A Farewell to Summer

to swimming lessons -- and to learning that we'll all learn a lot more if the girls have a cute girl teacher, and the boys have a cool boy teacher.

to thinking you're the bravest kid in the world for being able to dunk your head under the water "10 times!" and believing you're floating even when some one's holding on!

to finally being brave enough to jump off that high dive

and even attempt a real dive!

to family reunions (the one's you're really really looking forward to, and even the one's you're not)

to dirt in your fingernails, your nose, your food, your bed -- and not noticing because your cousins are right there.

to the sweet imagination of childhood, that can turn a bunch of tree stumps and sticks into t "the coolest rock and roll band ever"! (the "blue bandannas" in case you were wondering!)

to making some new friends, and reconnecting with some old ones.

to slip and slides-- to those who rock that thing on their very first try (Sienna) and those who will probably never really get it (Brielle) but are having too much fun to notice.

to Popsicles, sunscreen, wet towels, picnics, and way too much candy.

to last minute camping trips, just cause the summer is almost over. to the smell of campfire permeating everything, the joy of marshmallows cooked perfectly (or not) to discovering that french fries can be had in the wild and bacon should be cooked with everything. (bacon fried pancakes -- oh yeah!)

to sleeping in way too late just cause you can, shooting stars, sleep-overs at Grandma's house and movie night smack dab in the middle of the week!