Life's a Beach!

Grandma and Grandpa Enjoying Lauren while mommy and daddy hike the lighthouse.

I just love this picture of my baby and my hubby! Too precious!

Lauren enjoying the sand with her cool sand toys.

Mommy and Lauren playing in the ocean.

Is summer really over already?!?

...Wow, that was fast! As I get older I'm amazed at how much faster life gets. I remember summers as a kids lasting foooorrrreeeevvvveeer, now they seem to pass by in the blink of an eye. Maybe it's because I've got more going on. Summer as a kid was a lot of sitting around the house with nothing better to do than watch Dirty Dancing with Shauna for the 3,oooth time. Yeah (said with a reminiscent sigh), life is a lot busier now.

Since last writing we've been to the beach and have come home. I love the beach and am happy to say that Lauren enjoyed it too! Our beach trip is something I look forward to every year, and this year didn't disappoint! It was great having family around to help out with Lauren, even though she has hit the stranger anxiety stage- yikes! She would just fuss a Gus until I held her- which is so sweet and loving and make me feel so special. She has also started hugging me. My heart just melts when she throws her little chubby arms around me and rests her head on my chest. She's attempted a kiss too, lol, which resulted in her putting her mouth around my nose and licking it (who knew that I had such a tasty schnoz). Also another new thing is crawling- yes this baby is on the move. It's still a little primitive and silly looking. I've already had to clean up a spilled Annabelle water bowl and as I was soaking up the water from the carpet with a towel, I thought- hum...how many more billion times do I think I'm going to be doing this. The joys of a baby on the go.

I know that August isn't over with and I'm saying summer is over with- but my reason for this is because all my teacher friends are heading back to work. This week they worked Wednesday and Thursday for staff development and they go back full time next week. Wednesday I was a little down and out of sort, and this was mostly because I am a social creature and I was missing out on the social aspect of everyone returning to work. I however woke up on Thursday praising God that I wasn't headed back. It breaks my heart to think of leaving Lauren and I'm forever grateful for this opportunity to stay home.

So, my friends heading back to work marks the end of summer because now I'm "on my own." It wasn't really feeling real to me that I am a full time stay home mommy this summer because most of my friends, who work as teachers, were doing the same thing. Lauren and I had two to three play dates a week and we were on the go 90% if the summer, visiting, playing, enjoying everyones company. Now things will start slowing down. And part of me, a pretty big part actually, is looking forward to it. I'm a routineaholic, and I'm ready for Lauren and I to start our own routine. I've been looking forward to taking her to the library and the park. I'm sure as heck ready for the summer sun to cool off!

I've also signed up for a 8K race. I've missed running and working out. I'm looking forward to training again and having the time to do that. I've already embraced having time to cook for my family. I think that is one thing I'm head over heals about. When I worked, even before Lauren, and would come home and be starving- the thought of cooking a healthy, wholesome meal seemed like such a task. I would always be so much more excited to cook on the weekends and during the summer, when I had the time to prepare meals. So good thing I'm going to be running and working out more since I'm going to be tempted to eat more with the yummy meals on the table nightly, hehehe.

I feel very blessed to have time to do things I enjoy and to have time to raise my little munchkin. So, bring on the fall!

“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” ~ Aristotle