As the weather shifts, school starts, and our pumpkins begin to orange, my little family remains embedded with the sparkle and shine of this past summer.  Weekend adventures became the norm, dazzling gems crunched between my eight to five, Monday through Friday work week.  Our summer weekends have been melded into memories of visiting out-of-town friends, backpacking, roasting s’mores in the fire pit, squeezing into constantly wet swimsuits, watching tiny seeds grow into a hearty veggie plot, and fitting in bike rides before bedtime.

We actively seek adventures to embark upon, but this past summer felt different.  Lily and Vivienne grew a year older in the spring, and our family aged a little too.  I used to shy away from this type of fun, overwhelmed by the preparation, planning and packing every adventure “needed” to be a success.  My husband, Jake, has always been better at fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants living, and this mentality has finally rooted itself in my soul.

I’m not nervous about taking three hour trips alone with the girls anymore and the instances of screaming in the car have become few and far between.  I’m quicker to press pause and just chill when the girls are on the verge of a meltdown due to too much being packed into one day.  I’m more apt to say, “Grab your shoes!” and simply go, no need to work around a nap-time or pack extra snacks.

What is planned for this weekend?  Nothing is set in stone, but I guarantee it’ll be fabulous.