Top Five Tuesday: Summer Preview

Are you guys as excited about summer as I am? This gray, rainy spring has really made me eager for the summer sun to just get here already. Having such a downer of a spring has been good for one thing, though: anticipation. Mikey and I have had plenty of time for daydreaming about all the stuff we can't wait to do once the weather cooperates (and once he's on summer vacation, lucky guy). So, for this first Top 5 Tuesday after such a long hiatus, here are the Top 5 Things I Can't Wait To Do This Summer!


1. Visit the aquarium(s)! We've set aside a weekend in August to bring my parents down to the Maine State Aquarium with us, which I'm so excited about. The aquarium is not only fun in and of itself, but the location is so gorgeous--right on the water, with plenty of grassy space and picnic tables to have lunch and play with Natalie overlooking Boothbay Harbor. We're also planning a trip to Boston to meet up with Natalie's Gma and Gpa, as well as Marissa, TJ, and cousin Carly, to visit the New England Aquarium. Natalie is totally bananas for fish tanks, so I'm thinking she's going to be in complete awe when we visit the aquariums. I can't wait!

2. Spend as much time at the beach as possible. We're lucky to live in a place with ocean and lake beaches within both walking and driving distance, and I plan to make full use of them all summer long. Since Mike has summers off, and I work part-time, we'll have four day weekends every single week that we get to spend exploring the coast with our girl. She liked her brief swims last summer, but now that she's older I know she's going to be such a little fish.

3. Get in some serious walking, hiking, and running. Mike and I are both itching to get ourselves moving now that we're not snowed in, and we plan on giving our jogging stroller a major workout this summer. We also need to pick up a new baby carrier now that Natalie has outgrown last year's slings and front-facing carriers. We want to get out on the Breakwater and up Maiden's Cliff and more this summer, which will require a sturdy baby backpack. Any recommendations?

4. Enjoy evenings on our deck. We've been working hard to get our little postage stamp of a backyard looking good for summer, and I want to spend as many meals, glasses of wine, and games of cards out on that deck and in that yard as possible. Our new fence is going up in a week or so, and we'll be putting more flowers in before the month is out, along with a new bench and more. If all goes as planned, that deck will see more of me than any other place in my life this summer.

5. A road trip or two. In addition to meeting up with family in Boston, we're also planning a trip north to The County for sweet Amanda's bridal shower and my 10-year high school reunion (eek!). I'm sure we'll run the roads a bit more, too, maybe making a trip to Stone Mountain Arts Center and definitely hitting up Portland for Sea Dogs games and to hear Ben Kilcollins live as much as we can.

Also this summer? BlogHer! And Amanda's bachelorette party, right here in Rockland! And visits are getting lined up as we speak for so many of our favorite far-away people to come stay on the Midcoast!

Oh, summer, please hurry up and stay awhile.

What are you all looking forward to this summer?