30 before Thirty...

I've been meaning to write this post for awhile now... It is my 30 before Thirty list.  I saw this idea on another blog, and thought, what a great idea.  So I compiled a list of things that I would like to accomplish in the next year.  I turned 29 on July 8th, so I have just under twelve months to cross off everything on the list.  I love lists, and I love crossing things off!  These 30 things are things that I have been wanting to do/finish for quite sometime, they are the things that just keep getting pushed aside or buried under the day-to-day living of play dates, naps and squeezing in a quick workout.  Do these things HAVE to be finished by the time I turn 30?  No, it is just the deadline I issued myself.  I am a total procrastinator and work best under pressure, so July 8, 2012 is the date.  I will be updating the list here, on the blog, as I start to cross things off.  So with out further adieu I give you the list...

30 before Thirty

1. Hang the framed photos/art that is sitting around the house (over 20 pieces)
2. Finish the playroom (paint & decorate)
3. Finish the guestroom (paint & decorate)
4. Make a headboard for the guest bed
5. Finish the office (organize and hang pictures)
6. Refinish bedroom dresser (paint & hardware)
7. Reupholster craigslist chairs
8. Read thirty new books
9. Take one class to support one of my many hobbies
10. Go on a long weekend with just the Jerbear
11. Take a family road trip (3 hours or more)
12. Take the kids to the DMA
13. Take the kids to the Children's Science Museum
14. Take the kids to the Heard Museum
15. Lose 20lbs
16. Run another Half Marathon
17. Sew at least one dress for a little girl
18. Both boys potty trained
19. Be caught up on photo books of the boys (4 for Hutson & 2 for Wheeler)
20. Take a girls weekend
21. Drink no soda for one year
22. Eat no candy for one year
23. Blog redesign
24. Sell something I make
25. Volunteer
26. Kids Volunteer
27. Contribute some kind of income to our family
28. Cook one new meal/dish a month
29. Learn some HTML code
30. Ride a mechanical bull

So that's it.  That is the list.  These things aren't exactly life changing, some are even downright mundane.  But they are things that I would like to get done in the next 12 months, well really 11 months and 1 week.  Some things I have started, like No. 21 & 22.  No candy or soda, it is going well and a little hard, but 21 days in a row makes a habit, right?  So just another few weeks and it should be easy, peasy...ha.  I have 5 books of my thirty read, but I will post on that later. I also need to get crackin' on No. 28 as my month is almost up.. ahhh!  I, of course, have a dinner planned for the last night of the month on Sunday... I told you I was a procrastinator.

I would love to have any of you, ahem ashley ahem, join me in making a list of 30 things that you might want to accomplish in the next year.

And as always, a post isn't a post with out at least one photo...

Here are my boys...

new lens!

I am a super lucky girl... The Jerbear was extremely thoughtful for my birthday this year and I was the recipient of a new 50 mm f/1.4 lens!  yea!  It was completely unexpected, but wonderful surprise.  I have been itching to sit and play with it.  Last Friday the ladies next door came over to play and I made the four of them be my guinea pigs while I figured it all out.

I LOVE Wheeler's face in the background... already creeping in photos.

 

 

darling Iris...

sisters... I wish I could get my little men to take a picture like this.

Hut likes to get up and close with the camera.  Here's a funny little story, I frequently call Hutson, H-U-T, as in a I spell it out.  So the other day he walks up to me and says "mama, H-U-T needs a snack and some chocolate milk" and then walks away.  It was so funny, and he was so serious when he said it.  He is a little parrot and repeats EVERYTHING.  This mama needs to watch what comes out of her mouth...

camping.

We tried, we really did.  But the skeeters were out of control, the septic wasn't working, and the lake was so full there was no beach to sit and swim on, and there were ants in our bed.  To say it was a 'rustic resort' was a massive overstatement.  We called it quits early.

We did have some fun though...

we threw about a thousand rocks in the lake...

early morning hike... we collected sticks.

 showing mommy his dirty hands... I'm not a clean freak or anything, but I was really maxed out on the amount of dirt, dust, bug spray and marshmallow stickiness that was happening all week.

 Our lovely cousins, who we miss already.  Easton and Emersen.

 Snuggling in our bed watching our ipad.. yeah... we don't 'rough it' well.  I'm not sure how we all would have handled no phone, internet, or ipad.

 
Our belated Birthday post is coming up next...  Stay tuned.

Sneak Peek...

Here is a little sneak peek of our one day beach trip we made while in Oregon.  It was chilly.  The beach was deserted.  We had LOTS of fun.

We attempted a few shots of the four of us... and actually a few turned out alright.  Thank you to Jerry SR. for taking the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

That one is for you Donna!!

I will be opening up the gallery on smugmug in the next few days, and the rest of the photos will be posted there.

I am off to let in the TV repairman and the bug guy, there's nothing like coming home from a two week vacay, to ants in your kitchen and your main TV fried.  Oh- and the pump on our pool broke as well.  People always say things happen in three's, and I guess if those things are our three things, I can more than live with that.

Happy Wednesday!

We had fun...

...and I have the pictures to prove it, however, they will take awhile to get posted.  I will try to put up several shorter posts as I go through all the pictures.

WE enjoyed the reprieve from the heat, even if the Oregonians weren't happy about their cooler weather.

Random Musings...

I missed a Father's Day Post...  So here it is.  That is my dad.  He is the greatest.  No, seriously, he is the greatest.  He can do ANYTHING, seriously.  My kids love him, my husband loves him, everyone I know loves him.  I couldn't ask for a better dad.

I also have the best Daddy to my boys, he even changes poopy diapers.

My Father-in-Law is also pretty spectacular.  He can build anything, has a crazy sense of humor and serves a mean bowl of ice cream.

I am one lucky girl.

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My niece Lily.  She is outta control, I love it.

This is my niece, Evee.  We refer to her as Evee-queen.  She is the perfect blend of her parents.

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You know this guy.... my biggest little man.

Yes, that is exactly what you think it is.  I found him yesterday morning scratching at our back door, while our cat took a nap 15 ft away.  I am going to have to talk to Roosevelt about his work ethic...

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I am super proud of the Jerbear.  See that fruit?  That is from our garden!  Not only does Jerry have to fight the weather and bugs to protect the garden, lets face it, I am his biggest threat because I consistently forget to water while he is gone.  But he prevailed! 

Those peaches are amazing, they are white peaches and are super juicy.  The blueberries are awesome and have been topping our cheerios in the morning.

 

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My littlest man-  He wants to be just like his big brother.  When Hutson uses the toilet, he gets a smarties.  So naturally Wheeler wants one too, so I set him on the toilet too.  He pretends to go potty and then he gets his candy.  He will not let you give the candy to him until he has sat on the toilet first... I love it.

Yes- his hands are really that big.  They're huge.  Like baseball glove huge, like St. Bernard huge.  So big that he can't smarties out of the wrapper.

Huston says peace out.