Our Family's Fall Bucket List: How to Purposefully Create Time Together

Fall is a time to get back into the routine of school days, extracurricular activities, and all the things that keep us busy.

This year, we promised ourselves that it would be different. We had planned to say no to extra activities, we would stay home and enjoy our time as a family.  But here we are again, our days are filled with work and school, and our evenings with extracurricular activities.  With everything that we have going on, we are only home two nights out of the week.

Family time is so important to me.  I don't want to get so busy with our lives, that we forget to remember the important things.  Recently I shared with you a post on my son and how fast he is growing.  I didn't realize how fast it was going until I realized that I had already missed the "lasts."  Our lives can get so busy, that sometimes we forget what really matters the most.  We have to be purposeful in our time that we spend together, or it just doesn't happen.  

I have seen on Pinterest different ideas for "bucket lists."  Some are lists you make of things you want to do before you turn 30 or 40, others are geared towards a season or holiday.  For us I thought we could work together to make our own family bucket list to purposefully create things that we can do together. This would allow us to have our family time. 

Fall is my favorite season, with springtime a close second.  For us, it makes sense to create a list of activities that we can do during the fall season.  I thought that I would share that list with you.  These are all things that our family loves to do.  These items were decided based upon what our family wanted to do.  This is a list that is personal and meaningful to us.  It is not meant to be a list that your family has to follow.  Instead use this list as a guide to create your own bucket list.  Create this list as a family and incorporate at least one thing from each member.  

The important thing is to make it unique, make it special, and make it memorable.  And of course most importantly make it fun!  

So here is our list of 20 things that we have done or will do this fall.

So let me know below, have you made a family bucket list?

Leave a Comment bucket list, fall, family, fun, kids, pumpkin, simple living

Going Camping: What to Do and Not Do

Our family loves to go camping.  It is a great way to get away and really enjoy nature and each other.  And talk about some great family memories and adventures that are made on these trips!

Just this past weekend, our family went on a camping trip to one of our state parks.  It was a beautiful weekend.  The weather was not too hot and not too cold.  We went during Bass Pro Outdoor Days and camped with some friends that are in the same scout pack. To be honest, I think that our kids enjoyed it more than our family vacation we took this summer!

I thought it would be great to share with you some of the ways we prepare for the camping trip, and some of the things that we took or we wished we would have took. 

Note: With our kids we are not hiking-in our camping equipment. So at this time weight is not an issue with us. Likewise we are not interested in "glamping." We try to bring the necessities and at the same time pack light.  Here are some of the things that we pack.

TOTES

We have totes that we use to keep some things at the ready.  For this camping trip, we took two totes, one for food and kitchenware, and one for general camping supplies.

Our kitchen camping tote

Our kitchenware tote included:

• eating utensils
• pans for cooking
• spatula/knife/cutting board
• spices
• percolator/coffee
• food that did not need refrigeration

What I would do different:

• prepare veggies ahead of time and place them in the cooler
• bring sandwich bags for storage (really just an oversight) 
• bring more paper towels (something that we try and not use too much of)

Our general camping tote

 Our general camping supplies tote included:

• lantern
• 2 head lamps (these were a lifesaver!)
• lighter/matches
• camp stove
• extra propane for camp stove
• trash bag
• hammer
• first-aid kit
• twine

What I would do different/What I forgot:

• pack more trash bags
• pack a small tool set (hammer was good, but it would be nice to have a few other pieces if needed)
• check first-aid kit to make sure it has everything (we were missing bandages which we needed!)
• save up dryer lint and bring as a fire starter 

COOLER

We brought a cooler so we could bring foods that needed refrigeration.  We wanted to make good meals for our camping trip and I think that we did that.  The first night we had chili, then in the morning we had breakfast burritos, then the second night we had a polish sausage, potatoes, onions, and peppers dish.  We probably could have cut down on the amount of items we took by sticking to hotdogs and pbj, but I love to cook out in the open.  Of course we also had some bottled water that we brought.  
 
TENT AND BEDDING

Our tent is supposed to sleep  4-6 people.  I'm thinking that 4 would be the most comfortable.  With any tent, make sure you are getting the size you need for comfort.  And while a pop-up tent would be nice to set-up, its size would not be good for us.  And honestly, once you get familiar with how your tent is set-up, it shouldn't be too hard.  Note: Set up your tent before you go camping and make sure all the pieces are there, and don't forget the instructions!

What we took:

• tent
• sleeping bags
• pillows
• old quilts 

What I would do different/What I forgot:

• bring an air mattress (multiple so 4 people would all be sleeping on them)

I would highly recommend an air mattress.  We did not have one this camp out, we slept on some old quilts, and then our sleeping bags on top of that.  It wasn't too bad, but after two nights, that was about all we could handle.  We did have a foam mat that was supposed to be big enough for the kids, but I think only one kid ended up being able to sleep on it.


CLOTHING/TOILETRIES

We wanted to pack as light as possible, which really for this trip, we were running out of room in our car, so one duffel bag for four people was all I packed.  We were gone for 3 days and 2 nights.  In the future, I'm going to try and pack 2 duffel bags for us.

What we took:

• 1 duffel bag
• 2 sets of clothing for each person
• 1 set of pjs for each person
• toothbrushes/toothpaste
• hairbrushes/combs
• deodorant 

What I would do different/What I forgot:

• towel and soap (I completely forgot and this campground had a shower!)
• 2 duffel bags, one for the kids and one for adults.  Or another idea would have each kid pack a backpack with their items in it.

I thought I would show you how I packed the clothes.  I put a complete outfit together with shirt, pants, socks, and underwear like below.

One complete outfit

And then I rolled it up and stuck it in the duffel bag.  This way, we weren't searching for a pair of socks or underwear.  Everything was together.

Rolled up ready to be packed.

Something we did take that we weren't able to pack in a tote, was our dutch oven.  I did take a skillet as well, but our dutch oven would have been sufficient enough to cook in. 

As for our next camping trip, I know that we will be even more prepared.  We are all eager for that next camping trip and we hope that it will be as much fun.

Let me know, what do you take on your camping trip?

 

Leave a Comment Bass Pro, camping, cast iron, fall, family, friends, fun, kids, scouts, simple living, tips, vacation

We Are Taking Family Night Back!

We have gotten into a rut.  A bad rut. This rut involves us being in so many activities that for almost a year, there was only one night a week that we would actually be home.  Supper was a rushed affair usually in front of the television, and almost never eaten as a family.  This was a far cry from how we did things just a year earlier.

I was always proud of how as a family, we would eat supper together, at the dinner table, and talk to each other about our day. It was important to me and Steve to make sure that dinner time was family time. 

Friday night was the exception which we instituted as Family Movie Night.  We would usually make pizza and watch a movie as we sat together on the couch.  Wednesday was our family game night. Right after supper we would play a game together, usually a board game.  We would have fun, and we would enjoy each others company.

Then last year, life happened.  We let activities take over our evenings.  We had cub scouts, and football, then basketball, then baseball. We also had piano lessons, tumbling, and hip hop.  Then we had the regular school evening activities thrown in on top of that.  Sometimes we were rushing from one thing to another.  Or we would even be double-booked, and have to miss out on something.  Needless to say my kids were in a lot of activities!  

On Facebook we looked like a super-family.  We were going and doing everything.  In real life, we hated it!  The kids begged to have a family game night again, but because we were so busy, we just couldn't  fit it in.  

We had ceased being a family.  We were just four people, going from one activity to the next.  We stopped communicating with each other, and we stopped enjoying each others company.  I really wanted a change, as did the rest of us, but once you get started, it is really hard to stop.  

What saved us was the torrential rains we received this summer.  Because of the rain, activities started to be cancelled.  Instead of rushing home, grabbing a bowl of cereal, or a peanut butter sandwich, I was able to go home after work and cook supper.  We weren't rushing somewhere so we were able to eat as a family.  

It was really nice to start cooking, and it was nice to be together.  Then last week, instead of turning on the television, we started playing games as a family again.  The kids were the ones that asked, in fact pleaded, so we said yes.  We had so much fun, that we started playing games every night!

We have had a great time reconnecting again.  We have talked and laughed, and joked with one another, and I was thinking to myself last night as we played Phase 10, these are the times that the kids are going to remember the most. The fun times, the family times.

Our happy family!

So thanks to the rain, we may not have a garden, but we have our family back!  Tonight Drew was supposed to have a baseball game, but guess what? It was cancelled due to a rain storm.  I'm kind of glad, because now we get to finish that game of Phase 10 we started last night.  I know that while he will be sorry about not playing baseball, he will be more excited about being together as a family and finishing that game. 

For the next year, the activities are going to slow down.  We are going to be very careful what we chose.  We are not going to be gone every single night.  I know we won't be able to have game night every single night, but we are going to be home, and eat supper together, and enjoy what little time we have before the kids grow up and are gone. 

Have you found that activities rule your life?

1 comment family, family night, farming, fun, games

A Great Father's Day!

I hope that you all had a great father's day!  I know that we did.  I can't begin to tell you how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband who is also an amazing dad.

I am also lucky to have such a great dad who was a positive influence on me during my childhood.

My dad circa 1960

Waking up on father's day, our son wanted nothing more than to cook breakfast for his dad.  So I let the kids take over the kitchen and thanks to what my son has learned in scouts, and my daughter has learned from helping me in the kitchen, they needed very little help from me when it came to the actual cooking.

Drew and Carly preparing to cook

 Of course I was there for moral support and to rescue them if they needed it, but I was pleasantly surprised that they had this handled!

Drew cooking scrambled eggs

Even though everything went well, my first thought was to say no.  I knew that they would make a mess, and I knew that I would probably have to help clean up.  Sometimes it is just easier to do things yourself.  But what kind of a lesson would I be teaching my children if I didn't let them try things, especially on their own?

Yes my kitchen was a mess, and yes I did have to help with the clean-up.  But what my children gain was a sense of accomplishment and a bit of self-esteem as they told grandparents and aunts and uncles that they were able to fix breakfast by themselves.

It was worth every bit of that mess to see how happy it made them.  And it was nice to see how impressed my husband was with the special breakfast that he got from his kids.  So go ahead and let your children help.  Take the time to make a little mess, and encourage them.  After all it is the only way they will learn.

Happy Father's Day!

3 comments family, father, Father's Day, fun, holidays

What a wonderful Easter!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays!  To me it is a time for renewal.  It is a remembrance of an awakening after death.  Of course I am referring to Jesus being risen from the dead. But I am also referring to the beginning of spring.  After winter's "death" the renewal of spring comes and with it comes life.  I absolutely love springtime.  The beautiful flowers, the start of gardening, the sunshine and warmer days.  

I thought I would share with you just a few pictures of my family's Easter weekend.  We had egg hunts, church services, special meals, and even celebrated my father's 80th birthday!

Here are my beautiful eggs from our chickens getting ready to be boiled for deviled eggs.

And here are the eggs after they are done.  They were gobbled up in no time at our family dinner!  So easy to make and so good!

We went to an egg hunt and the kids had a great time.  Not only were there eggs that the kids searched for, but also there was candy everywhere!  Here is Carly gearing up for the egg hunt.

And here she is picking up eggs and candy.

Drew also had a great time at the egg hunt.  You have to admit Easter candy is some of the best!

And here they are after the hunt.  They are loving the loot they got!  In fact if you look close enough you can even see a little bit of chocolate on Drew's face.  I think he ate as he hunted. :-)

So what are some of the things that you did for Easter?

Leave a Comment chickens, Easter, eggs, family, farm, farming, fun, holidays