Been There...Haven't Done That

Bold the items you have done:

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a Praying Mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Been to the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre

20. Slept on a train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Ran a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Cooked over a open fire

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Tied a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a Bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Visited Italy

My bucket list just got a little longer.

I tag: Becky P., Chris, Bobbi, Jimi, Shell

That Time of Year

This was LAST week.

Here is THIS week.

Does this time of year bug you too?

I want one or the other. The in between is just too ugly & messy for my taste. Snow one day, no snow the next, snow again the next day...you know what I mean.

I've come to the conclusion that I want to live in a location that has four seasons, but without summer & winter.

Makes total sense to me.

Super-Everything Weekend

What do fun times with grandparents + missed cousin + lots of new snow + basketball practice + basketball game + baptism + piano recitals + the superbowl = ?

One really tired mom.

Layne cleaning us a path.

Mitch at his basketball game.

Carter & Mitch ready to go to Mitch's baptism.

Justin, Mitch and Carter playing a computer game.

Josie, Mitch, & Todd opening gifts from their piano teacher.

Justin & his best buddy Micah.

Mitch at his piano recital.

We did a lot of running and playing, but it was lots of fun and the weekend went too fast. Thanks for coming guys!

It's The Most Wonderful Day of the Year....According to Mitch

Mitch has always loved his birthday. Out of all our kids, he has always made his birthday the most fun. The night before his BIG DAY he is as excited (maybe more) as he is on Christmas Eve. Ever since he was two years old each year he'd shout, "This is my best birthday day ever!"

Here are EIGHT things about Mitch:

1. He LOVES life.

2. He never met anyone that wasn't a friend.

3. Very sensitive.

4. He talks fast, eats fast, plays fast, ....everything fast.

5. Best imagination out of all our kids.
6. Makes people laugh.
7. Can't wait to be baptized and join Cub Scouts. (31st of January...you're all invited.Ü)
8. He loves winter.

Layne had to fly to Memphis today, so we did most of the celebrating yesterday. Saturday night I told Mitch he couldn't wake us up until eight o'clock, Sunday morning, to open gifts. At two minutes before 8:00 I opened my eyes and saw Mitch standing over me, watching the clock, waiting for it to say 8:00. Sure enough, the second it turned 8:00 he was waking us up.

Here is Mitch waiting for everyone to convene to the living room.

Opening his Shuffle.

When trying to decide what to get for Christmas he couldn't decide between the Shuffle or this fun motorcycle. So he decided to ask for the iPod next Christmas. I guess there are some perks to having a birthday so soon after Christmas. Your parents can still remember what you wanted and didn't get.

Blowing out candles on a cake that Justin made.

No kidding. Judd's gotten really good at breaking eggs correctly. (BTW-I showed him the measurements on the measuring cup.)

Happy Birthday Mitch!!!!!!!!!

Night On The Town.

For Christmas Layne gave me an awesome gift.

I received tickets for several performances of the Columbus Symphony.

I LOVE going to the symphony. I love getting dressed up, going to a beautiful building, seeing other people all dressed up, and most of all the music.

I watch in wonder as the musician's fingers move lightening fast, making the music on the pages become a story, hoping the conductor doesn't throw himself off his platform when it gets exciting.

Speaking of the maestro, do they all have that same hair? Kind of unkempt and out of control? The one thing I do know is that he sure gets a great two hour workout.

The last symphony Layne took me to was in Salt Lake City about ummmm.......16 years ago! Last night, during intermission, Layne says to me, "Why has it been so long that we've done this together?" My smartalec comment, "Too many good football games on the TV, I guess."

In actuality, Layne enjoys going as much as I do. He was perfect company, even though he doesn't feel that great. We just filled his suit coat pockets with cough drops.

What a fun night. Can't wait for the next one.

Living with a 40 year old

Poor Layne. He has been so sick and today, at another follow-up Dr. appointment, he was told that after looking at the x-rays he was THIS close to being in big time trouble.

I guess Layne really does have full blown pneumonia. Perhaps he shouldn't have driven to and from Ohio & Idaho. Perhaps we shouldn't have had a huge birthday party for him. Perhaps we shouldn't have gone to lots of parties and played too late into the night. Perhaps he shouldn't have shoveled two feet of snow off the roof of the house. Maybe I should have tried not to be so put off that he didn't LOVE his birthday party. LOL

Could-a, would-a, should-a.

I kind of figured out that he really was sick when he missed several days of work after we got back from vacation. I think he has only done that twice in the past 15.5 years that we've been married.

Today we got a thing in the mail telling us that his life insurance is going up because he's 40 now.

So, this is what it is like being married to an older man. I love him more than ever though. Scarred lungs and all.