SUMMERS ARE FOR...

 

   

You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;

you have made summer and winter.

~ Psalm 74:17

 



Hoorah.

 

 

Summers are for gardening. 

For enjoying the brightest

and best tomatoes and the

freshest produce. 

 

 





Gardening together.

 

 

Summers are for watching 

bright flowers emerge from 

small seeds,

planted by eager little hands.  

 

A tree to climb.

Summers are for exploring. 

For climbing trees that are

one year taller and for

inventing ways to deliver

items up.

 

Sending smoke signals to let everyone know dinner is almost ready.

 



Summers are for Bar-b-ques

and for slow meals eaten

outside on the porch. 

  

 

Grilled everything.

  

 

Summers are for stringing lights. 

And for sleeping under stars.

 

 

Lights to string.

 

 

Little girls who camped under stars and in a tent quite a few nights!

 

 

Summers are for welcoming guests. 

And for making trips to see friends and family. 

 

 

Welcome.

 

 

Great to see you Jonescrew!

 

 

And Auntie Dale with baby Oliver!

 

 

Great to drive to see you Grandma and Grandpa!

 

 

Ernsts and Ottos!

 

 

Raffertys and Mitchells!

 

 

Wintons (pictured), Burns, Wards, Eckerts and others!!!

 

 

 

Summers are for cheering

at church picnics. 

 

 

Jesse, Madison, Faith and Morgan

 

 

 

For holding hands.

 

 

Lending a helping hand to this cute little skater.

 

 

 

 For painting projects.

 

Rock painting-- another item checked off the Summer Fun list.

 

 

And finally...

Summers are

for feeling super.

 

 

Super heroes.

 

 

Hope you are enjoying yours!

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of lights with

whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

~James 1:17

Love,




 

NOT 120 BEST THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer is so full of promise. 

 

We begin to harvest fresh veggies from the garden.  We feel the freedom to set aside some of the book work and get outside for some exploring.  We barbeque just about anything we can get our hands on-- meat, zucchinis, peaches because really everything just seems to taste better and more summery that way, right? 

 

 

S U M M E R !

 

 

But, can I be honest?  Summer is also a little stressful to me.  I mean there is so much we could be doing that I have this fear that I am going to miss something.  And of course, that will ruin everyone's childhood.  And it will be all my fault. 

 

Do you see varying lists everywhere entitled "The 120 Best Things to Do This Summer So That Your Kids Don't Grow up Deprived and Ruined."  Well, that last part may not be an actual article title, but it does seem to be implied.

 

This is NOT that post.   

 

The truth is, I can't do the 120 Best Things this summer.  I can't do the Best 100.  I probably can't even muster up the Best 50. 

 

This mama is going to chose to be happy with a handful of accomplishments that my kids help me dream up.  How about you? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what we are trying this year-- A Summer Fun list.  It's basically just a bunch of sticky notes with handwritten ideas slapped onto our whiteboard.  It's things we want to do.  The ideas get added and swapped, like they swapped hiking for Thrifty Ice Cream-- no sweat off my brow (literally!).   

 

The girls are encouraged to add to the list as they think of new ideas.  The only thing I ask them to remember is that we have not won the lottery.  Enough said about that.

 

The list has actually grown quite a bit since this photo was taken.

 

 

  

 

The ever changing list includes:

 

 

 

Mama Read Aloud

 

Break dance/ Dance party

 

Rock Painting

 

Girlfriend Days

 

Water Gun Fight

 

Family Camp In

 

Thrify Ice Cream

 

Children's Museum

 

Eat Dinner Blindfolded

 

Go Out To Breakfast

 

S'Mores by Firepit

 

Go To The Beach

 

Tricycle Race

 

Park Days with Friends

 

Kayak on Lake

 

Explode Mentos in Diet Soda

 

Family Tea Party

 

Picnic at Park

 

Pixi Woods

 

 

 

 

 

We've just begun to tackle a few:

 

 

 

One of my favorite summer treats-- going for Thrify ice cream!
It used to be just 15 cents a scoop when I was a girl.  It's still a pretty good deal.

  

 

One of the girls favorites-- going out for breakfast.  Yes, we seem to like to eat.
But there is something about a stack
of pancakes and choice of syrups that seems bigger than life somehow.  Yum! 

 

 

Girlfriend days give the older girls the opportunity to visit with their special friends.
The first one included making homemade Frappuchino coffees and painting masterpieces together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How are you going to keep it simple and fun this summer?

 

Happy Summer friends!