It's Summer!!!

Now that graduation is over and we've had Memorial Day weekend, I feel more relaxed and actually feel like summer is here! The fact that it's been in the high 80s and more humid has probably helped that feeling some, too!

I can remember some very fun summers in my childhood and in the years when Daniel was young and I was a stay-at-home mom that rank up there with the best summers ever. For me to pronounce that I think the Summer of 2013 will be up there among those top summers is a pretty big deal. Here are some reasons why I think this will be a summer to remember:

1. It's a "footloose and fancy free" time
Daniel is a in a "footloose and fancy free" time of his life. Except for his job at the Lifeway Store downtown, which he enjoys (and he likes the paycheck he gets even more), Daniel is free from the responsibilities of schoolwork and from being "tied down" by having no transportation. He's an older teen with a car and a job! Need I say more???

2. Impromptu get-togethers with family and friends
We live very close to our family and we like to have "pot luck" dinners together on the spur of the moment. And with Daniel and his friends being more mobile, they can hang out together at our house and Daniel also has lots of plans for band practices with his various bands and combos that he is a part of.

3. Summer Soundtrack
As I mentioned, Daniel is a member of several different bands/combos that he is a part of. Since he is the drummer and has the most gear to haul around, it is highly likely that a lot of music will be played at our house this summer. I don't mind it a bit, especially since these guys sound good!

4. Fun trips
In June, we're going to make a trek over to Knoxville to go to Daniel's freshman orientation! I'm sure we will be getting very familiar with I-40 East in the coming months and years! In July, Daniel will be taking his first international trip when he travels to Honduras with the youth from church to work in an orphanage there. He's very excited and I can't wait to hear all about their adventures when they return (safely). Then in August, Daniel and I will take a trip up to New Jersey/New York to visit with friends. It was Daniel's request to go there, although I never need more than a suggestion to get me ready to go back to my old stomping grounds. After we return from that trip, Daniel and his dad are planning a "baseball trifecta" trip to see games in Cincinnati, St. Louis and Atlanta . . . all in about four days . . . by car!

5. Summer birthdays
This first weekend of June actually starts a pretty steady birthday season in our family. Grandma gets to start things off on Sunday and we look forward to celebrating her together as a family. The cousins all have summer birthdays, too, with Daniel's being on July 2, Mary Lane's on July 7, and Erica's on August 22. Due to our travel plans and the fact that Daniel will already be at college for Erica's birthday, we're planning to have a Summer Cousin Birthday Celebration sometime in July to catch all three at once. Stay tuned for pictures later!

6. Cherishing time together and making memories
I'm still allowed to be sentimental and a little sappy right now, since it's been less than two weeks since my son graduated from high school and in a little over two months he'll be leaving for college. One big reason I think that this summer will be one to remember is that it will be our "last" summer with life being as we know it. Life changes all of the time, but we are getting ready to experience one of the big life changes and I want to just enjoy these summer days and experiences and be able to look back on the Summer of 2013 with no regrets.

So, here we go . . . let's make it the best summer EVER!!!!