summer fun + a little experiment

happy 1st day of summer! after living in newport, rhode island for over a year now, i think i have learned to embrace a more laid-back coastal country, beachy lifestyle in stark contrast to our life just outside boston, mass. we signed up for a c.s.a. vegetable program through simmons organic farm in middletown, ri. we have eaten dinner outside every chance we get and taken walks/pushed the girls on their tricycles to see the sunset over at the point. i learned how to cook with mussels and josh has perfected a dark n' stormy. we have spent mornings at the beach and hours have passed and i don't feel guilty about it at all. we leave our dutch door open in the back of the house and let the breeze sail right through. and we have spent the last 2 weeks without t.v. and cable. yep, i turned our cable box in and i sort of wanted to skip back to the car after doing so. of course i had to wait to see the last oprah, but it's our little summer experiment for our family. so instead of watching t.v. at night, josh and i have been sitting down and having some great conversations. we wrote a summer wish list of things to do and here it is:

-margarita party with neighbors
-make a recipe with mussels
- host a cocktail party the friday night of josh's family reunion in july
- host a book exchange party for friends
- tour the historic home in the point (forget the name)
- newport jazz fest
- take more walks after dinner
- blueberry and peach picking at sweet berry farm
- go to salvation cafe for dinner date
- newport gulls baseball game 
- newport kite festival at brenton point
- ballard park outdoor movies
- south county hot air balloon festival
- go to the beach on sunday morning and then stop by anthony's on the way home to pick up fresh seafood for dinner
- tiverton four corners sculpture park
- boston children's museum wizard of oz exhibit 
- newport film outdoor movies. independent thought provoking films!
- purgatory chasm
- july 4th in rockport, mass. fireman's parade and bonfire at back beach
- newport butterfly zoo
- make more frozen yogurt treats
- westport, mass. day trip: allens pond wildlife sanctuary, eat at the bayside, wesport rivers vineyard and winery

and some not so fun things to do this summer:
- potty train twins
- persuade karoline and rory not to rub greek yogurt all over their body when they are eating it
- find my drivers license that the girls have hid

so cheers to summer. salt water hair that hasn't been washed for days. bare feet. learning to step out of your comfort zone. cold drinks. seafood on the grill. fire pits. the smell of ocean roses. surf culture with v.w. buses and wood paneled station wagons with loads of gear on top. lots of ice cream. and reading good books that take you to places you have never been.

image by bob weeks via switch-foot