This week's challenge: Summertiiiiiiiiiiiime, and the living is EEEeeezzzzzzy.Tell us how you feel about summer. This summer, a childhood summer, summer traditions, random summer memories, summer sights and smells and sounds. Whatever. Wax poetic about summertime!

I was going to skip this challenge. Lacking both time and inclination because the to-do list is long and the clock is ticking. But, as I read Aimee's challenge this morning, I too was recalling the sweetness of my own mid-west summer memories.

Growing up, my favorite cousin was Sarah. She was a little bit older than me but that never seemed to bother either one of us. She was a little bit different than me, but again, didn't bother either of us. And while we shared one grandmother, she was lucky enough to have her other grandmother living in the same little town as our shared grandma. So, every summer around this time our parents would take us up to see the grandmas. I'd stay with mine. She'd stay with her paternal grandma. One of our differences is I'm an early bird (as was my grandma) and cousin Sarah...well, mornings weren't her forte!

Yet, during the day we'd spend our days laughing and playing like two peas in a pod. Acting goofy, playing paper dolls, eating sweet corn drenched with butter and salt, helping Grandma with laundry (it was fun because she had an old ringer washer), heading out to the family farm and splashing in the creek at the Old Red Mill. Such fabulous happy memories!

Well, we grew up and I moved (again and again, further away with each move it seemed). But, whenever I went back to Wisconsin, I'd always take time to see Cousin Sarah. We are both married now, with 2 kids each. And in just 2 days we'll see each other again.

And in celebration of this life long family connection, I've got a little trip planned for all of us. While the grandmothers have both passed away (leaving no reason to visit the tiny town they lived in), we are still taking a trip together. This time we'll load up own vehicles, buckle in our own kids and head out to Wisconsin Dells. Where we will spend a couple days remembering the days gone by and creating a few more memories at The Great Wolf Lodge. I just hope that she isn't still a night owl...as I don't think I can even pretend to hang with that crowd for even a night or two.

Summertime...if you can forget about the never ending heat, it really is a great season of fun!