These pictures are really from the other night, but it just seemed to capture the serenity and feeling of tonight!
Tonight I found myself sitting in the grass, as Hallie rode her bike around the circle, marveling at the beautiful summer night. At 75 degrees, it was the perfect temperature to enjoy a night outside. Sure the garden should’ve been weeded, and the flowers watered, perhaps I should have swept off the driveway, but I didn’t do any of it. I sat in the cool freshly cut grass as my energetic two year old ran circles around me. I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was tonight. The fireflies were in full force and there’s nothing better than watching fireflies.My thoughts wandered- making lists of things I need to get done before we leave next week, praying that Hallie’s flip flop wouldn’t catch on the ground as she ran so fast in circles, trying to grasp the reality of another child running around the yard, wishing and hoping that nights like this would never end, remembering back to my childhood and the things I enjoyed doing, feeling as though summer was moving along quicker and trying to come up with ideas to make it last even a week longer!

The feeling I enjoyed most tonight was knowing that I took full advantage of this simple summer night. Sure there are plenty of things left on my list that still need to be done and it will be a mad rush to accomplish it all. But for one short evening it didn’t matter. Hallie ran around and played as if it was her last summer night. I taught her how to feel her heart beat as it seemed to pound out of her chest from running so much. Which made me want to take the whole night and bottle it up in a jar (of course with a couple fireflies!) and hold on to it forever. We’ll never have this exact night again, and already I’m missing it!