small moments

For us, summer is always the time for doing big things. Whether it's week-long vacations, day trips to special places, or weekend visits to the lake, we always save up all of our big things for the warmer months. We've never packed up in the winter for a ski weekend or decided to go someplace tropical during the dreary days of cold weather. Winter, for me anyway, is for quiet. Reading, knitting, sitting by the fire, watching snow flakes fall. That's what I want to do in winter. And in summer, I want to go all the places and do all the things and swim in all the water and see as much family and as many friends as possible. 

But this summer has been different. Although we still had trips planned and fun things going on and big things to do, I haven't felt as up for all of it as I normally do now that I'm figuring out this Crohn's stuff. I felt great initially and was glad to know what it was, and then it all sort of sank in and all the months of feeling bad and pushing through anyway caught up to me and I've been so tired. And although we've had a great time on our trips, I've tried to do a little less than I normally would. Planned fewer activities and just generally tried to find more time for quiet. I was a little worried that the kids would be upset at not going and doing while we've been home, but they don't even seem to notice as they get lost in their own activities or join me to sit on the porch or challenge me to a game of checkers. I've been searching out the small moments in our recent days this summer, and I've found them around every corner. It's nice to be slowing things down, especially as we head into August and a month of mostly being home. 

I've been snapping photos of our small moments to remind myself that it's perfectly fine to set up shop on the front porch for a day or sit and knit while the kids play princesses and superheroes. Summer can be whatever we want it to be, and this summer we're doing a good job of mixing the big and the small. Here are some photos, if you'd like to see.

It was far too hot to be sitting on the porch with a wool blanket on my lap, but I would love to get that one done in time for winter and it'll take me that long to do it.

Sunset from the front porch one evening.

Winding yarn and watching Harry Potter with Tommy. Also, some real life there and letting you in on how our playroom looks on any given day - messy. 

Holding my sick baby girl in the rocking chair. Annabel came down with a nasty cough and was running a fever for a few days last week. Summer sickness is the worst!

Pretty moon on a late night drive home after a fun night out with the girls.

Happily making chalk roads on the sidewalk on a beautifully cool summer morning.

This kid, always surprising me with his funny ideas. Here he's drinking chocolate milk out of one of my great-grandmother's old ice cream sundae cups that he found in a kitchen cabinet. 

Taking advantage of another cool morning. It's amazing the difference some $2 perennials, a wheelbarrow full of rocks collected from the yard, and a couple bags of mulch can make.

Kids in pj's all day, saying yes to bringing bean bag chairs and blankets out to the porch, and knitting in the cool breeze.

Reading time on the porch. 

Can you see a pattern here? Lots of knitting and reading and sitting on the porch. As often as possible. I'm good with that. Hope you're enjoying whatever big or small things you're doing this summer. If you need a break from the big stuff, come join me on our front porch for some small stuff. Tommy will pour you a glass of chocolate milk in a sundae cup, Annabel will be happy to "read" to you from Peter Rabbit, and I'll knit you a hat. 

Happy Monday, friends.