What I have learned

So since the proverbial ball has been dropped after getting back from vacation on keeping track of a picture a day I thought I would delve today into what I have been learning this summer.  You may recall at the beginning of summer we decided to make the summer as schedule free as possible. Yes....Isaac did baseball.  Yes....they did our church's day camp. Yes....Caleb did swim lessons.  But really, for the most part, we were either traveling as a family or around the house/town.  What have I learned from this endeavor?

It can be hard.  Having a lot of things scheduled makes things a little easier.  Oh...it is busier.  But easier in the fact I don't have three children roving around saying the "b" word (as in "bored").  Or building a fort constantly (which is actually adorable but I feel I am always saying "time to pick up that fort") And for some reason I feel like they eat more and want to have their feet on me more.  Feet on me drives me a little nuts.

Besides teaching the kids that I am not their Entertainment director,  having a lack of schedule has been really, really, REALLY good for us.  I was reading a book last spring called "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkerst.  I think she puts in best when she says "An overwhelmed schedule leads to an underwhelmed soul".  I think what I learned most about this summer that the opposite is very true.  An underwhelmed schedule leads to an overwhelmed soul.  Here we are at the brink of fall and I am feeling very overwhelmed with love and contentment from my family.  Waking up and watching them play legos for an hour in their pjs and not feeling the push to go anywhere is awesome.  Leaving them to themselves to learn how to "fight" or "heated discuss" well has been good.  Making our way over to some local pool for a few hours and enjoying the sand in our toes and the sun on our shoulders and having no agenda but to play and be with each other has been filling my soul.  Being able to train and instruct them and teach them more about Jesus and having the time to do it has been amazing.  Watching them play and be each other's friends is priceless.

I have also learned that I crave quality time with my people.  That is probably why September is always harder on me than it is for my kids.   I just love being around them.  I crave it with my kids, my husband, my family and my friends.  And while my quality time with my kids and husband has been at an all time high...I have been struggling to balance that with connecting with a few close friends.  This has been very hard for me but.....summer....and schedules and vacations and such. It has been a whole lot of me plus the three kids.  It has been amazing but also a little lonely at times.  So it has brought to light how much I appreciate having one on one time with my friends.   I have a hard time when that doesn't happen.  A good friend and I were talking about how we cannot find our identity as a wife or mother or friend but, we as Christ followers, need to BEGIN by finding our identity in Christ alone.  Then we are filled and can go out and not put that expection on others.  Still chewing on that a bit as I can become more emotional when I am craving that quality time.

And since we still have two and half more weeks left of summer (thanks Minnesota...you are awesome) maybe I will pick up that dropped ball and finish well with picture documentation!