Summer Update

Hello, friends!

My, how the summer is flying by! I can hardly believe we’re midway through July and already dreaming of fall and cooler weather.

It seems that just as soon as the days warm up, they warm up just a little too much. We’ve already had enough of too-high temperatures, although I suspect a day at the lake might quiet some of those laments.

We’ve been busy this summer. We took a break this past weekend to do nothing, and still it felt busier than we would have liked. I think it’s just the routine of things, even on a Saturday. Breakfast, some family activity, garden work, shopping, or the like, then lunch, nap, errands, dinner, bath, and bedtime. Even when all the fill-in activities are good, we’re finding ourselves more worn out than we’d like.

I think it’s the summer heat. No matter how full and beautiful the day, it just kind of takes it out of you.

A few of the fun things that have been filling our days…

Berry picking, and jam-making. (This guide for pectin-free jam is rocking my world.)

Play dates and slumber parties with little friends.

A visit from Rick and Linda and Riaya. We had so much fun!

Caring for our growing garden, and preserving as much of that produce as possible for winter meal planning.

Continuing projects around the house and yard. We painted the kitchen and finished a few updates in there. Chris built a porch swing. We started landscaping the front of the house a little bit, and our garden layout is evolving and growing.

We also enrolled Mackenzie in a wonderful Montessori school for the fall, and that is bringing lots of changes our way. We are thrilled with the school and so excited for Mackenzie to be in a place where she can plant her roots and really thrive.

What have you been up to this summer? Any fun plans before school starts back up next month?