summer sunshine + sunflowers

a little bit down the road from us...

summer is quickly ending

where did august go?

isn't it funny how things always seem to be twice the speed after the half-way point

i am determined to love every last drop of the next month

then- i will embrace fall with open arms and a warm heart 

-- it's my favorite season, but shhh.. don't tell summer--

last week i ran across this great little list for 

"squeezing the last drops out of summer"

i thought how nice it would be to share that link

--and then forgot--

until now

don't you hate it when you can't remember what you want to remember?

then you spend a ridiculous amount of time and energy trying to remember (or find)

lucky for me - i spent some time looking and then -- i turned to the one that has all the answers --

i googled it

guess what 

first one on the list

--then i found a few more --

here's my short list 

(click them and let your end of summer adventure begin)

how to squeeze the last drops out of summer

christine kane: 22 ways to squeeze every last drop out of summer before it ends

seattle times:  Squeeze the last drops out of summer with these ideas for kid-friendly activities

etsy: treasury - squeeze the last drop of late summer

thursday thanks

 - family - a usual one i know, but always good to take time and appreciate... this afternoon really thinking about how lucky jon and i are to be close to our family - to talk with them often throughout the week.  to be able to spend the summer with my brother and sister.  to work on a daily basis with jon's parents in our business.
-road-tripping in a semi-truck -- high above the road - biggest windshield (which became completely covered in bugs on the eastern side of north dakota and our couple hours in minnesota) - bed + fridge (hotel on the road) - truck stops (especially truck stops at that have 24 hour Mcdonalds for midnight snacktime).

-not getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a really super-soft stretch of a road construction dirt road while fully loaded at 2:30am.
-vacuum cleaners
-watermelon -summer yumminess on sale at our little grocery store this week
-Scheels --sporting goods store-- why have i never been to one of these before - definitely a new favorite "summer store"

fun to be had at scheels

- veggie burgers (i love love love them) - which is why i ordered this cookbook:
"the best veggie burgers on the planet" - really excited to try new recipes out this summer

-magazines -- favorite road trip item -- well, besides my camera, but it doesn't really count
-air conditioning -- it was 93 degrees yesterday - which would be fine if it hadn't been a high of 69 two days before
- summers in montana - sometimes this is a really hard one for me, but this year, instead of focusing on what i don't have or miss (fresh summer produce, farmers market, a lawn, bbq's + socials with friends are just a few)  i am really working on embracing the joy that is living in a different place for a season -- as ali edwards says:  be "present" in the season and enjoy + know the "deliciousness of summer."
 -- two little articles on the summer season:

• ali edwards -- the change of seasons | summer rhythms (above quotes take from this post)
• incourage: six tips to enjoy a beautiful summer {at home}