Almost a Month Later...

Apparently summer has captivated me in ways that had been unimaginable to me a mere month ago. Time has flown, as it always seems to do, and I sure have been having a lot of fun. From a spontaneous outing with friends up to a Mariner's game, to days spent lounging by and in the lake, to a quick jaunt up to Seattle to spend some time watching the World Cup final and go boating with friends from school, I have been full speed ahead for some time now. While a lot of this summer has been centered around the "play" aspect, work has definitely come to the foreground more recently. Last week I started nannying for an almost 1 year old. He is absolutely adorable and I get to spend one more week with him. We have fallen into routine--eat, sleep, walk, and play. On top of morning/afternoon sitting (in three days I clocked in 24 hours of baby time!) I have been hosting at Red Robin as well. Lets just say I miss Starbucks...a lot. I have had several rough days at the "home of the smiling burger" and continuously remind myself that I am refinancing my upcoming year and am home for only two more months. However, I have never felt incompetent and idle as I do at this job so we will see what happens in the weeks to come.

Mom left for Africa last Sunday and will not be back home again until after our little family reunion in Bethany Beach in August! She will have left our nest for a total of 5 weeks before returning back filled with amazing memories and experiences I am eager to hear her share. Aunt Ann is with her as well so I am 100% sure we will not miss any important details in their recounting of their trip come mid-August. Speaking of trips, CASEY COMES IN 13 DAYS and MARIAH COMES IN 20 DAYS!!! I cannot wait for the two of them to be here and to show them home :)

I am sure I'm not the only one of my high school friends who feels this way but this first summer back is definitely a transition. There is no longer that ease or expectation of hanging out every day and knowing what everyone is up to. While I feel like it has been nice to get away from a lot of that unnecessary involvement in some people's lives it is also rather isolating--a feeling that has never been present when I have been home. I guess this is a sentiment of growing up and having "split homes" now and various worlds that make up my own. As one of my all time favorite movies says, "Seasons may changeWinter to Spring"--I guess what I have always taken from this is that time is inevitable and constantly melts and falls around us but there are some things, like love and friends, that never change simply because they are deeply rooted within us.