100 Things To Do In the Summer With Your Family

I got this list from the Studio Calico Blog. It is a scrapbooking blog for a scrapbook kit company. I wanted to remember this list of great thigns to do with your family in the summer! (Edited to fit KS.)
100 Things to do with your Kids this Summer by Joy Madison:

1. make Dixie cup popsicles
2. make a hopscotch game & play along with the kids
3. find summer constellations
4. make indoor s'mores
5. dress up like fancy ladies & gentlemen and have tea.
6. Make bubbles
7. Blow bubbles
8. go camping
9. make up a musical & perform for the neighbors
10. walk to DQ, McD's, or Basikin Robbins for a cone
11. make a weather chart & chart the weather for a month, graph the results
12. string up a laundry line & everyone helps put out the laundry
13. grow a sustainable container garden
14. make a chalk masterpiece for your neighborhood to enjoy
15. find a pen pal family & write to them weekly
16. make cards for hereos
17. go to an assisted care facility & visit with the residents
18. set up the sprinkler and EVERYBODY play
19. go to the park & do a photo scavenger hunt
20. scrapbook your scavenger hunt photos...get the kids involved with the page.
21. make butter by hand, make muffins to spread it on, enjoy!
22. buy some binoculars & hunt for local birds
23. pick strawberries, freeze the leftovers for smoothies
24. make sun prints
25. make clackers for your bikes
26. ride yours bikes around the neighborhood, gather your friends and have a parade
27. set up a lemonade stand
28. make daisy chain jewelry
29. take books to the park & have a restful afternoon
30. stay up late, make popcorn, & watch movies
31. take a picnic to the park
32. grow your own tomatoes in pots
33. go to your local farmer's market & make dinner ONLY with what you find there.
34. take art supplies into the yard & paint each others portraits...outside=easy clean up
35. find out when your local art museum is free...and go
36. take a picnic to to daddy's or mommy's work....eat there
37. take the train somwhere JUST FOR FUN
38. if you don't live near water, make a beach in the backyard
39. put on a luau
40. find a water play park
41. make virgin daquari's for the whole family....include umbrellas
42. make homemade ice cream (even without an ice cream maker)
43. walk to the library...bring a wagon to haul books!
44. make a fort in the living room & let the kids sleep there
45. organize a block party
46. pick a topic to learn more about AS A FAMILY...go learn about it
47. pop your tent in the backyard, or if its a nice night, just set up the sleeping bags.
48. take a roadtrip to a close-ish place you've never been before.
49. let the kids map out a trip, mom & dad NO CHEATING
50. eat dinner backwards
51. find a new family hobby
52. let the kids make dinner
53. go to a drive-in theater
54. research geo caching & go do it
55. pick blueberries! they are easy, fun and DELICIOUS
56. volunteer at a soup kitchen
57. make pottery that dries in the sun.
58. make a bird bath
59. do a fashion show for daddy, complete with paparazzi
60. stay up till midnight on the summer solstice and celebrate the longest day of the year
61. make a ghetto slip & slide with lawn bags
62. light some sparklers & take photos writing with light (flashlight works too)
63. do a roadtrip scavenger hunt, give a prize for the first person to finish
64. go on a media fast & plan a week of tv/dvd/internet/iphone free activities
65. face paint each other with non-toxic tempera paint
66. pick a book series for the whole family to enjoy & read it every night this summer
67. take fast food and a blanket to a park...a picnic without all the prep work
68. learn to make boondoggles or bead animals
69. find & wear the biggest weirdest sunglassses you can
70. dress up like tourists & tour your OWN town
71. buy a baby pool and spend the afternoon cooling everyone off
72. pick a lazy day & watch all of the Lord of the Rings Triology OR Sponge Bob Seasons 1-7 on DVD
73. make an ice cream sundae bar....invite your friends to dessert
74. join your library's summer reading program
75. decorate flip flops
76. hang your flag for 4th of July (or Canada Day) and talk about what the flag means
77. drill some old pots, pans, and metal ware to a tree or trellis & let the kids bang away
78. challenge yourself: eat a raw meal
79. bicycle to the grocery as a family & only buy what fits in back packs
80. find a pool hook up
81. fly a kite
82. sit and watch airplanes take off & land at a local airport
83. buy a treat from the ice cream man, even if he's only driving a mini-van
84. decorate a family flag & fly it
85. visit a farm and see all the new baby farm animals
86. buy everyone big round lolly pops, TAKE PHOTOS
87. go to an amusement park
88. wash the car together (but only like once a summer, b/c it wastes a LOT of water!)
89. give the kids sketch books & go on a nature walk.
90. make a family newspaper, print it & send it to far flung family members
91. buy 4th of july shirts and take a family photo
92. make playdough
93. make gak
94. make a junkyard band with things around the house, SING TOGETHER
95. have a yard sale
96. go to a free concert in the park
97. take advantage of free movie AIR CONDITIONING! most theaters have free/cheap kids movies in the summer, see if yours does
98. when it rains...everyone go out and splash around
99. have the kids invent a board game....then play it
100. CHILL OUT!

An Evening of Smiles

This past Saturday I stopped in at the two clubs and met several new faces at stop number one. Actually, it was crazy because I did not know a single person. I met a new bouncer, bartneder, and two ladies that I had not yet met. The gift for this month had not come together, so I punted the first option and went with a sweet treat instead--popcorn snack mix and some mini cans of pop. The bouncer/dj looked perplexed, but buzzed me in and I headed straight for the dressing room where I chatted for a bit with the ladies getting ready. I got the same question I usually do when meeting new people. "What is this for?" I explained that I am from a church in Gardner and that my husband is the pastor. I said that we decided a long time ago thatwe wanted to do something to show God's love in a different way than normal. I appreciated the smile on their faces. I told them about the cards with our information inside and let them know that truely, if they needed help with anything to let us know.
At stop number two, there were lots of familiar smiling faces as well. At the bar, lots of guys were interested in the snacks, but the ladies made sure to tell them that they weren't for them. I liked the fact that they were aware that they didn't have to share. :)

30 goals in the year of 30 Update

So far this year, I have touched on a handful of my goals.
2. Watch five musicals I have not seen.
I saw the movie versions of 42nd Street, Brigadoon, and Meet Me in St. Louis. Out of the three, I think Brigadoon was my favorite, even though it was based on a fantasy land. I LOVE Gene Kelly, too!
10. Organize my kitchen cabinets
Thanks to my mother-in-law and my sister, Molly, this got done not long after our little guy was born. Love the new Lazy Susan for spices, and the fact that we emptied enough for there to be almost a shole cabinet for baby stuff that is almost entirely filled already.
24. Go to three musical performances
Haven't seen any live yet, but this summer, plans are in the works to see 4! We're going to Starlight to see Snything Goes, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Mama Mia. The fourth will by Gardner Community Theatre's summer performance of Bye Bye Birdie! AND, I would really like to go see some of the summer shows at Theater in the Park; especially Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. SO excited about this summer!
28. Make handmade baby gifts
I've given 4 or 6 different handmade burp cloths to friends that were having babies. I used them to wrap a purchased gift in one case. It was a lot of fun, even if they weren't perfect!
29. Let my fingernails grow out without biting them for three months (trimming of course)
I think I made it a little more than 2 months after baby boy came home. Then I went back to work and my fingernails suffered! I couldn't keep them out of my mouth. It's disgustting, I know...
30. Pray for my husband daily
I was doing great at this at first. I am the type of person that needs some kind of visual reminder for this. NOte to self: put a note on my mirror so that I see it in the morning!

It's been forever! Have you seen this video???

Go down and turn my music player off first, of course.

30 goals in the year of 30

1. Visit a state I've never been to
2. Watch five musicals I have not seen
3. Go to an apple orchard
4. Take a photography or decorating class
5. Find a great picture of my mother to frame
6. Make a scrapbook for profit
7. Make 20 cards to sell
8. Reach a happy weight: no specific # but something I am content with
9. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center
10. Organize my kitchen cabinets
11. Read Girl Meets God, Your Baby's First Year Week by Week, and Cross-Cultural Servanthood (and others if there is time. :)
12. Remember all of my family member's birthdays
13. Go out of state to a football game with Donnie and friends
14. Bake my own cheesecake (my friend Renee R. has a great easy recipe!)
15. Learn how to embroider with my new sewing machine
16. Walk with friends twice a week
17. Do something that scares me
18. Start a play group
19. Get the outside of my house painted, with new shutters
20. Enjoy a picnic in a rose garden
21. Antique furniture purchase???
22. Learn how to make homemade baby food
23. Water my outside plants regularly
24. Go to three musical performances
25. Read two books a month
26. Go to the Rosedale Arch in Kansas City
27. Sew a tree skirt for my Christmas tree
28. Make handmade baby gifts
29. Let my fingernails grow out without biting them for three months (trimming of course)
30. Pray for my husband daily

{Gratitude}

"True gratitude is the ability to humbly see, feel, and even receive love. Gratitude is a form of returning love to God. Recognize His hand, tell Him so, express your love to Him." -Gene R. Cook

SOAP Reading for November 10th...a week late

So this week's SOAP passages aren't posted yet on the SOAP blog, but I didn't get to them last week, so here we go!

Matthew 25
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids* who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps,4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps.8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

S: I read the scripture through which is a bit ironic because this is one of the passages that Pastor Donnie (a.k.a. my husband) will be using for the advent season.

O: All of the bridesmaids were given oil. Each of the ten had the opportunity to join the groom. Only 5 were wise and had enough oil. The other 5 missed out when the bridegroom came because they were out getting the supplies that they needed. The 5 wise ones were prepared with extra oil. When they tried to get the attention of the groom later, he didn't know who they were because they weren't ready to go with him on time.

A: Hmm... Some parallels that come to mind are that the 10 virgins are all of us. We all get an invitation to this feast. This wedding which is the final party of eternity. Each one of us is invited to join the groom as one of God's children. (I know, bridesmaid, child, groom, God... it gets a bit confusing.) As far as I can tell, the story is saying that each of us needs to be prepared to meet God. We need to be wise and get ourselves ready, so that whenever we do enter eternity, God will "know us". We will have made a decision to live our lives in His direction.
Am I doing that? Am I serving others in the way he expects? Am I learning more about how to be like Jesus by trying to connect to his word daily?

P: God, I pray that I will be prepared. Help me to be wise and to live in your guidance. Help me to see others as more important than myself. I need help to be disciplined. I am inclined to do things the easy way when it comes to my spiritual self. I want to grow in this area.