Easily Excitable

Happy 55th week of summer! We’ve officially reached triple digits, and we’re all thriving under heat advisories, right? 

School’s off to a roaring start, but it’s still officially summertime. Therefore, it’s the perfect time for a summer recap. 

This is an amalgama of all the happenings this past summer from May to August: a catch up on all the happies of no school, along with some highlights from these first couple of weeks back on the job.

It’s a hodge podge, which is always my favorite kind of writing. 

Let’s start with all the travel this summer:

• St. Augustine
• Destin
• Valdosta
• Fernandina
• Milner
• Italy

In short, all the trips were fantastic, whether the places were close or not so close: we took trips of all types and sizes- some with friends, some with family, and a couple just the two of us. 

After Italy, though, Trey and I were pretty traveled out, needless to say.

It took us the rest of the summer to recover. 

There was so much Time with Friends!

Who knew that this past summer would be so full of my best gals? 

Who knew we would sleep in bunk beds not once, but twice? It was like being back at 4-H camp. 

I got to celebrate one of my very best friend’s marriage first with a shower, then with a bachelorette party. It was just like being back in college, only with earlier bedtimes (thank the Lord) and more supplements. 

Quincy also did my makeup- foundation, bronzer- the whole nine yards. It was a momentous occasion. 

Then, we got to be a part of her wedding: the day was perfect, beginning to end, and Hayle was a gorgeous bride.

We also had a girls night out wherein we went to Deano’s in Dublin. It was the perfect cap to the first day of school. There wasn’t a moment of silence for three hours. 

Also, this summer, Trey and I also went up to Macon to hang out with Lexi and Austin Hall: another time where we ran our mouths for hours on end. 

Time with friends really is the best. Praise God for good girlfriends!

And lots of family time, of course!

We got to hang out with the Kotara crew in Destin, and even though the weather was a little rainy, it was a great trip. 

The rain cleared out long enough for us to play a round of golf, and I played the golf of my life, all while getting to ride around with my sister-in-law, Chelsea, and talking nonstop. 

Trey said my shots were because he wasn’t coaching me. I’m not saying he’s right, but, I mean…those are his words. 

We’ve gotten to see Walker, Hanna, and their crew a few times this summer too, and I don’t believe in reincarnation, but if I did? Their youngest would be Caroline, in the flesh. 

What a joy it is to watch!

Zayden and I also went fishing at the PFA one morning: all we caught was a tan. Zayden’s favorite part was fixing up my line with his various fashing hardwares. 

I lost a couple of his lures, but he was very gracious. 

We also did our yearly bout of VBS. Saint Ansley and I shepherded our same group for the 55th year in a row- the group of which Zayden is a part. They’ve matured incredibly. 

Wonders really never cease, do they? 

I adore this family of mine!

There was plenty of summer garden work:

We pulled and creamed 40 bags of corn.

I picked tomatoes, and we made some relish. 

I canned cowboy candy. 

I bought, shelled, blanched, and froze some purple hull peas (they were delicious- thank you, Grady Greene!).

On the cooking front (as opposed to putting up), I made salsa, tomato pie, and pesto (fixed with pecans I’d shelled last year!). 

Zayden and I also pulled, rinsed, and cooked red potatoes: sometimes the best bonding time is learning time! It was Zayden’s first time heading up the operation, and he did a great job (under Boone’s close supervision). 

I also read some great books!

My summer was chock-full of reading. Divine. 

Here are a couple of my favorites: 

The Calamity Club

This one is by Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help. It’s about an orphan, Meg, and a twenty-four year old bachelorette, Birdie, who have to make some dicey decisions to get by in Depression Era America. 

It’s historical fiction, and it was one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time.

Dolly All the Time

I’d never read Annabel Monaghan before, but after reading this one, I picked up several of her books. 

This one was a happy mistake: when we were in the airport, headed to Italy, I meant to pick up another book, yet ended up with this one instead. 

It’s about a woman who must pretend to be a rich man’s girlfriend. It’s Pretty Woman adjacent. 

It was a great book, and it’ll always make me think of Italy. That’s a win-win!

We did some serious movie-watching. 

Trey’s favorite hobby is dropping a line from a movie, then either having me guess it or self-identifying it. 

Then, I will (as always) respond with, “I’ve never seen that.”

He will then respond with various hem-haws such as:

 “Emmie!” 

“You’ve never seen that?!”

 “You gotta be kidding me!”

My answer? 

No, I’ve never seen that, and no, I’m not kidding. This has led to some great movie experiences- particularly, some fantastic throwbacks. 

The most recent one was The Dark Knight. What a shock I had when I just Googled it and realized it’s been out since 2008. And an even bigger shock than that? 

2008 was almost 20 years ago. 

We watched The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Troy, and Steel Magnolias. 

These experiences affirmed my belief that Steel Magnolias is one of the most quotable movies in cinematic history. 

The swimming pool has been Our spot. 

Gran’s pool is the hangout spot for us most weekends. Praise God she still has it, particularly these past few weeks. 

Multiple times, she’s tossed around the idea of filling it in. I think she just likes to keep us on our toes. 

It’s the perfect treat on a Saturday afternoon after a morning of working around the house or playing pickleball. 

We started that trend last year or the year before, and it’s been one worth continuing. 

In a few weeks, we’ll be enjoying the fall weather in our lawn chairs in the backyard, so might as well float in the sunshine while we can, right?

A moment spent on school, since we all haven’t had enough of that:

I hesitate to even say it because I might just jinx it, but here goes: 

This has been the smoothest start to a year I’ve ever had. These past two weeks (and a day) have been exhausting, but they’ve been a lot of fun, too. I’ve really enjoyed my crew so far. 

May we all keep being enjoyable. 

Finally, I’m having a reading contest with my kids. 

In August 2025, my reading really fell off: it didn’t pick up until January of this year. 

Here’s the thing about reading: you go through phases where it’s all you do. But when you fall off that kick? 

It’s hard to get back on. 

I’m bound and determined, though, to make sure I stay on my reading game this year. Along with that, I also want to put a bigger emphasis on actually reading this year. 

Thus, an idea was born. 

I decided to have a contest with my kids this year: I’m betting them that I can read more books in a year than all of my classes combined.

My arrogance and confidence that they aren’t reading knows no bounds. 

How’s it going, you ask?

Well, when I challenged my 6th period class, a girl called out, “Okay, Imma just go ahead and let you know: you can read way more than us.”

Awesome. 

However, something in there stuck, because another kid walked up to me in the hallway and said, “You finished another book yet, Mrs. Kotara?” 

The students are up 3 to 1, but hopefully, by the time I post this, I’ll have another under my belt.

I bought some cut-outs online to represent our scores on the bulletin board in the back of the classroom. 

Theirs are vegetables of their choice: mine are pawprints (in honor of Boone, of course).

It was the best summer I’ve ever had. 

Recapping it had only affirmed that. 

International travel with Trey, family and friend time, plenty of reading, and plenty of days spent at the pool?

It doesn’t get any better, and I’m so grateful for every bit of it!

Praise God for His manifold blessings, which include a summer worth highlighting.