It brings a tear to my eye when I realize I only have 2 1/2 more summers with my oldest before she starts college. This summer literally feels like a blink. School supplies are out. Fourth of July has passed. It's all flying by at warp speed. We only get 18 summers with our little ones before they fly out of the nest. Yes, they may stay at home longer, but there's something about that title of "adult" that makes it all feel different after high school graduation.
My summers as a kid were filled with hard work. Growing up on a farm, we were in my grandfather's fields 3 days a week, and I also worked in my parents' poultry houses on the really hot days. But there was fun too. We went to the community pool and day trips to the beach. There always took a church youth group trip to an amusement park. I went to summer camp and the lake. Still, there's not a lot of traveling summer vacations for a farming family.
My kids know how to put up corn, but that's the extent of their farming summer work. So, I am thankful we take vacations now. I love our family week at the beach, and we always try to mix in a road trip or two as well as an amusement park visit. There's plenty of swimming and sports camps, VBS as well as church camp. My oldest is on a missions's trip right now, and it has been hard to know she is so far away, but I know she's having a blast. There is lazy days and jam packed weeks, but nothing can beat summer break. I want to fill these 18 summers with as many wonderful memories as possible. We might not have the finances to travel the world, but there's still plenty of fun to be had in these summer months.
I was reliving our summer so far by flipping through phone pictures with my son. My heart melts when he asks to snuggle and look at pictures together. From our first field of sunflowers to growing our first perfect tomato, it has been a pretty successful summer thus far. I have ridden bikes with the kids (something I haven't done in quite a while). We played on a new playground, including swinging as high as I can. My son was tall enough to ride a roller coaster, so we all five hopped on for some major thrills and screams by mommy...yikes. We took a road trip to Washington DC and did a lot of sightseeing. We've eaten way too much ice cream, stayed up late, went night swimming, watched the stars, hid under blankets during thunder storms, watched movies, played putt putt, went to a baseball game, kicked the soccer ball in the backyard, but we still have a few things on our summer to do list. We have to watch a movie outside and campout in the backyard. We definitely have not eaten enough smores. We also always take a trip to stand up paddle board at a local lake, and we're starting to plan dates with dad. That's a tradition I'll write about soon. So with summer halfway over, there's still more fun to come. I'm just so thankful for these ten weeks that roll around each year!
"From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!" Psalms 113:3
Summer is the best time to try new recipes. I recently tried to make this bagel boat that was a recreation of something my husband ate at a hotel breakfast years ago. We liked the way it turned out, but I will make a few changes next time. It may be better to just slightly cut the bagel tops off instead of halving the bagel. Also, we would love to try it with bacon.
3 bagels
3 eggs
2 Tbsp half and half
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup turkey sausage
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Hollow out the bagel halves and place on a baking sheet. Brown sausage and drain any grease. Whisk together eggs, half and half, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Fill the bagels with sausage, then pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melty. We served with a little hot sauce. Tasty!
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