A Month of Summer

Four weeks of summer was all I needed. 

To get my sanity, my joy, my self back.  

On July 17th, I sat back and thought, "I am so happy.  Content. At peace."  I thought about how hard the fall, winter and spring truly were with our boys learning {mostly} at home, and I felt so grateful that summer had come exactly one month earlier (June 18th was our last day of school) and ushered in the relief we all needed.

Week after week; day after day; suffering at the hands of my children COVID and quarantine and distance learning, it turns out all I needed was an entire month off. 

Hah.

We watched movies. We went camping. We swam.  We slept.  We laughed.  We lived together.  We loved.  We didn't argue once over Google Classroom, attendance log-ins or Class Meets.  We had not one conversation about cameras being turned on; work being turned in; or music being turned down during assignments.  And it was a blessed relief. 

We celebrated Father's Day; got the twins' second dose of vaccine; spent time with cousins on both sides; and hosted a super fun fourth of July party.  I continued with my bi-weekly counseling; took all four kids to the dentist where we had zero cavities; and we hit 90 days post-medication for Logan (a big deal! He was most likely to have a breakthrough seizure during the first 90 days following him being weaned off his epilepsy meds, but he didn't! He has officially outgrown his seizures!)  I got to meet for book club in person; made cake and celebrated Josh's birthday; and sent the twins to a Mariner's game with their dad, much to their delight.  I (nervously) watched my sister's girls (ages 3 & 6 months) so she could take her boys (and Wyatt) to the water park and cross it off their summer bucket list.  We also went kayaking; made smores; rubbed sunscreen and aloe on each other after long days in the sun; and collected fresh, tiny, red strawberries from our garden. I read books; wore the bikini; ate cold watermelon; and fell in love with Carly's vibrant, colorful, uninhibited art. I watched my dahlias bloom, and started a paint by number (thanks to my friend Kristina who sent me one. Love you girl!) 

I started Mine To Tell, something that is all my own.  A writing class where I am attempting to pull together all that I lived through during our time in the village in Alaska.  I prepared for a garage sale that has kick started the most intense home organization/simplification that I have ever executed. I have faced what fall will bring (all four kids in school for the first time ever), which leaves me feeling both terrified and ecstatic, and am content to just take each day as it comes.  I am soaking up all the days of summer, and am not borrowing trouble worrying about school, sick days or masks.  What's coming will come and we'll face it when it does. 

I have dealt with heartache that's left me sobbing, gasping for breath; and I have experienced the euphoric joy that comes from knowing (down to my bones) that I am beloved for just who I am. 

Here's hoping my second month of summer vacation is as calm, relaxed, soothing, and fun as the first month was. 

***

around here: week 12 2021

 {March 14-20th}

Feeling... so tired this week.  Just unable to keep my eyes open, especially in the morning as the boys and I did school together.  I required naps on the daily. 

Finding... a dog that the kids found running loose in the neighborhood and taking him to the vet to get his chip read. He was the sweetest little doggie, and I was really happy when we located his owners. 

Having... my IUD removed since I have had it for over five years now. I had the Mirena and loved it.  It got rid of my cycles almost completely and was a very effective birth control for us. But now that Josh has had his vasectomy (the lab results came back and we're all set) I don't have to use any other birth control if I don't want to. 

Cleaning... house, per usual, on Sunday. I am so grateful for our routine- for the boys' help and the chance to start the week fresh with a clean house.

Getting... Logan's cast off, which was a pleasant surprise. I thought we were just going to get it replaced (our doctor replaces the cast every two weeks so it doesn't smell), but when we got there he ordered an x-ray and said it was healed enough for the cast to come off! Logan was thrilled!

Shopping... out in the world for the first time in forever with Carly and Wyatt.  We hit Ross and Walmart and we found everything we were looking for.  Namely, new shirts for Wyatt, but also some luggage (ours is quite worse for wear) and house decor.

Reading... Discovering Dahlias by Erin Benzakein.  The book is a work of art, plus so informational about how to best grow dahlias.  I can't say enough good things about it!

Ordering... dahlias from Triple Wren Farms (I found them on Instagram) and getting so darn excited about the idea of flowers growing in our backyard this summer.  I got 9 different varieties of dahlias.  Cafe au Lait, Castle Drive, Linda's Baby, Rose Toscano, Bloomquist Tracy, Foxy Lady, Terra Cotta, Hercules Dinnerplate and LaLuna Dinnerplate.  Triple Wren will send me the tubers and I will plant them in the house first, then when the weather here is consistently warm enough, I will transplant them into the backyard where we will be able to enjoy their blooms as we sit at the table out back while the kids swim all summer.  I cannot wait!! 

Counting... down to our getaway next weekend. We are so grateful for our parents for coming together to watch the kids so Josh and I can spend some time away together, just the two of us. 

Hitting... the one year mark since quarantine began. I remember hearing that school was shutting down for two weeks and feeling panicked at the thought of all six of us home together for that long. 
Hahaha! Little did I know that those two weeks would extend over and over, and here we are, a year later and my boys still haven't gone back to the classroom.  

I loved this quote by Sarah Nicole Landry (thebirdspapaya on Instagram) about quarantine:

"If the only thing you accomplished 

during this pandemic is getting through it, 

you have accomplished so much."

Worrying... about my grandma as she takes care of my grandpa who accidentally cut off the top of his thumb with his table saw. It is gnarly and slowly healing, but my goodness how he is keeping her on her toes. 

Taking... Wyatt to the orthodontist and finding out that he is done there for a few years.  He needs all his baby teeth to fall out and his big teeth to grow in before we can move to Phase 2 of orthodontia for him. 

Sharing... my gratitude journal & adorable HP Sprocket printer on Instagram.  I am hoping to share a post about it on here soon too. (If you're interested, though, go to my Instagram page and click on the G. Journal highlight. It walks you through the printer, my notebook and where I got the idea. So fun!)

Finishing... the book puzzle I ordered and deciding to decopage it so I can frame it and use it in our bedroom. I can't wait to hang it!

Finding... stacked items everywhere throughout the house.  Wyatt is such a stacker, and Carly has picked up his habit, so now she is stacking things as well.  

Laughing... as Carly sings along to the songs at bedtime.  Her favorites right now are "Bang!", "My Truck" and "Savage Love".  She has a definite taste for music and loves anything that gets her hips moving. 

***