Picnics Close to Home

I've been talking about picnics all week and sharing pictures of some really cool locations. I fear, however, that I've given the impression that picnics are a "big deal" and something that really doesn't have a place in our normal, busy lives.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Some of our favorite picnic memories are from the ones that have taken place closest to home. There's no need to drive for hours to find a perfect location for a picnic.

1. Dinner before an outdoor concert

Addison was performing with the Tucson Girls Chorus that night so she was dressed for the occasion and wearing an apron in case of spills. There were about five families from our church that all ate dinner outside while we waited for the concert to begin. Our family ate salad with freshly cooked (and still warm) chicken-bacon bites on the top.

2. Dessert on the mountain

It was very hot in our area for the Fourth of July, but the temperature dropped about 20 degrees when we drove up the mountain. I didn't pack an entire meal; we just took our dessert (brownies with raspberry topping).

3. Baseball games

For several of the years that Brennan played Little League baseball, it seemed like the majority of our games were scheduled for dinner time. Instead of rushing to get everyone to finish eating so we could leave, I often served up the meal for us to eat at the ballpark. One of our favorite baseball meals was meatball sub sandwiches, wrapped in foil to keep warm. Lauren and I just ate our meatballs in a dish instead of as a sandwich.

4. In the backyard

We now have a table on our backyard to eat meals at, but in the past, I've throw a blanket out on the grass and we've all carried our food outside. It made a boring homeschool day at home seem a little less boring.

I have another close to home picnic ideas, but Addison agreed that it's crazy enough to deserve a post of its own. Be looking for me to post our "Craziest Picnic Idea Ever" later this afternoon.

In the meantime, you can click on the button below to visit some of my blogging friends and see what they've been writing about this week.

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