This lovely Monday morning marks the last day of our family vacation. Tomorrow we pack up and head home. I am so very glad we are here……we were thiiiiis close to canceling. So much in the hopper that i felt it might just be best to stay home, keep anxiety in check and hunker down and get stuff done. As many times in the past, Scott was my “barometer” and hop on the plane we did!
God has an amazing way of working and darn it all if it hasn’t been some of the best moments we have had together as a family! We literally stormed SoCal…and had a ton of fun doing it. Some of my favorite moments:
~ chilling around Huntington Beach with the fam jam. The quintessential SoCal morning starts with a bike ride along the beach and breakfast at the Sugar Shack.
~ spent the day with the Los Angeles Angels. It was through Athletes in Action that we had this awesome opportunity and wow, the kids are still chattering incessantly about it! They made Lincoln’s bday one that he will likely never forget!
~late night racing around Disneyland like mad people to ride all our fave attractions! We did em all and shut the park down at midnight! (Thx to the Angels to treating our fam to The Happiest Place on Earth!!)
~waiting in the pitch dark for a food truck to arrive. Hey there was over 60 of us by the time the Koji truck pulled in at 10:15pm. Was it worth it? You betcha.
~started Back to School shopping for the kids…there, i said it! Listen, its gotta be done!
~campfire on the beach. So. Much. Fun. S’mores, sand, music, waves crashing…laughter, lots of laughter
~ a visit to HB is not complete without a stop at Bruxie’s Waffles for a gourmet Belgian waffle sandwich. Don’t ask, just trust.
Yes, this Monday starts with me reflecting on what an awesome time we had with our kiddos. So what does this week hold?
~ tomorrow it’s back to reality…and crazily enough, we start getting ramped up for September with hockey camps, volleyball camps and dance choreography weeks. I can’t believe our break is almost over! I can feel anxiety threaten to take a place within me. Only i’m more prepared for it than i used to be. I remember as a kid struggling to enjoy August because i felt summer coming to a close. Truth is, i’m a summer girl. Through and through. Love everthing about it…the lazy days, the lack of a schedule, the presence of my kids around me, the family dinners, the spontaneous get togethers with friends and family….i seriously think even my vehicle is loving the break from the miles we pile on it during the school year!!
In all of this, there has been a purposeful decision to REFUSE to continue feeling this dread of summer’s close in my adulthood and i certainly don’t want to entertain the idea of passing this icky feeling on to my kids. This week we have truly relished in the moment and it has been incredibly freeing (i know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true!) My desire is to bring that home with me….and to savor the August moments knowing that there IS lots to look forward to:
~prepping for my cousin’s wedding this coming Saturday. The Sugar Plum Sisters are trying on their hats as emcees. Gonna be fun!
~a weekend journey to Savary Island for another family wedding.
~more nights of s’mores, music and hanging with family and friends…don’t have to be in Cali to do this!
In all of this, i look forward to embracing the moments big and small. Time as a family, as a couple and even some times of solitude (am i weird that i need those??). And fall and back to school doesn’t end that. The moments will just “look” different….and guess what? It’s all good.
