I saw another blogger post an “end of summer recap” and I thought it would be fun to do the same.
I know we still have a couple of weeks before summer is officially over. But the temperature dropped just a bit over the past few days (not that I’m too naive to think it won’t go back up again) and Labor Day weekend and the start of the school year has always been my marker for the season change.
This summer, like usual was BUSY, but certainly one that I want to remember. So here is a quick round up of my top 10 from this summer (in not particular order of course)!
1. Work trips
Don’t get me wrong, having lots of work trips in the summer can be pretty tiring, but I am always thankful for the opportunity to travel and visit both new and familiar places. This summer I had 3 major work trips. In June, I traveled to Manhattan, KS,(only one of my favorite places there is!) for the National Festival of Breads and the start of Kansas wheat harvest.
In July, our summer board meeting was in nearby Annapolis, MD. It was nice to not have to jump on a plane this time around! Annapolis has been toward the top of my list to visit since moving out here (it’s only about an hour away) and work finally helped make it happen.
Finally, at the end of July, I made a quick trip out to Snowbird, UT, for the annual Ag Media Summit.
2. Finally taking Megan to Oregon
The next two DEFINITELY get their own spots on the list.
We’ve been best friends almost since the day we met 8 years ago, so I was so excited that I FINALLY got to take her home to Oregon with me to see what all of the fuss is about. We had a VERY busy week, but we were able to just really enjoy what our friendship has become.
3. Vacation home to Oregon
Besides my time with Megan, I was really overdue for some family time. I meet and know lots of great people with my job and living where I do, but sometimes you just need time with “your people,” spent away from the big city.
(Part 1 of my recap home)
(Part 2 of my recap home)
4. Welcoming Sawyer June
Miss Sawyer June joined our family this summer on July 13, and its safe to say that she has been everyone’s favorite part of the summer.
5. 4th of July festivities
Not only is the 4th of July my favorite holiday, but I happen to live in the best place to celebrate it! I mean, not everyone gets to watch fireworks while relaxing in George Washington’s back yard! This year’s 4-day weekend was full of friends that included brunch, a BBQ, a beer festival and lots of fireworks.
6. Girl Time
This picture is actually from back in May, but it’s my favorite and it shows the most of us. This group of girls has become a highlight of not only my summer, but my year. We started out in bible study together, but have also had a lot of fun this summer whether it was hiking, visiting wineries, happy hour, celebrating the 4th or a girls night in.
In some ways we are all so different, but I think we all realize how important having girlfriends to share with is. Two of the girls just moved away and we sure are going to miss them!
7. Chris Stapleton concert
F.I.N.A.L.L.Y.
Even in the pouring rain, he was SO GOOD LIVE.
If you are a fan at all, I would highly recommend seeing him live.
8. Lazy days
Though I thrive off of being busy, more and more this year I have really learned to appreciate lazy days and time to myself. Some of my favorite moments this summer were pretty laid back, whether that meant an entire afternoon doing nothing but reading a book, visiting the farmer’s market or going on a long walk through this beautiful city.
9. Promotion at work
I share often that I love my job, and so it was nice to be recognized for the progress I’ve made.
10. Spending time with this guy
This guy is quickly becoming my favorite person to spend time with. We both had pretty busy schedules throughout the summer, but we tried to make the most out of the free time we had.
Some of our adventures included Sugarloaf Mountain Winery, playing with his pup Bella, Nationals baseball games, exploring Annapolis, MD and eating crabs, visiting the National Harbor, trying new places to eat and a rather comical afternoon searching for a place to fix his phone.
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Dear Fall, you know I love you the most, but summer 2017 wasn’t too shabby.
Please take notes.
The Good Stuff 