Back in May, I started planning. There were so many things I wanted to get done this summer! I wanted to be smart with my glorious summer time–the time when my husband, a teacher and coach, would be home to help with the kids and the regular, day-to-day stuff so I could knock out projects and reach some goals that have been waiting, simmering, on the back burners. We planned a quick trip right after hubby’s last professional development day. And then I was going to hit the ground running.

I had June and July all mapped out. All the writing I would get done. The daily routine that included time for a walk around our neighborhood park before I started teaching my summer classes online. I would get everything done each day by early afternoon; plenty of time left in every day to spend with my family. It was the perfect plan.

Or so I thought.

But then came the plot twists.

My father-in-law’s health took a turn for the worse. Hubby got a text while we were on the first day of our vacation with a last-minute invitation too good to turn down to teach summer school. I wasn’t able to attend a writing workshop I had whole-heartedly (really really) wanted to attend this summer. Our oldest niece was getting married–1,152 miles away. Our dog (who had been living with my in-laws for the past 4+ years) came back to live with us indefinitely. Our daughter decided to start living her best 3-year-old life (if you’ve ever had a 3-year-old, you know that “terrible twos” are a joke in comparison). And I started hearing a dripping sound in the wall.

And my plans?

They were a fleeting memory. Impossibilities on paper.

Now my husband was going to be gone each day during those hours I had been planning to be productive before I taught online summer classes. And I would end up teaching those summer classes constantly listening out for my kids in the next room.

Now I had an extra mouth to feed and food to buy and schedule to keep up with.

And our daughter has kept herself busy destroying things and making ridiculous messes (Just in case you think I’m exaggerating, just yesterday she found a bag of potato chips and dumped them all over the floor in the little space in front of our pantry where she wouldn’t be easily detected. When she heard my husband coming, she dropped to the ground and started swimming in them. Her face, clothes, and hair still had little pieces of potato chips stuck to them as he carried her to time out.).

And the air conditioner units we bought this winter thinking we were saving money buying them in the off-season? They started leaking somehow. We are still in the midst of those repairs. And to avoid looking like the water is choosing favorites, it has graced our attic, upstairs hallway, and kitchen ceiling. No favoritism going on there.

Isn’t that just the way things go?

We think we’ve got everything all figured out, and then a flash and a blink and suddenly we have nothing figured out and a whole lot of scrambling to do!

I have felt every emotion from devastation to determination.

After all, it’s just a summer, right?

But it’s a pattern–for life. Plans don’t always come to fruition. Dreams don’t always come true, especially not the way we think they will and in the timeframe we expect. But one day I will look back on this summer and remember the good times. I’m sure I’ll remember the hectic-ness of it all, too.

But I hope I also remember that I survived. That I did the best I could with what I had and that I didn’t give up. I hope that in the months and years that follow, when my carefully crafted plans disintegrate and I just want to find a safe place to hide, I will gain strength from the fact that I have weathered storms before and I can do it again.

Just today I heard two very different speakers present in two very different settings to two very different groups of people. But they both essentially had the same takeaway and I was so struck by the sheer too-good-to-be-coincidence of it all that I have to share.

Both men shared their life stories, from youth to where they are now. Their lives were journeys. Filled with changes to their plans and happy and not-so-happy surprises. Every single one of the unplanned experiences these men pointed out had a direct relation to where they are now, though they did not realize it at the time. And they looked back fondly at those times.

This summer may seem like a mess of unsuccessful plans, but one day it may actually be a defining moment that led me down a better, more joy-filled path. In the meantime, I’ll keep trying. I’ll give each day all I can give, even if it’s not the giving I’d originally planned for.

Giveaway!

Are you ready for another giveaway? This giveaway has become a tradition. I started this giveaway two years ago and did it again last year. SO, I’m keeping the tradition going again this year. Only this year I am trying a different planner. It is still made by those geniuses at Day Designer, of course. But it is a Daily/Monthly planner instead of a Weekly/Monthly like I’ve gotten in the past.

Why?

I’m so glad you asked! One of my favorite features in the Day Designer planners is the ability to designate specific blocks of time for certain projects. This really helps keep me plan realistically. For example, if I have 20 things I’d like to get done that day and I just add them all on a “to-do” list, I’ll be pretty down on myself when I’ve worked hard all day and only accomplished 5. But when I start blocking out all of the non-negotiable times in my day (like the time it takes me to drive my kids to and from school), I get a more realistic perspective on what I can actually expect (or even try) to accomplish. And then I can plug in priorities with realistic time estimates.

I also really love the “Today’s Top Three” section for each day. Sometimes just focusing on three things each day keeps me from getting overwhelmed. I also dearly love the “gratitude” space within the Day Designer planners. When I am getting stressed about all that I need/want to get done in a day, it is so good for my soul to stop and consider something I am grateful for.

Finally, I liked the fact that I would have a bit more space within each day to write down ideas or notes or thoughts that I might want to revisit the next day or later the same day. I have found that I like to jot down extra thoughts and take random notes, so I think having them all in one central location will work out really nicely. I’ll update you next year (if you’re curious before then, maybe we’re soul sisters–email me!).

And they brought back that lovely little pocket page in the front, the moveable ruler/bookmark thing, and the gold stickers! If this planner had come in a hardback with the metal edges, I would have declared it a perfect planner! (Side note: I think they do sell this in a hardback version on their website, but I bought mine at Target where I stood in the same aisle for a really LONG time, walked the store, came back again and seriously considered this decision. After all, I was making it for you, too!)

I wanted to try all of these features in one planner–so here it is. And since I’m rolling with the punches and facing a lot of changes this summer, I figured what better time than now to change up my planner!

And I bought one to share with you, so you can let me know what you think, too.

*This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Ada!

But I have more good news! This year I discovered that those lovely folks over at Day Designer also offer FREE printables! So if you want to try out some of their planner pages for yourself and see why I love them so much, you can! They have printables for daily planning, weekly planning, monthly planning, meal planning, gratitude, packing checklist, books to read, thank you note record, quarterly planning, bucket list, gardening planning, grocery list, and MORE!

Don’t Miss Any of the Fun!

Yesterday we kicked things off with some fun giveaways from Moments By Mae! Don’t miss that post!

Sharing Time!

Are you having a summer like mine? Did this post remind you of similar situations in your life? If so, please share. The more we all realize we share the same/similar challenges, the less isolated we feel.

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