Summer 2020 Is a Wrap

It's officially the final post in what will be known as The Blog Collection for the Weirdest Summer Ever. The kids and I were home for almost exactly six months before we went back to work and school. Mike had a three month "vacation" where he ran a home school and did all the outside house projects. The children will read Lord of the Flies in high school and be like "hey, this is like our summer vacation that one year." And I said on multiple occasions, "I'm on an important meeting - so if there isn't blood or a bone sticking out, don't bug me." The standards have not been high.

Our poor camper is still sitting in the driveway - and other than Gpa V using it a couple nights when he visited - it's been quite neglected. We are close to canceling our annual fall camping trip as well, so I suspect the whole camping season will be a bust. [However, that means we won't be doing our usual stressful scrambling to pack up the camper for the winter and Mike and I are thrilled about that.]

But the summer did inspire us to try things that we normally would not have done. We have a shiny annual pass to Minnesota State Parks and have built up our hiking skills. We've rented a couple cabins and taken longer summer vacations (thank you, furloughs) than we ever have before. Simple traditions like Ice Cream Friday or evening walks around the neighborhood are new family favorites. 

The last six months (and let's be honest, the foreseeable future) have forced into focus the things (and people) that are truly important to us. And highlighted things that we are okay to give up. I don't know that any of us want to fully "go back to how it was before." Of course there are things that will be wonderful to return (like live theater!!!) - but we also hope to make a few of the changes more permanent. 

We all agree that the Weirdest summer ever was definitely not the Worst summer ever. Sometimes different is just different. And prepares you for what will likely be the weirdest fall ever too!

Family Labor Day bike ride. Followed by ice cream

Because that's how you end a summer