Checked off the Bucket List!

What's really cool about this list is that EVERYTHING was on my Bucket List, but I have actually accomplished them!!! What was fun was reviewing my list just since last year!!


Become a mom
Visit Roswell and the alien museum
Go to the 4 Corners Monument
Walk on Abbey Road
See Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle
Go to England
Go to Alaska
Go on a road-trip (I have been on MANY, even one solo!)
Change a tire on my own (trust me I was in the middle of nowhere!)
Become a teacher
Earn a Master’s Degree
Teach at the college level
Go to Las Vegas (lots of fun trips there)
Go to Puerto Vallarta
Swim, catch fish and see dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico
Visit the Alamo
Go to Disney Land
Play fastpitch softball in a national tournament
Publish poetry
Own a motor scooter
Own a VW Bug
Go to professional football games
Go to rock concerts and take my kids to concerts
Go to Carlsbad Caverns
Camp in Yellowstone - see Old Faithful
Hike at the Arches National Park
See the Bingham County Copper Mine
Soak in a natural hot springs
Go to a drive-in movie
Go on a long motorcycle trip
Go to a spa for a week
Go to Reno / Lake Tahoe
Finish a triathlon
Learn how to cook
Be an elected city councilwoman (in Leavenworth)
Raise animals/live on a farm
Work at a ski resort
Snowboard, downhill ski, snowshoe, cross-country ski
Camp regularly
Hike Enchantments
Go to the opera
See Phantom of the Opera
Direct a play/musical
Swim in the Pacific Ocean
Stand under the Peace Arch
Have a pet fish
Ride a train
Go to the top of the Space Needle
Attend a professional baseball game
Ride a horse on a beach
Snorkel
Ride in a glass-bottomed boat
Jump off a cliff into water
Whitewater river raft
Go to Crater Lake
Go to Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum
Go to San Diego Zoo, Aquarium, and Sea World
Walk on Cannery Row
See a sunset and sunrise at the ocean
Fly first class
Go to the Redwood Forrest
Sleep under the stars in the middle of nowhere
Sleep on a trampoline
Be buried at Pebble Beach
Go to Pike’s Place Market
Go whale watching
Ride a ferry both on a car and as a pedestrian
Stay in a fancy five star motel
Watch hydros
Adopt a family at Christmas
Get a tattoo
Take a college level astronomy class
Catch a fish
Hunt
Fire a gun
See the Northern Lights
Stand behind a waterfall
See a professional rodeo
See the Ice Capades
Make a snow angel
Go to a movie alone
Ride on a streetcar in San Francisco
Walk on Santa Monica Pier and Boardwalk
Host a blog
Spend an entire day reading a book and doing nothing else
Play an instrument
Fall in love
Raise money for cancer
Sew clothes
Make an intricate gingerbread house from scratch
Eat escargot
See the laser show and fireworks on the 4th of July at Grand Coulee Dam
Spend over 8 hours in Powell’s
Make a snowman
Make homemade ice cream
Fall asleep in a hammock
Dance in the rain
Have a picnic
Stay awake for over 24 hours
Write and publish articles
Join the banana slug club
Drive a jet ski
Fly a kite on the beach
Seen an original of Van Gough, Monet, Manet
Attend a Ringling Brothers Circus
Learn Origami
Drive on Route 66
Drive on Highway 101
Go to the Oregon Coast
Visit the Sea Lions Cave
Get a passport
Answer an online personal ad
Cross over the Great Continental Divide
Coach a team
Ride in a horse-drawn sleigh on New Year’s Eve
Go on a hayride
Hit a homerun
Survive an accident I shouldn’t have survived
Eat REAL sushi
Had my picture in the newspaper
Eat fried green tomatoes
Bowl in a league
Bowl a game over 200
Cut down a Christmas tree in the mountains and snow
Write a letter to the editor
Get a professional massage
Eat at a Hard Rock Café
Get a tattoo with Cody
Sell something on e-bay
Attend a formal Tea
Fix my teeth
Start a book group

My own BUCKET list!

Things I want to do in my lifetime…

Besides the obvious like see my kids graduate from high school and college and be at their weddings and meet my future grandchildren, and see them everyone live happy lives!

Not necessarily in any particular order.

I do have a list of things I want to do:
 Backpack Europe
 Visit Australia and New Zealand
 Write a book that makes the New York Times bestseller list
 Learn an old language (Latin or Greek, maybe)
 Learn to drive a motorcycle
 Learn to ride a horse with confidence (second nature) – working on this one!
 Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
 Learn to play the piano
 Visit New York – I have always wanted this, but I would very much now like to stand at the site of the twin towers, as well I have a list of about twenty things I want to do in New York!
 See a musical on Broadway
 Go on a cruise
 Be on a reality tv show
 Be on a game show
 Study more, go to college again, maybe earn my doctorate next or an entirely different degree like law
 Volunteer either for a mission or something like the peace corps (I have a huge urge to help in New Orleans)
 Learn construction (maybe I could add this to the one above and work on a Habitat for Humanity house)
 Go bungee jumping
 Go skydiving
 Return to Alaska, but in the summer
 Visit all 50 states, so far I have been to 18 states, 4 provinces in Canada, and 3 other countries
 Go to Mt. Rushmore
 Go to Washington DC – I desperately want to see the Vietnam Memorial Wall
 Learn to rock climb outside (I love indoor rock climbing)
 Go to the David Letterman show
 Swim with dolphins
 Learn to scuba dive; I have been snorkeling when we went to Mexico; that was incredible.
 Go up in a hot air balloon
 Go to the Great Wall of China
 Learn to sing, take lessons
 Go to the Grand Canyon
 Ride in a gondola in Venice
 Run in a half-marathon
 Ride in a helicopter
 Be a size 10 again
 Ride my bike to work
 Learn a specific dance like tap or waltz
 Watch a sunrise with my kids (have seen many sunsets with them)
 Play chess at Central Park
 Send a message in a bottle (This is cool for a whole bunch of reasons; I remember when I sent a message in a balloon filled with helium once.)
 Have my palm read
 Be a member of a school board
 Act in a play or musical (I have directed, but never acted)
 Celebrate New Year’s Eve in an exotic place
 See a gi-normous 4th of July fireworks display – bigger than Wenatchee!
 Rent a houseboat
 Watch a Nascar race in person
 See the Nutcracker in a professional performance
 Donate my hair to Wigs for Kids
 Get a makeover
 See Shakespeare’s Grave
 Learn to paint or draw
 Go to Alactraz
 Go to MOMA and the Smithsonian
 Go to the Louvre in Paris
 Go to Atlantic City
 Attend the Olympics
 Eat Italian food in Italy
 Live in a log cabin in the woods
 Visit a concentration camp
 See Cirque du Soleil
 See Niagara Falls
 Learn to skateboard
 Learn to knit
 Learn to quilt – for real
 Learn to make an espresso (like at the coffee place, not my howe machine)
 Own a bookstore
 Watch an entire season of a show I have never seen before at one sitting
 Kiss under the Eiffel Tower
 Drive a semi-truck for at least a day
 Travel the whole of Africa
 Go on a week-long trip on a sailboat (a big one)
 Visit each continent
 Run/Jog in a 5k for charity
 See the 7 Wonders of the World
 See Stonehenge
 Bury something important to me and leave it there for someone to find many years from now
 Celebrate Christmas in July
 Be silent for 24 hours
 Be at a Manchester U game
 Take a swamp tour in the Everglades
 Attend the Sundance Film Festival
 Read 100 works of classic literature (getting close)
 Enable somebody else to accomplish a goal on their list
 Grow my hair to where I can sit on it
 Re-connect with some of my best friends in the world and meet up at least once a year, maybe even to do something on our lists!
 Forgive someone with my WHOLE heart
 Be up-to-date on family scrapbooks
 Clear out everything that makes me a pack-rat (storage, especially, almost done!!)
 Have a nice porch/deck with rocking chairs
 Refurnish my rocking chair from when I was born
 Give a commencement speech
 Go to the Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving
 Walk on the Bonneville Salt Flats
 Bake bread
 Start a writers group
 Start a Bunco group
 Write a list of 100 things I want to do before I die and keeping adding to it as I accomplish things and keep a list of things I have done!

SEW that's that!

     It has been since last week when I blogged. I have mostly good news in the health area of life. I have been eating exceptionally well.
     I shoot for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. I am eating several smaller meals to feel more satiated, and I am eating protein which definitely does the job!
     Even better, if I want something that would normally be a NO-NO, I am really thinking about it, then if I decide to, I eat it, but just count the calories!
     So, now I am almost on a week of eating better. That’s a good feeling, and I have been drinking more water, although not the amount I want, so that’s my goal for this week!
     Exercising…I am starting to exercise today after school with friends at work. We are going to walk inside the school since the roads are so slippery outside. I also want to work in some aerobics at home in the morning this week.
     Little changes to make a big difference. That’s my idea this time around. I packed my lunch today, and I know that is a HUGE help to me. Also, I am in the mode of making sure I know exactly what we are eating for dinner, so there’s no last minute surprises.
     Some other nurturing I am doing is that of the spirit. I am reading lots lately, which is something I love to do. I am still involved in my book group, and now possibly two groups!
     I am in the beginning stages of trying to start a writers’ group locally. I have three other people who are interested, so we are going to kick that off soon, too. If you are a writer out there, looking for other writers, holler at me!
     You know I have a HUGE “to do before I die” list. I love the concept of that new movie with Jack and Morgan, The Bucket List. So, I am excited to bring those things to fruition and officially add them to my “What I’ve Done In My Life” list!!
     We are also forming a Bunco group, which I am very excited about. Now, here’s the rub…YES, these activities add more BUSY into my life, but they are all things I want to do and am looking forward to the pure enjoyment of doing.
     Speaking of that, Rick bought me a sewing machine for Christmas. This was truly one of the best presents I have ever received. I can hardly believe that I am 36 and just now owning my very own sewing machine.
     I love to sew! We just completely revamped our little one’s room, and I made her some of the cutest horse pillows ever! We also made her bandana pillows (to go with the whole theme).
     I love my sewing machine, and boy is it fancy. I have always had to borrow sewing machines in the past. I used to sew TONS when my boys were wee little ones. We had some of the best Halloween costumes EVER.
     Sewing is so relaxing to me. And, my machine does all sorts of fancy stuff and is computerized. That has been a major transition for me, but I love it.
     I have lots of plans for things to sew. I especially can’t wait to make the little summer dresses for our little girl that I used to wear.
     Anyhow, there ya have it! Find something that you deserve to do, and DO IT!!!

Starting Over (Again)

     Yesterday was the first day that I started all over again with trying to make healthy choices. Some stuff went as planned and some did not.
     First off, I was tired from returning home the night before at 11 p.m. after a great visit with Rick’s bro in Moses Lake. And, it was the first day back to school, too.
     So, with those two excuses on my bulging belt, I did not exercise yesterday. BUT, I did eat VERY well!!! I wrote down everything I ate and even kept track of the calories, too.
     I drank more water yesterday, too. AND, last night while I was reading, I had a moment of wanting to snack. So, I went into the kitchen and heard the Cheese-its calling my name.
     Instead I started thinking that maybe I was thirsty, and I drank a big glass of cold water. Wouldn’t you know it? I walked away from those screaming orange crackers!!
     Yesterday I also made an appointment with a co-worker to weigh on the wrestling scale. I didn’t really want to know what I weighed, and I know I have gained weight since this summer, and based on how my clothes feel, I know I am right at the highest I have been.
     I did know that I had to weigh though. That’s reality, and it gives me a starting point. I also decided that I am going to weigh weekly.
     Even though I weighed today, I am normally going to weigh on Fridays. I figure that will give me some motivation during my weekend!
     250.8 pounds. That’s what I weigh right now. SIGH. Back to where I started when I started this blog almost two years ago (February 2006).
     In spite of this, I was very excited today. I felt motivated by that scale, and my co-worker who is so positive and reminds me not to give up on myself.
     But, I know that it’s never too late to make it happen, to lose the weight, and gain years on my life.
     I recently have thought a lot about health, as I have some people that I am very close to that are suffering some serious health problems.
     And, something that really smacked me in the face was that some of the choices these loved ones made in their lives have now affected their quality of living.
     I want to be around for a long time. Are you kidding? I have WAY too many things on my “Things To Do Before I Die” list!!!

Ring away!

     2008 is here!!! Ringing in yet another year!! I am very excited for what is to come, what the future holds. I am also ok with leaving some things behind in 2007!
     I can't believe we are headed back to school tomorrow already! Today we took Cody back to Spokane to fly back to San Diego and then we went and visited Rick's brother Rod in Moses Lake.
     What a great visit we had!!! I am so excited that Rod and his family will be so close to us, as I really enjoy spending time with them all!
     In thinking about this Christmas Break (which I know I sound like a whiner when I say it seemed far too SHORT), I really am glad that I made the choices I did.
     I focused my time on family and friends. I had coffee and lunch with a friend, and we really caught up on our lives and hopefully we have made a new connection to now spend more time together :)
     I went to lunch with my good friend, her mom, and another close friend. We had such a nice time, laughing, chatting, just relaxing.
     I also had lots of family time which just felt like a nice recharge of the battery. Life sometimes gets so hectic that I don't feel like we have the time to just enjoy one another the way we do when we are on vacation.
     We spent time with our friends on New Year's Eve, and we had a blast playing Phase 10!! I had the realization at the beginning of the night that it was my 5th New Year's Eve with our family friends, the Lockwoods! Very cool!
     I spent lots of time reading...I am reading two books right now, and I love them both!! I will update you about that tomorrow :)
     And, although I feel like all of the resolutions we seem to make are often broken or they are the same resolutions every year, I did resolve to start exercising daily and eating well starting tomorrow, January 2nd.
     SOOOOO...farewell 2007, and may 2008 be Full of Family, Friends, and Fun!!
     P.S. I have some extra motivation for losing weight this year...more on that later, too :)

FAMILY

     To me the reason for the season centers around family. Regardless of your religious beliefs, it does connect directly to those we consider important in our lives.
     I was just thinking about what family really means. WHO is family? And, I feel very lucky to have the family who I have in my life!
     We picked up Cody on Saturday from the airport, and we were hoping to have lunch with Mike (Rick's son), but those plans did not work out because of his work.
     We were able to take our little one with us, and I just wish I could've taken her picture at the exact moment that she saw Cody. Her eyes were lit up so bright...it was adorable.
     We stopped for lunch and Cody taught Sarah how to blow the paper off of a straw. Let me tell you, the delight in her belly laughs warmed the entire little restaurant.
     As I watched those two (Jordie was at his dad's going to a Seahawk game...he was VERY missed), I thought how lucky the two of them are to be family. Of course, there are those out there who say they are not family because they are not blood-related, and have even said so to us. Such small-minded people are really missing out on what this world has to offer.
     On the ride home we endured a plethora of knock knock jokes (some funny, some terrible), silly songs, and other little gags from the backseat. Those two really are TROUBLE!
     I once had someone ask me how I could love my step-daughter as much as I do, and I could only reply, "How could I not?"
     I think about the people I am really close to in my life, some of them "blood" family, some of them not.
     I consider my mother-in-law a mom to me. I consider my best friends sisters to me. I consider all of Rick's kids my kids (and grandkids...woo hoo #3 AND A BOY on the way).
     So, this holiday season, when you gather your "family" together, be appreciative for those people in your life. I know I am!

GOSSIP around forever...well, at least it had its name before 1050

     And, just because it wasn't named until then...that means nothing because we all know gossip has been around since we could talk. SHOOT, it probably was around even before then. I am sure you can picture some scandalous cave paintings.
      Well, according to Dictionary.com, gossip's etymology, in my opinion, is quite fascinating.
     So, it all started out as simply being about people who are related to each other and then it moved onto woman friends attending a birth, which led finally to "familiar and idle talk." I see the progression.
     I know, I know. We live in a society that runs on gossip. Look at the magazines and television shows that have flooded the market in the past years.
     I know that I am even guilty of it. GOSSIP. But, what I don't get is WHY there are people who THRIVE on gossip, and particularly sharing "BAD NEWS" about others. The irony of the "bad news" is that in itself is a judgment. And, really who has the right to pass judgment on anyone else?
     There is definitely a difference between sharing information, like when a friend is in the hospital having a baby or really sick or what have you, and being malicious.
     It just seems that the latter is so despicable. What causes people to partake in it?
     Who enjoys the sadness or mistakes of others enough to intentionally share it? To get on the phone and call people just for the sake of sharing gossip??
     Just think about it the next time you make a phone call or stop a neighbor to share some scandal that really is none of your business and most probably you don't have all the information about anyhow.
     I write of this because I have a close friend and her fmaily who are dealing with this issue. I just told her to remember that those of us who love her, will continue, and we know and we choose to not judge what is going on in their lives right now.
     I do, however, find it VERY difficult not to judge the gossip mongers.

A thought or two

     I can't wait for tomorrow! We are off to go and pick up Cody!! YEAH!!
     One of the things I am really looking forward to is he and I are going to work out while he is home. I am hoping this really motivates me.
     I will say that watching the final episode of The Biggest Loser was VERY inspiring. I cannot believe the difference in how those people looked.
     One of the guys said something about how he felt skinny on the inside and that he had a skinny self, but that he was finally going to share it on the outside with the rest of the world.
     I really understood that. I did.
     They are starting a couples edition of The Biggest Loser on January 1st, and I am looking forward to watching that.
     I was just thinking the other day when we were working our yearbook, and I saw a picture of me that it would be SUPER cool to lose weight between now and when the yearbook is published at the end of the school year.
     I have two major things I want to accomplish in this next year, one being my weight, and the other finishing my novel that I have started.
     Well, even though this week was crazy busy, it was crazy good. Lots of laughter and smiles and good memories.
     One night this past week Rick and I were laughing so hard that Jordie, who at first was shaking his head at us, ended cracking up, too. We were definitely a silly bunch that night! I completely believe that laughter is the one TRUE medicine.
     So, in these next few days...remember to laugh hard 'till your belly and face hurts!

Way too blessed to be so stressed!!

     I heard a great quotation today..."We are too blessed to be so stressed. Enjoy your holidays!" A soldier stationed in Iraq said that last night on the new show The Clash of the Choirs.
     And, isn't that the truth??? Why does it take a person in a much different situation than we find ourselves in to remind us of the simplicity of it all. I do keep laughing at how busy things are and how much is going on around us!!
     Last weekend we had three Christmas parties, one birthday party (Miss Olivia is 7!!!), and an out of town basketball game to attend.
     This week we have basketball games(3), meetings, concerts (high school on Thursday and Montessori on Friday), school Christmas parties, a Solistice Party on Friday night, Rick's brother Rod coming to visit for the weekend, and the BIG highlight...picking up Cody on Saturday!!
     I did mail out my Christmas cards today, albeit a tad later than I wanted to. I am really happy with them this year!



     We also included a cute collage picture that our little one created (quite the artist) that included candy canes, presents, reindeer, an ornament, etc. That's a tradition I started WAY back when my boys were so little. It's fun to look at the progression of all of their art through the years!
     So, I am trying to relish the simple and easy moments...not all the hustle and bustle. We truly do have so much for which to be thankful!

Elfin' around!!

     My mother-in-law sent me this link...very cute!
Hey, I just made a total elf of myself. Check it out by pasting the link below into your browser.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1437692666

This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax®.