The photo to the right shows me, Griffin and Doug having a blast during our weekend camping adventure.

We were at the Cove Creek campground in Pisgah National Forest. The campground featured lush forests, with the most beautiful views of the mountains, and cascading waterfalls that made for VERY refreshing dips, given that temperatures soared into the 90′s.

We also contended with torrential downpours for almost a full day of our 3-day adventure, and I marveled that Griffin didn’t complain once (although Doug and I shared thoughts of escape if it rained one minute more).

Griffin says that his favorite thing to do is play video games, so I was especially surprised that he never once mentioned that he was bored or wished he could be reunited with his beloved screen sooner.

What I’ve noticed is that if I offer up opportunities to “unplug” he happily takes them. He eschewed any camps for the summer, so I’ve been thinking of lots of ways for us to connect and enjoy his “down” time together.

Last year I wrote an ezine about my family’s Summer Bucket List – all the activities I want to be sure we don’t miss, and a reader (Hi, Lisa!) recently reminded me of it:

I’m guilty of saving emails for-ev-er, but sometimes it’s good because I found your e-zine from last year about your summer bucket list; my family is doing their own for 2013 and yours just made me smile. Not quite warm enough in upstate NY to jump in any body of water yet but looking forward to it on our list as well…

When I realized that what I really want — when my son is out of school and eschewing any camps — is to have fun and make memories with my family and friends, the “Summer Bucket List” idea was born.

I’m going to use this list to make sure that, even though we’re mostly at home, we make the most out of our summer. And so we’ll know at the end of it that we did everything we set out to do.

In no particular order, here are the things that make up my family’s summer bucket list this year:

1. Go camping (check!)
2. Eat body weight in S’Mores (check!)
3. Watch at least one sunset from start to finish
4. Go berry picking
5. Make blueberry pancakes for dinner
6. Go fishing
7. Knock off work early on a weekday and watch a matinee in the movie theater
8. Have a picnic at the park while listening to live music (Asheville hosts an awesome Shindig on the Green.)
9. Visit Griffin’s cousins in Tennessee
10. Play tag with neighborhood kids
11. Set up a Lemonade Stand
12. Go swimming in waterholes
13. Go to an amusement park or carnival
14. Go to an Asheville Tourists (local baseball team) game
15. Make homemade ice cream
16. Have a sprinkler party
17. Watch fireworks
18. Read from a novel every day.

I finished A Tale for the Time Being last week and it was AMAZING! Other books on my list: The Round House, The First Rule of Swimming, Above All Things, The Sound of Broken Glass, Sweet Tooth.

(Other books I’ve recently read and LOVED, if you’re looking for recommendations: Running the Rift, Half-Blood Blues, and The Middlesteins.)

What’s on your Summer Bucket List? I’d love to hear! Please share!

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