TEN: Lemonade Stands
The other day my mom and I drove past a lemonade stand and the two boys waved us over so furiously we couldn't resist. There was a shoddy cardboard sign that read, "Lemonade 25 cents" in little boy handwriting and we had the best customer service I've had in a long time. Watching them took me back to my own lemonade stand days with my cousin Alyssa. I would go to her house in Bountiful and we'd spend the morning making chocolate chip cookies from scratch, mixing lemonade powder into a gallon or two of water, and creating posters advertising what we were selling. We'd load up our goods into the car, drive to the corner of Bountiful Boulevard and set up shop. They were hot days. They were long days. And our arms were always sore the next day from waving cars and runners down. Sometimes we'd even recruit Braden, the brave cousin, to dance in the middle of the street with a poster in hopes that a compassionate soul would stop for us. At lunchtime my aunt would bring us each a can of cold spaghetti-oh's to help get us through the next few hours; and there was something magic about those spaghetti-oh's that somehow gave us the energy and determination to make it. At the end of the day she would drive back down, pack our supplies into the trunk of her car and we would run full speed into Alyssa's room to count our earnings on her bed and divide it into two. As I reminisced about my lemonade and cookie stands I realized that nothing made me happier on those days than when a car would stop to add a little change to our money jar. And so although the lemonade is usually less than mediocre, it's worth 25 cents and 30 seconds to stop to make a kid happy and contribute to keeping lemonade stands in business for years to come. Long live lemonade stands-the day they cease to exist will be a sure warning sign of the end of the world.
NINE: Outdoor Movies
Especially the ones shown on the lawn at the Capital on Thursday nights. I've decided that even the worst movies can be considered decent if they are shown outside on a projector. Including Legally Blonde 2.
EIGHT: Swimming
I've learned that there are more important things than getting sun-kissed skin and have never had as much fun swimming as I have the past few weeks while playing in the pool rather than laying out. Who would have thought that one little tennis ball could provide endless hours of entertainment in a pool?
SEVEN: Firework Shows
Add a few sparklers to dance around the street with after the show and the package is complete.
SIX: BBQ's
There's nothing quite like a good burger and juicy watermelon followed by chatting with family and friends on the patio on a cool summer night.
FIVE: Bike Rides
Whether it's an early morning ride along the Legacy Highway bike path or a quick ride around the town when the sun is setting with my dad, bike rides just do it for me.
FOUR: My Home Ward
As much as I love BYU student wards, being back in my home ward is so refreshing. Everyone has known and loved me since I can remember and are genuinely interested in my life. I don't have to meet new people every week and answer questions like where I'm from, what my major is, and what year in school I am. It's so enjoyable going to church with familiar faces instead of strangers.
THREE: Family Parties
Laughing for hours, playing made up games, eating tasty food and taking 45 minutes to say goodbye. How about a family party every night?
TWO: Having time to do anything I want during the day
Reading for hours, embellishing shirts, making a scrapbook of all my Jerusalem pictures, watching Gilmore Girls (my guilty pleasure), etc, etc, etc.
ONE: Family Vacations
From Boston to Sun Valley-but then again my entire summer has felt like a vacation...
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