Summertime, and the livin’ is easy

I now live in the land of the endless summer. Forever sunny and warm with year-round trips to the beach. And today even marks the last day of MBA classes for the year for Sean – ushering in a true summer break! But, summer still stirs emotions in me for things that aren’t necessarily here.

For the last few years, summer to Sean and me means lazy weekends with family and best friends at the lake.

So, justifiably, we could not fully kick off summer in our minds without a trip home and a weekend at the lake…and it was perfect in every way. Here is a recap of our Memorial Day weekend, by the numbers:

4 miserable red-eye flight hours of sleep, only to be made up for with 3 consecutive, glorious mornings of sleeping past 10 a.m.

2 chances to indulge in massive amounts of white cheese dip, something unheard of at Mexican restaurants here

1 quick reminder of how the humidity can make my hair grow twice the size

14 close friends and family members corralled at the lake for boat rides, tubing, sand volleyball, girl talk while laying out and reading magazines, BBQ sandwiches, 7-layer dip and hamburgers off the grill

8 dogs barking, chasing, playing and swimming (and sometimes fighting) with each other – sizes ranging from Mark and Amy’s miniature dachshunds to Matt and Kate’s massive great dane

3 slices of watermelon (nothing says summer quite like it!)

4 enchanting days to remind me of how thankful I am for a loving family and incredible friends – making us feel as if we never even left

What does summer mean for you?