It's that time of year again. The mornings brighten up a little bit earlier and dusk sticks around a little while longer. Simple pleasures speak volumes --- tucking the coats away and welcoming a morning commute without bundling Cruz in his stocking cap, nightly neighborhood walks, and using the Big Green Egg as our chief cooking appliance. Summer also brings us one of the best gifts of all - three months at home doing what I do best and soaking up simple routines and creating fun moments to celebrate the season of sun with my little squirt.
And as much as I love summer for simple, easy going days of trips to the pool, nights at the park, and weekends on the bike trail, I am also motivated with a plan --- a plan to commit to fun new experiences to soak up summertime with all it has to offer. I start our summer bucket list during the dreary days of winter and make it the topic of conversation on car rides or during dinner time to give us something to look forward to when the days get long. It's not something we feel obligated to complete, but a reminder of new ideas to explore together. I have hopes to make it a summer tradition for our family and it will be fun to involve Cruz as he grows and see how the list changes over the years.
It's the most fun 'to do' list I do all year long!
Last year, our Summer Bucket List included a lot of firsts: Cruz's first ice cream cone, his first trip to the zoo, our very first vegetable garden, and our very first family vacation via plane - an amazing week in the mountains of Lake Tahoe. But it was also filled with my favorite summer pleasures --- pizza on the grill, cotton candy at the fair, and Saturday mornings exploring the farmer's market. Many of the items on this year's bucket list are repeats, but I'm excited to try some new things this year.
So without further adieu, the 2013 Jorgensen Family Bucket List!!
1. Make fresh-squeezed lemonade
2. The Jorgensen Family Road Trip 2013
3. Make awesome soundtrack for said road
trip
4. Road trip artwork - for our gallery wall
5. Start our garden – add green beans and
cukes this year
6. Learn how to can delicious preserves
7. A night at Alice Wyth Lake, just us - picnics,
guitar, and sunset
8. See The Great Gatsby
9. Host a pretty dinner party outside
10. Watch a sunset
11. Have a water fight
12. Paint the sidewalk
13. Sing to the guitar by a campfire
14. Go to an outdoor concert (or two)
15. Bake a pie (or two)
16. Spend a day at the lake at Gabe and
Gina’s house
17. Help Cruz catch a chicken at the Butler
Co. Fair
18. Ride a Ferris wheel and eat cotton candy
until our tummies hurt
19. Start to crochet (again)
20. Host a taco bar and s’mores party
21. Movies under the Moon! Grease, The Lion King, The Lorax? Yes, please!
22. Experiment with our Zoku machine
23. Go on a bug hunt with Cruz - catch lightning bugs in mason jars
24. Go to the Des Moines Farmer’s Market
25. Spend a day at the State Fair
26. Have a pitcher of flavored water on hand
– all the time
27. Potty train little monkey
28. Work on that baseball swing
29. Buy some succulents at Trader Joe's
30. Takeout and picnic at the park
31. Swim through supper, eat hot dogs on
swings at the park
32. Go on a walk in the moonlight - sing Moon River - watch for shooting stars
33. No electronics day
34. Read a book in the hammock
35. Use coconut water for something
36. Go fishing
37. Try a new park – every week
38. Pick our own strawberries - bake a strawberry pie
39. Make a cardboard pirate ship
40. Find some ducks to feed
41. Monsters University with Charly
42. Buy a beach hat and wear it on the beach
43. Bike ride and Mulligans detour
44. Explore the newly revitalized College
Hill area
45. Find a new summer quilt
46. Make some herbed flat bread on the grill –
does this not look amazing?!
47. Daytime date with Beau – golfing, patio
beers, etc.
48. Start playing my uke again
49. Pack a picnic for the beach
50. Perfect a pitcher of sangria
I hope you comment with a link to your own summer bucket list! I love getting new ideas and seeing how others plan to spend their summertime :).
Your little guys is so cute and he's going to have another fun, fun summer. I love that you made it a family bucket list. I'm so glad you linked up again this year, so many fun ideas!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list! I added a few to ours after reading! Love the carefree feeling I got from your list :-)
ReplyDeleteI was looking for some more things to add to our summer list this year. Sounds like yall have a fun summer planned!
ReplyDeleteLove these!!
ReplyDeleteHere is ours: http://gigglesandgrassstains.blogspot.com/2013/04/our-family-summer-bucket-list.html
Love your list! One of my favorite items is the soundtrack for your road trip! I love to do that too!
ReplyDelete