Summer Dreaming - My Top 13

I have been excited for summer's arrival for a few months now. Summer around our house is always such a fun time. I'm sure we're not the only ones.

Here are 13 things that I'm looking forward to this summer.

1. Corn on the cob, strawberries, watermelon and so many other summer-only foods.
2. Spending countless hours going for walks and playing with the kids in the backyard.
3. Eating outside. For some reason, I love eating outside and I have since I was a little girl. There's just something special about it. Our kids love it too, as long as the bees stay away.
4. Weekly trips to the Farmer's Market. I am so excited that our town is starting a Farmer's Market this summer! The past few summers I've spent a ridiculous amount of time whining about the fact that we did not have a Farmer's Market close by. Not anymore. Every Thursday afternoon, starting next week, the kids and I will be hitting that Farmer's Market. I'm already planning on setting aside a portion of our monthly grocery budget to use there every week.
5. Blogging on the patio. It will stay light out until about 10 o'clock for quite a few weeks. I'm so excited to spend a few nights a week sitting outside and blogging.
6. The drive-in. Drive-ins are few and far between nowadays. We are fortunate to have one about 45 minutes away though. Eric and I have already decided that all the kids are old enough now that we can make a trip or two to the drive-in with them this summer.
7. Slurpees. We have a 7-11 a few blocks away from us. It's an easy walk and during the summer, we like to take the kids on a walk to 7-11 every once and awhile. We pick up small slurpees for each of us. It's a great little treat that always feels like such an extravagance.
8. Trips to the park. This is the first summer in a long time that all of the kids are old enough to make a trip to the park fun for all of us.
   
9. Summer festivals. Anybody that has been reading my blog since this time last year knows I love summer festivals. To me, walking around the craft and art booths, listening to local musicians, being outside, and enjoying the downtown area of some cities around us is the perfect day.
10. Outdoor date nights. Late last summer, Eric came up with a fabulous idea of having our date night outside. We lit a fire in our small fire pit, talked, and watched some Hulu on the laptop. It was wonderful! Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate enough for us to do it more than once. But now that we know what a great night this makes, we will be doing it often!
11. Going to BlogHer. I am really looking forward to rooming with Toni again (although I'm sad that Joy won't be joining us). I'm also looking forward to meeting tons of other bloggers that I consider friends. Oh, and the sessions...I'm sure there'll be lots to learn.
12. Isabelle will be going to sleep-away camp for the first time this summer. I am so excited for her. I went to sleep-away camp four times when I was growing up and those weeks were always such a great experience.
13. Outings of all kinds. We always do a lot more during the summer than we do during the winter. Visiting state parks, going to the zoo, visiting my family,water parks...so many things to do! Now we just have to get it all planned out so that we can fit everything in.

Stop by Happy To Be At Home for more Thursday 13 fun.