Summer Wrap Up

Bittersweet day as I get ready to send my oldest two to the random-scary-growing up world of tweens tomorrow, and while I am glad that summer vacation is coming to an end, I will always miss the lackadaisical time we've had. We just finished our annual "staycation" in a few of the cities around us. Ya know when you are poor because simple things really get amped up so they sound really cool. Actually we had a great last week of vacation. We visited lots of cool places and got some true family bonding in. I think I will have to preserve the memories here because it's going to be slim picking on fun and free time until December around here.

So before I go into the whirlwind of school, college, PTO, scouts, youth groups, late night classes and all else that I get the opportunity to balance over the next several months I leave you (and myself) with these highlights of Summer 2013.

1. The Canyon-we visited a few times this summer for breakfast and nature walks. I call it a nature walk because no one wants to "hike" with 5 children--at least no one here. The canyons are beautiful and peaceful and calm. Can't wait to visit again to see the fall leaves.

2. Smores in the backyard. Can't go wrong with food  around here, but the stories and games surrounding our campfire fun are unbeatable. We had a great time laughing and storytelling this year.

3. The Conservation Garden. I love this place. Lots to see, do and learn. We watched butterflies here and learned about all the amazing things we can grow in our backyard. Next project: Yard overhaul and re-landscaping of yard; and next summer the garden will include fruit of some kind.

4. Family Movie Night. We borrowed a projector, made a screen and watched movies in the backyard. Even movies we've seen before were way better outside on the very large screen (once a twin mattress cover). Renting movies was a great treat too-especially with Redbox codes (DVDNIGHT will get you one free night) and we also visited the Dollar movies to escape the heat.

5. Everyday Adventures. Maybe it was the need to suck up the childhood that is fleeting in our house, or the need I have to explore new things--but nearly every day this summer we did something fun--golf, laser tag, bowling, amusement rides, library events, water wars, treasure hunts, shopping, park visits and picnics were just a few of the adventures we had. It was truly a memorable summer.

6. Redecorated/Reuse/Repaint/Redo multiple project plans. This summer the hubs and I have painted 3 rooms, moved 3 rooms, refinished 5 pieces of furniture, redecorated 5 rooms and rearranged almost every room in the house. After nearly 6 years I can finally say that this house is finally feeling like "mine." The kitchen and table projects still remain much debated--and someday they may come to fruition. For now we are staying put and doing what we can to continue making our house our home. 

I do love summer, but am ready to get back into a predicable routine--yah, I know, boring, but reliable. Having only 1 kid all day will be a big change for me--it's almost "freedom" but not quite. I am sure I will find plenty to fill my time--and some peace & quiet may be a welcomed change.

I will never forget the fun times this summer--and if I do I now have a fancy new craft room/office where I can scrapbook all these beloved treasures. What memories did you make?