Summer's End

For the first time in....ever...I'm actually OK with seeing summer fade away.  Kids are going back to school.  The sun is setting earlier.  The farmer's market vendors are talking about apples. And while there is definitely a part of me that aches at the thought of the end of warm days and long nights, there's another part of me that smiles and let's out a big breath of relief.  

I know that summer ending means things are just going to get colder from here. And I hate cold weather.  But honestly, this summer, which I looked forward to so much in January, has really drained me.  It drained me dry emotionally, mentally and physically.  



We've had several high points over the past couple of months:
--We bought a house in a neighborhood we really love!
--We found out we're going to become parents!
--We took an awesome family camping trip!
--And this sort of counts as Spring, but we took a wonderful vacation to Montana and Canada in May!  (I can't wait to share these pictures and a video with you all)
--We celebrated two years of marriage!

That's the highlight reel.  This is most of the stuff that you could have found out on Facebook if I had been active on Facebook for most of this summer.  

Stuff you wouldn't have seen:
--We bought a house...but it took us four months of searching and three disappointing rejections...and we were cutting it pretty close with our lease expiring.  Because of how competitive the market was, we spent several hours checking listings, and our date nights/relaxation time became house viewings/offer writing.  And even the act of moving was downright exhausting. I had a cold, a urinary tract infection and appendicitis on the last two days in our apartment.  And I was in the hospital during the first full week that Ben spent in our house. Unpacking, furniture purchasing and cleaning replaced most of our social outings and down time.  

--We found out we're having a baby...and most days I've been fighting anxiety and worrying about my health and the health of the growing baby.

--We celebrated two years of marriage...which is a great thing.  But there is a reason wedding days are so wonderful and beautiful. And it's because life hasn't happened yet.  REAL LIFE--buying a house, health issues, change--puts a strain on marriages. And not just marriages, but all relationships.  This summer, I feel like Ben and I have definitely celebrated hard over our accomplishments and successes, but on the road to those victories we hit some major potholes.   I learned so much this summer about how to put those grumpy/angry/heated/confusing moments behind me and focus on the bigger picture--which is building a life and creating happy, loving home together. 

So yeah...I think you can see why I'm just fine with moving on to a new season.  I'm looking forward to getting our house set up for the holidays.  And I'm looking forward to celebrating those holidays. I'm looking forward to being cozy and drinking hot beverages on our new couch. I'm looking forward to just focusing on being pregnant, instead of focusing on being pregnant, and buying a house, and moving, and blah blah blah.  These are Ben's and my last few months together as just a two-person family. And I really want to make the most of it.  

Summer sunset in my new 'hood