til next year, summer

we didn’t travel anywhere further than a 2 hour drive.

we didn’t host (or attend) big parties.

we didn’t make any large purchases or splurge on big events.

yet i am choosing to believe that when the kids and i reflect back on this summer together, it won’t be a memory with feelings of lack (them) or financial stress (me) or continuing, challenging shifts in family dynamics (all of us).

it’ll be the one where we spent most of our time outdoors, especially in or near water. we spent hours upon glorious hours splashing and jumping and floating…sometimes including Ivy, thanks to generous friends with gorgeous pools. 

this summer will be the one with a LOT of ice cream…with barefoot races on the lawn, bubbles on the driveway, bug investigations out back, magnifying glasses in hand. of declaring each vibrant flower or detailed spider web we find as a “beauty emergency!” to show one another.

it will be remembered as a summer of giggly cousins playdates and movie nights on the couch, cuddled in close surrounded by the scent of freshly bathed toddlers. 

it’ll be the one where the kids truly became great friends. of this i feel very sure.

and for me, i am choosing to believe that when i reflect back on this particular summer i’ll remember how nice it was to be…really *be*…with friends, old and new. how decadent it felt to devour new books. how much the companionship of my dog kept me steady, how being alone for longer stretches of time didn’t make me want to numb or hide or panic. 
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which makes this a pretty damn good summer, if you ask me.