Week 4: Write a diary entry, dated 10 years in the future.

9-12-2027

The kids started school this week and it is quiet in the house for the first time in many months. I love all the adventure summer brings with my kids. I love all the time spent outdoors exploring, and the evenings around the fire pit. I love the carelessness and flexible schedules. Yet, when those short months are over, we are all in need of a routine once again. There is a reason summer has to come to an end and school must begin. Not to mention, it is so fun to once again go back-to-school shopping and relive the excitement of getting a new trapper keeper (if those even exist anymore) and fresh pencils with rainbow erasers. We need the months of relaxed fun, yet we thrive when there is more structure.

Nevertheless, I am soaking in the quiet of our home this morning, and missing the chaos all at once. Everett is 10 this year. I cannot believe my first born is in the double-digit years already. It really does go too fast and I live in a constant tug-of-war in wanting to keep him an innocent child forever, but also wanting to adequately prepare him for his teen years that are just around the corner.

This year brings a lot of excitement for Tim and I as well. I am hoping to finally get my book published that I have been working on for several years now. I want to be published by age 40 and the clock is ticking!

Tim and I are also planning an anniversary trip! Married on the 13th, and 13 years later we have A LOT to celebrate.

We have grown a lot as a family over the last 10 years. Not only in numbers, but in character. I am proud of the way we work hard every day to be healthy communicators, and raise healthy communicators. It has not been all together easy, but we have so much to be grateful for. We have grown in our faith, patience, mercy, and compassion. I pray that growth never ceases.

I hope the next 10 years brings even more wisdom for us as we learn to lean on Christ EVEN more, love each other EVEN deeper, and do our best to train our children to do the same.