Simplified

Let's just assume no one reading picked up on my subtle hinting as to how much I dislike cold.

So in case you missed it...all winter long...we are head over heels, heart on our sleeves, in love with this time of year.

Part of the reason is how much we love being outside. From morning until night we are overdosing on Vitamin D.

Summertime can become a chaotic wrestle of schedules and events, but we purposely put on the brakes.

My greatest childhood summertime memories lie in the simple moments and now the boys and I are soaking up our own days filled with simple.

We made our summertime bucket list and have been crossing off the wishlist one by one.

There are no amusement parks, concerts, pool memberships, or camping trips on our list, but those kinds of things are definitely not missed.

Our bucket list boasts the best and richest parts of summertime.

Catching fireflies, swimming in our backyard "pool", making popsicles, listening to cicadas and tree frogs at night...

Playing in rainstorms, painting outside, water-gun fights, water balloon fights, making play-doh, day trip to the beach...

Make lots of homemade ice cream, eat outside, day hikes, grow a garden, ride bikes, and play baseball with Daddy.

God has placed us in a time for embracing the simple. While there are days we wish the numbers in our bank account would jump a little we are truly content with "simple".

This past year we have found the rich treasure of just being still; the value and joy in soaking up every moment of being together.

 And sitting with my boys at sunset watching bats flutter in the damp night air and fuzzy twinkle lights dotting the woods inviting the boys to catch them, in that simplest of moments, I feel so incredibly rich.