As the weather begins to drastically warm up, we start to notice the signs that summer is fast approaching. Dewy mornings lend themselves to humid days. By early evening, we are beyond grateful for the relief of a cool evening breeze while the fireflies glow and dance around our faces. Little hands grasping mason jars swirl around trying to catch them all. Such sweet memories.
The summer months are some of my absolute favorites. If you have school-aged kiddos, then you know summer means they are home and anxious for adventure. It is these months in Ohio that seem the most dreamlike for me. Every waking second is an opportunity for fun to be had. And we take every moment available to soak in the sunshine and time with family and friends.
There are countless grill outs with all the hotdogs you can eat and lots of splashing at the pool for eager swimmers. Summertime is where we continue to keep traditions alive and create new ones for our little ones to share one day.
Here are five of our summer “musts” every year no matter what is going on in our busy, hectic, lives.
- Festivals. There are so many festivals celebrating everything under the sun. And we try to get to almost every one. It is so much fun to gather with the community in shopping and eating all the yumminess.
- Amusement parks. We try to get out to our local one every year for my husband’s birthday in July. It is something him and I have done since our oldest was a baby. We look forward to acting like a bunch of kids running around without a care in the world. For this thrill-seeking family, we always leave feeling so accomplished after a full day of riding all those crazy rides.
- Fireworks. Every year, we trek out to the same spot my husband would go to as a kid and watch the sky light up for the Fourth of July. There is amazing food and music. It is something we plan to always do and hope our kiddos will do the same. Cuddled under the stars and enjoying such a beautiful show is pure magic.
- We eat corn on the cob with just about every meal. There is no denying that fresh corn alongside some macaroni salad is just the epitome of summer. At least for our little family. The best part is purchasing it from local farms. The kids absolutely love picking their own food and eating it up.
- And lastly, we always go on a road trip or some kind of mini staycation. Summer gives us the freedom to go out and see the world, even if we are in our own backyard. We do not always go far, but we always come home feeling excited for all that summer has given us.
These are just a few of my favorite things we do each summer. The list has grown quite a bit over the years. What are some of your summer traditions?
