I’m listening to the kids play outside for what has to be going on their 3rd or 4th hour now and I smiling as do every time I hear those joyful summer noises. It has been almost exactly 6 months to the day that we moved into our new home and neighborhood. My very first blog post was about an hour before the moving trucks came to transport us here. And that day was such a sign of our lives to come. We had roughly 5 families of friends helping to move us in, organizing our kitchen and making sure we didn’t lose our minds. My parents came in with hoagies and a couple cases of beer and slowly backed out. It was being handled. And what has transpired since that day has been nothing short of awesome. The home is our dream home. And I could go on about the fun we’ve had making decorating decisions and the way too much money we’ve spent seeing those plans through. But what I’ve realized in the past few weeks of summer is that although all four of us love this home, it’s the neighborhood that will most specifically change our lives. It already has.
This summer has been filled witjh endless outdoor play with the neighbors. Not even touching on the many of our closest friends who live within a mile of our home, which, in a few words, has been ridiculously fun. However, in the most adjacent of houses, we have 8 kids total. 4 boys and 4 girls. The age span in roughly 8 years from youngest to oldest. When they weren’t at the pool or at the beach, all of these kids have been outdoors together. From first thing in the morning til it’s time to come in for rests and dinner. And they all play together. Screens have been at a minimum for us this summer and that is nothing short of miraculous given the amount of time we’re home.
They’re inventive and creative. They laugh and scream, and inevitably someone cries. Usually my son. But they’re out there doing water sports, learning to ride Ripstik’s together, playing hide and go seek, card games like War and coming up with many of their very own versions of jail break and kick the can. Their favorite is one they call “territory.” There are ice pops, juice boxes, bowls of Cheez-Its and popcorn. And lots and lots of sunkissed faces. It’s the childhood we had and we are so very thrilled to have moved to a place we can give that gift to them.
This picture is their summer. Ryan and Casey are so grateful to have met all of these wonderful kids. But it’s Henny and I who are feeling the most blessed.
