Summer 2014

My favorite thing about Summer is that I feel like I get more time.  I have more time to spend with Jackson, more time for family and friends, more time in general.  I love the fall, but I feel like it's dark when I go to work and dark when I come home, not leaving a whole lot of time for much of anything, really. 

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This summer is our first as a married couple... our own little family, if you will.  We have been so busy with weddings, camp, vacation bible school, car trouble, etc. that I feel like we have barely had time to breathe this summer, let alone focus on a bucket list! We have only been to the pool once, for goodness sake, and it's right where we live! It's saddening, really, because I know I'll be back to limited daylight before we know it.     Jerrica did a post which made me think about my lack of Summer list this year. So, Summer 2014, before you completely escape, here are the things we have to fulfill:   Do my bridal portraits Oops. In my defense, everything was dead and frozen in February when we got married, so I said I'd do them in the Spring. The Spring came and went, and we have just a couple more months to get this done before everything dies again.   Add a planter box to our deck I am itching for some color to make the deck pop, and I can't think of a better way than by planting flowers! Plus, I need to prove I'm good with plants if we're ever going to be able to have a dog and family. haha.   Spend a whole Saturday at the pool I mean, except for two hours Memorial Day, we have not been to the pool at all. It'd be okay if it weren't right in our parking lot. I mean, what!?   Put the phones down Jackson and I are really bad about watching a show and both being on our phones the entire time.  He has started playing a stupid game called Clash of Clans and is constantly on it.  It drives me crazy, but I realize I'm just as bad with texting, social media, etc.  While we're at it, how about we include tablets, computers, and the like.    Go camping We have a beautiful tent sitting in the closet that has been used once.  I'm itching to reconnect with nature, even if only for a day or so.    Spend smarter and say no We eat dinner out way too much for our little baby budget. We have our trip to Florida and Harry Potter to save for, cars to fix, birthdays and Christmas around the corner, etc. We also kinda spend money like we're rolling in it, but a lot of that comes from our inability to say no.  Sure we'll spend $50 on shotgun shells and clay targets that are all going to be trashed at the end of the day of shooting.  Sure we'll spend $30 on cigars for a guys night. Sure we'll drop $50 on pottery painting with friends.    Spend time outside We have an adorable and quiet apartment complex, and I love living there.  There is a trail that leads to the lake from our back yard.  We're couch potatoes, but I'm hoping we'll start to get up and go outside, be it for a walk after dinner, a jog in the afternoon, time at the pool, catch lightning bugs, etc.   Declutter We just got married, so naturally, we still have boxes and boxes that contain life before marriage.  One box contains eight IHOP coffee mugs... trophies from nights of laughter and pancakes. One box has other boxes inside - old cell phone boxes, the box his GPS came out of, etc. There's really no way to know what all is in there, really, until we get in there and make an effort to declutter.  All of my clutter is still at my parents' house, but it's a goal to get over there and clean my room out completely. We have all of this clutter not only taking up space, but it is weighing us down.   Read and pray more together We get so busy during the Summer that by the time we get in bed we're out like lights.  It is my hope that we will make reading and praying a habit to carry long past the Summer.      What are your summer goals!?