Summer Bucket List 2017

1.  Pitch a tent in the backyard (or go on a real camping trip)
2.  Go fishing (pack a picnic lunch)
3.  Enjoy a day on the boat
4.  Tube down the river
5.  Host a seafood boil
6.  Feed the ducks
7.  Spend an afternoon at the Iowa State Fair
8.  Take family photos
9.  Ride a ferris wheel at Summerfest
10. Play in the splash pads downtown
11. Host an outdoor movie
12. Make s'mores at the lake
13. Maid-Rites and chocolate shakes at the park
14. Go to the pool
15. Make fresh-squeezed lemonade
16. Paint rocks
17. Make a Strawberry shortcake
18. Lay in the grass and watch the airplanes take off
19. Eat ice cream for dinner
20. Sing to the guitar by a campfire
21. Make homemade Popsicles
22. Go to a drive in
23. Take the kids strawberry picking
24. Go for a walk in our pajamas - explore outside with flashlights
25. Read books in the hammock
26. Spend an evening listening to live music at Jasper Winery
27. Donuts and a morning at the park
28. Grab lunch at the Food Trucks downtown
29. Catch lightening bugs
30. Moscow Mules and a fire on the patio
31. A nature scavenger hunt
32. Watch the sun set from the Jeep
33. Take a family bike ride on the High Tressel Trail
34. A picnic, a park, and parchment paper wrapped sandwiches
35. Swimming lessons
36. Grab TropicalSno
37. Make homemade ice cream
38. Plant flowers
39. Make a deck fort
40. Surprise Daddy with a picnic lunch
41. Fresh flowers for the house
42. Make dirt cups 
43. Take the kids school supply shopping
44. Try tennis
45. Splash in puddles in our rain boots
46. Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning
47. Grill pizza with friends
48. Take the kids to a waterpark
49. Share a bottle of wine on the patio while playing cribbage
50. Run through the sprinklers in the yard
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2016 Summer Bucket List
2015 Summer Bucket List
2014 Summer Bucket List
2013 Summer Bucket List

Summer 2016 Bucket List-Progress

I'm in denial that August is less than a week away!  I thought I would check on our summer bucket list progress thus far, just to see where we're at.  Most of the activities still on the list involve being outside for a longer period of time {& it's been SO incredibly hot here this month!}, so hopefully August brings temps closer to 80 instead of 100!  Some just can't happen yet {school supply shopping, Iowa State Fair, etc.} but I'm confident we're going to get 90% of this list accomplished!

1.  Pitch a tent in the backyard
2.  Go fishing
3.  Enjoy a day on the boat
4.  Go for a family bike ride
5.  Host a seafood boil
6.  Feed the ducks
7.  Spend an afternoon at the Iowa State Fair
8.  Go to an evening baseball game
9.  Ride a ferris wheel at Summerfest
10. Play in the splash pads downtown
11. Host an outdoor movie
12. Make s'mores at the lake
13. Maid-Rites and chocolate shakes 
14. Go to the pool
15. Host a lemonade stand
16. Paint rocks
17. Make a Strawberry shortcake
18. Lay in the grass and watch the airplanes take off
19. Eat Orange Leaf
20. Sing to the guitar by a campfire
21. Make homemade Popsicles
22. Go to a drive in
23. Take the kids strawberry picking
24. Go for a walk in our pajamas - explore outside with flashlights
25. Go see Finding Dory
26. Spend a day at the zoo
27. Donuts and a morning at the park
28. Grab lunch at the Food Trucks downtown
29. Catch lightening bugs
30. Moscow Mules and a fire on the patio
31. A nature scavenger hunt
32. Watch a sunset
33. Take a bike ride on the High Tressel Trail
34. A picnic, a park, and parchment paper wrapped sandwiches
35. Swimming lessons
36. Grab TropicalSno
37. Make homemade ice cream
38. Plant Ferns
39. Make a deck fort
40. Surprise Daddy with a picnic lunch
41. Fresh flowers for the house
42. Make dirt cups 
43. Take the kids school supply shopping
44. Try tennis
45. Splash in puddles in our rain boots
46. Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning
47. Grill pizza with friends
48. Take the kids to a waterpark
49. Share a bottle of wine on the patio while playing cribbage
50. Run through the sprinklers in the yard

31/50

Last Weekend

I'm sure you all feel like all of my summer weekend recaps are the same, but this was an exceptional one!  We pretty much didn't leave the water all weekend!

On Thursday night we got to the lake and Adam and his dad worked on a couple projects {like getting the air going since it was 99+ without heat index all weekend} and my MIL and I make s'mores with the kids.  Except my kids are weird and J just wanted a plain marshmallow and C roasted one, but then decided he just wanted an uncooked s'more {seriously?!} #CrazyKids

Friday morning we got up and made breakfast.  Our friends joined us and then we took the kids to 'kids camp' for the day.  After dropping them off, we grabbed the Jeep and headed to the golf course.  We played golf {this is the first time I ever golfed 9 holes!}, enjoyed a kidfree lunch at the Marina, and then spent the rest of the afternoon boating {I skied for the first time since kids} and watching the sun set from the water. 

 

 

On Saturday and Sunday, we hit the water bright and early.   The kids spent many hours tubing and then the rest of the time playing on the lilypad and swimming around the dock.  We also took a family Jeep ride for the first time this year. 

Memorial Weekend | 2016

1. I was a little 'photo'd out' until Monday which you'll see below. 2. I had 4 days of holiday themed outfits for the kids to wear, but they were in suits every day, so I don't have any cute photos to share! 3. I know Memorial Weekend is about much more than boating & bbq's, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all those that have sacrificed for us.  I know freedom doesn't come free.   

Adam worked Friday and I had a newborn photoshoot, so my MIL kept the kids.  After my shoot, I packed up and headed to the lake.  Jordyn's fever spiked again, so we stayed in for the night.

Saturday I shot a wedding in Dubuque, so Adam had the kids all day.  

Sunday is when Memorial weekend really started for us. We got up and headed to my SIL & BIL's house to hang out.  We fished, floated on rafts, paddleboarded, took naps in the sun, read in the hammock chair, road the 4-wheeler, took ranger rides, and the guys' smoked meet.  It was the perfect way to recover from a wedding! ;) After naps, we headed over to our friends' mom's back patio to let the kids run on the water mat while we watched everyone on the lake.  That evening we went to a different friend's house for dinner.  He made steaks on his egg and we watched the sun go down.  Jordyn attempted to spend the night, but just minute after I got home she had changed her mind. ;)

Monday was my favorite day of the weekend.  We all slept in a little and spent the morning lounging.  Our friends came over and the kids played in the sprinkler, at the water table, and on the trampoline while we enjoyed mimosa's and music on the deck.  My niece came to watch the four kids during nap time, so us four adults could spend the afternoon on the boat.  After naps we took the kids out until dinner time. We ended up spending the night and coming back to Des Moines on Tuesday morning.

Fancy Lunchable lunches for the kids ;)