1. Summer’s here! In the northern hemisphere anyway. If you’re in the southern hemisphere substitute winter for the word summer. What do you love most about summer? What’s your biggest summer pet peeve?

I really like the relaxed feel and the sounds. In the late evenings, there’s a calm feeling even if it is too warm out. Biggest pet peeve is it always feels more expensive than it should and I usually stress about the AC. We have two new units this year and I am somehow still worried about it!

2. What song always reminds you of summer?

I don’t know if I have one true song but the one that came to mind was “Sealed with a kiss” by Brian Hyland. It encompasses that idea of a summer love, which I remember always seeing in movies. I agree with our host that a lot of country songs hit on that summer feel really well too.

3. What’s something you remember about your childhood summers? Do you think kids today get to enjoy summer the way you did as a child? Elaborate.

I remember my mom putting out this ugly blanket and serving us lunch on it in our backyard. Then she’d set up the slip ‘n slide and we’d play for hours. I oddly enough don’t remember anything else specific about summers! And no, I don’t think kids experience it the same way due to technology. I have tried over the years to keep mine busy, from doing camps and enforcing no screen time periods, but as they age there’s only so much I can do. Dakota is in camp now, my oldest has a job, and my middle is actively looking for one. So this summer is different. But my daughter does still spend a lot of time in the pool, which makes me happy.

4. We celebrate Fathers Day on June 21st. Do you favor your dad in looks or temperament? Tell us something about your dad. Or your husband as a dad. Or a son/son-in-law as a dad. Or your grandpa

I look like my dad in some ways and I used to be like him – quick tempered and exasperated – but I think I changed that. My dad is a character; he has little quirks we all pick on but in a fun way. Like how even though we have gps, he still wants to tell us how to get somewhere. So we have a joke about that.

5. Let’s wrap up with a summer this or that-

• flip flops or sandals~sandals
• beach or pool~beach
• watermelon or peaches~peaches
• shorts or sundress~shorts
• iced coffee or ice cold lemonade~lemonade
• amusement park or water park~neither but I guess water park 

6. Insert your own random thought here

If you read my trip recaps, you’ll see that we got back two days earlier than anticipated. It was simply time to go. I am not complaining! I loved coming home, doing something normal like grocery shopping, and enjoying my home. I have cooked a lot since coming back too, which is nice. I think I enjoy those domestic tasks more than I realized. Fair to say, I am also not ready to jump back into normal life things like work. I have two online classes and while I kept up pretty well during vacation, there’s definitely some work waiting for me and I find myself resisting it. In fact, that is why I am blogging! I don’t want to work! But I know I have to bite the bullet here soon.