It’s almost August. For real, where has time gone?
In two weeks I’ll be back at school, helping kick off our 8th grade mentor program. TWO WEEKS. As fast as the school year went, summer has gone by even faster.
Typically, my days look like the following:
Wake up.
Sip on a green smoothie while Ace does his daily “patrol” around the backyard.
A long walk with Ace around the neighborhood.
Errands or catch up around the house.
Read [post on summer reads soon] on the patio or watch Ace chase birds.
Nap.
More patio sitting.
Eat dinner.
Watch chick flick.
Go to bed.
Tony is still traveling often, so yes, most nights I watch a chick flick on Netflix. When Tony’s home, the schedule is pretty much the same, however, instead of a chick flick we take Ace on another walk or visit the dog park, and typically end our night binging some series on Netflix.
Like I said in my last post, I know how good I have it in the summer.
Summer has not disappointed in the memories it’s serving up, as well.
Tony and I were able to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary, at our favorite restaurant, Sul Lago.
We sunbathed and boated with both our of parents around the 4th of July, and took part of the annual Mitchell family golf tournament, [found out I’m still bad at golf].
I was able to dine with some best friends, which made my heart so happy since our visits are few and far between as we get older.
But one of my favorite memories of summer so far was my time spent up north on Gull Lake with my family.
Gull Lake has been a tradition since before my youngest sister, Justine, was born, [she’s now 22, almost 23]. Our family and my extended family, [on my dad’s side], have traveled up north every summer, rented a cabin, and relaxed together, for basically, as long as I can remember.
Enjoy this blurry image, circa a year in the late 90s, of my sisters and I, one of the first years at Sandy Beach Resort. We went there for about ten years in a row before my parents switched it up for a different cabin. I have SUCH amazing memories from my summers there with my sisters and cousins.
Over the years, the traditions have changed; we used to go up for a full week and would spend some of our days in town go-karting, bike riding, and visit the Nisswa shops. Now, we go for a long weekend, and spend most of our time in the sun. In the past, some years have been cloudy and rainy, so when the sun is out, it’s taken advantage of fully!
This year we spent most of our time on the water. In the morning, we’d judge and rank those who were brave enough to water ski by the dock. Skiing is always followed by making a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and my job – toast. Then, we’d pack our coolers full of snacks and drinks and tried to get as many rays as possible. We spent our afternoons pit-stopping at our favorite places; Zorbaz, Bar Harbor, and Ernies to name a few, and spent our evenings circled around a bonfire, telling stories, talkin’ smart, and looking for shooting stars.
I’m always sad when the time at Gull Lake is over. It’s such a break from the real world – even for me who gets to just hang out in the sun with Ace and read a book. It reminds me of some of my favorite times as a family, while continuing to create memories I will keep close to my heart as I get older.
Gull Lake, however, DOES always remind me the start of the school year is near. Growing up, it was always the last week of ‘summer’ before fall sports started, so just by habit, I start to look over my shoulder at fall slowly, creeping closer.
So here’s to making the most of the couple weeks of freedom I still have!
xo my sunrays,
