my apology to Summer

"They" say one should never apologize to her readers after a long absence. One is supposed to just jump back in and write like she never left.

However, it's hard to just jump back in after being gone from this space for 5 months! That's my longest hiatus yet! There are a myriad of reasons, but I'll be honest that the instant and quick part of Instagram has pulled me there. I love the artistic side of Instagram that challenges me through snippet writing and photography in a totally different way than writing a blog post does. However, there are just some stories that are missing here and as Summer has pulled up and settled in, I thought I'd make a comeback. It turns out that Summer might deserve the apology!

My hubby likes to call the summer our golden time of the year. It's definitely our sweet spot! I truly, with all of my heart, love having our boys home with me! I'm in a season of learning more about myself and my husband and our littles and it is good. And what I've learned about myself or at least have been reminded of is that I like white space on my calendar and the freedom to do what we want when we want to! And summertime for us, is exactly that!

We don't fill up ALL the days with camps or activities. We just sort of let summer happen to us. There are some days we plan activities and we'll throw an art or soccer camp in there, too. And if we are lucky, we will get to the beach! But, the non-rushing, open-ended days are dreamy!

I feel like I know my children again. It's hard when they are in school, come home with homework or head off to practice. We eat and people head to bed. It's just tougher to connect with them during the school year. They have so many more people in their lives affecting and influencing them--things I miss and don't witness, and sometimes they feel like little aliens. We definitely have to be more intentional during the school year to still connect with our boys. And that's life. I know.

But, here we are now, in the middle of June! Ahhhh, Summer! You grow on me each year. You woo me with beautiful hydrangeas and red, juicy watermelon. Your cicadas and fireflies that sing and dance at dusk cause me to breathe in deep and sigh contentedly. However, the time with my boys all together and us as a family is your biggest gift. Summer, I apologize for all the bad rap you get from me, when I'm longing for cold weather and warm boots and for-the-love a little bit of snow. It took me a while to realize all of the wondrous and beautiful things you offer, but I sure am appreciating your golden days more and more!

 Welcome Back, Summer!