The Ripke's: End of Summer Wrap up...

So I'm sad to say summer has officially ended. What a great summer we had with our baby girl and look forward to so many more summers filled with fun! The last few weeks before school started we were very busy between going to a wedding, meeting Mike up at work to go on a picnic, my soon-to-be sister-in-law's shower/bachelorette party, and finally the first day of school :( It's bittersweet to be back at work, but it is nice getting back into a routine. Our body's are trying to adjust to working full days with nights full of sleep sometimes and others waking up in the "wee" hours of the morning. It might take awhile for my body to get used to less sleep and longer work days. UGH!

So many mornings I wake up looking at Mike saying "I'm SOOOOOO tired." If only I had 10 more minutes to sleep in :) Although some mornings drag a little bit, nothing is better then being able to see Eliza on my lunch break and spend an hour with her before finishing the second half of my day. Makes my day go so much quicker and that much better to see her smiling face waiting for me when I walk in. Honestly, I could be having the worst day and she turns it right around for me. AMAZING how such a little girl can have such a huge, positive effect on Mike and I, and our lives. Although I'm sad to see summer go--I am so very excited to spend our first Fall with Eliza and all the fun things that go with it...pumpkin patches, cookouts/bonfires, trick or treating, swim lessons, and so much more. Our baby girl is growing too quickly, but we are soaking up EVERY.SECOND possible. Here are some pictures of the last few weeks of our summer (sorry for the quality--all were taken on my Iphone)...