We have been very busy with yard work. I had to touch up the stain on the swing set already… Not the desirable method, I know, but I didn’t have time to go through the whole process. It was just a few spots here and there. The rest of the work was mostly weeding, pruning, and planting.

The warm weather means I can spend less time in the kitchen and more time grilling. It’s a well known fact that I am a terrible cook, but I am increasingly confident at the grill. We had burgers and hot dogs a few days ago, and today I made honey teriyaki chicken. It was delicious!

Last week felt like a heat wave. It was unbearably hot and humid for about five days. I found myself desperate for an air conditioning solution. We have very small windows in our bedroom. I don’t have exact measurements handy, but the opening is just under 11 inches high. There are no air conditioners on the market that will fit in those windows, and I spent way too much time confirming that. We have a portable unit. It doesn’t do anything. Actually, it does something… It throws a lot of hot air back through the window vent (which keeps falling off) and leaks water all over the floor. I have used about 5 different hose clamps, but it just won’t stay attached. I gave up on it. I think it’s best if I leave all of these insights out of the upcoming Craigslist “for sale” post. Digressing…

We had a 5K BTU window AC sitting in the garage. My parents bought it for us 9 years ago when we were living in a third floor apartment, and it has remained unused ever since. I wasn’t sure if it would even work anymore, but it was worth a try. We set it up in Will’s bedroom window and turned the knob. It started throwing cold air right away! The ceiling fan helps with circulation. Our bedroom is directly across from Will’s room, so it reaches us. It also helps to keep the shades drawn (yeah, that was a real “duh” moment for me). I’d love to think central air is in our future (I could slap the guy for telling us how easy it would be to add it when they installed our furnace a few years ago), but it’s not going to happen! We’ve come up with a working solution, though. We have a 12k BTU AC in the dining room to keep most of the upstairs living space cool. The small AC has the upstairs bedrooms covered, and the lower level is always comfortable (split level perk).

My parents visited last weekend. They always end up here on Memorial Day, and they always pick up a hanging basket somewhere. It’s a little, non-deliberate tradition that I love so much. It’s the time of year when Dad helps Micah and I with little things around the house. He fixed our edge trimmer and started dismantling one of the garage door openers to replace some parts. We ran out of time, so that we’ll work on it later. I have so many happy memories of working on the house with Dad, from building the fence in the back yard to wiring in the attic. He has taught us so much in those countless hours.

The kids have been playing outside more, which means more time for baby and I to spend in our little oasis:

I thought I hated summer, but I might actually enjoy it this year. It helps that I won’t be reading 80-something temps on the thermostat anymore!