Log Your Memory 1/13/10

Today's Log Your Memory question is this:

Create a list of 100 things you want to do before you die.

1. Be completely debt free

2. Take a cross country trip

3. Take an Alaskan cruise

4. Ride a train across the United States

5. Visit Hawaii

6. Go back to Paris

7. Visit Jerusalem

8. Tour Pompeii

9. Visit Masada (I read a book about it in 5th grade and have been fascinated about it since!)

10. Go on a zipline

11. Build a new house with double ovens and a huge laundry room

12. See all 4 of my children grow to adulthood and find success

13. Lose 100 pounds

14. Grow my fingernails out

15. Try being a blonde for awhile

16. Visit New York City

17. Vegas, baby

18. Live in a loft downtown

19. Own a convertible

20. Stay in a luxury hut on stilts in the ocean.

21. Give a bunch of money away

22. Help Samaritan's Purse give away their Operation Christmas Child boxes

23. Go on another mission trip

24. Take a culinary tour of New Orleans (Emeril's, Brennan's, Delmonico, Antoine's)

25. See Saturday Night Live... LIVE!

26. Travel Route 66 from beginning to end

27. Own a Maine Coon

28. Eat at the chef's table at Victoria & Albert's (Grand Floridian, Disney World)

29. Go to an Alabama vs. Auburn football game

30. Go to a professional baseball game (nope, never been!)

31. Visit the British Isles

32. Tour Britain, Scotland and Ireland

33. Swim with a dolphin

34. Sail on a private yacht

35. Take a few girlfriends and my sister to Disney World for a girls' trip (or my girls, my sister and my momma!)

36. Take a cake decorating class

37. Take a ballroom dance class

38. Go to San Antonio to see my friend Joanie again. She's one heck of a gal and I miss her!

39. Attend a CHA conference

40. See my sister find someone she can spend the rest of her life with, someone who treats her like she deserves.

41. Go to Spokane, Washington with my dad to visit all the places he knew growing up

42. Take my kids to a NASCAR race with my dad.

43. Be on Jeopardy!

44. See the entire family go one Christmas without giving or getting gifts in exchange for providing for other families who need it more

45. Spend Christmas in Colorado

46. See Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite (again.... and this time remember it because I'm not 18 months-old!)

47. See school vouchers become a reality

48. Walk the Great Wall of China

49. See a space shuttle launch

50. Hear at least one of my children say, "Mom, you were right." And in case that was something my own mom has on her list, I'll say, "Mom, you were right!" about so very many things.

51. Know that my mother-in-law is living within her means and has no credit card balances.

52. Hold a snake.

53. Scuba dive.

54. Visit Auschwitz, Dachau and any other tourable former concentration camps.

55. Read Gone With the Wind because the book is different, oh, so different from the movie.

56. Take my kids to the Louvre.

57. Return to Madrid and tour the Prado. It's closed on Mondays, so I didn't get to see it.

58. Watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona (I don't want to run with them... just watch!)

59. Learn how to quilt. I have a bunch of old t-shirts that I'd love to turn into a quilt.

60. Learn how to can veggies.

61. Grow a successful garden (thus the reason for learning to can veggies!)

62. Own chickens so we can have fresh eggs.

63. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

64. Take the kids to see Niagara Falls.

65. Go back to King's Island and ride The Beast.

66. Meet The Pioneer Woman. I'm not obsessed with her or anything, but she seems so very cool.

67. See Bette Midler in concert

68. Go to Maine.

69. Take voice lessons.

70. Go to the Miss America pageant

71. Visit historic battle sites: the Ardennes, Iwo Jima, Normandy, etc.

72. Take a trip on the Orient Express

73. Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the World Series, etc.

74. Skydive.

75. Ride a camel into the desert.

76. Be one of many in the crowd counting down to the New Year in New York City.

77. Spend Christmas on the beach.

78. Donate money and put my name on something: a college scholarship, a building, etc.

79. Kiss the Blarney stone.

80. Drive really fast in the Bonneville Salt Flats.

81. Get a (very small) tattoo.

82.Minimize existing clutter and excess possessions

83. Go to the Kentucky Derby and drink a mint julep.

84. Ride a gondola in Venice.

85. Ride a mechanical bull.

86. See the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC when they're in full bloom

87. See the Pyramids.

88. See Stonehenge.

89. Visit Machu Picchu.

90. Visit all 50 states.

91. Go on an African safari.

92. Drive Down Highway 101 (West Coast Highway)

93. Tour Anne Frank's House.

94. Visit Alcatraz.

95. See the Aurora Borealis.

96. Visit the Top Ten US Lighthouses.

97. Watch the Changing of the Guard At Buckingham Palace

98. Sleep in an Igloo

99. Kiss my husband on top of the Eiffel Tower

100. Go a month without television

Breakfast Chatter

This was part of our morning conversation:

Me: So, tonight's dinner.... tilapia, potato skins and broccoli with my homemade cheese sauce. Sound good?

(Groans all around. The mere mention of any sort of good veggie gives the kids panic attacks...)

Me: Well, we have to have something green.

Aiden: Pistachio pudding?

Log Your Memory

I found a great site over the holidays: Log Your Memory. They sell Memory Logbooks that are really cool. You can order a hard copy or pay and print out a PDF of the book. I printed mine out, because it was close to 2010 and I wanted it in hand so I could start writing in it on the first. I really like it so far. It's geared towards scrapbookers, really, but you could skip the scrapbooking parts if you don't do that.

Anyhow, every month there are weekly scrapbooking challenges that instruct you to create a layout based on the questions they give you. I want to do these layouts, but right now my office is a mess. I thought I'd just blog about the topics they assign so later I can come back and just print out the blog post for the layout.

This month's main question is:

"What would you do if you found out you had just one year - THIS year - left to live?"

I would take the kids out of school, my husband would quit his job and we'd travel, making as many memories and taking as many pictures as we could. It would be really important for me to finish the kids' scrapbooks so they'd have something I made to look at after I was gone. I'd have to start scrapbooking digitally to do that, but I'd get it done. I'd want to record all of my advice and wisdom for the kids so that when they reach certain milestones they'd know exactly what I would've said in those situations.

I'd cry. A lot. Just thinking about not being there for my kids makes me sob.

There are other questions that you could use if you don't like the question above, so I think I'll use those as blog topics the rest of this week. I've seriously neglected the blog, so that'll give me something to write about for at least the next five days!

Don't get used to it.

Friday Fill Ins 1/8/2010

1. There are places I would love to visit with my family. New York City, Jamestown, the Arizona memorial in Hawaii, Alaska, Paris (again), Civil War battle sites... but we're stuck on Disney for now. I think my husband thinks the kids are too young to take them anywhere but Disney, but I think it would be fun. I definitely want them to see the Smithsonian before too long. Washington, DC is one of my favorite cities on earth.

2. If it wasn't so sunny, I would be wishing for a strong wind to blow those clouds away. I don't like overcast days. Give me the sunshine!

3. Standing in the vestibule of the church before I was supposed to walk down the aisle towards my future husband, I was nervous but excited. I can't believe that moment was almost 14 years ago. Seems like yesterday.

4. We have a new kitten. Oh boy.

5. He (Nick Saban) went out tiger hunting and was successful in beating us (Auburn TIGERS), 26 to 21 on our home turf. Last night he took the University of Alabama to another national championship. I am proud of the SEC and even more proud that our Tigers almost beat the national champions back in November!

6. I have much to do, and that keeps my mind from wandering .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to working in my office. With the hubby's help, hopefully we can get everything in place. Tomorrow my plans include sleeping late, getting some scrapbooking done and church (I haven't been to service in so long! I've kept nursery, but that doesn't fill my need to worship and learn, and I have MISSED IT.) Sunday, I want to do nothing except fellowship with the community group we haven't seen in over a month.

Boo Yah

Eatin' dinner tonight.

The hubs was a twinge frustrated that the children hadn't made their lunches during the long afternoon they'd been at home. I felt responsible, since I am the AIC (adult in charge) during the post-school, pre-daddy arrival hours.

I was explaining how events had played out since we'd been home.

Come home.

Unload Hobby Lobby purchases from car.

Use the potty.

Change into comfy clothes.

Tell Aiden to shower.

Agree to stay in my bedroom while Aiden (who gets freaked out in my room alone) showers in my bathroom (the only source for hot water since Sunday. Don't ask.)

Decide that I can help Lillian with her homework while I'm on the bed.

Call for Lillian.

Wait for Lillian to remove her shoes and socks so she can get on my bed.

Argue briefly with Lillian about putting her shoes and socks in her own room.

Wait patiently for Lillian to return from her room.

Tell Lillian (for the 3rd time) to fetch her homework folder.

Wait for Lillian to whine it out, then actually retrieve aforementioned folder.

Snuggle a little more.

Listen to Lillian read.

Fill out the paper sent home with the book Lillian had to read.

Call for Quinn.

Call for Quinn.

Call for Quinn.

Start counting to 3.

Tell Quinn to fetch his homework folder.

Watch Quinn pool into a puddle of goo on the floor.

Start counting to 3.

Wait for Quinn to return with his homework.

Help with Quinn's homework.

Sign Aiden's reading log.

Write down 2 Bible verses Aiden is supposed to memorize for school.

Check the laundry.

Unload the dryer.

Load the dryer.

Start the washer.

Take a phone call.

Go upstairs to do a little office work.

I really was doing office work.

Really.

No, really.

After I finished saying, "...office work" Aiden pipes up.

"If, by 'work' you mean 'Facebook', then yes. You were working."

Boo yah.

Manic Monday 1/4/10

What did you get in trouble for the most when you were a kid?

Probably being messy. My room was always a mess, and I was a stuffer. I was good at shoving things under the bed or into the closet. I have reformed my ways, but I have messy children. Life is ironic that way.

Which is your wish that is not yet fulfilled?

I want a bigger kitchen. I need more cabinet space and I'd love to have huge island in the middle of the kitchen. And double ovens. I long for double ovens. Double convection ovens, even. And while I'm wishing, I'll take a larger, more secluded laundry room. Right now ours is the room between the garage and the rest of the house, and I don't like it there. I'd love a huge, sunny room with lots of counter space for folding and sorting. And a huge laundry sink.

Like this:



or this:




If you have to choose a movie title for your life story, what would that be?

"I Don't Deserve This Life I've Been Blessed With"

For a list of possible titles of a book as yet to be written about me, click here.

Friday Fill Ins 1/1/2010

1. Last night I took a bath and was in bed by 7:30. I was planning on just watching TV in bed, but I was asleep by 8ish. I did wake up long enough to see the ball drop, and then I was out again. So much for the big New Year party!

2. I'm looking forward to all God has in store for me this year.

3. The funniest thing I've seen so far this year is this picture of my son wearing his new night vision goggles while playing Wii on Christmas Day:

I've been editing Christmas pictures in Photoshop today and this one made me laugh out loud. I took it, so I've seen it before, but it still makes me giggle.

4. All the boxes were moved from my old office to the playroom and my husband has assembled shelves for all my stuff ...so where do we go from here? The mess is still a little overwhelming. I think I'll just play Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook until it fixes itself.

5. He said "Let's go to the Olive Garden for dinner tonight."; she said, "Sure!". (True story, folks.)

6. Quinn lost his Target gift card that my sister gave him for Christmas and it's up to us to find it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to the Olive Garden (duh), then coming back home and watching "Funny Girl" on DVD. I've wanted to see it since the last episode of "Glee" when they sang "Don't Rain on My Parade". Tomorrow my plans include getting all the stuff in my office out of boxes and onto shelves, and then church (keeping babies in the nursery tomorrow! Yea!) and Sunday, I want to finish unloading these boxes if I don't get it done tomorrow, then getting the kiddos ready to go back to school (sad sigh).