The Summer that Surprised Me
The summer wasn’t what I was expecting, but that’s not a complaint. The 86 days of Summer Break became a season of new things for our family, for most of which I wasn’t mentally prepared. In general, we never got into any rhythm. I know routines are hard to come by in the summer, but there wasn’t even a rhythm.
Cate adopted a college schedule with evening Bible studies, a week-long trip that gave her a taste of freedom and some new friends, and working various jobs. That meant she stayed out and up later than everyone else in the house and usually slept in, except on the days she needed to get things done before work. She kept her job at the movie theater, taking on extra shifts. But she also babysat a few times and took some photos for friends. We cleaned out her clothes, but I am going to clean out her room again now that she’s sleeping in a Murray State dorm room.
Probably more difficult for my momma heart than having my firstborn move about 15 minutes away to a dorm at our alma mater was when she didn’t go on a road trip with us this summer. That felt surreal and like she’s really growing up! Plus, until then, she’d never stayed overnight alone before, but she had lots of work shifts and two birthday parties to attend. That road trip to Omaha was also a new experience for the rest of us. The kids and I had never been to Nebraska, and none of us had been to the College World Series. As sports fans, it was a super fun time. As Murray State grads, it was like an unexpected reunion.
Later in the summer, there was a sports-inspired road trip that Cate passed on. Greg and I took Ben and Rachel to the FedEx Cup to watch PGA golfers in the first playoff round. As a new golf fan, it was so fun to see them up close. I have since watched more golf on TV and followed some of my favorites on Instagram.
We did manage to get the five of us in the van for a long weekend in Helen, Georgia, that wasn’t on our radar at the beginning of the summer but ended up being the right trip at the right time for us.
Meanwhile, Ben worked with dog breeder friends and our land clearing friend. On work days, he couldn’t sleep in. But when he didn’t work, he wanted to sleep in. He worked those jobs as needed, and there was absolutely no consistency, which was fine, but not what I was expecting. He did learn to drive a skid steer, which made him happy.
Yeah, we have dog breeder friends. Ben has worked there for about a year now. During that year, he met a dog named Bailey who needed a new guardian home. That means she’s still under contract to have some more litters for Bluegrass Bernedoodles, but we take care of her when she’s not being a mom. Bailey came to live with us at the beginning of April, was bred at the end of May, and gave birth to seven puppies at the end of July. Rachel is eager for her sleeping companion to come home, but Bailey is being a good momma dog right now.
And then there was Rachel. She soaked up the third-child attention while her teenage siblings were going in all different directions. She got to experience an overnight camp for the first time with church friends. She also spent the night at a friend’s house for the first time at the end of May, when I was in Costa Rica with Cate and Greg was at a state golf tournament in Louisville with Ben. We don’t really do sleepovers in general, but she certainly was excited for this exception.
Speaking of new things this season, that weekend Rachel was at camp was a whole new world at our house. With our college-bound girl, 15-year-old son, and 9-year-old girl all occupied with their own plans, Greg and I celebrated our anniversary by spending a random Saturday together – sleeping in, conquering some tasks, running some errands, eating lunch out, and going to a movie. We got home before dark with the one kid who was in town. So, there you go, that’s 23 years of marriage.
At this point in adulthood, I was also led to make some changes to my volunteer duties at school. Over the past 12 years, I’d gradually taken on more as a board member. For more than a year, I prayed about what those changes should be, and I just couldn’t get any clarity or peace. Then I did while driving home from a meeting one night in May. God led me to resign from the school board and as business manager at the end of July. Honestly, it was time. And my identity was too caught up in productivity and responsibility. I accidentally became athletic director a few years ago, so I’m continuing that role and managing our school’s social media.
School just started last week, and I am working through appointments I’d put off “until the kids are back in school,” so I’m certainly not in a new routine of my own yet, but I’ll get there – after the counseling, mammogram, dentist, and chiropractor appointments, a breakfast date with friends I didn’t seen enough this summer, and a long overdue lunch date with another friend.
The moral of summer: Enjoy the moment because these kids really do grow up quickly. Even so, I love being a mom to teenagers and appreciate the age gap of my children, even though it wasn’t what I planned. God cares about the details of our lives and provides what we need to be the people He created us to be.
Here’s to the memories and whatever is to come in this next season.
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