Summer Loving: Loving Summer

After a miserable June, July has been a real stunner in Stockholm! One hot sunny day after another has been on order and we've enjoyed it to the max! There's nothing quite like a warm summer in Stockholm. The ability to enjoy the water and be out in the late light without feeling a chill is a rare and special treat and we are making the most of our opportunities to drink it in. Here are some highlights:
July 4th we were invited to some dear friends' island paradise for a special celebration with fellow Americans and other assorted nationalities! We took the Finnmaster out to the southern archipelago and enjoyed the wondrous beauty of our wild island surroundings. The company of good friends was icing on the cake and we toasted our homeland, sang the National Anthem, proudly waved the American flag, grilled and enjoyed. Gorgeous evening with gorgeous friends.

Even Tanner got in on the grill action!

We spent the night out on the island so enjoyed the late night sky and a gorgeous moon.
Picnics in the archipelago. We've continued our tradition of heading south to the artipelag area where we just love anchoring near a rock, grilling good food and swimming in the beautiful Baltic. A treat this year is that the water is not stinkin' freezin' cold! We've taken lots of friends out to enjoy the wonders of the archipelago for the first time. I never tire of the views, the sky, the sunsets, the refreshment of being out. And oh that summer light!
I was privileged to officiate at a very interesting and beautiful wedding of a young couple who came to know me through our church. She was American, he Swedish. Both are artistic and this wedding was vintage and quirky and all together lovely. The wedding itself was held in an apple orchard. THANK GOD the weather was good! I have no idea what we would've done if it had rained. Mud up to our ears...happily dodged that problem! The reception was in a barn. The guests were dressed in anything and everything. The new look for men right now seems to be rumpled with a dash of style. Cotton trousers, rolled up at the cuff, any manner of shoe, no socks.

This is a man

Bow ties seem to be quite in as well. Footware was funky. Delightful evening in a gorgeous setting with a lovely young couple. Love is grand!

We were delighted to share in the 50th birthday celebration of a good friend from the US who had a dream of celebrating his 50th here! We had met some of his friends awhile back so was very fun to see them again while also meeting some others from Chicago. It was a special time on the water in the company of sweet people.
After spending one month watching World Cup football almost non-stop, we held our own Immanuel World Cup last Sunday. This has become a great tradition in our church and proved to be a wonderful time. As usual, the final score was Fun to Fun.
Some friends who used to live here but now live in Germany came to visit with their 9 month old golden retriever. He had never been swimming so Tanner showed him the ropes. What fun it was to watch these two romp around in the water. I was in the mix with them and enjoyed watching Jaden figure out that he really could swim and that it was really fun to do so! He was living into his retriever identity in no time, racing Tanner for the ball and swimming and frolicking like a pro after a very short while!
It's hot in Stockholm. Some are complaining that it is too hot and when I hear that I just cringe. My feeling is to just yield to the heat. Be hot. Get sweaty. Jump in the water and enjoy. Because if one thing is for sure...it won't last. It's already getting dark by 11.00 p.m. I'm holding on tight to these incredible days. I am loving summer, that's for sure!