Summer Bucket List

How is it already the 20th of June? Summer is in full swing here in Colorado, and with temperatures hitting the 90s I think it's finally safe to say that we aren't going to have anymore snow (though you never know, hahaha.) Things have been difficult lately but I've been making a concerted effort to get out and about for R's sake, and so I decided to jump on the "summer bucket list" wagon and write out some of the fun things I want to do this summer.

(Real talk: this graphic has been sitting on my desktop for probably three weeks now because I kept forgetting to make this very simple post.)

- I can officially check the first one! I got a gorgeous new swimsuit and though I spent way more than I should have, it's worth it to own something I'll actually wear to the pool.

- Another place I want to wear my swimsuit to is Water World, the biggest water park in Colorado and one of the biggest in the U.S.! I haven't been there since 2010 when N and I took a day off from home renovations to have some fun, and I miss it dearly. This year is the first year R is really old enough to enjoy the kiddie park they have there, and I'm hoping I can get my mom to tag along to watch R while N and I do some of the other fun rides!

- Colorado National Speedway is redneck heaven. I had never even heard of it until N took me for the first time, and it was love at first sight. Race cars, turkey legs, and some of the best people watching in the state. Plus they always have ridiculous races like school buses (the last time we saw buses 3 tipped over before they had to call it a night) and "trains" which are three cars chained together with a driver in the first, and a break car in back. They run these trains in a figure eight so that they crash into each other. It's just so, so good.

- And speaking of turkey legs and people watching the Colorado Renaissance Festival is where it's at. I have unashamedly dressed up for it since high school and nothing is stopping me now. Last time we tried to go R was still in her stroller days and got so hot and cranky she started screaming non-stop and we had to leave. I think she's old enough to try again, and the outfit I bought her still fits! Now if I could just get N to dress up too...

- My sister and I took R to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo before we ran our first 5k in Colorado Springs. It's the only mountain zoo in the U.S. and has a lot of cool interactive things you can do including, you guessed it, feed giraffes! N wants to come too so we're going to head down there with the three of us sooner or later.

- Hiking is always something I've had mixed feelings about. My dad is a huge hiker (he climbed up to Everest base camp!) and thus hikes with my family were always miserable. It was always "we'll stop over that ridge, no the next one, no the next one" and the "lunches" they would pack were sausage, hard cheese, and crackers. Yeah I don't get it either. But after N helped me climb to Hanging Lake when we were dating and the rest of my family abandoned me (I was withdrawing off Effexor and very, very sick) I've always enjoyed hiking with him. We'll see how I fair this year but I think R and Hank would enjoy it too.

- Six Flags may own the big amusement park in Denver, but it will always be Elitches to anyone who has grown up here. This year R is finally old and big enough to go on the kiddie rides, however I cannot go on many (if any) rides myself because of my stimulator. But I'd rather go to see R have fun anyway. We're hoping to go with my SIL and her boys because I think R would be a lot less scared and more willing to go on rides if she had her cousins with her. I think she'll have a great time, but she is SO cautious that I think she'll need some prodding at first.

- The last two are pretty basic. We need to do more regular fun things as a family instead of parking our butts in front of the TV. Plus there's nothing good on in the Summer anyway! ;) I also want to tackle some of the delicious looking recipes I've been pinning on Pintrest for years but have never tried. Mostly the sweets. Pretty much all the sweets.

Hope you have a great summer full of adventures!