choosing strawberries over lemons

I am kind of a party planning crazy girl. To say it mildly. It has been a long time since I have planned a very big bash--and I am a bit nervous because with that party planning craziness I have party planning high expectations. I am usually, undoubtedly, most definitely always a bit disappointed. I don't think I will be this time... but who knows, really? I just have to get my "who cares" attitude in gear and recognize what a delight the time spent with old and new friends will be.

The problem I am having right now is that for about 1 week I totally forgot I was throwing a party. A lemon celebration, in fact. Then yesterday I woke up saying, "Oh crap. I have tons to do." My husband wants to know exactly what I have to do because I have been planning this thing since we lived in Florida. What a silly question.

When the realization hit me that I am totally and completely possibly unprepared, my heart hit a road block. The stopping kind. So I went back to my list, re-organized it once again, and figured out how I could finish all the prep-work and work my full-time job and pray for sun and kiss my kiddos goodnight. Overwhelming, but do-able.

Then the sun came out. Sun. Out. An unlikely story in Seattle these days. It was so bright that it hurt my eyes when I woke up in the morning. It would be sunny for a few days! Horrah!

But here's the hitch: That meant the Strawberry fields were not only recently opened- but that the berries would be perfect for picking now that the sun was beaming.

We have been excitedly awaiting the arrival of our ripe strawberry fields forever. It has been on our calendar for months...our strawberry day scheduled with care. With our strawberry picking comes strawberry jam-ing, and it is beyond delightful to make and taste. I make strawberry-honey-lavender jam and it is oh-so-lovely, to say the least. We pick our berries. We eat more than we pick. We come home and wash and freeze some and then we find ourselves over our stove--smelling the sweetness and aroma of lavender and sun-filled joy as we ladle our love into jars and seal them with a kiss. It is a day that our family has been waiting for with anticipation. Hard work. Tastefully approached.

But the sun won't stay out forever around here it seems.

We called our favorite fields, "so is now a good time? or do you think we can wait until our scheduled time next week?"

They said now. The berries are perfect. They are plentiful and not overly picked. The sun is out. It looks like rain AGAIN next week.

I cringed.

How was I supposed to do NOW?

I have a party to finish prepping for.

I lamented.

Our strawberry picking day was a day I have been planning forever.

My lemon celebration party was a day I have been planning forever.

I could not and would not do both at the same time.

Then Rowdy reminded me that it seemed like I was more worried about my party than my family.

He was right.

I was.

My stomach was in knots.

I should pray about it, I thought.

Is that silly to pray about it?

And so I did.

And I suddenly had a thought...

It looks like this girl will be making Strawberry Lemonade.