Summer time…begins this weekend for us. The classic Memorial Day weekend. School is out and summer time vibes are in the air. The days are getting longer, bed time is getting later, and we are all sweating and swatting at bugs a little bit more. Are you team summer? I personally love all the seasons somewhat equally but summer is definitely top! I don’t love sweating to death and I loathe mosquitoes, but the “cooler” evenings after a hot day, and fun at the pool and lake outweighs the cons for me. 

What are your summer memories? Do you have nostalgia like I do when it comes to summer time? I remember my mom signed my brothers and I up for swim lessons through the Red Cross at the local city pool for the first session. The water was frigid and we had to continue to get up early. But, hey, we learned to swim and for that I am grateful. My maternal grandmother never learned to swim and had a fear of water and my mom had to “teach” herself to swim. So that was one of her goals with her children, to make us good swimmers. We did not have access to a swim team, but I know all the strokes. I have the same motivation for my girls as well, but we have been able to be a part of a swim team in the summers. This summer we will join a new swim team at a new club with new rhythms, but we are excited just the same. 

My paternal grandparents owned a rustic fishing cabin in the lost country of Alabama, southwest of Tuscaloosa (the town that shall not be named.) I come from deep Auburn roots.  The cabin was the epitome of rustic with no tv, no cell service (no cell phones back then anyway), and no alarm clocks. We woke with the sun and went to bed when the night sky was upon us. Cooked all our food, played in the water all day, rested in the heat of the day and back out again in the late evening. We would go for boat rides and canoe rides. We were fortunate enough to learn to ski. We would ski doubles with siblings, watch my dad show off by putting the rope between his legs or drop a ski to slalom. Then try to remember where he dropped the ski to pick it back up. We played card games at night with the favorite being Spoons. When my mom’s parents came to the River, we ate fish. My mother’s dad was the best fisherman known to man. He could sit and fish all day and never get tired of it. Through the years we brought several friends and family friends to the River to enjoy as well. The goal was to teach everyone to ski and to host watermelon seed spitting contests, or play “jump or dive” off the dock. The River was by far our favorite place. We would go once a summer if not twice. I remember riding in our blue Astro Ford van packed to the brim with food for the week and luggage. The trip was about 4 hours so not too close, but not too far. My cousin now owns the River cabin and we have been back to the River a few times since having kids. My oldest actually learned to ski last summer and we had a blast watching her. I’m not sure we will make it back this year, but I’m hoping to enjoy a day or two on the lake with friends who have boats. My dad always said the best boat to have is your friend’s boat. 

Speaking of going twice a year, our second trip was typically the first week of August which was my oldest brother’s birthday. My mom always said that school was going to keep creeping up and we wouldn’t be able to go to the River for his birthday. She wasn’t wrong. School starts the first week of August here in TN. I have opinions about the school calendar, but unfortunately, my opinions will not change the school calendar and remain a cycle of my thoughts blowing smoke. I mean summer starts on Memorial Day, so why not end it on Labor Day? 

My girls are getting older and my caboose will be potty training this summer. My third one will learn to swim this summer as well so we are moving towards a little more relaxation at the pool. Rhythms change from season to season and this summer I am hopeful to start some new rhythms and continue education in responsibility, character, and life lessons. I can get ambitious so I will have to update you at the end of summer to see what really happens. The month of June will be spent swimming and swimming with more swimming. We have no trips planned, but plan to enjoy the swim team and neighborhood pool. We plan to eat good food and fellowship with friends. I have goals for my kiddos to read daily and adopt a few chores. One being giving my oldest the job of vacuuming and wiping down the stairs. How do stairs get so gross? I do not know, but they need a weekly cleaning and I am ready to dish some things off my mama plate. I am also hoping to take the time to help the big two at least start their laundry and help put away their clothes. Folding may be too ambitious and I am probably not patient enough right now to teach them to fold. So between swimming, reading, cooking, eating, and cleaning our June is full, haha. 

July brings a 4 year old birthday for us and an annual family reunion trip to a beautiful lake in Alabama. Once that trip ends, we ultimately have only two short weeks to possibly plan a trip or just breathe the slow rhythms before school starts August 8th. We have yet to go to the beach in the summertime and tend to leave that trip for fall break. 

My most ambitious goal this summer is to do a sprint triathlon again. Many of you that know me, know that Matt and I met through triathlons. Triathlons were “what we did” dating, engaged and early married before kids. Even with the first 3 kids I participated in sprint triathlons. Matt was a race director of a local triathlon too. Nostalgia maybe? Just feeling froggy? I don’t know but I have found one that is August 3 and it’s a downstream swim. Very enticing I must say. I haven’t run or biked in 2-3 years but my strength training has kept me going and I think I could easily get back into endurance training without too much trouble. Especially for a sprint.

How do you spend your summers? Do you plan extravagant vacations? Do you enjoy a good book or a swim? Do you take on summer projects? Do you try new things? Maybe your kids are bigger and can go to spend the night camps. My oldest is having her first “sleepover” soon and I think she is nervous about the one night away. We are team summer over here! Whatever your summer brings, I pray you enjoy the different rhythm. I’ll report back in August with how the summer actually went 😉 Till next time. 

XO,

Kimberly