We had a wonderfully lazy summer…or so I thought. For the majority of the last three months, I stayed off of social media. I was blissfully unaware of what the rest of the world was doing! I focused on my family and my local community and it was so good. But with school around the corner, I dusted off my Instagram account, scrolled to catch up, and quickly became riddled with guilt.
Families were going on amazing trips. Homeschool moms were schooling through the summer. Ladies were baking and crafting and just generally being productive and awesome.
Our summer was nowhere near that exciting. And in just a few scrolls, our wonderfully lazy summer suddenly seemed boring and lame. Why does social media have the power to make you feel like you aren’t enough? After a significant amount of internal scolding, I decided to pull myself out of that ridiculousness and make a list of the things I did do. Here’s my humble list of summertime wins for 2018:
+ The kids and I learned how to make strawberry jam from scratch with my mom
+ I started baking sourdough bread
+ Mark and I went on a date (!!), the first time in over a year
+ We roasted marshmallows at dusk
+ I painted the front and side doors and finished half of the shutters
+ We hosted friends and family for playdates and celebrations
+ I flew on an airplane alone and spent a long weekend with extended family and my new baby cousin
+ We bought an ice cream maker and made our own dessert
+ I finally finished the paint touch-ups in the living room
+ We surprised the kids with an adventure to the Metro Richmond Zoo and Zaxby’s
+ I went through my Big White Farmhouse office, organized and gave away things, and brought the bookcase up to the school room
+ We hung twinkling lights on the back porch and installed a dinner bell
+ I ran consistently and started making significant progress on my speed and endurance
+ We played baseball and football and ultimate frisbee in the front yard
+ I read 13 books
+ We committed to hardcore debt reduction and were able to pay off over $1,000
+ I started a little reselling side business that’s proving to be fun and lucrative
+ We laughed and played and enjoyed each other’s company
Turns out that our simple summer wasn’t so bad after all.
You know what they say. I if your handed lemons, make lemonade. I think you did that. Always a joy to read your blog.
So true – this was definitely a season for simplicity and rest and we made the most of it! Beautiful and needed in its own way.
Thank you for reading!
It's so funny, because i follow your blog and often (very often actually) think to myself " Man she is so organized, and does so much. How does she find all the time and energy!!" So never sell yourself short!!
Productivity is really relative, isn't it? I hold myself to a standard I'd never ask of another person and I ebb and flow in fighting that silly tendency. Thank you for the reminder that this life is good enough – and I am too!
I'm sorry comparison hit you hard! I have so been there.
Just know that whenever my four were driving my bonkers this summer, I would think of you with six and "compare" thinking, "Ashley is surviving with two more than you have! You can do it!" 🙂
I don't typically struggle with comparison, so it was definitely unnerving! Thank goodness focusing on gratitude turned that attitude right around.
First of all, I love reading your blog! Secondly, I completely understand looking at Instagram and feeling like everyone else is having fun and you've haven't really done much of anything. I really struggle with this in the summer as my husband has a job that he can't get away in the spring or summer for any family vacations (he works 6 days a week….12-14 hour days). It can be hard, but I also love just the simplicity of it and I know come fall, we'll have more time together and can take vacation when everyone else is back and school (and places are less crowded 😊)!
Yes! What's so silly is that we intentionally CHOSE to "do" summer this way! We felt similarly to you: a summer of simplicity while we attacked our debt, so we could then take vacations and adventures in the near future. I hate that comparison made me lose sight of that goal.
Thanks so much for reading!