I am so excited!

It's been a great last few days and I think my mental health is improving from it! Part of it has to be anticipation of my little mini "vacation" that starts today! Funny I should say that, since I'm at work right now and will be at work the whole time! (Actually work is a vacation too since the boss is gone and things are very slow.) After it is over, I will explain what I mean.
I am looking forward to having something to care for everyday and to see things from a different perspective.

I don't have any pictures from this weekend, so I'll just write it up.

This summer holiday season has been a little different from times past. Everyone in my family did their own thing and we met up together here and there. On July 3rd, both my husband and I had the day off so we took a drive and a hike in the mountains above our area. Somehow we avoided all the bad holiday traffic on all our travels. That evening we met his family for dinner and had a good a time. We also stopped in a bugged my brother and sister-in-law and their kitten on the way home. I visited a good friend on Independence Day and enjoyed her company and the peace away from the crowds in my town. My husband went hiking and the rest of my family had a BBQ together. The next day on my way home from there I stopped at my folks place and just stayed for a several hours, letting the Sunday beach crowds disperse before I went back to my place. My parents went to Disneyland that day for my father's birthday.
Yesterday was my brother's birthday and we all met together in the evening for an impromptu birthday party at his house for him. It was a fun, relaxing gathering.
It's been so nice this weekend to not have big plans and expectations for everybody and to just go with the flow and enjoy ourselves. I think and hope that everybody had as good of a time as I did.
I read something yesterday that really hit home about families that is a truth everyone can benefit from. It said "The beauty of being a family, is that you can be yourself."