Goodbye, September.
Goodbye, summer. You were one for the books, and it makes my heart actually ache to think about how full of adventures you were and how much I'm going to miss you.
Goodbye to surviving my first big hurricane. Cheers to making it work and cheers to (please?) never doing it again.
Goodbye, butter pecan coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. I was late to the game in discovering you, so our time together was short-lived. I look forward to the many summers we will spend together in the future.
Goodbye to a month that taught me, over and over again, that I am way stronger than I think, but that I can't do everything alone. That it's okay to ask for help. That taking a break is so okay. That inviting people into your mess is so, so good.
Hello, October.
Hello, FALL. With your pumpkin spiced everything and cooler (maybe?) nights.
Hello, kickoff of the most magical three months of the year.
Hello, doing more creative writing for fun. You fell off my to-do list this summer (ahem, year) and I really missed you.
Hello, bonfires and apple cider and pumpkin carving. I'm ready for you.
Hello to more adventures, more strength, and more love, always.
What are you saying hello and goodbye to this month?
I love the feeling of a fresh month. I know we get them twelve times a year, but I still think they feel so new and full of possibility and motivation every time they roll around.
So cheers to sending February off and welcoming March with lots of motivation and sunshine.
Goodbye, February.
Goodbye, three days of winter. You tried, Florida, you tried.
Goodbye, going to the store for cleaning supplies. This may not seem like a big deal, but I'm married to someone who works with disgusting stuff in the hospital before coming home, and I have a toddler and a dog. Read: I use a lot of cleaning supplies. I just found out that my favorite Target brand of cleaner (Method) is also sold on Amazon.
If you're a cleaning supplies junkie like me, this is my favorite one. It makes your house smell like a margarita, so, yes. This one also makes everything smell so fresh and clean.
Goodbye, feeling guilty for not getting more stuff done. I am so over this. I've decided to just stop. I'll let you know if that's how it actually works. If you're in the same boat with me, let me tell you what I've been repeating to myself: If you are doing your best, you are doing enough. There will always be more to do, but spending time feeling guilty only wastes the time that you do have.
Hello, March.
Hello, toddlerhood. Jack can walk now and I don't think it will ever get old or stop being funny. Last night, Chris and I were walking from one room to another and Jack just got up and started walking with us. I laughed so hard, because it just seems so weird! Just three humans walking into a room. I don't think that's going to stop being weird to me anytime soon.
Hello, thankfulness. I kind of touched on this yesterday, but I'm really working hard to make this a season of thankfulness. Our lifestyle (read: Chris being in residency), makes it very easy to be negative and overwhelmed. Really, any lifestyle makes it easy to focus on those things. I think it's up to us to shift our focus and think about the good things, the happy things, the thankful things. Or it's up to me, at least. So I will.
Hello, vacation planning. We are within three months, people. Time to start planning! Any suggestions for good vacations in May/June when you have a one-year-old?
What are you saying goodbye and hello to this month?
GUYS. Tomorrow is December! The most magical month of them all. Our tree is up, the Christmas music is playing non-stop, and I've got the most delicious Christmas candles burning. I am ready to welcome December with open arms!
Goodbye, November.
Goodbye to fall. Ah, the only bad thing about December coming is the end of fall. Goodbye to my first fall with Jack, getting to take him trick-or-treating and to pumpkin patches.
Goodbye to Thanksgiving. Thanks for teaching me you can be different from tradition and still be wonderful. And also that Jack really really likes turkey.
Goodbye to Election year. Good. freaking. riddance.
Goodbye to the worst month of residency yet. I know we will meet again, but I will not miss you one single bit.
Goodbye to a wonderful month of pumpkin spice lattes and perfectly chilly weather. A month that stretched and exhausted me but a month that filled me to the brim with thankfulness.
Hello, December.
Hello to my favorite, most magical month of the whole year.
HELLO CHRISTMAS. Christmas decorations, Christmas music, Christmas movies.
Hello to Jack's first Christmas. Pure magic. Hello to my first time getting to experience the most wonderful time of the year through the eyes of a child and also having someone to blame my Christmas craziness on. It's for the baby!
Hello to getting to spend my favorite month with my favorite baby and my favorite guy. A month full of tradition and presents and cheer. The best month of them all.
What are you saying hello and goodbye to this month?
Goodbye, August.
Goodbye to summer.
Goodbye (hopefully) to weather in the upper 90's. I'll settle for the lower 90's, really.
Goodbye to Gainesville feeling new and temporary. It's home now.
Hello, September.
Hello to that sweet month that hovers somewhere in between summer and fall.
Hello to pumpkin flavored everything.
Hello to more walks around the neighborhood.
Hello to squeezing in all the pool days summer has left...and then going home and baking pumpkin cakes.
What are you saying hello and goodbye to this month?
The magical summer month known as July has come to a close, and when the sun comes up on Monday, it will be bringing August with it! August is such a fun month because at the begining of it, I am 100 percent SUNSHINE AND SUMMERTIME TEAM SUMMER FOREVER, and by the end of it, I am FALL FALL FALL IT'S COMING YES FALL.
Luckily, life in Florida is special and there will be pool days (probably) well into October, so summer never really ends. But there's just something about the end of August that has me drinking pumpkin coffee and perusing pumpkins at Hobby Lobby. I have a problem. I know.
But for now, I'll continue on in full-blown summer mode. Popsicles and pooltime and sunshine until late at night.
I'm not saying goodbye and hello to a lot of things this month, and that makes me really happy! Because it means that I'm moving into a more settled season of life. After years of planning and looking ahead and weighing different decisions and counting down, I cannot tell you how good it feels to just be here.
So goodbye, July. Goodbye to a month that tested me and pushed me, that made me fall in love with my life, and that showed me I'm way stronger than I think.
And hello, August. Hello to a month of soaking up the sunshine at the pool with my little family whenever possible. To checking out way too many books from the library and to setting new goals. To lots of snuggles from my chubby little guy and to continuing to push myself and make a life here. Hello to making a thousand and ten memories.
I have a feeling it's going to be a really good month.
What are you saying goodbye and hello to this month?
