Saturday, November 29, 2008

My Bucket List....

I was just thinking about all the things I wanted to accomplish in life. You never know when it is your time to go, and when it is, have you accomplished what you wanted to? I decided to make a list of the things that are important to me. These are in no particular order...
1-Sky Dive. Seriously, I would probably be so scared, but this has always been appealing to me. It seems like it would feel so free and you would have all the world beneath you to look down on. The adrenaline rush would be amazing!!
2-Go on a cruise. Ha, I am so jealous that some of my siblings have been. Meg and I always say we are going on a best friend cruise together. We will make it happen someday.
3-Travel to Europe. Europe seems to be such a romantic place. I want to go there because it is portrayed so beautifully and magically. I would love to see it in person.
4-Learn how to quilt. I want to make my very own quilt one day. My sisters are good at it and over Christmas Break, I want them to teach me how!
5-Learn Spanish. I love this language and I wish I could speak it! I know a little bit of conversational spanish, but I want to learn to speak it and then travel to hispanic cultures.
6-Go on a service trip to another country. The idea of working in an orphanage in a third world country is something I have always wanted to do. I would love to go to Africa and help there. I love children and it fulfills something inside of me when I am helping other people.
7-Graduate College. I want to be a Dental Hygienist so to get into hygiene school and graduate would be just absolutely GREAT!!
8-Own a house. I want to have my very own house to decorate and dress up the way I want to.
9-Paint a masterpiece. This doesn't have to look like a masterpiece to everyone, but to me it will be. I love artwork and doing my own. I wish I had the supplies to do it here. Maybe it is something I will try to do when I go home for the holidays.
10-Buy a new Car. This will probably be after I graduate college and get some of my college debts paid off, but that sounds so grand to me!
11-Write a Song. I have always been passionate about music and singing. I want to write my own lyrics. I need some sort of inspiration and then it is on!
12-Learn how to ride a motorcycle and OWN one!! I can drive Breena's motorcycle around my apartments complex in first gear, but I want to learn how to really ride one and then when I get enough money, I want to buy one!
13-Be at the ocean at sunset. I have always imagined it being beautiful, but I have never seen it in person. I use to paint pictures of sunsets on oceans. I can only imagine all the colors.
14-Hold a monkey. Monkeys really are so cute. I don't think I want to own one, but I have always wanted to hold one.
15-Make a Wild Flower Bouquet. Wouldn't that be beautiful?
16-Ride Horses in the mountains. I love riding and I love the mountains...that is one glorious combination
17-Find a four leaf clover. I never had the patience to do it as a child and even now Im not sure I would have the attention span to sit long enough to do it.
18-Sing in front of an audience. I'm not talking about in church either. I want to be on a stage and perform my heart out.
19-Kiss on a state line. That's kissing in two places at once! haha, how super?!
20-Write an article for a magazine.
21-Make a wedding cake. I think that would be so much fun. I have always wanted to take a cake decorating class.
22-Go to the Big Apple. I feel like everyone has been there. I really want to go!
23-Learn how to say no when I want to. I can do this sometimes but when it really comes down to it, I'm so bad at saying it. My FHE brothers last year made me a sign that said "JUST SAY NO!"
24-Stay the Night in a Haunted House. How creepy would that be?! I would want to do this with Sandra. I would not feel scared if I were with her.
25-Sleep under the stars. This doesn't mean in a tent...I want to be completely unrestrained. Just me and the great outdoors. It's too cold in Idaho to do this. Maybe in the summer I will do it here though.
26-Spend Christmas on a beach...drinking Pina Coladas. I like this, it's so nontraditional!
27-Take a ride in a hot air balloon. I want to ride away into the sunset in one of these babies!!
28-Own a convertible. I love them!
29-Reflect on my greatest weakness and see how it is my greatest strength. Deep, I know!
30-Swim with a dolphin or two. I love the idea of this, it sounds exotic!
31-Be a member of a tv show's audience. Let's be honest, Oprah would be ideal! haha
32-Send a message in a bottle. I will throw it in the water when I am on my cruise.
33-Shower in a waterfall. Now that sounds exotic!!
34-Help the illiterate to read.
35-Go Latin dancing in a Latin country. This could work if I worked in an orphanage in a Latin country.
36-Ride on a train. Not on a ferry or a subway, but a train.
37-Go on an African Safari. I think this would be the ideal honeymoon...oh which brings me to...
38-Fall in love and be loved back. This would mean me getting married. Not in a big rush for this one, but I want it to happen before I die.
39-Ride a gondola in Italy. This looks like so much fun!
40-Have a baby and look into his/her eyes and see myself. That has to be one of the most fulfilling experiences in the world.
41-White Water Rafting. I love adventure!!
42-See the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. Seriously, that is not even lame!
43-Visit all 50 of the states. I can do it!
44-Watch the 10 Greatest Movies of all Time. They are called the 10 greatest for a reason and I want to see why for myself!
45-Learn the 75 Skills Every Woman Should Master...and master them!
http://abundance-blog.marelisa-online.com/2008/05/15/75-skills-every-woman-should-master-the-first-25/
47-Learn a little bit more about photography. I want to capture the most memorable moments in life and be good at it!
48-Be totally comfortable and happy with who I am. I have heard that people spend their whole lives mastering this one.
49-Adopt a child. I want to adopt from a foreign country. I want to be that person that makes their life better!
50-Experience a true feeling of success. I want to feel utterly and completely successful, like every step I have taken has put me closer to the things I really want in life.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Value of Women

Tonight we had an Enrichment Night based on the value of women. The guest speaker got up and during her talk, asked for our responses on women we highly admired. People from all around the room were naming notable women, their mothers, etc. Very strongly in my mind, however, were each of my sisters. I raised my hand with not one person, but with 3. My 3 best friends; my sisters...This is why

Renee- Well, Renee pretty much raised me. My earliest memories have to do with her. She was always around taking care of my and making sure I had not only what I needed, but everything that a little girl wanted too. She would sing to me every night to make me fall asleep. Everynight, it was "You are my Sunshine." When she got married, it broke my heart. She didn't belong to me anymore and it tore me in two. When I found out she was pregnant, I was devastated. My life was over because I was no longer her baby. However, when Ginny was born, I was taken back by the love I had for this baby. I sang to her every night of the first 3 months of her life "You are my Sunshine." Ginny loves to sing now and when I am home, I will sing her to sleep. Nae will always be my hero. Even when I was sick, she flew out to Tennessee to stay with me in a hospital. I have always known she has cared for me. I would be so lost without her. I admire her so much.

Sandra- Sandra and I are two pieces of the same quilt. We are the party animals. Ha, I remember when I was younger she use to tell me that her friends said I was a little mini-her. At the time, I really didnt know how big of a compliment that was. However, if you know Sandra, it is an honor to be anything like her. She is so driven and motivated to get what she wants. She is quite the planner and may even get a little frustrated with me because I am so set on being spare of the moment. She has always worked so hard to accomplish things. If she has a goal, she will get what she wants. Sandra is so strong and enduring. I can't even say how much I have learned from her. Plus, she has really good taste in shoes...and we wear the same size ;) I would have been so lost this summer without Sandra. We had so much fun together and Im not sure either of us would have expected to get so close. We took care of eachother in a way and both brought out the best in the other. It hurts to be so far from Sandra and Renee because we are best friends.

Rebekah- Ok, this one is a little crazy (Just kidding! Ha, But seriously) Becky boo is the closest sibling in age to me. She and I are pretty much opposites but compliment each other very well. She is my over-achiever sister. She is constantly studying or at work. I have no idea how she manages to find the time to get everything done, but somehow, she still finds the time to make me feel important to her. I can always depend on Becky to come through for me. She is great and I love that she likes to take care of me. Becky definitely treats me like her baby sister when I need it and she treats me like her best friend. We laugh together and have way too much fun. She is such a good influence on me. I like that she makes it clear to me that she isnt perfect. She is doing all that she can though. To me though, she is perfect. She is my sister and I am so glad that I have her here in Idaho. Becky loves to serve others. Ha, my roommates love Becky especially because all the food and cooking she does for us. I guess I will keep her around for a while! I love her
These words are nothing in comparison for the love I have for these beautiful, amazing, hard-working women. I wish I could sum it all up...But I cant. They are each an example of the perfection I want to be some day.