Over the 4th of July weekend, we took a family road trip and went hiking as part of our summer bucket list! Instead of detailing the weekend in a traditional post, I thought it would be fun to share favorite memories from our time away. So here goes! My top 11 favorite memories from our road trip and hiking adventures!

1. Lindstrom Bakery, Water tower and Downtown

Down the road from our hotel, we found a cute little scandinavian-themed town, Lindstrom, Minnesota. The downtown was delightful and fun to walk with the kids. They had a sweet teacup water tower, and near it was a quaint scandinavian bakery. We oohed and aahed over the tasty delights in the bakery, but unfortunately never got anything because we’d just eaten lunch. If we ever go back, we’ll definitely make another stop for some tea cakes and sugared doughnuts at the Lindstrom Bakery!

2. Highway 8 Chairs

The kids loved these oversized Adirondack chairs! Apparently, there are five brightly-colored chairs spread out across a 10-20 mile touristy stretch of Highway 8. The kids sat on two, but we saw four. Next time, I’d like to catch all five!

3. Franconia Sculpture Park

We had an amazing time at Franconia Sculpture Park. A Lindstrom local told us about the park, so we thought we’d stop by. It was enormous, fun and much more impressive than we would have ever guessed! I’d estimate we saw 40 large-scale sculptures by various artists. As with any art piece, we each had our favorites. My favorite was this old house suspended in the air. It was super cool. For some reason, I really connected with this piece. I took a few pics with the family, and then let them walk ahead while I took the opportunity to take a bunch of photos of the house insides and outsides.

4. The Drive-in Restaurant

Taylors Falls, Minnesota, has an amazing Drive-in Restaurant. We’d been referred to the drive-in by the Lindstrom local, and she was spot on! Had I known my BBQ pulled pork sandwich was going to be SO amazing, I would have gotten a picture before I started eating it. I couldn’t stop talking about the sandwich. It was honestly the BEST thing I’ve eaten in a whole year, since the amazing BBQ mac and cheese I had in the Wisconsin Dells last August. The sandwich was so good, I had my husband and daughter take a bite and they agreed whole-heartedly. At the end of the meal, the server asked how everything was. I told her the BBQ pork sandwich was amazing and she said she has one every night at the end of her shift. Guess I’m not alone on loving that sandwich! (Did I tell you it was amazing?)

5. Mini Ice Creams

The first day of our road trip was my birthday, so we wanted to end the night with some cake and ice cream. But when we went to the store, we realized it wasn’t so easy to buy small scale cake and ice cream as on-the-go travelers. So we ended up buying one of those cheap (but very good) Pepperidge Farm cakes and teeny single-serving buckets of ice cream for the kids. We ate everything back in the hotel room and the kids loved it. Not the traditional birthday cake and ice cream I usually have, but this was a fun change of pace, especially for the kids.

6. Marking the Trail

We started the second day of our road trip with a hike at Interstate State Park along the St. Croix River in Taylors Falls, Minnesota. Near the beginning of the hike, there was a short part of the trail that led us along Highway 8. Our youngest found a stick and began “marking” her way along the path with backwards 7s. We didn’t realize what she was doing at first, but after about 20 backwards 7s, it was hard to ignore how cute it was. We were growing a little impatient waiting for her to make a backwards 7 every two steps, but ultimately, it was worth the wait. And wouldn’t you know, within seconds of completing her trail, she threw the stick over a huge cliff without a sign of distress!

7. A Family Picture 

I loved this moment because it was the only family picture we got the whole road trip. Let’s be real. When mom’s the photographer, there aren’t many mom pics. Thank God for the man who volunteered to take this one! Gotta love it.

8. Walking in the Deep

I took a ton of pictures during our hike. We walked as a family, of course, but I had enough independence that for the most part, I was able to photograph freely. I have a lot of good photos from our 3-mile hike of Interstate State Park, but the one I captured of my husband and our three kids is one of my favorites. I especially loved the youngest on my husband’s shoulders most of the second half of the hike. (Bless the man’s soul, I would have been a lot more worn out than he seemed to be.)

9. Rock Throwing at Canal Park

Shortly after we arrived at our next stop, Duluth, Minnesota, we made our way to a major tourist destination, Canal Park. We walked the boardwalk and stopped for quite a while to sort through rocks and toss them in Lake Superior. I’ve lived in Minnesota 37 out of 39 years of my life and I’ve visited Canal Park more than once, but for some reason, I’d never sat on this very popular all-rock beach before. It was fun to watch the kids sort through the rocks and find flat ones to toss and skip across the lake. They had a great time. We let them throw until their hearts were content. They even waded in the water a bit, which was a hot day bonus for them!

10. Time at the Family Cabin

On July 4th, we spent time at the family cabin. The properties have been owned by my father-in-law’s side of the family for quite some time, so we typically visit once a summer. The kids had an amazing time jumping on the water trampoline and waterslide, both new this year!

11. Nursing Home Visit

Before we left for the cabin on the morning of the 4th, we visited a nursing home with my mother-in-law. She volunteers there every week, so knows the residents quite well. We visited several elderly as they were sitting and wheeling through the hallways, but we also went into a handful of rooms. We talked with one woman, a former teacher, quite extensively. Our conversation with her delighted my soul and made the visit all worth it. After everyone else had left the room and it was just me and our youngest wrapping up a little conversation, the woman said to me, “Well this visit was worth a million dollars.” I, of course, don’t have a photograph of this moment, but it’s my favorite.

Road Trip & Hiking.

Total Cost: $275 (hotel, snacks & beverages, meals, birthday cake & ice cream, state park fees)

Mom Lesson: Sometimes moms just need to get away.

Kid Lesson: Sometimes kids just need to get away. 

This post is part of a summer-long series titled Summer Bucket List. This is my first summer home full-time with our three children. My hope for this series is that it will challenge me to adventure out of my mothering comfort zone, will provide opportunities to live and write simply, practically, beautifully and meaningfully, and will stimulate some some fun ideas for your summer as well! To check out the entire series, click here and you’ll be directed to the introductory post where all the posts are listed and linked for easy reading. Enjoy, friends! And have a blessed summer.

I admit. I was a bit off from the moment I woke up this morning. I know myself well, and something wasn’t quite right. I wasn’t super friendly when my husband asked if I could go to the bank today to pick up all the cash we needed for the next two weeks. He left for work right after that and I gave him a half-hearted good bye. I intended to text him with an apology for the lackluster good bye, but got distracted by kid stuff. Sorry, babes.

The kids wanted to go to the zoo for our summer bucket list and I had no good reason to say no, so after morning trumpet lessons, we made our way to the animals.

It was the last day to get in on regular rate for the girls’ day camp at church, so we stopped in to pay as we passed. I wondered. Why does God always seem to have an important church errand for me to do when I’m feeling a little off, when I’m feeling a little vulnerable and worn? And why do I always run into pastors who want to know how I’m doing? Hmmm…imagine that. Pastors at a church. Asking how people are doing. Revolutionary. Perhaps our Heavenly Father is on to something there.

After a quick (or not so quick) lunch at Taco Bell (there was an extraordinarily long lunch line), we were finally on our way to the zoo.

I was still feeling off, emotionally and spiritually not quite right. Like I would be better off home by myself today or doing something quiet in isolation or going to a retreat center where nuns could tend my soul. But there was no way I was going to let my feelings get the best of our day. The kids were excited and well behaved and I was determined to join in the fun.

So I did.

My son put on loud music for us to listen to as we traveled the interstate. My daughter talked my ear off with stuff she was excited about. I answered questions and taught them some practical things they didn’t know before. We imagined ourselves living in St. Paul and the kids agreed they like to visit, but wouldn’t want to live there. All was good and after a while, we arrived at the zoo.

We got a pretty decent parking spot, emptied ourselves from the car, got the youngest in her stroller (in case of lack-of-nap meltdown), and made our way to the zoo entrance.

The new gardens were beautiful. I soaked in the various plantings, including some tropicals we don’t usually see outdoors in Minnesota. We admired the lily pads and breathtaking flowers in the water garden. The two oldest loved lilac. I loved the dark red one partially hidden behind a pad. I could have lingered longer, but the baby was running ahead and the kids were ready to go. Still. It was nice to move and get out with nature.

Step by step. Stop by stop. The four of us made our way through the zoo.

Ducks. Sea lions. Penguins. A polar bear. Bison and other horned and hoofed animals. Lions. Tigers. Kudus. Zebras. Gorillas. Orangutans. A rare wolf sighting. Pressed pennies. And even a little time in the fun park without spending a dime.

We took our time. We didn’t rush. We stopped to take photos when we felt like it. We enjoyed the animals and each other.

We moved right through that zoo. The pace was perfect. Nobody crabbed until the end. And my spirits weren’t perfect, but notably lifted by the exit.

On our way home, we picked up some ice cream cones with sprinkles and dip from Dairy Queen. I got a chocolate cone with chocolate dip. Good for the soul. Good for the taste buds, too.

The zoo.

Total Cost: $8-something for the cones

Mom Lesson: When we’re in a funk, it might be better to continue moving through the day rather than sitting and dwelling on whatever’s ailing us. 

Kid Lesson: As long as you’re a tiny bit creative, it doesn’t take much to satisfy kids’ curiosity.

This post is part of a summer-long series titled Summer Bucket List. This is my first summer home full-time with our three children. My hope for this series is that it will challenge me to adventure out of my mothering comfort zone, will provide opportunities to live and write simply, practically, beautifully and meaningfully, and will stimulate some some fun ideas for your summer as well! To check out the entire series, click here and you’ll be directed to the introductory post where all the posts are listed and linked for easy reading. Enjoy, friends! And have a blessed summer.

 

We picked two summer bucket list items for the day’s adventure. Ice cream party and a park. They went together naturally.

Our oldest daughter was away at camp for the week, so it was just me, our son and “the baby.” We made our way to the lake, a quaint and coveted place where wealth meets nature, a place we don’t frequent much at all, but should more often.

It was easy, really.

We parked.

We walked to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop.

The 12 year old chose a small cup of “Cookie Dough,” and I chose a cup of “Late Night Dough” to share with the three year old. Chocolate cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, and cookie dough? Oh yeah, and a little ice cream with that dough, please. Who could ask for more?

As we strolled to a park bench, the 12 year old surprised me with these words.

“Thank you very much, mom. This is fun!”

Who knew a small cup of ice cream and a stroll could make a kid so happy?

They ate.

I ate.

We said “hi” to two dogs, Romeo and Lucky, who passed with their owners.

When the baby finished her portion of “Late Night Dough,” she rummaged around under the park bench, picking up rocks, bugs and a bunch of dirt.

On we went. Down the sidewalk. Down the street. Alongside the railroad track. Around the old train station turned museum. Past the dainty light pink roses wrapping around a trellis. Past the man sitting on the park bench who clearly knew this place all too well.

There it was.

The shining star.

A tiny community with bridges, churches, farms and depots. The miniature train wasn’t up and running, but that didn’t make the scene any less alluring.

We made one round. Two rounds. Another round. I held her hand that third time around. She walked the ledge. There was freedom in the walking, with nobody there to yell or suggest get down, go away, don’t do that. I knew she was okay up there. I had her hand most all the way. All was good. Very good.

It was time to move on.

We strolled towards the water, towards big boats, yachts, really. The 12 year old suggested we’ll probably get one of those someday. “Yeah, maybe we’ll get a boat someday,” I agreed casually, not wanting to burst his bubble quite yet. After all, maybe he will have a yacht someday.

After a while strolling the dock and holding hands vigilantly with the three year old, we came upon a launch with clean, easy access to the water’s edge. Rocks littered the ground. Nobody was around. It was just us, the water and the rocks.

The 12 year old began throwing stones, one after another after another. “I’m going to skip stones,” he exclaimed. I couldn’t remember the last time he had an opportunity to skip stones. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him skip stones. He was great at it. Awesome, in fact. He knew just how to throw to skip, skip, skip. Ripple, ripple, ripple. So cool. So simple.

Then she began to throw stones, too. I thought she might pick up on the fact that her stones were just plopping in while his were skimming. Nope. She had no clue. She was just as elated by her plop as he was by his skim. She cheered. He cheered. She smiled. He smiled. Life was good.

After a long while of plopping and skipping stones, he said “Let’s just say here as long as we want, until we get bored.” “Okay,” I said. “Great idea.”

So we did.

I sat.

I watched.

I chilled.

And took a few pictures.

They plopped and skipped stones in the water repeatedly. As many as they wanted. I swear it was the best fun they’ve had in a long time.

The fun finally fizzled a bit. We agreed it was time to continue our walk down the dock.

 

We found ourselves a park on the beach, another quaint spot we’d only been once on the way to family pictures a few years ago. There was sand everywhere. So she took off her shoes. He kept his on.

They played.

They climbed.

I followed.

Until it was time to go. Back to the dock. Past the big boats and yachts. Past the launch where they threw stones. Up and around the railroad tracks. Down the long sidewalk. And across the crosswalk to our vehicle.

It was a good day, yes. A good summer bucket list adventure.

Ice cream party and a park.

Total Cost: $8.50

Mom Lesson: I’m a much happier mom when we get out of the house. 

Kid Lesson: Kids need nature.

 

 

This post is part of a summer-long series titled Summer Bucket List. This is my first summer home full-time with our three children. My hope for this series is that it will challenge me to adventure out of my mothering comfort zone, will provide opportunities to live and write simply, practically, beautifully and meaningfully, and will stimulate some some fun ideas for your summer as well! To check out the entire series, click here and you’ll be directed to the introductory post where all the posts are listed and linked for easy reading. Enjoy, friends! And have a blessed summer.

It’s hard to believe the kids’ last day of school was two weeks ago already!

12 1/2 years into mothering, and this is my first summer home full-time with our kids. Six months ago, I prayerfully and intentionally decided to step away from my work as a speech-language pathologist to focus on writing, explore special needs photography and stay at home with our three children.

After six months of staying home full-time, there are a couple things I know for sure. I take life seriously. I take this season of life particularly seriously. I have no intention of sitting around eating bon bons bringing in zero income while my husband works his butt off providing 100% of income for our family. I want to follow God’s call and write like never before. I want to explore and nurture my lifelong passion for photography. And I want to grab ahold of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay home full-time and embrace my days with our children while they’re still young. But I have to be honest, I’m NOT a natural at this full-time stay at home mom gig. Because I take life so seriously and I’m such a worker bee, I need to be really intentional about finding creative ways to relax, enjoy, explore, adventure, and nurture my playful side with our children.

I don’t want to be the mom who was always stressed.

I don’t want to be the mom who always worked.

I don’t want to be the mom who didn’t know how to chill.

I don’t want to be the mom who ignored her heart and soul.

I don’t want to be the mom who never did anything fun or adventurous.

I want to be a mom who’s intentional, insightful, thoughtful, loving, present and willing to step out of the box for the sake of a purpose-driven life.

And yes, I want my kids to know that they can learn anywhere, that they can do lots of fun things without a ton of money, that they can choose to love and embrace life despite any circumstance they may face.

With all of that in mind, I knew I needed a plan for this summer, my first summer at home full-time with the kids.

I needed a loose plan to make summer successful for all of us. A loose plan for me. And a loose plan for the kids. Something to guide our way.

I also knew that historically, summer has been particularly challenging in the way of writing. I knew I needed time to relax, to restore my soul, to nurture my love for words and creative expression through writing. I knew I needed a unique combination of freedom plus structure to ensure a successful and personally fulfilling summer of writing and living.

So when my daughter found a piece of scrapbook paper labeled “Summer Bucket List” at the craft store six weeks ago, I knew that was it.

A summer bucket list?! Perfect.

We bought that piece of scrapbook paper.

We bought a bucket. (Okay, it’s not much of a bucket at all, but I needed to kick off summer with a little bit of beauty!)

We changed Baseball Game to Canterbury Park because we already do baseball way too many nights and haven’t ever been to a horse race.

We changed Rollerblading to Park and Canoeing to Zoo because….well…to be honest, I don’t really want to go rollerblading or canoeing with three kids. Can’t a mom have a say in this, too?!

We changed Pool Party to Farmers Market because I don’t have easy access to a pool. But hmmm….I forgot about our kiddie pool. We might do that pool party after all!

We resolved to do all the other activities as listed on the pre-printed Summer Bucket List.

And we waited for summer to come.

So here we are. Nearly two weeks into summer and we’re just getting started, but better late than never, right?

There are 22 activities on our Summer Bucket List. My daughter made little pieces of paper listing each special activity we’re hoping to do this summer. Most of the activities cost very little, but a few will cost more. And all of them will require some level of creativity, an adventuresome spirit, and a willingness to step out of the box.

This is a summer-long series. As we progress through our Summer Bucket List activities, I’ll share our adventures in blog posts so you can join in the fun!

If you’ve been around this blog for any length of time, you know I never, ever intended for this blog to be fun and filled with newsy updates from our family. While this will likely be the most casual, fun, friendly, simple and light-hearted series I’ve ever written, I also want to ensure it’s beautiful, meaningful, purpose-filled and inspiring. The tone of many of these posts, in fact, may end up being simple, beautiful and real. But there’s bound to be a lot of fun in there, too.

So let’s get to it.

Let’s get started with our Summer Bucket List!

This post will serve as the landing page for Summer Bucket List. All posts in the series will be listed and linked right here at the end of this post. I put the Summer Bucket List graphic in the right sidebar of my blog’s home page. Anytime you want to read a post from the series, go to the blog at amybethpederson.com, click on the Summer Bucket List graphic, and you’ll be directed to this post. So glad you’ve decided to join the journey. I hope we’ll have fun, relax and connect along the way. Enjoy, friends.

Ice Cream Party and a Park

The Zoo

Road Trip & Hiking

Pizza Party (and Another Park)

Family Bike Ride

Swimming & Sandcastles

Mall of America!

Berry Picking