What I’ll Remember About Summer 2024
I cannot believe summer is over! My girls started school this week and we’re back in the swing of a normal (new to us!) routine.
Back when we lived in Arizona and Texas, I was always so relieved for summer to come to a close, but now that we live in Utah, I just savor virtually every moment of summer!
Here are the things I’ll remember from Summer 2024:
What I’ll Remember About Summer 2024
Deciding: to homeschool. This was not on my bingo card for 2024, but earlier in the summer, the girls asked to homeschool this fall and both Bart and I were willing. It is definitely taking a little adjustment to make it work with my job but I’m looking forward to the challenge and seeing how it goes this year! (A full Q&A about how this change happened here!).
Wearing: these sneakers. I got these mid-summer and wore them the first day on an unexpected hike. No rubbing, no blisters right out of the gate and since then I’ve worn them constantly! They dress up and down nicely and they come in several color ways. I’m a huge fan!
Eating: a new variation on my standard breakfast. This summer, I cut out the egg and started adding black beans, quinoa and mushrooms, along with a bigger scoop of hummus to act as a binder. And this sriracha honey is the icing on top!
Visiting: California for the day! It was such a magical thing to do a day trip to the beach with Bart’s parents along with his sister and her family. I have a whole post about it here and I hope we’ll do it again this winter when the cold weather starts making us all a little stir-crazy!
Fixing: Ani’s broken arm. She tripped while they were running laps at swim team and assured me for two days it wasn’t broken and then suddenly started asking if we could go get it X-rayed. 45 minutes later, we were leaving the InstaCare with a splint and an appointment for a real cast a few days later. She’s been a good sport about it and this waterproof cover has made it possible for her to still swim this summer.
Listening: to Harry Potter. We’ve been working our way through several of the Stephen Fry versions of Harry Potter which has been really delightful. Plus since we all have read or listened to the whole series, it is fine if we listen without every single member of the family around. We’re currently about 1/2 way through the Deathly Hallows.
Buying: every set of these colored pencils Amazon would allow! They went on super sale and because the price was so low, they would only let you buy one. It seems to reset about once a week, so I keep ordering a new set every time it allows me to so I’m well-stocked for birthday gifts all year long (I like to pair the pencils with one of these drawing books!).
Playing: so much pickleball. I’ve played usually once a week or every other week for the past several years and I’ve liked it, but suddenly this summer I started REALLY enjoying it! A group of us that had played during the school year started playing in the mornings while the girls did swim team and I feel like I’ve gotten quite a bit better (still a very medium player, but definitely better!).
Sending: Tally to her first Grancie Camp. Ella went to my parents for a few days in the summer for the first time when Tally was about 5 months old, so Tally has been literally waiting her entire life for her turn and this was finally the year! Scheduling 4 Grancie Camps was a little wild and we’ve been up and back to the airport to drop off and pick up kids a LOT, but they’ve all had the BEST time and I’m so grateful to my parents for making it happen year after year. All the details about Grancie Camp here if you’re curious.
Using: this snack box CONSTANTLY. I bought this for $10 early in the summer and we’ve taken it on every boat trip since then – it’s perfect for filling up with fruits and veggies, fits right in the bottom of the cooler (and in our fridge at home!) and makes everyone more likely to munch their way through a bunch of nutritious snacks. One of my best purchases of the summer!
Replacing: our basement couch. We meant to get a new couch when we moved into this house 3 years ago, but we never found anything we loved and so we just kept using our old couch that we bought 14 years ago. Finally, this summer, Bart and I went to the furniture store, sat on every single couch and immediately knew this one was the one for us. It is SO cozy, fits perfectly in the space, and I’m so happy to have finally taken care of it!
What will you remember from Summer 2024? I’d love to hear!
