Summer loving

I know we’re only a week in, but I love summer. No wait, I LOVE summer. L-O-V-E. And as you can gather from last weekend’s pictorial, adding a newborn to our brood hasn’t slowed us down at all. Isn’t it funny how protective and cautious you are with your firstborn? I don’t think we left the house but five times for the first six weeks that Taylor was alive. And in comparison, last Sunday we met up with friends at an outdoor bar, and Luke spent about five hours attached to my chest in the Bjorn as we grilled tasty treats, played beanbags and watched Taylor dig in the dirt. He didn’t really have a choice... If he’s gonna survive in this family, he’s gotta know how to party.

And he’s also doing great at the pool. We’re lucky in that we have a lot of covered, shaded areas surrounding the pool, so he’s able to chill in his basket while Taylor jumps in and out of the water for three to four straight hours. My daughter has turned into quite the fish after a mere week of the pool being open. Her summer makeover is already underway, with her skin turning bronze and her hair getting blonder. She’s a bathing beauty, and instead of blowing the whistle and making her get out to go home and rest, we’ve been forgoing naptime to swim as much as she wants. Yes, that’s right. This strict schedule-following Mama is throwing out the routine this summer. Believe it or not.

And after a few hours of nonstop-swimming action, we pile our exhausted, sunned-selves into the car and make the ten minute drive back home. And it’s a miracle if Taylor’s still awake by the time we leave the parking lot.

And generally Luke is also sleeping or close to it, and so I turn off the radio and any other distractions and drive home in silence. And in that rare, coveted quietness, I thank God for all my blessings. A loving husband, two healthy children, a strong body, a roof over my head and all of our caring and supportive family and friends. I am grateful for this everyday, and sometimes I just need to take a moment of silence, a few deep, uninterrupted breaths and crack a big smile to reflect on how lucky I am. This is going to be our most fantastic summer yet.