Adventures in Bucket List Completion

So, if you have been following my adventures in bucket list completion, I checked a few off this past week and that is why I have not been posting as much. I plan on getting caught up soon, I promise!

Here are a few pictures from our visit to the zoo, which was a bucket list item.

Emma Claire and my little cousin, Isabel


kangaroos. They are one of my favorites. I love that the devoted mama carries them snug as a bug in their pouch until they are ready to face the world.


Joeys of our own


"Is this event black tie???"


Evelyn Rose. She's my animal lover. You can tell by THIS photograph.


Izzy's face painting. Set her mom back FIVE DOLLARS!!! Wowza! I think I should learn the art of face painting!


Emma Claire's horse ride. Cost: Four tokens. When she has a horse at home to ride for free. Note to self: Charge people to ride horse.


Best buds. Sometimes. Other times, can't stand each other. They fight like sisters, but love like sisters too.

The Before I Kick the Bucket List

Who remembers this amazing, fun, moving movie?

I was inspired by Melissa's post at A Family in Love to make a Summer Bucket List of my own since the summer usually slips through my fingers like sand from a pail.

Make an address planter (like this one at Cap Creations)
Make my own salsa
Learn the art of canning
Organize the pantry (again...and again...and again)
Take the fam to the drive in
See Eclipse with the girls (Yes, I'm a Twi-nerd)
Learn how to use the Singer (Anyone offering lessons???)
Take the girls for a hike at Ouabache (the local state park)
Take Emma Claire canoeing
Make these cute little ladies for the garden
Take the girls to the Children's Museum in Indy
Make the garage a usable space Done! Well, it's clean anyway!!
Start a little Christmas shopping (Be quiet. I'll be the one laughing at Christmas.)
Build a playhouse for the girls
Paint the house (I'm shootin' high on that one.)
Build a kitchen (for said playhouse) like Kristen's that was featured here at Knock Off Wood
Hang clothes on the line (The line that doesn't exist yet...)
Make this chore system for Emma (from Making the World Cuter)
Visit the in-laws in Tennessee
Take Emma Claire to Pine Lake We had a blast!!! Hubs even took a day off (this hardly EVER happens) and even HE had fun!!
Take Emma Claire to see Junie B. Jones (this isn't until November, but I thought that I would include it anyway) at Amish Acres
Go to the flea market at Shipshewana (If you are ever in northern Indiana, go there! It's WONDERFUL!!!)
Have Aunt Delaney come for a visit.
Camp out. Even if it's in the backyard.
Stick to Weight Watchers.
Run a 5K. Starting small.
Join a Zumba class. See what the hype is all about.
Make a new friend.
Find a batting cage.
Shooting range. (Yes, I am a self-proclaimed hillbilly. I shoot.)
Convince the hubby to get a dog (This may take more than just the summer). (Yes, this was the first one accomplished of the summer!!! I have no clue what got into him!!!
Sign Emma Claire up for a dance class.
Finish the Summer Reading Program that we never do. We always read, we just lose track).
Go on a mini-vacation to the Sandusky area.
Cut down on soda to one a week.
Take the husband to the Cord-Deusenburg museum in Auburn
Convince the husband to take me to see Steel Magnolia at Three Rivers Festival.
Take Em to Johnny Appleseed Festival
Convince Mom to go to the Country Living Fair in Columbus
Go to the zoo.
Go to the zoo.
Go to the zoo.
Go to the zoo.
Go to the zoo.
(Yes, it's on there multiple times so that I can check it off MULTIPLE TIMES. We love the zoo.)
Take the girls to Science Central.
Convince Emma that there are not any robbers in her room and that she can sleep the whole night long in her OWN bed.
Complete MY summer reading program. (8 books in two months. REALLY?!?!? Come on. So far, I am three and a half in. One month remaining. Odds are not looking good to me.)
Take some photos of Magic Valley. (Stay tuned to find out what this is.)
Fine tune my photo skills.

This will be a to be continued post...

Lessons in Editing

If there is one thing I don't like, it is the clone tool. Don't get me wrong, it's handy as heck. But a pain in the NECK, it is! And TIME CONSUMING. Geez. Been messing with it for an hour!

Well, it's not perfect, and I BEG YOU, DO NOT TAKE TOO CLOSE OF A LOOK! Yes, it's shabby work, but you can't really tell the details. You just get the gist of what is going on. A hint. You are not supposed to know their secret conversation anyway! But I love this picture, and it was a spontaneous and precious moment for me. They were just having a BLAST. I didn't want to ruin it with, "Hold still! Mama's gotta move the carseat out of the photo frame!" We all know what Emma would do...Or if you don't you will. She RUNS! Fast!!! She is the WORST photo subject EVER. So when I do capture candids like these, I resort to the cloning tool. It would probably be easier if I was using Photoshop, like I hope to ONE DAY. But for now, I suppose www.paint.net will have to suffice. (It really is great for freeware.)

Before


After


Now, you can just focus on the girls enjoying the summer's first rays of sunshine!

Linkin' up to The Paper Mama's Photo Challenge