Summer is my favorite time of the year. I love when you can start driving with your windows open and you see people bicycling, playing outside and smell the fresh cut grass and barbecues fired up. In the Northeast summer brings with it waves and waves of humidity, but that's ok, I'll take the sweat and heat over being cold any day!
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| Enjoying a summer day at the lake |
This summer Judah has been keeping up with my love for being outdoors. Ever since I can remember I've always felt guilty staying inside when it's a beautiful day outside, so every time the sun is shining: out we go! Judah has meshed right into my summer life of spending it outdoors and although he's inherited my sweaty nature (you just say the word 'sweat' and I'll start sweating, kind of surprising that I love summer actually), he's taking it all in stride with little complaints.
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| Not too sure about this whole swing thing |
I've been talking to Phil and my sisters recently about how where we live has started to feel like such a community to me. When we first moved here, I was so happy to live close to my sister, but I didn't quite feel like the town was home. It's much more rural than where we used to live and I wasn't sure how or where to meet people. Besides all of that, our second year here was pretty rough and made it hard for me to feel safe or at home, given all of the terrible things that kept happening to us that year. I distinctly remember driving home from a vacation during that year in
tears because I just didn't want to go home. Home reminded me of the pain of that year, and it wasn't a safe place for me.
Enter: community. When I had Judah, I just refused not to go out and meet people. I am a people person. I love talking, chatting, laughing, commiserating and just sharing life with others. I have to. As I got to know other local moms, my web of support grew. My circles of friends started to connect to one another and slowly I found that this little town was starting to feel like home. Now, it
does feel like home. I am so glad to be where we are right now. I'm so thankful for the community we have here and it fills my heart to be able to share parenthood and motherhood with dear friends who are sharing it right back with me. That age-old and cliched saying 'it takes a village' is SO right. It does take a village, and really, it should. I'm so happy to finally be able to say that I love our village. And I love this summer in our village with my little guy.
