My top 10 favorites of this summer

The summer is winding down. Skyler goes back to school tomorrow and I’m pretty sure that the worst of the hot weather is behind us (I’m hoping anyway). It’s a good time to reflect on the best of this summer. So here it is. My top 10 list of favorites of this summer.

1. Instant tanning lotion. I discovered this stuff a few years ago and love it. I’ve never tanned well and it’s always bothered me to be so white white during the summer. Now I can have a tan, and it’s healthy (or at least it is until they find that some chemical in the lotion is bad for us).

2. Our big, shady backyard. I’m thankful for this all year, but never more so than during this hot summer. In the morning, a big oak and a maple tree block the sun’s rays. In the evening, trees on the other side of the yard provide shade. The trees also provided places for us to hide during evening games of hide-and-seek – Lindsay’s favorite outdoor game this year.

3. Skyler earned money this summer from other people. He mowed the lawn for two neighbors. He also took care of a neighbor’s two dogs and two cats for a week. That required him to go to their house three times a day to let the dogs out, and to make sure the pets had food and water. I am very proud of him for demonstrating the responsibility to work for others.

4. Coffee drinks that I could make at home with just the mix and some hot water (Hill’s Brothers white chocolate with caramel is my favorite). Also, McDonald’s caramel frappes, and Kool-Aid.

5. In June, Lindsay made me proud in her dance recital debut. She worried me during rehearsals, becoming teary for the photo and barely participating in the dance rehearsal. But she pulled it together for the actual show, doing all the dance moves like a pro – or at least like a 4-year-old dancing on stage for the first time. I was very proud of her.

6. Skyler made me proud in his band concert debut, playing the trombone. Although technically this didn’t happen in the summer (it was at the end of the school year in May), I feel compelled to include it anyway. He’ll continue to play band this school year. I was fortunate to find an inexpensive second trombone for him so he won’t have to carry the trombone on the bus everyday.

7. Facebook. Don got a job offer as a result of reconnecting with an old friend on this social network site. And I have had the fun of reconnecting with old friends (and I’m still hoping it will pay off for me with a job too!).

8. My mother’s birthday party. My sisters and their families, and me and my family surprised my mother at the Olive Garden for her 65th birthday. My mom thought she was going out to eat with her husband. It was fun to see the happy look on her face when she saw all of us sitting in the restaurant waiting for them. Plus I really enjoyed seeing everyone.

9. I earned a little money by working at a temp job. The schedule offered one of the few perks of the job. I could miss traffic by going in and leaving very early. I also got to listen to the radio streaming online. Plus, as long as I left a list of things for him to do, Don and the kids did the housework.

10. Apples. They come in so many different varieties and are so tasty. They’re good for me, and they taste good too. Something I can partake of without guilt. Now that’s what summer’s all about.