Summer School.. Life's Lessons Never Take a Break

Summer is so filled with activity that I sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses, of course I don't literally stop and smell any flowers in the Summer because I hate bugs, but that is beside the point.  I started this blog originally to record thoughts and memories for my girls to enjoy later, I need to write something. I have been thinking about what we have done this Summer and what has been going on. I have stopped and reflected and here are a few things I have learned during this Summer vacation.
I have learned that the excitement of school ending lasts about two weeks. I remember the countdown to the last day. Emma so excited about cleaning out her desk and finishing her tests. Lydia checking the calendar everyday to see when it was over and bringing home all of her folders and reading charts. I couldn't wait to sleep in and not have to pack lunches and help with homework. The anticipation of Summer was so thick in the air you could taste it and then it was here. The last hugs from teachers, the principal waving in the parking lot, the buses honking their goodbyes. Two weeks later, reality hit. The girls missed their friends. The weather was humid, hot, and miserable. Bugs buzz and bite. A lot! The realization that the only real playmate they were going to have day in and day out was the Sister they couldn't get along with for more than five minutes at a time only served to dampen the mood. As for me, I learned that whether the alarm is set or not, it isn't going to change the 7am wake up call. Once you have children the fantasy that there will ever be a time when you can sleep uninterrupted until the sun is all the way up in the sky is shattered until the teen years, if it isn't the children waking me up, it is the dog whose internal alarm is not effected by the changing of the seasons. Don't get me wrong, we are having fun. Vacation came and went in a blur, Church activities and play dates have occupied the time. Popsicle snacks and watermelon cookouts with friends and family have been fun, but I have learned that in reality we look forward to school being in as much as we do getting out. Summer could really be about a month long and we could handle it.
I have learned that my children are growing up at an alarming rate. Emma just celebrated her 9th year on this Earth and it is shocking how fast that time has flown. I looked back at photos of her in the hospital and told her the story of her birth and it seemed like yesterday. She has matured so much since last Summer. When I look at her now, I don't see the chubby cheeks, wispy hair and gap toothed grin from last year. She looks older, she acts more mature. She doesn't drag out endless toys and sing silly songs, she reads on her Kindle and sings along to One Direction. She talks on the phone and calls my Mom by herself. She paints her own toes, takes her own showers, and makes her own breakfast. She rolls her eyes and puffs like a teenager when I scold her. She still gets silly and plays with dolls. She still likes picnics and cartoons, but the transition has begun. It is scary and wonderful all at the same time. I praise her when she is independent and mature, but I cringe at the fact that she needs me less and less for the everyday things. I love that she can have a conversation on my level, but I worry about the things I have to talk about with her. Lydia is no longer the baby. She is losing teeth and making toast. She reads magazines and sings pop songs. She watches Good Luck Charlie instead of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She is wearing clothes her Sister can still wear. Being around them all day everyday has opened my eyes to the changes that have taken place in just one school year. I am thankful for the people they are becoming but afraid of the responsibility that I now have to them, not just to care for their needs, but to shape their character and instill their values. It is more important than ever for me to be a Godly example to them and it is becoming more urgent than ever to plant Christ firmly in their hearts and minds.
I have learned that I sometimes take my husband for granted. I have seen more and more of my friends and family separating and divorcing. The older we get the more statistics catch up with us. Five years ago I only knew a couple of my friends that were split up but now I only know a couple who are still together. I take for granted sometimes how blessed I am. Jason and I are becoming one of the rare ones that are making it despite the numbers and statistics that the world throws at us almost daily. We weren't expected to make it, most people thought we wouldn't make it. When we met, we were young, we were immature, we had totally different lives. I was older, he was younger. I was working, he didn't even have a work permit. I had a new car, he didn't even have a license. I had started a career, he had started high school. I was a "good girl" who rarely broke the rules, made good grades, could count on one hand how many times I had been grounded. He was a "bad boy". He was always breaking the rules, didn't care about school, and had a reputation that worried my family and friends. Everyone thought we were crazy to think we could stay together.  A betting person would not have bet on us, but God had other plans. He answers prayer and He changes lives. Here we are 20 years later. We have grown up, grown wiser and grown closer. He is a great husband and a great Father to our girls. He works so hard so I can stay home. He never complains when the house is a mess or the chores didn't get done. He never tells me I can't go anywhere and he watches the girls willingly and without complaint anytime I want or need him to. He goes to school functions, gymnastics and even Brownie outings. He has been on field trips and tea parties. He takes me shopping and takes the girls on dates. He always spends money on us first and him last. He never says anything about the way I look and tells me I am beautiful even when I am in lounging clothes and a ponytail for the 5th day this week. He still surprises me with dates, hugs and kisses me while I am cooking, holds me close when we are watching TV. He loves the Lord and always puts God and his family first. He is quiet and stays in the background and doesn't like attention, but he is my rock and he balances me in a way that no one else ever could. He has been through a lot in his life that he never talks about or shares, but he has always pushed himself to do more than he thinks he can and accomplish more than people ever expect, and he does it quietly without the need for praise. He is the strongest person I know. I have never seen him cry. Ever. (o.k. once, years and years ago, but we won't go there...just so you know, it is possible, he does have feelings, he just doesn't let them out much. He is an expert at hiding them...lol) He has held me up and held me close and when I need him most he is always there. He makes me feel safe and secure and loved. God brought us together for a reason and He has kept us together. God is the key. Love is a choice, and we have to daily choose each other.  I rarely tell him thank you for all of this and I take for granted that this is the norm, but I am learning that it most definitely is not and that God has blessed me beyond measure. In the midst of Summer activity, heat and humidity and craziness, I have learned that God is faithful, time is precious and family is love and not an ounce of any of it should be taken for granted.