text: 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Military Family's Summer
  It may just be me, but summer seems to have lost its magic since we were kids! Remember the last day of school and the excitement we all had knowing that our summer was going to filled with endless days of fun?
  As we grew into adulthood, these next few months have simply become a time we call "summer" when, in reality, they are not unlike any other day in the year. The difference? These months are accompanied with extreme heat!
  Despite this resentment we may or may not have developed since childhood, it's important to regain our youthful enjoyment. If not for us, then for our children!
  Here are 5 ideas to make the most of your military family's summer this year.
  1) Play tourist in your own city.
  Traveling for the summer isn't always possible with our schedules. While you might think you must travel to make the most of your summer vacation, you don't. Look for things around town that attract tourists to your area. People explore your city for a reason! Join them.
  Visit the aquarium with your kids, even if they have already been there on a field trip. Go to a local baseball game. Whatever your city's claim to fame is, indulge in it!
  It's probably been a while since you were in school and your mind was challenged to learning new things. This summer, educate yourself on new material. Study a new subject. Take a skill class and learn a new talent.
  You don't have to be enrolled in a semester-long class to learn something new. Look for local classes being offered in town, or classes you and your kids can enjoy together.
  3) Create a book list.
  Reading frequently falls on the back burner of our daily lives. Make a list of books you would like to have read by the end of the summer and make the time to read them!
  Having trouble creating a list? Check out The New York Times Best Sellers. It may mean giving up some TV time, but since summer is about creating new routines, embrace the shift in your everyday life!
  4) Use your yard.
  Our family routine consists of getting home from work, cooking dinner, often eating in front of the TV, cleaning up, and going to bed. Boring? It gets to be occasionally, as I'm sure your own routine becomes.
  This summer, instead of following your familiar series of events, make use of your outdoor space and plan a picnic dinner outside one evening. Camp in your backyard one weekend, play some badminton, kick the soccer ball around, play games, or practice your short game in golf.
  5) Plan mini weekend trips.
  Not all of us can afford a long vacation, much less get extended time off work. Look around your area to find interesting places to visit that are only a few hours away! Take a look at military travel discounts when you're planning.
  Shorter trips mean less time off work, fewer plane tickets, and ultimately spending less money. Plus, you spend your summer exploring your surrounding communities.
  Check out our other travel topics for more helpful ideas for traveling and making the most of your summer!