Summertime!

How’s your summer going?

A seemingly innocent question frequently asked when you run into people or catch up after awhile. I don’t know about you but I’ve been asked that several times in the past few weeks and to be honest, I immediately feel this pressure to say something wild and crazy, exciting and adventurous. As if that is what is expected.

But the truth? Our family is not wild, crazy, exciting or adventurous! Maybe we used to be a little more but these days we are very low-key. Homebodies, if you will. We have no money for excited, exotic vacations. I have no desire to post the latest, most-excited pictures of our adventures on Facebook just so I can get a bunch of “likes” to make me feel better. (although, who doesn’t feel good about all the “likes?!”)

Our summertime is going well. It isn’t exciting. It isn’t very adventurous. It isn’t up-to-standard. But it’s us. 

We have been swimming several times at a friend’s pool. We have been having playdates at parks or people’s houses. We have celebrated a couple of birthdays. We went camping for one night the weekend after Samuel’s birthday (just our family!) We make a day trip to Dayton to meet some friends at a museum and spent a day at COSI with them this weekend. We occasionally go to different farmer’s markets on the weekend together. We catch up with family and friends via FaceTime or phone calls. The kids are doing VBS this week.

We also have days where we “hide out.” We don’t answer the phone. We just stay home and read, play legos, organize messy spaces, watch a movie or play Wii. We play our new favorite board game “Survive” as a family. We putter around in our garden and get a thrill every time we discover a new giant zucchini or some ripe tomatoes! We grill out sometimes. I am practicing my new Paleo baking skills so I can feed my family occasional treats:) Ben and I have even gotten to go on a date this summer, thanks to Grandma!

I want to learn not to feel that pressure to “keep up with the Jones’s, not materially speaking but even in what we “do.” I just want to be us and be okay with that.

So, if you ask me what we’re up to this summer…..we’re just hanging out and being “the Thomas’s.” And that’ okay with us:)