{End of Summer, Beginning of Fall Recap}

The last stretch of summer always feels a little bittersweet, doesn’t it? We tried to soak up every bit of sunshine and warm weather before fall officially settled in. August wrapped up with the start of a new school year…fresh backpacks, first-day smiles, and that mix of excitement and nerves that comes with new routines. If I’m being honest, we are still trying to settle in to our new routines. With Liella starting middle school, and new after-school activities, it’s been quite the process to adjust to. Can we go back to summer?? Haha! Perhaps by the end of the semester we will finally have it down!

At the end of the month, we spent Labor Day weekend camping in Okoboji! The kids couldn’t get enough of Arnold’s Park, we found ourselves exploring it every single day of the weekend. From rides and sweet treats to evenings by the campfire, it was the perfect way to close out summer!

September kicked off with another camping trip, our last of the season, but this time with cousins at The Upper Iowa Resort. The temps were frigid (definitely not what we were hoping for!), but we still made the best of it. A few brave souls even ventured to the beach and sand pool despite the chill! One of the things I cherish most is our cousin family story…how each of us has walked through seasons of infertility, yet through it all, we’ve been given the most incredible blessings. Being families of multiples is something that has bonded us deeply, and we make it a point to gather every year to celebrate that shared journey and the joy that’s come from it.

Not pictured, but definitely memorable and worth mentioning, Joe and I snuck away mid-month to Vegas for one of his work conferences. We also snuck away for a one night stay at a glamping tent in Des Moines back in August. After an incredibly busy summer, it was so nice to get away just the two of us, slow down for a bit, and reconnect before the busyness of harvest began. I’m a huge advocate of getting away and spending some time alone with your partner, especially when kids enter the scene. This is something that Joe and I really try to prioritize. Life. Is. Busy. That’s why it’s so important to consistently work on connecting with your spouse, so that one day, when the kids are gone, you’ll still want to hang out with each other. My parents demonstrated this when I was a child and it’s something I want my kids to learn also. Whether it’s just a weekly grocery run, or a night or two away, just make the time for each other!

The rest of the month was spent preparing for harvest and soaking in these last glimpses of summer before everything turns golden. Grateful for these simple, joy-filled months that remind me how beautiful this in-between season can be…the slow fading of summer, the gentle beginning of fall, and all the memories we made in between.

Until next time…