I am so excited for summer! So much so, that I told my friend “HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER” one day back in May. (I may have lost my mind) I love having a bucket list – or a family fun list.  I’m a list  maker, so it just makes sense.  haha.  Here are some of the things I’d love to get in to this summer! – I’ve noticed lots of my ideas involve food. .. ..

• back yard pool party
• s’mores by a bonfire
• outdoor bbq cookout
• make homemade ice cream
• do something crafty
• have a water balloon fight
• visit the zoo
• go to the movies
• go to a concert
• plant flowers
• see fireworks
• natural highlights
• get shave ice
• homemade pizza night
• family movie nights
• weekend getaway trip, or two
• farmers market
• pick berries
• make fun festive drinks
• mom date / dad date
• tie dye
• catch lightning bugs
• stay up late
• eat lots of fruits and veggies
• visit a plantation
• sun kissed skin
• organize the house
• sidewalk chalk
• family neighborhood walks

What’s on your bucket list for the summer? Do you have any summer traditions? I’d love to see what you’re up to!

Well, our Kate is growing up! Last month she graduated from Preschool and this fall she’ll be heading to Kindergarten.  She is SO excited to be a big girl now.  We have been praying she gets a wonderful teacher and she has a wonderful Kindergarten year!

Her little graduation celebration was so sweet.  Last year most of Kate’s classmates graduated (she has a late birthday, so she gets to stay a year longer – woohoo!) and she went to their graduation practices. For the last year she’s been singing what we call the “ABC Song” from their graduation.  This year she got to sing it at her own, and I know it’s silly but we almost teared up! We have heard her sing it for so long to celebrate her classmates, and now it was her turn.  Those emotions.. my goodness.

Those little preschool and kindergarten graduations get a bad rap I think, but they are special to the kids, and I’m happy they have those celebrations!

Kate’s best buddies Miss Katie and Mr Luke came to see her graduation.  I love that we have a little family away from home here.  They love on our kids just like family would, and T & K sure do love them back!

Last week I wrote my last check for her preschool tuition, and while I’m THRILLED to not be paying so much money each month .. it was sort of sad that this chapter is closing!  Kate has been at her school since she was 2 years old.. since we moved here.  It’s all she knows, and I guess it’s all we know. It will be a big adjustment for sure.  We are going to miss her teachers SO MUCH!

This past Monday the kids and I had a little family fun evening.  Shelby had to work, so it was just the three of us.  After I picked them up from school, we had a quick dinner of chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A and then we headed to campus to go to a softball game.  At the softball game they had a petting zoo!  Everything was FREE – the game and the petting zoo.  I feel like I’ve said this to everyone, but it was the nicest one I’ve ever been to.  So many different animals, absolutely adorable little baby ones, and the kids were able to feed them and love on them.  Kate was in HEAVEN.  She seriously loves all animals, and it blows my mind how much love she has in her heart for them.  She doesn’t care what kind of animal it is, she’s going to hug it.

Kate literally ran from animal to animal to give it some love.  Tristan mostly stayed with the baby chickens, telling everyone else how you’re suppose to hold them.  hahaha

After the petting zoo, we went to the stands to watch some of the softball game.  When we go to baseball games, we are in the “general admission” seats, and those are waaaaaay off to the side.  At the softball game we could sit anywhere we wanted! We had great seats close up.  The kids liked this so much, and I think it’s because we were close and could really see all the action.  The man behind us gave them a bag of peanuts from the concession stand.  They felt like this was the best day of their lives.

I love it when we can do fun things like this, and it costs us next to nothing to do it.  It’s a nice way to break the normal routine during the week.  I’m excited to do more things like this!  We might get to go to a FREE Alabama Shakes concert tonight on campus, and I’m pretty excited about that!