Summer

There are a few things that I find myself wishing for, thinking of, loving, or wanting every summer.

 I've realized these things are part of what summer is to me. 

They are:

Watermelon

Parades 

(especially Memorial Day parade)

Swimming

Freezer Pops

(I don't even like the taste of these any more, but I have to buy them every year)

 

Mowing 

(I am actually quite grateful that I haven't had to mow a lawn in years, but a part of me wants to every summer)

Sunscreen

Library Summer Reading Programs

(which I always get really excited about but never participate in as fully as I could)

Camping

(this falls mostly under the "wishing for" category)

Grilling

Drive-in movies

Our summer has been great so far. I love that Philip is on leave and having him home is like being a kid out of school for summer break. I feel like we get to do so much and have so much fun with him.  The other day we took the kids out for a "surprise" that made me feel like a kid again. We went to the drive-in movies. We used to go frequently to the drive-in movies as a kid. We would load our cars full of people and food and drive for what felt like forever to go see a double feature. I remember playing on the playground right in front of the big screen. I remember how hard it was to stay awake for both movies. I remember laying on top of the van, or in front of the car.  I remember driving home sleeping in a heap in the back seat, with blankets and bodies sprawled every where. I LOVED the drive-in movies. 

I miss the playgrounds at drive-ins. This grassy field is perfect for a playground!

But they had so much fun without one. They played tag and ran out all their energy.

All in front of that "larger-than-life" big screen. There is something so magical about it all!

It is a summer tradition that I have tried to keep throughout my grown-up life. After having kids, we would take the babies and enjoy our time together as they slept in the backseat. When they got too old for that we would either leave them with a babysitter and go to the drive-in as a date, or we would choose a double feature that had a children's movie playing first. They would get to watch the first movie and then they would have to sleep in the car while we enjoyed the second movie. We've gone to the drive-in in every state we have lived in in our married life except for Virginia. Most drive-ins were less than an hour away. But here, we aren't so lucky. Our closest drive-in is over 1.5 hours away. But to me, it is so worth the drive. For the first time our kids were old enough to come to the drive-in and watch both movies (except Nater who wanted to go to sleep about 20 min. after the first film started). We saw Brave and Madagascar 3. They got to play in the grass in front of the screen. They got to watch the movie in their chairs behind the car (we pulled in with the tailgate towards the screen). They got to lay in the van in a pile of blankets and pillows and bodies. They got to use their money to buy food in at the concession stand. They got to experience how gross drive-in bathrooms can be. And I got to be a part of it all. I got to witness the sense of wonder they felt at this grand, new-ish experience while enveloping myself in the comfort and nostalgia the experience provided me. It was a wonderful night on cloud nine!