As the days are getting longer and school kids are out of school in less than two weeks, I can’t help but think of the excitement of summer days back when I was a kid.

I know my kids have been counting down the days since the beginning of May. Well, mostly my son Tyler. Every morning it’s, “Mom, 13 1/2 days. Mom, 8 1/2 days left.” Then this morning — “Mom, only one more Thursday left! Oh, and one more Friday!”

I love when my kids are home over the summer. I plan fun days, and just make those memories with them. We love to pack a lunch and go to Grammy Marlene’s pool or head up to our river lot for the day. My husband and I plan on surprising them with a Knoebel’s trip the day they get off school! It’s just fun to take the time to make summers as fun as we can.

When I was a kid, I remember the last day of school; we got our yearbooks, and everyone could sign them. That was such a fun day. All the teachers would come outside to the buses and wave goodbye for the end of another school year. I just loved Round Hills Elementary; it was such a nice school. But of course, I was like my son, counting down the days till those summer days!

When I was smaller, my aunt, who had a pool, lived a few blocks from us. My other aunt lived right across from her, so my mom would walk my brother Luke and me to the pool with all my cousins. I remember my Aunt Sherie always having Cheez-Its for a snack. Mmmm Mmmm. We would all swim our little hearts out, and snacks never tasted so good.

In fact, when I got older, we got our own pool, and Cheez-its and cool ranch Doritos were always at our house too.

Seriously, on our boat or at my mother-in-law’s pool, I always have these two snacks because I feel like a kid when I swim. I need a snack!! I instantly crave that cheesy crunch of that red box of crackers or that ranch chip that totally hits the spot after being waterlogged.

I would spend the whole day out in our pool. Nighttime swims were my favorite. I could usually convince my dad to get in with me. We would turn on the blue floodlight, so the water looked magical, and I could pretend I was a mermaid. (I was obsessed with the water and was as close to a mermaid as I could get!) I loved going up to the river with Gram and Pop Perry, making river muk tacos, and swimming out to the rock islands. I loved going to the cabin with my dad up in Blossburg. Riding my dirt bike while he mowed grass and then enjoying our Weis markets hoagies with a bag of cool ranch Doritos. (Was Dad’s favorite too!) I loved going to Knoebel’s with our youth group every year and spending the whole day with our church family, having the time of our lives. I loved our week spent up at the Salladasburg cabin and Gram Liddick’s scavenger hunts and dancing in the rain. I loved when Mom would have family and friends over for Bowman Field Fireworks. Our house was right in Old Lycoming Township, and we had a perfect view from our back deck. Mom would have the picnic table full of snacks as my cousins, and I would run around the yard catching lightning bugs.

I loved the week my mom took us to the beach with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We all were in the same house and just spent the days at the beach and nights riding go-carts and getting ice cream. I loved everything about summer — the picnics, pool parties, vacations, fireworks, riding our bikes up and down the bike path, and Dad stopping to buy us slushies at the gas station. I mean, I could go on and on! To this day, as soon as I smell the river, it takes me back to being a kid to all those days spent at the lot. The smell of gas reminds me of riding my dirt bike at our cabins. And those Cheez-Its — yup, takes me back to pool days.

I want all this for my kids and more. I want the memories of our Sunday boat days and weekdays spent at Grammy Marlene’s pool or on the farm with Grammy Metzger. Day trips on motorcycles with Pappy Perry and our biker crew. Even just small picnics out in our woods and surprise Knoebel’s trips and vacations spent on the lake with friends. Honestly, even a few rainy snuggle days would be fantastic. This is what summer is all about!! To embrace and enjoy every minute.

They grow up so fast, but memories last a lifetime. Summer is only here for so long. Stop, and smell the roses, or in my case, the river. Hey, whatever floats your boat! (Ha!)

Just get out and do something that makes you and your family happy. Happy Summer!

Hawaiian BBQ Kabobs

Ingredients:
• 1 pound of sliced baked ham (from the deli)
• pineapple cut into chunks
• 1 orange pepper cut into small squares
• kabob sticks (soaked in water)
• Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Roll each ham slice up, then fold like a fan and place through the end of the kabob stick. Then add pineapple, ending with orange pepper. Repeat until the stick is full and brush on BBQ sauce.

Place on grill and cook until nice and brown. You can add more BBQ sauce while grilling.

These little babies are so delish!!