Ev and Jase had fun playing with Jarom while Tony, Nathan, Max, Jimmy and Ryan went had target practice.
Yes, I like checklists. I love this idea of spending as much time outside as possible. 1000 Hours Outside There are trackers for spending time outside. The best part is that if you don't make your goal, you've been successful just by making the outdoors your home. The quote I love is:
"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."--Gary Snyder
We took Avi to the dog park and Jase and Ev walked through their Enchanted Forest. They are the king and queen of their forest complete with tree thrones.
1. Play Hide and Seek in the dark (11/21)
2. Ryan goes on 12 year old vacation with dad (7/21)
3. Decorate the hallway with maps (1/21)
4. Take swimming lessons (6/21)
5. Play Superbowl commercial bingo (2/21)
6. Visit Owen’s beach (2/21)
7. Tony and Deb celebrate 16th anniversary at a cabin (2/21)
7. Make a skim board (8/21)
8. Go sledding (1/21 and 12/21)
9. Make a family book list (1/21)
10. Make colored ice balls with balloons (1/21)
11. Paint rocks 5/21)
12. Stay at Fort Flagler (5/21)
13. Play Laser Tag at Fort Worden (5/21)
14. Play March Madness (3/21)
15. Do a picture scavenger hunt (11/21)
16. Go camping at the ocean (8/21)
17. Memorial Day weekend with cousins (5/21)
18. Ryan goes to a Rock and Mineral Show (6/21)
19. Participate in the Lake Jane fishing derby (6/21)
20. Participate in Beautify Bonney Lake (9/21)
21. Host 4th of July (7/21)
22. Visit Mt. St. Helens on (5/21)
23. Hike the Gnome Trail (1/21)
24. Visit Yellowstone (7/21)
25. Ryan goes ziplining (7/21)
26. Skim board at Dash Point (7/21)
27. Go to a Renaissance Faire (8/21)
28. Have a treasure hunt (8/21)
29. Go tidepooling (8/21)
30. Go boogie boarding (8/21)
31. Go floating on river (8/21)
32. Carve pumpkins (10/21)
33. Have a shepherd’s dinner (12/21)
34. Have a drawing night (10/21)
35. Have a riddle night (10/21)
36. Do a 500 piece puzzle together (12/21)
37. Have a card game night (11/21)
38. Cook with a solar oven (8/21)
39. Visit Ocean Shores (4/21)
40. Visit a Lavender Farm (7/21)
41. Visit the Fjelstroms in Idaho (7/21)
42. Put out hummingbird feeder (5/21)
43. Visit the Olympic Game Farm (7/21)
44. Visit Redondo Beach (11/21)
45. Decorate Easter eggs
46. Have a “no power/candle only” night. (11/21)
47. Go boating with the Kranzs (8/21)
48. Have a Christmas book advent (12/21)
49. Have a friend sleepover in a hotel (4/21)
50. Have a board game night (1/21)
51. Tony teaches the kids to sail (6/21)
52. Finish putting gravel on the beach (5/21)
53. Hike to beach 4 (8/21)
54. Make a sand castle (8/21)
55. Have an airplane flying contest (11/21)
56. Visit a trampoline park (9/21)
57. Visit Sharkey’s (4/21)
58. Make snowflakes while watching Frosty (12/21)
59. Have a Grinch Night (12/21)
60. Have a Home Alone Night (12/21)
61. Have an Elf Night (12/21)
62. Have a Polar Express Night (2/21)
63. Go on a Christmas light scavenger hunt (12/21)
64. Celebrate Santa Lucia day (12/21)
65. .Celebrate Three Kings Day (1/21)
66. Max gets his braces off (6/21)
67. Ryan gets his braces on (7/21)
68. Ryan tries 4 wheeling (7/21)
69. Get the kids new glasses (2/21)
70. Visit Mud Mountain Dam (7/21)
71 Visit the Point Defiance Zoo (8/21)
72. Go Christmas caroling (12/21)
73. See a live nativity (12/21)
74. Play 3 new games: Spoons, Throw Throw Burrito, Dix-it
75. Have a sibling sleepover on Christmas Eve (12/21)
76. Act out the nativity on Christmas Eve (12/21)
77. Make gingerbread houses (12/21)
78. Have an Easter Egg Hunt on our island (4/21)
79. Send letters to Santa (12/21)
80. Decorate the truck for Trunk or Treat (10/21)
81. Have a video game night (12/21)
82. Ride in the Christmas Flotilla
83. Go to a white elephant party (12/21)
84. Visit Salt Water State Park (11/21)
85. Have a family NYE party (12/21)
86. Deb and Tony find massage therapists (3/21)
87. Learn a new cookie recipe (12/21)
88. Make a snow fort (12/21)
89. Tony make a costume with 3D printer (10/21)
91. Max reads 20 books (12/21)
92. Add a new Christmas decoration to the collection (12/21)
93. Deb and Tony try a new restaurant (12/21)
94. Deb and Tony celebrate 17th anniversary (12/21)
95. Deb and Tony have a roadside America trip (2/21)
96. Tony reads 12 books (12/21)
97. Deb reads 20 out of 56 books (12/21)
98. Tony goes bike packing (5/21)
99. Deb has BDB weekend (10/21)
100. Deb goes to Disneyland with Aunt Lauren (8/21)
We had a great time playing, planning and even doing some cleaning, muahaha! In the evening we went and hung out with the Hanes. This mask is everything.
These were some late night musings on 12/29.
From very late on 12/29. I wrote down these thoughts.
This morning I woke up to a frozen lake and the kids happily breaking ice and watching the pieces skate across the surface. I finished a book that I was recommended for the kids but they never got into. I think it will be a better fit for Evelyn when she's older. It's called, "Ways to Make Sunshine" about a little girl that lives in Portland. It was a cute book and she discovered ways to make touch situations better. In her young age, she was learning about changing her perspective. I really had that hygge feeling where I just wanted to curl up and read for hours. I also, pulled the mom card though and cleaned the pantry and my room. There's that internal messaging that wants to relax all day and yet also take advantage of the time to get projects done. Also, I love Christmas and the lights and the nativities but after Christmas there just seems to be stuff left around and little by little, I want to simplify again.
After finishing that, I started reading a book called, "A Boy Called Christmas." I really liked it so I looked up books by the author and started listening to another of his books titled, "Reasons to Live". It was quite a difference from the light hearted fantasy world of Christmas. Depression can affect us. Thoughts affect our mood. I am so sleepy but my mind is awake. Outside our window I can see the night sky over the lake. It's beautiful. I love this home so much and yet sometimes I vacillate between contentment because I love it (the ducks, geese, blue herons, the occasional eagle), embarrassment about our good fortune because I wish everyone could have this beautiful view in their backyard and then comparison thoughts because we live on this little lake but so many people have bigger houses on the huge, blue Lake Tapps. My mind!
Added note while I'm typing this up on 12/31. Mindfulness is so essential. Seeking peace in Christ is so essential. Recognizing the gifts that come with my overthinking mind and knowing that it's human to have thoughts like this is essential.
We headed to the snow with the Hanes, Bills and Johnsons. We had so much fun sledding, drinking hot chocolate and making little snow people.
