Embracing summer

If you’ve read this blog for about, ohhhh…two minutes, you know how much I adore the autumn season. I joke about it often, but it’s not really joking…I BIG FAT LOVE fall. :) I don’t apologize for it. I mean really -- just about everything about that season rocks.

But, I do need to give some props to the time of year that has typically not been my favorite – summer.

I’ve always been a warm and cozy kind of girl – in the past I haven’t even minded winter. Shorter days have never bugged me, and as long as I’m comfy in the house, I quite enjoy the winter months…that is till about January 30th. :)

But this summer, something has changed. I’ve quite enjoyed it this year. Dare I say, really loved it.

There’s something about the warmer months that is magic. Magic I had only previously thought was possible during the holidays.

So here are all of the reasons summer is now a really close second to October through December for me…

Yes, you heard right. I love summer.

(Grumble.)

I also love storms. I adore thunderstorms. And of course the summer months offer some of the best shows:

There’s been a few lightning storms this year that have been fantastic! We stand outside in awe, admiring God’s handiwork.  :)

Speaking of great shows, the Bub has become a firework fanatic! We went all out on the Fourth this year and had such a blast -- it was SO FUN. Do you know I’d never set off a roman candle till this summer? Crazy!

The biggest hit this year was the balloon chicken:

:)

I must offer an official apology to our neighbors, for the late night booms that went well into late July. (They were half off peeps – who can resist?!)

I love that we don’t go out to dinner till 8 p.m. some nights. I also love that we go out to dinner waaay too much in the summer. No cooking, whoohoo!

Late night dinners turn into late evenings in general. I’m a night owl through and through, and most of the year I’m up way later than my husband working. But this summer, he stayed up late at night working as well.

At midnight some nights, we would sit out on our deck, glass of wine in hand, and look at the stars.

Awesome.

Late nights also mean sleeping in. Helloooo…is there anything better? There’s not for a sleep lovah like me. Have I mentioned I’ve pretty much been a SLUG this summer? Yeah.

The zoo membership is the best money we’ve spent all year! I love that we can go when the urge strikes us, and not spend a dime.

Just look at that BIG SWEETAY!! :)

I’m not a big ice cream eater, but in the summer I can’t live without my Spouse Like a House treat (yes, that’s what it’s called.) A sinful mixture of vanilla ice cream, caramel swirls and chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels.

**Picture not available because I ate it all.**

The happy hour at Dairy Queen does nothing to help my summer sweet tooth either -- Strawberry Lemonade iced drinks half off in the afternoons – can I get a hoooolla?

I never planted that garden I mentioned earlier this summer, but I have grand plans for next year! I know exactly where it will go and just what I’ll be planting.

I did finally get some tomatoes off the Topsy Turvy plant this year (YES, it works!!) – it is busting with them right now! (And the animals have left them alone, the buggers.)

Speaking of critters, another bonus of summer around our house is the constant wildlife:

We have bunnies daily (with cutie patoot fluffy bootays!), an incredible array of birds, the occasional deer, and you can hear the coyotes howling and see them playing in the land behind our house. (They really do play – it’s fun to watch...from inside.)

I’m a TV junky, and summer television is some of my favorite TV. You can’t beat the Bachelor/Bachelorette (don’t judge!), So You Think You Can Dance, and my fave USA network shows like White Collar – all that run NEW shows during the summer.

They’re all good, mindless entertainment, which is perfect this time of year. Thinking too much makes you hot, didn’t you know? :)

And then, there are the pretty parts of summer. We are lucky to have a lot of nature nearby, so evening walks are full of the beauty of this season:

     

The Indiana weather is brutal this time of year, but the result can be quite spectacular.

These are the reasons I’ve barely touched a power tool all summer. The reasons I’ve had ZERO motivation to finish the kitchen redo. The reasons that, even with the horrible heat and humidity this year, I’ve actually fallen in love with summer.

I can’t believe it, but it’s true. :)

So what’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it? Are you a convert like me? :)

Have a GREAT weekend!

**All flower pictures are from our yard and a nearby nature preserve. :)

 

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