Summer in the South.

I love the south. I love summer.  I love southern summers -- hot and humid and muggy. So hot that I have to run at 6 am or 9:30 pm. So hot that we wear dresses and skirts all summer and people not from the south think we just like "dressing up" (which is partly true), but when I was living up north and was told this, I smiled and laughed.  I wear dresses because its a lot cooler than wearing jeans.

I love hearing crickets/cicadas.  I love tans. I love the little girls that form around your face due to the heat.  I love sandals and painted toenails.  I love windows down and country music blaring.  I love crawfish boils and shrimp boils and pool days.

I love cookouts  -- BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, steaks, hamburgers, back porches, patios, cool drinks, paper plates, and messy hands.

I love large front porches on old 100+ year old houses.
I love tall windows with shutters.
I love rocking chairs and porch swings.
I love front porch sitting with iced tea, lemonade, cocktails.
I love waiving at the neighbors walking by.
I love family.

I love babies in monnogramed clothing.
I love smocked dressings on little girls and jumpers on boys.
I love that in the south, babies are expected to dress like babies, not mini adults.
I love white sandals on little boys (not shown here)

I love watermelon -- cold, straight from the fridge, juicy and red, sometimes with salt added.
I love how sticky your hands and chin get....making you need a shower almost immediately.
I love the excitement of buying our first watermelon of the season.