Bucket List

 

Do you have a bucket list?  You know, a list of things you want to do or places you want to see before you "kick the bucket?"  Do you remember a few years ago there was a movie called The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson & Morgan Freeman (two men that have always enjoyed watching)........https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bucket_List While this movie has some really sad & difficult parts to watch, it has a very good meaning & purpose.  Maybe this is something that I'm just now learning to focus on. 
I've found in the past couple of years that I'm trying to be very focused on spending my days jam packed with the people & things that make me happiest to be alive & soaking in every moment I can.........whether this means traveling & big trips OR relishing family game night at home. This line of thought automatically lends itself to thinking of things I want to add to my bucket list.
I've been thinking about simple stuff all the way up to extravagant stuff. So, I decided I'd share my thoughts with anyone who wants to listen.  One bucket list item that I'm currently working on is to regain control of my health & my life by healthy eating & exercising. Along with this, I want to LOVE running. I will get there. ;) Another part of this is to teach my girls how to make exercise a daily part of their lives & how to make healthy food choices.

One of my more extravagant items is to release a floating lantern. I'm not sure what it is, but this idea has always appealed to me. Gotta find out where I can do this!! Monique McLean recently did this with her family in Utah. I had the honor of meeting Monique a couple of years ago at the Thrive Conference in Nashville.  She is in my upline through Young Living.  She (& her family) have such a zest for life.  I'm very thankful to her for sharing her pictures with me to use in this post.  Don't these pictures look like such an amazing experience?!  I'm going to see if I can find available information on where to do this!! 

So, now let's grab by life the horns & really embrace & enjoy every single moment!!!  Now it's your turn....what's on YOUR bucket list????
I can't wait to hear from you!!!!

Love From the Kitchen

"Cooking is love made edible."  Our society is all about food......everything we do is centered around food.  I think most people would agree with this.  I mean, what do we do for others during times of grief & loss, recovery, or celebration?  One of the most popular things to do for people is to bake them food.  I have found for most of my life that when I want to do something for someone, I start thinking about what food I can prepare for them.  I tend to get more out of it than the people I'm fixing for. 

For the past couple of years my sweet Ava has really developed at love for cooking.  I'm so excited about this.  And while she's only 10 years old, I can see her following thru with this into adulthood.  I can already picture her with her own little bakery.  Because of this love for it, I try really hard to incorporate both my girls in the kitchen.

During the summer my girls did several day camps.  I believe Ava's favorite camp was culinary camp.  She's already planning to go back next summer.  This camp was Monday - Friday for 3 hours each day.  Each day was themed & they prepared a meal & dessert.  She enjoyed every minute of it & learned a ton of valuable information.  She even received a certificate of completion on Friday.

Right after culinary camp she was eager to share her recipes.  Thankfully Granna & Opa was excited to let her cook for them. 

I've decided to nurture this love of hers & get her in the kitchen helping me.  She loves when I ask her to help.  And Aubrey has even developed an enjoyment for cooking......not the same way as Ava, but she doesn't want to be left out.  

Our first bit of love from the kitchen was a delicious blueberry bundt cake.  I got the girls in the kitchen to get all the ingredients out.  They've learned quickly that it saves time & makes the work flow better if we have everything out & ready to go.  These girls couldn't wait to get started. 

They took turns adding ingredients & mixing them.  We preheated our oven to the convection setting 350*.  The girls greased the pan, then added the batter.

They were so very proud of what came out of the oven.

And don't tell my girls......but this is about so much more than baking.  At this point, this time together in the kitchen means a lot more to me than it does to them.  I'm cherishing every minute I have with them.  Everyday & in the kitchen.  Then one day, they'll be able to look back on our time baking & see what it was really all about. 

Always Playing Catch Up

I find myself with so many thoughts in my way & I struggle to get them down in writing.  Because of this, I ended up having to play catch up on things like my blog.  Am I the only one with this problem?  Surely I can't be alone.  Well, I intend to do better.  We've had a busy first half of the year.  

The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year, second only the FALL!!  I love everything about fall.  But that is a post for another time.  We started this year by taking the girls to Walt Disney World again.  I've always loved WDW.  It is completely wonderful & spellbinding.  I went a time or two when I was a child.  Then we went for my high school graduation & three years later went for my brother's high school graduation.  After Jim & I got married, I could not believe he had never been.  So I talked him into taking me the summer after we got married.  I loved it every time I visited!! I always looked forward to having my own kids to take to WDW!! Well, let me tell you, it was NOT a disappointment.  As spellbinding as it was for me, it was even more magical & enchanting watching my girls experience for the first time. We took the girls for the first time in 2013.  At that time Ava was 6 & Aubrey was 3.  It was a blast & absolutely so precious. They were completely riveted & carried away with all the princesses.   Well, this past January we took the girls once again. I love watching my girls take it all in.  They have so much joy & excitement.  And this is a place where they can just be little!!  When it was time to come back home, I left already feeling a little homesick for Disney & trying to plan our next visit.

At the risk of sounding like an old fogie, my girls are growing up in a very different world than I grew up in. As cliche as that sounds, it is very true.  When I was little, I dreamt about growing up, but I wasn't in a big hurry.  I'm pretty sure I remember playing with my Barbies & dolls well past the age of 12.  These days, for girls especially, it seems that our kids are expected to act & look grown up so much faster than they need to.  Because of this, I'm very thankful for these trips to Disney & talking about Peter Pan & Neverland.  I want my girls to grow into beautiful & strong women.  BUT first I want them to relish & enjoy every moment of childhood.  It is so very important that we let them be little.  

During spring break we made a quick get away to Gatlinburg.  This has always been one of our favorite places to visit.

We hiked at old cabin, we visited lots of shops on the strip in Gatlinburg & in Pigeon Forge, we hit the Aquarium & The Dixie Stampede, we had an olde tyme photo made, & we visited the Island in Pigeon Forge for the first time. 

I love these little trips & I especially love spending quality time with my 3 favorite people in the world.