Lately I've been reading a lot by Emily P. Freeman who is very big on creating space in the craziness of life to "let your soul breathe". One of the things she encourages everyone to do is to pause at the close of each season and reflect - to note the things that you're learning, the things that have worked really well, that haven't worked great - and just about anything else that comes to mind. It's been a really life giving practice, so I decided to reflect on our summer through pictures. Spoiler alert - you'll probably be seeing a similar post with each passing season.
Our summer was a pretty perfect blend of busy and relaxing, which almost never happens. It was the first summer that actually felt like a summer. With Everett finishing his first year of Preschool in June, I, for the first time, actually felt a switch in the rhythm of our days as we transitioned into summer. The pictures above are not exhaustive, but they do summarize how we spent many of our days. We ventured out of our comfort zone and tried camping with kids - potty training and all. We packed a lot of picnic lunches, ate ice cream, logged some hours at our water table, and Jeff and I even snuck in a few date nights.
I know it's not the end of summer yet....but even though it's only the beginning of August, I already can feel my attention being pulled to Fall. I love the rhythms of our seasons and I think that's why I like this practice of reflection so much. And the added bonus is that it forces me to go through my own pictures - a task I enjoy but often one that gets overlooked and buried under client sessions. As we walk towards Fall, may we all continue to hunt for those moments we don't want to forget and savor them for all they're worth.