Summertime

We are settling into our summer schedule quite nicely. The pace still seems a bit busier than I prefer (thanks to swim team), but it has slowed greatly since the school year and I think we are all enjoying it. We are dabbling in a few summer sports and have already spent some time at both the pool and playground. We have had two weekends in a row with no planned activities...and it was wonderful!

This past year, I have become very aware of how quickly my kids are growing up. I seem to have a heightened sense that my time caring for little ones is fleeting. With the first two children, I just don't think I truly grasped the speed at which those first few years would go. But now, my baby just turned two and I am having a difficult time letting her make that leap to a full-fledged kid. It has been really hard. In recent months, I have thoroughly enjoyed just being their mom and to see them growing older makes my heart ache.

I have always loved the warm weather...flip-flops, the beach, July 4th, Jimmy Buffett, swimming, cook-outs...and I still love summer. But in this season of life, summer also means no school, fewer activities and more time spent with my kids and as a family. So it is still one of my favorite times of the year...but now for very different reasons.