Tail End of Summer

This blog has been quiet, partly due to the fact that my camera has officially died.

Before that happened, I took this picture of my kiddos + my sweet nephew, Kayden. We took the kids on a hot, sweaty, dusty zoo trip in late June. I remember it being hot, but it must have been cooler than it is now, because from where I'm sitting, I can't fathom willingly walking around outdoors for hours on end, pushing 60+ lbs of kids in a stroller.

It is hot. So hot that even our neighborhood pools, whose waters have baked in the scorching sun for months, provide little relief. As I type, I am packing up for a family trip to New York City for Aunt April's wedding. The highs will be in the mid-80's, and we are giddy at the thought of wearing our sweaters in the mornings.
Summer is almost wrapping up. Next week we start school.

Samuel will be in 6th grade, Elijah in 1st. As I am selecting sports teams and mapping out our weekly schedule, I am two parts excited about the newness of this schoolyear and all that it will bring, one part sad for the flexibility and relaxation (read: laziness) this summer has brought us.

Until then, here at the Zimel house we have weekend travels, school supplies, open houses, and maybe even some last-minute playdates.  Enough to make us thankful for summertime and excited for fall.