July Goals Completed...mostly

Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, ID.

Well it is time to give an update on my summer goals! So far I feel like I have (more or less) achieved them. That is to say, I have done more than I would have if I didn't have any goals at all...though my interpretation of what qualifies as follow-through might be a little bit hazy. But that's life, isn't it? We do the best we can with what we have, and try to find the humor when it doesn't turn out in real life quite like we had it pictured in our minds.

I am happy to report that my number-one July

Doesn't he look so happy to be here!?

goal of going on a date with my husband did indeed happen! It was so nice to connect with one another over a yummy meal and some seriously-sweet peanut-butter-cup cheesecake. All this followed, of course, by coffee (like we could leave that out...in this family no date is complete without coffee) at a cute little cafe. We laughed and dreamed and talked about our life. Mental note: don't wait so long to do that again! It is easy to let life get in the way and make excuses for why we can't get away for a couple of hours, just the two of us. But the truth is, we can and we should. It may not work to schedule dates every week in this season of our life, but we can certainly have them every month! (Though, perhaps in the future, they should be less calorie-laden...because eating like that on a regular basis could be a recipe for an increase in pant sizes and who wants that as a side-effect from a date?)

Baby Girl and the Hubs bonding over a waterfall viewing.

As far as camping goes...we didn't even try. Life got busy, finances were tight, sleeping bags were MIA and our cozy bed beckoned nightly. Oh well...this is where improvisation comes in! When it became apparent that camping was not in our summer 2013 future, I decided that we at least had to check out a local tourist attraction I'd been wanting to see. So we hit the road and spent a day checking out the beautiful Shoshone Falls and swimming in a nearby lake. It was a great family adventure that cost little and didn't take much planning. We will definitely be planning another day-trip soon!

Goals help keep me on track to get stuff done. It may not be exactly what I had planned, but it is assuredly a lot closer than if I didn't plan anything at all. Next up, August! I've already started working on those goals so I'd say I'm on a role! And (bonus!) the hubs and I have another date planned for this month. I think my I'm starting to like this planning thing...

Baby Girl's 1st lake experience.