Sweet Summer Time

After fourth of July summer came into full swing, as it usually does in the PNW. We have had weather in the 90's for the past couple of days (that is hot hot HOT for here) and its planning on staying in the high 80's for the rest of the week, ah! So far summer has been full of nannying way too much, wedding planning, making pie for friends, watering the garden, patiently waiting for the blackberries to bloom, avoiding the spiders who have taken over our yard, evening bike rides, and jumps in the lake. I am already making a good dent in my book list (almost done with To Kill a Mockingbird, but I am savoring every bit of it).
This summer is a unique one, considering I am getting married in a month. I am working really hard to stay present and to be honest, I haven't been succeeding lately. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the future, in fact it is almost habit. What lies ahead when we come home after our honeymoon is unknown to me and I am trying to be okay with that. Mike is great about keeping me focused on our present joys and I am so thankful for him. So I will soak in this moment and enjoy eating my cherries, listening to this tiny desk concert, and writing this blog post. Here are just a few things from summer that I am grateful for:

Peaceful walks with inspiring friends who keep me dreaming

Early morning serenades from the beautiful composer that I will soon get to call my husband

Sunset sails at Golden Gardens

Pretty things in the places I nanny

Flowers and gardens from the neighborhood

Finishing good books and sneaky pictures of the neighbor's house

Pretty views from the places I nanny

Blessed thrift store find and lazy afternoons in the hammock

More reading in the park

A peony from our garden. They all went away by mid-June, but now we have Dahlias and Hydrangeas blooming like crazy.