Ice Tea And Lazy Dayz...

Matt Grade 9 Grad 2012

Happy summer everyone! Its finally arrived! My middle son finally wrote his last exam on Monday so our family is  officially able to say we are on summer break! My youngest graduated from grade 9 this year, my middle young man will graduating grade 12 next year and my oldest just turned 20, which means there are no more little kids in my house any more. (Well...in my heart they will always be little!)       Needless to say this will be a different kind of summer then from years gone by.

This year will be filled with work schedules, mom can I borrow the truck?, all night parties by the fire pit....and who knows...maybe even a summer romance or two? Gone are the days of just setting up the baby pool and making Popsicles, grabbing an ice tea and enjoying the afternoon with the boys. Now they sleep til noon ( as teens are known to do!) or send me a text or two to let me know they are still breathing. They show up when they are hungry, tired or need fresh clothing. Sometimes I miss being a teen! ha!!

This summer will definitely be a summer of changes. Now when I grab that ice tea I can bring my book out there with me and READ. I don't have to watch my children carefully. There shouldn't be anyone choking on hotdogs or slipping on wet grass. No cuts to bandage, no fruits to cut up or drinks to be poured.

This summer we are taking a family vacation...an adventure if you prefer! Since everyone is so busy doing their own thing I thought lets combine these skills and see what we end up with. So we purchased a 1984 GMC Vandura (needs some love...) and each kid is contributing to the end product. They want to paint and wire and change fluids etc and make it our own. Then we will pack up and head south and explore Southern USA near Las Vegas. No set destination in mind...just pack up and go!

But in the mean time, I'm in that kind of limbo stage. I've done the hectic crazy summers when the kids were little. Taking them to the out door pool, or running to day camps. Soon enough I will have little grandchildren running around one day starting the cycle over again. But for now...I think I will go pour myself some ice tea ad go curl up on my deck with a good book. Enjoy the beginning of your summer everyone!

Congrats its June!!

Good afternoon my friends! Hope you are enjoying the sunshine and bird songs, and the switch from warm hot ciders to refreshing lemonade and ice tea. I'm sure most of you have your gardens in and have settled into the new schedule of lawn mowing and garden maintenance. ( Which for some is a pleasure and for some a chore..ha!)

My perennial flower garden has been busy going through its spring flowers and every year I'm always pleasantly surprised by whats out there. Right now I have beautiful sunny yellow irises and these huge orange poppies that always amaze me! My miniature lilac bushes are full of sweet smelling buds just waiting for some sun to burst them open. I love the smell! And in the evening when I'm in my room I can smell the lilacs that are just under my bedroom window.

I'm always so surprised at how effortlessly all these plants and flowers seem to know exactly when to peek their heads out of the snow and earth to greet the new Spring season. One by one  they each follow, filling my gardens with waves of color and scents.

As the school year rushes to a close, and everyone is busy going to end of year concerts, banquets, and for many graduation ceremonies I know many parents think 'Wow! This school year flew by!'  The mass of color and taffeta and giggling girls, the spiffed up young men, brightly decorated gyms, speeches, music. For a brief moment in time its like my garden. They were all in there just waiting for their turn to bloom and dance in the sunshine.

So happy end of school year everyone! Congrats to everyone finishing their school year and a special congratulations going out to my brother in law!! WooHoo!! Your the special dandelion in my garden dude!! Way proud of you!