How is June Over Already?

June is my most laid-back month of the year. It has the longest break from school (the whole month!), and in general that alone eases my schedule enormously. But for all that, the month flies by and here we are, right at the end. It's time for me to take a deep breath for the craziness of July. (July is our last gasp of summer break. Our school year starts either the 3rd or 4th week of the month.)

We just got home from a two-week trip to Mississippi yesterday. It was great to get to visit Terence's parents and extended family, and lovely to be surrounded by so much greenery and trees! (Though I must admit that humidity is not my favorite. It wasn't as bad as previous trips though.) Anyway, everyone is getting older, and we thought it was important to get back and see them while we could. Luckily, we were able to take everyone but M with us. J received permission to travel with us (service missions are awesome that way!) and B managed to get two weeks off work. 

It wouldn't be a trip through Texas without a Buc-ee's stop

We got to celebrate J's 22nd birthday with Grandma, and I spent a ton of time talking to everyone I could about Terence's relatives—names, dates, places, stories—anything people could remember. I came away with a treasure trove of information and pictures (and I even got a video interview with Terence's mom, which I hope the kids will enjoy down the road). We have a lot of information on my side of the family, but not so much on Terence's. I am hoping to preserve as much as I can for our kids so they know about both sides of their family tree.

Did you know Mississippi has a Petrified Forest?

The interesting thing about Mississippi is how much history presses down on me while I'm there. Not "big picture" history—but the small, individual lives kind of history. So many of the areas I've lived out here in the west are constantly changing because of nearly constant growth, but Mississippi doesn't have that (at least not in the areas where we were). So in some ways it's easier to connect with the past of relatives gone a generation or two before, because so much of the area still looks the same. It makes me think a little deeper about what's important long term and what lasts, and what I want to spend my time on. Our lives pass more quickly that we realize sometimes.

That hit hard again last night when we received the news that another long-time family friend passed away unexpectedly. Life is short—I need to put my emphasis on what matter most, and not sweat the small stuff! Hug your loved ones tight!