My sister challenged me to do make a list of 100 things I have done and 100 things I haven't done. I challenge you to do the same. I made a surprising discovery. It was much harder for me to make my 100 have not list. I think that makes me an optimist!! I look through the world through the things I have done rather than what I have not. It was certainly a liberating experience. Some are silly, some are dreams, and some are demons!! It was really fun to do and helped me learn about myself. I have arranged the have and have nots separately. I hope you enjoy. Here are the things I have done:
1. Stayed up all night for a Anne of Green Gables movie fest.
2. Graduated with a master’s degree in library science
3. Eaten rattlesnake
4. Run in a race (I was in 6th grade)
5. Snuck into a movie
6. Found the love of my life
7. Been to an American idol concert
8. Been bungee jumping
9. Jumped off a three story roof into a pool
10. Pulled an all nighter studying
11. Had a crush on a celebrity
12. Read Romeo and Juliet
13. Taken ballet in college
14. Had a massage
15. Been to a college football game
16. Seen a rainbow
17. Driven on country roads with the windows down
18. Sung at the top of my lungs
19. Climbed a mountain
20. Eaten raw cookie dough
21. Skipped work to see a movie
22. Ridden in a car trunk
23. Have a Facebook account
24. Taken a bubble bath
25. Driven across the country
26. Lied on my driver’s license about my weight
27. Been skiing in the west
28. Played basketball
29. Had a gym membership
30. Run away from home
31. Broken a window (at BYU they were going to tear down a building and Andy and I both threw rocks at it. It was a huge adrenaline rush for me)
32. Shot a gun (also another adrenaline rush)
33. Jumped out of my skin in a movie theater (I’m a scaredy cat)
34. Seen a bear up close on the road
35. Snorkeled and seen a barracuda
36. Been scuba diving
37. Seen a shark about 20 feet away while snuba diving
38. Watched high school musical by myself
39. Chaperoned a school field trip
40. Had a midnight snack
41. Been surfing
42. Parasailing
43. Forgotten to shave my legs
44. Shopped at Costco
45. Been to the Outer Banks
46. Driven a golf cart
47. Had my ears pierced twice
48. Had mail from foreign countries
49. Sat in a dark room
50. Written poetry
51. Burned myself with a curling iron
52. Gotten mad at a colleague at work
53. Read a map the wrong way
54. gotten out of a speeding ticket b/c cop didn’t show at court
55. eaten popcorn in a movie theater
56. played slot machines
57. cried over a hallmark card
58. pierced my own ear when I was 8 yrs old
59. gone to the bathroom in the woods
60. wished for blue eyes
61. played a full game of monopoly
62. seen a play
63. karaoke
64. spent too much on a gift
65. played golf
66. pushed a teacher to change a grade
67. made a website
68. watched a movie over and over
69. walked out of a movie
70. been too intense with my children
71. picked and eaten shelled crabs
72. laughed uncontrollably
73. had a child in the pediatric intensive care for a month
74. studied Spanish in Mexico
75. hitchhiked
76. driven a car without a license (I was 15 and almost driving)
77. tried to see the best in people
78. caught fireflies
79. had physical therapy
80. wanted to change careers
81. been on a sailboat
82. found money on the ground
83. paid extra on a monthly mortgage payment
84. been to Lake Michigasn
85. told bedtime stories to my children
86. created family scrapbooks
87. been to Disney World and Disney Land
88. regretted my vote for president
89. laughed too hard at a joke
90. kicked my husband awake so he would get the baby
91. been a timer at a swim meet
92. felt beautiful in a dress
93. seen a shooting star
94. visited someone in the hospital
95. built a house
96. played the 6 degrees of separation to Ben Affleck (I have 4 degrees)
97. taken my own cast off (I was 10 and tired of having it on)
98. been on the front page of a newspaper
99. have hit the garage door backing out of it
100. have been afraid of a turtle (happened recently, had a big snapping mouth)
Here are the things I haven't done. Sorry if the wording is sometimes awkward.
1. Had a nut allergy
2. Been to Ground Zero
3. Been to another continent
4. Hired a decorator
5. Have not learned to always be quiet
6. Ridden in a hot air balloon
7. Published an article
8. Been to all 50 states
9. Belly danced
10. Been boxing
11. Been on a blind date
12. Been a flower girl
13. Never had a camera with a really good lens
14. Made chili
15. Played an instrument
16. Won a lottery
17. Played soccer for a team
18. Coached my kids’ team
19. Eaten jalapeño peppers
20. Lived in a foreign country
21. Never driven a race car
22. Never been to a bar mitzvah
23. Never had caviar or escargot
24. Never been to a private island
25. Flown 1st class
26. Painted a picture on canvas
27. Not done yoga
28. Have not learned how to stop and smell the roses
29. Swam with dolphins
30. Been to a professional hockey game
31. Never been a classroom mom
32. Never wanted to pay $4 a gallon for gas
33. Have not been struck by lightning
34. Have not downloaded a podcast
35. Not Been to Rodeo drive
36. Not tried a case in court
37. Have not Run out of gas in my car
38. Driven a car over 100 miles
39. Not been on the Today show
40. Never attended the Olympics
41. Never bought a used car
42. Never sung in the rain
43. Not had to go without food
44. Not been a part of a sorority
45. Not killed a live turkey for Thanksgiving (a friend did this last year, how could they?)
46. Not ridden in a limousine
47. Not lived in a house that has a pool attached
48. Have not owned a boat
49. Have not been to a session of congress
50. Have not cooked dinner for a continuous month (we are bad about eating out)
51. Have not participated in a Miss America contest
52. Taken a train into the city
53. Not had pneumonia
54. Have never had a polka dot bikini
55. Not spooned my husband all night long
56. Not lied to my children to make it easier on myself
57. Not driven by myself to DC without getting lost
58. Not bought a used car
59. Not cut the grass as an adult
60. Not grown a garden
61. Not been to an opera
62. Not had a speeding ticket in 3 years (yeah)
63. Not learned how to tie a bow properly
64. Not swam the English channel
65. Not biked or backpacked through Europe
66. Not seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy
67. Not really started packing for our move (I’m in denial for a lot of reasons)
68. Not been on an African safari
69. Not decided on my vote for the November 2008 election
70. Not won a gold medal
71. Not had a spiritual experience today
72. Not hugged my children enough
73. Not played Bunko in a year
74. Not changed ink for a printer
75. Not changed oil in a car
76. Not learned how to sew
77. Not learned how to make every penny count in my budget
78. Have not followed a budget ever
79. Have not followed my IRA accounts in months
80. Have not seen a car accident as it happened
81. Have not driven in California traffic
82. Have not played lacrosse
83. Have not been a fashion designer
84. Have not been to Niagra Falls (either side)
85. Have not been a school principal
86. Have not had a job in the business world
87. Have not learned the periodic table by heart
88. Have not learned the art of saying no very well
89. Have not kept every promise I’ve ever made
90. Have not found anyone I think is better looking than my husband
91. Have not learned how to pack a car well for a trip
92. Have not ever been able to give up chocolate for a year (wanted too, but I am too impulsive)
93. Have not been able to fit into my wedding dress in years
94. Have not had braces ever
95. Have not written a children’s book
96. Have not been on a cruise
97. Have not played on a Nintendo Gamecube ever
98. Have not taken a bubble bath in ages
99. Have not ever had a leadership position in my church
100. Have no idea why this is formatted thi s way.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Street Hanging
Brenna loves to shimmy up this street post and hang at the top. These two pics. were taken at the same time.
Bugs and Lemonade
Sorry, I haven't been keeping up on my posting. There is a definite reason for which I will I have to blog about sooner or later, but right now I choose to make it later. On to something funny.
Memorial Day was beautiful here. Brenna had a friend named Shira over and they decided to have a "bug" stand. They had been fascinated all afternoon trying to find roly-poly bugs and any others they could find. Not sure who decided to try free enterprise and have a bug stand, but they loved the idea and went full steam ahead, carrying a play table upstairs from our basement, making signs and so on. Andy and I suggested that they might want to sell lemonade as well for the people who aren't interested in bugs! They were so earnest and serious. I had an ache in my heart knowing that our street wasn't conducive to any kind of stand, let alone a bug stand, for selling things. I quickly made lemonade for the girls. Brenna and Shira didn't want any help after that and they didn't want us to stay outside with them. Had they only turned around to our house they would have seen our heads poking out from the curtains. Andy and I wanted to watch them and see how they handled everything.
Moving over to our couch, but still able to see them, Andy and I suddenly heard in a sing-songy voice, "Bugs for sale, lemonade for free." Andy laughed first, loud and infectious. I laughed last, tickled by their view of the world. It didn't matter to them that the bugs were from the earth and completely there for anybody's picking, even if they weren't supposed to be. It didn't matter to them that the lemonade was the paid commodity for which they should have been trying to recoup and make a profit from. It was a cause for laughter from us! We laughed. It felt great to laugh!!
In the end, Andy called our neighbors and they were such good sports. We saw them feign a great interest in the bugs, but asked politely for the lemonade!! They ended up making $2.25 each and they were escastic.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
1-800-819-12 something
This evening, we are watching American Idol when Brenna asks me if I can come upstairs, she has something to tell me. In the end, I had her come whisper in my ear what she wanted to say to me. She said that she called the hospital for sick children and that they are sending us something, but I'm not to worry, we don't have to pay any money. What?!
Later in bed, while cuddling her, I tried to get more information out of her. The best I can figure it: she saw a commerical on the tv about St. Judes Hospital for children and they flashed a number across the screen and said, "Call now." So, what did she do? She called. Brenna said she wanted to ask them what made the children sick. She then repeated the number to me: 1-800-819-12something. How cute is this!! She is so precocious and charming. It just makes me worry.
BTW--I think David Archuleta nailed it tonight. He did an outstanding job. I feel like David Cook's usual charm was missing. But I love them both and can't really decide who I want to win.
Later in bed, while cuddling her, I tried to get more information out of her. The best I can figure it: she saw a commerical on the tv about St. Judes Hospital for children and they flashed a number across the screen and said, "Call now." So, what did she do? She called. Brenna said she wanted to ask them what made the children sick. She then repeated the number to me: 1-800-819-12something. How cute is this!! She is so precocious and charming. It just makes me worry.
BTW--I think David Archuleta nailed it tonight. He did an outstanding job. I feel like David Cook's usual charm was missing. But I love them both and can't really decide who I want to win.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
"I've got the Month of May''
Someone once told me they hadn't written in their journal because they were too busy "living" to do so. Well, that is how I feel. Let me see if I can give you a quick recap of our days.
1. Noah has worked hard on mastering the songs on his recorder. The music teacher has likened the process to getting your black belt in karate. When you have mastered a song you get a belt color according to the level of the song. So, for the first song, you get a white belt, for the second song a yellow belt, until you get the coveted black belt with the song "Ode to Joy". I am amazed at how much Noah practiced and practiced!! He loved playing his recorder.
2. Mother's Day was absolutely fabulous. We had a great time. The best compliment of the day came from Brenna's card when she said she wanted to be a Mommy just like me. I'm sure Kleenex invented this day as I used almost a whole box to contain my emotions. Noah's poem also sent me back to the kleenex box! Some things are just too big to contain. Tobin's Mother's Day hug was extra long and decidely communicative. Litte did he know that he too had given me the best Mother's Day gift when just two days before he had backed out of going to a movie with friends because they were going to see "Baby Mama." I digress, but what 12 year old would choose to go see "Baby Mama"? To see your tween child making good choices does more than melt your heart. My mom and step-dad came over and we had a wonderful dinner. Poor Andy grilled our steaks out in the pouring rain, but oh so worth it. The steak melted in my mouth!! And then he cleaned up too. I love my husband and am the luckiest girl in the world!!
3. Girl's Night Out--Let's just say I have had the last three nights (Thurs, Fri. and Saturday) to go out with girlfriends. How did I get so lucky? I can't believe it ended up that way, but I had soooo much fun. It made me realize how lucky I am to have so many good friends. Thursday night was a banquet for school media specialists. Afterwards, a few of us girls had drinks (they had white russians and I had water), and planned our trip we are taking in the fall. Friday, I had dinner with moms I have become friends with through Brenna's dance class. Brenna no longer takes dance, but we get together for dinner as often as we can. Then we saw "What Happens in Vegas" which I actually liked. And last night, friends from church all went to see "Made of Honor" which was not good. But it was fun being with the girls and talking afterwards while we waited for the guys to get out of "Ironman" which I know we all secretly wished we had gone to see as well.
4. Character Counts: Brenna's school has a program called Character Counts. Each month a teacher chooses a student to put their handprint on a pillar at the front of the school and for May choose Brenna (she had demonstrated the pillar of citizenship by caring for others). She was so excited!! Andy and I were lucky enough to both be there for the momentous occasion. It is fun to see Brenna excited because it is sooo infectious. You just can't help but smile. :). She giggled as the volunteer rolled the paint onto her hand. She then, of course, had to climbe the ladder and put her hand as high as she could reach on the pillar. I had her hold the pose while I tried to get several great pictures. Tried is the operative word, but they are still cute. Brenna loved the attention of it all!! Good job, girl!!
5. Basketball--Tobin is playing for a Junior NBA team that Andy is coaching. Tobin has improved immensely from his winter season and I love it. He hustles!! Tobin's team is the youngest and SMALLEST team in the league. Some boys from the other teams stand almost six feet tall and have what I swear could be a 5 o'clock shadow! How is Tobin supposed to defend against that!? And yet, he never gives up. I have had so much fun watching him. Andy has had a great time being their coach.
6. We got American Idol tickets!!! I can't believe it, but we got tickets to see the top 10 idol contestants on their summer tour!! We are divided in our house over which David we want to win, but we will be watching this week together, as a family! May be the best David win. This will be Brenna and Noah's first concert! I remember my first concert--Shaun Cassidy!!
While I have been writing this, I have tried to upload both video and pictures, so I guess something is wrong on the blog servers. I will try one more option, but if that doesn't work, I will have to post pictures for this blog later. :) Keep your fingers crossed. I hope everyone continues to enjoy their spring.
1. Noah has worked hard on mastering the songs on his recorder. The music teacher has likened the process to getting your black belt in karate. When you have mastered a song you get a belt color according to the level of the song. So, for the first song, you get a white belt, for the second song a yellow belt, until you get the coveted black belt with the song "Ode to Joy". I am amazed at how much Noah practiced and practiced!! He loved playing his recorder.
2. Mother's Day was absolutely fabulous. We had a great time. The best compliment of the day came from Brenna's card when she said she wanted to be a Mommy just like me. I'm sure Kleenex invented this day as I used almost a whole box to contain my emotions. Noah's poem also sent me back to the kleenex box! Some things are just too big to contain. Tobin's Mother's Day hug was extra long and decidely communicative. Litte did he know that he too had given me the best Mother's Day gift when just two days before he had backed out of going to a movie with friends because they were going to see "Baby Mama." I digress, but what 12 year old would choose to go see "Baby Mama"? To see your tween child making good choices does more than melt your heart. My mom and step-dad came over and we had a wonderful dinner. Poor Andy grilled our steaks out in the pouring rain, but oh so worth it. The steak melted in my mouth!! And then he cleaned up too. I love my husband and am the luckiest girl in the world!!
3. Girl's Night Out--Let's just say I have had the last three nights (Thurs, Fri. and Saturday) to go out with girlfriends. How did I get so lucky? I can't believe it ended up that way, but I had soooo much fun. It made me realize how lucky I am to have so many good friends. Thursday night was a banquet for school media specialists. Afterwards, a few of us girls had drinks (they had white russians and I had water), and planned our trip we are taking in the fall. Friday, I had dinner with moms I have become friends with through Brenna's dance class. Brenna no longer takes dance, but we get together for dinner as often as we can. Then we saw "What Happens in Vegas" which I actually liked. And last night, friends from church all went to see "Made of Honor" which was not good. But it was fun being with the girls and talking afterwards while we waited for the guys to get out of "Ironman" which I know we all secretly wished we had gone to see as well.
4. Character Counts: Brenna's school has a program called Character Counts. Each month a teacher chooses a student to put their handprint on a pillar at the front of the school and for May choose Brenna (she had demonstrated the pillar of citizenship by caring for others). She was so excited!! Andy and I were lucky enough to both be there for the momentous occasion. It is fun to see Brenna excited because it is sooo infectious. You just can't help but smile. :). She giggled as the volunteer rolled the paint onto her hand. She then, of course, had to climbe the ladder and put her hand as high as she could reach on the pillar. I had her hold the pose while I tried to get several great pictures. Tried is the operative word, but they are still cute. Brenna loved the attention of it all!! Good job, girl!!
5. Basketball--Tobin is playing for a Junior NBA team that Andy is coaching. Tobin has improved immensely from his winter season and I love it. He hustles!! Tobin's team is the youngest and SMALLEST team in the league. Some boys from the other teams stand almost six feet tall and have what I swear could be a 5 o'clock shadow! How is Tobin supposed to defend against that!? And yet, he never gives up. I have had so much fun watching him. Andy has had a great time being their coach.
6. We got American Idol tickets!!! I can't believe it, but we got tickets to see the top 10 idol contestants on their summer tour!! We are divided in our house over which David we want to win, but we will be watching this week together, as a family! May be the best David win. This will be Brenna and Noah's first concert! I remember my first concert--Shaun Cassidy!!
While I have been writing this, I have tried to upload both video and pictures, so I guess something is wrong on the blog servers. I will try one more option, but if that doesn't work, I will have to post pictures for this blog later. :) Keep your fingers crossed. I hope everyone continues to enjoy their spring.
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