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

Father's Day Weekend | 2016

Friday | I worked until 1p {definitely a rarity for me, thankfully!} and then ran a few errands and packed up before heading to the lake.  That night we tried the new restaurant, Sauced, for dinner and spent the night teaching the kids to catch fireflies.  After the kids went to bed {my parents were there} Adam and I took the Jeep out for a late night cruise and ended up finding our favorite place to drive the Jeep at the lake!  There is this path off the main road that opens up and you're able to see nothing but the moon {it was HUGE that night}, tons of stars, & millions of fireflies.  So we've named it firefly lane'

Saturday | We all slept until after 8!  Our friends Brooke & Jesse invited us over for breakfast before the Kids' Fishing Derby started.  Unfortunately, the fishing wasn't good!  It was way too hot for the fish.  Between 6 adults & 6 kids, we caught just 2 fish, both of which were not eligible because they were caught by adults. whomp. whomp!  After the fishing derby, my youngest sister Alicia & her husband Brad came & we went over to my sil & bil's house to celebrate my fil's birthday {Sunday} & Father's Day with them.  They had a slip-n-slide setup so we did that and floated in their no-wake lake for a few hours.  The kids also had to go feed the goats, a must every time they visit Aunt Lisha & Uncle Travy.  We went home and hung out for the rest of the night and friends stopped by for an impromptu evening of fun {cheese plates, trampoline jumping, more firefly catching, etc.} while we waited for the power to come back on!  We went to bed fairly early {11?}  Looking back, I would have stayed up longer and soaked up my last sleepover with my sister, but it completely spaced my mind that this weekend would be the last time we hung out before she moved. 

 

It's no longer two-toned!

Sunday | In an effort to let Adam sleep in for Father's Day, Alicia and I took the kids out for an early morning {7a} kayak ride.  It didn't work because when we got back, Adam had a big breakfast waiting for us.  Soon after, my parents and then sister & BIL came to hang out to boat & float for the day.  We go to my dad a tool he wanted, my fil a bench for the back of his Ranger, & Adam and iGrill & American Flag.  Later that afternoon/evening we grilled steaks and ate homemade ice cream with strawberry shortcake.

Father's Day 2012 | 2013 | 2014 Part 2 | 2015