Summer 2010 To Do List

I got a great idea from a friend recently. He has a family with three kids ages 6-11, and they realized that too many summers passed with them wondering "What did we do all summer?" They remedied the situation by coming up with a list for the summer. Even though my kids are younger, I knew we could benefit from loosely structured ideas for how to pass the time during these fleeting summer months. So... here is our rendition, on display for all to see!

1. kid's room mural

2. garden

3. VBS

4. family picnics

5. visit CSA farm

6. potty train Nina

7. make aebleskiver

8. have friends over for dinner

9. canning

10. indoor fort

11. read books

12. board games

13. clean garage

14. hide and seek

15. coffee/donut dates

16. library summer reading program

17. sidewalk chalk

18. s'mores

19. grill at a park

20. badminton

21. boat rides

22. camping

23. family movie night

24. homemade slip and slide

25. go hiking

26. grill pizzas

27. run through sprinkler

28. babysitting co-op

29. drive by Alfred and Mary's house

30. star gaze on the deck

31. camp in the backyard

32. stain the deck

33. dance in the rain

34. make homemade popsicles

35. paint garage doors

36. paint garage trim

37. raspberry picking

38. snail mail to loved ones

39. snuggle

40. bike rides

41. go to a public pool

42. trip to SD

43. outdoor concert at Lake Harriet

44. go to garage sales

...more to come???

This is so appropriate to do at this point in my life, because recently - on my birthday to be exact (did I mention my 30TH BIRTHDAY? That deserves its own blog post) - Tom and I happened to be on a River Valley staff outing that included spouses, and I asked Pastor Rob if he had any advice for me, at the start of a new decade of my life. He said that the 30's are a decade of family, and that should be a priority. I love that. I am thrilled to be a wife and mom and intent to live it out to its fullest. Here's to a new, wonderfully promising decade!