As I say every year, Summer is my absolute favorite season!  I’m sad to see it come to a close soon, as the weather has sort of started changing. Some days have been cooler, and some days are still hot. But regardless of the weather, the season is about over, which means that fall is coming.   

I want to take a look back at Summer twenty twenty-one.  And so from Summer 2021…

I want to remember making Hadley’s start of the summer special and fun!

I want to remember celebrating my Mom and sister-in-law’s birthday together at Agave and Rye.

I want to remember Hadley bumping into a metal pole outside at dinner, and having a huge bump on her forehead.

I want to remember hanging lights in her room, and using them as a nightlight for bedtime.

I want to remember Mattie eating a slice of watermelon as big as her head.

I want to remember Memorial Day weekend at the lake being the coldest, and wearing sweatshirts on the dock.

I want to remember Hadley and Mattie swimming in the lake on the cold holiday weekend and then wearing a sweatshirt on the boat.

I want to remember the new Gator and everyone wanting a ride on it.

I want to remember being with my cousin Becca so much this summer, and almost every summer nowadays.

I want to remember Natalie graduating 8th grade.

I want to remember Brady got a mullet for a haircut.

I want to remember watching him play summer ball and bringing an umbrella for shade.

I want to remember playing indoor volleyball at St. Dominic.

I want to remember Uncle Brian always bumping volleyball with Hadley in the gym.

I want to remember Hadleys first day at summer camp.

I want to remember Kevin treating the softball team for ice cream for the end of the season.

I want to remember how excited Hadley gets when she sees Daddy come home from the fire station.

I want to remember driving all over town, delivering end of the season treat bags to Hadleys softball teams homes.

I want to remember going to the fire department’s picnic at Stricker’s Grove.

I want to remember Kevin going on all the kid rides with Hadley.

I want to remember the hurt baby deer on our front porch bleeding all over it’s head.

I want to remember calling animal control and watching a lady pick up a deer with her bare hands and taking him away.

I want to remember going to a comedy club with my BIL/SIL.

I want to remember watching a movie on the floor in the dining room with lots of blankets and pillows.

I want to remember waking Hadley up for a tornado warning and going to the basement, and her not remembering any of it.

I want to remember tossing baseball at the lake in the gravel driveway.

I want to remember putting Hadleys hair in braids after her showers.

I want to remember going to the treehouse in Mt. Airy forest for our Summer Bucket List.

I want to remember going to Kroger for the 4th of July, and barely being able to push the cart.

I want to remember how much Hadley loves swimming in pools.

I want to remember how much fun the lake is when all the little cousins are there.

I want to remember golfing in the Boss for the 4th.

I want to remember everyone calling me “Rosie the Riveter” in my blue swimsuit and red bandana.

I want to remember Hadley and Mattie went to the Ark Encounter with Grandma.

I want to remember making s’mores on the dock.

I want to remember celebrating Kristin’s 40th birthday.

I want to remember going to the movies.

I want to remember listening to a live band with Grandma and Grandad and enjoying a blue slushie.

I want to remember making a fort in the family room and watching The Parent Trap, another item on our Summer Bucket List

I want to remember getting stung by a bee twice in two weeks while cutting the grass.

I want to remember Hadley and Kevin playing airplane in the family room.

I want to remember Hadley getting a fresh haircut before vacation and school.

I want to remember painting her toes rainbow.

I want to remember laying out in the driveway.

I want to remember surprising Hadley with a scavenger hunt to tell her we’re going to Florida for vacation.

I want to remember how much Hadley loves Target as much as I do.

I want to remember Hadley being such a good kiddo, especially when she’s the only kid around.

I want to remember Uncle Fred getting Kevin a hawaiian skirt.

I want to remember going on walks / runs at the trail.

I want to remember Kevin taking her to a pool for a few hours in the morning. She could swim all day everyday.

I want to remember her first outdoor soccer practice.

I want to remember making bags with paint pens.

I want to remember getting pedicures before vacation.

I want to remember the drive to Destin wasn’t so bad as we stopped on the way.

I want to remember having surprise bags in the car.

I want to remember how excited Hadley was for her first hotel stay.

I want to remember working out the majority of the time on vacation.

I want to remember the first time getting in the ocean once we unpacked the truck.

I want to remember going crab hunting at night and seeing so many of them.

I want to remember going on a dolphin cruise and seeing not only dolphins, but also sharks.

I want to remember how beautiful the water was.

I want to remember going to Lulu’s for dinner and loving the atmosphere.

I want to remember the photo when hundreds of Afghans packed into a US military cargo plane as they flee Kabul.

I want to remember meeting the first grade teacher and how excited Hadley was.

I want to remember driving the gator to the marina on the backroads to pick up pizza for dinner.

I want to remember using the tent at soccer.

I want to remember Ari watching lego videos on YouTube and how intrigued he was.

I want to remember softball and how much she learned having her Dad as the coach.

I want to remember celebrating Natalie turning 14.

I want to remember having smoothies for breakfast.

I want to remember how excited Hadley gets shopping for school stuff.

I want to remember her first day of school, and no tears!

I want to remember Kevin making bookbag hooks.

I want to remember getting rid of the big kitchen table and downsizing to one that fits.

I want to remember the 13 service members killed in an attack at the airport in Kabul.

I want to remember using a vitamin sorter for how many different vitamins I take.

I want to remember all the hard work we did to keep up the front yard makeover.

I want to remember her first season of cheerleading.

I want to remember Labor Day weekend at the lake was very very quiet.

I want to remember always feeding the horses.

I want to remember Natalie made the JV volleyball team as a freshman in high school.

I want to remember finding Downy Ocean Mist scent booster, and loving the smell!

Summer is just about ending, and it was a good one!