Summer Lovin’…happened so fast..

Tomorrow, the kids return to school. I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, I am filled with a sense of dread and panic. With the sudden onset of homework, soccer (4 on travel teams), and cross country in addition to piano, scouts etc etc… our schedule becomes monstrous. Gone are the long, easy going evenings spent with friends with everyone staggering into bed around midnight and staggering out of bed mid-morning.  Gone are the sun-kissed afternoons chilling at the pool, chatting and snacking.  In their place-military like precision in planning pick ups and drop offs each evening. Strict bedtimes and traumatically early wake up calls.  Week nights and weekends spent on soccer fields.
One the other hand I have a tinge of happy anticipation at the idea of a fresh start.  A sense of relief at the idea of routine.  A looking forward to Ella being able to take uninterrupted afternoon naps while I get some long neglected housework done.
But I will miss my kids as always, and now there is the extra sadness that we will all have that they don’t get to see the baby as much. I will see very little of Benjamin for the next several weeks as he embarks upon his soccer/cross country regimen.  And there is always a great melancholy when Summer draws to an end, that my kids are growing up and there is nothing I can do about it. Admittedly this is not quite as profound as it has been in years past because I have the baby, but it is still there.
I thought I would share some (of the millions) of photos from our recent trip to the beach  (Lake Michigan) as we bid Summer adieu.  I have such a backlog of Summer photos and experiences to record but I figured I would have to start somewhere.
My little sister Thalia is visiting from South Africa. I had not seen her in a few years and this was the first time I got to spend one on one time with her since we were kids. It was a delight.  She was such a great sport and so funny. I rarely laugh the way I do with my mom and siblings. Oh how I wish my family lived closer.

I loved our time on the beach. I often say our family is at our best when we are isolated.  The more the better. This is why I want to buy a deserted island and be cut off from all technology. (Ironic as I express this desire on my blog).  My kids are such a cohesive unit when it is just them in the great outdoors, no distractions. It is a beautiful and heartwarming thing to see.

I love watching the joy and excitement that moving water can elicit. The water was really choppy while we were there to the extent that our favourite beach was closed for swimming. But we just drove down the road a little bit to an and went rogue..

Ella was so good for our trip. She loved the beach too… I love these photos of her. Isn’t she just so “with it” for just 4 months old?

Of course we never stray far from soccer…

As I sat on the beach watching my family I felt so complete and blessed.

My cup runneth over…

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