While two of our three school-aged kiddos wrapped up the year two weeks ago, our oldest finished his year this past Friday. As I scrolled through my IG feed earlier today, with all of the last day of school pics everywhere, I was reminded again just how highly anticipated this time of year can be for everyone. Tonight I definitely feel those same feelings and am eager to live out summer to the fullest. We had family in town this past week, and while we all enjoyed heading down to our beach a few times and exploring an animal park one day in the summer heat, my mind was busy with meal plans and logistics just as much as it was keyed into fun; I don’t know if it registered that summer break had officially arrived. Tonight, I’m thinking about the joy our kiddos shared when I explained that tomorrow morning could be a “jammies morning, ” where they can stay in pjs until some much too late hour. It’s the little things in life, right?

I think I’ve held this summer on a bit of a pedestal in the months leading up to it…I’ve known all this time that the weeks between the end of school and the start of a new school year are what would mark the countdown to baby and this big change coming to all of our lives. Summer in my head was twelve weeks long, but as of tomorrow, there are just ten on the calendar between now and my due date. Ten weeks! It’s still feeling so close and so far away. But summer days always slip by faster than we’d like, don’t they? So I’m anticipating looking back and feeling the same way again when there are eight weeks, four weeks, two weeks to go. The fact that we get to spend these next weeks playing and creating, being outside, heading to the beach, attending camps and creating memories all together again…it’s just so, so good for all of our hearts.

Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to having all of our kids home for the most part. This past semester (with our oldest back in school full time) was an adjustment for me for sure–for all of us. Now it just feels really natural for him to be here with us, and for our days to stretch out before us with him back in the mix. I’m so thankful for this time as a family before we grow in number and into something new. It’ll be beautiful then, I know, but this is, too.

I hope we can nurture our hearts, minds, bodies and spirits with intention, relaxation, joy and rest over these next weeks and months. I hope that they feel restorative, balanced and well-rounded. I know that I’ll feel bigger and likely more tired as time goes on, so this will be a summer of practicing grace and modeling kindness with each other as we weather the changes together. There are plenty of things to do or accomplish before baby arrives, but hopefully at a peaceful pace that allows room for things to unfold without too much added stress. We’re going to work on being gentle with ourselves, so that we’ve exercised those muscles before we really need them even more in the fall.

Summer is upon us and that is just one of the most hopeful, lovely things! The weather can already attest to the season (goodness, it feels like mid-July out there!) and our hearts are ready for time to refresh. I’m looking forward with so much good in mind!

MM