The Summer of Nothing. The Summer of Everything.

Hello, friends! I know, I know…things have been very quiet here on the blog. And thank you for checking on me and making sure I’m ok! I’m fine!! Here’s what I’ve been up to.

I decided to take the last two weeks off from projects and blogging. Part of why I did that was out of necessity: my mother was visiting for most of the week, so I couldn’t paint the guest bathroom with her in it! Plus, last weekend we visited Dear Husband’s family, including attending a celebration of his father’s life and accomplishments. It made my heart swell to hear and see what an amazing legacy he created.

This week is the last week before my kids start back to school! I know, right?!? It’s early, but our school system is on what’s called a “balanced calendar,” which means almost year-round school. They have six weeks of school, then a week-long break, then six weeks of school, one week off, and so on, and eight weeks for the summer. I really like this schedule because it allows for breaks during the year that the kids (and teachers, I’m sure!) need. Plus it makes planning vacations easy!

So this week I’ve been focused on spending some quality time with the kiddos. We have gotten our school supplies, met the teachers, mapped out class schedules, cleaned out school clothes and supplies here, and celebrated the end of a fun summer.

I titled this post “The Summer of Nothing. The Summer of Everything,” because that kind of sums up these last two weeks and, really, the entire summer. My kids went to a total of three weeks’ worth of camp, but otherwise they were home. Rather than have them scheduled to the hilt for the entire eight weeks, I wanted them to have a break where they could just do nothing.

And what I realized during that do-nothing time is that my kids are really growing. I’m not going to get into a sap-fest, “wow! how much they’ve grown,” “slow down time” moment, but sometimes you have to slow things down to really see what’s around you.

For D, who is going into middle school now, he is really maturing. He has gone from a tentative, cautious little kid into a mature, willing-to-take-more-of-a-risk pre-teen. This summer, he did things that his younger self would not have done, including going to sleep-away camp, doing a tree-climbing day-trip, and just generally taking on more responsibility.

For M, she is healthy and growing. For those of you who are new here, M has Crohn’s Disease and was only diagnosed last year. Before her diagnosis, at age 8, she weighed 45 lbs. and looked sick. She felt awful and had no energy. Now that she’s on medication, she’s gained nearly 25 lbs., she’s grown almost 2 inches, and she has more energy than ever. She has crushed two 5K races, and made the elite soccer team (first team) for her league.

So, this summer, I wanted to celebrate and wallow in all that. We have done fun activities together this summer, including having lunch at famous Atlanta places that we’ve never been to (including a quest for the best fried chicken in town – Busy Bee Cafe!), traveling a little, and just generally hanging out together. I realize that it’s probably one of the last summers before teenage-dom kicks in and the kiddos will want to hang with someone other than me, so I’m lapping it up while I can.

As for the blog, on Monday, I’ll start back to blogging about the projects I am working on in my home and elsewhere. I can’t wait to start the guest bathroom project back up, and I think I may have solved the wainscoting problem. This summer, I also worked on the front office of my daughter’s former elementary school, and I still need to finish up the shed and tell you about that project!

And I’ve been thinking about what I need to work on for the rest of this year. First, I need to fix some things that have been lingering for some time. We’ve now been in this house for two years (as of next week) and I feel the need to take stock of what needs to be done and just do it. Things like patching holes in the wall and touching up paint, fixing some loose cabinet doors, cleaning out closets, etc. As always, my list of projects is a mile-long and, when I can share something useful or pretty or both about those projects, I will.

One of my favorite things to do periodically in my home is to “shop” my home. In other words, redecorate the rooms, but with the stuff I already have. Anything that I’m tired of or I just don’t want out anymore will go in the attic or be donated or sold. I have been itching to do this all summer, and this fall is going to be the time that I get it done.

I know that there has been an ebb and flow to my blogging since last year at this time. Since last August, Bear died, Dear Husband’s dad was ill, M was going through tests and finally got the Crohn’s diagnosis, and the house was having all kinds of problems (water, mold, leaks). There were days when I thought blogging would save me. There was days that I thought blogging wasn’t worth it. I know that’s true of any job, but my blog is more than that. Yes, it’s my job and my business, but it’s also where we talk about our homes and sometimes our lives and I get the amazing chance to talk about my passions: DIY, decor, and repurposing.

I think that, after the past year, August 1 to August 1, I needed time to breathe. To just be. To hug my babies who aren’t babies anymore and to appreciate the blessings we are so fortunate to have in our lives. That’s what these last two weeks have been about.

Next week, the kids go to school and I go back to work. I’ll show you what I’ve decided to do for the guest bathroom and take you on the journey of how I do it. We’ll get back to talking about DIY, decor, and repurposing. I’ve got another Habitat for Humanity class coming up in the fall, and I’ve got tons of articles on Mohawk Homescapes (from pallet projects to caring for cast iron and more) and now the American Rug Craftsmen blog to tide you over until I write over here.

I want to thank you, friends, for reading this blog, for supporting me, and for helping to create and sustain this community we’ve created.

Have a great weekend!