Another Summer Gone...

I say this every Memorial weekend.  Every May when Jonathan and I are enjoying our anniversary (which always comes around Memorial weekend) I tell him that before we know it, it will be Labor Day weekend and the entire summer will have flown by in a blur.  And this summer wasn't any different.

It's hard to believe that we started the summer with my brother's wedding.  It was a beautiful weekend filled with great memories.  And life seemed perfect that weekend.  Being with all my family.  Seeing my sister with her husband and watching my brother commit his life to an amazing woman that I love like a sister.

If only I would have known that I only had precious few weeks left with my son.  If only I could have cherished a little more the coming three weeks of my pregnancy.  None of us had any idea that our lives were about to be turned upside down.  But then, when does anyone really get a warning about these kinds of things?

This is the only "belly" picture I have of my son.  I remember telling my sister that I needed a belly shot as I was already past my first trimester and usually try to get a shot for at least three, six, and nine months.  I'm so thankful I have this picture.

I remember shortly after Matthew died thinking that life would drag on.  Wondering what I had to look forward to.  Some days my kids were the absolute only reason I got myself out of bed.  I remember thinking that the summer would take so long to get through.  Every minute of the day seemed to move in slow-motion.  But life has a way of moving on.  And time has a way of flying by...whether you're having fun or not.  But we did have fun this summer.  We were able to do so many things.  I was able to spend so much time with my family--time that we wouldn't normally have.  But my parents and sister took days (weeks even!) out of their schedule to be with me when I needed it most.  Staying busy helped the time pass.  Our summer was filled with trips to the beach and the zoo, lots of birthday celebrations, and mini-vacations.  We created so many wonderful memories.

And now the summer has ended and our oldest son has started kindergarten.  How is that even possible??  He is growing up so fast.

I'm glad that even though this summer was not at all how we thought it would be, even though we dealt with the greatest tragedy our family has ever faced, we were able to still live.  We made it through the summer and our kids still had fun.  So yeah, another summer has come and gone.  And time isn't slowing down for anything.  And I have learned to live every day, enjoy every moment, soak in every blessing, because we are never guaranteed tomorrow...