I drove to Chicago today. Two of my boys had stayed the weekend with my cousin and her family, and I was only going to pick them up, visit for a while and then drive back to Indy. But cousin only lives 5-10 minutes from the Magnificent Mile. And it is summertime. And it's warm and beautiful. And it was only 3 in the afternoon. And I'm spontaneous. So as we headed out of their neighborhood and south on Lake Shore Drive, I took a tiny detour onto Randolph and into a parking garage by Millenium Park. The boys were anxious to get back home, but their dark moods turned lighter when we walked into the Cafe for ice cream. With cones in hand, we ventured up the steps to the next level of the park where we played around the sculpture called "Cloud Gate", which we have dubbed the giant lima bean. I've added some of my favorite shots from the day.
Let me add: I love summer. Here are 10 of the top reasons why:
1. Ice cream tastes extra yummy. And I can work it off by riding my bike, playing football in the yard with the boys or swimming in the pool -- so I don't even feel guilty about my indulgence.
2. The boys get to experience life on their own time table (with little scheduling).
3. We wander as if on a long journey instead of rushing to a destination.
4. I laugh a lot more.
5. We go barefoot - nearly everywhere. Or if shoes are required, they usually involve the flip flop kind.
6. We can stay up late and sleep in! No annoying alarm clock beeping at me in the mornings, just the sweet birds chirping out my window, and the occassional sweet boy waking me to tell me he's hungry.
7. Weekends at the lake! This one is truly my favorite part of summer.
8. Getting together with friends to play and not worrying about the kids being up late and tired for school the next morning. Relationships feel more carefree and open with the added time that summer brings.
9. Finding treasures in the neighborhood creek, like the gigantic crayfish the size of a lobster.
10. Lying on a blanket in our backyard at night and staring at the stars - or reading a book with a flashlight in the tent we've put up at our backyard "campground."
I hope whoever reads this will make their own list of summer pleasures. It helps you breathe deep and have a grateful heart!
