Is it too early?

I know it's not thanksgiving yet, but I'm just feeling it this year! Merry Thanksgiving this week!

...I've missed a few things...

We had a fantastic October! It was a banner October! I know I've already blogged a few reasons why we've had such a great month, but I missed a few important left overs. First, Halloween was stellar. And this is entirely because of Lindsay and Wes Griffeth hosting a fabulous Halloween party. The food was epic and the kids adorable! Trick-or-treating as a group is great fun. I've never done that before.

My dear friend, Brityn, had baby Malcolm. We were the lucky recipients of Malcolm's big sister, Madeline, while Mom was in the hospital. As you can tell by the darkness of the room and the fact the girls are in MY bed, Madeline had a rough go being away from mom, especially at night. She may have been sad, but we were THRILLED for her to join our crew for a few days. She's a fun little girl.

We had party after party. We partied hardy!

Abby started cheerleading again. To my surprise, she's REALLY good at it. She went into her class with the other 5 year olds and the teacher pulled me aside after and asked if she could stay for the advanced class. I asked Abby, she said she wanted to try. We got ready for the next class, thinking we'd see maybe 6 or 7 year olds...in walks 11, 12, 13 year olds. I was kind of panicking. I was glued to the glass windows just waiting for Abby to get overwhelmed. But as you can tell from the picture, she's a natural. One class in and she's already the top of a human pyramid!

Did I mention we partied?

The Tracys came to visit us!!!!!!! This is my sister and her husband Phil. She let me boss her around (karma, Donna!) while we worked on trunk-or-treat and the kindergarten class party. Part of their visit we packed up and hit Disneyland. It was a blast!! We did the park right- from opening to close! Come back soon....please?

Got to spend some quality time with the hubby which is easily my favorite thing to do!


It's been a happy, happy October!

Goals, goals and more goals...

Every year on my birthday I always get all reflective and slightly introspective. And without fail it always generates feelings of desire to improve myself. For about 5 years I've made goals for the upcoming year- the number of goals dictated by the birthday I just had. 27 goals for my 27th year, etc. (this, however, is not my 27th year and it's been a while since it has been my 27th year)

Now, I've always used this blog as a place to record what I have done...but today I'd like to go on record with the things I'd like to do. I made a bucket list (inspired by this week's episode of Parks and Recreation) along with my goals list tonight and I'd like to put them down somewhere I can have easy access to them besides my cork board.

In no particular order I present my 31 goals in my 31st year...

1. Get to my pre-baby weight (yes, I know my baby is 5 years old and this is long overdue)
2. Blog 4x's a month. I don't scrapbook. I don't journal. I'm basically letting the crazy fantastical wonder circus that is my family's life walk past me without so much of a nod. And if I don't blog more, I'll never be able to make a blog book and will therefore be breaking major commandments.
   
3. Make a blog book. See above.
4. Complete 24 yoga practices. Love yoga, but I never make time for downward dog
5. Run a 5k. I've done this many times before but not a lot lately...
6. Run a 10K. This is my favorite race distance.
7. Read 2 Shakespearean plays
8. Make curry and use ingredients from the ethnic food store. Curry is my favorite food, but I'm scared to go in the ethnic food store for thai curry paste. Maybe I can recruit a friend to hold my hand...
9. Complete 5 hikes from the top 50 hikes list
10. Learn to swim
11. Finish the book of mormon again. I've been snail's pacing my way through for an embarrassing long time
12. Research and try natural beauty remedies. You know, like the face full of raw oats with cucumbers on my eyes.
13. Create and manage a budget. We have a rough budget and we're good with our money, but I'd like to be able to survive a surprise inspection from Dave Ramsey.
14. Go on a trip just with Brandon. It's been...so....very.........very............long.
15. Take a rec center class for me. Boxing maybe? I am a vicious beast of fury.
16. Certify in CPR/first aid.
17. Be vegetarian for a week (sorry Brandon)
18. Master the first 50 hymns and first 50 primary songs on the piano
19. Go stargazing with my family in rural nevada
20. Do a three week challenge on 7 good habits
21. Grow my hair out
22. Stop having to do push up sets on my knees
23. Read my sister's book
24. Buy a bike and learn to competently use it
25. Go to Big Bear, CA and be camping-esque
    
26. Get a facial
27. Run a 1m race with abby
28. Finally finish a room in my house. I'm thinking kitchen would be the fastest to finish
29. Make homemade tortillas
30. make my own granola
31. Get fully ready every day for three weeks

And now my overly long bucket list. Good thing I'm only 31 because it's going to take me the rest of my natural life.

1. snowmobile in Yellowstone
2. learn Spanish
   
3. run a triathlon
4. learn to play the violin
5. see the rain forest by Olympia, WA
6. visit machu picchu
7. Run a marathon
8. Do a handstand
9. Do a chin-up
10. be able to do bridge pose in yoga and crow
11. complete a jigsaw puzzle on my own
12. kayak
13. climb a rope
14. buy a nice camera and learn to use it
15. job in central park
16. learn a snow sport- ski/snowboard
17. go zip-lining
18. do every hike in red rock
19. have another baby
20. get another degree
21. be completely out of debt
22. take my family to Hershey, PA
23. take self-defense classes
24. see the northern lights
25. try postum (that fake herbal coffee thing that is so controversial to mormons)
26. study buddhism
27. see a cirque de soleil show
28. see Stonehenge
29. compete in the Philadelphia half marathon
30. go jet skiing
    
31. milk a cow
32. catch fireflies with abby
33. drive the pacific coast
34. paintball
35. go to a midnight mass for Christmas
36. throw a great murder mystery party
37. white water rafting
38. see the grave of my grandmother
39. learn basic sewing
40. be able to play every hymn on piano
41. make my own holondaise (I have no idea how to spell that) sauce
42. take a nap in a hammock
43. complete the S-T-P ride
44. pay for a stranger's dinner
45. see the Anasazi ruin
46. Study my family history

I think my plan is to review my yearly goals monthly and my bucket list annually. Hopefully my life will stop passing me by...The last few years it seems all I've accomplished is an excellent grocery list system. I know I'm being hard on myself when I say that, but there is nothing like a good list to be able to feel a sense of accomplishment.

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These are 32 of my favorite things...

November 2nd, 1979- a day the world got better (a.k.a. the day my husband was born). Surrounded by terrible pictures of him he would be embarrassed for people to see, I present my list of 32 things I love about Brandon K. Leavitt who this day turned 32.

1.) Brandon should have a desert gardening show on public television. This man can keep a lush, green lawn in the most extreme of conditions. He frets over his fescue like it's a newborn babe.
2.) With all the legal education floating around this house, we can no longer watch legal thrillers or even Judge Judy. It's how we stay happily married.
3.) His tastes have become geriatric. My particular favorite is his taste in music. I married a man with Led Zepplin and Sublime CDs...now I get into his car and hear the sultry sounds of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. When he listens to my ipod he regularly complains it's what people listen to on their way to rob houses and hold up convenience stores (SO not true).
4.) He has a secret wish to be a hip hop dancer.
5.) He rarely eats breakfast, but when he does, he EATS himself some BREAKFAST. He calls it the country breakfast...this self titled wonder consists of every breakfast meat, every breakfast starch, over-easy eggs and a glass of OJ.

6.) He cannot wear snow hats or turtle necks convincingly. And I'm ok with that.
7.) He still holds the door open for me every time.
8.) Total hotel snob. Don't even try less than 4-stars. Holiday Inn? He feels like he might as well be camping.
9.) Even though he rarely flosses, his gums are as pink as a baby's behind. Makes me CRaZy!!!
10.) His pigeon impression is incredible.
11.) The man loves a blue cheese burger. I would say he most regularly craves burgers and nachos, and after a week of that...he craves a salad.

12.) His glasses always slip down his nose grandpa-style.
13.) World's funnest dad. We recently returned from Disneyland where he took Abby on every single ride (even the ones that made her cry) and stood in every autograph like with her the ENTIRE day. I thought he would be kidded out, but he surprised me by saying it was the best day ever.
14.) He is a fantastic provider! This man works HARD for the money and we are grateful for it
15.) He is a wonderful attorney. I think he is great with his family law cases. He's patient and attentive with his clients.

16.) Every time I ask him for a suggestion on what to give someone for a gift, he always says the same exact thing: "What about a nice pen?" We've yet to give anyone a pen. Maybe we should, but then he'd have to think of something new.
17.) He makes a bed like he's been doing it for a living.
18.) He's scared of being eaten by an animal or mauled. Particularly by sharks and bears.
19.) He never misses an episode of Ridiculousness.
20.) He spends a considerable amount of time buying cards. He reads multiple cards until he finds the one that makes him cry. When Abby gave me a birthday card she told me I would love it because, "It made dad cry really loud at Target."
21.) He lets me be me and often helps me be me. Whether it's running a 5K, wearing a Toga, or eating whole wheat brownies that admittedly tasted like yard clippings, he's very supportive.
22.) He loves to get the mail.
23.) He can't STAND people being barefoot anywhere but home. It makes him dry heave whenever he sees it. He even has a special method of trying on pants at a store so that his feet never touch the ground.
24.) He loves the rain. Every time it rains he acts like it's a holiday.
25.) He's become a big help at home. Even though he regularly works 11-12 hour days, he comes home and helps.
26.) Body of Adonis...I'm just saying...
27.) The man can SING. He never chooses to, but he has a lovely voice. My favorite is when he does a montage of songs from 7 Brides for 7 Brothers- complete with dance moves.
28.) He can roast the perfect marshmallow
29.) He's always fun to have in a group. He takes a joke well and isn't self conscious.
30.) He firmly believes that everyone needs slippers. About to the unalienable right level. Like there should be a slipper-assistance program for the needy.
31.) He can sleep through anything (see exhibit below).

32.) I used to lay awake at nights when I was first married and be star struck by the total stud I landed. 10 years later, that happens to me a lot more often. What a freakin' catch! Love you Brandon! Happy Birthday!