Summer is HERE!

Long time no see, fellow bloggers! Today I am here to discuss one of my all-time favorite things.....ready?? SUMMERTIME!!!!!!!! For me, summer begins on May 1st and goes through September 15th..although this is weather-permitting. Usually by May, us Chicagoans are seeing temperatures in the low-upper 60s. This year we have struggled to stay above 55 degrees for most of the month, but I am feeling confident that the warm weather is here to stay! (Hoping that mother nature will give us an extension of sunny days & 70's through mid-October, to compensate)

Which brings me to listing my FaVoRiTe things about sUmMeR and why this year's summer will be epic:

1. Josh and I went skydiving- A proud thing to be able to cross off any bucket list...and a great way to kick off the summer! We went 5 days ago and I am still in awe that I actually had the courage to do this (Josh, on the other hand, was fearless). The moment my spring semester ended, we were whisked away to Minnesota to spend time with Josh's mom and to use his skydiving groupon, which was due to expire on June 9th. The day of the jump (originally scheduled for Sunday, May 15th), Josh pulls a typical 'Josh' and leaves his wallet at home; no ID, no jump! Had he remembered to bring it, himself, his brother Jake, and mom would have skydove (skydove?? skydived..??) on the same day; leaving me standing heavily anchored on the ground. I had no plans to go skydiving...I was a mere spectator. However, because Josh did forget his ID, we were forced to come back the next day so Josh could go skydiving. I thought that skydiving would be fun- it has always been something that I wanted to try (like, really really wanted to try), but that I would never have the courage to actually do. Seeing Jake and his mom go skydiving and LOVING it, and knowing that Josh would be with me, I decided I had to do it! After almost 24 hours of contemplating my decision, 5lbs of sweat lost from my palms alone, crying in my jumpsuit, stints of nausea, and 3 times (one on the plane) of almost backing out, I did it!! 2 seconds after you leave the plane (sidenote: the plane ride is the worst & most frightening part), it's like you are floating/flying! I loved the free fall more than the parachuting down...the experience was so incredible! I know I will DEFINITELY go again one day!!!

2. Camping- I haven't been camping since August 2008 and we are officially going in a few weeks! I'll be going to the Michigan Dunes state park with a few friends to enjoy some [sneaky] drinking, delicious food, swimming, boccie ball, bags, cigars, and s'mores! (Which reminds me, I have to order my vegan marshmallows soon!) I love camping SO MUCH. I love how my clothes & hair smell like campfire, I love sleeping on the ground, talking with friends under the stars until 3am, playing outside for days, and not feeling the pressure to shower ;) 

3. School- Yes, summer school must happen this summer. But, I am looking on the bright side because a) I am only taking 1 class..and b) it's A&P with cadaver! I am beyond pumped!!! I am at a community college, and I know people who have taken A&P who didn't have the option of taking it with a cadaver at a university....I am so lucky!! According to ratemyprofessor, my teacher is passionate about teaching and is very clear on his expectations. I am looking forward to learning a lot & hopefully mastering this class.

4. Mia's Birthday- June 15th will mark Mia's 3rd birthday! She is biologically already 3 years old (however, all I know is that she was born in April...I'm not sure of the day), but Rob and I got her on June 15, 2008, so that is the day I consider her birthday! I will be throwing her a special birthday party (obviously!) in celebration of how much joy and happiness she has brought to my life! She is my #1 and I absolutely have to celebrate that :) 

5. The Annual Pre-Pool Party & Pool Party- My good friend Mike's parents (also very fun people!) have a pool at their house, and we go over there a couple times a year to have a party. The days consist of drinking all day, playing pool volleyball, making a whirlpool, grilling food, campfire, & potential skinny dipping at night. I especially look forward to this every year because it's a time to get away from the city/work/responsibilities to truly celebrate summer with close friends. According to Mike, this year will be the last year of having a pool, since his parents are considering getting rid of it next year...so we may have to have a 'post' pool party party too :)

6. Memorial Day/4th of July/Labor Day- 3 holidays that benchmark summer's peaks- the beginning, middle, and ends! Memorial day marks the official OFFICIAL beginning of summer- pools opening, golfers running around, mattress specials (don't you notice all of the mattress specials around memorial day?? crazy!). Then, the 4th of July- although not technically the middle of summer, is a good reminder that this season can go by especially quickly, so attend to your summer 'To Do' list if it has been ignored during the month of June. Plus, I love fireworks, 90 degree weather, & the all-around atmosphere during the 4th. Then, probably one of the most depressing weekends is that of labor day. Summer is over. Fall is right around the corner. Pools closed, nights become chillier, and all of the summer festivities come to an end. However, this is a great opportunity to send off summer with a bang! Plus, this marks the beginning of football season, TV shows start again, and fall is pretty awesome....but we'll get to that in a few months :)

7. New Roomate- Josh and I are just weeks away from moving into our new apartment! Where is it? We still aren't sure...we are hoping to make a decision in the next few days. However, we have seen a big handful of potentials and have been pleased with what we've seen. As much as I love my family, I am extremely eager to move out and be independent once again. I can't wait to make our apartment, well, ours. Pick out the decor, throw my clothes all over the place, walk around naked...you get it! Plus, going from living from 6 people down to just 1 will be such a great change. I couldn't be happier with my new roommate :) 

8. 2 Year Anniversary- On June 12th, Josh and I will celebrate our 2 year anniversary. I can't believe how fast time has gone by!! I remember vividly the moment he asked me to be his girlfriend...the days leading up to that, the entire month of May staying up late with him and learning more about him. I think back on the past 2 years and have had so much fun being in a relationship with him! We have definitely endured our rough points- typical arguing, being unsure about the future, being long distance for a while....but, all of the good times are by far the most memorable :) Seeing him graduate college, going to concerts, traveling around the country & meeting his family, cuddling with him as often as possible, laughing and smiling more than I ever have before...he makes for 1 hell of a guy, and I am extremely blessed to call him my boyfriend of 2 years :) :) <3

9. The Small Things- Sun dresses, never wearing shoes, the smells of freshly cut grass

& barbecues, playing tennis outside, roller blading, mini golf, wearing your bathing suit for no reason, going to baseball games, lightning bugs, endless sunshine, thunderstorms, popsicles, driving with the windows down, going to the beach....all of these things, for me, make summer just incredible.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Do you have any special getaways? New jobs? Just laying low? I hope that your summer brings you smiles and joy...and a little tan ;)

xoxo

<33holly