Front walkway taken by N

It has been a restless summer this year. I was so looking forward to the season, the first in our new house, but I feel as if most of it has been wasted. Knowing this isn't entirely true, I still can't help feeling like everything I've done isn't unique to the season. For example, we have made great strides in education with the girls. Cora finished her first chapter book a few weeks ago and is almost done with a second; however, we could've accomplished this just about any time of year.

For me, summer  usually means:

• Camping at least once
• Road trips
• Pools
• Long evening walks
• Sleeping in
• Gardening
• Yard work

View of front yard tree from my new comfy spot

While I have done my fair share, and probably yours too, of sleeping in this summer, almost all the other stuff has been absent.

I have substituted long evening walks with reading on my new front porch (where my hubby arranged a simple, but nice little area for us to chill out together) and that has been fantastic.

We haven't gone camping and won't have any time to fit it in.  This is disappointing since Chris' disabled veteran status enables us to camp for free at any Ohio state campgrounds.

We are planning a quick road trip next week, but it is so short it hardly counts in my book!

This is as close to a pool as we have gotten this summer

We have yet to even see a pool this summer :(

I planted tomatoes, but that is about all I have done.  I guess I should cut myself a break on this one, being the first year in the new house, I have just barely decided where to put it next year.

Yard work. UGH! I have neither the time or the resources to do what I want to the place. I did finally complete a small project in the back yard last night, but hardly enough to satisfy me. I think I'll have to give this one up till next summer too.

 The girls have less then a month before school starts and then D heads off to band camp.  Hopefully I can make the best of the rest of this summer.