Summer holiday

The summer night is like a perfection of thought. ~Wallace Stevens

Summer is in full swing...one of my favorite times of year. I love all the seasons for different reasons, but summer brings with it a different kind of ambiance...a time to slow down, to enjoy being outside.  The soundtrack to summer is filled with kids splashing, cicadas humming, and fireworks booming.  And those are some of my favorite sounds of the year.

We survived the 4th of July this year, and survive is putting it lightly.  It was a scorcher, one of the hottest I can ever remember.  Last year, Lauren was a baby, and I wasn't in to dragging her out into the elements.  So this year, Ian and I made up our minds that we WERE getting out of the house, no matter what it took.

My friends with small children and I all had similar conversations in anticipation of the holiday.  Holiday weekends with children are no joke - you better get your game face on.  "Holiday" doesn't mean actual "holiday" anymore - it means "a weekend filled with family making memories in which you are going to need another week to recover."

But on we pushed, in the hopes of making memories for our wee ones.  We heaved ourselves off of our couches, put plans into motion and hoped for the best.  Our plans involved Symphony on the Prairie and Carmelfest, tightly packed into an evening and the following morning, in the height of the summer heat.  I thought ahead to every possible thing on earth that could make our trips more enjoyable. Umbrellas for shading, bottles for spraying, snacks for eating, and drinks for drinking.  Nothing could be overlooked, or we would pay the price dearly!

All of the planning and prepwork ended up being worth it. Those moments I hoped for and envisioned actually happened. Lauren clapped for the fireworks, just as I had hoped that she would. It's not every day that you see your childs eyes light up with happiness after seeing fireworks for the first time in the night sky.  She danced happily to the bands at the parade the next morning, and got so excited at Carmelfest's petting zoo that she cried when we had to leave.  Her little outstretched hand petting the baby goat's rough coat made all of the preparation worth it. 

In those special snapshot moments, I forgot the heat, and my heart was full. I was thankful for the stars and stripes, my family, my daughter, for the break from routine and for the beautiful holiday weekend.

There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

♥V :)