Today was frigid and gray. It was easy to believe it was the first week of school, hard to believe it was still August. The cloud cover made us sleepy and homebodies—but we wanted another day for chores anyway. It was Trevor’s last day at the lake and our last wide open day before the school year kicked off.

We stayed cozy and productive until the late afternoon, then had some friends over for apps and a happy hour. The girls played upstairs and outside while we sat in the sunroom chatting and laughing. These friends are dear to me and know me well. The brought me a beautiful pen as a birthday gift.