Transitions

The last couple weeks have been a wonderful wrap-up to this summer, and now we are all in a time of transition.  Soon we will find ourselves with new schedules, new daily routines, new challenges, new victories, etc.  There has been a little stress and anxiety over all of this change, and I recognize that making a transition into new things is very critical.

My sister, Eden, has been visiting this past week, and it has been very nice to have her.  Her visit sort of marked the "end" of summer for me, and also signaled my transition back to work and on with a new routine with work, school, and the children.  

Audrey is a bit nervous about her first year in her new school and the overall experience of kindergarten.  We talk a lot about learning about new people and how to move in a new building.  We have visited her school and will get to meet her teacher in a couple days, too.  All of these little things will help her transition into her new experiences.

Transitions and change are constantly eroding our old layers of living, only to reveal the new layers of life soon to be experienced.  The thing about transitions and change that scare some people is not the newness of things, but having to release the familiar and let go of old habits.  I am excited about another school year, and looking forward to enjoying new students and seeing my school thrive another year.  I feel angst about leaving the comfortable days of summer with my daughters.  I am more curious about the things that will happen when change occurs than anything.  It is the comfort in knowing what I already have that makes it difficult to fully embrace a new layer of life.

As we move forward, it is a certainty that things will continue to change, and life will evolve whether I am content or not.  As we press on in this short time we are given, I do my best to embrace the change while appreciating the present moment for as long as it lasts.  I know that transitioning to a new set of rules and expectations is a challenging prospect, but with it comes excitement and new experiences that would not be present in the past.  So we are looking forward to all of this change with a feeling of gratitude and anticipation, and at the same time acknowledging it is not an easy thing to dig through to a new layer in life.

-a 

Aunt Eden helps Audrey organize her library.

The girls show Aunt Eden around Brookfield Zoo!

We open the latest gold panning trophy from Uncle Michael!

Brother/Sister selfie.

Audrey captures a toad while visiting South Bend.

Audrey take another riding lesson , this time on Penny the horse.

Audrey pets Bold, the goat, after her lesson.

Walking Penny to the arena.

Audrey enjoys the shark slip-'n-slide with Uncle Mark.

Audrey and Uncle Fred play on a crazy contraption on a playground in Deerfield, IL.  Uncle Fred is visiting from Richmond, VA!  

Violet and Uncle Stuart discuss life on the playground.

Aunt Eden, Violet, and Audrey.  

Taking a rest before heading home for nap time.  It was a good day.  Tomorrow is another adventure.