Somehow this summer went by in the blink of an eye. In a lot of ways I was expecting a slow, long summer since we didn’t have much going on, but it still seemed to fly by nonetheless. A year ago, I reflected on how hard, yet beautiful last summer was. You can read more about it here. Last summer, we were still walking through the loss of our second baby to miscarriage. Even in this pain, last summer brought us to the beach and brought Lance and I back together through pickle ball.
One year later and our hearts have been rejoicing in joy as we welcomed a sweet baby boy. This summer was exactly the summer we needed. This will forever be the summer I watched our first baby boy transform into his own amazing little person. He really stepped up this summer. It was one of the biggest joys to watch him become a big brother. Baby Thatcher has brought out such a gentle spirit in his brother. Even though they have known each other for just a few short months, I can already see such a special bond between the two of them. The way Thatcher grabs for his brother and the way Hudson always asks to hold and play with him melts my heart. I can’t wait to see them grow up together.
At the start of June when baby Thatcher was just a few weeks old, I made a summer schedule for us and stuck it up on our refrigerator. It was pretty simple and included things like morning Bible time and chores and “swim class.” This schedule really held our summer together and gave us a really nice rhythm as I adjusted to having two little boys at home. It was also the consistency of getting in the pool everyday that got Hudson to officially learn how to swim! He started the summer always wearing floaties in our pool and now he jumps in with confidence as he swims to the other side. H learning to swim was definitely a highlight of our summer! The phrase “it is time for swim class” became something we expected and enjoyed to hear from him every afternoon as he ran to his room to get his swim trunks.
As I scrolled through all my photos, I was struck by how simple a lot of our days were this summer. There were so many photos of relatively simple, daily things we did this summer. The pool, the library, and lots and lots of baseball filled our summer days. These simple days allowed me to gain confidence as a mom to a 3-year old and newborn. It also helped me stay present to these early days with Thatcher and not get overwhelmed with travel or crazy packed schedules.
In the simplicity, there were also some memorable adventurous days like going to Disneyland, attending a Donavon Frankenreiter concert in the park, and watching the Yankees win at Angel Stadium. Some of these memories of Hudson dancing in the Tiki Room, Thatcher sleeping in my arms as I listened to “Day Dreamer,” and Hudson slurping down an Icee and singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” will forever play in my head and heart.
This summer will always be the summer I became a mother to two amazing boys. The summer we said yes to adventure, but also said yes to staying in. The one where baseball was played in the driveway every afternoon.
This was also the summer where I got back into running…again. Running seems to always come back into my life when I need it. I am still not in the best shape, but I am ending the summer in a really healthy place with it and excited to (hopefully) run a fast marathon in the spring.
I loved this summer. I think that is part of the reason I have not put out a single pumpkin in our house. I am just not ready yet. I want to hold on to these long, simple days of summer. I want to jump in the ocean a few more times. I want to have a few more dinner picnics. I want these days to last just a little longer.
This Mama Needs Grace 