I think bucket lists are great!  Write down those life goal or places your heart desires to visit.  Make it real...put it down on paper.  Did you know that you are 21% more likely to do something if you write it down?  True story.

Paul and I have had bucket lists since short after we were married 12 years ago.  We look at them about once a year or every other year to cross things off and think about what we might want to focus more on in the future.

I was inspired recently to use the creation of a bucket list to get to know my kids better and to help them be able articulate and focus on personal goals.  Just let me say, THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I sat down with each of the kids separately and got them to talk to me about their desires and thoughts about the future.  They verbally made their bucket lists while I wrote things down.

I loved seeing what things were the same with all or most of the kids and what things were very different.  The window into their hearts was priceless as we chatted about certain list items to find out specifics or ask a why clarification.

I thought you might enjoy peeking into their world too so with their permission I am posting their bucket lists:

Alia-age 9

• Swim with wild dolphins
• Go to water park
• See a live king crab
• Swim/play in shallow calm water far from shore (Maldives)
• Build a tree house to live in with lots of cool stuff
• Finish charm bracelet
• See monarch butterfly migration
• Finish all the 'Emily' games
• I want to name my baby girl Emma
• Have an adopted baby sister
• Go on a Zip line
• Have a dog for its whole life
• Swim with sea turtles
• Get a real Indian outfit (from India)
• Go on a cruise
• Have a tame bird
• Stay a week in a real castle

Josiah-age 8

• See a shark through glass but up close
• Snorkel with a whale shark
• Ride on a Cruise ship
• Catch and eat a king crab
• Buy a drone
• Catch a big fish
• Go hunting for something (deer, squirrel, etc)
• Ride a private jet together as a family
• Tour a battleship
• Tour an aircraft carrier
• Visit a wooden fort with cannons
• Swim with dolphin
• Swim with sea lion
• See an orca in the wild
• Visit China, buy a waving kitty
• Visit water park
• Visit biggest playground in the world
• Get a GoPro
• See Uncle Jaco again
• Have Uncle Jaco travel with us for a week
• Chop down trees and build a real raft and take it down a river
• Go to Isreal
• Get a dog
• Go spelunking
• Become a Lego master
• Visit the worlds best warm water snorkeling beach
• See a wild wolf
• See a wild fox
• See a owl
• Spend a week at Great Wolf Lodge
• Ride the midway rides at a carnival/festival

Mathias (Thys)-age 5

• Do a medium sized Zip line
• See a Komodo Dragon
• Go to water park
• Have prop plane for family travel
• Visit G&G E
• Visit Auntie Christy
• Watch a tiger and a lion wrestle
• Learn to play soccer
• Snorkel with whale shark
• Go to Japan
• See a shark
• Go to biggest playground in the world
• See a Macaw
• See a Quetzal

Zander-age 3

• See a Komodo dragon
• Go on a Zip line
• Go Ice skating
• Go Snow sledding

When I read these aloud to all the kids they were all excited when one of their own items was also in a sibs list!  The bigger kids didn't understand why Zander would mention winter sports since we had already done those.  With a little explanation, realization dawned that he was really little the last time we saw snow and doesn't remember any of it!

Do you have a bucket list?  If so, what item are you close to crossing off?  If not, try starting one today!

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