Things I've Done and Want to Do

In February (around my 29th birthday) I started writing a list of things I'd like to do and I am finally getting around to completing it. My friend Mandy wrote a post about her Bucket List recently which inspired me to publish my own.

As I began to nail down 29 things I want to do before I die (but really, sooner than later), I started to think about all that I've been able to experience. God has really given me the privilege of living a full and exciting life so far... SO I am going to share 29 things I've done (some things that I would like to do again, given the chance) and 29 things I'd like to do... let's say in the next decade (or beyond).

Things I've Been Able to Do (in no particular order):

1. Go to Europe (I went to Romania on a mission trip in the summer of 1996)

2. Go to Hawaii (I have been to The Big Island and Oahu numerous times; I even para-sailed during my last stay in 2005)

3. Go to Australia (I've been twice, I was even able to snowboard during our- America's- summer)

4. Go to Japan (summer of 1994 for a week, even flew Business Class)

5. Live on the beach (Newport Summer Project with Campus Crusade 2001)

6. Learn to surf (I minored in this :-) during my college years at UC Santa Barbara)

7. Run a half marathon (La Jolla, CA Spring 2002)

8. Wake board (in Colorado and California)

9. Walk on the beach with someone I love (Jackson- Santa Barbara, San Diego, Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz...)

10. Vacation on the beach (Silver Strand- San Diego, CA 2003)

11. Go to Vegas (visited mother-in-law a few times, even won some $ playing Craps)

12. Get married in a beautiful garden to my best friend (Walnut Creek, CA 2004)

13. Attend Bill Bright's Memorial Service (Fort Collins, CO- 2003)

14. Resign from a job I don't like (got out of sales and started to become a teacher, 2008)

15. Get my teaching credential to teach K-6 (2009)

16. Get my Master's degree (Best Practices in Education, 2009)

17. Go night snorkeling (Catalina Island, 1999)

18. Visit a castle (Transylvania, 1994)

19. Learn piano (I played from ages 4-16)

20. Play soccer (I played competitively until my Junior year in high school, and I've played for fun off and on since then...)

21. Give birth/become a parent (2 times so far, this list is in very random order because my birth experiences are two of the most important in my life)

22. Go roller-blading (lots in Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, and even the Bay Area)

23. Sleep under the stars (yea for camping)

24. Swing on a rope swing into a swimming hole (Yellowstone National Park, 90s)

25. Fire a gun (Austin, TX- 2003)

26. Stay at a quaint bed and breakfast (Honeymoon at Carmel by the Sea, 2004)

27. Skateboard (did this in Newport Beach and actually skateboarded all around believe it or not, 2001)

28. Save someone's life (physically, rescued a boy as a lifeguard and resuscitated 1999; have shared in friends and even strangers accepting Jesus as their Savior throughout my life)

29. Help build a house (Habitat for Humanity, 1995)

Things I Want to Do (again, in no particular order):

1. Save more people (I want to help others get [or better]a personal relationship with Jesus)

2. Do a triathlon

3. Go to Kauai and Maui (I want to see the sunrise at Haleakala in Maui- see post picture)

4. Go to New Zealand

5. Go to Israel (I'd love to see Jerusalem and Nazareth)

6. Go on an Alaskan cruise (see a glacier fall into an iceberg and whale watch)

7. Have our kids sponsor a child on their 4th birthday and regularly write to the child (Jackson and I have been talking about something like this for awhile, and thank Mandy for the details on this action item!)

8. Ride a horse (on the beach if possible)

9. Snowboard in Colorado (and visit family while I'm there)

10. Wake board for a whole weekend (at least 2 days in a row)

11. Visit Prince Edward Island (ode to Anne of Green Gables :-) )

12. Hang glide

13. Take my kids blueberry picking in Oregon- visit with family and friends while we're there (I used to do this every summer with family as a kid)

14. Go to the East Coast (I've been a lot of places, but I've only been to the east coast for 1. a lay over in NJ on my way to Romania, 2. to visit Lindsey for a few days in WV, and 3. a Crusade Staff conference in FL). I want to visit historical places... specifically, I want to see New York, South Carolina, and Washington D.C.

15. Go somewhere special with Jackson for our 10 year anniversary for at least 3 days (July 2014).

16. Indoor skydive (like here )

17. Kayak in Half Moon Bay, CA

18. Do a girls' weekend with my 3 sisters (maybe attend a retreat together?)

19. Go on a mission trip with my kids (hopefully we'll do lots of these)

20. Take a dance class (like hip-hop or something... yeah I better do this one soon ;-) )

21. Ride a hot air balloon

22. Snorkel somewhere I haven't yet (tropical... maybe on the Kauai/Maui trip)

23. Swim with dolphins (Hawaii trip again?)

24. Live in a place (hopefully our next home) that gets a ton of natural light

25. Speak at a moms or marriage engagement

26. Jump with moon shoes (this is getting random, but I've always wanted to do this...)

27. Kiss Jackson behind a waterfall (this can happen in Kauai perhaps)

28. Ice skate on a frozen pond (maybe on my east coast trip?)

29. White water raft (Grade 4)