Dear Summer,

Dear summer,

You snuck up on us this year.  We anticipated you coming in a hot wave of heat that would almost knock us over.  We expected sun-drenched scorchers, days shut in with the air-conditioner blasting.  

Then you showed up with a "surprise" shout, just delighted and tickled to prove us wrong.

Although you've proven that history repeats itself with hot temperature days again this year,

they've been less in number.  This year you've delighted us with cool afternoons and even cooler evenings.  You've invited us under your shade tree, so generous with a gentle wind. 

We've had parades, flower sightings, garden pickings, hose and water play, sprinkler runs, rock hunting, ranger rides, treasure hunts, watermelon, fireflies, star-gazing, canning, rain, cows, wildflowers galore, grass so green it's startling, and one of the best summers I ever remember.

We braced ourselves for the worst, and you summer-proved us wrong.  You made the world our playground and have given us some of the best memories of our lives this year.  Thanks for settling on our little plot of land like a cool cloth, ready to refresh.

We adore your friend autumn, but for the first time in a long time-aren't quite ready to see you go. 

Can you sprinkle our days with just a few more moments of magic?  Another adventure here or there, before it's time to settle in- crafts, baking, reading, and snuggling to do?  

We'll be waiting expectantly for a grand finish to a glorious you. 

Kindly yours.

TV free and inspired photos

So a little over a month ago I was sitting in my craft room one evening, making massive to do lists and feeling crazy inspired.  Like, wanting to sew, paint, party plan, take photos, all at once. All day. I suppose that's a good problem to have, right? 

Since I'm a mama to two baby girls and I don't craft, sew, party plan, or paint while they're awake (I do take photos though ;) ), I knew I could either resume feeling overwhelmed with ideas and feeling short on time. Or I could cut something out of my busyness.  We can't do it all folks. 

The first, most obvious thing to pop into my head was to cut out t.v. I love t.v. and I'm not ashamed to admit it! But for some reason, (God I think) I just decided to quit watching it. And that was that. No more sitting in front of the t.v. for an hour or two at night. 

Oh my word, it's been w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!  I have ideas (like these photos above) free to jump into my mind because it's less cluttered. I clean and exercise FIRST while the girls nap, I diligently work on chores/activities with the girls, etc. while they're awake. 

And then at night-I relax. I thought I was relaxing when I watched t.v. until 9 or 9:30 (I wasn't.) 

I'm talking about-sitting outside with a big stack of books or magazines,

drinking coffee,

breathing deep,

thinking, praying, 

the real kind of relaxing.

And then some nights going into my craft room to paint, sew, party plan, journal, etc.

Other nights, complete free time to spend quality time with Brett.  We've had some of our best conversations and most fun in the garden together, without the distraction of the t.v.

I've discovered a new layer of living I didn't know existed in this pocket of free time I've created for myself.

{You should try it. Just for a day! I know you can do it}