Summer!

Just like that summer is here! Remember all that time I thought I would have when the kids were going back to school, yeah that went out the window! The school year went by so quick and we were so busy! Life has a way of filling up and changing the way you think it is going to go, but hey that’s okay, summer break is here now! The school year went as good as we could have hoped with the girls both moving to a brand new school and our oldest made her way through the first year of middle school pretty smoothly. I am sad to see this school year end, we were so fortunate to have the same teacher for our youngest for third grade as our oldest had when she was in third, and it made this school year for all of us so much better! whew next up to conquer will be fourth and eighth grades, but for now we will focus on summer!

As the days were warming up into the summer months the girls ventured outside more and our youngest got back on her bike after she had taken a good fall about 6 months ago and had been too scared to try again for a while, but now she is back on it and says she just loves her bike. I am proud of her for getting passed her stubbornness to try again(we all are a little to stubborn in this house so when one works passed it is HUGE😉) and also our oldest recently came up with wanting to learn how to skateboard, she taught herself and got the hang of it really quick! I always tell my kids if they put their mind to it they can do it, if they tell themselves they can’t then they won’t, mind over matter. Usually when they just try they gain incredible confidence by seeing that they can. With that, it got us going for family bike rides which was a nice activity that started our summer off just right!

We don’t have big summer plans this year, rather simple fun and activities to look forward to. We are big on trying to stay within budget and with braces getting started for both girls at the same time right now it doesn’t leave much room this year, but we will still have fun and make memories😊 The kids still love the simplicity of going to the library for the summer reading program so that will be on the list of to do’s! We have a small more like community water park by our house that we usually get season passes to so we can hop over there and swim for a bit each week, it’s local and fun so it’s worth it, I would love to have my own pool one day but for now that place will do! Also mini beach trips we like to plan, so far this summer we enjoyed one full beach day with family and friends we hung out for a nice relaxing day at the beach, bonfire and all! Our oldest is still loving the water and waves and our youngest hangs back along the shore more and has fun running from the waves, finding sand crabs and seashells and digging giant holes in the sand!

We also like to make a bucket list with some ideas and things we would like to do over summer and we try to make some happen, it’s been fun checking them off as we go! Some of the things so far we have checked off are gone out for ice cream, library, thrift shopping, and a beach trip. I have also caught up on odds and ends around the house, keeping up on the plants I planted a few months ago and currently tackling changing our oldest daughters room which in return is creating more projects so that is fun! Overall we are enjoying the break thus far, but I need to add that it is going by too quickly already! I might be a part of a rare group of moms that actually really enjoy having their kids home for the summer, despite some bickering and arguing that takes place I honestly wouldn’t trade it. I look forward to not racing in the morning to get everyone ready and out the door before the sun is up. Making plans with the friends we don’t get to see much over the school year, and just the slow and go feel of summer, the fact that the sun doesn’t go down until after 8, the days are just longer, warmer and better is just more reasons to add that I simply love summer. I love making memories with my kids and little family and summer time brings so much more opportunity to do so!🏖☀️🌊🍦🌼🦋