.The last, sweet days of summer.

I really can't believe that the Fall is upon us.  Here are a few pictures from the last bit of the sticky summer that we got to enjoy.  Luckily we're off to Savannah for a bit, and that doesn't seem like such a bad way to bring in my favorite season.

.Let it rain.

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.

.Author Unknown.

.What I know to be true.

Three things I know to be true-

One. Apathy is one of the most dangerous things to possess.  When one has no passion, no sense of greater purpose or meaning, they are like a hollow shell floating and drifting along, carried only by the fickle current.

Two. The easiest, yet still incredibly powerful form of therapy is a trip outdoors.  A long walk somewhere new, a bike ride across town, a swim that gives you goose bumps, a sunset that colors the sky to look like a painting, a car ride with the breeze tickling your skin.

Three. Discount people just because of their age, background, or appearance, and miss out on the richness and complexity of life through listening to stories different from your own.  Learn lessons all along the journey, not just in your own back yard.

What is it that you know to be true?

P.S. Post inspired by the beautiful poet Sarah Kay's TED Talk entitled "If I should have a daughter."

.Fade away.

For when you are so close, you can sit in a comfortable, companioned silence each with your own thoughts, sharing tidbits along the way... drinking coffee alongside with the newspaper in one hand and Pandora on in the background, hearing the rest of the world slowly waking too...

... or finding new paths to walk onwards, stopping every so often for baby to explore... and you have to sit and thank God for using nature as just an example of his splendor...

... these are some of my favorite moments of marriage because relationships don't always have to be about the talking, but in also the listening and in the quiet reflection with your most cherished friend.  Then add the baby noises of play in the background, and all the week's stresses seem to fade away for a long while.

.Parenting.

Let their ambitions, housework, or hobbies, become a higher priority than parenting, and they begin to view their children as annoying interruptions. This attitude guarantees failure, frustration, and anger. Only by reordering priorities and recognizing that parenting is a highly demanding, full time job, will there be any hope for decent results and the absence of frustration. Give up everything else if you have to, and undertake the world’s most important and fulfilling job to the best of your ability.

.Raising Godly Tomatoes.

P.S. This quote posted on the beautiful instagram feed of Kristin Rogers.  I'm now inspired to read this book in its entirety.
P.P.S.  Vintage sailor outfit previously belonging to "da-da."

.On following your dreams.

People these days do a lot of talking, but it has become the exception to the rule to actually do.  We all aim to follow our dreams, but how many of us actually yank, and pull, and grab our dreams by the horns to bring them into realization?

My tenacious and determined brother has made me so proud because he has made the move (at the mere age of 20!) to where he's always felt called to be, The City, the Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps- NYC.  Against essentially every challenge possible thrown at him.

We're so excited to make a trip up there to visit soon and see New York with his eyes.  Congrats brother!  Oh yes, and make sure to check out some of his work here.

P.S. Other stories about my brother and what he does.
P.P.S. Picture Source

.Lately.

Lately after the exhaustingly productive and stressful summer I've had, I've been settling into the 'Fall" nicely.  I don't really know what's changed (maybe my mindset?), but I've been getting better and better at managing my time, therefore decreasing my stress levels.

Lately we've spent as much time as possible outside; biking, walking, eating, playing.  The Fall is welcome, but the long, humid days will be missed.

Lately I've made time to watch movies that have been on my list for ages and read again (could not put down this nail biting novel!).  I've also been listening to these lectures nonstop on my commutes (I found this one, this one, and this one particularly fascinating).

Lately Dylan is talking and talking up a storm, throwing in a few 'real' words in every so often (although I think she may break the world record on how many times you can say "no" in the most cheerful- and secretly hilarious- way). 

Lately I've been considering the lost art of humility, and how a healthy dose of it every now and again would bring us all closer, instead of driving us further apart in bitterness, competition, or annoyance.

Lately, I've been surprised at how much I enjoy teaching, where it actually compares to the love I have for being a therapist.  What an interesting thing to explore for the future.

Lately, it's just felt easier to breathe.  Although I do believe a helpful and encouraging husband and support system have something to do with that.

.Labor Day Weekend.

A weekend made up of an old friend's wedding, staying at the cabin enjoying the simple and quiet, boat rides, and milk mustaches, listening to this soundtrack on repeat, and time on the dock, and fishing, lazy reading, cookouts with friends, sweaty curls, and little boy neighbors with wacky thoughts, humidity-soaked skin, making brownies, and loud, heavy storms.

I didn't miss the 'labor' part at all.