I’ll never forget all of the summers my mom & dad packed us up and took us on a summer adventure. Whether it be to the river (to look at rundown cabins we refused to stay at — my sister and I were never high maintenance in the least) or to Sea World or Six Flags, it was always so much fun. I’ll also never forget the amazing times we had with my grandparents, heading out on road-trips to a destination unknown, singing and laughing ’til the cows came home. I have so many wonderful memories, there’s too many to count. I’m sure it must have been stressful and a headache for them to plan sometimes (or a lot of times), but I don’t remember those parts. I only remember the good. The sticky hair and hands from sweaty heads and popsicles and the full bellies from all the wonderful restaurants we’d get to try (and some not so good restaurants, too).
I don’t think there’s a summer vacation that I didn’t like; I loved them all. Why? Because they were with my family. The family that can usually make me crazy, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Making Memories
Now that I have a family of my own, I want them to experience the same. Long car trips, hot days in an amusement park, silly hotel stays, and all the adventure their little hearts can handle. It’s the little things in life that matter, because one day they’ll be the big things.
You don’t have to go over the top to make summertime memories. A little creativity and a lot of quality time will do wonders! Here are some reminders of all you need to make some precious memories ::
- Put away your phone! I know you’ll want to take pictures and save the moment (hello, it’s what I do for a living), but your kids BEST memories are not going to be of you on your phone.
- Make do with what you have. Don’t have a pool but want fun in the sun? Buy a 10 dollar pool at the grocery store, bring out the water hose, light up sparklers, catch fireflies, make s’mores in the oven. Your kids will love this!
- Be creative. Pinterest moms get a bad wrap, but that search engine is the best at finding fun activities for you and your kids. Make a board with easy things you know will be easy to accomplish, and then…
- Just go for it. Scared to take the road trip? Scared to venture out to the splash pad by yourself? Quit thinking of all the things that could go wrong, and think of all the things that could go right!
Don’t overthink it. These small moments are going to be the ones your kids remember when they’re old and grown and have their own kids. The sacrifices we make for them today are going to be the big things that one day put a smile on their face. Never forget that.
We just made a ton of fun memories on our first big road trip of the season (and the first with Colin as a toddler), and it was a blast. I’m documenting it here because I don’t ever want to forget it.
Our Sea World Adventure
Last month, we headed out to Sea World, and it was the first time we headed to an amusement park with both kids. It was absolutely worth all the sweat.
It was an overnight trip for us, and it was just perfect. We headed into San Antonio (a three hour drive from Houston) and enjoyed dinner out, then snuggled up in the hotel room until we all fell asleep. Colin is so aware of everything and never wants to miss out on the party, so putting his pack n’ play in another room was pure torture for him, but we all needed our best rest. Best rest is up for debate, but the kids were so excited for our adventure. Their giggles and running around the room was priceless.
The next morning, we got in a great breakfast at the hotel. Before we left, we packed a backpack with extra clothes and snacks and headed out for the best day.
We got there as soon as the park opened, and we had already mapped out our day beforehand. We scheduled out some “extra” activities, like lunch with the orcas, and it was worth every penny. Another thing we did was purchase reserved seats for the shows, and that was also a lifesaver with two little ones. Here are snaps from our day.
We only stayed for half the day, but we loved every minute. Cannot wait to go back!
Do you have sweet summertime memories? Recreate those with your kids, and they’ll be sure to have the best summer ever! Memories matter. Go make them!
