Summer of Brent....

June 3rd marked the official end of my fifth year as a teacher. I am sitting here this morning on my first day of summer vacation writing and watching emmy eat/chew anything that moves. Before I go into my post I know those of you out in the real workforce as you put it, like to scoff at the thought of a summer vacation. I say this to all of you hhaaaatters, "Spend one month, or better yet, one week as a teacher and let me know if your brain, body, and sense of life doesn't need a 2 month break". Don't throw out three months because we don't get three months, pipe down chachy.

My bro just wrote a great blog about picking up challenges and how it changes his life, so I got to thinking about the challenges I could pick up. For the first time in 20 years or so I will not be on a football sideline, practice field, or film room. It's with weird emotions that I start this summer because typically I am planning everything around my hectic football schedule. Now as I am in my 3rd hour of summer I am looking at endless possibilities over the next two months. I want to make some changes, I want to have some fun, but overall I just want to enjoy it. I said goodbye to 100 7th graders the other day and they busted out of school with such joy...looking forward to going to the pool, playing pick up games, and having slumber parties. I started to think about how much that last bell meant when you were a kid and the endless thoughts that popped into your head. The summer was the fresh smell of grass after the sun was setting, the cool breeze that made it possible to stay outside in the heat, the feeling of the sand volleyball courts at Hedges Boyer, the pure exhaustion of football workouts, only to have everyone over to swim till the late hours. The summer was a non-stop thrill ride without an alarm clock or deadline to meet.

So my plans for the summer is simply to reach back and grab some of that old feeling. Whether that is taking trips to the lake with lindsey or sitting outside around a fire pit in my backyard late at night, I am going to enjoy it. Every moment I plan on finding the joy that we did as kids. I want to take on challenges like brad talked about, i want/need to get back into shape...I want/need to get this house to where we want it....and I need to find relaxing time and happiness with my wife, dog, and friends/family. So if you are on board for the summer of brent propose a time or place to hang out, propose a challenge I should take on and you'll join, or simply stop by to enjoy a beer around a fire and laugh. Summer is too short to not spend it laughing.