What's your number? Mine is 56!

Rules: Anything you have done has to be in colored, bold, and/or underlined. How much have you done? It only takes about 5 minutes…Just do it..it's fun! The things I've done are in Bold. I got this from Cambria's blog-and pass it on to anyone who is interested!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched an amazing lightning storm
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- surprising, I know.
27. Ran 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
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 (went to the tower, grandma was scared but wouldn't let me go alone. So we got keychains instead. Yay.)
51. Gone scuba diving
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. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood!
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
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
100. Visited Italy

I barely survived...

I feel like 2008 came and went so fast it about made my head spin! Plus, I cannot in all my memory recall a Christmas that was busier and it was all over a little too quickly. In fact, I just took down my Christmas decorations last night. (I know. I'm embarrassed.) But here's the rundown of our 5 week-long party:

Gage and Jossy visiting their favorite person this time of year.

Lauren said not a chance. Not even for a candy cane.



I took this snapshot just a few minutes before the kids woke up on Christmas morning:


Gage was so thrilled with his web blaster and truck just like Dad's!


Lauren got these little horses that Santa knew she would love. They have the same ones in Nursery and she always tries to steal them and fights like a badger when another child wants to play with them.

Jossy asked Santa for a big, soft Pinkie Pie pony, which she sleeps with every night. She also got a giant doll house (to share with Lauren) and some fun pony things!

On the 26th, we went on a family retreat to Island Park. Mom and Dad treated us and we had a great time. Tony couldn't stay the whole time but did make it up for the weekend.

By far, the highlight for Gage was this mini-snowmobile that David rented from a friend. He LOVED it. I took this pic trying to show the scale of the cute little thing, but you can't really tell how little it really was.

Jossy tried to drive it too, but she about wrecked. Dave was good enough to be her coach.

Video of Gage tearing it up on the little snowmobile. The cabin we were staying in backed up to a golf course. We made him a little track around one of the fairways and he went around and around and around. He's stop and offer us rides (as if we could fit) and smile and then go around and around.

It's been a great Christmas- much better than we were expecting! Thank you to everyone who helped make it so fun and memorable for our kids. They thought it was the best Christmas ever! At least top five! (That's a joke. Gage is only five. I know. I'm embarrassed.)