Summer

So summer is almost over.  Two weeks and three days until school begins again.  I remember when summers flew by as a kid.  I didn't realize that they flew by as an adult also.  I love having my kids home with me.  Even with the squabbles and occasional grumpiness, it's the best.  We have fun.  I was thinking today (okay, really procrastinating unpacking the dirty laundry from our trip) about all the things we have done.  Here's a list of what came to mind:

Swimming

(lots of it!  Lessons and family swim, swam at hotels & in lakes, and at water parks)

Bike riding

(In town and at state parks.  Found out Ramble is fast--leaves me in the dust and Raptor can't go down hills--she crashes.)

Sleeping in

(Unlike some of our friends, I've been 'blessed' with children who wake with the sun.  A few mornings this summer, they slept past 6:30 and I actually got to stay in bed until after 7:30!)

Picnics

Swinging

Jumping on the trampoline

Making Harry Potter wands

(whittled by Ramble and enjoyed by both kids)

Playing the Wii

Playing card games and board games

Eating ice cream

(at home and at stores.  We found the best soda shop (MinneSoda) in a small town in, you guessed it, Minnesota.  They make great Brown Cows and ice cream sundaes)

Cooking outside

Watching the stars

Chasing rainbows

Fleeing from a tornado

(we were driving home last Friday and drove right into a wall cloud.  We looked up and out Ramble's window and there in the distance was a tornado coming out of the clouds!!  Too close for comfort)

Dancing in the rain

(I went to a retreat with friends where this was emphasized--thanks again--and as a family we also literally danced in the rain)

Played with friends

Went to friend's houses for yummy dinners

Played for hours

Read for hours

Trained for a triathlon

(the kids did and we parents helped.  I rode my bike and swam with them.  Daddy also ran with them.  We'll see how the training went in a few weeks when they try their first Kids Tri)

Yard saling

(is that a word? Nope because my spell check told me so)

Went camping

Had a girls only night

Had a boys only camping trip

Watching fireworks

Making wishes as we held our breath over bridges

Went to museums

Visited the zoo

Walked across a bridge and back
(It was a mile long bridge and Raptor never complained!!)

Went to the neatest grocery store ever--even better than Trader Joe's.
(Called Jungle Jim's and it's over 6 acres in size and has food from countries all over the world.  We tried different sodas--don't drink chocolate soda, candy from Africa--yummy, and cookies from Japan to name a few of our treats.)

Found out they make chocolate cheese.
(In Wisconsin and the kids gave it 2 thumbs up)

Traveled over 2,500 miles

Visited 6 states (less this year than in other years)

Walked across the Mississippi River and also swam in it.

(the headwaters of it :0)

Watched Bald Eagles soar and also catch fish in a lake

Watched the beauty of lightning bugs (aka fireflies) as they danced in the night

Played with cousins

(Loads of fun)

Watched movies

Picked strawberries

Watched our apples grow

Tried to grow a garden

(everything died when we went on vacation)

Finished a swing set

(Almost)

Climbed gigantic trees

Ramble taught Raptor how to climb trees

(Eek!)

Did I say swimming and bike riding?  Yup but we did A LOT!

Family Home Evening

Saw old friends!

(We sure miss you)

Had friends come stay with us

(Boy did we have fun)

Saw Ramble's old school

(Wow.  That is some new addition!  And we all cried when we left the wonderful Mrs. W.)

Felt very blessed for all we have

Very thankful for air conditioning!

Did LOADS of laundry after each trip

(How many clothes do my kids have?  Too many!)

Saw grandparents

Swamped a canoe--Kids and Daddy

(On purpose and loved every minute of it)

Got in a canoe--Mommy

(Hated every second of it)

Built sand castles

Skipped rocks

Made s'mores

Burned marshmallows

Floated in lakes

Learned to dive

(Raptor did and Ramble got lots better)

Rescued a dragonfly

(Those things are amazing up close.  Huge buggy eyes and a head that doesn't seem to be connected to its body!)

Watched baby birds learn to fly

Went to summer camp

(Ramble climbed rock walls, roller bladed, went horseback riding, swimming, played on a 'blob' in a lake, and more.  Raptor made crafts, went swimming, and went on a field trip)

There's more but I've run out of procrastination time.

Wow.  I was feeling kind of guilty that we hadn't done much for my kids vacation time.  Looks like we did a lot more than I thought.  I hope they have happy memories of the times we spent together and of the time spent with family and friends.

So, here's to lazy summer days and the hope that your summer was just as fun as ours!