When you really think about it, there are three different days when summer ends. If you have kids in school, there’s the first day of school. There’s the really-real end of summer, which is the date of the autumnal equinox. And then there’s today, the day after Labor Day, which has long been the traditional end of summer.

There’s an added bonus in our house today as L. goes off to her first day of 3’s class. We just got back from dropping her off and, as with her big sisters, she strolled in like it was no big deal. Contrast that to the three-year-old in front of us, who was screaming and had to be carried in by a teacher. Yikes, and sympathies to his parents.

Anyway, it seems like the perfect moment to review our summer. I promised it would be the greatest summer ever when it started. I think we did pretty well in delivering on that.

There were all the firsts for the girls.

First time in a lake, on a boat, and in an inner-tube behind a boat.

First time off a diving board.

First fish caught by M. and C..

First all-family flight.

L.’s first bee sting. OK, not exactly a fun time for anyone involved, but we’ll remember it as part of this summer.

I brewed my first batch of beer.

And then there was the non-first stuff that was still pretty great.

Our trip to Denver to visit friends and family.

Our new neighbors, who immediately became best friends for the girls.

Swimming lessons and trips to the pool.

Making s’mores.

Trips to parks, pools, and famers markets.

Lots of long weekends with friends and family.

We had two engagements in the family, which the girls were exceptionally excited about.

I snuck in a Kansas City trip and S. had some girl times.

Other than the heat, which limited some of our activities and kept us cooped up in the house more than I would have liked, it was a pretty great summer.