The Berry Monster

The first summer Bobby and I spent together as a dating couple, we had made plans to go down to Ocean City, MD with his family.

We were so excited at all the opportunities we would have to be romantic and lovey-dovey with each other. I had been hyping myself up for weeks thinking about this trip! I always knew that Bobby thought I was beautiful, and I tried - with every ounce of myself - to keep it that way.

We drove down at night in his brand new Jeep wrangler (top down) and had been making plans the whole way down to walk down to the beach, drink some...sparkling cider..., and whisper sweet nothings into each others ears. Perfect.

Sorry guys, I know I've lost you. Just hang in there.

We arrived to the beach house after dark and, in an effort to lose those last five pounds before I let Bobby see me in a bathing suit, I had barely eaten anything all day. I was famished.

THANKFULLY, I managed to be ready before Bobby, so I waited patiently downstairs for him to head to the beach. My sweet and thoughtful (now) mother-in-law had bought fresh blueberries and left them out on the counter for people to nibble as they passed through. Everyone was asleep already, so I let my thoughts wander.

Blueberries are healthy, right? They won't totally ruin my diet this weekend. I slowly (and regrettably) justified what I was about to do in my mind.

I started eating - no, shoveling - blueberries into my mouth to satisfy my raving appetite. As I leaned in closer to get more berries into my mouth in a shorter period of time, I looked up to make sure no one was watching me...it was then that I saw Bobby. Frozen. In shock.

It was at that exact moment in time that changed the dynamic of my relationship with Bobby forever. At that exact time, I also realized that I looked like a complete fatty to my beloved (then) boyfriend. It was also the exact moment that I earned the nickname, Berry Monster.

To this day, I've never lived it down.

So this afternoon, a friend and I traveled up the road to a local berry farm to pick some blackberries. PYO was the acronym of the day (Pick Your Own). We picked, and picked, and picked and ate some, then picked and picked, and ate some more, then picked...

(Note to self: Dresses with any white on them are not appropriate attire for berry picking). At least I have smart friends...Allison wore all dark clothes so stains wouldn't be as noticeable. I took one for the team though, and attracted all the mosquitoes so she wouldn't get bit.

After traipsing through the fields of Southern Maryland, we stopped at a local produce stand.

When we got in the car, I felt so good about myself for bringing out the tree-hugger in me. We supported the local agricultural community, treated our bodies to hormone-free produce, and dug our feet in to the soil of this good earth.

And then I realized how beautiful this earth is. God has put us here to enjoy it, take care of it, and praise Him for His goodness. So, next time you're enjoying the great outdoors, take a second to revel in God's goodness and the beauty He's put here for us to enjoy.

Oh, and try not to let your boyfriend/husband/significant other see you shovel berries into your mouth when you think no one's looking!