10 Reasons We Had A Great Summer! (Part 1)

This might be a long post, but I haven't blogged in so long and I wanted to post about this summer. I don't have very many photos, and I think I'll have to keep it to a "Top Ten" format-- for time's sake. :) Our summer officially ended last Wednesday when school began again. I think today was the first day it really sunk in for us-- our summer really is over?!? It went by so quickly and we had a blast. The best part about summer ending is that fall's around the corner, and with that... we finally get to meet Junior! :)

Reason #10: I Finally Finished The Quilt!

Earlier this summer I may have mentioned that I was almost finished... yeah, that was before I realized just how long it would take me to hand quilt it. I'm loving the finished quilt (sorry the pictures are so dark-- it's been so cloudy all week):

In about 2 days, we'll be handing it over to our friends-- those Newlyweds-- who deserve their wedding gift sometime this year! It also should count as a housewarming gift since they just purchased their new house. Hope they love it! I would recommend D. Schmidt's pattern, although I followed it to the "T" and at one point, things werent' matching up correctly. I improvised by changing the shape of the circle. I don't think it's very noticeable and looks pretty close to the original design. Not perfect, but something I'm satisfied with :) !

I started my friend's baby quilt yesterday, but it shouldn't take half as long. Her baby is due soon after ours, so I gotta get on the ball! Once I finish hers, I'll be working on one for our little Junior-- probably will be the same D. Schmidt quilt pattern, but 4 rings (vs. the 12 with this gifted quilt).

Reason #9: Good Reads

For the first summer in a long time, I had the time to curl up on the sofa with a good book. That was really nice. Of course, I've been reading What To Expect but I also read all the Shopaholic books. Those were fun! This was my favorite of Sophie Kinsella's books:I read a few other "Chick Lit" books, but I can't remember the titles. I am reading Eat Pray Love right now, and I'm not breezing through it like some of my other summer reads, but I enjoy her writing. I've just started her visit to India...

Has anyone read Petite Anglaise?

What about this new Amy Butler book? It's killing me not to buy this. I have promised myself that if I can make it to the end of September... it just looks like it's got some great projects. Reason #8: Chessie Walks and Spoiled Doggies

Jeremy and I tried to go out on the trails nearby every couple of days. We'd take Buster (our "foster" dog) and Lulu. The trail is part of Rails to Trails-- old railbed trails. It all runs along the river and I love that it's just minutes away. Another perk of Lex Vegas! :)

We have seen so much wildlife each time-- there's even a little beaver den that I like to stop and watch. I've only seen them active very early in the morning.

We took the dogs everywhere this summer-- walks and to the river, on trails, etc. Buster even has his own little seat in the truck!

Reason #7: Summer Swimming

We swam all the time this summer! It felt great to get out a few days a week. We went to Lake Douthat a few times, Goshen (Indian Pool), a pool in town (Thanks, Sam!), and even out on the James (a great kayaking trip with my parents). Always refreshing and something I already miss. The weather's already a little too chilly for river swimming.

Reason #6: Soccer Camp

Soccer camp is a fun tradition in my family. When I was growing up, my dad ran the camp and all my cousins would come in for the week. Being "creative" rather than "athletic" I usually watched from the sidelines, and eventually my cousin Becca joined me on the sidelines. We spent lots of time checking out the camp counselors and shopping!

Now my brother runs the camp. We had Becca's kids in for soccer camp-- I think this might be their 3rd year. It was fun getting the spend time with everyeone, but being pregnant, I have to say I was completely, utterly, COMPLETELY worn out after they left... Dont' get me wrong, they're great kids but I definetely think being a mom is going to wear me out! At the end of the week, Becca came in for the weekend and we all hit the lake. Fun,fun!

More photos from our Lake Douthat outing:

Reason #5: Ocean CityJeremy and I had planned to take 2 trips to the shore this summer, but our second trip had to be cancelled when we sold the MINI. (We'd be broke if we'd driven the truck 7 hours with these gas prices!) We did make it in June and it was WONDERFUL!

It was still pretty early in the season, so the beaches weren't crowded. The boardwalk wasn't, either, so it was just nice to chill out. We played lots of putt-putt, ate lots of yummy food and candy, and stayed out on the beach for most of the day. I can't wait to take the baby there next summer!