Bug and Bean: Oh Summer, I will miss you

I realize that I did not do a very good job posting at all this summer. I also haven't been sewing too much either. I was totally sew-crazy in the spring, after I finished up my first Washi (must post soon!) I kind of lost steam other than a few kids sundresses. I know it almost sounds cliche, but we were so busy this summer! Between me working, or having the kids alone while Greg was gone, taking vacations, camping, friends visiting, and basically fitting in every possible beach day that I could muster in a ten-week span it has felt busy, but good busy. (And I am NOT done with beach days yet!!) It has felt at times hectic, but mostly quite good. Summer is definitely my favorite season. The lakes and the ocean call to me and feed my soul, as do all the social visits and lazy family time outside, and basically just opening the windows and breathing and living OUT instead of IN. Having a newborn two out of the last three summers I did not get to enjoy those summers to their fullest to say the least! This summer I was itchin' to do it all. Not that you can do it all with little kids for sure, they really do need a different rhythm than adults can handle, and we had our fair share of melt downs due to late nights, too much sun and no naps, and I did have to be sensitive to their needs. When we did have down time I even found myself much less inclined to do any play dates so the girls could just have quiet mama time breathing IN at home. Claire is not going to preschool this fall but she is signed up for a couple of classes, and although on a hot, humid day such as today it doesn't feel like summer is over, the cooler and shorter nights tell me it is coming, as do the scheduled music and tumbletime classes starting up soon! I plan to get in at least one more beach day (or morning as it is really for us) and hopefully one more canning session. (Cucumber relish?)
To make up for my lapse of posts this summer here is summer smorgasboard of pictures from summer 2013!

We rented a lake house in New Hampshire since I love lake houses! Hopefully a new family tradition! I read almost all of Michael Pollan's COOKED while there, and still haven't finished the last section I have left in the last two months!

Shhh! Don't wake up the baby!

Bug bites and watermelon = Summer!

Loungin' with my mom and our water baby (She's eating more watermelon!)

Somebody was a little too fearless walking in the water alone!

Camping at Crawford Notch Campground, hiking up to Arethusa Falls

Ahhh my love of water apparently extends to rivers and waterfalls

A few minutes of independent hiking

Our blackberry bush was prolific this year! We still can't walk outside without Amelia diving towards the bushes

One mom, one toddler, one baby at Willard beach.... exhausting! Always worth it for the two minutes I get alone (sort of) to breathe and look out on the ocean