August

I always think of August like a Sunday.  You don't want it to end, because that means the end of the summer....just like the end of Sunday means back to work.  It's a little different for me these days, with my summer work schedule the same as the rest of the year (home with the kids Mondays and Tuesdays).  But I still can't shake that feeling of wanting August to slow down-- even though settling into the lazy pace of summer somehow causes the summer clock to pick up speed.

It's my birthday in August, which is hard to reconcile without Mike.  I'm having to actively calculate the years to know how old I am.  Just like Emily's age--always a little baby in Mike's arms--I feel forever 37.  How can I possibly grow older than Mike?  I have lost my benchmark.

As the summer rolls by, we've got a bunch of 'must dos' yet...we've just finished a visit up to the Schooley cottage in Invercairn, near Sarnia (the length of the trip with 2 small kids questions my sanity each year.. but it is always a wonderful feeling while we are there);  more cottage time with the Naults (including water adventures!);  blueberry picking;  a visit to Santa's Village (yes, this is a right-of-passage if you live near Barrie!); back to school prep (still a novelty for us).  We think of Mike through our adventures and talk about him often, thinking about what he would have done, what he would have liked, and feeling his constant presence and love.