A few years ago, I started recapping our summers. We typically sit down at dinner and talk about what we loved most and then rank them 1 to 10. This year, our summer was cut short because our school district had us stay late (to offset last year’s late start date), and then we are starting a week early (because they went back to our original schedule instead of the one they used last year). Make sense? Yeah, it doesn’t to me either. Ha! Nevertheless, we crammed a bunch into our summer.
Best part?
All of that time with my kids!
T-minus five days until the school year begins!
So, let me stress, when we talked about our top 10 this year, no one argued, no one had different opinions, no one thought their birthday should have been the highlight of the whole summer while someone else said that wasn’t fair…it was super peaceful. YEAH RIGHT! Hahaha! We came up with a list, but it took a lot of negotiation and compromise…because everyone had their own ideas (like whether we counted May as summer or not…).
Here we go, our TOP TEN for 2018…
#10: All the lunches together!
I was surprised by this one! Smith suggested it, and the girls agreed. Smith said he loved all the lunches we had together. I thought that was so sweet! I do miss seeing these little faces during lunch every day while they’re at school.
#9: Movie night in the pool!
Speaking of the pool, we had our annual “watch a movie outside while we swim night” last week and that totally ranked in the top for everyone (me included!). There’s just something about swimming at night that says SUMMER! Andrew has this little projector thing that he uses when he goes on mission trips, so we just use that and then project it on to a sheet that we’ve placed in the bushes. It’s all very fancy. Hahahaha!
#8: Slumber Parties!
We always let the kids sleep in our room on Friday nights, but over the summer, they’ve done it a bit more. This is one of my kids FAVORITE things to do and the ultimate reward in our house. They love dragging their sleeping bags in there and cuddling up to watch a movie. I always tell myself to enjoy every minute of it because I know it won’t last long. I’m so happy they picked this as a favorite 🙂 .
#7: Yankee Fans Go to NYC!
Even though us Sox fans didn’t go, we still let the other half put this on their list. They had so much fun…how could we deny them? Look at those faces!
#6: All the pool time at home!
This one right here is probably my favorite. I loved every minute of being outside (and swimming!) with my four. There’s just something about coming in after the day smelling of chlorine and sunblock that makes this mama heart happy.
#5: Ashby’s sixth birthday!
Our sweet Ashby turned SIX on June 9th! We celebrated BIG TIME that whole weekend! Gosh, we love this girl so much!!
#4: Inner Space Cavern and our road trip!
Erika and I took our kiddos on a road trip at the end of July, and we stopped at Inner Space Caverns. My kids LOVED IT!! They are still talking about this stop along with the rest of the road trip…
…we had so much fun!! When we got the crazy idea to take the kids on a road trip without the dads, it could have gone a million different directions…but guys, it was so special!! We will be talking about this road trip all year long…until our next one 🙂 !
#3: Their visit at Lovie & Papa Jay’s!
Andrew wanted to name Nantucket in his top 10 and the kids wanted to name their stay at my parents’ house while we were there, so you get both in this one…
I’m so thankful that my parents enjoy this special time every summer when they get the kids and Andrew and I get to go on a trip by ourselves…and I’m so thankful that my kids love it SO MUCH! They always have the BEST time!! My dad texted me this picture one night. It makes me so happy!
#2: Framily Vacation to San Antonio!
This was the perfect way to end our summer. We all loved our few days poolside in San Antonio with the Slaughter family!
#1: Our summer vacation to Scotland and Ireland!
We might have disagreed on the other nine…but we all unanimously agreed that our summer vacation this year gets top billing. We had the best time in Scotland and Ireland and made memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.
That’s a wrap! One more fun swim day with friends and then we close out the weekend. I hope you and your family had a fantastic summer too!! To see our recap from 2016, click HERE and then from 2017, HERE.
Happy Wednesday! xo
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Your summers are always so jam-packed with fun activities! I love that it involves the whole family! 🙂
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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Elspeth Mizner says
Love the top 10! What a busy summer you have had!! But so many memories
Ramona says
Aww, love reading this! Y’all are so sweet and adorable! Thank you so much for sharing!
Denise says
Summer goes by way too fast. Looks like you had a great summer. I only have a few more weekends up at our lake cottage before fall sets in here up in Michigan.
Alli says
It looks like an awesome summer! And I love the idea of sitting down, ruminating together and making a list. Thanks for sharing! Here’s to a great last week 🙂
Narci says
What a great summer you guys had! I loved seeing it recapped!!
Erika Slaughter says
You guys had a great summer!! So glad we got to make some amazing memories with your crew! XO
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams says
You guys looked like you really soaked in summer 2018! The pool days would have been my top thing to do. There’s nothing like summer!
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams
Sheaffer Sims says
Well, y’all had an amazing summer!!!! And I love that Smith chose “lunches together” too! Soooo sweet!
Jill Peterson says
So many fun memories you made this Summer!! Our kids go back Sept. 4th, so we’re still going to enjoy the last few weeks of Summer here in Wisconsin!!
Mix and Match Mama says
I am so jealous, Jill!!!
Alexis deZayas says
What a sweet idea! Love that you will always be able to look back on these recaps 🙂
Laci says
Looks like a great summer!
Elizabeth says
Even though it was a shorter summer for you guys, you totally lived it up to the fullest! I’m a little jealous at how fun your summer looked because mine just literally flew by and I didnt get to do all the things I wanted. I think I’m going to start making a summer bucket list like you guys do! I hope you and the family have an awesome last weekend of summer! Enjoy it!
Jen says
Do you guys have any fall trips planned?? Your summer looked great! I love seeing kids have fun!
Amanda @ That Inspired Chick says
Y’all know how to summer!! Such great memories for everyone!
That Inspired Chick
Meredith says
Looks like a fun summer! Do your kids get to spend time at their other grandparents in Missouri during the summer? That is always the highlight for my kids – a week with their aunts, uncles, and cousins at their grandparents house.
Mix and Match Mama says
They did! They came down and visited us in July!!
Zani says
So. Much. Fun! And to think of things that didn’t make the top 10, such as July 4th.
Off topic… Any blog recommendations for good home design inspo?
Mix and Match Mama says
I use Pinterest for that!
Leanne Gilchrist says
SUCH a good post! I love that you have such a close relationship with your mom and dad, that’s priceless and precious. I also love seeing how many states are represented here in the comments, with your readers! Shay, you’re universal! I love Ashby on the flamingo floaty! Kensington’s jammies in the picture at your parent’s house, yep. Also, a random question: how big is your rug in your bedroom, under your bed? We lived in a tiny, 1200 sq ft house for my kids’ whole lives, until February of 2017, when we moved to our Forever House, MUCH bigger, and now I have all of this room and a HUGE bedroom, but we need a rug for our hardwood floors up there! So, how big is it?? This was a great post!
Mix and Match Mama says
I believe it’s a 9×12!
Jaimie says
I love this recap of summer fun! The good news is, despite the kiddos starting school, the warm weather will continue for fun outdoor activities and a bit of that summer feel will live on a tad longer! xx
http://www.lilyparkeast.com
Liz says
What a fun-filled, Happy, family summer! Here’s to the wonderful family and life you and Andrew have created!❤️???❤️
Michelle says
I’m so jealous of 4 fabulous trips you had! Your family is so precious! My kids always say their highlight is visiting family at their farm in Tn. Do y’all still go to country club pool? We don’t have one but have best time at our local neighborhood pool with friends (kids & moms!;)
Mix and Match Mama says
We do! It’s always one of our favorite things to do too!
WhittyWife says
Side note: I was excited to get my copy of Taste of Home in the mail today and find an article about you! So fun! 🙂
Aubrie ferguson says
If you had to pick the most “kid friendly” out of Scotland, Ireland or London area, which would you choose? I have a 1YO and 3YO.
Thanks!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh gosh! That’s a hard one. They all have very kid-friendly things to do/see/experience. If you haven’t been to London yourself, I say to do that one first! It’s my favorite 🙂 .