Summer Daze

 You'd think that taking a 6 to 7 week long vacation filled from start to finish with visiting family and friends and compounding some "family of five" adventures in the mix would help me realize that school is just around the corner. So how come I sorta feel like my summer is just beginning? I guess because this was a little bit of a different summer, you could say. One thing remains the same throughout however, and that is the simple fact of drinking in those simple things we are blessed to enjoy. Those moments of laughter. The feel of cool water on a hot day. Sand between our toes. Fields of wildflowers and sunflowers. Ice cream. :) The inundation of "back to school savings" at every turn, ads that plaster it all over their papers, flyers flooding our mailbox, ads in my inbox (from companies that I don't even recognize and how they got my email is beyond me), is a subtle reminder that the calendar will once again be full and the hustle and bustle will begin again. But today I got to thinking about how quick we are to overbook ourselves, and then in the next breath complain about how busy we are. Ironic. Even in our conversations we are almost sure to answer "I know...me too!" to the previous statement made of "I am just so busy!" I was reminded by a dear friend that it's good to not be such a busy-body but to just simply...be.

daddy filling up the waterballoons!

Carson enjoying the water

Go Mason go!

  It's in the little things like water balloons, laying in a kiddie-size pool, riding a trike that bring about the most genuine smile. Oh the countless things we learn from our own children. Life is so simple...remind me again why we try to over-complicate it?

swimming with daniel

chasing butterflies!

budding little artist perhaps?

gotta love the wild hair after a day of swimming!

How often do we take the time to just read a book, color a picture, watch the sunset and let the answering machine pick up the phone, play in the dirt (maybe not necessarily try to find out it's flavor....) catch fireflies, get lost in good conversation with a dear friend that we forget what time it is and don't even really care? 

Carson 'reading' to Mason

I just love boys :)

 It's quite alright to sometimes simply "stop and smell the roses"...and I would dare to say it's ok more often times than not.

Mason checking out the flowers

I do believe that there is a creamsicle in the freezer with my name written all over it and a mini-man who would love to indulge with me in one of life's simplest little pleasures. Enjoy your summer daze....