This Summer

 A few weeks ago, I was talking to my sister on the phone and she mentioned creating a list of things she wants to do this summer.  A summer bucket list, if you will.

I thought, What a great idea!  Maybe I'll make my own list.

Then, a few days later, what should appear in my inbox?  This blog post from Ali Edwards in which she lays out her "Summer Manifesto."

I thought, Oh, boy...I'm in!  

So, without further ado, here's what I hope to do this summer:

- Go camping as a family of three.
- Finalize Noah's adoption.
- Attend a local county fair.
- Plant a peony bush in the yard.  (Number 1 on my Life List.)  
- Cook 5 new dinner recipes.
- Take Noah to the pool.
- Write.
- Revamp my blog.
- Pick up my camera and shoot away.
- Don my cowgirl boots.
- Devour a crepe with ice cream inside. 
- Keep a list of all the books I read.  (Number 17 on my Life List.)
- Hang photographs in Noah's nursery.
- Go on a date with Brian.
- Learn more about Lightroom.  
- Spend time with family and friends. 
- Document it all in my Project Life binder.

What's on your summer list?

J

Life List Update II

About a year and a half ago, I created a Life List.

Six months later, I updated it, crossing off those items I had accomplished.

Now, a year has passed, and I'm back to strike out eight more items.  

1) Plant some peonies

2) Host a Bunco night

3) Drink in the beauty that is Yellowstone

4) Visit the Grand Canyon

5) Show Brian where I grew up in Washington

6) Learn to two-step with my hubby

7) Buy a pair of red ( or brown) cowgirl boots


8) Sing a song while my husband plays the piano

9) Learn to whistle

10) Become a mom

11) Attend the farmer's market in Auburn

12) Eat at McCormick & Schmick's


13) Take a road trip here in the good 'ol U.S.A.

14) Remodel a bathroom (or two!) in our new house


15) Visit Alaska

16) Start a collection of milk glass


17) Make a list of all the books I've read/listened to in one year

18) See the fall leaves in the Northeast

19) Visit Niagara Falls

20) Drink sweet tea in the south

21) Experience Switzerland again

22) Rent a red Corvette (a 5-speed of course!) and drive it for the weekend

23) Fly in a vertical wind tunnel


24) Financially support someone in achieving his or her college degree


25) Visit Notre Dame


26) Visit Canada

27) Travel to Nashville

28) Tour the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina

29) Publish a piece of writing.

30) Earn first place for a greeting card or scrapbook layout at the State Fair

Half of my Life List has been completed, leaving 15 more items to go.  Yahoo! 

What's on your Life List? 

J

Life List Update

Six months ago, I created a Life List.

It's similar to a bucket list in that it contains things I'd like to experience/do/create/accomplish before I die.

Number 23 on my list: Fly in a vertical wind tunnel.

As you can see from the photo above, I did it!

I'm sure you're wondering: Was it fun to fly?

To quote Napoleon Dynamite, "Heck yes it was!"

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat!

Will I ever try outdoor skydiving?

My answer before this experience: Absolutely not!

My answer now: Maybe. Perhaps. Possibly.

Below, you'll see that I've crossed #23 off my list as well as the other items I've accomplished since October.

And I've added a few more goals to my list.

Outdoor skydiving, however, did not make the list. I need to do more research, talk to people who have done it, build up my courage reserves, get over my fear of heights, etc.

But you never know, maybe one of these days, I'll add it to the list.

1) Plant some peonies

2) Host a Bunco night

3) Drink in the beauty that is Yellowstone

4) Visit the Grand Canyon

5) Show Brian where I grew up in Washington

6) Learn to two-step with my hubby

7) Buy a pair of red cowgirl boots (Note: My new boots are brown, not red, but oh so pretty! I can't wait to wear them out.)

8) Sing a song while my husband plays the piano

9) Learn to whistle

10) Become a mom

11) Attend the farmer's market in Auburn

12) Eat at McCormick & Schmick's

13) Take a road trip here in the good 'ol U.S.A.

14) Remodel a bathroom (or two!) in our new house

15) Visit Alaska

16) Start a collection of milk glass

17) Make a list of all the books I've read/listened to in 2010

18) See the fall leaves in the Northeast

19) Visit Niagara Falls

20) Drink sweet tea in the south

21) Experience Switzerland again

22) Rent a red Corvette (a 5-speed of course!) and drive it for the weekend

23) Fly in a vertical wind tunnel

24) Financially support someone in achieving his or her college degree

25) Visit Notre Dame

26) Visit Canada

27) Travel to Nashville

28) Tour the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina

29) Publish a piece of writing.

30) Earn first place for a greeting card or scrapbook layout at the State Fair

Not only did I feel a sense of accomplishment striking through those seven items, but I also enjoyed reminiscing about the experiences.

And I'm more eager than ever to tackle additional items on my list.

Do you have a Life List? If so, how's it going?

J

A Life List

I make lists.

It's what I do.

Daily to-do lists.

Lists filled with short-term goals.

And ones with long-term goals.

What can I say, I'm totally Type A!

So you can imagine my excitement when I was introduced to the concept of a Life List on Brene Brown's Ordinary Courage blog several months ago.

A Life List, as you might guess, is much like a bucket list.

It's a compilation of 100 things you'd like to do/learn/experience/complete/participate in before you exit this earth.

As far as I can tell, the idea of a Life List started with Maggie Mason and her Mighty Life List: 100 Things To Do Before I Go.

She's inspired thousands of others to create their own lists.

Now as I first mulled over the idea of creating a list with 100 goals, I couldn't get past the formidable length of the list. Would I really be able to think of 100 things I want to accomplish?

Secondly, was I willing to commit to making them all happen?

As I tend to do when I'm overwhelmed by a task, I set it aside for a couple of weeks. Then, I revisited it, scribbling ideas on post-it notes here and there, and then typing those ideas into this blog post.

Along the way, my internal dialogue went something like this:

What if I just started with 25 goals instead of 100? (I can always add to it later, I reasoned.)

And so what if I don't finish all of the goals on the list?

Realistically, I probably won't complete them all.

But if I make a list, I bet I'll accomplish many more than I otherwise would have.

And checking items off a list is even more fun than creating the list itself.

Without further ado, below is my Life List in progress.

It's a combination of travel/life experiences/challenges--some big and some small--and they are listed in no particular order.

I had a few more items on my list initially, but I'm not quite ready to share my most personal goals.

1) Plant some peonies (I've heard that deer will NOT eat them; anyone know for sure?)

2) Host a Bunco night

3) Drink in the beauty that is Yellowstone

4) Visit the Grand Canyon

5) Show Brian where I grew up in Issaquah, Washington

6) Learn to two-step with my hubby

7) Buy a pair of red cowgirl boots

8) Sing a song while my husband plays the piano

9) Learn to whistle

10) Become a mom

11) Attend the farmer's market in Auburn

12) Eat at McCormick & Schmick's

13) Take a road trip here in the good 'ol U.S.A.

14) Remodel a bathroom (or two!) in our new house

15) Visit Alaska

16) Start a collection of milk glass

17) Make a list of all the books I've read/listened to in 2010

18) See the fall leaves in the Northeast

19) Visit Niagara Falls

20) Drink sweet tea in the south

21) Experience Switzerland again

22) Rent a red Corvette (a 5-speed of course!) and drive it for the weekend

23) Fly in a vertical wind tunnel (This would be a blast to do with a group of people..maybe for my 35th birthday!)

24) Financially support someone in achieving his or her college degree

25) Visit Notre Dame (I'll be able to cross this one off my list in November!)

What is on your Life List?!

J