The summer went so fast!  Looking back, it’s hard to believe it’s over, but it is…at least for those of us who live in Southern Indiana.  Ezra is officially a first-grader and Calla starts pre-school next week…uh, wow.

With school starting last Thursday, our whole rhythm as a family has changed as we said goodbye to summer.  But oh my goodness did we have a good one!  It was jam packed with tons of family and ministry awesomeness!

After getting back from an amazing trip to Romania, Crystal and I celebrated our 12 year anniversary! And we did what you do when you think something is a big deal… you get on a big boat and sail off into the Caribbean!  To spend a week with just her was so good and so needed.

Ezra and I have caught so many critters this summer, it’s been like a zoo around here!  He has become a skilled catcher of crawdads, turtles, frogs, lizards, tadpoles, fiddler crabs and many more things better left in the wild!

The boy is zipping around our neighborhood on his bike like a champ and you can barely keep him out trees.  He is really swimming now…loves to be in the water, diving down as far as he can.  He got his long hair cut short and looks more like a big kid than ever.

And all the while Calla was a flower girl for the first time and found herself addicted to the idea of all eyes on her.  Her princess dolls now have legit conversations with her and she can put one of her puzzles together in mere seconds.  She can sing every Wizard of Oz song verbatim and can put on a “gymnastics” show at the drop of a hat.

My kids have been growing…they’ve changed and reached some pretty big milestones this summer.

We’ve had some pretty key experiences as a family too.  We watched all 6 episodes of Star Wars as a family.

The craziness that is the entire Woods family made the trek to the beaches of Florida to descended upon a house where we would all be under the same roof…all 16 of us.  It was bonkers, absolutely bonkers, but so good to just be together as a family.

It all went so fast, but what I’m learning over and over again is that all of life goes way to fast.  It’s just what it is…it’s what it does.  I know everyone says, “they grow up fast.”  Well, everyone is right…they do.  It’s ridiculous.

Every season comes and goes, life moves along and if you’re not careful, you’ll miss it completely.

I don’t want to miss it.

I’m so thankful for every moment.

Every movie night picnic in the living room.

Every theological discussion at bedtime with Ezra.

Every princess puzzle with Calla.

Every dance party and rock show in our basement.

Every pretend wedding with Calla.

Every tree climbed, every crawdad caught with Ezra.

Every inside joke and tickle attack.

Every trip to Zesto’s.

Every Dr. Mario loss to Crystal.

Every Sean the Sheep episode I get to snuggle them.

Every lightsaber battle.

Every date with Crystal.

Every spontaneous Harlem Shake.

Every bicycle trek through our neighborhood.

Every Starbucks run with Crystal.

Every sidewalk chalk mural we create together.

My wife loves me.  My kids are incredible.  I have a job…an awesome job at an incredible church where I am surrounded by life change.  I have a healthy, holy marriage and my children are happy and healthy.

My life is blessed…not because of what I have, but because of who I have.  No matter what lies ahead…good, bad, or ugly seasons, I can say I’m thankful.  Praise God.

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