Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Thankfulness in November: Days 21 Through 30

Monday, November 21
-Getting to go to school this week

Tuesday, November 22
-Getting a good night's sleep

Wednesday, November 23
-Being able to rest when I am sick
-One of my brothers making cheesecake for me, for Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 24
-Being able to get over a sickness/illness
-Celebrating Thanksgiving with my family
-Cooking my first Thanksgiving meal myself

Friday, November 25
-Getting to volunteer at the library this week
-Getting a present from one of the people I deliver library materials to, who is moving and wanted to give me a thank you/appreciation gift for what I do for her
-Helping a children's librarian put out Christmas and Hannukah books, music and DVDs on showcase, for people to check out

Saturday, November 26
-Having books to read
-Having movies to watch
-Having music to listen to
-Having the items to listen, watch them on

Sunday, November 27
-Having a working washing machine, that can effectively wash laundry

Monday, November 28
-Getting to go to school this week

Tuesday, November 29
-Living close enough to a library that I can use any of the resources they offer anytime

Wednesday, November 30
-Having restaurants close enough that we can order from them anytime
-Being alive

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Health and Safety

Get certified in First Aid and CPR
Take self-defense classes
Get down to, maintain goal weight
Start, keep a regular essential oil routine
Participate in a Color Run
Be able to run a mile easily
Take up a regular exercise routine
Take up yoga
Be able to do a pull up
Become a Black Belt in Karate
Take a belly dancing class
Take a kickboxing class
Be able to do push ups properly
Eat twice as much healthy foods and half as much junk food
Increase my flexibility
Sit, stand up straight
Take up Zumba
Walk 4 to 5 days a week
Be able to hold a plank for a minute

Saturday, November 26, 2016

15 Things I Would Like For Christmas

I heard someone do a 15 Things I Would Like For Christmas list, and decided to do my own. I do not expect to get all 15 things, and I am perfectly fine with not getting all of them.

Here is what I would like for Christmas:

  1. A new jacket/coat
  2. Slippers
  3. Gift card(s) to Old Navy, Famous Footwear, Walgreens (yes, Walgreens)
  4. A violin
  5. A Turbie Twist
  6. Elf on the Shelf
  7. Portable DVD player
  8. A watch
  9. Harry Potter coloring books
  10. That's Christmas to Me by Pentatonix
  11. All the Star Wars movies
  12. Believe by Jonathan Antoine
  13. A bike helmet
  14. Zootopia DVD
  15. New bedding
What are you wishing for, for Christmas this year (or Hannukah, if you celebrate that)?

Friday, November 25, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Animals and Nature

Kiss a dolphin
Visit a pumpkin patch
Stay at Giraffe Manor
See a panda in person
Feed a giraffe
Plant a tree(s)
Go canoeing
See the Northern Lights
Go whale watching
Swim in an ocean
Hold a tarantula
Swim with turtles
Horseback ride on a beach
Go on a horse and carriage ride
Try snowboarding
Go whitewater rafting
Have my own garden (fruits, veggies, flowers)
Swim with dolphins
Visit Lincoln Park Zoo
Adopt at least one dog
Visit a farm
Hold a sloth
Hold a monkey
Feed a penguin
See a tiger up close
See a kangaroo up close
See elephants up close
Hold a koala
See the World Famous Lippizaner Stallion Tour
Raise at least one horse
Watch baby turtles hatch
Ride a camel
See a zebra up close
Plant trees
Lake Hillier in australia
Ruby Falls in Tennessee
Isle of Sky in Scotland
Swim with a manatee
See the Aurora Australis
Explore Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington
Oneonta Gorge, Oregon
Sit on a giant lily pad in the Amazon River
Gieranger, Norway
Plitvice waterfall in Croatia
Ebor Falls in Australia
Barossa Valley in South Australia

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving!!

To those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful, happy Thanksgiving!!

I got to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the first time, and it came out well.

I was going to make cheesecake for today, but I got sick and didn't feel up to making it (I am feeling much better today, though). Fortunately, one of my brothers was kind enough to make it for me, so that was nice.

My oldest brother called us today, to wish us a happy Thanksgiving. I love hearing from him, as we don't get to see my brother very often (he lives half a country away from us, and is busy with work). But I was happy to hear that he and his wife are doing well.

There is much that I am thankful for, not just today, but every day. I hope those who celebrate have a lot to be thankful for as well.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Entertainment/Fun

See The Book of Mormon in person
Attend a Chicago Bulls game
See Wicked in person
Go to a Chicago Blackhawks game
Go to a Chicago Wolves game
Write a song
Go paintballing
See a movie at a drive-in
Go to an opera
See Cirque du Soleil
Go on a mini golf date
Try archery
Try fencing
Go to a high school football game
Learn how to play tennis
See the Harlem Globetrotters play
Go to a paint night
Visit the Art Institute of Chicago
Ride on a motorcycle
Go to a festival
Play Jenga with a giant Jenga set
Go out and try line dancing
Slip-n-slide
Scavenger hunts
Water balloon fights
Play frisbee
Tie Dye
Bowling
Laser tag
Messy Twister
Relive my favorite childhood toy, and buy/use a new Easy Bake Oven
Buy/use a new Skip-It (if they are still around)
Have annual girls' night in/out events
Try out different science experiments
Learn to make a clay cup, bowl
Get to the end of my video games
Go snow tubing
Go inner tubing on water
Se Finding Neverland in person
See A Christmas Carol in person

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Thankfulness in November: Days 11 through 20

So, I have decided to do these thankfulness posts in groups of 10 days, for the rest of November.

Friday, November 11
-Volunteering with the library this week

Saturday, November 12
-Going to a Harry Potter party at the library
-Seeing two friends today, whom I haven't seen in a very long time
-Seeing a rabbit outside of church

Sunday, November 13
-Having heat in cooler weather, and cooling in warmer weather (we have a central air system that was installed several years ago)
-Getting a package of items that I bought from a family, which they were selling to help them out with financial matters

Monday, November 14
-Being able to go to school this week
-My teacher saying hi to me, and asking me if I was feeling better (I missed school last week because I wasn't feeling well)

Tuesday, November 15
-Seeing the movie Trolls in theaters

Wednesday, November 16
-Getting my flu shot

Thursday, Novenmber 17
-Being able to relax at home

Friday, November 18
-Volunteering with the library this week

Saturday, November 19
-Going to a thrift store and finding some good items there

Sunday, November 20
-Seeing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in theaters

Friday, November 18, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Family and Friends

Get married
Have biological children (I would love to have two girls and two boys, or 1 girl and 1 boy at least)
Adopt children
Live on a farm and raise (mainly) horses
Host a Friendsgiving at least once
Get a tattoo in memory of my mom
Go on a road trip with friends at least once
Go on family bike rides
Go on family picnics
Go bowling
Visit the zoo
Visit a farm
Fly a kite
Play mini golf
Go ice skating
Start a family recipe that will last through the generations
Bake holiday cookies (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
Go camping
Write letters to my children, and give them the letters when they are older
Cook/roast food around a camp fire
Go on weekly/monthly dates with my significant other
Do arts and crafts often with my children
Have game nights once a month
Go to local carnivals/festivals
Get manicures with friends
Have barbecue parties
Make homemade ice cream
Play on a slip-n-slide
Volunteer
Get family photos taken every year
Photo shoots
Shopping trips
Go on annual hikes
Visit a water park or amusement park every year
Host a fondue party
Give each of my children their own email, then send them pictures, letters, stories, etc., and give them the passwords on their 18th birthdays (saw this idea on Pinterest)
Take pictures at a photobooth together
Take at least one big trip a year
Go to a midnight movie premiere
Have a weekly family movie night
Have a weekly family game night
Do a color run
Go on a girls vaction with friends
Take handprints and footprints of my kids as they grow, as mementos
Have a girls' spa day
Go on a road trip with friends
Dance with my dad at my wedding
Be fully present in my childrens' lives
Be able to see my children get married

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

My To Be List

I saw this on Instagram and loved it.



As well as those listed above, I want to be:
Confident
Outgoing (or, at least, more outgoing than I am now)
More active
The best me I can be

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Dating and Relationships

Find, and be in a relationship with, someone who will love me for who I am
Have my first kiss
Go on an ice cream date
Go on an ice skating date
Go on a picnic date
Go on a dinner and movie date
Take at least one cooking class together
Go on a date to the zoo
Dance in the rain
Kiss in the rain
Have a baking date
Have a water gun fight
Go on a road trip together
Go on a mini golf date
Ride in a horse drawn carriage together
Go camping together
Go swimming at night together
Cook meals together
Take photos in a photo booth
Play board, card, video games together
Get frozen yogurt together
Go on a bowling date
Go on a museum date
Go on a go-carting date
Go to a baseball game together
Go on a carnival date
Have a silly string fight
Bike ride together
Take dance lessons
Go to a football game together
Volunteer together
Go on walks together
Write each other letters
Build snowmen together
Go sledding together
Make a gingerbread house together
Put puzzles together
Go to Medieval Times
Play laser tag
Go horseback riding
Go to a pumpkin patch
Have a breakfast date
Spend a day at a waterpark
Spend a day in the city
Go on a beach date
Take a painting class
Spend the day at an amusement park
Go to the local farmer's market
Build something at Build-a-Bear
Go on a Disney date
Have date night q and a's
Decorate mugs for each other
Make marshmallow guns and have a marshmallow war
Breakfast in bed
Go berry picking
Take a pottery class
Participate in Operation Christmas Child
Drive in movie date
Learn to argue with each other without it getting out of hand
Learn to speak up for myself if something in the relationship makes me uncomfortable
Fix our favorite dishes/desserts
Create a "love jar" and write notes every day to each other
Become comfortable holding hands in public
365 Note Jar (Pink: reasons why I love you; Blue: we're doing this; Green: quotes and lyrics; Yellow: memories), one note read each day
Write Open When... letters to each other
Write love letters to each other

Saturday, November 12, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Holidays

Host a 4th of July BBQ
Make a Thanksgiving dinner myself
Visit the 'real' Santa Claus in Finland
Drive a snowmobile
Go sledding
Do You've Been Boo'd at least once
Do You've Been Jingled at least once
Donate toys for Christmas
Go see the Festival of Lights at the local zoo
Start an Elf on the Shelf tradition
Make an advent calendar each year
Relax by a fireplace
Go on an ice skating date
Make and drink eggnog
Make and drink hot chocolate
Watch holiday movies for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Volunteer at a soup kitchen over the holidays
Create a Thankfulness Tree
Make paper snowflakes
Bake cookies for the neighbors
Make a gingerbread house
Make a popcorn garland
Have a snowball fight
Roast marshmallows
Go sledding
Go skiing
Go snowboarding
Start a new tradition
Send Christmas cards
Make ice bubbles
Eat a Christmas meal with friends and family
Do a Friendsgiving at least once
Camp out under the Christmas tree
Participate in an ornament exchange
Do random acts of kindness
Make New Year's Resolutions that I will actually keep
Get my picture taken with Santa every year
DIY Fall/Halloween crafts
DIY Thanksgiving crafts
DIY winter/Christmas crafts
Visit Halloweentown in St. Helen's, Oregon
Try a peppermint mocha at Starbucks
Make and drink apple cider
Attend a football game
Develop a fall/winter exercise routine
Picnic by the Christmas tree
Host/go to holiday parties
Make treats/gifts for friends
Go on a Valentine's Day date
DIY Valentine's Day crafts
Celebrate Christmas, New Year's in Hawaii
Open Crackers on Christmas (a British tradition)
Make and donate animal toys/crafts to local animal shelters
Make scarves, hats, gloves/mittens to give to homeless shelters, those in need
Break open pinatas for each holiday
Bake and decorate cakes for each holiday
Make peppermint/chocolate bark
Make and give holiday fudge
DIY Advent calendars
Host a Halloween party for kids, adults
Make caramel apples
Dye hair red or purple vor Valentine's Day
Dye hair green for St. Patrick's Day
Host a New Year's party

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Thankfulness in November: Day 10

What I am thankful for today:

My wonderful family and friends
       They have always been there for me through everything, and I am so thankful for that.
      
My cats, whom I have had for about 6 1/2 years now
      I can't imagine my life without them; they bring us so much love and joy.

Being able to blog whenever I like
      I am a shy person, so I don't talk much. Blogging and writing help me to communicate what is on my mind, and I am so very thankful for that.

Having a warm, cozy bed to sleep in
      I know some people don't have a bed of their own, so I don't take having one of my own for granted.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Thankfulness in November: Days 1 through 9

I was planning on posting every day in Nevember, about what I am thankful for this November, but I completely forgot until now. I will put days 1 through 9 in this post, and then post the rest of the days separately after that.

So, here is what I am thankful for this year.

Tuesday, November 1st
-Having warm water to drink, wash with, and use however I need/want to

Wednesday, November 2nd
-Having clothes to wear

Thursday, November 3rd
-Having food to eat

Friday, November 4th
-Volunteering with the local library today, delivering library materials to homebound patrons
-Helping a children's librarian get crafts ready for a children's story time craft

Saturday, November 5th
-Buying a luminary from church, for their Christmas celebration

Sunday, November 6th
-Having a roof over my head
-A portable speaker coming in the mail, that one of my brothers ordered, so I can watch TV shows/movies in the kitchen (yes, we have a TV in the kitchen), without worrying about the sound going out anymore (the sound has been messed up for quite some time, so it was really nice to get this; it was also a surprise, as I didn't know he bought it until today)

Monday, November 7th
-Planning a Thanksgiving dinner for my family
-Being able to get a college education (I am going for my baking/pastry degree)

Tuesday, November 8th
-Being able to vote in this year's presidential election

Wednesday, November 9th
-Watching my favorite YouTubers

My Life Bucket List: Food and Drink

Bake a giant cupcake
Visit a chocolate factory
Try lobster
Make a Thanksgiving dinner myself
Visit restaurants in my state that I have not been to before
Host a cookie exchange
Make and try different cheesecake recipes
Make Monte Cristo sandwiches for my family
Make Croque Madame sandwiches for my family
Make homemade pasta
Try a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks
Make gnocchi
Make gumbo
Make Pad Thai
Get better at cake decorating
Get better and cookie decorating
Learn to grill
Learn to make doughnuts
Try fish and chips in England
Bake a rainbow
Bake a tie dye cake
Buy something from Georgetown Cupcake
Buy something from Carlo's Bakery
Go on an ice cream date
Go on a baking date
Take at least one cooking class
Make cake pops
Make homemade jam/jelly
Make beignets
Have someone make me breakfast in bed
Make a chocolate milkshake
Make a strawberry banana milkshake
Eat out at Messy Crab
Make tater tot casserole
Make homemade eclairs
Learn to make the perfect buttercream
Bake a pizza from scratch
Bake cinnamon rolls
Make at least one wedding cake
Make homemade bagels
Try fried ice cream
Make a Harry Potter Monster Book of Monsters cake
Make at least one Minions cake
Start a cake/bakery order business
Make a galaxy mirror cake
Get better at making roses (chocolate, buttercream, etc.)
Make macarons
Make Star Wars cakes
  -Yoda
  -Darth Vader
  -Darth Maul
  -Light saber
  -Storm Trouper
  -Jabba the Hut
  -Other characters
Make animal cakes
  -Horse
  -Dog
  -Cat
  -Fish
  -Hamster
  -Gerbil
  -Polar bear
  -Panda
  -Koala bear
  -Giraffe
  -Pig
  -Alligator
  -Crocodile
  -Dinosaurs
  -Owls
  -Ferret
  -Hippo
  -Elephant
  -Tiger
  -Lion
  -Leopard
  -Iguana
  -Sharks
  -Parrot/Parakeet/Other Birds
  -Walrus
  -Guinea Pig
  -Sheep/lamb
  -Goat
  -Otter
  -Duck
  -Goose
  -Flamingo
  -Zebra
  -Fox
  -Deer
  -Llama
  -Alpaca
  -Chicken/rooster
  -Swan
  -Squirrel
  -Snake
  -Bat
Make a hamburger cake
Make snowball cookies
Make scones
Try making homemade ice cream
  -vanilla
  -chocolate
  -strawberry
  -banana
  -cherry
  -Other ice creams

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Six Years

It has been six years to the day since my mom passed away, and I miss her more every day.

She was in the hospital for about 5 weeks before she died, and that was a very tough time for the family.

For at least six months or so, I was having a hard time coping with my mom's death, so I was able to go back to my therapist for a while, to help me out.

Every time I had a dream about her (which I had a lot of for a while after she died), it made me wish she was still here, so I could tell her about them. Almost every single dream was about her going back to work, as she loved what she did (she worked at a local library).

By a year after her death, I was surprisingly ready to go back to school (I was taking college classes through all this, although, I did miss a couple when things took a turn for the worst with my mom's health), but, things didn't work out with school just yet, so I had to find something else to do.

At some point after my mom's death, I took up knitting to help with the grieving process.. I have always wanted to learn how to knit, but couldn't get the hang of it at first. I found a knitting and crochet store a few blocks from my home, that taught people how to knit and crochet, and that helped me out a lot.

So, I would go there on a regular basis to learn knitting, and to help me cope with my loss. It has helped me very, very much, and I am so thankful for that.

I wasn't trying to forget about my mom; I just needed something to get me through each day, so I didn't do anything I would regret.

I went back to school after year and a half, to two years after this, and I have been really enjoying it for the most part.

I still miss my mom very much, and I wish she was still here, but I am not nearly as bad as I was at first. I can get through most days without feeling like my world is crashing down around me. As much as I did not want to go through this, my mom's death has shown me just how strong (emotionally) I really am. If I can get through this, I can get through most anything. I hope my mom is proud of all that I have done, in these past six years.

I will always miss and love you, mom!!!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

My Life Bucket List: Travel Part 2

The Enchanted River in Surigao, Philippines
Sacre Coeur, Paris
Kauai, Hawaii
Cenote Dzitnup, Yucatan, Mexico
Inside Iceland’s Thrihnukagigur volcano
Oxford, England
Cape Town, South Africa
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah
Ilulissat, Greenland
Lalibela, Ethiopia
Mount Evans, Colorado
Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
Koh Samui, Thailand
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Paje, Zanzibar
Heidelberg, Germany
Epcot at Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
Happy Magic Water Cube, Beijing
Città Del Mare Hotel, Italy
Chimelong Paradise, China
Hersheypark, Pennyslvania
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Long Island, New York
Splish Splash, Long Island, New York
Suoi Tien Park, Vietnam
Great Wolf Lodge, Washington
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Florida
Wet ‘n’ Wild Water World, Australia
Legoland Water Oark, California
Magic Springs, Arkansas
Atlantis, Bahamas
Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Florida
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Indiana
Tropical Islands, Berlin
Noah’s Ark Water Park, Wisconsin
Raging Waters, California
Waterville USA, Alabama
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Oneonta Gorge, Oregon
Skagit Valley Tulip Fields, Washington
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, Colorado
Zion National Park, Utah
Watkins Glen State Park, New York
Yosemite Valley, California
Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming
Haiku Stairs of Oahu, Hawaii
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Whitaker Point, Arkansas
Hamilton Pool, Texas
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
Smoky Mountains, North Carolina/Tennessee
The Wave, Arizona
Sequoia National Park, California
Thor’s Well, Oregon
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Palouse Falls, Washington
Glacier National Park, Montana
Nā Pali Coast State Park, Hawaii
Devils Tower, Wyoming
Marrakesh, Morocco
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Tamil Nadu, India
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Bagan, Myanmar
Havasu Falls, Arizona
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Lisbon, Portugal
Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
St. Basil's Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Sossusvlei, Namibia
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India
Spray Park, Ashford
Hurricane Hill, Olympic Peninsula
Horseshoe Lake, Central/Western Washington
Perfection Lake, Enchantment Lakes
Hoh Rainforest, Forks
Skyline Divide Trail, Mount Baker area
Priest Point Park, Olympia
Harry's Ridge Trail, near Toutle
Bean Creek Basin
Duncan Garden, Spokane
Tree Cave in Kalaloch, Olympic National Park

France
Les falaises d’Etretat
D-Day Beaches
Strasbourg’s Christmas market
Les Gorges du Verdon
The old city of Dinan
Chamonix
Bonifacio, Corsica
L’Ile de Sein
National Regional Park of Camargue
Carcassonne

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Koreshan State Historic Site
Highlands Hammock State Park
Venetian Pool
Washington Oaks Gardens State Park
John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Cinque Terre, Italy
Bariloche, Argentina
Silfra Fissure, Iceland
Ponta Da Piedade, Portugal
Tian Tan Buddha, Hong Kong
Piazzele Michelangelo, Florence, Italy
Canggu, Bali
Phuket, Thailand
Sloth Sanctuary in Costa Rica
Take a picture with every state sign in America