Isn’t it funny how the weeks leading up to the 4th of July seem to be the slow days of summer? Once the 4th hits, I feel like I blink and it’s nearly August every single year. Even as a child I remember this feeling.

Our days around here have been full(for most of us anyway). My older teenagers are working all day and living their best lives while my youngest is in that in between stage of slow, summer days filled with doing whatever from bike rides to Legos. I’ve been working hard to balance and juggle all the things(work, home, workout, beach, write, eat, sleep, repeat). Meanwhile my hubby gets to come home after an unexpected and busy 96 hour shift.

Change is on the horizon for our family as we prepare to launch our oldest out into the college life at the beginning of September. I know a lot of the remainder of our summer will be spent preparing(shopping and packing) for that. But as always, I have hopes that we will have some intentional family time. I planned Sunday family dinners(which we have managed to do once so far), we have three birthdays coming up to celebrate together, and a family trip in a few weeks that will celebrate my dad’s life and also give us some family time.

As I’ve said many times before in my writing about the fire life, if we aren’t intentional about spending time together it won’t magically happen. Sometimes we are all home and it is a completely unplanned family dinner which is lovely. But those times are few and far between now. This time is passing by fast and with the change that is coming, time is precious. We need to put the family time on the calendar as well as the date nights(which I was planning until the 96 happened).

I know that I can’t control the clock and I know I can’t spend all of the time with my family, but I’m trying to re-focus my brain on what is most important when we are together, whether it is all 5 of us at a time or just 2 or 3. And what is most important is showing love to one another. It’s not barking orders about the chores that need to get done. It’s not making anyone feel guilty for not being around. It’s love, it’s making memories, it’s the ordinary days and nights that fill our lives, and most importantly it’s the love of Jesus and Jesus in me that I want to shine on my family. We all need to slow down a bit and allow the calm into our lives even in the chaos.

It doesn’t matter whether you travel or stay close to home this summer season. Whether your spouse is working long hours, traveling, gone for days…Be intentional with your time and your people in your everyday. That’s the stuff that matters.

Beach day