These summer days...

...are the ones I know I'll be dreaming of come 4 months into winter. This weekend we did our annual cousin camping trip on Lake Independence. I didn't take many photos, just these on Saturday evening at the beach. Sometimes I feel pressured to always document everything with my camera but I also simultaneously realize that I just want to experience things first hand through my own eyes rather than through a lens all the time. I think that's an important thing for us to all remember in this modern day and age where it's so easy to document and share these moments. For those of us who love photographing, it's okay to partake in this process, but also remember to take a few special moments for yourself and your own memory.

     I'm back to working evenings with my new job at the hospital. There are both negatives and positives to 2nd shift. I like having my mornings open to get things done at home, go to yoga and other classes at my gym that I wasn't able to go to before, and spend mornings and early afternoons outside if I choose to. The downside is that it seems that the majority of people I know operate on a day-time work schedule, meaning that I might be missing out on fun evening activities. Also, the days that I work I really won't be able to see Tanner at all. He works 8-4 normally and will definitely be asleep by the time I get home (which will be around midnight). I do like working evenings, but I'm also reminding myself that this schedule won't be forever.
     As always summer has snuck up on me and suddenly it's the end of July. Transitioning from one job to another has been energy consuming. Saying goodbye to my old job was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. August 25th brings the beginning of a new school semester in which I'll be taking online classes to complete my Bachelor's degree. I didn't think that I wanted to continue with school, but I'm realizing that there are a lot of opportunities that are open to BSN RN's rather than Associate's degree RN's. So now's a good time for me to continue my education.
     I appreciate all these beautiful summer moments and am trying to not wish away the time, which seems to be human nature. I love the minutes I can spend in the sun with a swimsuit on and a book in my hand, and the evenings we play Settler's on the porch. I'm hoping to sneak a few more camping trips in this summer before the sunny days are gone. Balance can be tricky.