Goodbye summer, hello school, anniversaries, and other fun (7 Quick Takes)

~1~

I don’t ever want summer to end. It’s gone by much too quickly.

I also need summer vacation to end so we can return to more of a routine.

My emotions are always mixed this time of year. Summer is my favorite season, and I want our children to have more time to rest before it all begins again. But I can also see that it is probably time for them—and for all of us—to get back into the rhythm of a new school year.

Let’s see if we can catch the bus on time on the first day.

~2~

Our older son got his learner’s permit! He and I have been circling parking lots together. I am so proud of him and impressed—and not surprised—with the way he is approaching the learning process. It is hard to believe that a child who was riding a plastic train around the living room just the other day is now sitting behind the wheel of our car. But here we are.

I hope I never forget how his face lit up the first time I handed him the keys.

~3~

We have a high-deductible health insurance plan, and we pay out of pocket until we hit the deductible. This year we hit the deductible six weeks into the year. I haven’t thrown a party to celebrate, but I did breathe a large sigh of relief. It feels so good to have the plan shift to being a much-less-expensive PPO for the next 10 ½ months.

I also felt redeemed because I have been saying that I’ve spent a fair amount of the summer sitting in waiting rooms. Apparently, I wasn’t exaggerating.

Everyone is doing just fine, and I’m so grateful for all of that—and thankful to have health insurance, of course.

If you’re still reading, can we laugh for a minute about the fact that I’m so excited about this? Can you tell I’m 47? Yeah, me too.

~4~

We celebrated the 12th anniversary of meeting our younger son this week. He and I spent the day helping his cousin move into college. Even with all of that excitement, though, much of the focus was still on our son.

I surprised him with one of his favorite breakfasts (including a huge vanilla bean frappuccino), we had lunch with two of his favorite cousins and his Aunt Maureen, and he requested hibachi takeout for dinner.

It was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed having some time just with him. I am so thankful to be the mother to two incredible young men. Every age has been the best to parent so far.

I didn’t write a special post for his “Gotcha Day” this year, but here’s one from five years ago.

~5~

Twice in the past few weeks, I’ve received texts from people who saw churches dedicated to St. Rita, thought of me, and stopped to take a photo. I was so touched.

One was from the Shrine to St. Rita in Philadelphia, which has been on my list of places to visit. The photo I’m including here came to me from my sister’s sister-in-law on her trip to Nice, France. I loved that Anna took the photo and sent it my way.

St. Rita is a wonderful saint and a powerful intercessor, and I would feel that way even if we didn’t share a name. But she is a special friend.

~6~

A few weeks ago, we went to the beach as a family of four. It was a lovely week, peaceful and full of the usual beach things. As our children get older, it’s harder to schedule, but it’s also more relaxing while we’re there.

I have wonderful memories of beach trips with toddlers and preschoolers, and I will treasure those always. But we are gathering other great memories now that I will also treasure.

And we still have to work on winning the stuffed animals and eating all the treats and doing every fun thing we can imagine. Is there any reason you can’t have Thrasher’s fries, funnel cake, and Kohr Bros. ice cream on the same day? (This is a hypothetical question. Please don’t actually offer an answer, unless it’s with enthusiastic encouragement.)

~7~

This week was also the 20^th anniversary of the day I met my husband in person for the first time. We had met online in July 2003, but we emailed and chatted by phone for a few weeks before we met in person on that Aug. 23.

We started our date with Saturday evening Mass at St. Mark’s in Catonsville and then went to dinner at Cacao Lane in Old Ellicott City. After Mass, I left my car at his brother’s house nearby, which meant I met some of his family on our first date. It was all very natural and easy.

We were married just a little more than a year later, 19 years ago this September.

Aug. 23 also happens to be John’s parents’ anniversary. They would have been married 71 years this month. Aug. 23 is also the day we finalized our younger son’s adoption in China 12 years ago.

There are people who would see all of that as coincidental, but I find meaning in the specialness of that date for our family. It’s so beautiful how God weaves the tapestry together.

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