Summer 2013 Bucket List

Ooooh, boy girl, do I have something fun for you today!

I saw there was a link-up for summer bucket lists. And I thought, "well why not?" Clearly this is bound to be one of the more exciting summers of our life.

Half of it will be spent in Scotland, where 'summer' may not be the best word for season.  Seriously folks. No air conditioners, because the temps rarely get over 70 degrees.

The other half will be in Minnesota, and after two full summers away, we are excited to get back there, mosquitos and all. (No, seriously. You should see the Jenny Long Legs in Scotland. Look like a mix between mosquitos and daddy long legs.  Gross. They don't bite, but still.  Gross.  And no screens on windows....so.  I'll let you think about that for a second.  Eeew.)

With that being said, I humbly present our 2013 Summer Bucket List:

What do you think?  Anything we should add?  Who's up for a bonfire?

I should have added a bubble gun fight.  Oh, wait.  That already happened. 

Alright, I'm off to find out how to make our own bubble solution, since I have a feeling J#3 and J#4 will be chomping at the bits to take these bubble guns out again.  Pinterest, don't let me down.  

** 

Linking up with these ladies:  

the soul wins.

Mind over matter.

That is what I was telling myself this morning.  "Train your mind, Jenny.  Teach yourself how to make the right choice.  To make yourself think the right way.  It's all mind over matter."

But what happens when your mind isn't in it?  Be it because of hormones or the weather or whatever dang thing can affect our moods...

And then I realized.  The missing part of the equation.

Soul.  

Soul over body and mind.  Living from our soul, our heart. I think this may be the secret to intentional living. The very intentional living that I talk about so much, but have a hard time of practicing as much as I preach it.

The soul loves life.  The soul loves spending time with the people that are the most important to us and that fill us to the top with soul feeding moments.

"If our "cup" is full with good things--our family, people that challenge us to love, creativity that inspires us, reading that moves us, etc.--there isn't room for anything else.  If we choose to make time for those not-so-great things, something good must spill over to make room. I'm stingy with the good in my cup--I'm not letting it spill over."  --Kelle Hampton (Feb 6, 2013 blog post titled "Enjoying")

For me, "cup" = soul.

And these souls?  The moments I live with these souls are the ones that fill me up with the good the great.  

I plan on making my soul happy.  Not my mind, because it will have its bad days.  And the body can be hard to control as well.  So, I'm going to focus on filling my soul with greatness so it can trickle over to my mind and body.

Then my mind and my body will just need to get with the program.

Bucket List Action: Loch Lomond, Scotland

It is an interesting life, being an expat.  

You are in a foreign country, surrounded by new people, new scenery, new customs {yes, even in Scotland}.  But at the same time you are living your regular life.  Husband goes off to work, diapers to change, laundry to do. 

But in this life {and really any life} there is so much to be thankful for. 

Like a weekend trip to do some "sightseeing". 

This past weekend, we made a trip to Loch Lomond, about an hour away from our home, through many windy and narrow Scottish roads. 

We started out the weekend at the aquarium. Obviously.  

And I was taken aback by how quickly she is growing up.  Thankful that I get to spend each day watching her develop bit by bit.

 The aquarium had an observation deck on their top floor.  So here are J#1 & J#3, doing just that.

We made our way to the hotel and found the kiddo's room.  Cute, right?  Only J#3 got to use it though.

And after a bit of a rest, we headed to find our way to dinner.  The plan was to find a playground that had looked on the map like it was on the way to the restaurant.

It wasn't.

But we found other ways to amuse ourselves.

Daddy tried showing J#3 how to skip rocks.  This would be J#3's attempt....

And Daddy's.

This is when I am thankful for his experience {and a great photo opp}. 

And this one?  Adventurous and stubborn.  Oh boy girl.  Quite the combination, isn't it?

* * *

On Sunday we headed into the nearby town and got ready to board our "cruise", which involved some hanging 'round the dock first. 

Sister and brother doing a bit of discovering.

And then it was on to the boat.  Evidently three & one year olds aren't so into the scenery?  Although J#3 did make friends with the couple sitting in the booth behind us.

Here is J#4 before her minor meltdown that led into her falling asleep in my arms holding her shortbread cookie as a "teddy".  Seriously, I tried taking it out of her hand? And she woke up and cried.

Goofy.  But cute. 

And here are the money shots.  

Our hotel, from the lake Loch.

So thankful for these out of the ordinary experiences that are blending into our ordinary lives.

*  *  *

Fun {in Glasgow} & Business

First the business {even though IT is fun too}:

• Psst..come over here...I want to say this quietly so the # doesn't change suddenly.  See my google friend connect widget over there {look to the right under "love these readers"}?  100.  100 readers. Wow.  I used to care a LOT more about the numbers than I do now, but still...that is pretty. darn. cool. Thank you for being readers!
• AND I got a "steller waist watcher"honor this week.  Check that out HERE. 

* * * 

Okay, now on the the even MORE fun stuff.  

Last Friday I talked about how I wanted to have more memories, more moments to carry with me.  In that spirit we decided, sort of impromptu, to head into Glasgow on Sunday.  

And I'm quite sure we'll be making several trips back there.  Glasgow is Scotland's Minneapolis compared to Edinburgh, which I would call Scotland's St. Paul.  Except that, of course, ALL of Scotland has way more history that Minneapolis OR St. Paul {but that goes without saying}.  There is a ton of shopping {for when I am DONE with Game On and want to go shopping again!} and sites to be seen.

One of these times, we are taking a sightseeing bus.  You know, because that would be educational.

One thing that constantly amazes me about Europe is the mix of old and new.  

Like this building that you can tell was built a long time ago...

Look at the bottom.  See that TGI Friday's sign?  

We also saw quite possibly one of the best Apple Store locations evah.  {I'll get a photo of that next time}

Little lady just MIGHT be teething {when are these little beings NOT teething?} a bit. 

 But is also excited about the new found freedom that being a walker affords her.

Street magician.  Oh, and check out the guy on the right hand corner.  Smiling for the camera.  

And another guy smiling for the camera. 

Playing with buckles.  Always playing with buckles. 

 Trying to escape.  But Daddy is too fast for her.

Di Maggio's--Quite possibly one of the most child friendly restaurants I've come across here. 

{that doesn't have an indoor playground}

Oh, and they have good bruschetta. 

So what did you do this weekend to live life in the moment & fill up that memory meter? 

* * * 

Linking up with Sweet Shot Tuesday and Communal Global. 

Being Brave: Progress Made

On January 2, instead of making a new year's resolution I was sure not to keep, I decided on having "one word" for the year.  My word is BRAVE.   


I had no idea at the beginning of the year where that was going to bring me or how it was going to change my life. And to be perfectly honest, up until this past Saturday, I wasn't feeling very brave.  That is a day that I am so thankful for, and has changed my mood, my faith and my attitude.   {For the better, of course.}

So, with a renewed spirit, I wanted to check in and touch base on a few of the ways that I had planned to be brave in 2012.  Today I'll reflect on where I've made progress.  And a part two will come soon on...well, things I haven't.


#4 was to live a purpose driven life.  During Lent {and as my "good habit" in this session of Game On...but more on that to come} I have started reading the book, "The Purpose Driven Life" and it was the nudge that I needed for Saturday to happen.   So check, and check.  I get excited to read the next chapter of this book every day.

#5 was to meet new people.  Sort of an obvious move, since we are living in a new country, right?  Well, this was the first week that I really did it.  Evidently it took me a while to build up the courage.  But with a playgroup today, another coming up on Monday and a girls night tomorrow night?  I will have officially met quite a few Scots {and hopefully friends}.

And I must say {even as much as I told myself I didn't need it} it DOES feel good to get to know some more people.  J#3 & J#4 are fun kids, but they just aren't such great conversationalists, you know?

#9 was all about losing weight and getting healthy.  If you are a regular here, you know I am all over this one.  If you are newer, well then read here for my latest update.  And the next time I mention we have a new session of Game On starting?  You better join us.  It seriously is life changing.

#10 was to discover Scotland {and England and Ireland}.  A plan has been set in place.  Check out my bucket list for a rundown of some of the places we are going to see.  And our plan is to head out and "discover" at least two weekends every month.

So out of the 10 ways I was going to be brave, I wrote about four here.  Which means...I have some work to do.

But unlike a week ago?  I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for a renewed faith and spirit that have given me an attitude of "can do" instead of "maybe later".

* * *

Linking up with a punk, a pumpkin and a peanut and The Fontenot Four for Thankful Thursday. 


&



 

Choose Joy

One of the things that I haven't been writing about as much lately {other than this post about friends} is being an expatriate.  Since there are some newer readers visiting my blog these days, here are the bullet points:

• We moved overseas to the Netherlands in October 2010. 
• My daughter was born February 2011 in the Netherlands.  
• We learned about that time that we would likely be moving to Scotland. 
• We finally moved to Scotland in October 2011. 
• We will likely move back to the U.S. October 2013. 

Obviously I miss the people that we are far away from, especially with my son's 3rd birthday approaching.  And then I've also been missing the comforts of home, knowing people {babysitters!}, knowing the stores, not needing a GPS for every drive.  

 And the spaces that we had worked on to make our own just before we moved.

But then I come across inspirational stories, like Ashley's. See that "Choose Joy" button on the right hand side of my blog? That is a new addition that will be staying around for awhile. Click on it (or below) to read more about her story. In short, during the last year she has: lost her father to a sudden heart attack (he was only 64!), had a miscarriage, a traumatic emergency hysterectomy, and she is now facing cancer with chemotherapy.  

Crazy difficult, right?  But she has made "Choose Joy" her motto in life.  And thru it all, she is doing that. Amazing. Even with all that, she is spreading the joy by passing out bracelets with the "choose joy" motto on them to random strangers.  

And so, even if I might be feeling homesick, contemplating if I should put the effort into make new friends in Scotland and not exactly enjoying this continuous cloudy, rainy weather...my plan is to "Choose Joy".  

We went one of our first sightseeing trips on Saturday {very short, about 20 minutes away} to the Falkirk Wheel.

It was raining, windy and the Wheel was actually not working.  But I decided to enjoy it anyways.  And be happy because I know it is so close we can go again.

 Even if J#3 was a bit crabby about being there.  Or just about having his photo taken.

 Because its never long before he is smiling again.

*  *  *