Finally, the days are stretched longer, the grass is green, and the sun beats down. Our family has once again survived the 8 months of darkness, cold temperatures, and the challenges of being indoors and we get to enjoy the 4 months of summer in Pure Michigan.
Summer for me is about being outside, spending time in my fishing kayak, golfing, working on our yard, and making sure we don’t have the worst-kept yard or flowers in the neighborhood. Shout out to our neighbors who take that title. But, as my kids have moved from toddlers to school-aged, summer has become more about reexperiencing the joy of summer through their eyes.
Through their eyes, summer isn’t just about the activities we do; it’s about the connections we make and the lessons we learn. From the patience required to catch a firefly to the teamwork needed for a successful sandcastle, these experiences are shaping their understanding of the world and their place in it.
One of our favorite parts of summer has been finding a long weekend that just the four of us can spend together at one of Michigan’s small, quaint towns. Last year, we rented a home near the beach in Saugatuck. We spent the days on the shores of Lake Michigan and the evenings roaming the streets of Saugatuck trying all the ice cream options and utilizing the city parks.
For our family, many “vacations” include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. While those trips are great, the time we spend just the four of us are memories I cherish. Those memories are engrained in their minds as they still talk about Saugatuck as the coolest place they’ve visited in Michigan. We are preparing for our trip this year up to the Leelanau peninsula in northern Michigan. We’ll visit Fish Town, Suttons Bay, North Port, and I’m sure anywhere else that has ice cream for the kids and coffee for my wife.
Summertime also allows my kids to experience, for a few months, a different routine from school. Yes, they get to go to bed later, but they also get to have new experiences and other opportunities. Our local library has a fantastic summer reading program, and my son was especially motivated by the free ice cream cone at McDonald’s for reaching his reading goal. If you haven’t noticed, ice cream is a major motivator in our house.
They also get to play sports, soccer, golf, gymnastics, swimming lessons, and basketball. Hearing my daughter’s excitement about how she “learned to dive at the pool” or my son tell me how he “hit a hole in one” while putting from 2 feet away. While the time I spend floating down the river fishing for smallmouth bass or playing golf has decreased, reexperiencing the excitement of summer through their eyes is my new favorite part of the season.
Here’s to the magic of summer, the beauty of Michigan, and the joy of experiencing it all with my favorite adventurers; my two kids and my wife Megan. May we continue to savor every moment and create memories that will last a lifetime.
