Life poured out...all sweet and summery

Update: Thanks to all of you who entered the giveaway! I loved reading your comments. The random number generator picked Nancy's comment--she wrote about how she loves to pick up sea shells in the summer. If you still want the pitcher, you can find it on DaySpring.com. It's 15% off right now and the rest of the Life Collection is on sale too. And I'm giving you my friends and family code for another 20% off everything you choose. Just enter holley20 when you check out. Have fun!

What is it about summer that makes life feel more present, vibrant, closer than the rest of the year? Yes, it's hot–blazing hot–but somehow even that heat is a reminder that winter has been banished and all is new again.

My thoughts are feeling lazy today and my words seem to be napping in the sun so I'm turning my pages over to you for a bit.

I'd love for you to share one thing you enjoy about summer by leaving a comment. And if you do so before midnight on Thursday, you'll be entered to win this pitcher from the Life collection by DaySpring. It's one of my absolute favorite things ever.

You can make lemonade in it, showcase fresh flowers, or just let it sit there and look pretty. It also has John 10:10 ("I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full") around the middle.

Let the celebration of summer begin...

 

(Subscribers, remember to come to the site to leave a comment here instead of replying to the e-mail. And check back here on Friday to see who won–I'll be updating this post.)

Comments

[Jen Martinson]

I love the late evening playing in the yard with my kids. The neighbors are out. Maybe we pour some lemonade or pull out the freeze pops for the whole gang. Then when the sun goes down they come in for showers and they out almost before they hit the pillow.

[Jenny]

Lemonade sounds yummy! What a beautiful pitcher.

[Heather Gemmen Wilson]

I love long bike rides with my husband on an old railroad line turned into a lovely trail. I love watching the hummingbirds hovering around the pretty birdfeeder outside my window. I love sitting around the campfire with old friends and new.

[Ally]

My favorite part of summer is the annual trip to Colorado. We get to leave the dry, dusty, crazy hot desert and for a few days loose our selves among the pines and aspens in temperatures that don't make us melt. We are surrounded by family, wine, and laughter. The children are allowed to roam free giving us adults a chance to catch up on the craziness of life. It's only a few days, but it's the best part of summer!

[Becky]

I've fallen even more in love with my kids this summer. (I didn't think that was possible) Having my daughters out of school and the first summer with our baby boy, we've been super busy, but having so much fun together. The girls are having a magical summer of friends and swimming, s'mores, Otter Pops, and trips to the library and I'm having fun watching them making memories.

Thanks for the chance to win the pitcher. I love it! I'm glad you are enjoying summer, too.

[Julie]

I love feeling like we have more "day" and then seeing the lightning bugs or fireflies or whatever you want to call them when the light gives way to night.

[Andrea]

My favorite part of summer is watching my kids run around with abandon and listening to their laughter float through the air. It's absolutely beautiful.

[Sulwyn]

I love the way the afternoon breezes come up just when I think the heat couldn't get any more oppressive and cool the world off a bit. Watching the trees turn their leaves and dance in the wind against the stunningly clear blue of the sky is simply magical.

[Kristen]

The late nights! I'm a night owl by nature and love the excuse of staying out late.

[Beth West]

One of my favorite things is the late nights (as others have mentioned)...lots of daylight & time with friends & neighbors sitting on the porch. OH, and the wonderful excitement little kids have for seeing & catching fireflies!

[Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect]

Watermelon. The smell of grilling. Loud music. And that feeling of freedom. Even though I work full-time and don't get a summer break, there's just something deep inside that feels a little freer in the summertime.

[Clella]

Summer is HOME to me. We spend our winters in Florida where it is warm, but that is NOT summer, that is warm winter. SUMMER IS HOME with my forever friends and my forever congregation. Summer is time with those who have known me forever, know all about me and will love me forever. Heaven will be one continual summer for me because I will be home.
Thanks for such a beautiful opportunity in your giveaway. Blessings Clella

[Michelle Rayburn]

My favorite thing about summer is getting my hands into the dirt in my flower beds and vegetable garden. Those little seeds hold such promise and it's amazing to watch them grow into such big plants. It's also satisfying to eat food I grew myself and I enjoy watching the hummingbirds swarm my flowers.

[Arielle Corcoran]

I love watching the flowers bloom, and smelling the fresh cut grass when it rains. On top of that the vegetables are growing and everything is full of colors!

BTW, I have the matching bowls and oven mitts. Would love the pitcher. :0)

[Robin]

My porch swing. I love to spend time with my grandkids, ages 3 and 1, flying to the moon in the swing. When we land we walk around the moon and 'explore' hoping to meet the man in the moon. We never find him. Too soon we climb back on board for the return trip. We are always excited to be back home! I also enjoy time alone on my swing, reading a good book or checking out Twitter and Facebook. Best of all is a relaxing visit with one of my kids, a neighbor, or my other half. Sometimes when the day is right we all abandon the dinner table and head for the deck, I in my porch swing, for some good old family deck talk!

[Kristina]

I love that we can exercise outside. We take walks in the evenings. When we get back, we water the plants & sit on the porch and eat freezer pops.

[Nancy]

One of my favorite summer things to do is go to the beach and look for sea shells!

[terriavidreader]

One thing I don't like about summer is the heat! Love the sunshine, but the heat can just go away! I love the flowers blooming. I could do without the rabbits that eat up my garden too! But then the garden is nice! So I guess it evens out!

[Linda]

I love the breezes floating across my face,roses in bloom, blossoming flowers, God's love spoken through the singing birds, AND I love not having to wear a jacket or coat! :)

[Dawn]

The longer days and warm sunshine is what this old New Englander loves about summer. More day light means my world expands beyond my four walls to the great outdoors. It allows us to gather with our family and friends outdoors to celebrate life and relationships. The warm air gives way to bleach-blond hair and suntans, swimming pools and flip-flops, lemonade and ice cream pops, beautiful flower and fresh-from-the-garden foods. I love it all. It makes me feel so alive.

[Nancy]

I love summer because it is a good time to have the grandchildren visit for a week.

[Marjorie Baldwin]

I am always reminded of the song "Summertime and the livin' is easy." Oh - honey rock melons, seedless watermelon, home grown strawberries, picnics, ball games, beautiful weather and air conditioning. The pitcher is beautiful.

[Jennifer Saake (a.k.a. InfertilityMom)]

We bought a free-standing fire pit on clearance one year as an anniversary gift to one another. One of my favorite ways to spend a summer evening is out on the back patio, gathered next to the fire pit, watching the stars and sometimes making smoores.

[Janine Petry]

One of my favorite summer activities is taking the kids to the community pool. There's something special that happens when they get close to those clear waters--they get all excited, flapping like they could fly away. The sun and water bring out the best smiles. And the picture I keep in my heart of them dipping their little toes and feet in and coming out all sparkling is a precious reminder of how refreshing it is when I respond, as God's child, to His invitation to "come to the waters," where my soul will find its Delight (Isa 55).

[Kathy]

I love the garden fresh tomatoes that always come in the Summer. I eat them on everything! This year I planted my own garden and have 16 plants that are hearty and full of green tomatoes at the moment. I am patiently waiting for them to turn red so I can start my feast! Also,I'm going to try my hand at canning some salsa using my grandmother's recipe. I've promised several neighbors a bag of my prized tomatoes, and I'll pass along a jar of grandmother's salsa as well. There's a lot to celebrate in Summer, but my favorite will always be the fresh tomatoes!