Broken

This summer has been tough on me. I am not sure if it is due to our travels, missing most of last summer and this spring, but I am spent. Like many other Arizonans, I am done with summer. The problem is that summer in Arizona is not over. Summer time temperatures are the norm here until the end of October. Lately, though, I have started to notice a subtle shift. We had some rain last week and opened the windows. This week the overnight lows are forecasted in the 70s. It appears that the temperatures may have broken. I am celebrating highs around 105 and dancing when we dip into the nineties! Overnight we fling open the windows to enjoy the cool fresh air. We have resumed walking after dinner with the kids. Dave and I sit in chairs outside while the kiddos eagerly play tag in the park well into dark. For us, fall is here.

With the break in temperatures, our rhythm is changing. We have resumed our weekly park days. The kiddos are unaware that the weather is still very hot (107 last week). They play in the splash pads and run around with friends. Our schedule is filling with classes, park days, field trips and new adventures. Dinnertime is becoming a bit more robust. The grill is being used a bit less and more soups and crockpot meals are gracing the table. All five of us are working together outside in the yard, dreaming of just what the empty backyard will hold. This time of year brings a gentle shift for us here in the desert. If you are busy, you may miss that change of light in the morning and the bit of crisp to the otherwise warm air. Fortunately for me, my children make sure I slow down to notice.