Swedish Summers

As most people know Scandinavia is not known for it's warm weather.  But I have to say, that when summer does come it is the best day of the year!  Ha ha... when it does finally get warm and stop raining Sweden is one of the most beautiful places I know.  However, last week was very discouraging.  It was very cold and rainy.  

During all the rain of last week, David and I went to the store to buy him rubber boots (an essential in Sweden).  I learned a lesson from buying those boots for him.  Apparently, he had noticed that we all had them.  When I started trying them on him at the store he lit up and wouldn't take them off the whole time.  He clearly communicated that he wanted to wear them and not the ones he came in with.  Of course I thought it was cute, but didn't think much of it.  When we got home David made sure to show Andreas and Sam his new gummy boots.  Again, very cute, but the lesson was about to come.  He ran into the house and took his boots off and put them right next to Samuel's gummy boots.  He pointed the them and said ''Amel'' (David's version of Samuel), then he pointed to his and said ''Avid''.  Then Andreas was putting his on and David got so excited, pointed to Andreas' boots and said ''A..A'' (Pappa).  Then of course we had to name mine also.  His excitement grew each time.  He did this over and over again.  He loved having the same as the rest of the family, it placed him with us...on the same level.  I truly feel like it made him feel loved and like he belonged here.  What was to me a necessity, to him meant that he fit in.  

And it makes me think again what it means to belong in a family.  To him it was as simple as boots and to look the same. What does it mean to me to be in the family of God?  What do I need to feel like I fit in God's family? How can I look like my family?  Not only the outside, but inside my heart and mind.  

Romans 12:1-2 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So I rejoice with my son that he is beginning to understand family. I understand that I still need to work on being a part of my family.  I need to continually renew my mind and look more and more like Christ and less like my selfish self.  I believe I forget that so easily and yet a little child can be used to show me once again.  Adoption is not just bound to the physical form that we experience, but the spiritual that we  base our lives upon.  

Romans 8:14

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

I am thankful to be reminded of this and am humbled to be parenting two boys that continually show me God's grace every day of my life.  I simply have to take the time and look.  

Blessings,

Laurie

Here is David in his new boots and rain gear.

Enjoying the outdoors even in the very cold weather.

For those of you who don't know there is a Midsummer Festival in Sweden.  They dance around the May pole (which still looks very much like the fertility symbols of the old pagan rituals) and sing about small green frogs and other silly little kids songs (I think you have to be Swedish to get it).  We don't actually participate in this fun, but Sam managed to get the flower head wreath from Andreas' cousins who were celebrating at the other summer home just down the lane.  The boys looked adorable.

We decide to go up to the ocean house and join the rest of the family for a little fun and the sun finally came out and warmed this beautiful land.

Mom knows how to enjoy a warm day!

We had lots of fun on the new slip and slide.

If there is water...David is there!

Then this amazing thing happened.  David actually went into the grass without shoes!  This is a first folks.  He hates to get his feet on anything.  I was so proud.  

Andreas relaxing and enjoying some warmth.  

Today we went to our favorite lake and rowed out to the ''Island of Sodor'' as Sam so named it years ago.  David was a bit sleepy but I love how he looks in my sunglasses.  He is so hip!