Full

As a teacher on summer break, I want June to last forever. I want the hours, days and weeks to stretch on slower than any other in the entire year. I want to find that sweet summer groove and just sit in it for awhile.  I am not getting my wish this year. Instead, I see June 19 on the calendar and wonder where the heck the month has gone. Not that June has been bad. No, no, no. Its just been...full. Full of friends and ballgames and trips and celebrations. And while full is so fun, full seems to move time a little too quickly for my liking sometimes. 

Today starts a slow week for us, and I am grateful. Today I have time to reminisce about the fast-paced fullness of June. And with a post full of pictures of course.

Our weeks have been full of "extra" stuff. Camps-Theater Camp for Em and Sports Camp for Aug. Both came back home every evening full of joy and exhaustion. I am thankful for the community we live in that has so many people willing to pour goodness into our youth. While the big kids were away, that meant I got some special Bennett and Theo time, which is very rare. Theodore has been obsessed with me since I got back from Texas. He might say he loves Daddy the most, but he is not fooling anyone. Bennett loves a "Mommy Day" but is a little lost having to be the big kid in the house. I really think his favorite part of the day was when everyone was back home where they belong. We also sprinkled a few extra fun things throughout the last few weeks. We went flying with Uncle Cory which has become one of our favorite adventures to go on. Em even went this time (frequent flyer now). We also picnic'd at Ballard, rode bikes, swam at Aunt Vicki's, saw family when Aunt Kathy was home and played ball. Summers fill up with this "extra" stuff, but we are filled up by them too--I am very grateful for all that we get to do. 

June 9th was Auggie's birthday. Back when I only had two kids and an empty calendar, we celebrated "Birthday Week". Now my kiddos are lucky to get one day all to themselves, but they still feel all the love. I know Auggie did. He got sang to at home with birthday donuts. We only had one candle so we lit it eight separate times. (Does this mean he got 8 wishes?) Aunt Cheryl treated him to a lunch date (he loves Aunt Cheryl lunch dates.) We took three of his best friends to the Newton pool for an afternoon of rough-housing and sun (and coming in clutch was Daddy surprising him and coming too). Nana, Grandpa Sammy, Grandma Susie, Grandpa Jim and Kim met us at Pinky's for supper, presents, live music, and a never ending sparkler candle. And then we topped of his celebration with his first ever sleepover. (Auggie is so new to sleepovers that he requested it be at his friend Karter's because his house is cooler than ours.) The boys swore they were staying up past 1:30am. This cool mom had them asleep by 11. With big kids, birthdays look a little different than they used to, but I love them so much. My heart is always full when I see my babes get loved on and celebrated. We are very blessed. 

Auggie's wish every year is to go to a Cardinal's game (he really wants to go to like five games, but usually one has to do). Nana is often gifted tickets from work (thank you Linders!), which makes going much more doable. We love going to Busch Stadium--I have so many good memories there. Games when Doug and I were just dating, Em's first game, Auggie getting picked out of the crowd and thrown a baseball, sweating our butts off (many times), post-season Pujols home run. This year Theodore got to go-our last "first Cardinal ballgame"-and it might top all of the other memories. He loved every part. Meeting Fredbird, seeing the "big" ballgame, repeating any cheer we yelled, wearing his hat backwards like Daddy, ice cream in a helmet, seeing Auggie make silly faces on the big screen, singing his favorite song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". When we got home, Doug and I both said the same thing. We have been to lots of ballgames...but this one truly was special. Makes me just want to go back...Auggie might be on to something. 

This past weekend we headed to Southern Illinois to one of our favorite spots with some of our favorite people for the second (annual) Father's Day weekend celebration. This year the numbers were 11 adults and 19 children. All under the age of 10. And surprisingly, it just works. We sit in the morning shade with coffee and bacon while sleepy-eyed kids sit on laps, ride bikes or fish. As the day heats up we migrate to the pond where moms float and talk, dads keep an eye on littles, big kids give paddle boat rides and some sort of jumping-in competition ensues. Lunch time rolls around with something yummy and naps for a few babies. Then it is off to the winery or mule rides or a game of Kubb. Anything we want to do until suppertime and the evening fire full of laughter and music. Kids sleep in every single room, gatorades, soda, and juice boxes (plus plenty of adult beverages) are consumed hourly, littles go barefoot, fishing poles are tangled and not many showers are taken. Its always the slow disconnect that I have needed all month and makes me want to live in the middle of nowhere with all the space and time I could ever want. I always leave grateful for long-time friendships, nature and yummy food (this group knows how to cook).

Full. Full schedules, full bellies, full houses, full camera roll, full hearts. A full June has made for a very good June. A fast one, but a good one and for that I am grateful. Even if it is fast, I will take it.