A Friday Night and a GIVEAWAY!

The wind was cool for an Oklahoma June night.  So cool in fact that I grabbed a nearby beach towel and wrapped it around my shoulders.  One by one the kids came out of the pool, shivering and tired from hours of non stop play.  A plate of fresh from the oven oatmeal cookies with craisins and white chocolate chips sat cooling on the table only to be gobbled up within minutes by both the kids and adults alike. Soon the children were warm and dry enough to head over to the outdoor playset and start an imaginary game called "royal castle."  Their singsong voices could be heard talking and laughing as they played.  Soon after, two big dogs came bounding out of the house wiggling with pure joy.  They ran a few laps around the yard, then settled down long enough to let the kids pet them and give them kisses.  A few of them started throwing the tennis ball for the chocolate lab to run and retrieve over and over and over.  The adults sat in lounge chairs eating a second round of cookies and chatting about the events of our weeks.  As evening set in, lighting bugs blinked and twinkled off and on as if to announce the end of the day.  I glanced behind me and saw the sky fading from aqua to baby blue to orange to feisty pink.  I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick picture to remember the calm feeling of the night.  The others turned to notice the sunset as well and for a moment we all sat quietly taking it in, breathing deep.  Then as quickly as it began, the colors slipped below the treeline and it was dark.  We gathered our tired brood and drove home in quiet contentment.  And that's how our Friday evening went.

Now...on to the giveaway!  Well, it's not my giveaway, but instead I want you to go to my sister in law, Rachel's blog to check out her awesome giveaway.  She is giving away a beautiful, handmade beaded necklace that has a story behind it even more beautiful than the jewelry itself!  Go check it out, read the story, and enter for a chance to win.  You have until tomorrow night to enter and she will announce the winner on Monday morning.  So go visit the Green Door Project and see for yourself!