yes! I had already told my friend J that I would keep her daughter on Thursday – she’s 9 – so L would have someone to bond with!

She dropped them off on Wednesday and the boys took to her kids within minutes. They acted like they were long-lost friends! We walked around the track at MU and then ate lunch and picked up M a day early and went swimming! If you know me – you might know that I don’t really love being around children and water. It stresses – STRESSED – me out. I’ve gotten SO MUCH BETTER! And for 3 hours – 5 kids swam and laughed and had the BEST TIME! J didn’t want to go home at the end of they day – but they were all excited about seeing each other in the morning!

We went to my MOPS childcare meeting – picked out the paint for our trim – and then stopped at the park! My dearest and best Missy came along and we set our bags down and made our way across the playground when I hear little J behind me say – I think I broke my arm. I was turning around saying – Oh honey. I’m sure it’s just fine … OH NO. NOT FINE. He was holding his left arm – all bent and CERTAINLY broken. He wasn’t really even crying. He said – it hurts! It hurts! So Missy called 911 and I called his mom and told her that J broke his arm and we were calling the ambulance and to meet us at the hospital. NOT MY MOST ANTICIPATED PHONE CALL TO MAKE. His sister rode along in the ambulance with us – for the 3 blocks to the hospital. Missy kept my two kids and M at the playground. So I texted my friend J to let her know that the little boy in my care broke his arm and her daughter was now with Missy at the playground. He was so strong. And so very very brave. He barely cried. This 6 year-old boy who just met me and broke his arm without his mom around – barely cried. Until he realized that it meant we wouldn’t be swimming that afternoon – THEN the tears came!

It’s the nightmare that you hope to never experience when you’re watching someone else’s child! And in this case – a child I JUST met the day before! His mom came and hugs happened and x-rays were taken and calls were made. He needed surgery but the hospital local to them couldn’t fit him in until MONDAY night. This was THURSDAY morning! So – the orthopedic that works here in Wellsboro – who doesn’t typically see children – stayed late and performed the surgery. WITH PINS. Seriously. This wasn’t just a small crack – this was a SERIOUS break! So – they waited until the end of the day – and I took his sister back to the park and picked up my kiddos and M. We ate lunch and went swimming and had ice cream for dinner! I took M home and then drove L to the hospital to stay with her mom and brother for the night! The doctor wanted to wait until the morning to put the cast on – his little arm was SO swollen!

And then I finally took a breath. Fitzy had said to me – mom – do you think that their mom will EVER let us see them again?! And I said – well that’s a good question – but I think she will. She’s cool like that. And we did. Saturday – L & J came up to my parents to spend the day with us while their mom was at work. GG joked – OH is THIS the kid whose arm you broke Danielle?! J said – she didn’t BREAK MY ARM! She was just watching me while I broke my arm! On the way back to the park on Thursday – L had said to me – you know what the funny part is? People are going to say to my mom – now exactly WHO was watching your kids when this happened? And mom will say – you remember Danielle right? From grade school – well – we stay in touch online – she was watching them. And THEN my mom will bring up a picture of you and they’ll say – oh so this woman from grade school who now has a shaved head and a sleeve of tattoos? Well … no WONDER he broke his arm! We laughed and laughed! She is such a GREAT kid – and that M – she is such a GREAT kid! I was a little sad that I don’t have the little girls I envisioned having in my life! BUT – that’s a different blog for a different day! And I’m so thankful that I have friends with little girls that I get to hang out with!

And as I sit here writing this blog – 3 weeks after J broke his arm falling off the zip-liney tracky thingy at the playground – I am so thankful that a friendship that was so strong in our early elementary years has reignited and we’ve seen each other quite a few times since it happened.

And that forgiveness is strong. And real. And living out what Jesus taught us is real. This afternoon – we had lunch with J and his mom on our front porch. I made lunch and she cut watermelon while the boys played. We talked about life and marriage and kids and parents and anything and everything that came to mind – and two hours FLEW by! And as we hugged good-bye – with the intention of getting together this coming weekend – I said – while I’m not thankful for J breaking his arm – I am certainly thankful that it’s given us the chance to actually see each other. And to catch up. And to strengthen a bond started so long ago!

S – thank you for forgiveness! Thank you for not placing blame on me. Thank you for reaching out to me several years back and trusting me. I will forever remember what happened that day – and what happened AFTER that day – and I know that our kids will too! It’s such a great story of grace and forgiveness!