Become A Pet Foster Parent {Summer Bucket List}

It's happening, it's really happening. We've completed all the steps to become a pet foster family. Now we get to welcome a new dog or puppy into our home (temporarily). If you didn't know, Charlie was the result of our first and only failed attempted at fostering. I'm vowing to be more successful this time around.

We made the decision to foster because of my daughter. She loves animals with all her being. She has enjoyed teaching Charlie new tricks, photographing him, and exploiting him on the Instagram. All kidding aside, she really enjoys all of those things and we felt this would be a great project for her. Plus it will fulfill a volunteer requirement for high school. We are hoping if this goes well she can apply her experience to college apps and scholarships. That's a little further down the road. She even started a blog to document her pet fostering and dog training experience. You can find it HERE.

The process to become a pet foster family was relatively easy. Our local animal shelter required current pets to have an updated rabies shot. Charlie was overdue, so we had to make a trip to Petco to visit the Vetco. Aren't they clever? Then, Charlie needed to be registered with the county. I actually didn't know this was a thing. If you are a pet owner you might want to look into whether your dog needs to be registered with the county you live in. Next, the shelter sent out a volunteer to our house to check our yard. Just to make sure we do not have poisonous plants or dangerous things for an animal to harm itself. We got the all clear.

Our last step was to check out the current listings on the animal shelter's website to pick a few favorites.  Then we went in for a meet n greet with Charlie. In the end we chose to foster a dog who was extremely timid, seemingly non-aggressive dog without a great chance at life. Hopefully, our time with him will bring him out of his shell and he will be more adoptable. Every Saturday we will take him to an adoption event at our local Petco where he spends the day. If he gets adopted, then we get another dog to foster. If he doesn't get so lucky, then we bring him home for another week. I love that we control the experience. I'm really looking forward to the challenges and rewards pet fostering will bring.

Here is Bear. He isn't the active dog his breed suggests he is. Our goal is to get him happy (confident). Then adopted!

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Linking up with The Pleated Poppy

Grizzly Creek Trailhead {Summer Bucket List}

Our impromptu road trip enabled us to see one of our favorite parts of the country- Colorado. Sometimes I wish we were an Army or Air Force family so we could call Colorado our home for a few years. It's definitely one of our top choices for our forever home when my husband retires from the Marine Corps. Planning for life post-military always seemed like a lifetime away and now is just around the corner. Every time we travel through Colorado I just fall in love even more.

We had a little extra time on our way back to California so we planned a hike. We really wanted to hike Hanging Lake Trail but by 10am the access road was closed. I've read the Hanging Lake trail is a big draw for hikers and they come early. Total bummer to have missed our window. I guess we will have to plan a little better the next time through. We decided to hike a nearby trail called Grizzly Creek Trailhead. Just a simple creek side hike uphill right off the interstate.

The pictures say it all. It's so beautiful there. I love all the green. And the flowers. And the water. The mountains. Ok. I love everything.

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Summer Bucket List 2014

Time for the annual Summer Bucket List. Publishing our family summer plans has become an annual post on the blog. It was one of the first things I posted and first posts I repeated. I've never been real great at completing the summer bucket list. Our Summer Bucket List 2012 was pretty ambitious and we didn't complete most of it. Our Summer Bucket List 2013 was scaled back and we still failed. I've decided Summer Bucket List 2014 will be minimal and we will complete it!

If you want to learn more about Summer Bucket Lists or get some great ideas for your own. Check out The Happy Family Movement Summer Bucket List Challenge. It's a fabulous place to start gathering ideas for your very own list! Pinterest is always an amazing resource too. But when is Pinterest not fabulous?  

Summer Bucket List 2014

* Horseback Riding * Photo A Day #semperfifamsummerbreak2014 * Become a Foster Pet Family * Movie Marathon * Hike * Go to The Grove L.A. * Beach Day * Back To School Shopping * Lake Skinner Splash Pad * Fishing

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Summer Bucket List 2013: The epic fail

Summer is over. School is back in session. Schedules have taken the place of lazy summer days. While basking in the absolute quiet and stillness of my house, I started thinking about the Summer Bucket List. The list of adventures our Semper Fi Family planned for Summer 2013. It took me about 2.3 seconds to realize the list was an epic fail, like a total waste of memory on this blog. I believe we crossed off three adventures in the entire two months the kids were off. So sad.

What did we do with our time? Besides watch countless hours of Disney reruns. We managed to Ride Our Bikes To The Store. The kids loved that one! And we managed to Pick Strawberries which was supposed to be blueberries but we missed the season. We managed a Back To School shopping trip. My daughter wouldn't let me overlook that bucket list "adventure".

We fit in a Summer BBQ for my husband's Gunny Sergeant Wet Down. This is all I have to show for it. Even though I promised a whole blog post. Sorry.

The boys and I had a backyard picnic when Ky was in DC. Not extravagant but there was Shasta. And what is a summer picnic without Shasta? Technically, a picnic would make four completed summer bucket list items.

Then there were things not on the original bucket list but we did them anyways.

Like Hiking a trail we've already hiked before...in lieu of Hiking a New Trail.

And checking out the local splash pad.

We even did a little fishing...

And hit up California's Largest Water Park. 

Someone in our house turned 13...and we had this crazy Instagram Scavenger Hunt party.

And Someone Else Got Promoted.

Maybe the summer wasn't a total loss. We just got a little sidetracked.

We are officially retiring the 2013 Summer Bucket List.

Better luck next year!

If you enjoy reading this blog, please vote at the link below. Adventures of a Semper Fi Family
http://voiceboks.com/top-50-military-mom-blogs-of-2013/
Thank you!

Ride Our Bikes To The Store

One of my favorite memories from childhood was riding my bike to the store. A dollar or two in my pocket and a plethora of choices in the candy aisle. Nothing could be better. These are the memories our kids will never have. We have found ourselves kind of stuck in city life. Not that Camp Pendleton is the city but it is a very big military base. It's almost two miles to the store. Lots of busy roads and traffic. The only way to give my kids the experience was to ride along with them. I added Ride Our Bikes To The Store on our Summer Bucket List. This week we managed to cross it off. Our first thing we crossed off the summer list.

This picture is much like the victory pose. We made it! 

It's a long uphill road to the store.

I gave all the kids a certain dollar amount to spend.

Not sure why but they all chose Icees.

Whatever makes them happy.

It's all about letting them be the decision makers.

I just sat back and dreaded the bike ride home. 

I can guarantee there will not be another bike ride to the store.

I'm getting too old for this!

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Summer Bucket List 2013

Time for the annual Summer Bucket List. This is the first post or project I have repeated. I've officially been blogging one year. It's a pretty exciting milestone.

Our Summer Bucket List 2012 was pretty ambitious and we didn't get a lot completed. This summer we have scaled things down and will make a valid effort to cross everything off. Please check back as the list is continually updated with links over the next couple of months to share our progress. 

If you want to learn more about Summer Bucket Lists or get some great ideas for your own. Check out The Happy Family Movement Summer Bucket List Challenge. It's a fabulous place to start gathering ideas for your very own list! Pinterest is always an amazing resource too. There are so many pin boards designated to the list.  

Summer Bucket List 2013

Blueberry Picking * Bike Ride to the Store * Ice Cream from the Ice Cream Truck * No Electronics Day * Photo A Day * Movie Marathon * Picnic * Camping * Read a Book Under A Tree * Hike A New Trail * Make Homemade Ice Cream * Summer BBQ * Boogie Boards/ Beach Day * San Diego County Fair * Family Pictures * Road Trip * Back To School Shopping * Pinterest Project Day * Visit A Museum

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Ice Cream Truck {summer bucket list}

Summer is winding down very quickly. No hard feelings from this girl. I'm more of a fall kind of gal. Sadly the summer bucket list has remained untouched for weeks. After working my last day, we can devote the last week of summer to checking off our list.

The kids excitedly reminded me of our need to check off Get Ice Cream from the Ice Cream Truck when the chime-y music started a mile away. All three came running from different directions, "Ice Cream Truck! Ice Cream Truck!" O-K, got it!

Our ice cream truck lady was incredibly sweet. Which totally makes sense, I mean she sells ice cream! I think she was a little curious of my need to document the purchase. Maybe next time I'll explain the whole blog thing. Oh by the way, there's a picture of you floating around on the web. Hope you don't mind?

It was a fun little break under the tree with our overpriced ice cream cones. 

The kids loved it but poor little Charlie didn't like being left out.

He tried to make an emotional appeal...

 Poor guy got nuthin'. 

Maybe next time buddy!

I hope everyone enjoys these last weeks of summer. I can't wait for cooler weather and kids in school. Are you looking forward to Fall? Or are you a fan of Summer?

Disneyland Day Trip {summer bucket list}

Who wants to see my pictures from The Happiest Place on Earth?!? I think I have just crossed the line to become "that girl". But since you are here, why not take a scroll down the page.  These pics are from the latest trip with my sister and the kids.  We had a blast and strangled every minute out of the day for a total of 13 hours of Mickey saturated bliss.

In my opinion there is only one way to do Disney, sun up to sun down. Call me crazy but I want to get every red cent out of my ticket. The goal was to be there for the park opening but there was a minor issue with the base gate putting us 30 minutes behind schedule. Heck ya, there's a schedule! Sorry it's engrained, I get paid to plan events. I will humbly admit the schedule issue required a moment of regrouping and some positive self talk, Keep Calm & Carry On. And all was good again. Disneyland here we come.

Autopia

Tommorrowland is always the first stop. Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear, Autopia, and Space Moutain are all favorites. I have boys remember? There are no other options. My sister and I tricked got all of the kids on Space Mountain. I'm pretty sure the youngest is scarred for life. And the middle one might be too. I could not keep this from you all. Look at this face! Poor baby!  Am I the only parent who catalogs away embarrassing moments and pictures for the dating years? Oh I can't wait.

We spent all morning at Disneyland and went to California Adventure in the afternoon. Total loss because of the newest addition, Cars Land.  I took a ton of pics in Cars Land but we didn't ride a single ride. The lines were insane and simply put not. worth. it. Here is a little taste of what it's all about. No detail left undone. It's kind of the Disney way isn't it?

I promise not to keep you hanging. I'm creating a special Cars Land post, so you can see what all the fuss is about.

After 13 hours of Disney fun, my sister and I vetoed the kid vote and decided to leave. As soon as we got to the parking garage, the fireworks began. Talk about perfect timing.

Wow, I think I have a little Disney high!
I can't wait to put together the Disney California Adventure post.
Stop back soon.