~ Summer

Summer . . . never-ending days of flip-flops and swimsuits - the smells of summer always in the air....fresh cut grass, bbq grills and suntan oil and the shrieks & laughter of the children floating through the air.

When I was growing up, summer was absolutely my most favorite time of the year. The last day of school could never come fast enough. In grade school, I spent my summers chasing after my brothers & cousins and shopping with my mom and one of her friends who had a daughter my age. This friend of my moms made a lot of my clothes and on these shopping excursions, my friend and I were often dressed exactly alike. Hey, in those days, it was kinda cool. I think. In junior high, I spent my summer days at the pool, crushing on the redheaded lifeguard from afar. He was probably all of 18 but when you’re 13, well.....the redheaded lifeguard seemed like the perfect summer crush. In highschool, I spent my summers at Peony Park, slathering baby oil & iodine on my skin and still crushing on the lifeguards.

After I got married, had kids and started working for the school system, the last day of school and summer took on a whole new meaning. I mean, seriously....when you spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 10 months out of the year with hormonal teenagers....you’ve got summer AND adult beverages on the brain from August til May.

In the early years, summer meant trips to the zoo with the kids, fishing trips to Canada for Ryan and trips to Oklahoma for Lynsay and I. It meant spending every day for hours on end at Papio Bay with the kids and friends. For all I cared, summer could have gone on and on and on. The carefree days were what recharged my batteries and got me ready for fall and a new school year.

These days, I still love summer. I still spend my summer days out by the pool but instead of crushing on the redheaded lifeguard, I find myself . . . shhhh, crushing on Roarke because I’m usually reading an Eve Dallas book. Oftentimes, I close my eyes while floating in the pool and in my minds eye, I’m at the beach instead of my own backyard but hey, who wouldn’t want to be at the beach, right?

Sundays are pool days here.....KJ and I will spend the bulk of the day floating around in the sun, enjoying the peace and quiet while sipping strawberry margartias. Shrugs, sipping sounds much better than guzzling.

And when the days of triple digit weather gets to be too much, we’ll find ourselves on the beach and trust me, there is nothing quite like having your lawn chair in the sand with the vast ocean right before you.

Summer days . . . . gotta love ‘em.