(tap, tap)

Is this thing on?

I'm not sure how many visitors I've been having lately...I waffle about my privacy settings every couple of months and make my blog public and then panic a little and switch it back to private. And ever since Facebook took over the world, I unintentionally began to neglect my blogging and blog-visiting. Then the move took over our little world for an entire month. It turns out that moving "around the corner" is just as difficult as moving around the world. That's possibly an exaggeration.

But I'm trying to make a come back! July and August have been great months for us, the heat besides. We are settling into our nooks and crannies and just enjoying empty spaces, to be perfectly honest. I have no desire to buy anything that remotely resembles future clutter. We have all this great closet space all over the house and yet I'm more intolerant of clutter than ever before. History can not repeat itself!!!

We are all head over heels in love with our new house, and we feel so blessed. All brand-newness aside, home is where the heart is, and as I keep reminding the boys "wherever we are together, that is our home."

July brought us a bunch of service workers, a TON of visitors (including key family members who were very helpful in getting us settled), a birthday party and a house blessing. Our adventures in August will be pretty close to home - we are in superhero camp, swim lessons and karate. We stay busy with visitors and trips to the library and pool. The kids have been really content at home this summer, nobody is really anxious to go anywhere. Which is GREAT since I am reading a 1000 page trilogy set in 14th century Norway that I can't put down.

Dominic is into chess, Milo is into dressing up in different costumes several times a day, and Jonas is into everything...but mostly the kids utensil drawer in the kitchen. I am blissfully lost in books, and Bronius is enjoying his work and tinkering with things in the house. This is by far my favorite summer ever.

I am not looking forward to the school year. I know I say this a lot...but I mean it! Every summer I approach with fear and loathing, and then somewhere after June, our family finds its balance and harmony, and the boys start bonding, and I get to see our eldest "unplugged" and we all enjoy soaking up time with him. In one year Milo will be in Kindergarten and so I have GOT to be mindful to care less about every day details and more about showing our kiddos that they come FIRST. The school year always tempts me to be waaaaaaay more productive than I should be. Which explains why the summer just feels so right, I guess.

Thank you Lord for the gift of staying at home with our children, thank you for my husband who works so diligently to afford that luxury for us. Thank you for my healthy family. Thank you for the struggles, big and small, which remind us how much we depend on You. Thank you for our beautiful, new home. I pray it will be filled with family, friends, love, laughter and peace (most of the days, at least). ;) Amen!