The hallways are lined with artwork that know no rules. Glitter and pebbles are sprinkled all over the floor. A rolly polly crawls over the scattered Dr. Suess books. There are posters on the walls telling each child how much they are loved, welcomed, heard, and valued. Can you guess where this might be?
Lila’s daycare. I LOVE Lila’s daycare! I always let Lila bring a stuffed animal to school (mainly because it’s less for me to keep track of, let’s be real) and she always chooses the cheetah that Santa got her last Christmas. She loves having it for naptime. To hold all of her things, she brings her backpack that looks like a horse and is filled with random items she found at home that she likes to share with the class. I found a flosser in there yesterday. Kind of strange, kind of creative, right? I mean I know it was hers, but a little gross – I was able to convince her to throw it away before she joined the other kids on the playground that morning.
I’m so thankful that while she is not with me on workdays, she is constantly surrounded by messages of love, support, and encouragement as she learns about the world. Even though I know her time there is valuable and that she is learning so much more than I could ever teach her on my own, picking her up from school is still my favorite part of the day.
Everyday Lila’s teacher says, “Sayonara” as we walk out the door. It’s Ms. M’s way of trying to teach kids words in other languages while actually applying them to a situation, like saying “goodbye”. I can totally get behind that! Especially, since Bryan and I love to travel, and taking Lila to explore the world… I can hardly wait!!
As we walk out the classroom door, we said, “Sayonara” in reply. Although on this particular day, I realizes that it was one of the last days of summer! Cue the tears… I love the summer season. It has been filled with so many new transitions and adventures!
Some of the highlights include:
- We bought a house! Our first official house! It’s amazing and I love it, period.
- Bryan and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! We were gifted a night at the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. Everything about it was so… lavish! I felt so spoiled. We did what we do best; we spent the day and night exploring our city via good food, beer, and fancy cocktails. One thing on my weekend bucket list was to try out those electric scooters. Those things fly! Don’t worry, it was at the beginning of the night before the fancy cocktails set in. I love my husband so much and I can’t wait for a lifetime of adventure celebrating us.
- Bryan got a new job, quit that job, got another new job, and now he’s so happy! Which I wholeheartedly believe is so important! You shouldn’t spend most of your waking hours in a job you hate. Our lives are too short and precious to not spend it pursuing what lights us up and drives us to feel like we are living out our purpose.
- I still work at the brewery, but I also got a new job. I will always be in the beer industry in one way or another, whether it be working for a brewery or just tasting other local brews, but I also always enjoy learning something new and this new job in cardiology has not disappointed!
- We had our first annual family reunion on my side of the family organized by none other than my mom. She did a great job. Anyone there could tell you she was in her element. It was a weekend full of laughter, so much food, hiking, craft beer, an EPIC water fight (#whengracegetsinvolved haha!), and a baby gender reveal! I’ve never tried to smash a raw egg on my forehead before, but if it’s for my brother and his wife, count me in. It was so fun celebrating the announcement of their baby GIRL. FYI, deep down we all knew it was going to be a girl, even the people who guessed it was a boy. Girls severely outnumber the guys in our family. Just saying. 😉
- Lila transitioned to the final class that she will be attending at her daycare before the big KINDERGARTEN next year. I know it’s cliche, but wow! Time flies! I can’t believe that little surprise bundle of joy has already been putting a smile on everyone’s face for a whole (almost) five years now. She is so precious and, along with several other things, she is one of the main reasons for why I do what I do. I am so blessed.
- For a summer vacation with Bryan’s family, we visited a piece of family history and celebrated a very special birthday. We visited a dairy farm! Literally a piece of history dating back a couple of generations. Learning about the roots of our family was so incredibly special. We got to make memories with everyone in one place, a special place to each person there for so many reasons. Cowtown, USA left its mark on my heart.
- My brother, my cousin, my mom, and myself ran the annual Llama Rama race. It was a blast. Although our llama laid down every ten minutes and Jacob took us through the deepest part of the creek, we didn’t finish last! Bryan wasn’t able to join us for the race so naturally I asked for the llama with red hair.
- Our dog had to get ACL surgery (I think they call that ligament something else in dogs, but it functions the same). Growing up, my family was actually pretty lucky when it came to dogs and their health. We lived on a farm so you would think we would be a frequent flyer to the vet’s office, but no. Not at all. We weirdly never had to go to the vet and if we did it was because the dog lived a long, healthy, happy life and it was time to say goodbye. Now our current dogs, well that’s a different story. The vet knows us well. The girls get into everything. This year was the first year that I sat in the vet’s office and learned that my dog’s ACL was completely torn and for her to live a long happy life, she needed surgery. Surgery makes anyone nervous, but my credit card was burning a hole in my purse as he told me the price tag of this procedure. It had to be done though; she’s family. And let me tell you, I am SO happy we did it. She is so much better. She is finally in the home stretch of healing at t-minus four more weeks in the crate (a 10-12 week recovery). At our last vet visit, we received the green light to go ahead and start incorporating short walks into our daily routine (2 blocks-ish). The main rule through this whole process – LET HER HEAL. Don’t push it. My credit card balance keeps reminding me that we need to do this right and let her heal. I like our vet, but I don’t want to see him more than I have to. No offense, doc. Bottom line, I’m so happy that she had the surgery and that she is doing so well – we are on the up and up!
Back to summer, though. Let’s take a second and have a moment of silence because it’s over.
Any one of my close friends and family members can tell you that summer is my favorite season of the year. I enjoy the other seasons too, and especially living in Colorado, we HAVE seasons. There is fun to be had in all the seasons, but summer! Summer is my jam. Bring on that 80 degree plus heat, baby! The less clothing needed the better. Get your mind out of the gutter – I’m talking shorts, a tank top, and my favorite Sanuk sandals. And come on! Who doesn’t love the pool??
So saying “Sayonara” to the summer is more bitter than sweet for me. I literally start counting down the days until next summer and am thankful for every day that is a little warmer than it’s supposed to be as Fall sets in.
It goes without saying that this summer has been crazy life-wise for my family. All good things, but just A LOT of change. Sometimes it’s hard to sit back and enjoy the moments as they go by when the calendar is so full that suddenly social events become another part of your ‘To Do’ list. With all that being said, I want to head into the Fall saying goodbye to the summer with a recap video of all the highlights. It’s hard to put into words all the moments that happened on these summer days. I mean, having a Lila and Mommy day at Stanley Marketplace was extremely special, but it might not make the highlight reel compared to the list I mentioned above. I thought this video might capture those special moments in between the bigger life changes. I hope you enjoy! See the link below!
Finally, I just want to say thank you to all of our friends and family for making this yet another summer that we will never forget. Your presence in our lives is valued and never taken for granted. Bryan, Lila, and I have been so blessed to have each of you in our lives to walk with us through all the crazy changes life throws our way. Although, I am sad this season is over, I am so excited to see what next summer has in store for all of us with all of you.
And here it goes, the final goodbye.
Sayonara, Summer! Until we meet again.
Yours truly,
Kylie Bee
Video Music Cred: – “Like a Band” (feat. Soren Rasted (ASCAP/KODA)) JagMac- “I Like Me Better” (Ryan Riback Remix) Lauv
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