Spring Bucket List

1. Spring cleaning. We have already started this one, but still have a lllloooonnnngggg way to go! Nice, clean, and spring fresh in my home please!

2. Take our first family vacation. A mere 24 days from now we will be landing in Sunny California, and headed to one of the most magical places on earth!

3. Finish my last class for my bachelors degree.

4. Register for my last state exam for my bachelors degree.

5. Cultivate my little garden area, and grow some of my own herbs.

6. Lose 15 pounds. I've already lost a little over 30 in less than a year. 15 more should be a cake walk!

7. Kick some booty in court (long story, I'll share it some time).

8. Create some lasting memories during my last few months at this job. Going to be sad to say goodbye.

9. Involve my kids in making our yard pretty. They are creative and like working with their hands, it'll be a fun family project.

10. Get my kids more active, spending less time on electronics. Ideally, this is an all year list, but living in the PNW springtime is one of the first times the kids can be outside without a downpour. Outside they must go!

Before the Big 3-0

This last year I turned 28, and have since realized that I have already passed the middle part of the hill, on the way to 30. I also realized that I spent my 20's (not regretfully) having my kids, getting married, trying out a some different job opportunities (thank you 2008 and a few layoffs), realizing that I could face my public speaking fears (got over that really fast when I worked, briefly, in internet radio), massive weight gain, and working my way through a bachelors degree.

The adventure of this decade, my kids!

Me with my cute make up artist

My lovable and silly girl

My 20's, as you can see, have been full of hard work, stress, and the need for survival. It has been a near decade of learning opportunities, some good and some not so good. What it made me realize, though, is that I do not want the chapter of my 20's to close without some adventure. Nothing huge, just a few things that I can look back on, and be happy that I ended my "young years" on a high note.

Since I am such a huge fan of lists (in my world, nothing gets done without a list), I decided to make one that I can gradually complete over the next two years. So here it is, in no particular order, the 31 things I want to complete before I turn 30!

1. Go to Disneyland
2. Go to Disney World
3. Go zip lining
4. Go indoor sky diving
5. Shoot a gun and a bow
6. Run/walk in a 5k or half marathon
7. Actually complete an entire trail hike on Mount Rainier
8. Be disaster prepped
9. Ride the big, wooden roller coaster at the fair that I'm scared to death of
10. Choose my own car (with advisement) , not one that someone else picked out. Which means everything with my driving issues/stuff would be fixed.
11. Graduate with my bachelors
12. Begin teaching in my own classroom
13. Start classes for my masters
14. Which brings me to needing to pick a masters
15. Get back to a size 13 (lower would be nice, but I'll be happy right there), and increase my longevity.
16. Horseback riding on the beach
17. Go to a wine tasting/pairing class
18. Plan a family adventure vacation that does not have ANYTHING to do with Disney (we'd take it the summer I turn 30).
19. Go to a concert of someone I actually want to see. I have not been to a concert since... I think it was 2004. Either the summer of 2004 or 2003.
20. Cook something from the Julia Child's cookbook. Maybe one of those scary looking sauces. It's time to take that baby off the shelf and actually use it!
21. Take the kids somewhere water related, with no shame!
22. Make a complete spiritual commitment (this, honestly, should be #1 on the list)
23. Kayak
24. Become SCUBA certified
25. Go to a women's church retreat (or, at least, sign up for one)
26. Try sake - I don't know why, but ever since I was a kid watching WWII movies, I 've always wanted to try it.
27. See Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, and/or Aladdin
28. Sew. Sew anything. Hopefully a quilt, but I'll settle for a tree skirt or an advent. Maybe even finishing the apron I started 2 years ago.
29. Sign up, and take, a form of martial arts
30. Start writing a children's  book, or at least get the concepts/ideas down on paper
31. Volunteer at a local theater to help with costuming

There were some other things I wanted to do (like go to a drive in movie) that are no longer available in my area. Hopefully I will be able to check each and every one of these off over the next two years, and then can make a new list for my next decade. What about you, what are some things on your bucket list that you really want to achieve?

End of Summer Catch-Up

Back in June, I found out that I would be having a crazy school schedule. As soon as I accepted what was in front of me, I realized that I would be shorting my kids on having a great time this summer. So, we sat down and made a bucket list of all of the things they wanted to do before summers end. Though I realize I should have shared this at the beginning of summer, I forgot and am making up for it now. Side note, the items that are bolded are what we have accomplished so far.

And here it is:

1. Baskin and Robbins
2. Going to the beach
3. Family game night
4. Picnic pizza day at the beach
5. Holiday celebration
6. Getting shells at the beach
7. To see lily pads
8. To see frogs
9. Have another family movie night
10. Go to the Rainforest Cafe/Museum of Flight
11. Go to the Art Museum
12. Go to the Glass Museum
13. Go to the train station
14. Play in the sprinkler
15. Going to Uncle Doug's
16. Ice skating
17. S'mores nights
18. Swimming lessons
19. Art projects
20. Sleeping in the tent
21. Go to the park
22. Go to the water park
23. Squirt gun fight
24. No tattling for a day
25. Watching The Lego Movie
26. Watching Smurfs 2
27. Staying up late
28. Alder Lake
29. Mount Rainier
30. Put put golf

As you can see, we haven't made much progress.  That being said, we have done #29 several times this summer, and have had family come to us (#14) instead of us going to them. Also, some of them were done two weeks before school let out (we went to the beach, collected shells, and slept in a tent), I just haven't put it as official summer fun since school was still in session. I hope when my kids look back on all of this that they won't be disappointed, and will have had an awesome summer!