An Ode to Summer....alternate title...Summers not REALLY over yet!!!

So our Christmas letter last year was lame...here's a "Christmas in July" letter....sort of ....

According to my friend, Google, Summer began on June 22 and doesn't end until September 22...but for my (public school teacher) purposes it started on May 29 and ends (sort of) the night of August 8😭.  There are still more summer plans in the works....a couple more concerts (covid-willing🤦), some camping (hopefully when we get these floors and related work done 🏡), and hopefully lots more nights sitting around the fire pit downtown or in our backyard🔥.  Here's a partial wrap up though for those of you who don't follow us on social media or want a condensed list!

* Let's cheat a little and start with May 22--the first concert any of us had been to in over a year--a free concert at Levitt Pavilion Denver (awesome venue, by the way)--Devotchka! Opening acts:  Nina Defreitas and Adam Cayton Holland--both kids came with us! We finished up the evening like we were in college--at IHOP for pancakes (did you know a lot of IHOP's are no longer open 24 hours? Who knew?!)

*June 5:  Brother of Brass.  Levitt Pavilion. They were supposed to open for the Flobots, but the Flobots have stormed out...another great concert! (Don't worry...we saw the Flobots later!) Both are local bands and put on a great show--Brothers of Brass made an appearance at the rescheduled Flobots, too!

*June 6:  Michael Franti and Spearhead. Opening act Satsang. Both acts were phenomenal! Hands down (for me) the best concert of the summer.  Co_Ski_Atty entered a contest to win tickets for frontline workers and won tickets for me 💓💓. Red Rocks was beautiful and we sat in a section with many other prize winners--such an awesome and therapeutic evening.

*June 7-11 The return of in-person VBS!  We masked up and had very limited "spots"...but we did it and it was awesome! The Boy volunteered and got to hang out with other teenagers!  It was a joy to be back with littles and do some arts and crafts!

*June 10 The Revivalists with opening act Neil Francis.  We paired it with a stay at the Cliff House in Morrison--our new favorite getaway ("hot tubs at every cabin")

*June 17 found us downtown for a "Magical Movie Candlelight Concert" and a stay at the Brown Palace--another very cool evening!

*June 19 was a very modified LobsterFest--but a chance to use our awesome backyard!

*On June 24 we celebrated our 26th Anniversary at Trestles (Our new place...since our old place was in Indiana and was torn down)

*July 2: The Flobots at Levitt!  (For real this time...with opening act 2MX2 featuring Kid Astronavt, Lolita Worldwide, VocoChoir and others--this was probably my 2nd favorite concert of the season--not only was The Girl home, but there were awesome covers of some of my favorite protest songs!

*July 4...a return to Red Rocks and to the Cliff House for Blues Traveler!  First Red Rocks Concert for the Boy and for The Girl's boyfriend.  There were a lot of harmonica solos and we were awakened by a fire alarm...but the weather was perfect and the time with family was priceless!

*July 18:  Got to see a childhood friend of Co_Ski_Atty while her daughter played in the National Club Soccer Championships (they are the champions!), Pandas and People with opening act The Band Pacific at Levitt and some nice naps in the van in the middle!

Not included in the list were numerous date nights--usually Wednesdays, but sometimes other nights, to fabulous restaurants in Denver and Castle Rock--

and a lot of long walks, a couple longer hikes, 

and Planet Fitness trips...

oh...and a partial house remodel including new hardwood floors and paint for most of the first floor (stone will go in laundry and powder rooms...later...as will paint...) and a new dishwasher (swoon!)

a backyard "remodel" including a new fire pit, new bench, awning, lights.....and more!  

The Girl started (official) nursing school, moving to an apartment near campus and taking Alice The Cat with her.  

The Boy got his driver's license, 

(no picture by his request :) )

we bought a (new to us) Jeep (not for The Boy...)

and I bought new hiking boots to replace my 20+-year-old pair ...

we bought a lot of records (tried to get one at each concert and ordered a few as well!)

and I snuck away with a friend for some yarn-related vacationing and silliness...

an exciting summer!

*And...3 more concerts scheduled in August, (4 if you count one the Co_Ski_Atty and The Boy are going to without me), 3 in September, 2 in October...and one on the calendar already for next summer🤣...I'm so glad live music is back!

Happy (sort of) end of summer--can't wait to see what the fall brings!