Find some family time this summer

By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
I've been keeping up with my calendar, I promise I have, but it just dawned on me the other day that it's June.
My boys are out of school and I shoved all my sweaters in the back of my closet, but it never dawned on me that we are going into summer with a full head of steam.
It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were putting up Christmas decorations and talking about our New Year's resolutions. Now, we're talking about gas prices and summer vacation.
Where has the time gone?
The good thing about this time of year is that we live in the best part of the state when it comes to beating the heat.
You've got any number of local lakes for fishing, skiing, swimming or running about on a pontoon.
If you're not a water person, Franklin County has plenty of parks for you and your children to play on. Some of my most fond memories are of running around my local park with my friends.
The good thing about most of the county's parks are that they are far enough off the beaten path, that you can really let your children run loose.
Of course, you'll have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't stray too far, but there's nothing more frustrating than when you see a beautiful city park located right next to a busy highway.
That's just asking for trouble.
I hope as the temperatures continue to rise, you and your family will find several local activities to occupy your time together.
While our children are out of school, my husband, Jimmy, and I have plans to spend as much time with our boys as we can.
There are just some things you can't do while they are in school – like a run to the movies in the middle of the week to catch an early show, or meeting them for lunch while I'm on my lunch break.
I encourage each of you to find a way to squeeze in a few extra hours of family time this summer, whether it's on the lake, at the park or at your local pizza place for lunch.
I know you'll be glad that you did, and I'm sure your family will, too.