It's a wrap.

Summer's over, baby.

Yeah, I know, Labor Day is still a week off but I'm telling you the craziness and activity and traveling of summer is ohh-verr. At least for the Pipe Lifers.

We've had a great few months. We've been able to visit Steve a handful of times as he has traveled around West Virginia for his job, and we have made some wonderful memories. Now? I'm tired. My body is tired, my house needs attention, the kids need to hunker down and get ready for school, and our budget needs some TLC.

I'm ready. The outdoor temps have been cooler and that makes me happy. The air conditioner has been taken out of the window (here's hoping we can swing central air next year) and I've been enjoying sleeping with the windows open at night. My veggie plants continue to produce (yay for fresh tomatoes!) and there's still a bit of color on a few of my annuals and perennials.

I've got some pictures to sort through and post here when I get around to it. Got some great ones from this past weekend when Rachel and I spent the night at a zoo with her Girl Scout troop. I'm hoping someone among the group of guys that went to the Bristol race (my dad, brother, Steve and Sam) will send me some of the boys' weekend. And now and then throughout the summer Rachel commandeered my camera or my phone and did little photo essays; I was always finding surprises when I reviewed the photo files ... I might post some of those, too.

Tonight the kids and I are sitting together in the living room watching TV, the dog is snoozing on her bed, and we're chatting about the weekend ... and the week ahead when they will start school. It almost feels a little weird. It's been so long since we just hung out at home and did nothing and my brain wasn't screaming at me to get ready for the next thing.

I'm exhaling ... and it feels good.

Home, sweet home. It's great to be here.