Monthly Archives: December 2010

Bucket List

Posted in Goals, Travel by

In the last 2 days, I’ve either heard or read from several different sources that everyone should make a bucket list. That to really move forward in our lives and make it everything we dreamed of, we should create this list of things we want to do before we “kick the bucket.” I think that is a sign that I need to do this.

Believe it or not, I’ve created a bucket list before. Many years ago, after a painful break-up, I  made a list of everything I wanted to do with my life. Some of it was crazy stuff like jump out of an airplane or travel around the world. Some of it was simple, like get married and have children. I don’t have that list anymore but I kind of wish I did. It would be interesting to look back and see how many of those dreams I have actually accomplished. Obviously I did get married and have a child. I have gone skydiving and I have traveled around the world. I also wonder which ones I have not accomplished and if they are still things I want to do.

My new bucket list will probably be pretty different from my old one, but that’s ok. I think it’s important to do this exercise regularly, to keep our dreams at the forefront of our mind and make sure we don’t have regrets later on. With that said, here’s my new bucket list (in no particular order other than how the thoughts pop up in my head):

  1. Minnesota State Capital

    Travel to all 50 state capitals.

    This is not a new one but rather something I want to continue and refocus on. CJ and I were doing pretty well for a while, but then the baby came along and it slowed our travels way down. So far we’ve hit 10 of the 50 (Nebraska (duh!), Iowa, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri). I’d like to get in at least one more capital this year and keep plugging away at it!

  2. Travel to all 7 continents. Obviously this one has come to a halt as well since our travel has been limited in the last couple years. So far I’ve been to 5 of the 7 (North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia), which is actually pretty good considering I’d hit those before I turned 30. Just have to get to South America and Antarctica and then I can cross off this one! Course that might take another 30 years!
  3. Have my writing published. The ultimate goal would be to publish a novel. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. I’ve even started several different ones only to abandon them after a couple of chapters. I started a kids book too and never finished. This blog has lit the fire for this and I hope it leads me down the right path to develop more of a writing career. Guess we’ll see!

    Zipline in Cancun

  4. Ride in a hot air balloon. Sounds pretty simple but I think it would be amazing to fly high over the Earth, with nothing between you and the sky. It’s so peaceful being up there among the birds and the clouds. Really puts life in perspective. I’ve done my share of adventurous stunts (skydiving, zip line, rock climbing, and parasailing) so this would be the next one on this list. I think I had bungee jumping on my original list but now that I have a child, I will remove that one.
  5. Find my dream house. The house that we live in now is comfortable and nice, but I’ve never really attached myself to it because I know it’s a temporary dwelling. I would love to someday find a house that will be our forever home. It doesn’t have to be anything huge or fancy, so long as it has a few of the basic things I want in a home. It definitely has to feel homey and comfortable. We are planning to move this summer so I sure hope we can find a place that will be this dream home (if not right away, then someday).
  6. Buy a massage chair. Ok, I know this sounds silly but I am dead serious. See, on one date night that CJ and I had several years ago, we ended up window shopping at The Sharper Image store in the mall. They had several massage chairs out on the floor that people could try, so we did. Oh. My. God. The chair I sat in was frickin’ awesome. It worked on everything from my feet up to my neck. It released tension I didn’t even know I had! Ever since then, I’ve vowed to some day get my own massage chair, if we ever had the extra money for it. If I ever do get a chair like that, good luck getting me out of the house… [after re-reading that, I realized it sounds dirty. No, it wasn’t that kind of massage…but hey, if it could do that too…then you’d really never get me out of the house!]
  7. Have a photograph published in a magazine (specifically National Geographic but I’d settle for any magazine). For those of you who don’t know, my college degree is in Art, with an emphasis on Photography and Computer Graphics. I’ve done the computer thing (my career started out in web/graphic design before I moved on to become a Business Analyst and Project Manager) but I’ve never really pursued the photography path. When I first  moved back to Omaha, I had a few photography shows at a local coffee shop, and sold several items, but I didn’t have the time or money to keep at it and with the business of life, it fell by the wayside. This blog has forced me to dust off some of those skills to try to get some interesting photos but I’d like to do more with it.
  8. Travel to see the following specific places/sites: Spain (because of my heritage), Great Wall of China, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, African safari, the Taj Mahal and Paris. I’m sure more will be added to this list as time goes on!

    Steelers/Chiefs game 11/09

  9. Go to a Super Bowl. It would be even better if the Steelers were in it!
  10. Have financial freedom. What I  mean is that I want to get to a place where I am comfortable and have enough money to live and support the family, with enough left over to have fun too. I don’t need to be a millionaire or anything like that. I just don’t want to have to worry about money so much.
  11. Learn to swim. You read that right – I can’t swim. I’m actually terrified of drowning, which has limited me all through my life. CJ loves the beach and every summer you’ll find us out at Lake Manawa playing sand volleyball and swimming. Only, I don’t do the swimming part. I’ve tried. I took lessons 2 times as a kid and another 2 times as an adult, but can’t seem to get passed that fear. Yet. Someday I will.
  12. Learn to speak fluent Spanish. As mentioned in #8, my dad’s side of the family is from Spain. They are all fluent in Spanish yet I can’t speak a lick of it. I took lessons in high school but was never really taught how to speak it. All we learned was verb conjugation and vocab terms. Being able to converse with my aunts, uncles and dad in their native language would be so neat. It would be even better if Isabella could do it too!
  13. Meet and dance with Derek Hough. Ok, so I have a cougar crush. Derek Hough is one of the pros on Dancing with the Stars and I think he seems like such a fun and nice guy. Plus he’s really cute. He’s also an amazing choreographer and the dancer in me (took 10 years of lessons and have always loved to dance) would love for him to choreograph and teach me a dance. Then we could dance under the stars and…ehm…sorry, got carried away there. No worries, CJ knows that Derek is on my “freebie list“. 😉 
  14.  Attend the Olympic Games. Preferably the summer Olympics but either would do. I think it would be so cool to watch history being made right before your eyes, and to interact with so many different cultures from all over the world.  And watching Olympic level volleyball? Hell yeah!
  15. Be the model for a magazine photo shoot. I don’t need to be a supermodel or anything, but I do think it would be fun to be the star of a photo shoot and have people do my hair/make-up, pick out an amazing outfit for me, and then shoot some awesome pictures.  I’m already practicing my Tyra Banks “fierce” eyes.

Well that’s all I can think of right now. Reading back over it, I realize that this list is more “selfish” than my original list. Maybe that’s the difference between your 20’s and 30’s. In my 20’s I was all about others and how to make the world a better place. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to contribute to improving our world, but I also know that the best way to help others, is to be happy with your own life. I’ve done a lot of stuff for other people – almost too far to the extreme. Now it’s time to focus back on myself and what I want. Here’s hoping I can make some if not all of these items come true before I kick the bucket!!

What’s on your bucket list?

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5 things

The Perfect Day

Christmas Hangover

Posted in Holidays and Seasons by

I feel like I have a hangover…I think it’s the after affects of the holidays. There is always such a big build up to Christmas and then BAM, it’s here and just as quickly, it’s over.

Friday and Saturday were a lot of fun for us. We had lots of quality time with both our little family and with the extended family. It was so much fun to see Christmas through Isabella’s eyes. She was in wonder at all the presents and really enjoyed playing with her cousins on Christmas Day.

Here she is, standing on her tip-toes, trying to get at one of the gifts in her pile. Notice Samson is trying to attack from the other side and get at one of CJ’s gifts. They’re double-teaming us!!

Christmas Morning

It really struck me just how much she’s grown since last Christmas, when she wasn’t even crawling or anything (she was 3 months old). She pretty much just laid around while the rest of us enjoyed the day. This year she was a full participant and it was so much more fun!

I got some really great gifts this year. CJ did awesome and every single gift was great. He got me a nice wool dress coat. I am seriously lacking in dress coats so this was perfect and totally unexpected. The only ones I have are the Couch Coat, which isn’t heavy enough for really cold days, and one that I’ve had since high school. The one he got me is red, so it matches Isabella’s little dress coat, and is sassy too!

He also got me a bright green Champion workout shirt and a Pittsburgh Steelers warm, fuzzy blanket – which is AWESOME!

 The most creative gift he got me was my ornament (we exchange ornaments every year that are supposed to show something about that year or it could be representative of something we really like). He found some Christmas-y letters and spelled out “BLOGR” (yes, we know that’s not how you properly spell “blogger”, but it makes it more fun…that and he somehow misplaced the other letters). It’s really cute and it symbolizes this blog, which has been so much fun for me to get started and build up over the last couple months.

(the other ornament is a football cradled inside a trophy that says #1 – because no matter what, the Steelers will always be number 1 in my book!)

[A note about the above pictures of me – first, yes, I am wearing a Santa hat in every one. Why? Because it’s festive! That, and Isabella insisted on it. Secondly, yes, I am also wearing Christmas jammies. Why? Because it’s festive! If you look closely, you’ll notice they’re the same pj’s from last year’s Christmas card only they’re a size too big for me this year – boo yah! Finally, I am not wearing any makeup in last 2 pics and I hope you’re happy. I’m putting myself out there for you all because that’s the kind of gal I am.]

CJ did pretty well too in the gifts department. I got him a garment steamer (what? You don’t all get those for your husbands/boyfriends?),

a new Kangol hat (the only kind of hat he’ll really wear)

Showing it off to Isabella

and a 2011 Marvel calendar. His ornament was Ironman, because he’s my super hero (all together now…awwwww).

[A note about CJ’s pics – yes, he too is wearing a Santa hat in every picture. Why? Because it’s festive! And, Isabella insists he wear one too. Secondly, just to clarify, no he did not just come in from his secret job as an air traffic controller. He was cold in his red t-shirt so he put the green sleeveless one over it. Hey, back off, my man has style! Finally, yes, CJ tends to look drunk in every picture. He either looks drunk or is waving in almost every picture ever taken of him. It’s his thing. It’s what he does. I’ve learned to laugh about it over the years and you can too.]

Isabella hit the jackpot too. There are too many pics of her to show them all, so here is one of my favorites:

Dancing in her Elmo slippers

 

Yesterday, reality hit as I got up and looked around at all the “stuff” to be put away. There were bags and stockings lying around, toys to be pulled out of boxes, food to be eaten, decorations to be tucked away and general all-around cleaning to be done. I am somewhat of an organizational freak and hate clutter. As I scanned the living room, I saw toys everywhere and I started to develop a tick. Our house is not that big so we don’t have the luxury of setting up a separate playroom for Isabella. Therefore, every room in our house becomes her play room. But, I also don’t want her stuff to take over. So, I had to develop a system.

I started with going through all her toys and deciding which ones were keepers and which needed to go. The ones that we kept got put in 2 piles – those that she still plays with and those that she’s outgrown but we want to hang on to for the next baby (no, I’m not pregnant, just planning ahead). The ones that were to go were also sorted – toss in the trash or give to charity. Once that was done, I cleared out a canvas tote box from her room and began cleaning up the living room. All the small toys and stuffed animals got put in this box, which was then tucked against the wall, out-of-the-way. I paired down her books (over time, all her books had moved from her bedroom to the living room) and only kept out new ones or those she’s really in to right now. Those went on the bottom shelf of the coffee table. Big stuffed animals were tucked away into a bench we have. It looked so much better when I was done…that is until Munchkin got up and started playing. Then things were back out and scattered all over, as shown in this picture.

That’s ok though. I’m fine with mess while she’s up and about, actively playing with everything. Heck, it makes it more fun some days. It’s when she’s in bed and there’s still stuff everywhere that I start to itch.  I have a plan in mind for how to get even more organized and still give Isabella her own play/toy corner, once the Christmas tree comes down. I’ll tackle that project next year (seems so weird to say that doesn’t it?).

Today it was back to work. Oh how painful it was when the alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. I had fitful sleep anyway (more Fantasy Football dreams…I know, I have issues) so I was really tempted to hit snooze and skip my workout, but I didn’t.  I was a good girl and got my booty downstairs to our “gym” (aka, my collection of workout DVDs, weights and an elliptical machine).  I am only working 2 days this week as CJ is having dental surgery on Wednesday, but 2 days will be enough. In fact, it will be more than enough. I’m working from the mall these 2 days and am the only one here from our group. Bob is at the West office, the Brit is back home in England, the Texans are in Texas and the Indians are either smoking the hookah working from their hotel or at the west office. I like the quiet, but I also like the hub-bub when people are here. Hopefully I can get a lot done these 2 days and then relax and not think about work while I’m off.

It was a long day but it’s done now and I just have one more to get through until vacation. Kind of fun to have a Monday and a “Friday” right next to each other in the week!

How was your Christmas? Are you glad or sad that it’s over?

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‘Tis the Season

 

Merry Christmas from the Traders!

Posted in Holidays and Seasons by

‘Twas the season of Christmas, when all through the house, our creature was stirring – Samson had found a mouse! The stockings were hung; tree decorated with care, in anticipation of a joyous holiday to share!

Isabella wasn’t crawling, but walking instead, while visions of Elmo danced in her head. And Sarah was working while CJ stayed home, to take care of our daughter and be Mr. Mom.

The year passed so quickly, gone by in a wink, seems like just yesterday Isabella was only a “think.” And now she’s grown, aged over a year, but such joy she has brought, and is truly a dear.

We look forward to watching her learn and grow, but not to her repeatedly saying “No!” She loves to dance, hug and kiss, she is really and truly a sweet little Miss.

We love all our family and have such wonderful friends. Our lives are blessed and greetings we send. Wishing you all a wonderful year –

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all some good cheer!”