A Perfect Summer Day

It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Summertime.  I'm outside at every opportunity, and for as long as I can possibly stay... whether it is to sit and read, walk,  golf, swim, putz in my herb garden, or just sitting on the front stoop watching nature.  I just want to be outside from the moment I get up out of bed, til the moment I head back to bed at the end of the day.

Every Summer I have several of those days I like to call "A PERFECT Summer Day".  You might wonder what I would consider a PERFECT Summer Day to be... and the answer is... it's just one of those AWESOME hot sunny days... not too hot, but hot enough to be outside in shorts, tank top, and flip flops from sun up til sun down.... when you are with family, or friends enjoying the day together, talking, giggling, cooking out, and soaking up every moment possible.

June 14, 2013 was my first PERFECT Summer Day of this year.  I was visiting my family in Kentucky, and it all started when I woke up to both my 2 year old Grand boys - Henry and Liam -  (two of my daughters Lauren - (Henry) and Jessica - (Liam) gave birth to these boys just 3 weeks apart... and since birth these boys have truly been BESTEST BUDDIES!)  who came running into my bedroom to wake up Gigi (me)... and instantly I saw out the window what a BEAUTIFUL day it already was, with the bright sunshine and clear blue sky in view.  After eating breakfast, the boys just wanted to go 'outside'... so clad in just their diapers, shoes, and Superman shirts with capes... we took them out front so they could watch the 'tractors', which were really Bobcats work on the construction of the new home/yard across the street.  Both boys just love tractors and school buses.

They played outside in the mulch with their own tractors, just having a ball.  Then... they discovered a mud pool left over from the rain the evening before.  All covered in mud... our only recourse was to strip them down to their diapers and spray them off with the garden hose.  This led to them just wanting to run through the water spray... which they continued to do for another 1/2 hour.  We finally wrap them in towels and carry them inside for a little quiet time and a snack.

I did a quick run to the Kroger store while they were having some quiet time, to gather dinner fixing ingredients.  While at Kroger's I just happened to find a $10 blowup baby pool... which of course I HAD to get for the boys.  When I returned home with the groceries and pool, my son-in-law Kevin was home for lunch and blew the pool up with a compressor.... WAYYY better than me turning blue trying to blow it up by mouth!  We could barely get the pool in it's place in the backyard before both boys climbed in and sat while we filled it with some water.  We sat outside and laughed til we cried watching them enjoy this pool together.

After they played in the pool for an hour or so, we fixed them a sandwich and decided to have a mini picnic outside.  But... the boys both grabbed their sandwiches (grilled cheese) and climbed back in the pool, sat down and enjoyed eating them there while they giggled and giggled at each other eating their sandwiches.

It is now nap time and these boys are exhausted.  It was 8:00 am when they first ran outside to play, it is now 1:00 pm.  While the boys were taking their 3 hour naps, Lauren and I enjoyed some quiet time sitting on the back porch just chatting.  I live 14 hours away from my family, and these rare moments of just visiting with each other face to face, uninterrupted are truly precious!

When the boys woke from their naps and had another snack... again... they just wanted to go back outside to play.  So while Lauren had the boys back outside in the pool, I began prepping for dinner.  My other daughter and husband (Jessica and Winston parents of Liam) were coming over after work to have a cook out with us.  When I am in town, Jessica and Winston let me have as much time with Liam as possible, which means he sleeps over the night before so I can have the entire day with both boys the next day.  Soon the others begin to arrive... first Kevin, then Jessica, and finallly Winston.  We all sat on the back porch enjoying a DELISH dinner while we talked, laughed, and enjoyed watching the boys play together.

All too soon it is time to clean up after dinner, Jessica and Winston have to head home with their very worn out, and exhausted little tyke Liam to put him to bed.  But before they go, the boys enjoy one last spurt of being together by taking their night time bath together.  I can't believe these two aren't complete prunes, and all wrinkled up from all the water play they have enjoyed today!

This particular day started early and went til after nightfall, with each moment of the entire day being just one huge smile and giggle for me!  THAT is why I called this my 1st PERFECT Summer Day!

I have had several more PERFECT Summer Days since this day... but... this particular day is STILL the front runner for the BEST OF THE BEST of PERFECT Summer Days for Summer of 2014.  However... I think the week of Aug 8-15 might bump June 14th, from it's spot when our entire family gather in FL for a week vacation poolside and beachside.  I'm sure after that week, I will have plenty of blog material for an update!

However... there is one PERFECT Summer Day that will never be topped... and that is June 22, 1972... when according to my childhood diary I recently found... June 22, 1972 was not only a PERFECT Summer day... but turns out... it is, and will always be, my ULTIMATE PERFECT Summer day.  That was the day I met my husband Joe at my cousin's house.  I was 13, he was 14.... we have been together ever since, and here we are 41 years later... still best friends, still deeply in love, and both our friendship, and our love grow leaps and bounds every single day... STILL!!!  Isn't that crazy!!!!  Every night when I lay my head down on my pillow I think, how is it possible that I love this man more today than I did yesterday, because I thought yesterday my love cup was full... but no.... blessedly it continues to grow even still.   July 29th 1978 is also an ULTIMATE SUMMER DAY because that is the day I Joe and I married!

Here's to many more PERFECT SUMMER DAYS for all of us!