Due to the rain, it just feels like we have already been gyped out of half of the summer; I am so happy to hear that it hasn't actually started yet.
Of course, Summertime in Colorado is brief under the best of circumstances; losing five days out of every week to thunderstorms means that we will get about two weeks of sunshine, if we are lucky.
So, how are we spending the sunny days that we do get? Thanks for asking...
...we are sitting on the porch...
...we are enjoying the flowers that have blossomed in the rain...
...and we are organizing the items that we will need for our upcoming trip to Lake Powell. This includes cleaning out the tents, designing an all-weather cover for the boat, creating menus, and making lists of grocery items to be purchased at Sam's Club.
That last item was actually accomplished by Jana, myself, and another friend, whose family will be joining us on the trip, while drinking wine on the front porch this past Sunday evening. We have adopted the Divide and Conquer method for vacation food preparation, which, when you consider that there will be eight adults and twelve children in our group, seems like the sanest way to go.
We have also decided that the adults will get first choice of sleeping arrangements, depending on how hot it is at the lake; our options include tenting, sleeping in the motorhomes, or sleeping in the boats on the water.
I can tell you right now, this girl don't tent it; I don't care how nice the tent may be.
Once we had an idea of what we would need to take to Powell, I got to thinking about our cooler collection. Hugh and I agreed that we needed to purchase a new outdoor cooler since our largest one is not really that large, nor does it have functioning hinges. So, off to the Hellmouth we went. While Hugh was in the Sporting Goods aisle, perusing the Colemans, I was in the summer section, agonizing over a replacement for my beloved soft-sided cooler.
I have had the cooler since the kids were quite small. I purchased it at Target with the intention of using it when Jana and I took the kids to the pool during the summer. Because it is lightweight, easy to clean, and roomy, it quickly outgrew that sole purpose and became my go-to cooler for spring picnics, pinecone gathering in the fall, camping trips, road trips, and, later, volleyball games, baseball tournaments, basketball games, tailgate parties, and boating trips. In short-I used the HELL out of that cooler.
Unfortunately, all that use started to show. The side recently ripped out of the cooler and I had no choice but to retire it.
Also unfortunately, I have had a hell of a time finding a suitable replacement. Every soft-sided cooler that I have found has lacked the roomy pockets of the original. I finally settled on a slightly larger cooler that has one fairly large storage pocket on the front. I doubt that I will love it like I loved the old cooler (we have a lot of memories, cooler and I), but, at least our drinks will stay cool.
Wow, four paragraphs about cooler shopping. I hope the excitement hasn't been too much for you.
Let's move on, shall we?
Speaking of excitement, Katie and The Teenager had a blast in California. They got to play in the ocean, sun themselves on the beach, fight rush hour traffic on the freeway, and choke on smog. All in all, their first road trip was an unparalleled success.
The most exciting part for me was the part when they made it safely home, as I'm sure you can imagine.
After all, I need them around to entertain me through the summer; it starts on June 21st!
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