Things to do, things to do....

When I was young, of course I had all sorts of dreams of what I was going to do with my life. I was going to go to BYU Hawaii or the University of Puget Sound, be a marine biologist, or a veterinarian, or a nurse, but definitely be a wife and a mom. So things didn't go exactly the way I planned. I went to UVSC, studied to be a nurse, changed my major at the last minute to Elementary Ed., fell in love with Ben, became his wife and then became a mom. I'm so thankful for the way things turned out. I have achieved the most important things on that list. I consider myself very lucky.

So a few years ago, when I turned 30, I made a short list of the things I wanted to do before I was 35. It wasn't a long list-just three things. But here I am, just 1 month and 1 year away from 35 and I haven't done any of them. Well, maybe one, but the jury is still out on that. They were to be finished having my children, learn to surf, and learn to scuba dive. So, knowing that I'm only about a year out from that big 3-5, I've decided I need to get busy...or maybe cut myself some slack. The main thing on that list was the children part and I've been pretty busy with that. There's a time and a season for everything and that has always been the greatest thing on my to-do list.

Now, I'm not a real chick flick kind of girl, but there's a few I like and one of my favorites is Steel Magnolias. There's a line in that movie, that I absolutely love. I think it's Dolly Parton's character, Truvy, that says it to Annelle when she's feeling blue. The line is: "There's still good times to be had." I really do love that line and remember it often. I think it's true, no matter what your current circumstance is or how old you are. There is always going to be something good you still haven't gotten to yet. That's what it's all about. So, even though I'm getting up there in age (ha ha, I'm kidding!), I know that my adventures are not over yet.

Lately, as I've seen that looming birthday heading my way, I've thought about the things besides those 3 that I've wanted to accomplish in my life. Ben showed me a girl's blog that had her "bucket list" on it. I guess I've always had my own so called life list in my head but it kind of inspired me. I decided it was about time to write it down. Many things on my list are going to cost a lot of money. I don't really want or expect to ever have a lot of money so it will be a conundrum to how I'm going to finance these adventures. I honestly would be happy if I crossed off a quarter of my list, so maybe I can figure out a way to finance those somehow like a bake sale or something. Anyway, I figured while I was making my to do list, I might as well go big. So here goes:

1. Endure to the end with a smile on my face.
~I know that the reason we are here is to learn what we're supposed to know to advance on to the next life. We are also supposed to have joy in the ride. That's the whole point. I hope I can remember this in my life and really honestly be happy the entire journey.
2. Really feel like I understand charity the way the Savior would have me.
~Is this achievable in this life? I'd like to think it is. I've seen others that I feel truly understand it and I want to be like them. I'm trying so hard to be like Jesus.
3. Walk where Jesus walked.
~ That would be simply amazing and such a deep honor!!
4. Learn to forgive.
~ There are a few people out there that have deeply offended me. Forgiving them has been a struggle for me but I really desire to. I have not learned how to forgive yet, but I know that at least striving to learn that will get me there some day.
5. Learn to live in the now.
~ Bear with my nerdiness for a second. A wise Yoda once said to Luke: " A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things." While I am not trying to be a Jedi, I realize I need to be happy in the now and not always be looking for the next thing or adventure. My dear Ben reminds me of this often. Thank you Ben.
6. Serve a mission with my hubby.
~ I didn't go on a mission. I considered it but married my sweetheart instead. I don't know if I'd be very good at proselitizing, but I'd love to do a service mission someday somewhere.
7. Do a session at all of the temples in Utah and then move on to all of the others.
~ Ben and I were working on this and doing quite well before we had kids. Now they've added a few more for us to go to. Time to get busy!
8. Create a home with an inviting, joyous, comfortable, loving atmosphere where my kids and their friends will want to be. I would love to have the "cool house". You know, that one.
9. See all of my kids follow their dreams, whatever they may be, and be their biggest cheerleader.
~ I can't wait to see all of the amazing things my amazing kids are going to do!
10. Make a positive difference in at least one person's life.
11. Participate in some kind of Habitat for Humanity/Extreme Home Makeover.
12. Build my dreamhouse-something that looks like it came from the early 1900's but new.
~ Back in my single days I lived in a few old houses (one over 100 years old) and I absolutely love them! I love their distinct architecture, character, and charm. I do not as much like their drafty windows and lack of closet space!
13. Design a backyard that will match my dream house.
~ I love being outside and would love to have a backyard that I could love being in for hours on end.
14. Build a treehouse in my yard.
~One of my biggest goals, as silly as that sounds. I've always, always wanted one.
15. Sleep in said treehouse with my kids.
16. Watch a baby be born (not being the one giving birth).
~ Some may not know this but I wanted to be an OB nurse forever. I changed my major at the very last moment and became a teacher instead. Working towards this goal, I worked as a CNA forever, sometimes in nursing homes, sometimes at the hospital. I always ached to see a baby born and always missed it by minutes. I'm hoping some day I'll be lucky enough to watch that miracle!
17. Finish all of my kid's baby books.
18. Donate blood.
~I've donated plasma a hundred times but never blood and I've got the good kind! After I'm gone though, I plan to donate whatever is needed to whomever needs it. My cousin is currently on the waiting list for a new heart and we pray every day for him. Blood and organ donors are awesome!
19. Be a foster parent, or maybe even adopt.
~I've decided that if I can't always have a baby that maybe someday I could always foster a baby.
20. Be mortgage and debt-free.
~Wouldn't we all? What freedom that would be!
21. Send my parents on their dream vacation with the entire family.
~ They deserve it! They're the best!
22. Use my degree to teach children.
23. Learn to scuba dive!
24. Learn to surf!
25. Learn to ollie on a skateboard.
~I'm a quad when it comes to skateboarding but it is something I greatly appreciate watching.
26. Live close enough to the ocean that I could go there as often as I'd like.
~ Have I mentioned I'm passionate about the ocean?
27. Swim with dolphins.
~Another of my very greatest dreams.
28. Go whale watching.
29. Camp at the beach.
~ I love camping, I love the beach. Seems like the best camping ever!
30. Share the awesome experience of sleeping in a lighthouse with my kids.
~Ben and I stayed at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse for our 10th anniversary. It was not the nicest of accommodations, but you can't even imagine how peaceful it is to sleep that close to the ocean.
31. Learn to play the ukulele and the guitar.
~Rockband just doesn't count.
32. Learn to play Thank You by Led Zeppelin on the guitar and sing it to my husband. It's our song and all.
~ I can't sing worth anything, so maybe I should cut the singing part out.
33. Learn sign language.
~ I took a class in college, but gave up after a few weeks because I was so dang sleep deprived that I just couldn't get it. I've always regretted that.
34. Learn to kayak.
~ If there is one thing I wish I could do in the Summer Olympics it would be this. So cool!
35. Learn to luge and bobsled.
~ My Winter Olympic goals!
36. Mush with sled dogs.
~ Huskies are my absolute favorite dog. I wish I could own one but I'm not counting on that any time soon.
37. Take a photography class and learn to take better pictures.
~Let's face it, I suck at photography but I love taking pictures. I'm always behind the camera, much to the torture of those around me. Sorry!
38. Learn more about astronomy.
~This is another class I took but I didn't learn a thing because I mostly slept through it. Come on, the class was at 7 am, in a dark room, and I was a newlywed!
39. Learn how to throw a pot.
~ As in pottery. I used to sneak into my friends' pottery class back in high school just to play around. Don't ask me why I never just took the class myself. Dumb.
40. Relearn to play the piano.
~ I played until I was 12 and then quit. I still try every now and then, but I mostly fail.
41. Then learn how to play Ben Fold's The Luckiest. Another one of our songs.
42. See fireflies and catch them.
43. Watch the sunrise on the East coast.
44. Ride a camel or an elephant.
45. Attend some kind of Olympic event.
46. Go horseback riding on the beach.
47. Go jet skiing in the ocean.
48. Go on a helicopter ride.
49. Swim with sharks or go in a shark cage.
~ I know, super crazy, but super fascinating at the same time. My big bro has done both.Wow!
50. Get Lasik on my blasted eyes.
~ I don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't wish for this a thousand times.
51. Get laser treatments on my Scandinavian facial hair. Grrrr....
52. Catch (or even get to see) some fireflies.
53. Take a hot air balloon ride.
54. Drive the PCH from San Diego to Seattle.
~Ben and I drove this from San Diego to San Francisco once. It was absolutely gorgeous!! We forgot to bring food though so we were starving and miserable by the end. Next time, I'm packing a cooler!!
55. Go to Hawaii with my family.
~I went when I was 8 and I don't remember it much. I do remember that it was amazingly beautiful and that the rain was warm. I can't wait to go again.
56. Visit all 50 states.
~ I think I'm at 34.
57. Take my kids to Disneyworld.
~Ben and I have not figured out a deal for this yet. I'm pretty sure there won't be one.
58. Go on a Disney cruise.
~ I would LOVE to do this. What's better than a cruise and Disney combined? I do however, want to wait until my kids are old enough to 1-appreciate it and 2-not jump overboard.
59. Go on a trip via train.
~ There's one that runs from LA to Seattle along the coast. Dreamy!
60. Visit the LDS church sites again.
~ I went when I was 18 months and remember zilch.
61. Go on a lighthouse quest along each coast.
~ I've tried my hardest to see all of the lighthouses in So. Cal but I'd love to see more. I totally dig them.
62. Go on an Alaskan cruise.
63. Visit all of the National Parks.
64. Go to Skywalker Ranch.
~Nerdy, but ah man, it seems so cool there!
65. Drive across the country in a RV.
66. Go to Times Square in NYC at Christmas time and maybe stay for the craziness of New Year's Eve.
67. See Mt. Rushmore.
68. Go to New Orleans.
~I've always wanted to go there. The south has that charm that I just love.
69. Watch a spaces shuttle launch in person.
70. Surprise Ben with an impromptu trip.
71. Like going to a Star Wars convention or something.
~We wouldn't dress up, I promise. Still, we're total nerds, I know.
72. Visit the land of my ancestors-England, Wales, Denmark, Sweden.
73. Go to Ireland and kiss the blarney stone.
74. Visit New Zealand and Australia.
~If I could pick anywhere in the world to visit, it would be there. I'm so jealous of the Tongs for getting to celebrate my last birthday there. Wasn't it rude they didn't take me in their suitcase?
75. Go to Australia Zoo.
~ I absolutely admired Steve Irwin and his efforts to teach about the wonderment of animals!
76. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef.
~ So amazing!!
77. Go to Egypt and see the pyramids.
78. Visit the Greek Islands.
~So there's a cruise that goes to the Holy Land, Egypt, and the Greek Isles. I so, so, so want to go!!
79. Go to the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and go down the awesome waterslides.
80. Visit South/Central America see the Book of Mormon sites.
81. Go to Argentina with my husband to see his mission sites.
~I wouldn't mind eating some food there too. I love Argentine food!!
82. Visit the Great Wall of China.
83. Visit Auschwitz.
~ I have such a deep respect for those who suffered through the Holocaust.
84. Travel to 6 continents-I have no interest in freezing my hiney off in Antarctica.
85. Hike to the Y.
~I've joked about it enough that I really should do it now.
86. Go skiing or snowboarding.
~ I grew up at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon but I've never been. Go figure.
87. Watch AFI's 100 Best Movies of All Time.
88. Go to the Sundance Film Festival.
89. Grow a successful vegetable garden.
~ I want so badly to have a green thumb but so far, it's more like yellow. Ugh!
90. Live in a big city like San Francisco (my favorite) for awhile.
~ I definitely want to wait until my kids are grown but I'd love to experience the hustle and bustle of city life everyday for awhile. Ben's not as excited about this but he's willing to do it.
91. Own a beach house-or at least a time share at one.
92. Have an enormous fish tank with tropical fish.
~I want to be able to afford to pay someone else to maintain it though.
93. Own a log cabin on a lake.
~I'm a city girl but there's nothing like getting away from it all and relaxing in this beautiful world we are so blessed to have.
94. Stop drinking soda!!
~ By far, my worst habit and the one I've failed repeatedly to quit. Someday I'll make it. I think I can. I think I can.
95. Hear the word pirhana and not shiver.
~ Seriously, I know it's a totally irrational phobia. I'm not near pirhanas ever but the mere thought of them freaks me out and I admit it, even the word freaks me out. My kids love nothing more than to say it over and over just to watch me cringe.
96. Own an endless pool.
~ I love to swim laps but it's just not readily available to me to do every day. I would love to own one of these: http://www.endlesspools.com/
97. Get in really good shape.
~I've spent far too long feeling like the pudgy one. Boo.
98. Learn to throw things out so that I can feel truly organized and then maybe help others get that way too.
~ Sometimes I feel that I'm super organized but then I realize that I really have too much stuff to ever really be that way. Pack rat and super organized just don't go together well. I'm working on it.
99. Go back to school for the sole intent of taking classes to learn about really cool stuff.
~ When I was in both high school and college I took science classes for fun-Zoology, Human Biology, Genetics, etc. Who does that? Since I already have a degree, I'd love to just go have some fun. I guess that'd be some expensive fun though, right?
100. Become just a smidgen like my personal heroes.
~ I don't have a ton of those society heroes. I am lucky enough to actually know my heroes and even to be married to my biggest hero. If you think you might be one of my heroes, you're probably right. Aren't I lucky to have such great people to look up to? Quite possibly the luckiest.