At the beginning of the year if you would have told me exactly how crazy and unexpectedly awesome this summer was going to be there is no way I would have believed it. Now…for those of you who know me know my life and the lives of my kids are nothing short of hectic. This summer couldn’t have come fast enough and boy did we take full advantage of it. From vacations, to regular days hanging on the farm, to all 3 kids being able to go to summer camp, we did it all! We made new friends, learned about so many new things and most of all created a bond that we never had. We went through some super tough times, experienced a lot of loss and a lot of change and through it all we still managed to push through. The kids had a rough patch separating from their siblings, old home and adjusting to new routines but they did it like little champs.
This was very hard for me to see. It was hard and frustrating because I wanted to start a new life so I could be a all around happier person and better mom but how do you explain this to little people? Although I knew a more simple life for the kids would work wonders for us all, a 5 year old doesnt want to hear “what you think is a good idea”. Less stuff=less stress in my mind but little did I know it would take such a toll on me as well. Just as the season was changing our “life seasons ” were changing just as fast. I don’t know if it was the pace of change or the amount of stuff that started flying my way but it was very,very hard at certain points.
Although it’s hard having 3 small children home running wild from sun up to sun down , I can honestly say having them off school and in my presence made me a mentally stronger person. They were my sanity.Watching them play with bubbles, spraying each other with the hose and chasing our dog around made me realize how much we really do have it all.
Now instead of rushing home to watch the IPad they rush home to see the train and play in the pasture with the chickens and kittens. Instead of me surfing the Web I go tinker with my worm farm and flower beds. Such a carefree and simple life in a matter of months. All of that makes my heart happy.
To say this summer was one of the best summers of my entire life would be an understatement. Tomorrow, my kids start back to school and I know they will not only have the best stories to tell their classmates but I will have the best memories of how they gave me back my sunshine 🙂
