After tonight, the summer will pretty much officially end for Sidney and I (and Sloan). Classes start tomorrow at Coastal Carolina University and the first day of school for the Horry County School District is on Wednesday.

However, the transition won’t be as tough as you might think. Since August 1, I have worked hard to gear up for the start of the academic year. Last week was busy for me as we welcomed our new students to campus. Besides just covering the activities, I also helped with the Chanticrew, our volunteer-based group that helps freshmen move into the residence halls. If you are familiar with August afternoons in South Carolina you probably know that it was a sweaty job.

Sidney started reporting to work two weeks ago and participated in meetings all last week. She spent this Saturday putting the finishing touches on her classroom. Tomorrow night she will hold her open house and then on Wednesday it will be show time.

And Sloan? Well, she has already started at day care. She has adjusted well and is a favorite of the staff.

So while we have already come to grips with the fact that the “party is over” it is still a bit sad to officially say goodbye to the sweet summer. But if there is one cliché that applies right now it is don’t cry because it is over, smile because it happened.

Just a quick recap:

We kicked off our summer with a bang. June was awesome. Sid and I attended the Country Music Festival as I got to see one of my bucket list artists, Kenny Chesney. We got to celebrate a couple of “firsts”: our wedding anniversary and my inaugural Father’s Day. We were paid a visit by my brother and mom as they traveled to Myrtle Beach for a fantastic weekend. We played at Dave & Buster’s for the first time. Most important of all, the month was capped off with Sloan’s baptism.

Some of the images from June of 2017.

July was even busier. We hosted a Fourth of July Eve gathering at our house. We celebrated the actual holiday by shooting off fireworks with our niece and nephew. We flew across the country and spent two incredible weeks with my family. We attended my parents’ joint 60th birthday party. We welcomed our nephew, John, as he was born on July 17. Sidney and I visited Missoula and enjoyed one of the town’s signature long summer nights. Back on the east coast, we had a very relaxing time as we vacationed with Sidney’s family in Hilton Head.

Some of the images from our very special July.

Although August has been a transitional month, it has had some summer magic as well. Although I returned from Hilton Head on July 31, Sid and Sloan stayed through August 5. We watched plenty of our favorite summer show, “Big Brother.” Sid and I went on a date night where we had the opportunity to watch a movie in the theater for the first time in over six months. We watched as Sloan continued to grow and thrive.

Some random images from the summer of 2017.

Now it is time to look forward to cooler days, less congested roads, college football (even though Sidney hates it), fun fall activities, and the milestones that will undoubtedly come for Sloan. And, to be honest, summer hasn’t completely disappeared just yet. Labor Day is right around the corner. But aside from that upcoming weekend, we can say this: Summer 2017 was a blast. Don’t Blink.