Bucket List

I've never made New Year's resolutions. Never had the urge. I set goals a lot and generally don't have trouble completing them (exercise and pregnancy not included). I am a list lover though and the idea of a parenting bucket list, something that could possibly be life-long, satisfies me. Now, I know what you're thinking, "she said she didn't want to do too much planning!" Well...I'm not. Some of these are goals, some are things I look forward to, some are hopes and prayers, and some of these things I will do unless God says otherwise (which He could). I'll be adding to this over time as I think of new things and then cross things off as we accomplish/attempt to accomplish them. Some of these goals though are a little too broad to "check off" the list but they are goals nonetheless. Here it goes, in no particular order (except the first one).

 *Accomplished goals are crossed out. :)

1. COMPLETE the adoption process (obviously).

2. Adopt again.

3. See our children accept Christ.

4. Collect every children's book Dr. Seuss wrote (like this lady).

5. Restore a classic car together.

6. Learn Greek and Latin, and then teach our kids.

7. Homeschool (and then, when they're mature/old enough, give our kids the option to attend traditional school or continue homeschool.)

8. Make our own baby food from veggies grown in our garden.

9. Take a cross country family road trip.

10. Take a family vacation to Disney World.

11. Feed exclusively with breast milk (mine or donated) for at least the first six months.

12. Use baby sign language.

13. Cloth diaper.

14. Practice baby wearing.

15. Start a family Bible study.

16. Teach our children how to serve others.

17. Teach MANNERS!! Please, thank you, respect elders...all that good stuff.

18. Set a good example of and teach good stewardship. Budgeting, saving, investing, etc.

19. Encourage creativity through art, dance, and/or music.

20. Encourage relationship skills through team activities/sports.

21. Let them decorate and redecorate their bedrooms themselves.

22. Make homemade Halloween costumes.

23. Start a journal with our kids like my mom did.

24. Teach our kids to cook and bake for themselves before they leave the nest.

25. Encourage generosity of time, money, and spiritual gifts through volunteering.

26. Set up an allowance system and have them save up for wanted (not needed) items.

27. Encourage appropriate pride in being adopted (by us and their Heavenly Father). It's a blessing!!

28. Encourage appropriate pride in ethnic heritage (especially if we adopt outside of our ethnicity. P.S. Kristen is Norwegian (oofta), and Josh is Dutch.)

29. Sew children's clothes (that actually look good) and teach our kids to sew.

30. Praise God for the sleepless nights, temper tantrums, diaper blowouts, runny noses, sticky fingers, "terrible twos", and every other blessing/trial of parenthood. 

So what's on your parenting bucket list (or grand-parenting bucket list)?