I’m back from a very short, but well-deserved run-away with my husband! Did you miss me?

Did you even notice I was gone? I did! I always get that nagging pang of guilt when it’s Wednesday and I haven’t written–even when I’m lying on the beach!

Life has been … well … hectic, to say the least.

Do you ever think, “Man! If only I had some alone time, I would ____.” (fill in the blank) or “If the kids weren’t around, my spouse and I would be so much more romantic!”

Yeah … so … I’m learning maybe that’s true for the first week or so. Maybe two. But then life sets in again. It’s weird.

My kids are gone for six weeks each summer visiting their dad. And every summer I think I’ve got it figured out. Every year I hug my kiddos goodbye and greet the long expanse of time thinking I know what I’ll do with it.

But the best-laid plans …

Ah, well …

Sure, my husband and I have had some extra time together. But about week three the novelty sort of wears off. Routine sets in.

We get up. We work. We come home. We run errands. We do laundry. We go to bed at a decent hour. Next morning, we wake up and do it all over again.

It’s life, right? Life doesn’t stop just because my kids are gone.

Like the tide, my life ebbs and flows. Waves crash and recede. In and out. Low tide, high tide. In and out. Sunrise, sunset. Until … something different.

One moment I’m lying in the sand, soaking up sun and then I feel coolness as a cloud crosses overhead. Suddenly the wind begins blowing wildly through my hair. My heartbeat quickens as a bolt of lightning rips the sea sky.

If you’ve spent enough time near the ocean, you know things can change just that quickly.

But I’m not afraid. Instead, an adventurous thrill courses through my body. I run for the beach house and perch on the balcony, welcoming the coming storm.

My husband watches quizzically as I balance on the railing, reaching out to feel the first few raindrops.

I can hardly resist running back out and dancing in the storm. I have that in common with another crazy girl I know.

She’s my sister.

I love her.

That sister of mine. That rascal! She’s the change on the beach this summer. SHE has come sweeping through all our lives with a wonderful, beautiful, sudden surprise. And now we are all reeling and laughing and crying and scrambling to keep up.

My little sister is getting married. In a month!

So suddenly all my lazy summer time has become wedding planning time!

We’re having a blast! We’re running ragged! Can we do it? Plan a whole wedding in four weeks? Yes we can!

And her fiance? Wow. What can I say?

Watching them together is like …

I don’t even really know how to explain it.

Today, as my mom and I were driving to pick up the wedding dress, she said something about the right guy fitting like ‘your favorite pair of blue jeans.’ YES! That’s exactly it!

That analogy really hit home: “boys fitting like blue jeans.” I have been puzzling over it all day, and I have a great deal to say about it. But that is a post for another time!

Meanwhile … I’ll leave you with one of many huge accomplishments this past week: the wedding announcement, designed and created by yours truly.

Also on the list of Matron-of-Honor duties accomplished so far (did I mention we’ve done all this in ONE week?): created their wedding website, did engagement photo shoot, helped find wedding dress, ordered cake, created 35 hand-made invitations and planned wedding shower one week from now … to name a few items!

See? I told you my short get-away with my hubby was well-deserved.

More adventures to come! I can feel it in my bones!