2013 was a year...

Blogging is one of the first things to go out the window when things get busy.
I kinda hate that.
There is just something about getting these thoughts out of my head.
Anyway....
2013 was an interesting year.
I turned 30! Yikes!
I am a lot better about it now (wink).
It was a hard pill to swallow.
So here I am sitting on the eve of 2014 and chuckling at the last year.
I remember last new years eve, thinking "ugh, I turn 30 this year" and " I am getting so old".
HAHA!
It's so funny to me how much things change in just a year.
How Jaxon went from this tiny little guy...

 To the "big" glasses wearing 1st grader!

How Dawson has come from the Baby baby stage...

 

 Into the quirky, funny, little boy stage!

 How they have grown as brothers.....

 I couldn't resist this one.

 

How... EVERYTHING Jaxon does is the coolest thing Dawson has ever seen...

 When Jaxon gets an idea... Dawson goes right along with it.
( FYI... this was ALL Jaxons idea. I don't typically dress my kiddos in cowboy gear)

 And how they fight like brothers, laugh like brothers and overall would be lost without the other one!

 These are the things that make for a great year!
So I could write a HUGE, LONG blog about the hardest parts of this year....
Or I could sum it up with this...
God moved in huge ways.
He taught us...
He protected us...
He allowed us to feel some hurt....
He watched us make mistakes...
He picked us up and got us going....
And He LOVED US!!!

So as 2014 comes in, I am being THANKFUL!!
Thankful for another year to try and be a better wife, a better mom, a better sister, a better daughter, a better friend :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Things get in the way!

Good things!!

So I am admitting to myself (sigh) that there is no possible way I can finish my list before my birthday! I have attempted! 

So here are a couple reasons:

1. I shouldn't have picked so many things that depend on other people. Trying to fit my crazy schedule around someone else's is well... challenging! Not to mention I barely have time to make my schedule work with my hubby's let alone others! 

2. I want to do more (wink) I have walk a 5k.... well now I want to try and at least jog it! If you are a runner you understand that I need to train for that! So... I need time to train.

And...

3. This list has been a great eye opener for me... I am not as scared as I was to turn 30 ( not excited...just not scared) This list has made me realize I have a lot of great ideas and plenty of adventures to enjoy. The biggest of which is the adventure of mommying. And to be fair reason number 4 could be the 2 little boys that take up a lot of my attention (willingly given). I love spending time with them. THEY make me feel young!

SO....

I am changing a few things...

I want to lose 30 pounds

I want to run/jog a 5k

I want to settle in to my better eating habits

I AM STILL GETTING A TATTOO!!!!!

These are my goals to meet by Oct 31st!!!

A secret recipe!!

Ok this one is killing me!!!

Here is what I have decided...

I am not doing this one!
Oh I know it sounds like I am giving something up on my list but that is just not the case.
If you know me you know I love food. I don't ask for opinions often because I will cry if they tell me they hate it. And in my family its not completely unlikely for someone to say they hate something. So the ONLY person I ask is my brother in law Jay.
I know this is totally random and if you know Jay you are thinking what is she nuts?! But Jay is kind and not afraid to say maybe a little this or a little more that.... And he isn't mean and doesn't make me feel stupid! (Even though I thought I almost killed him once... Ask him about the calzones I made for him)
Soooo...
I have made a few dishes that I thought this would be a perfect secret recipe...
Banana split cake
Zucchini lasagna
But every time someone says this is good and I think.... They should make this too!
They should be able to put their own creative spin on things.
Cooking/ Baking and be such a refreshing expression of ones artistic ability, why would I limit someone from making tasty art! So I am going to post the recipes and its no secret!

Banana Split Cake!
This is a two layer cake.
I used New Hope Mills GF vanilla cake mix.
In the middle of the two prepared cakes I put melted peanut butter and bananas.
I frosted the cake with chocolate whipped frosting and topped it with sliced strawberries :) soooo yummy!

Zucchini Lasagna.

Make normal lasagna just replace noodles with zucchini.
It's so tasty! Even my little boys loved it!
Only caution is ... It's super juicy so let it set for a bit when you take it out of the oven.

I do not claim to be a chef!
So these are nothing new I am sure... But still fun things I enjoyed making!

Enjoy your tasty art!!

They won't go in order!

If i was to cross all these off in order I would have to lose 10 more pounds really fast! But I am happy to say I am close!!

So I will be posting as I do these. Some may fall in order some may not.

The next one is number 10 Get quoted!!
This is something I have actually already done.
I was interviewed by a sweet little news paper called "The Good News"!
It was all about national adoption month and our (mine and Dave's ) perspective at adoptive parents.

I am working really hard to get a link so you can read the article but so far I am not having any luck! What I do have is a few pictures!


Also in this number 11 Be on the Radio....
Again I was really hoping to be able to post a link to share the interview but for some reason the station does not allow that. Sad news. But it can get crossed off the list bc in early November I was interviewed by a station out of Buffalo. We talked a lot about Bethany Christian Services and national adoption month!
It was sorta scary but really fun!

Ok so that's 2 more off the list!

30. Put colors in my hair :)

Ok well I have wanted to do this for years! But I went to a small Christian high school that did not allow (crazy) hair coloring. So I waited....
And got married...
And had kids...
And started working at a camp....
The time was right!!!
So after years and years of waiting I did it!

My hair dresser is fantastic!
I love this lady!!
We met when I was a frizzy haired mess in junior high. I babysat her girls and she taught me all the major do's and don'ts of curly hair maintenance. No kidding since I was 12 probably only 2 other people have cut my hair! I can't say enough about her.
So if you are in need of a hair stylist let me know.... I will give you her info.

That being said the pictures don't really do it justice .... But the colors are red, pink, purple and blue :)

The List

30. Put random colors in my hair :)
29.Lose 15 pounds
28. Take a dance class
27. Pay it forward
26. Write a letter to my family and tell them why I love them
25. Create a secret recipe!
24. Have a GIVE AWAY garage sale ( everything is free)
23. Eat real Sushi
22. Paint my toe nails once a week
21. Connect with an old friend
20. Cook a French meal with the help of the amazing Andrea Baker!
19. Cook a lobster
18. 24 hours totally alone
17. 5k walk
16.re write proverbs 31 in my own words
15. Write a children's book
14. Write a song
13.learn how to use my sewing machine and make something ;)
12.write a letter to my graduating class :)
11. Be on the radio
10. Get quoted :)
9. Go to an art show
8. Serve one cup of coffee to someone at coffeemania
7. Have a day with just Jaxon ( his request is we buy and build Legos all day)
6. Read our entire dr suess collection to Dawson :)
5. Take Dave away for a day date surprise
4. Learn how to swim fly.
3. Make a time capsule to open when I am 50...40...ok50!
2. Build a cabin fort for the boys!
1. Get a Tattoo

Here it is ...

Here it is...
The Blog  about being 30!!

Well the fact is that when I was a little girl playing pretend with my cousins ... I NEVER EVER wanted to be 30!
I was always 27 married with no kids and a job that paid BIG $$!
HA!
Once I really started thinking about the fact that I am not going to be 27 again and that I LOVE my life it made turning 30 not so hard to bear.
So... I thought some more and decided based on the suggestions of a few friends...
I am doing  a "bucket list" of sorts...
But all of these things I will do before JULY 30!!
That's right folks not only is this my 30th bday its on the 30th of July.

So wanna see the list?
WELL ... you are gonna have to wait... I am posting it tomorrow!

Oh come on you can handle it *wink* !

So this is the plan! I will do 30 blogs... although some of the things on the list I have already finished... I will blog and post pictures about each one!!
So excited!!
Ready to take this adventure with me?