Hello Monday: Goodbye June

This post was inspired by Lisa Leonard's series, Hello Monday. I love the idea behind it all, saying hello to a fresh week with optimism, bravery, and gusto. Thanks Lisa, I appreciate the motivation more than you know!

Hello Monday and goodbye June! My adoration for June is multifaceted what with several happy things all jumbled into a thirty day marathon. Everything swirls into one big chaotic whirlwind of smiles, family, sunshine, reunions, birthdays, cystinosis fundraisers, Sookie's ballet recital, memories, carnivals and love. I remind myself over and over and over again to snag the moments as they float through the air and be present to cling to the now.

Hello to reading three books in June. Fly A Little Higher, the story of Zach Sobeich, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith. Notice a theme here? Yes, I've been drawn to books about grief and tragedy a lot lately. I'm eight years into my grief journey after my sister passed on and reading other stories, whether fiction or not, helps me.

Hello backyard projects when my DIY guy gets a wild hair on the days when he doesn't go into the office. Yesterday we painted our shed door a happy and fresh apple green and planted (even more!) flowers in our front yard.

Hello to my momma heart being stretched to places it has never had to go before. Ah, the beauty and the heartache of raising a little human, loving her with everything you have, and aching for her to know how extremely powerful she is, every single minute she is alive.

What are you saying hello to this week?