Savoring Summer

July is gone, August is here, and school will be starting soon. But I am doing my best to savor each moment left of summer by spending time with those I love and soaking up some last bits of sun. And while June was a "work month", July has been just the opposite. Maybe just as busy, but much more fun. I would not have wanted the best summer of my life to be any differently.

Over the 4th of July, it is a tradition to visit my Dad in Nebraska, eat good food, and watch the local fireworks. Growing up, I spent six weeks every summer in Kearney, so my summer is never fulfilled until I get to experience it's version of "small town America".

When we got home, my sister, Janae, from Hawaii, had come to visit! She came to see family before picking up her three sweet girlies. We don't get to see these lovely ladies but just once a year, so we made sure to take advantage of every opportunity. We ate lunch with Mom and got pedicures, had a shopping day for the great grandkids with Memaw that ended with a fashion show and dinner, and we also went to the drive-in to see Brave. Those little smiley faces make us so happy!

While they were here, my other sister, Jennie, and I had our 10 year high school reunion. I have nerded out about this day since we graduated, and even made all my high school gal friends promise they would go. The first evening there was a banquet and those gals friends all came to it. Some of us met each others husbands for the very first time and hadn't seen each other in years, but for others it was a catch up after a only a few months. Either way, it was so good to see each other again. The next night, Jennie, Melissa, and I went to a club called The Office. This was an adults only atmosphere, but allowed us to talk to many people we hadn't seen since we graduated and be a little silly too. The last evening there was a family BBQ at one of the parks in Moore, where we got to see some of our good friends and their kiddos for the first time. I had such a great time at each event, and the overall feeling I got from everyone was that it was so good to see each other and catch up. We were all past our high school egocentricities, and it was nice to see people who just were caring about each other, even if we didn't know each other that well in high school. It was different than I had expected, but still a really wonderful time that I will always remember.

After about a week, we then headed to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida with Chris's family! The magic of Disney never ceases to amaze me, make me cry, or give me goosebumps, and this trip did not disappoint! Though the heat was ridiculous at times, we still had a wonderful time with Tom, Tess, and Ashley. We rode some of our favorites from Tower of Terror to Pirates of the Caribbean to Toy Story Mania, ate delicious food from Mickey mouse ice cream to Italian to a family-style Thanksgiving inspired meal, and bought some fun souvenirs, like some new kitchen gadgets and Vinylmations for Ashley. But most of all, we spent time together and enjoyed doing it, even through sweat and smiles. Part of the reason I love Disney so much is the extra effort they put in to making memories with your family. I have distinct memories from my first trip with my Dad the summer after first grade, from each of the three times I have been with my family, from our honeymoon, and every other time in between. You walk by a ride or a landmark and say to yourself, "I remember when...", and the memories come flooding back. I am pretty sure that going to anything Disney is the closest thing on Earth to Heaven, and I am reminded of this each time we go. We made some wonderful memories on this trip too, many that will crack me up for years to come!

The next weekend after we returned home, some of my close friends and I went on our semi-annual trip to Dallas for some outlet shopping. I am not sure how it started...Maybe from my best friend, Francesca, and I driving down for shopping a few years in a row, or from wedding dress shopping with Lindsey and Danielle the summer after we got engaged...But we started it several years ago, took a break last year, and had to do it big this year! This time we even stayed in a hotel! We usually all ride together in someone's car, and we have specific memories from each trip where we learn more about each other and we have even helped two of our friends (Emily & Joel) finally get together. This time was mostly gals and Darin, but this year there was the addition of Tai. And while we're gone, the dudes also get to hang out. After a long day of shopping, my favorite part of the trip was when we all dressed in our new clothes with matching patriotism and went to dinner. We wanted to watch the Olympics and didn't care that we all coordinated. It was so fun and good time to share with my good friends!

Our last leg of our beautifully busy month was a trip to Hawaii to visit Janae, Zoie, Lily, and Sophie! We went last year, and wanted to find a way to get back again this year, so we did. And we went at just the right time with a serious heat wave in Oklahoma. From the minute we arrived, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of everything: the skies, the mountains, the flowering trees, the flowering weeds, the ocean, the weather, and so much more. We spent our first few days with Janae and

the girls going to the beach everyday, seeing the sights, taking the girls to school and picking them up, going the Swap Meet for fresh fruit and souvenirs, eating Janae's home-cooked meals, and just relaxing. The girls all love the beach so much, and any time we went we were guaranteed there would not be any fighting or whining, but just happy little mermaids in the sea. After a few days, we then headed to Disney's Aulani resort. We drove around the island on our way there, and saw Waimea Valley, the Dole Plantation, Giovanni's Shrimp Shack, and much more. Then we finally arrived at Aulani, and it was magical from that moment on! They greeted us by name, took our bags to our room, gave us leis, and walked us to the check-in desk. The resort was amazing, and it was a perfect example of another reason why I love Disney: there was not detail unthought of! We ate lots of food, attended a Starlit Hui, swam in the ocean and pools, floated the lazy river, went on some awesome water slides, and watched the sunset over the ocean. Every part of our experience there was wonderfully relaxing and I hope we can go again someday with our own kiddos. On our last day in Hawaii, we headed back to spend the last hours with all 4 girls. We did some homework, then headed out to dinner at a place that Janae and JD always go to when they want to feel like they are at home. The girls loved it too, and also were pumped beacuse we got shaved ice for dessert! They were cracking us up all day with dance moves and silly dramatics, while also warming our hearts with many sweet "we're going to miss you!". Hawaii is such a wonderful place for so many reasons, but most of all because there is family there. Maybe there's a way I can figure out how to get back there soon? Tee hee...

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with my "to do's', but then I remember moments like all of these that remind me what this life is really about. I may not have a perfect body, a balanced bank account, or perfectly clean and organized house. But what we do have is amazing people in our lives. We try our best, each and every day, to show others how much we love and appreciate them, and we value each moment with them. We hope that you can see that in how we live, and that we inspire you to do the same. I mean, YOLO, right?!? :)