Summer days

Well, it's July 1. (Happy Birthday Jen!!!) here come the hot days of summer right? Well, so far this year, June has been ridiculous along the east coast - many days over 100.... however, last night, as R and I went to a little league baseball game (the semi finals in our county) - I had on shorts and a t-shirt and I FROZE! It had rained a bit earlier, and it felt more like I should be watching a mid-season football game in October! This morning, I expected all to be back to normal - and I was outside cutting the grass... and well, I even got a bit chilly doing that! Again, shorts and a t-shirt! It truly feels like fall here in southern VA right now?! What is going on? I know I am further north than I am used to being, but seriously!

Anyway, all that to say - as I was cutting the grass, the smell of the fresh cut grass, the cool breeze, the strawberry koolaid I was drinking to keep myself hydrated... I felt for a moment that I was living on 8th St. S.W. Decatur, AL. Back when summer was as it should be. So, I thought I would share with you a few memories of summer in the south.

I lived at this address for almost 7 years. We moved when I was three years old and my first real memory I believe happened in the driveway of this house. (I have some vague memories of things prior to this, but I think they are just combinations of pictures and stories). However, a little girl down the street "K" came running to my driveway where I was playing and brought me a sucker - one of those round ones with a hole in the middle. It was strawberry flavored. That was the beginning of 7 summers of fun. K had three sisters, I have a brother and a sister, and there was another little boy that lived in the house between us.

Jon, Jen and I had a trampoline, swing set, and tree house- the boy in the middle house had a slip n slide - and K and her sisters had a 4-ft swimming pool. We all spent many summer days, from daylight till dark running from house to house (or riding bikes, scooters, and skates from house to house) playing all day long! What wonderful days those were.

There were also the days mom would wake us up and say these famous words "If we all work hard to clean for ONE HOUR, then we can all go swimming!" Mr. H and Mrs. S had a swimming pool not far from our house. A HUGE swimming pool (at least for a kid it was big) and we would swim all day long. Jen was able to swim underwater by the time she was 2 if that tells ya anything!

The other factor involved was the "spend-the-night" times that Jessie and I would have. We played in the sprinkler in front of her parents house for HOURS on end! We would explore the basement, play games, and be more creative than I have been since then!

What wonderful memories lie in those dog days of summer for me and my childhood. I only hope that I can provide similar memories for my kids.... one day... :)

What summer memories do you hold on to?