As we have now crossed the finish line to the 1st week of school, I am able to pause and reflect on the summer we have enjoyed. I love summer. It’s an extraordinary time. For us, summer is filled with rich memories, people and purpose, time spent with loved ones and of course the excitement of building anticipation for new adventures that lie ahead in the fall.

With school-age children is it easy to get swallowed up in the multitude of tasks associated with being a mother. Being a mother requires skills in all trades but the one skill I value most is patience. Summer really embodies the sweetness of this. During the school year it is rush rush rush… patience is a rare commodity. It is hurry here, hurry there. Taking a cleansing breath can be a rarity, the type of cleansing breath that absorbs the joy of life into every cell of your being. It is hard to do that even during the best of times. Patience is a virtue. I have a deep conviction of its importance.

When summer break befalls, our patience is rewarded as we exhale in relief. Before our busy summer of travels we spent a good two weeks in exhale mode. We played and laughed and enjoyed each other. We played in the rain, blew bubbles, we spent days building forts out of sheets, we enjoyed sleeping in and staying up late. We frequented the pool and skate parks. We listened to music on the internet, built new playlists for my kids who had been begging for months to do so. I purposefully emptied our schedule of everything so I could enjoy the reprieve from my calendar and play with my children, it was heaven on earth.

In Ecclesiastes 3:9  it goes on to say that “What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?”

It is part of God’s marvelous design that we reap the reward after the trial of our faith. We harvest the crop after many days of labor. In many cases we fail to recognize the comfort of warm sun rays on our brow until we have been chilled by winters frost, so it is the case with the love of summer.

Now that kids are back to school and time is once again moving the speed of light, I am loving the new season we are in. Every year at this time I find myself welcoming the change of season, not the weather but the phase of life. I have loved summer for what gifts it brought us but I love that my kids are back in school now, learning and growing and developing as human beings. I love to sit down with them at the end of a day listen to all their doings. Time does pass so quickly and that can be frustrating but I love life and I love that every moment is fleeting, it makes me want to suck as much life and love and joy out of every moment.  I am so very grateful to have the changing seasons of life, I believe that is one of our loving Heavenly Fathers tender mercies in allowing us to fully appreciate the sun’s shine because we have rested in the shade for a time.

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~by Heidi

A couple of years ago, my husband and I took our children to spend a week in a castle–in California!

It had real turrets . . .

and medieval style carvings . . .

An actual dungeon . . .

weathered stone steps, slippery with moss that led down to  . . .

the moat!

We had picnics on the beach along the river . . .

played in the water that made such beautiful music, night and day . . .

played games  . . .

and enjoyed being out in nature as much as possible.

The castle was a wonderful place to stay because it was so close to the beach.

We also went for a ride on a real train . . .

spent some time at our favorite amusement park. . .

(they don’t look very amused–I think they might be nervous)

and had the chance to spend time with some favorite cousins.

Summertime is family time because we can be outdoors away from the television and other indoor distractions.

What does your family do for family time?

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