2025 first-time experiences

For many years I used to post a list of goals at the start of the year. Lately, I've switched to posting a bucket list for the year that I modify throughout the year. Last year, we logged 138 first time experiences. Below is the current list of places I think we might visit, movies we might see, concerts we might attend, etc. for the first time over the next year. I'm sure things will be added and deleted throughout the year. That's not to say that we don't have goals that we're working toward or in some cases habits we've formed that we want to maintain. For example, I'm thankful we've finally gotten in the habit of having one family fun night a week (when the schedule permits). We're still working to visit all 50 states (48 so far), all Canadian provinces (1 so far), 40 zoos/aquariums (38 so far), 200 National Park sites (158 so far), and six continents (kids have been to 2 and Paul and I have been to 4 so far). One goal we achieved in the past year was that we visited our 30th amusement park. We have plans to visit two amusement parks we haven't been to previously in Texas in 2025 and one in Ohio in 2026. 

I realize I do more planning than the typical person, but I find there are many opportunities for planning as a homeschool mom - what meals we'll have each week, lesson planning for my kids and for our co-op, planning vacations, preparing for my upcoming small group Bible study, and planning field trips and various other outings (movies, concerts, etc.). Life certainly doesn't always go as planned, and ever since 2020 I've done fairly well with handling those types of curve balls, but I think there are many things that do happen which wouldn't have if we didn't make the effort to make these types of plans. Planning farther in advance gives me more time to do research and tweak the plans many times along the way. For example, in the last few days I've begun to research a trip to Eastern Canada for August 2026. I enjoy learning more about other places, and I can refine the tentative plans over the coming months. I can't believe Nadia will probably be living in Virginia when we go on that trip. It will probably be the first family vacation that she'll miss out on. We're hoping she can join us for one trip a year while she's in college. Time flies!!!

1. See The Wild Robot on DVD - Done!
2. Nadia works at Blast winter camp at Camp Susque - Done!
3. See All Creatures Great and Small season 5 on PBS app - Done!
4. See White Bird on DVD - Done!
5. Cairn University computer science day - Done!
6. See Wrinkle in Time by Riverstage- Done!
7. See Wicked on DVD - Done!
8. See Moana 2 on Disney+ - done!
9. See Homestead on the Angel app - done!
10. Go skiing at Montage Mountain - done!
11. Nadia takes the SAT - done!
12. All three kids in three performances of Wizard of Oz - done!
13. Nadia attends a Prom - done!
14. See Paddington in Peru - done!
15. All three kids in the spring program at MCS - done!
16. Music Instrument Museum - done!
17. Casa Grande National Monument - done!
18. Saguaro National Park - done!
19. Chiricahua National Monument - done!
20. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - done!
21. White Sands National Park - done!
22. Guadelupe Mountains National Park - done!
23. Carlsbad Caverns National Park- done!
24. Perot Museum of Nature and Science- done!
25. Fort Worth Zoo- done!
26. Dallas Arboretum- done!
27. Fort Worth Stockyards- done!
28. Six Flags Fiesta- done!
29. Six Flags over Texas- done!
30. Sixth Floor Museum - done!
31. San Antonio Missions - done!
32. Alamo- done!
33. See the bats at Bracken Cave- done!
34. Riverwalk boat cruise- done!
35. Padre Island National Seashore- done!
36. Texas State Aquarium- done!
37. USS Lexington- done!
38. Houston Space Center- done!
39. San Jacinto State Historical Park- done!
40. Big Thicket National Park - done!
41. Vermilionville - done!
42. Eat at Bon Temps Grill- done!
43. Tabasco Factory Tour- done!
44. Laura Plantation tour- done!
45. Honey Island Swamp Tour - done!
46. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park- done!
47. Saint Louis Cathedral- done!
48. Eat at Cafe Beignet- done!
49. National WWII Museum- done!
50. Audubon Zoo- done!
51. Eat at Dat Dog- done!
52. Eat at Parkway Bakery and Tavern- done!
53. See the musical Into the Woods- done!
54. See a performance of The Play That Goes Wrong - done!
55. Nadia is a camp counselor at Camp Susque - done!
56. See the movie Rule Breakers on the Angel app - done!
57. Nadia learns how to parallel park
58. See The Chosen season 5 on the app - done!
59. Oliver, Ian, and Xandir spend a week at Camp Susque - done!
60. Paul and I take lessons in salsa and merengue - done!
61. Lanikai Pillbox trail - done!
62. Kailua Beach - done!
63. Nuuanu Pali Lookout - done!
64. National Memorial Cemetery - done!
65. Parasailing - done!
66. Manoa Falls - done!
67. Tantalus lookout - done!
68. Swim with dolphins - done!
69. Eat at Ray's Cafe- done!
70. Eat at Rainbow Drive-In - done!
71. Eat Coco Puffs at Liliha Bakery - done!
72. Eat at Steak Shack - done!
73. Eat Malasladas from Leonard's Bakery - done!
74. Diamond Head monument - done!
75. Punalu'u Black Sand Beach - done!
76. Makapu'u Point Lighthouse - done!
77. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park - done!
78. Eat at Punalu'u Bake Shop - done!
79. Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum - done!
80. USS Arizona Memorial - done!
81. Ford Island bus tour - done!
82. Rainbow Falls - done!
83. Surfing lesson - done!
84. Iolani Palace - done!
85. Eat at Tex Drive In - done!
86. Waipi'o Valley Lookout - done!
87. Kua Bay Beach - done!
88. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden - done!
89. Eat at Patricio's Mexican Taqueria - done!
90. Sea Horse Farm - done!
91. Lavaloha Chocolate Farm - done!
92. Drive along the Hamakua Coast with a stop at Akaka falls - done!
93. Pu'ukohola Heiau NHS - done!
94. Hapuna Beach - done!
95. Eat at Ultimate Burger - done!
96. Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park - done!
97. Snorkel with manta rays at night - done!
98. Greenwell Farms coffee tour - done!
99. Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park - done!
100. Eat at Manago hotel restaurant - done!
101. Eat at Manuela Malaslada - done!
102. Eat at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue - done!
103. Snorkeling at Honaunua Bay - done!
104. Snorkeling at Kahalu'u Beach Park- done!
105. Eat at Laverne's Big Island Ale House - done!
106. Kahekili Beach Park- done!
107. Vanillerie  - done!
108. Kona Sea Salt tour - done!
109. Eat at Island Cream Co. - done!
110. Black Rock Beach - done!
111. Ho'okipa Beach- done!
112. Eat shave ice - done!
113. Kua Cove Beach- done!
114. Ku'au Beach - done!
115. Napili Beach- done!
116. D. T. Fleming beach - done!
117. Kapalua Beach- done!
118. Haleakalā National Park- done!
119. See a performance of A Tale of Two Cities by Servant Stage - done!
120. Nadia gets her driver's license - done!
121. Ian takes the PSAT - done!
122. Paul and I take intermediate East Coast Swing lessons - done!
123. See a performance of Arsenic and Old Lace - done!