Summer Bucket List Update #1

It’s hot, the twins are here, and we’re right in the middle of our summer! Let’s get to our summer bucket list:

Read 50 books - 14 books read so far
Have an appetizer night ✓ - Instead of grilling out for the Fourth of July, we did an appetizer night! Crab rangoon, shrimp cocktail, pumpernickel pretzel pouches, jalapeno poppers, garlic zucchini, watermelon, blueberry lemon upside down cake, Reese’s PB cup cheesecake bites, and hushpuppies.
Tie Dye Shirts
Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere
Try 3 ice cream places 2/3
- Coneflower - Oh so yum! I got Rhubarb Crisp, Arthur and Quentin got Dark Chocolate, Alex got Mint Choc Chip, and J got Coffee, Mint Choc Chip, and White Choc and Basil. I think the winner was Coffee.
- Ted and Wally’s - A favorite in Old Market! I got Almond Joy, Arthur and Alex got vanilla, Quentin got chocolate, and J got Guiness and Fudge Brownie German Chocolate.
Go on 5 picnics
Visit an outdoor cinema
Make s’mores
Go to 3 movies 1/3
- Lego Movie 2 - I took the littles to the weekday $1 showing of the second Lego Movie. Love the cheap movies!
Make sangria
Find and complete a new puzzle
Visit 2 other library branches
Complete the summer reading program ✓ - Alex, Arthur, and I all earned rewards for completing 10 hours of reading.
Visit Mahoney State Park
Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt ✓
- Pirate Putt - Loved this one.
- Medieval Putt - This one has some great hole designs.
Visit 5 Nebraska Passport spots
Try a new food truck
Go on a brewery tour/tasting
Run through the sprinklers/splash pad ✓ - We bought a sprinkler for the backyard. The boys love it!
Ride a Ferris Wheel
Go to a concert (indoor or outdoor)
Go tanking
Try 2 new-to-me restaurants 2/2 ✓
- Barchen - J and I had a date night at this German beer hall and restaurant. Food wasn’t amazing, but beer was good.
- Yum Roll - We had dinner at the fancy food court and I tried the Korean BBQ bowl. Decent, but I think the taco place next door is better.
Visit Hollywood Candy in Old Market ✓ - Lots of fun stopping in after lunch in Old Market one day. I loved all the crazy items thrown into the store. The boys got a basket of candy to last for the rest of the summer.
Complete a series

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #11

Reading: The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones on the recommendation of Reading Glasses podcast. Loving it so far.

Watching: Finally finished S5 and moving into S6 of The 100!

Listening: Slowly making my way through the bonus episodes of Unobscured S1 podcast. The bonuses are the uncut interviews with the various historians. Right up my alley!

Making: Cleaning out some of the leftover card kits to have some non-birthday cards for my stash.

Feeling: Surprisingly calm right now. There are tons of spinning plates in the air right now, but I’m actually pretty calm.

Planning: We’re leaving again next week for a short Indiana trip. Getting everything organized.

Loving: We’ve been hitting the 1/2 Happy Hour at Sonic a few times this summer so I can get my Cherry Limeade fix.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Anxiety is high once again… I hate waiting on other people to do things so I can move forward on my tasks.
Making my playlist for when J is in Romania for work. Piling on all the romcoms and period pieces.
Need to buy more beef bulgogi bowls from Costco. They are surprisingly tasty with some added Siracha.
My July TBR is ridiculously large. No way I’m going to get all those, but I have high hopes for what I am going to read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Grilled Cheese Adventures: May and June

Part of my 2019 goals is make a different Grilled Cheese recipe each week. I find grilled cheese to be so comforting, but just cheddar or Colby gets boring after awhile. So, I checked a few books out from the library and make a Pinterest Board with lots of options. Here’s what we ate:

Week 19: Gouda, spinach, and mushrooms.

Needed more flavor! Next time, I think I’ll switch up the type of mushrooms I use.

Week 20: Mango chutney and white cheddar on hearty Italian.

Pretty good! The chutney wasn’t quite as spicy as I would have liked, but I enjoyed the taste combination.

Week 21: Honey Banana with Mascarpone

We had this for our breakfast with a side of fried eggs. Arthur approved!

Week 22: Trainwreck Grilled Cheese

Maple whiskey glazed bacon with gouda and caramelized onions. I burned most of my onions and the bacon didn’t quite work out the way I wanted it to. We’re going to try to this one again soon with different bacon.

Not Pictured - Completely forgot to take a picture before eating. Our house was crazy that night…

Week 23: Havarti Chipotle and Gouda Grilled Cheese

This wasn’t very good and not a taste combination that I really enjoyed.

Not pictured - Really just forgot to take a pic.

Week 24: Dijon Chicken and Gouda with a Spinach Salad featuring Pepperoncinis

The spinach salad may have been just a bit too much. If I make this again, we’ll scale back the salad portion and just put some regular pepperoncinis on it.

Week 25: Honey Peach White Cheddar with Bacon

Decent enough, but not wowing us over here.

Week 26: Bacon Blackberry Jalapeno Swiss

Our jalapenos were a bit too rare and not spicy, so next time we’ll work on that. The rest of the sandwich was really good and we’ll definitely make this again.

July 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on June's goals and my progress.

Finish summer plans - Fail. We’re still trying to figure out the end of summer and getting the twins back to Indiana.
Finish Road trip plans - Success! It was so much fun!
Have fun on the road trip!
Pick at least one activity with the twins and littles each week - Success! So far we’ve been doing at least one big activity a week.
Have three date days/nights with J - Fail, but so close! We went out to a concert at the beginning of the month and had a nice dinner and drinks on Friday night. Two dates is better than nothing…

July’s Goals: Another month of taking it easy and enjoying the summer.

End of Summer Plans - The twins will be going back soon, but we don’t have a specific date yet. Need to figure all this out. Complicating matters is the fact that J will be in Romania half this month.
Schedule a Kansas Trip - We want to go to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson to see the Apollo 11 exhibit.
Stop adding books to my library holds! - Seriously, it’s gotten out of control and I need to read the books that I own.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

We need to work in an ice cream parlor visit, but our days are a bit crazy right now.
I have a backlog of magazines to read this month.
My mint plant is flourishing and I’m so excited.
Thinking I need to try a new dinner recipe soon.
Maybe set up a playdate for Arthur?
Oh Hannah B! When are you going to admit that Luke is just a trash baby?

Next up on the TBR pile:

NE-SD Road Trip Day #5

A few weeks ago, I had an idea to go one a two day road trip out to west Nebraska and back using the Nebraska Passport program as a guidebook. J chimed in questioning how much farther it would be to visit Mount Rushmore. Umm… like another 5 hours driving. This conversation continued and evolved into a 5 day, 4 night road trip through Nebraska, up to the Mount Rushmore area, back through South Dakota, and down hone. After deciding on a big plan, I got to work finding lots of optional activities and sites to see. I’m huge into weird roadside attractions and offbeat sites and made sure to include a ton in my planning. We just got back from our trip this weekend and now it’s time to document our trip. I plan on doing a mini scrapbook album with pictures and ephemera, but first I’m going to document our travels here.

Day #5: Sioux Falls, SD to Home

Stop #1: Des Plaines Zoo, Sioux Falls, SD - With our Omaha Zoo membership, we got 50% off admission here. It’s a nice little zoo although J and both remarked on the lack of planning when it came to walking paths. Lots of dead ends and views behind the scenes. We probably would have stayed longer but it was ridiculously hot so we moved on.

Stop #2: Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD - We passed through SF on our way to California 7 years ago, but didn’t stop at the falls. Very impressive sight! Even with the flood damage evident. We made sure to get a pic of Arthur right at the edge of the water.

Stop #3: Bank robbed by the Dillinger Gang, Sioux Falls, SD - I popped out of the van to check out this historical marker. Fascinating story!

Stop #4: Lunch at Cherry Creek Grill, Sioux Falls, SD - No pictures. Not amazing, but decent bar food.

Stop #5: Ice Cream at Stensland Family Farms, Sioux Falls, SD - J immediately spied this option on the itinerary and made sure we stopped. Such incredibly good ice cream!!! We each got something interesting and delicious: Tobe - Lemon Poppyseed Scoop, J - Wake Up Call (coffee) Scoop and Key Lime Scoop, Arthur and Quentin - How Now Brown Cow (chocolate), Nick - Salted Caramel Pecan, Alex - Udder Me Mint Chip.

Stop #6: Marker at the corner of Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota - Had to check out this random marker and stand in three states at once!

Stop #7: Sergeant Floyd River Museum, Sioux City, IA - This dry-docked boat has become a welcome center and museum to boating along the Missouri River and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The real Sergeant Floyd was the only member of that expedition to die during the years exploring the west. Great little museum!

Stop #8: Mural of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Tekamah, NE - Once last random roadside attraction on our trip.

And we made it back home! Such a great road trip! I wonder what we will do next summer?

Summer Bucket List 2019

It’s hot, the twins are here, and we’re right in the middle of our summer! Let’s get to our summer bucket list:

Read 50 books
Have an appetizer night
Tie Dye Shirts
Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere
Try 3 ice cream places
Go on 5 picnics
Visit an outdoor cinema
Make s’mores
Go to 3 movies
Make sangria
Find and complete a new puzzle
Visit 2 other library branches
Complete the summer reading program
Visit Mahoney State Park
Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt
Visit 5 Nebraska Passport spots
Try a new food truck
Go on a brewery tour/tasting
Run through the sprinklers/splash pad
Ride a Ferris Wheel
Go to a concert (indoor or outdoor)
Go tanking
Try 2 new-to-me restaurants
Visit Hollywood Candy in Old Market
Complete a series

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List Update Finish Line

Spring is done and we’re on to summer. I ended up completing 13/25 activities. A very respectable number this past season.

Read 50 books ✓
Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants ✓
- Zios - Good family pizza
- Brasa (Minneapolis) - Loved this restaurant! I got the pulled chicken and gravy with a side of rice and beans and collard greens.
- Sushi Train (Minneapolis) - Super fun sushi place with good rolls.
Attend two theater performances
- Dragons Love Tacos @ The Rose
Make fun cupcakes
Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓
Make a planter for the front porch ✓
Find two good parks
Host a cookout
Have fun at OnStage! ✓
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys
Check out three new museum/zoos ✓
- SAC Museum in Ashland — We do enjoy our Air and Space museums!
- Joslyn Art Museum — We went for storytime, but did check out the galleries while there.
- Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines — Fun zoo on our way to Indiana!
Check out The Makery
Create a spring Spotify playlist
Buy a sprinkler for the yard
Smoothie month
Mini golf family night ✓ - We visited Prehistoric Putt and had a great time! Next time we’ll have to check out Pirate Putt in Council Bluffs.
Make a rain gauge ✓
Buy and fly a kite
Go berry picking ✓ - The little boys and I went strawberry picking at the beginning of June. We had a great time and picked over 3 pounds of berries.
Sign Arthur up for summer camps ✓
Find a Farmer’s Market
Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer ✓ - The boys and I stopped at the new Des Moines store on the way back from Indiana.
Go on a hike ✓ - We’ve gone on a few short hikes this past month.
Visit Old Market ✓
Redo my hair

Next up on the TBR pile:

NE-SD Road Trip Day #4

Day #4: Rapid City, SD to Sioux Falls, SD

Stop #1: Wall Drug, Wall, SD - If we are going to be in South Dakota, you have to go to Wall Drug! I made sure to get pictures of all the kids riding the jackalope (Q’s pic is on J’s camera right now). Alex and I went hunting for a carved jackalope which we sadly did not find. We bought fudge, strawberry jalapeno jam, and bison jerky. And generally marveled at the ridiculousness. On our way out, I made sure to take a detour to see the 80 foot dinosaur by the highway.

Stop #2: Minuteman Missile Site Delta-09 - We had wanted to do a tour of a decommissioned minuteman missile site, but ran into two problems: 1) Q would not be able to go on the tour (ladders) 2) All tours were booked for the day we were going to be there. Beyond the tour, there is also a visitor center and a separate silo scattered along I-90. We opted for the silo for our stop. There was an audio tour to learn more about the site. Instead, I listened to a volunteer talk about the site with some other families. We got to peer into a silo with a dummy missile in it and read the informational signs. J took an amazing panoramic photo of the nothingness surrounding the site. Hidden gem!

Stop #3: Prairie Dogs, Phillip, SD - Right off of 90, on the way to the Badlands National Park (and scenic loop drive), there is this great random attraction. You can buy peanuts from the store and feed real prairie dogs in a field. We didn’t buy any food, but did watch other families feed the animals. Arthur was super excited to get down low and check them out.

Stop #4: Original 1880 Town, Murdo, SD - J and stopped at this Wild West Town on our way through SD to CA 7 years ago. We had to take the kids! It was weird to go when there were actually people in the town. Last time, we went in April and it was a ghost town. This time, we grabbed lunch at the 50s Diner on the train cars and headed into the town to explore. They’ve added a few little things, but it’s mainly the same.

Stop #5: Dignity of Earth and Sky, Oacoma, SD - This beautiful statue is a recent addition (2016) to the area. The craftsmanship of this piece was breathtaking. I loved how the panels on her back reflected sunlight from the Missouri River. We also admired the view of the river before heading out. (Note for travelers: this is located at a rest stop / scenic view area right off of I-90)

Stop #6: Corn Palace, Mitchell, SD - Of course we had to stop here! They’ve added a few interesting displays in the lobby since I was last here.

Stop #7: Jackalope, Mitchell, SD - On our way out of town, we made sure to stop and get pictures on this jackalope.

And then we were off to Sioux Falls for dinner (at Granite City) and on to our hotel for the night.

NE-SD Road Trip Day #3

Day #3: Custer, SD to Rapid City, SD

Stop #1: Pancake Buffet at The Bavarian Inn, Custer, SD - Part of the reason we booked a hotel here was the pancake buffet. Q rediscovered his love of Nutella!

Stop #2: Random dinos in Custer, SD - We had to stop at this random display.

Stop #3: Black Hills Institute, Hill City, SD - Highlight of the day! The Black Hills Institute were the scientists behind finding Sue, the T Rex currently housed at the Field Museum in Chicago. A few years back, they found Stan - the largest most complete male T Rex fossil found. They actually still have Stan so we had to stop and visit. This tiny museum packs so many specimens in a tiny area. Another place we could have spent hours at if not for the little kids.

Stop #4: Mount Rushmore - My second visit to the mountain. Hasn’t changed. Haha! We didn’t spend a huge amount of time here, but we had to stop for a few to all get a look at the faces. While there, I picked up Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln bobbleheads. I now have all four of the Presidents on the mountain.

Stop #5: Lunch at BarLee’s, Keystone, SD - My best meal of the trip. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich and it was so good. Plus we got a great view of the hills across the street.

Stop #6: Black Hills Caverns, Rapid City, SD - Q fell asleep in the car, so J stayed with him while the rest of us went on the cave tour. I loved the tour and our tour guide. We ended up 225 feet below the surface!

Stop #7: Chapel in the Hills, Rapid City, SD - This reconstruction of a 12th century Norwegian church was a must see. J and hiked up to the church (the kids all stayed in the car) to marvel at the architecture. Very peaceful in the hills.

Stop #8: Storybook Island, Rapid City, SD - Apparently I have a thing for weird children’s amusement parks from the 1950s. We had to stop! And it lived up to all the weirdness that I was expecting. Unfortunately, there were so many bugs we didn’t spend that much time here. Seriously, there were swarms of bugs everywhere.

Stop #9: Dinosaur Park, Rapid City, SD - Another random roadside attraction I had to see. Q loved playing on all the dinosaurs. We got great 360 degree views of Rapid City. And I learned that the entire park was built by the WPA in 1936. Random!

Stop #10: Downtown Rapid City, SD - On our way to dinner, we walked through part of historic downtown. We stopped by Art Alley. Not quite the level of art as in Oakland, but I really liked the piece pictured below. RC has statues of all the U.S. President scattered throughout downtown. We saw about 10 total. We even managed to stumble across my favorite: Thomas Jefferson.

Stop #11: Dinner ay Jambonz Deux, Rapid City, SD - Decent soul cajun food. The catfish was really good.

Swimming at the hotel.

NE-SD Road Trip Day #2

Day #2: North Platte, NE to Custer, SD

Stop #1: Sinclair Dinosaur, North Platte, NE - We have a few Sinclair Gas Stations in Omaha, but ours do not have the dinosaur outside. We had to snap a pic!

Stop #2: Buffalo Bill’s House at Scouts Rest Ranch, North Platte, NE - I wanted to tour the house, but it didn’t open until 10am and we couldn’t wait. I still got to check out the outside.

Stop #3: Golden Spike Tour, North Platte, NE - We went up to the top of the tower to check out Bailey Yard. Q loves trains, so this was a must stop! The wooden train out back was a highlight.

Stop #4: Petrified Wood Gallery, Ogallala, NE - Another hidden gem of a museum. I would have loved to spend much more time there, but alas, we have small children. Across the street was the Front Street Museum. We didn’t go in, but I did snap a pic.

Stop #5: Mansion on the Hill, Ogallala, NE - Nebraska Passport stop. I love architecture, so I had to take some pics.

Stop #6: Boot Hill Cemetery, Ogallala, NE - Right next door was the Boot Hill Cemetery. A super hidden gem! All of the informational signs were great reads. And we randomly met a couple from Greensburg IN there. Small world!

Stop #7: Chimney Rock National Monument, Bayard, NE - Who remember’s passing Chimney Rock while playing Oregon Trail? We had to take a short detour to see the real thing! There was a cute little museum/visitor center with amazing views of the monument. Arthur was fascinated by the “Beware of Rattlesnakes” signs scattered around. He even got a stuffed rattlesnake as a souvenir.

Stop #8: Lunch at Corner Cafe, Bayard, NE - Cute little cafe serving basic diner food. Our waitress was amazing and the kids loved her!

Stop #9: Carhenge, Alliance, NE - Of course we had to stop her so I could experience the amazing roadside-ness of Carhenge! Q loved the dinosaur, but was confused that he couldn’t move any of the cars.

Stop #10: Museum of the Fur Trade, Chadron, NE - We didn’t inside as it was closing, but i had to get a pick of the antler archway and the historical monument.

Stop #11: The Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, SD - Highlight of the entire trip! Seriously, this was absolutely amazing! The building houses an active paleontological dig site focused on a sinkhole. The tour was informative and interesting. I think we could have spent hours there.

Stop #12: Dinner at Big Time Pizza, Hot Springs, SD - We went for pizza this night. J and I shared the Buffalo Stampede (pepperoni, sweet onions, jalapeno, and buffalo meat). Not quite better than the spicy pizza we get from Piezon down the street, but still really good.

Stop #13: Wind Cave National Park, SD - Not actually a stop, but we drove through Wind Cave National Park on the way to our hotel and passed a herd of bison! None of my pictures really turned out that great, but it was amazing to see bison in the wild. Such amazing creatures!

Stop #14: Bavarian Inn, Custer, SD - Most of the hotels I booked were boring chains, but this night’s stay was at a cute independently owned hotel tucked into the hills in Custer. The room was spacious (to sleep all 6 of us), adorable, and clean. They had a great indoor pool and lobby area. They were even piping in jazzy cover music in the lobby and parking lot. If you’re in the area, make sure to book a room here!

NE-SD Road Trip Day #1

Day #1: Omaha, NE to North Platte, NE

Stop #1: Covered Wagon abandoned store near Milford, NE - Random roadside attraction I needed to see! Right off of I-80, exit 382

Stop #2: Clayton Museum of Ancient History at York College, York, NE - Hidden gem of a museum. Artifacts are from a private collection. Plus there was a kid’s interactive area. Always a plus when traveling with kiddos.

Stop #3: Random backyard zoo in York, NE - I snagged a pic of the giraffe, but there was also a zebra, lion, hippo, cow skeleton, and a few others.

Stop #4: Lee’s Marbles in York, NE - Another random hidden gem. This is an antique store, junk shop, and marble museum. Arthur got a free bag of marbles from the owner.

Stop #5: Harvard Jail in Harvard, NE - Check out the story featured in the historical marker. We had to see this tiny jail once owned by a dummy!

Stop #6: Birth of Kool-Aid, Hastings, NE - I had to take a pic of the building that birthed Kool-Aid. We traveled about a mile away to see the Kool-Aid Man’s footprints at the Hastings Museum (we didn’t go in, just checked out the outside). Also there, I snapped a pic of a statue of the Martin Brothers. In 1864, these brothers were attacked by Native Americans and were pinned together by an arrow. They survived. Strange random story. Apparently there are multiple statues to these brothers all around the area. We personally found 4!!! of these statues and wonder if there are more…

Stop #7: Coney Island Lunch Room in Grand Island, NE - We had to eat here and compare to Coney Island in Fort Wayne. Decent coney dogs, but Fort Wayne is still a winner!

Stop #8: Wacky cars on poles, Grand Island, NE - Awesome roadside attraction!

Stop #9: Raising Nebraska exhibit at Fonner Park, Grand Island, NE - This is part of the permanent exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair grounds. We popped in to see the World’s Largest Pair of Overalls, but stayed to check out the other exhibits. Arthur and Quentin loved driving the combine!

Stop #10: The Archway, Kearney, NE - Our big museum stop of the day. The pictures I had seen made this museum look really cheesy, but we loved it. You follow the story of the west and specifically Nebraska across I-80 and back across. The audio tour was very interesting with a big story and lots of extra more specific stops. We didn’t explore all of the grounds, but there was more to see outside. Definite stop!

Stop #11: Pony Express Station, Gothenburg, NE - Great stop! This is an original Pony Express Station (moved from original location to this park), complete with mini museum and historical plaques. The lady working was very friendly and knowledgable. This was a quick stop (15 minutes probably), but a must see if you’re in the area.

Stop #12: Dinner at Switchyard in North Platte, NE

Stop #13: Fort Cody Trading Post, North Platte, NE - Very kitschy souvenir shop with random statues and wagons in the backyard. The big draw is the miniaturized recreation of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Plus they had a ton of other west artifacts. My favorite picture is the one of Arthur and Quentin in jail. Arthur told Q to “look sad.” This pic was the result!

And that concludes our packed Day 1!

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Getting so excited for our road trip next week… But, we need to get through the rest of this week first.
Cold brew has been a lifesaver during these high temps.
I might be getting my creative mojo back.
Finally got to see Captain Marvel and it was everything I wanted! So so good!
Meal planning might be the death of me. I keep having to do it and it’s annoying to me.
So much screaming from the two littles this week. I just can’t.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #10

Reading: Craftfulness by Rosemary Davidson; If, Then by Kate Hope Day

Watching: Good Omens - J and I absolutely love the book and couldn’t wait to watch the TV adaptation. We’re four episodes in and loving it so much! They got the tone right and more importantly, the casting! David Tennant and Michael Sheen are great counterpoint characters.

Listening: Unobscured from Aaron Mahnke about the Salem Witch Trials. I’ve listened to the actual episodes so now I’m moving on to the historian interviews.

Feeling: Ready to go on our road trip! Okay, not really, but getting close. I still need to take care of some tasks and obviously we need to pack. But I’ve got our itinerary set and my lists made.

Planning: Working on getting our weekend activities sorted. We have many things on the calendar right now. Just need to wrap my brain around the schedule.

Loving: I picked up a bottle of cold brew last week at the store. I want my coffee fix in the morning, but summer is just too hot to sit over a mug of hot coffee. Cold brew is a perfect substitution!

Next up on the TBR pile:

June 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on May's goals and my progress.

Read 4 books from UnRead Shelf - Fail. I only read two from my shelves.
Plan out our Memorial Day week/end travel plans - Success! We traveled over to Indiana stopping at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. We had fun in Fort Wayne including visiting the Fort Wayne Zoo. And then we drove back stopping at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Print our week calendars and meal plans for summer - Success! I love being prepared.
Nebraska Passport plan - Success! We have a plan for our summer road trip hitting many of the passport plans.
Pull out my summer clothes - Success! I put away all my sweaters in the basement. I also made a list of summer clothes i want to buy/look for.
Update calendars - Success!

June’s Goals:

Finish summer plans - We have another short trip to plan (this time to Kansas), zoo and museum visits to work in, and a few other activities I want to add.
Finish Road trip plans - This is mostly done. I just want to print some maps for Arthur and check into getting tickets ahead of time for a few things. Plus I want to review our planned stops. And I want to make a little travel journal to take with us to add reflections, thoughts, impressions, and other tidbits we learn along the way.
Have fun on the road trip!
Pick at least one activity with the twins and littles each week (mini golf, zoo, etc) - I put the Safari Park on the calendar already, but there a few others I want to add.
Have three date days/nights with J - We already have tickets to a concert on the 8th. We also have a Living Social deal for a brewery tour. And we have our bar tickets to choose from. I’m hoping we can sneak out at least once after the littles go to sleep.

Next up on the TBR list:

Spring Bucket List Update #3

A new season has begun! 7/25 activities completed so far.

Read 50 books - Up to 46 books!
Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants ✓
- Zios - Good family pizza
- Brasa (Minneapolis) - Loved this restaurant! I got the pulled chicken and gravy with a side of rice and beans and collard greens.
- Sushi Train (Minneapolis) - Super fun sushi place with good rolls.
Attend two theater performances
- Dragons Love Tacos @ The Rose
Make fun cupcakes
Create an Easter Egg Hunt ✓ - The boys had fun finding 70 hidden eggs in our yard.
Make a planter for the front porch ✓ - Q and I took a trip to the garden center and bought some pretties! I actually have two planters out front now plus another planter and some potted herbs in the backyard.
Find two good parks
Host a cookout
Have fun at OnStage! ✓ - It was so much fun!
Tie Dye Shirts with the boys
Check out three new museum/zoos
- SAC Museum in Ashland — We do enjoy our Air and Space museums!
- Joslyn Art Museum — We went for storytime, but did check out the galleries while there.
Check out The Makery
Create a spring Spotify playlist
Buy a sprinkler for the yard
Smoothie month
Mini golf family night
Make a rain gauge ✓ - We ended up buying one, not making it, but we have one!
Buy and fly a kite
Go berry picking
Sign Arthur up for summer camps ✓
Find a Farmer’s Market
Make a trip to Peacetree for root beer and beer
Go on a hike
Visit Old Market ✓
Redo my hair

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I haven’t packed for our trip this weekend. Totally not me to not have this done already.
The rain can stop now…
I really hope the weather is good for our Memorial Day activities…
My reading momentum has certainly slowed down, but still at it.
I can’t wait to visit Shedd next week! Haven’t been there in 10 years and the littles have never been there.
So many road trip snacks packed…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #9

Reading: Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen — loving this cozy mystery series!

Watching: Still working through Games of Thrones S1.

Listening: I caught up on some other podcasts, so I started Aaron Mahnke’s Unobscured about the Salem Witch Trials.

Feeling: There are a few things up in the air right now. I’m a bit anxious. Will feel much better after this weekend passes.

Planning: We heading over to Indiana this weekend for Memorial Day and to pick up the twins. Looking forward to our activities!

Loving: The grocery stores around here carry rhubarb (so scarce in California) and I’ve been buying a ton. I’ve been making a ton of rhubarb dishes. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Two days of swimming at the pool during rainy days. Perfect choice!
An idea for a two day road trip to East Nebraska has turned into a five day road trip through Nebraska and South Dakota. Having so much fun planning this!
NPR needs to fix their podcast issues. A bit annoying…
I made a strawberry-rhubarb crumble and it was absolutely amazing! So good!
I think I’m getting my reading groove back.

Next up on the TBR pile: