In March, I drove my kiddos home from school, excited for a whole week off for Spring Break. And here we are 7 months later, still on that Spring Break. Covid edition style. Then the Home School edition started. Then the Summer edition. And back to the Home School edition. Right? What day is it? What time are we supposed to log on where? And I’m pretty sure we all just had another snack. So if you would have told me that on that afternoon in March that we’d still be home in October, I would have not even slightly understood what that meant. I would have been so confused if someone told me that we wouldn’t live somewhere else for a month over the summer, or travel to California to see our family. No school field trips or soccer games. A cancelled New York work trip for me. My amazing husband lost his job. Definitely not what we planned on. But we have had fun, we have been in nature daily, and the four of us have spent almost all our time together. I realize that we have so much to be happy about. Others have not been as lucky, and I am rooting for everyone who has it harder than we do.
Sooooooo before I can admit it’s truly Fall, I need to acknowledge all the good that made up our summer and beyond. Here’s a big look back through my camera roll and a bunch of memories…
Hiking. Onsies. BMX biking. Watercolors. Italian ice. Poke bowls. Polka dancing. Open invitations to neighbors’ pools. Flexible schedules. Charades. Coffee. Bare feet running on hot asphalt. Then finding a shady spot. The ice cream truck. Mailing letters. Colored pencils. A new dog. A new parakeet. Which my kid named Margarita. So I can also add that name to the list of good things. Kickball in our backyard. Rocking chairs. Ice baths. Mo Willems. Yoga for my Homies. Our late dog, Blue. Walking. Birthday banners. Space to run outside. Bikes to ride. Sand to dig into. Pine needles and leaves. Lots of kid snuggles. I still get so many. A week adventuring on Lake Austin thanks to generous friends. Sharing funny Instagram videos with our kids. Reading comic books in a hammock. Chalk blasts. So good. Google them. Blanket forts. Bunk beds. Family workouts by Daddy. Looking through our old photos together. Skateboarding. Kayaking. Birthday cakes. Legos. Baking. Fishing. Wearing my pink wig. Googly eyes on hand soap. A beach road trip in my rainbow Hot Wheels car. Mountain biking. Rope swings. Homemade ice cream. Ice dying t-shirts. My parents’ house. Lightning bolts shaved in haircuts. Trampolines. Balloons. Watermelon wonder. Cake. Sand. Sun. Tents. Naps. Books. Wine. Stories. Giggles. Jokes. Wit. Creativity. Family. Friends. Love. And loads of simply playing at home. I’m so dang happy for our time together, and I love this little family of mine so very much.
Most photos are from my iPhone, but there are a few really lovely ones from Aelish Lascoe, Brooke Schwab and Tim of Adventures & Weddings.
