Summer's in Full Swing.......

We've enjoyed four whole days of summer vacation and..........so far, so good!

So far we've...........

• Enjoyed lots of games of "catch" in the back yard.
• Grilled steak--twice!
• Celebrated the graduation of one very sweet eighth grader! Yeah Sydney!
• Entertained dear friends and had a great time!
• Guzzled several pitchers of homemade strawberry lemonade! Yum!
• Hired a drywaller to finish up the basement!
• Ordered carpet to go in right after the drywall!
• Spent lots of time at the library!
• Played games...Dutch Blitz and Bas-ket!
• Enjoyed lazy morning and relaxing evenings, free of homework and lunch packing!
• Made a homemade strawberry pie!
• Read my first great book of the summer!
  
• Packed Payton off to the beach with friends, where he's having a great time!

It's all good!! Now don't be fooled, we definitely have a "To Do" list; you know me better than that! Jeff and I are going to get together and put some "order" in place for the summer--new chore chart, morning routines, summer reading for the whole family. We also have quite a few camps, other trips, etc to prepare for, but we decided to just relax for this first week. Jeff has just a few more thing to wrap up in his classroom tomorrow and then he is officially on break until the end of August!! Yeah!!!! I must say, this teacher gig is pretty darn good during June, July, and August!

I've realized, with sadness, that this will be our very last "normal" summer as a family (or at least as normal as it gets in our family!) Next year, we'll be hosting a graduation party, scurrying between friends' graduation parties, getting ready to send our firstborn child to college. How can that be?

Summer is normally my least favorite season. I hate the heat, I strongly dislike the lack of routine, and I'm always eager to welcome fall, my absolute favorite season. This year, however, I've decided I am going to enjoy every single "summery" minute. Wish me luck!