Sweet Summertime

It’s been so long since I’ve blogged that I’m not even sure what to blog about anymore. Is anyone reading this? What do you want to hear about?

I am just sitting down at the computer on a hot summer day. My two oldest kids are outside spraying each other with the hose and baby Ezra is sitting in the high chair next to me. He’s throwing everything on the floor and for some reason this isn’t bothering me in the least. If it was my first baby, I would be so frustrated right now. Sometimes motherhood just seems like the job that always gets undone. No matter what I do, someone undoes it. But I’m learning to see the beauty in that and learning to patiently just do it again. Pick up the food. Pick up the toys. Change the diapers. Wash the laundry. Make the food. Teach the same lesson to my child that I taught them 10 minutes before. Teach the same lesson to my heart that I walked through just 10 minutes before.

Summer has been…good. It’s also been challenging, but it’s been one of those times that I feel like I’m sitting in some murky waters and if I looked down, I could easily wallow. There are so many reasons I could feel sorry for myself. A baby not sleeping. A nightmare of trying to sell our house. Sickness and watching a beloved church member bury his wife of only 32 years. Realizing that I can’t actually write a book and run a half marathon and raise three kids while married to a police officer. Wallow. Wallow.

But I can also choose to look up. I can choose to watch the breeze gracefully bend the trees. I can choose to see the brightly lit summer sky, the fluffy clouds, the sweet current that sparkles in the breeze. If I look around me, there is so much beauty. There is so much grace. The laughter and squeals of my children. Watching the baby stand up for the first time. Kissing my husband when he walks in the door safely. Hearing the testimony of the goodness of God even in the midst of death and suffering. Being so blessed with health and wellness and opportunity that I don’t even have time to do it all!

It all depends on where my perspective is.

So this summer I’ve been choosing daily to be intentional. To intentionally seek out the moments of beauty. To be intentional in spending time with Theo. To be intentional in enjoying my children. It’s been a whirlwind and I can’t believe that July is already half over. In just a few weeks my oldest baby will start Kindergarten and for the first time in 5 years I will have a child who leaves my care for a few hours a few times a week.

I guess that is all that I have for now. Just a jumble of thoughts. I hope that posting this one post will kind of free up the clogs of my mind and allow me to post a few more blogs that are more topically specific. I have so many pictures from the summer and so many things that I can write about, but struggle to know how and when to organize all my thoughts.

As always, I so appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this blog. I hope that I can continue to encourage you as you live out your days- maybe you are in that murky water, too. Look up, friend. Look up. There is so much to be thankful for.

Theo planted some sunflowers for me. Apparently, they were the giant variety… (they are now taller than the window and still haven’t bloomed!)

Ezra continues to charm the socks off of all of us. If he would only just sleep at night, he would be the perfect baby. But I guess we all have that one vice….

Lots of reading and lots of sitting outside getting splashed by super cold water. Sorry, library books.

Oh, I went purple for a hot second. It washed out within 10 days, but it was fun while it lasted! I want to try it again, but a more subtle color this time. I felt like this made me look brunette with purple on top, whereas I’m looking for something that still makes me look like a blonde with pops of color.

We spent a day at the zoo..

And I’ve been trying to train for a half marathon. But, y’all…the time commitment! It’s intense with three little ones and a husband who works long work days and a baby who doesn’t sleep at night. When my babies don’t sleep at night, I have such a hard time waking up early. ANYWAYS, just yesterday I told Theo that I’m not going to try to run a half this year. I really wanted to. It was one of my yearly goals. I have reached up to 9 miles in running, so I know it’s completely attainable. But something has got to go from my schedule, and I think it needs to be training for a half. I will still continue to run and work out and push myself, but maybe be a little more lenient instead of focused on a schedule and a half marathon PR. Maybe next year.

That’s all Ive got for now! I’ll leave you with the adorable picture of Kiah and Ezra side by side. Wearing the same shirt, but there is actually a 4 month difference! Haha. Ezra is just such a solid chunk!!!