And we're off again!

Violet and I are packed and ready for our third and final trip of the summer. Today we leave for Kansas City, where we will visit with Kathy and Jess and their girls for a few days and, hopefully, see some of the sights. I've never been to that part of the country before and am excited to visit and to meet our internet friends. Hopefully I'll be able to post a photo and a story or two while we're there.

We have had such a marvelous summer. I love being at home with Violet. We've eaten well, played lots and my soul has done a lot of healing from the battering it had taken. I feel like myself again (I know I keep saying that but it feels like such an incredible gift to have me back.) I hate to think of it but our beautiful summer is almost gone. Less than a week after our return home I'll be back at work and Violet will be back at what we affectionately refer to as "Mimi School."

I hope as we make the shift back to school year life we will take some of the gifts of summer with us. I've made a list of New (School) Year Resolutions that basically focus on that. I want to continue eating well and taking the time to really "be" with Violet. It's such a challenge to do both of those things when we're getting home after 4:00 every day and I'm fried from teaching but I'm committed to working at it. Feeding our bodies and our souls is, after all, the most important thing.

Here's a favorite photo of mine from summer. I've complained before about the lack of good photos of Violet and I together (Kathy promises she'll get some good ones this week) but this is one I took myself one morning before we left to go have breakfast with our friend Allison. It was one of those lovely, carefree mornings of summer with the expanse of the day ahead of us and anything we wanted on the agenda. This one is going on the refrigerator because it's exactly how I want to feel about life as we head back into the school year.