Summer plans

Summer has officially started, but it already feels half over. I hate being one of those the-glass-is-half-empty types, but I can't help wanting to slow down this particular Summer. I'm not ready for school routines yet.  I will be ready, but just not yet. There will be a day in August that I will hear a certain rustling sound in the aspens and I will know, despite what the calendar says, that summer is over. But, for now,  there's so much I want to do and this year, I'm truly feeling like myself again and I'm ready to enjoy this summer to the fullest. Last year, I was very pregnant and miserably uncomfortable.

It seems like a theme around here to write about having an intentional summer.  I've been mulling around these thoughts for days and it looks like I'm not the only one who has a long list. I want to savor every moment, but June has already been very busy, but more flexible. The big kids have attended VBS. Twice. We've been camping. Although June is very busy, our routine has relaxed quite a bit and I'm enjoying the feeling of summer. Now, if I only had a canoe....

So, here it is:

• make strawberry jam,  peach freezer jam,  raspberry freezer jam (I love jam and I'll need to bake some cream scones to go with all that jam.)
• make Popsicles with Sammy- I have plans for peach, strawberry, chocolate and I've got two new Popsicle books. I even ordered a very nice stainless steel Popsicle mold set. 
• make ice cream- I already made the orange ice cream from the Ben & Jerry's ice cream book, but I'd like to make banana this summer and of course, strawberry. (I promise that this list won't be all food related.)
• plan an inspiring 7th grade curriculum for Luke-  I tend to think about home school plans at night right before I fall asleep. Of course, I'm way more inspired this year than last. I'm envisioning more Botany,  pen and ink drawing, and creative writing this year. I'm hoping to start the year off completely refreshed and motivated.  (I'm sure it's because I'm not pregnant with the twins!)
• take the older boys to a movie at Red Rocks
• finish up the basement remodel. The carpet goes in this Saturday and Paul is getting closer to finishing the painting. I'm so blessed to have more space for the family.
• ride the Royal Gorge train (I want to enjoy more of Colorado this year.)
• turn the guest room into the twins' room (Yes, I'm losing my guest room, but I'm actually okay with it.  I am more sad at the prospect of the twins leaving my room any time soon. James is already getting close to growing out of his co-sleeper.)
• knit, knit, knit- (Okay, no surprise here, but I have plans for this, this, this and this). Actually, if you look at my Ravelry queue, I have plans for many many projects, but I wanted to make sweaters for all the kids this year. Maybe I could have a picture of all of them wearing handmade sweaters for the Christmas card?? We shall see.  That might be a wee bit ambitious. I'm still looking for a sweater pattern for Luke. He is most definitely not a little boy anymore.
• sew- I promised Luke a wildlife quilt and I have a pattern for an adorable cupcake quilt for little T. I also need to finish the little dress I started for Tess in April. I know it will be too short for her, but I'm okay with it. It's all about the process of sewing a dress.
• celebrate my 15th wedding anniversary with some fancy carrot cake! We had carrot cake at our wedding and we've always eaten carrot cake on our anniversary.  I'm thinking about baking a miniature wedding cake and ordering carrot cupcakes from a bakery. 
• plant more strawberries and figure out how to protect them from the critters who ate my kale and carrot seedlings
• watch my Mammoth Sunflowers grow 
• read to Luke (for at least 10 minutes) every day
• celebrate with Sammy when he gets to lesson 100 on Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons! (See Sammy Read!)
• learn to fly fish (Actually, I just want to stand in a river wearing waders.)
• sit outside on the deck in the evening with Paul drinking lemonade
• star gazing with Luke
• have one-on-one time with both Luke and Sam. (It has become increasingly important to carve out time to spend with the older boys by themselves. They look forward to having time to having alone time with each parent. I notice that they are almost completely different people when isolated from their siblings.)
• read a lot, but not over-do it. 
• purge more. As the twins outgrow their clothes, box them up and donate them to a local Crisis pregnancy center. Never say never, but I suspect the twins might be my last babies. I can't imagine life without a baby...must cherish baby time!
• LIVE WELL by recognizing those tiny little blessings every day!