Berry picking

So, my little sister, Addie, has been visiting. She is 14 years younger than me and she just turned 14 two weeks ago. This summer marks a big time where I am twice her age and in this poignant summer between junior high and high school for her now is the same summer that for me 14 years ago also marked this big school transition and was the summer I got a baby sister. As the only sibling that I have ever had, that was a big summer for me and it is fun to mark this kind of summer for her with her first ever trip on her own to come and stay with Gabriel and I. It has been really fun to have her here and to talk about high school and life and what to expect and dream of the years to come.

One of the many activities that we have gotten ourselves into while she has been here is last week we went blackberry and blueberry picking down in Pittsboro, south of Chapel Hill. We took a good friend of mine, Kathryn along. When we got there we actually got stuck out picking in a big thunderstorm that drenched us all. But luckily we were all great sports about it and it didn't slow us down a bit. That is one of the wonderful things about rain in the summer time in the South is that even when you get wet it is so hot out that you never care. In fact it is welcome! We picked gallons and gallons of berries. I have been freezing them, making jam and generally enjoying fresh berries on almost anything we eat. My sister was so cute, I think it was her perfect day, apparently with out knowing it I combined her two favorite things "rain and blackberries!"

Love you sissy!