Dinner on the deck

The fruits of our recent labors seem to be at hand.

One large deck's staining now complete, only after five attempts with rain in between to interrupt our sessions.

Deck furniture hauled out of winter's storage, scrubbed and cleaned, and ready to use.

One husband with a new marinade recipe and a clean BBQ grill.

And some great weather to make long lingering dinners on this deck possible, that is, until we all noted a few mosquitoes descending upon us once the sun drifted below the tree line to offer a bit of shade.

In truth a family is what you make it.
It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table,
but by the rituals you help family members create,
by the memories you share,
by the commitment of time,
caring,
and love you show to one another,
and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.
~ Marge Kennedy