The nights have been cool enough to sleep with the windows open this past week and we are all enjoying the respite from the intense humidity of most of August.  Although I know that I’ll be pinning to be wrapped in the warm stickiness of August come, oh, about mid-February, I have to admit I am starting to look forward to Fall.  Summer is definitely my favorite season, but Fall is probably a close second. In the past couple of years I’ve grown to love especially the abundance of winter squash during this season. And wearing a t-shirt and jeans with maybe a sweatshirt for the cool mornings feels so great.  Plus, there is nothing like running outside in the fall. I’m planning on running a 5K (with Team ACC!) in October and look forward to these cool mornings for training!

So I was inspired this week by Megan at sortacrunchy to do some reflection on what’s been going on this month.  So here is what I’ve been into recently:

On My Nightstand

Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace by Anne Jackson…I’ve been so excited for this to come out and have been following Anne’s blog for quite awhile. Keep an eye out for a review of this book. So far, I’m really liking what I’m reading! Also, in the car on the commute I’ve been listening to A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God. My accountability group will be going through this this fall and after our women’s retreat last weekend where my good friend Kar recommended it I dug it out again from the college book box.  If you haven’t read this you need to!

Want To Read

Positive Discipline for Preschoolers: For Their Early Years–Raising Children Who are Responsible, Respectful, and Resourceful …got this on interlibrary loan after hearing it highly recommended from several sources. It’s due back and the end of next month, so I’d better get going on it! Am hoping for some helpful tips in navigating this sometimes challenging age!

T.V. Show Worth Watching:

Umm…not into much right now. I don’t watch much TV in general unless 24 is on.

Movie I’ve Seen (in or out of the theater)

I finally watched Julie & Julia a few weeks ago one night when the Husband was at work. Not that I’m going to start learning to cook French food, but it was a fun movie and I love anything food related!

In My Kitchen

With the busyness of end of summer and starting back to school, I am in love with my crockpot. I think I made three meals from this website in the last week alone.

In My Ears

Chris Tomlin.  I won free tickets to see him in concert this month and have been so encouraged and refreshed by his music.

Three Newest Blog Reads

Honestly, I’ve been convicted that I’ve been spending way too much time reading blogs and browsing on-line. So this month I did a clean out of my Google Reader feed.  I’m only keeping up with blogs of IRL friends and a couple of  others that encourage and really challenge me.  So these three aren’t the Newest blogs, but they are what I need right now.

• There is Megan at sortacrunchy, which I mentioned above
• I’ve been enjoying Ann Voskamp at Holy Experience. Sometimes I like to go to her blog just to listen to her music. Her writing is so poetic and challenges me to keep looking to the Source for all things in life.
• Finally, Anne Jackson’s blog, Flowerdust.net is the only other blog I’m following right now, but I’ve been reading her’s for awhile, too. I really like her “Merton Monday’s” and its starting to inspire me to read some Thomas Merton…one day!

What I’m Looking Forward to Next Month

I’m super excited for our annual camping trip to Mirror Lake, WI with a group of families from the Husband’s hometown.  We always go the weekend after Labor Day and its great. I love camping in a group as everybody takes a meal so you actually get to relax for several of the meals!!  And the other families also have kids around our kids ages so they love playing together and are on somewhat of the same schedules with needing naps, etc.

Even though I missed posting this on Friday, it was a super special moment as my boy left for his first day of preschool!

(more moments at soulemamma)

Tomorrow officially is “back-to-school” for us. The Husband’s first day of grad school class is tomorrow and we have Mr. G’s preschool open house in the evening. Mr. G starts on Friday.  Like many I am both happy and sad for the end of summer. I am ready to get back to the routine of school but sad that the warmer days are fading and all the sweetness of summer is coming to an end. I’m glad that we still have many more weeks of CSA’s and Farmer’s Markets…but the steady march to the frozen deadness of winter continues. Not going to think about that now, though!

Time for sleeping!

(more moments at soulemamma)

Lonely and alone feel like to very different things to me, especially in these days of raising young children.  I am rarely alone (except for tonight when everyone else in my family is in bed because they are sick) but I often feel lonely.  And the thought occurred to me after watching this video that perhaps I feel more lonely when I have not been spending much time with myself or with my God.  Henri Nouwen talks about solitude being like a furnace where we come face to face with Jesus and allow him to transform us.  I think I’m feeling worn down lately and need some transformational solitude, to dive into lonely and find myself and my God again.

(more moments at soulemamma)

-Amy Carmichael

We’ve been busy this summer with lots of activities…I will do an update post soon. And now we are started to get ready for school this fall. Yes, Mr. G and Daddy will be headed back to school. Mr. G will be in 3 day preschool and Daddy will be back at Wheaton Graduate School for his last semester. It will be a busy fall, but I plan on enjoying these last few weeks of summer.  Hope you are too!