The pool is open!!!-

Oh what a wonderful day yesterday was! Yesterday was the day that we officially turned on the pool heater for the summer. "What's the big deal about that?", you ask? For me it is a symbol of the time to come and a delightful reminder of the freedom of summer. Here are some of the many reasons that this time of year is a sigh of relief for me.

We can get up when we want and sleep in when we want and stay in our jammies as long as we want.

I don't make breakfast.

I can spend hours of time with my little girls- whether going somewhere fun or just vegging out here.

I CAN READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (don't ask me why I feel like I can read more during the summer, I just do)

In a pinch, I can jump in the pool, shampoo my hair, jump back in and I am DONE- the quickest clean in the world. (Yes, we do this, don't comment on how "gross" it is- it's just a bit of shampoo, folks).

I hate cold weather. HATE IT. Summer sympbolizes me coming out of the cave, literally and figuratively.

I love going on walks in the cool night air.

The dogs can have baths outside without freezing to death. (When you have 13 dogs, that is a VERY BIG DEAL!)

The birds can stay in their outside cages most of the day, on the pool porch and sing to their hearts' content.

POPSICLES!!!!

PAPER PLATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July is the month when we go to the beach for one week and rent a condo- the kids catch fish in the little nets (Em is demonstrating in the picture) and we go hunting for fiddler crabs and eat dinner at Saltwater Cowboys. We spend hours on the beach and in the pool and catch up on sleep and eating and reading. All of these things are memories we savor and traditions my kids treasure each year.

I am so happy and I am so glad I live in Florida- I don't mind the heat- and I love the freedom of the summer.