have dones...

here is a list i saw on a friend's blog of things she has done in her life thus far. i thought it was interesting so here's my list of have dones... (if it is bold then i have done it)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does an orchestra count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
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. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight 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. Run 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. Been transported in an ambulance (not me but two of my babies have been)
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. Gotten 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. Pieced 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 (i've eaten one ross killed cleaned and had smoked by goode company bbq, though!)
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

Lord, i pray that in every adventure you allow me to have i might be evermore in awe of you! thank you for what has been and what is to come.

9 things i am looking forward to in 2009...

1. spending time and energy strengthening our marriage
2. gaining new effective and creative ways to raise up our children
3. lots of playtime outside- at the park, in the backyard, on bicycles, etc.
4. riding in the tour de tucson with henry ( only the short part)
5. a vacation to somewhere...anywhere!!
6. reading books for my own enjoyment
7. painting pottery with daphne
8. figuring out how to keep some kind of handle on all this laundry
9. following Jesus more nearly, loving Him more dearly and seeing Him more clearly (ok so that was three in one but i couldn't leave any one of them out)

2008 was a long and very hard year for me, for our family. i know that it is in times like those that i tend to grow most so i will look back and be thankful for this past year but oh how i look forward to the year ahead. i am looking ahead in hopes for a year of jubilee.

i often time feel like what i would imagine the israelites felt like...a wandering fool in hopes of the land flowing with milk and honey. i am ready for a milk and honey kind of year!! that's right, bring it on!!

i write all this coming off a day that particularly difficult. the kids were hard, i am still dog pedalling under a pile of dirty clothes (almost done), i feel like i am fighting fires non stop. i find myself daydreaming of curling up with the kids (all getting along mind you) with a huge pile of books and just reading or laying on our bellies on the floor and coloring with them. i dream of long bike rides with them or just searching out bugs to learn about. i feel like i am missing some great moments with the kids but i can't just let the house fall down around us either. i am struggling with balancing time with the kids and house chores. i resent the housework because it is keeping me from the kids and i get frustrated with the kids because i can't get the housework done. ugh! pray for me- what specifically you might ask- i don't know but pray for me.

on another note- i want to share a few pics from our christmas this year. we had a nice time and it was very low key which was nice. i think my favorite moment was on christmas day when the two little girls were down for naps and henry & daphne & i sat at the table, still in pjs, and we did perler beads and they painted by number. i cooked a couple a quick dishes to take with us to our family christmas celebration but really we did what my heart longs to be doing with them everyday.




here are just a few cute pics from our celebrations...this is from christmas eve. they all looked at the camera for about five different pictures!!

these next few are from christmas morning. daph got a bike and anna got a helmet. henry got superman and batman. all seemed right on christmas morning!


so there you have it...then end of one year and the beginning to the next! 3 out of 4 kids are asleep now so i think i will read a book...or maybe do more laundry...no read a book!

happy new year!