My Kids Mom

I took this from my sister.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? 

Bought a house! YAAAY!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

I don’t think I really made any last year, as I never really keep them. This year I just wrote down some thoughts and goals of stuff I want to do or do better. So, we’ll see.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 

My friend Brenda… I actually can’t remember anyone else right now!! I know a few people who did but no one really “close” to me. I know lots of people close to me who got pregnant this year! I guess I did! If that counts! 

4.  Did anyone close to you die?

MyKidsDad’s grandma died. She wasn’t close to me in the “close” sense though. A family friend died who was in his 50’s. He also wasn’t close, but it was terribly tragic. Another death that really affected me was someone I don’t even personally know, but know through people. They were driving through the mountains and the wife was driving and the husband took off his seatbelt for a moment to grab something from the backseat when something happened (don’t really know what) but they crashed and he went through the windshield and died. The reason it really affected me was because they have kids the same ages as me, and she was still pregnant with her 3rd. It still makes me a bit weepy to think about it.  

5.  What countries did you visit?

Just stayed home in Canada.  

6.  What do you want from 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Keep a cleaner house, travel to the USA, all the things I mentioned in the previous post.

7.  What dates from 2008 will remain etched in your memory?

Feb. 1st (The Baby’s birth day), June something-or-other when I threw MyKidsDad the most amazing 30th surprise birthday party, uhmmm can’t really think of much else.

8.  What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Buying a house! Not that it was really MY achievement, but regardless! It’s huge!

9.  What was your biggest failure?

The state of my messy messy house. It’s been awful these last few months. 

10.  Did you suffer illness or injury?

I had the odd flu bug and colds and sinus issues. I finally told my doctor about my carpel tunnel in my right wrist, but that’s been around for a while.

11.  What was the best thing you bought? 

A HOUSE!!!

12.  Whose behaviour merited celebration?

Wow, that’s a hard one. I can’t really think of anything that comes to mind of anyone who did anything exceptional. 

13.  Who’s bahaviour made you appalled and depressed?

Honestly? The Boy has been having a bit of trouble with authority and getting along with his classmates at school. I wouldn’t say quite appalled and depressed, but definitely concerning and disappointing.

14.  Where did most of your money go?

Rent (ugh), food, vehicles….

15.  What did you get really, really, really excited about?

BUYING A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!! And crafting and being an entrepeneur. (I don’t know how to spell that)

16.  What song will always remind you of 2008?

Anything on the new Taylor Swift album, More than a Memory by Garth Brooks, Viva la Vida by ColdPlay, Jesus by Kirk Franklin….there’s so many!

17.  Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) Happier or Sadder: Happier

b) thinner or fatter: Thinner

c) richer or poorer:  always richer, regardless of finances! 

18.  What do you wish you’d done more of?

Staying organized and on top of household stuff, spending more family time just doing stuff together.

19.  What do you wish you’d done less of?

Creeping around on Facebook. Such a time waster!! 

20.  How did you spend Christmas?

Christmas Eve is always spent with MyKidsDad’s family, Christmas day was with my dad and step mom and their 2 kids and one of my brothers. Then boxing day is Lil’ Miss’s birthday, and the next day was celebrations with my mom and step dad and siblings, and it goes on and on and on and on!!! I’m exhausted! 

21.  Did you fall in love in 2008?

Yes! The Baby was born!

22.  What was your favorite TV program?

Eli Stone, The Office, Gossip Girl, 90210 (shame shame, I know)… 

23.  Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No, I don’t generally hate anyone. 

24.  What was the best book you read? 

Mmmm The Restorer by Sharon Hinck. (Thanks Kait) I still need to get the rest of the books. I forgot to ask for them for Christmas.

25.  What was your greatest musical discovery?

I got a bunch of awesome music from the UK when our friend Dave from Scotland came to visit in November. 

26.  What did you want and get?

A HOUSE!!! 

27.  What did you want and not get?

I entered a charity home lottery and didn’t win. That 2.5 million was what I really wanted.

28.  What was your favorite film of this year?

The Dark Knight, Wall.E 

29.  What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Uhmmm is it bad if I can’t even remember? I turned 25. On the weekend after I got to go on a shopping trip and spend a night at a hotel by myself which was divine!! And when I came home all my friends and family were here to surprise me and celebrate!

30.  What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

I can’t think of anything. My year was more than one could ask for.

31.  How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Try to fit into clothes properly. Haha…. I tried to buy stuff that fit me, more than stuff that was trendy. 

32.  What kept you sane?

Coca-Cola. 

33.  Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 

Hmmm, no one really. I’m not much of a celebrity lover.

34.  What political issue stirred you the most? 

The Canadian gov’t and their inability to work together. I can’t stand that we have to have elections every 5 minutes because no one is mature enough to accept the citizen’s votes and just deal and try to make things happen.  

35.  Who did you miss?

Hm. That’s a hard one. Maybe my sister and brother in law and nephew in Alaska. We didn’t get to see them this year.

36.  Who was the best new person you met?

The Baby!

37.  Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Patience will get you what you want in time… it just takes getting there.

38.  Quote a Song Lyric that sums up your year.

“Is it fair to say I was lured away by endless distraction, lowlier attractions than You? Fairer still, my own free will is the better one to blame for this familiar mess I’ve made again. So I would understand if You were out of patience, I would understand if I was out of chances…But Your mercies are new every morning, so let me wake with the dawn. When the music is through or so it seems to be, let me sing a new song, old things gone. Everyday it’s true You make all Your mercies new.”

So, I was tagged to do this thinger where I have to say a fact about myself for each letter in the spelling of my middle name. Here it goes!

L – Lactate. I am. Currently.

E – Eager. For summer to come. Very much so!

E – Exceptional. I have mad typing skillz. Like, over 80WPM. 

I am supposed to tag people… but being outta touch in the blog world lately, I don’t even have many people to tag. So, I just won’t. But there it goes!!

Because I’m boring and I’ve had nothing else to post about over the last little while… here’s a meme for you that I stole from Froglette, over at http://followingtheroad.com/

4 Jobs I have had:

Booster Juice… making smoothies and sitting on my butt.

Spa Lady – First I was the receptionist, and then made the dumb choice to dive into the personal training part of it. WAY too much pressure sales for my taste. Although, I was good at it. Heh.

At a not-for-profit company for disabled persons in the office doing filing and organizing

Summer Camp for kids ages 5 thru 14. We took them on 3 day out trips canoeing down the river and setting up camp and canoeing some more the next day and then setting up camp and then canoeing down the river some more the next day and then getting picked up. We had a rock climbing wall and high ropes and archery and a tonne of fun stuff to do. It was a good time, I miss it.

4 Movies I love to watch over and over:
Pride and Prejudice – the new one with Keira Knightley.

Life is Beautitful

Any of the recent superhero movies

Disney movies

4 Places I have lived:
I’ve only ever lived in the same city I live now…

But I’ve lived in about 10 different houses in my life…
4 TV shows I enjoy watching:
Gilmore Girls (I know, it’s over… *tear*)

ANTM (ha. ha.)

The Office

….hockey? There’s so very little worth watching anymore…

4 Places I have been:
Seattle Washington

Toronto Ontario

Victoria British Columbia

Saskatoon Saskatchewan.

Yep, my horizons are BROAD.

4 Websites I visit daily:
Facebook

A few blogs

Facebook

eBay

4 Favorite Foods:

Baked pasta with lots of cheese

Pizza with veggies and feta cheese (I’m dying for some feta cheese! My doctor said I can’t have anything unpasturized! Gah!)

Homemade cheddar cheese perogies with fresh polish or ukrainian sausage and onions fried in butter. And LOTS of sour cream.

Pastries

(yes, everything I love to make me fatter and fatter!)

4 Places I would rather be:
Shopping with unlimited funds

Scrapbooking

On a beach somewhere

In bed

4 People I am tagging:

I’m not going to tag anyone because I’m not even sure if people are reading my blog anymore, considering I rarely post!

Another tag I am completing – the edited FIXED version. ARG.

Always a Work in Progress!

 That would be what – 1997? I’d have been in 8th grade…I was probably listening to The Presidents of the United States of America, and Garbage, and spending time at the bus terminal, and the mall. I was looking forward to the summer -  I think that was one of my last years I went to summer camp. In fact, I think my husbands big sister was my councillor that summer. I had a 1 year old half sister. Or no wait, 6 months. So I was excited about that too. I think that year, or it might have been the following, we moved. Again.

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Getting ready to move. We moved last summer to the house we’re in now. Also, about to go on Vacation to Victoria. Probably the best vacation of my life so far.  
Five Snacks You Enjoy

1.) Anything sweet
2.) Pastries

3.) Ice cream
4.) Nachos
5.) Starbucks

Five Songs That You Know All The Lyrics To

1.) Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood

2.) Is it any wonder? – Nichole Nordeman
3.) Vertigo – U2 (even though I’m not a fan)
4.) Must be Doin something right – Billy Currington

5.) Prince of Peace (You are Holy) – Michael W. Smith

Five Things You Would Do If You Were a Millionaire

1.) Buy a house

2.) Furnish it

3.)Go to the mall
4.) Hire a maid
5.) Invest
Five Bad Habits

1.) Interrupting people
2.) Not focusing on what I’m doing
3.) Spending too much time online
4.) Starting projects but not finishing
5.) procrastinating

(Kait, I guess we are more alike than we’d like to admit!)

Five Things You Like To Do

1.) Play on the computer
2.) Visit with friends

3.) sewing/scrapbooking/quilting

4.) organize stuff

5.) play soccer

Five Things You Would Never Wear Again

1.) bikini

2.) hypercolor tshirt
3.) low low cut jeans
4.) shirts bearing my middrift
5.) leg warmers
Five Favorite Toys

1.) my computer
2.) my sewing machine
3.) the xbox 360

4.) board games
5.) ….I can’t think of anything to put here.

I tag Anne, Froglette, aaaaaand Carolyn.

I was tagged for a Meme like…MONTHS ago, and now, on a boring Saturday afternoon – I will finally do it.

7 random things about myself…

1. I have two different thumbs. Literally. I suppose I should post a pic or something. It’s kind of difficult to take a picture of both of your thumbs at the same time though. Anyways, my dad has these squished kind of thumbs, and my moms are normal, and God decided to mix it up a little and give me one of each. I met a guy in high school who had the same thing, which, of course, was a MIRACLE to me, only his squished thumb was on the opposite hand as mine, and we joked about going in for plastic surgery to trade thumbs. I told him he could have the squished ones (they’re kind of masculine) and I’d have the normal ones. Ah, good times.

2. I watched End of The Spear recently, and I don’t think I’ve ever cried so hard watching a movie before. It was just so heart wrenching, and I think the reality of knowing that this really did happen just hit home with me. If you haven’t seen it, you must.

3. I’m pregnant. Again! I thought I’d include this as some of you may not know yet! I’m due with our 3rd child Feb. 1st. One of these days I’ll post a ticker up here or something.

4. I’m messy. I’m a procrastinator, and I almost always procrastinate picking up after myself/others. It often snowballs so that cleaning my house/an area in my house becomes a HUGE chore. I no longer leave my clothes next to my bed when I take them off before bed. I have done this all my life, and only for the last few months I have quit. I refuse to go back! It’s been a great change!! One step at a time, right?

5. I really want a fish tank. I’ve been doing a lot of reading and dreaming and frequenting local pet stores and fish shops for about a year now. I’m still not fully ready to buy one yet – I’m currently reading about fish health, and understanding their bodies and recognizing diseases and stuff. Owning a fish tank is pretty serious stuff. You can’t just go to the store and pick out a fish tank and plunk some fish into it. I’ve learned it’s a lot more complicated than that! I’m really looking forward to owning one one day, but it will be a big project and a lot of work when I finally do.

6. My husband won a clubhouse recently. It’s this huge beautiful thing, complete with bunk beds inside, a desk, a table, a sink (attach a hose to the outside) and pod lights in the ceiling. (plug in the cord on the outside). It’s amazing, and my kids LOVE it. Good thing we have a big backyard to put it in. They had to lift it over the fence with a crane! It was scary – I thought it was going to fall!!

7. I’m crafty. I love quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, and just making things in general. I want to start my own little business (starting with craft fairs and farmer’s markets and the like) of making stuff. I make pouch style baby slings, and I have a whole host of other ideas of stuff that I would make. I want to make stuff mostly for moms/babies that are unique and modern. Lots of times at craft fairs/farmer’s markets you get a booth for babies or moms that are all “Grandma” type stuff, things that today’s mom mostly wouldn’t pick up for themselves. I want to make stuff that is more hip, that is hard to find at a decent price! I am definitely a big dreamer. One day….one day.

I have relatives visiting. And living with us. For 3 weeks. I really having no time to blog! But I found this Meme from Froglette79 who got it from BookMama.

Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback? Any of the above. I’m not particular, I’m more concerned about the content!

Amazon or brick and mortar? Amazon. WAY cheaper. Books in Canada are EXPENSIVE.

Barnes and Noble or Borders? We don’t have either in Canada. (or my area anyways.) I have shopped at Barnes and Noble online before though.

Bookmark or dogear? I NEVER dogear, I hate that. I use a “bookmark” but it’s usually a non-bookmark type item, such as a price tag off of a peice of clothing, a tissue, a reciept from somewhere, a random peice of paper. Anything will do, really. If I have nothing to slip in their, then I just memorize the page number I’m on.

Alphabetize by author or alphebetize by title or random? I like to sort by genre, or topic. We have a lot of non-fiction books in our house, and they’re all sorted by topic. My fiction books are just random. Probably sorted by size.

Keep, throw away, or sell? I usually keep, unless I really didn’t like it, then I’ll give it away, throw it away, sell it, do whatever I have to do to get rid of it.

Keep dustjacket or toss it? I usually keep it on, unless it’s a children’s book, then I put it somewhere and it ends up getting lost, then I find it and realize how we don’t need it and toss it.

Read with dustjacket or remove it? Read with it. Again, unless it’s a children’s book.

Short story or novel? I like both.

Collection (short stories by same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)? Whatever, as long as it’s interesting!

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket? Snicket. I’ve never read Harry Potter, and never intend to. Actually, I’ve never read Lemony Snicket either, I just watched the movie.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks? I do my best to stop at chapter breaks, unless I’m so tired my eyes won’t stay open anymore, then I will stop whenever.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”? Once upon a time.

Buy or borrow? Either. Depends on what book, and my financial situation. Books aren’t cheap, y’know. Also? If I’m not sure I’ll like it then I’ll borrow first, and if I really like it, I’ll buy it.

New or used? I love used books. But mostly because they’re cheaper. I also love new books, that new book smell….yummm. So, I guess either.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse? I do all three. Usually I go by browsing, reading the synopsis, and maybe getting a recommendation.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger? Tidy Ending, unless it’s a series. Then I’m ok with a cliffhanger. But don’t leave me hanging with no book afterwards to finish it up! I HATE that.

Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading? All depends on what kind of book I’m reading. If it’s a fiction, and I’m really into it, I’ll read it all day long if I feel like it. But if it’s a non-fiction, then just at night usually. Unless it’s a really good non-fiction that I am captivated by.

Favorite series? I was really into this one series in Junior High…hmmm I can’t remember the name of them now. I think they were by Vanessa something?? Other than that I haven’t really read much for series, unless you count Sweet Valley High.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?  A Painted House by John Grisham. Ok, you might have heard of it, but lots of people I’ve talked to haven’t, because it’s away from the mainstream of his books. (It’s not a legal thriller) It’s from the perspective of a little boy growing up on a cotton farm in the southern USA. It’s a page turner.

Favorite books read last year? The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, A Painted House by John Grisham, and one other one that I can’t remember the name of now. Hmm, shoot. I hate that. Maybe I should by books instead of get them from the library! Hah!

Favorite books of all time? Hmm, I don’t know. I guess I’m not that “booky” that I don’t have my favorite ever books. Or at least, I can’t think of anything right now.

This makes me remember that I really should get back into reading. I really enjoy it, but it seems like I’ve got so many other things on the go in my spare time, that when I read I’m just avoiding something else I should be doing. Is that always the case? Maybe.

This list came from BookMama  and I wanted to see how many I’d read.

Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, and mark them as follows:
READ for those you’ve read;
WANT TO next to those you are interested in;
AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and loved, over and over;
REPEAT for those you’ve read more than once, without necessarily loving them;
MEH for stuff you read and weren’t impressed by;
STARTED for those that just never got finished;
and leave blank those you don’t care to read. 

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)

2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) Want to
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) Read
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) Want to
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) Want to read
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)Want to

21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) Started
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) Want to
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)Want to
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) Want to
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) Want to
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) Want to
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant) Read
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible Started
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas) LOVE THAT MOVIE. But I haven’t read it.
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens) Started
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) Want to
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares) Want to
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) Want to
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje) Want to
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) Want to
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) Read
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen) Want to
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) Read
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) I didn’t know this was a book!
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) Read

97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Ok, so I don’t read much. And the truth is, 3 out of the 4 that I’ve completed on that list have been for school, so I was forced. Even if I did enjoy them. Chapter’s has a table of old classics that are….I think 3 for 25$ that I wanted to get some SO BAD last time I was there, but decided not to. The ones on the table were recovered paperbacks of lots of the more classics ones on this list. After seeing this, I think I will go back and get them!!! Maybe I’ll even make a point to read a few more off this list that are worth reading!

Amy is doing some research. If you’re married, answer these questions on your blog to help her out and leave her a link to you on her blog!

How long have you been married? Four years, 3 months.

How long did you and your spouse really know each other before you married? About 5 years

Looking back, how prepared do you feel you were for marriage? I wasn’t prepared at all. I just turned 19, was looking ahead at my life with MyKidsDad…and suddenly I was engaged and getting married in one month. Yes, we planned our wedding in one month. I was pregnant.

If you have kids, how long did you wait before starting your family? About 7 months….

How many children do you have and what are their ages? We have 2, ages 3.5 and 15months.

What challenges have you faced at this stage in your marriage? Well, there were many challenges especially the first year or so, because not only we were adjusting to our first year together, we also became parents and had to learn to be parents together as well. It was very strenuous at times. I think our biggest challenge was learning to appreciate each other in the ways we needed to be appreciated, meaning vocally and showing appreciation. I needed confirmation that he noticed the hard work I did at home, and he needed me to be there for him when he got home and to recognize the hard work that he put in. We both kind of took each other for granted.

If you have kids, has your relationship changed since you’ve added them to your family? If so, in what way(s)? Well, we barely had a relationship without kids, so this one is tough. I think having kids has made me appreciate my husband more, and I’m more and more attracted to him as I see how loving he is to them, and how he interacts with them. We’re also more focused spiritually together.

What resources or support systems do you have that benefit your marriage? Our families are great examples to us. We also could speak to people at church…we’ve read books that have helped us too.

What advice do you have for young couples contemplating marriage and starting a family? To take it seriously. Your vows and the words you say hold a lot of meaning, they are not disposable! Also, throw the “happily ever after” fantasy out the window. I know many relationships that have resulted in anger, resentment, bitterness due to feeling as though the “honeymoon is over”. Oh yeah, and, communication. If you are not having your needs met, you need to be able to have candid conversation with your spouse about those feelings.

AND, read “The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage” by Dr. Laura Schlessinger. GOOD STUFF.

AND THE BIGGY……
What is/are the biggest need(s) that you have as a husband/wife at this stage in your marriage? I think leadership in all areas. There are lots of times that I say “I don’t know what to do about this situation – I trust you to take charge and make a decision”. And I love that he steps up and does that. I also need him to take his spiritual leadership seriously, and his walk with God. Thankfully he does that very well, I know he is a rock that our family can rely on.

 This list can make you feel as though you’ve done some pretty cool things in your life…or as if you haven’t done enough. What have you done?

The items in bold print are the things that I have done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children/currently raising child
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad – and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Well, after doing that it seems like I haven’t done much!! Take this list, and make it your own! And let me know, I’m curious to know what others have done!!

Thanks to bookmama for this!