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Even though I was too sick to squeeze in any last minute excursions the last two weeks before my kids returned to school, I did manage to do a lot of fun activities earlier in our summer vacation. This year, I bought a pass to our local pool and the kids and Iwent several times a week throughout the summer.
We took a couple trips downtown Chicago that everyone enjoyed. One time, we spent the day walking around the lakefront, Millennium Park, and Grant Park. The other time, we saw a play at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and spent the rest of the day playing at Navy Pier, shopping, eating lunch, and riding the giant Ferris wheel.
We went to dozens of baseball, softball, and hockey games. We enjoyed many an evening, relaxing in our backyard while toasting marshmallows over a crackling fire pit. We even went camping in the tent I pitched in our family room. What? There were no mosquitoes or bears, and we had running water and air conditioning! I’m telling ya, that’s the way to camp!
And we spent a week in the Outer Banks, NC. We’d wake up, grab our bowls of cereal and fruit and head out to the huge deck that overlooked the ocean. We’d eat outside and enjoy the cool breeze while listening to the surf pound the shore. Ahhh, just thinking about it is making me want to go back.
So, what was the highlight of your summer?
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122 comments:
Does it count for me to say that the best part of summer was the first day back to school? I hope so, because it's the truth!
my highlight was vacay in the Outer Banks as well! unfortunately, we got kicked out early due to Earl, but it was fun while it lasted!
2 fun things:
My mom, sister, me and the four kids (2 are mine, 2 are my sister's) do an annual "yay, school is out" weekend away in June. We leave the hubbies at home and have fun with the kids. We went to Wisconsin Dells this year (we live close by).
Then the kids have an annual "camping with dad" weekend with their dad, and a bunch of their friends and their dads. The ladies then get pedicures, go out to eat an do fun "chick" things. This year we went to the Farmer's Market and Botanical Gardens in Madison.
My favorite part was sleeping in at home. We were on the road a lot. It was nice to be home at the end of summer and relax.
My favorite part of summer was a week long family camp that we went to with some church families.
The best part of our summer was...a week at Lake Tahoe! woot woot
Watching the kids experience and catch fireflies. We sadly, don't have them here where we live.
Going to California and swimming in the ocean!
Watching my twin 5 year old boys learn to swim and ride bikes on two wheels! A very successful summer indeed :)
The highlight of my summer was directing a patriotic musical that we performed in our city park and then at the Veterans Home. It was such a rewarding experience!
We went on a Disney Cruise that my in-laws paid for! It was awesome... and we still spent a ton of cash, of course, because Disney knows how to get you to spend money :)
One highlight of our summer was taking a trip to Holiday World in Indiana. The kids had never been and they loved the roller coasters and the water park. We don't normally get to do stuff like this so it was fun for all of us!
The best part of my summer was an impromptu visit to the home of a very famous author ;) Do I get extra brownie points for that?
The highlight of my summer would be our trip to our family cabin in Upstate NY... a week of playing in the stream, a tours or a brewery, seeing friends we hadn't seen in 9 years, a water balloon fight & catching minnows... it was the perfect vacation... the 12 hours there and 12 hours back with 2 kids & 2 dogs in the car are something I could have done without.
tjaskv at "yaaaahooo" dot com
My summer didn't have much of a highlight unfortunately. I ended up working during the summer to help make ends meet. Our air conditioner broke for a week during a heatwave and we got to spend a lot of time at a friend's pool, though. I guess that'll count!
the best part of summer was my son getting his service therapy puppy... There is nothing better then the joy in his face when he plays with her :)
We didn't travel this summer, so the best part was not having a schedule.
having 8 great weeks with my son!
My highlight is having every friday off in the summer - some are filled with shopping and fun, some just staying at home and being lazy.
Having more time with my daughters and going to the pool.
the best part of my summer was all the days I spent sleeping in with my girls and all the canning I got done!! Not much vacationing done this year, spent it close to home..
Linda in Wilsonville Oregon
my highlight was spending July 4th weekend in NC with family.
I blogged it.
http://lifeofyoungparents.blogspot.com/2010/09/win-100-dollar-visa-gift-card.html
tweeted it
http://twitter.com/la_mac_2loves
I think the best part of my summer was watching my youngest get up the nerve to go off the high dive at the pool. She was SO proud of herself and just loved doing all the little spins and jumps. It made for a great summer.
Highlight of the summer was a 3 week trip to South Korea to visit husband's family. Kids are 13 and 10 and loved meeting extended family!
Swimming haha
disintegratingstarr@hotmail.com
Highlight....10 weeks of all-star softball for my daughter. Loved it!!!
Heather
savingmoney2@yahoo(dot)com
Best part of summer was coming back to Chicago after moving away, and having my former band invite me onstage to sing a few songs with them at the Taste of Chicago!!
The highlight of my summer was going to a family wedding and seeing lots of relatives we never see.
Email address is in blogger profile
I tweeted http://twitter.com/bsw529/status/24053128545
This summer I got to take my boys to my parents summer house for the weekend and we had a ton of fun. We went blueberry picking, fishing, boating and swimming. It was great time to spend with my both my kids and my parents.
tweeted
http://twitter.com/fairydancer35/status/24053438517
My favorite memory from summer is trying to find the Big Red lighthouse in Holland, Michigan!
kmassman gmail
My favorite moment was taking our daughter and son to the new city pool and watching our daughter develop a love of the water. She started out a bit timid at first, but after a few times, she was swimming under water.
nbalogh522 at gmail dot com
tweet
http://twitter.com/maybaby522/status/24057136374
nbalogh522 at gmail dot com
the best part was food, berries and melons are so tasty in the summer.
songyueyu at gmail
i tweeted http://twitter.com/syytta/status/24060280865
My favorite part of the summer was going to China to pick up our daughter and bring her home to us forever! Doesn't get much better then that!
My highlight was going to Sea World, watching their shows and seeing the animals!
livelovelaughwithleslieblog at gmail dot com
tweet.
http://twitter.com/laughwithleslie/status/24067570851
livelovelaughwithleslieblog at gmail dot com
The highlight of my summer was spending quality time with my cousins at their vacation home.
Many family memories were shared, and some were made.
scoospter(nospam)at yahoo dot com
Tweet
http://twitter.com/LuigiFranco/status/24075401874
scoopster(nospam)at yahoo dot com
One night, my boys drug me outside at midnight to hear one of their friends play his guitar. We sat out around the bonfire till 4 AM while their friend played his guitar and the boys all serenaded me under the stars.
I had so wanted to go to bed before all this and I am so glad that I didn't and let them talk me into going outside.
The best part of our summer was being able to spend lazy days and busy days with our grandsons...swimming, fishing, hiking!
someluckydog at gmail dot com
I blogged!
http://someluckydog.blogspot.com/2010/09/share-your-summer-highlight-and-enter.html
someluckydog at gmail dot com
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/someluckydog/status/24086141742
someluckydog at gmail dot com
Our family trip to Gatlingburg was a lot of fun.
rhoneygtn at yahoo dot com
That my mom is doing well after a masectomy & my father in law is doing well after his surgery from cancer. It was a blessings summer!
http://twitter.com/bearabledeals/status/24092962601
Contest Tweeted!
bearabledeals@gmail.com
Best part of my summer was my child's swim class. He got to splash around in the ocean with other people and I got to relax on the beach while he did it.
The best part for us was popsicles! It was so hot here, they were the only thing that could cool us down. :)
Best part of summer were the family get togethers at Grandma's house.
MCantu1019@aol.com
the best part of summer was going on vacation with my family to wisconsin! there probably arent a lot of trips left that we will be able to take with my grandpa.
hancoci_s at msn dot com
The favorite parts of my summer are always when grandchildren come to stay with us a week or so at a time. They are fun to be around and interact with
The best part of my summer was cheering for my 10 yr old daughter & her teammates at their many swim meets!
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/amweeks/status/24127159511
The best part of MY summer was a child-free week at a condo on Lake Michigan!! The best part of our family's summer had to be all the times we took to get out in NATURE. We got Jenna (4) a pair of binoculars, and we went to parks, botanical gardens, forests, lakes, etc. She collected rocks, leaves, & pine cones everywhere we went, and we all collected memories.
We loved camping by the lake. We also loved swimming! It was so fun!
leahforlove(at)aol(dot)com
tweet
https://twitter.com/Grandma3710/status/24133738933
The best part of our summer was big camping trip with lots of smores ;) Also a big birthday party for our oldest girl. Thanks!
shevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
Tweet:
http://twitter.com/lipstickncandy/status/24145323770
shevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
The best part? Having my college son home. We had a great summer doing a whole lotta nothing!
We stayed up way too late...and slept in everyday!
Going out for lunch and shopping with all my teens was pretty fun too!
Summer is my homegirl!
The highlight of my summer was camping with my family. Breakfast in the early morning by the cabin and tent was fabulous.
http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/24163429577
blogged.http://tcarolinep.blogspot.com/2010/09/giveaway-because-i-said-so_10.html
Our favorite family moments were watching our 10 month old become mobile and take her first real walking steps!
sazzyfrazz at gmail dot com
We had many great family moments at the beach.
kristisdeals1 at yahoo dot com
Sitting around the fire, drinking coffee and talking with my dear husband! These are a few of my favorite things!
~eunice b
tigergal01 @gmail .com
http://twitter.com/tigergal01/status/24188968534
tweet
~eunice b
tigergal01 @gmail .com
My brother and sister came for a visit. Hadn't been together for 13 years.
The best part of Summer for me was going out of town visiting our familiy.
s2s2 at comcast dot net
My summer highlight was getting married to my fabulous husband, and lots of star-watching!
http://twitter.com/susan1215/status/24224848638
my best part of summer was being able to spend time with the family and being able to sleep in everyday!
evil_eva12 at hotmail dot com
We took a week-long family vacation to the mountains of TN. It was lovely!!
I tweeted - http://twitter.com/GirlstoGrow/status/24235447476
The best part of my summer was going to BlogHer10 in NYC!!
MY FAVORITE SUMMER MOMENT INVOLVED A FOOD FIGHT WITH MY BROTHER kytah00@yahoo.com
TWEET http://twitter.com/kytah00/status/24246395640 kytah00@yahoo.com
we loved eating breakfast on the cruise ship to alaska! scg00387 at yahoo dot com
I'd have to say taking a canoe trip with my brother. It's the most time we've spent together in years and we had a blast!
http://twitter.com/tnshadylady/status/24260143588
Hanging out with my 92 year old grandmother and eating lunch at the family get together. Love her!
gmissycat@yahoo.com
Tweeted your giveaway!
http://twitter.com/gmissycat/status/24283091953
gmissycat@yahoo.com
Our highlight was going camping with our kids. It was so much fun!!!
hottmomma_03(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite family moment this summer was when we went camping and visited our grandparent’s family farm and rode horses and milked cows.
My favorite breakfast moment was cooking free range eggs from the farm. I guarantee you they taste better than the ones you get from the grocery store.
pauleyd68 (at) yahoo (dot) com
http://twitter.com/lpauld68/status/24309716891
pauleyd68 (at) yahoo (dot) com
My favorite family moment this summer was being able to pick up my niece in Florida and take her with us to our big family reunion because my sister and her husband just couldn't make it this year. We had a great time with her along for the ride.
avennett AT verizon DOT net
Taking my grandchildren to the petting zoo.
marybug2@yahoo.com
Taking my family to the beach and enjoying just being with them.
marybug2@yahoo.com
I tweeted your giveaway
http://twitter.com/marybug2/status/24319975844
marybug2@yahoo.com
The best part was moving to a new city and getting new jobs!! Yeah for employment! We have enjoyed exploring our new area the past few weeks!
kclements2001 (at) hotmail (dot) com
Teaching my daughter to cook. My daughter is 14 and really wants to learn how to cook. We spent the summer doing "cooking camp" where I show her a new recipe and we make it together. She's got brownies down pat and there's been a brownies in my kitchen all summer long (hence why I need to go on a diet; I've gained 10 pounds this summer-next year it'll be "diet cooking camp" LOL)
shel704 at aol dot com
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/auntiethesis/status/24326351226
shel704 at aol dot com
The best moment was when my niece and I spent about over two hours making a sand castle only to have her older sister accidentally fall on top of it. So funny and great day :)
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot]com
http://twitter.com/DeeGee13/status/24326714338
tweeted!
dreamzz12{at}aol{dot]com
the best part of summer was taking a vacation to Lake Tahoe and then to NYC and seeing the statue of liberty
The best part of my summer was getting to have one of my old college roommates up for a weekend. We had a great time!
https://twitter.com/onetwomany/status/24327630640
Rtd
The highlight of my summer was visiting The Farm in Door County, WI with my family!
mattschmunk at gmail dot com
i had a nice time this summer visiting the village fire station with the boys
Watching my two kids play in the water. My 4 year old made the most of the sprinkler and slip n slide and my baby loved his baby pool.
The best part about our summer is that we had a great time and made memories no matter what we did. We went away for the weekend a few times, went to Dinseyland a lot and had just day trips out to the movies or local parks. No matter what we did, we had many laughs and took many pictures.
Thanks!
Samantha Daleo
jamesmadison1974@gmail.com
or
jamesmadison1974 at gmail dot com
The best part of my summer was being able to spend more time with my kids- we took them to the beach alot and they really enjoyed it- i miss them now that school has started.
tcogbill at live dot com
Just spending time together "hanging out" was great!
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com
Tweet!
http://twitter.com/LAMusing/status/24363902191
adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com
Watching our friend play ice hockey was a blast - and it was funny "bundling up" in mid summer
bingomamanorma(at)gmail(dot)com
The highlight of my summer was my daughter's 9th birthday; she had two parties one that was out of town with relatives and then at our home when we returned. It was in June!
http://twitter.com/OneTwoMany/status/24327630640
RTd
http://twitter.com/OneTwoMany/status/24388737951
Rtd daily
Hiking while camping or our Tahoe vacation were the high points to our summer--my kids and husband are crazy!
lkziegler[at]gmail[dot]com
The best part was spending lots of time with my baby boy and getting him to love the water just like his big sister does!
kt1969 at comcast dot net
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/Skaketgirl/status/24408377481
kt1969 at comcast dot net
The highlight was just hanging with my son and friends. Just 'being'.
It's the simple things.
http://twitter.com/won2x/status/24414721438
The best part of my summer was when I watched my 12yo son, who had previously been discouraged about his batting during the regular baseball season, hit a home-run (the first of several) during the playoffs. More than 100 teams entered the tournament (double-elimination) and my son's team made it into the top six! At the end of the season, he was named Most-Improved and Most Valuable Player.
aleq13@gmail.com
The best part of my summer was spending time with my 5 children and their children all together. This only happens 2 or 3 times a year.
kg4rmt at arrl dot net
The best part of my summer is all pool related... Fourth of July pool party and cookout with lots of relatives and lots of swimming the rest of the summer--relaxing and no pressure.
https://twitter.com/onetwomany/status/24537441212
Rtd
https://twitter.com/OneTwoMany/status/24676255946
Rtd
::sigh summers over:: I loved not having to wake to an alarm, or worry about the kids actually wearing anything but pj's
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