As we come to the end of another summer, it’s my time to reflect on the year.  Since summer is my favorite season, I often feel like the end of summer is the end of my year, even though there are still a few months left.  Once September gets here, I feel more like hibernating than anything else, because I don’t like the cold and I more often feel sad, especially this time of the year.  So what has happened this year?

In March, the kids finally got to go back to in person school after having spent most of the school year doing virtual school because of COVID closing down everything.  It really closed down the whole world if you want the truth.  My kids suffered like many others during the time of virtual school.  They went through a whole year, struggling to learn anything, because in the words of Hailie: “You can’t learn anything virtually.”  She feels like she missed her freshman year of high school.  She was frequently throwing out there that I don’t know how she feels because I never had to do virtual school and she’s right.  I can’t imagine having to do school virtually, I would have never been successful either.

Even though COVID was still going around, we did get to go on our beach vacation during spring break.  The kids loved that and it was a very fun surprise for Leslie because she thought we were going to Myrtle Beach and instead we got to take her to Clearwater Beach, her very favorite place!  She got to see Winter and Hope, the dolphins at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  It’s the first time that we have been there since they expanded it.  She got to hang out at the beach and we visited St Pete beach as well.  She was perfectly happy as long as she was on a beach and able to play in the water.  At St Pete Beach, she also got to chase little fish, trying to catch them.  They were too fast for her, but she plans to try again next time we go.  You can read more about our spring break trip here.

While in Clearwater, we also started looking around more and familiarizing ourselves with the area where we will hopefully one day (soon) live, God willing.  Leslie’s goal of becoming a dolphin trainer and working at CMA one day hasn’t changed and I think becomes more solid every time she sees her dolphin friends.

I also started a job, for the first time in 16 years, I’m working full time and also able to contribute to our bills and our savings in order to be able to help fulfill our dreams.  And in the process, Sean also got a new job that is less stressful and much better suited to him.  Hailie became a babysitter for her siblings, which she may not be fully happy about, but it allows her to make some money to be able to spend or save the way she wants to.  I enjoy my job, but do miss being home with the kids at the same time.  It’s made planning a lot more difficult, but allows us to have a little extra money for needs and fixing up things in the house that really need to be done.  Most importantly, it allows us to have some money to plan for trips and saving for our future.  It did make our summer fairly dull though.

Then comes August and back to school for the kids.  We were able to fit in a trip to Gatlinburg, TN just before the start of school.  The kids had fun swimming in the pool at Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge where we stay when we go to Gatlinburg and wandering around looking at the shops and spending their money!

This year school is going to be fully in-person (or so they say) even though COVID is still running unchecked throughout the city, state and country.  Back to school this year includes wearing masks, even for those fully vaccinated.  This is something that I’m not really happy with and neither are my children, 2 of which are fully vaccinated, but if it means keeping them in person, I’ve told them that for the time being, they need to do what is required of them.  Lorianna of course has a lot of trouble wearing her mask properly, is more interested in “eating” it or pulling it below her chin and when she gets home at the end of the day, her masks are so wet that I really wonder how she can breath through it.  If they ever make “waterproof” masks, someone needs to let me know.  HAHA

Then came Labor Day!  What better way to spend the day than going apple picking with friends!  We went to Reed’s Apple Valley and picked a bushel of Pixie Crunch.  They are the perfect apples for children, because they are smaller apples and so sweet.  The kids had such fun picking the apples and being able to run around and play!  If  you have never had an apple fresh off the tree, you are missing out on the best apple ever!  It really doesn’t matter what kind of apple you pick, it’s always the best tasting apple ever!  The younger kids each also got a fresh caramel apple that they enjoyed.

And that brings us to today and my writing this post.  Today is September 11, 2021…20 years from the day that the planes hit the World Trade towers, the pentagon and the plane that went down in Pennsylvania.  The terrorist attack on our US soil that changed our country and in a way, the world, forever.  This is the one day where I’m subdued, very thoughtful, prayerful and it really signifies the end of my summer, even though there is still time left in summer as it doesn’t really end until September 22, it really starts to get cooler by the beginning of September and I always have my sweaters and jackets out by this time. I always make sure that my kids also remember this day.  They didn’t experience the terror attacks, but it’s so important for us to remember this day and even for our kids to know what happened and remember those who died.

As as I finish off this post, I would like to know what your favorite season, time of the year or holiday is.  Tell me in the comments below.  Have a great day!