ABC’s of Summer

Hello and happy summer solstice!

We’ve been on summer break for a couple of weeks, but since today is the first official day of summer, I’m sharing some favorites about summer…in A-B-C order…

A- activities: sidewalk chalk (I miss those little kid days!), pool time, movies and more!

B- baseball: I love having baseball on tv and even better is if we catch a game when in KC.

C- camp: Hadley loves her week at camp every summer. If she could go to camp for a month, I think she’d do it! Hayden is going to running camp this summer too.

D- dresses: I prefer dresses, so I embrace the summer weather and wearing them.

E- exercise: I like having a bit more time for exercising in the summer. That being said, I think I’m better about getting workouts in during the school year when I have a bit more of a routine going. I definitely go on more walks in the summer though.

F- fireworks and fire for s’mores. The 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the year. S’mores are definitely a summer (and fall) treat, but we haven’t made any just yet.

G- goggles: This is Hadley’s first summer not doing swim team, but the kids are still usually looking for their goggles.

H- Homer’s “gotcha day” – We always celebrate getting Homer on June 8th…4 years and counting..

I- ice cream: Summer is the best time for a sweet treat.

J- June/July before thinking about school in August. To me, summer is only two months long. Once August hits, I always feel like I need to focus on back to school.

K- Kindle – Of course, I use my Kindle year round, but I love having the time to read at the pool, the beach, or on the patio.

K- Kayak: We went kayaking this past weekend which was fun.

L- lake: We love time at the lake. Last summer, we went to the lake twice (once in KY and once in Missouri) and those were some of our best memories.

M- Margaritas: I enjoy a skinny marg in the summer or the margarita pack of Trulys.

N- nature: Having some extra time in nature and fresh air is always great. We usually find time for a hike or two.

O- ocean (beach) – Most of our summer vacations include a view of the ocean.

P- pool, patio, and peonies: Of course, our main source of entertainment in the summer is going to the pool. We also love patio weather, and then I can’t wait for peony season at Trader Joe’s.

Q- quiet mornings …while the kids sleep in. I’ve always loved my morning times, but in the summer, I usually get more time to myself before starting the day.

R – road trip: We usually hit the road at some point in the summer. Travis and Hayden have already been to St. Louis, Travis and I went to Georgia/NC, and we usually drive to KC at some point in the summer too. Thankfully, now that the kids are older, road trips are easier.

S- strawberries: strawberries are my favorite fruit…even better is when we get to pick them ourselves.

T- Trav’s birthday: It’s almost time to celebrate T-rav.

U- umbrella: I love pool time, but I always try to snag a spot in the shade under an umbrella.

V – vegetable garden: We’ve only planted a garden a few times, but it’s always so fun to see what’s growing. When we were gone just a couple days last week, Hayden was excited to show us what was growing. We’ve pulled a couple of cucumbers, and the green peppers are starting to grow too.

W- watermelon: The best summer side dish.

X – eXtra sunscreen: Of course, I always wear sunscreen at the pool. These are my faves:

Y- yard work (and flowers). While I don’t love yardwork, Travis does! Also, Hayden has done an amazing job mowing the grass (as well as a few neighbors’ yards) this summer. I always look forward to watching the flowers bloom throughout the spring and summer.

Hydrangeas are my fave in our yard.

Z–ZZZ’s extra sleep/sleeping in. It sure is nice not setting an alarm in the summer. Truthfully, while I haven’t had to get up super early like during the school year, we have had somewhere to be most mornings it seems. That being said, it’s still nice to stay up a bit later and ease in to the mornings.

This was a fun to post to write. I might do one for fall, winter, and spring too!

What did I miss? What are some of your faves for summer?