What I'll miss from Summer 2011

Well folks, the summer is coming to a close. August is here, with is 110+ temps, and with it's arrival, the school year is just around the corner. As much as I'm trying to ignore it, that's the truth. I love teaching, don't get me wrong, but every year I dread the beginning of a new school year. This year will be particularly busy as I have 250 kids and no assistant...ugh. That's another story for another day, but this school year is going to be particularly difficult. That got me thinking what a wonderful summer it's been, and the things I'll miss!

• Spending time with my husband as a "wife". What a blessing that has been! I didn't anticipate loving married life as much as I do. After so many years together, it's been wonderful to see how God is continuing to mold us and shape us as we have joined our lives together. Sometimes the learning curve has been difficult, but oh so worth it.
  
• NYC! We had such a good time. Neither of us has taken a real vacation in so long, and it was nice to start our married life together. We loved every second of our trip, and are already planning our first anniversary trip! Ideas?
• P-Dub's Vietnamese Iced Coffee. What a lovely, and sinful treat this summer. But, it's so much cheaper than Starbucks, although I'm sure it's just as bad in calories. Recipe here. While I'm sure her regular iced coffee is divine, I just couldn't bring myself to go through all those steps when the Vietnamese version (near the bottom of the post) is terrific!
• Speaking of Pioneer Woman, I have cooked a million of her recipes this summer, and I have never been let-down. That woman can COOK!
  
• Time with my sister. She's my very best friend, and I am so sad she's moving to Houston. We get each others humor perfectly and I love the feeling of a friendship where there's absolutely no secrets between us. Complete and total honesty is a rarity. Oh, and those sweet kids are the perfect bonus!
• Lunch/movie dates with my mom. We haven't had near as many as I'd like, but I've got a pretty spectacular mom. Lunch dates never happen during the school year, so the few times we've spent together have been nice. I actually really miss wedding planning, mainly because it meant that I had lots of time with my mom.
• Summer weddings! Congrats to a very dear friend from way-back, Justin Kouba, Jeff's cousin Madeline, and my friend from college Sarah Council (Boswell). I have enjoyed celebrating with you!
• SLEEP. Nuff said.
• HP 7.2. Went and saw this at midnight with my good friend Bethany, which then made me pull out those Harry Potter books and read through them. Great ending to a wonderful series!
• Cooking! With all of my new wedding gift additions in my kitchen, cooking has been so enjoyable! My hubby says I've reached a "new level" - you will have to come eat dinner with us to see!
• Time with my puppies. Until Jeff and I start a family (which I hope is soon!) our dogs are a major joy in our lives. Baylor has finally calmed down and behaves (a major milestone) and Ben is...well, he's just Ben. He's older and crankier, but such a good dog.
• Seeing old friends. It's rare to see all of my sweet friends since we all live so far apart, but the summer makes that easier because we all have time to travel. My wedding was made all the more sweet by their attendance. Whether it's bunco night or a dinner date, I've just really enjoyed seeing them.

I hope your summer was wonderful, and filled with all the things you love to do. Mine has been filled with all kinds of blessings - I'm so thankful and grateful.