Life lately feels full.
Busy. Exciting. A little exhausting. And somehow moving much faster than I’d like.
It's been about a month since school started, and we're settling into a new rhythm. Summer sleep-ins are over, and the early alarms are back. With a new school year came new haircuts, new braces, and a whole lot of growing up. With two boys at the middle school now and one still at the elementary, I can't believe how much has changed after just one summer.
How did we get here?
The almost five years since we moved to Tennessee have truly flown by.
I was a little worried about my youngest starting elementary school without his brothers. He has always had someone there with him. But he has surprised me in the best way. He’s embraced being one of the older kids on campus and is stepping into this new role with confidence.
Now that our days are busy with school, our evenings are full too, with soccer practices and homework.
Soccer has taken over the calendar for my younger two. My middle son recently made the top team at his club, a Pre-MLS Next team, and we couldn’t be more proud of him.
Especially because we know what it took to get there.
Last year brought heel pain, back pain, weeks of recovery, and moments when he seriously considered quitting. Then, in the spring, he broke his arm and still played with a cast (and extra padding).
There were plenty of opportunities to give up.
He didn’t.
Watching his hard work and resilience pay off has been one of the sweetest parts of this season. I hope this experience gives him the confidence to keep working hard, even when things don’t come easily.
My youngest is still a little stud, playing up a year and keeping us on our toes.
And me?
I love being on the sidelines.
I love watching them work hard, learn teamwork, build friendships, and become a little more confident each season. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else—except maybe in two places at once when their games overlap.
Our oldest is finding his own rhythm, too. Sometimes he tags along to his brothers’ games, and other times he’s spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, helping wrap up his cabin build.
There are mornings when I drop the boys off, come home to my quiet house, throw in a load of laundry, start the dishwasher, and sit back down at my computer.
The peace and quiet give me the space to focus and get my work done. I appreciate having uninterrupted time to concentrate and be productive.
But I miss them, too.
I miss the noise. I miss seeing them throughout the day. I miss the little interruptions that I sometimes didn’t appreciate enough when they were happening.
Because this season feels important.
It feels full.
And it feels like it is going by far too quickly.
If I could freeze anything, it wouldn’t be a particular soccer game or a perfect summer day.
It would be the everyday stuff.
All of us enjoying each other’s company. Going to each other’s games. Stopping at the gas station for their favorite snacks. Neighborhood kids coming through the door. Bikes and scooters scattered across the porch because somehow the whole neighborhood has ended up at our house again.
The ordinary days.
The loud days.
The days that don’t seem particularly special while we’re living them.
Those are the days I want to remember.
I don’t want to miss a beat.
I know I can’t slow this season down. So for now, I’m trying to be present for it.
To watch from the sidelines.
To listen to the stories.
To notice the bikes on the porch.
To enjoy the noise.
And to be grateful that this is what our life looks like right now.
