Well, I’m at least a month late on this post, but (as I’ve said many times) this has been one of the weirdest summers I can remember.  After a major slight breakdown yesterday, I feel like we’ve made it over the hump and I am determined to slow down and enjoy the next few weeks with my kids.  I’m clearing our July schedules of anything and everything I possibly can and we are going to cram as much fun into six weeks as humanly possible.

So, all that said, here is our “Summer Fun List” –

• Have friends over (they have a list of about 12 different girls)
• Camping (probably going to have to wait until fall for that one)
• Splash parks
• The cabin in Texas (weren’t we just there? surely that counts.)
• Parks
• Zoos
• Bike rides
• Moon Marble Company
• Discovery Center
• Shopping at the mall
• Get a gerbil (that’s Grace’s – shoot me now, please)
• Take Coco for walks

Seems reasonable enough, except maybe the camping and the cabin.  I’ll report back on how we did in the fall.

Next up, my Summer Reading List.  It’s long (though not as long as last year; okay, maybe it is as long as last year’s) and I’m allowing myself into the fall for it, too.  Here goes:

• Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald
• This gift was given to me to read.  I will be honest, I have some cautions about Vision Forum and their strong patriarchal leanings, but it looks like it addresses some things that we want to work on with the girls, so I am reading through it this summer to determine if it is something we should go through together in the fall.
• The Gift of Good Manners by Peggy Post & Cindy Post Senning
• This was on last summer’s list and I still haven’t gotten to it.  It should probably be a higher priority than it is; we need help.  😉
• Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman
• Because I really need to cry more than I already do.
• The Whole Life Adoption Book by Jayne Schooler
• This one and the two that follow have all been recommended reading as we navigate the adoption process.  I’m looking forward to getting into them soon.
• Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
• Praying Through Your Adoption by Michelle Cervone Scott
• The Winter of Our Disconnect by Susan Maushart
• I’m really intrigued by this one!
• Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
• We’re going through this right now in Sunday school.  Good stuff.
• The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
• Read this first in college, now going through it again with my small group ladies.  Looking forward to seeing what I take away from it so many years later.
• The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
• One of my favorite movies ever.  I was at a book sale and one of the ladies there convinced me that it is so much better than the movie and what did I have to lose for a buck?  Should be good poolside reading, if I can ever find the time to sit poolside.  😉
• Understanding Exposure by Bryan Petereson
• The next three books are a result of me finally being fed up with not fully understanding my camera.  These are library books, so I’m trying to get through them first, but I can only read about shutter speeds and f-stops for so long before my brain goes numb.
• Understanding Composition by Steve Mulligan
• Digital SLR Cameras and Photography for Dummies by David Busch

Well, that’s it.  I’ve got my work cut out for me!

What about you?  What fun things are you hoping to do with your kids this summer?  Any good books you’re hoping to read?

Praying you are able to slow down and enjoy the gift of life today!

For His Glory ~

~ Sara