Summer Fun

As the summer months approached and the school year ended, many were posting on facebook and on their blogs about 'summer bucket lists'.

These posts ranged from: 'how to' make your own list; ideas to add to a list; ways to display such a list; why you should make a list; some were even disagreements on what a bucket list was and why a summer fun list should NOT be a bucket list. After all, the assumption was, 'no one expects to die by the end of their summer vacation'.

As I read these posts a part of me was spurred to make a list, have the kids chime in, hang it on our fridge.  Make a plan of what fun things we'd do all summer.

However, reality quickly squeezed those visions from my  mind.

I knew we had TONS of activities this summer that weren't conducive to a 'summer fun' list.  Not that the things we had to do weren't FUN, but they also weren't typical events for such a list.

Acknowledging as well that still owning our house in Ohio would limit funds available -- possibly eliminating some 'fun' activities.

A smidge of guilt entered in.  I pushed it aside with practicality.

The summer progressed.

We fulfilled many of our obligations for fundraisers, camp, helping with our church booth on the 4th of July, teaching for VBS, continuing to unpack/organize our new home, etc.

One day, as we ventured out for yet another day of summer, I realized we were actually 'living' our summer bucket/fun list.

Go figure.

I decided to write out all our activities that we could have counted toward such a list -- had we ever made one -- things we've actually done or have on the calendar to do in the near future.

Here goes:

• Cookouts with friends (we did this church wide a few different times)
• Fourth of July events - bounce house, games, free ice cream, free snow cones, crafts, music, visiting with friends
• Playing in the stream
• Building forts
• Digging in the dirt
• A camp out in our yard
• Making s'mores
• A fire in the fire pit
• Swimming - a couple times
• The Hobo pool hot springs - a couple times
• Fishing with Granddad
• A fish fry
• Making mud pies
• Picnics in the park - several times
• Trips to the playground
• Camping NOT in the yard
• Water balloon fights
• Family movie nights
• Playing board games together
• Going up in the mountain range
• Climbing rocks in the mountain range
• Attending the fire station open house
• Jubilee days Rodeo
• Jubilee days parade
• Meandering downtown during Jubilee days to 'see the sights'
• Making a 'house' for a grasshopper - several times - and a lady bug
• Painting
• Playing with 'fluff stuff'
• Playing with 'gak'
• Air soft wars
• Nerf wars
• Sword fights
• Whole house sleep overs at Aunt Biff's
• Baking cakes
• Picking wild flowers
• Sitting outside, admiring the mountain views while having coffee
• Riding horses

After reviewing the many things we've done -- spontaneously -- this summer, that smidge of guilt that tried to creep in was replaced and swatted away.

Even though our schedules were busy; full of obligations to help with church; camp for the kids; fundraisers as a family; teaching VBS; working a booth on the 4th of July; unpacking and organizing our home; we're managing to accomplish our non-existent summer fun list without even trying.

Day to day living.

Making memories.

Serving at church.

Doing fun activities as a family.

That IS our 'summer bucket/fun list'!  Whatever you choose to call it, we're enjoying our summer.

Nothing fancy, nothing overly planned.

Just fun times. Together!