Summer wind down...

As the minutes inch by and the first day of school comes closer and closer, the girls are sucking the last few moments of complete and utter freedom out of the summer. The weather is cooperating beautifully to allow a rousing neighborhood game of hide and seek to play out before the bedtime routines begin again. The discussion has already occurred out our house regarding bedtimes and afterschool duties as we try to get back into the swing of scheduled life. As sad as it makes me to see my girls growing one year further away from being my babies, I can't say I'm not looking forward to routines and schedules again. If things go according to plan, my days can be spent taking care of the mundane chores and paperwork that go hand in hand with having a family and a business. And then once the girls return home from their long day at the office, I will be properly recharged and ready to fully participate in our lives together.

With summer coming to a close, we did our best to take moments together and make moments together. The past few weeks we have been busy not being busy. We've been wearing our butterfly wings to mow the lawn (well, WE haven't, more accurately Lily "Zsa Zsa" Jane has been)...

We spent a lovely afternoon at the zoo, watching the monkeys... and being the slightest bit disgusted by their behavior... Feeding the various creatures...
Posing for pictures upon request while feeling very uncomfortable about the close proximity of those attack geese but not letting it show through in the picture because of the professionalism of the models... celebrating the birth of the new baby giraffe... Requesting for photos to be taken at favorite zoo landmarks... And just overall enjoying a relaxing afternoon together... Lily has spent a few minutes practicing for her first date with our neighbor...
And then it was time for our big night out~our what I hope is an annual affair~dinner at Minerva's and a stroll through beautiful downtown...
Ella couldn't have been more pleased about the big, juicy burger that was placed in front of her and did her best to take it down. She conquered half and the other half made a lovely leftover snack...

Following dinner, it was time to enjoy a little culture and appreciate the arts by participating in the Sculpture Walk...

The girls tried their hands at being a sculpture...

But the completely still, inactive life just isn't for them and they were quickly back to their animated selves...

They stopped a moment to do a little window shopping which was quickly followed by a request to return to this exact spot sometime in the very near future when this particular shop was open for business...

Friday was spent picnicking and playing at the park, a true summer favorite...

And here we are, with the countdown truly on. While we may not have squeezed every last drop out of the summer that we possibly could have, we gave it our best shot. There were so many ups and, inevitably, a few downs but all in all, I'd say it was another summer vacation worth remembering. The gift of time together is one like no other; irreplaceable, unforgettable and more precious than words or even pictures can say.

And because of this wonderful gift of time, it is my hope that tomorrow morning when the alarms start ringing and the sadness and anxiety begin to creep in, you will know that even when we are not together, you girls are always with me. And that even with the fights and the stress and the discipline that come with togetherness, more than anything, there is love, there is pride and there is joy.

Thank you to my beautiful girls for being your wonderful, if at times exasperating, selves. You are my greatest teachers, challenges, inspirations and most of all, loves.