100 Things for 2011

Thanks, Sue, for the response.  I know I do not write here often.  After I spend my day writing for work, college and Madison's school stuff + daytimer and all the sticky notes on my desk....I just cannot seem to find time to write down my thoughts!  lol  But, indeed I am trying!

My brother did this several years ago - though he might not be aware, I try at the end of each year to list 100 goals for the next year. Most are short-term, some are long-term...some of them simply roll over to the next year. I have been able to accomplish several things the past few years since starting this. 

My List:

1. Madi & I attend 1 pottery class (we missed the last one)
2. take more field trips



3. Take a vacation with just my husband - anywhere
4. take a family cruise
5. be prepared to purchase a honeymoon for my step-son, who will more than likely propose soon!



6. lose a few more lbs.



7. write a book with my brother



8. join AITP



9. look into project management certifications


10. master UNIX operating systems



11. ace my college classes



12. family get-togethers once a month



13. get my funeral plan in order (myself & hubby)



14. write my eulogy (sounds morbid - but I wish to be prepared)


15. help Wayne get his funeral details organized - he wishes a party instead of funeral!



16. pursue a new job



17. Madi & I to start Spanish classes - we might talk hubby into that one!



18. get a new vehicle


19. get the Dodge in great condition



20. paint the master bathroom



21. paint the kitchen



22. paint the living room



23. take Madi to see the Pacific coast



24. buy a new computer



25. attend the home school convention



26. spend more time with janet and the kiddos


27. take M on tour of NASA via Pete in Texas


28. attend one space launch - up close and personal (there are only 2 more scheduled with NASA  =( 


29. master the art of keeping my desk clear


30. have 1 very large cook-out - everyone invited


31. buy new glasses/contacts


32. get my wisdom teeth removed - ugh


33. write on my blog more
34. learn to dance
35. teach Madi to dance
36. look up one of my dad's old friends
37. get better "plugged-in" to church
38. take more Bible studies
39. pay my tithes regularly
40. give my husband control of the finances - I'm tired
41. give up trying to control the things I cannot
42. visit all my aunts and uncles more
43. see more of my cousins - the millions of them!
44. let go completely of the things in my past that I continue to hang onto
45. be a better friend to others
46. cultivate a deeper relationship with God, i.e. pray, read Bible, plugged-in church
47. continue to participate in the Children's ministry
48. do more for the Children's ministry
49. be a better mom - there is just too much here to clarify!
50. be a better wife
51. be a better daughter/sister
52. be a better property manager - not getting sidetrack with unnecessaries..
53. give it all to God daily

Guilty Pleasures

Sher did the guilty pleasures list awhile back.  My one big, bad guilty pleasure is Dexter. I think the entire family thinks I'm sick. Now, I'm stuck without it until September when Season 6 comes out! 

Holidays were great!  However, I did get a bit sick (allergies) from the sugary stuff.  It hit me last night - I think it's the milk in some of the homemade goodies.  My system will not tolerate milk.  I've known this for many years, but it has started showing up when I eat other things too.  I made 2 batches of homemade fudge and nibbled while doing it.  By that night, I was sick!  Last night, I had a bit of Marlon's Whitmans chocolate and started sneezing...either I'm overloaded on sugar or it's the milk.

Now, I'm in the middle of cleaning files, spring cleaning the closets, cabinets, etc. while I am on break from school.  I start back on Tuesday next week - so I am trying to get it all done. 

Ms. Madi has enjoyed her break from school.  I reminded her last night that we would start back up  on Tuesday...she says, "ugh!! why did you have to remind me!?"  Okie dokie...I'll have to come up with some really cool plans for next week. 

She did get a crystal/geode maker kit for Christmas. We've yet to dive in but will probably do that next week.

Love you all ~ I know I do not write enough, especially for that awesome aunt who thinks I should...but I will work more on that this year!

jo

Life is good...

I am so rarely on here (until recently) that I had forgotten some of the stuff I had written. I was reading about Ms. Madi and her venture to a charter school. That seems so long ago. We have now settled in to home school. This is what we do. Since that time, I have realized more and more how precious the young years are.  She is only young once. She loves being with mom and dad, and as long as she does, we will try to enjoy every second of it.

Sheri mentioned the guys doing an oil change(?) and how proud she was. It reminds me of M and the things she accomplishes. The things she knows and is capable of amazes me. Home school allows us to explore curriculum deeper, it allows M to learn cooking, baking, cleaning the house, laundry, and soo much more. She even pressure washed the porch last week!  Dad left her outside with the pressure washer and told her to go at it.  Fun stuff.

But I preach to the choir. I am thankful for our church. M has developed many new friendships with others her age.  She has friends who live chose, but we often talk about those who are not exposed to Christ and a good Christian home.  I allow her to make decisions on her own - while giving her the tools to do it. She often impresses me with what she comes up with.

I still stand in awe of what God blesses me with daily. It was a long road getting here - mostly self-induced - but who could ask for more than what He has given.....

I really wish I could find the charger to my camera battery!! I have lost it and have no clue why it is not where it should be.  I'm stuck at the moment, not taking pictures..

pms

Sooo the older I get, the more PMS I get.  At this point, I have Premenstrual syndrom, postmenstrual syndrom and menstrual syndrome.  That leaves me with like 7 good days out of a month.  Seriously?! 

Poor Madison..the other day I cramped so bad, I couldn't stand up straight. I ended up lying down for a  bit. I never do this.  I've never had issues like this since I started at age 11.  I've experienced this severe cramping about 6 times over the past year or so, but this was the worst.  Madison says, "that's why I'm having surgery and just never having kids, Mom!"  I would like at least 1 blood grandchild, but who knows....

So besides that I'm great.  I did send a crazy email to my finance counselor with the University of Phoenix today.  I knew I should wait and not send it, but even hours after the fact, I'm still irritated and don't regret what I said...so maybe...he listened.  who knows.  he didn't respond.  But i do know that probably another day, I would've reacted differently. 

Okay, i'm done with that. I can't even type tonight. This looks horrible.

So, I'm off to study some more and get my mind back into schoolwork. 

(I'm glad not many people are seeing this..yes, I have privacy settings up..........I think........I better check that!)

jo

S

One more thought for the day. S is a girl I knew from a previous marriage..She has grown into a beautiful woman. Looking back, I would love to be able to say that I had part in any of it, but I cannot. I left when she was young.

My love for her never changed. I beat myself up sometimes that I did not keep in contact through the years. As I look back, there was really nothing I could have done differently 13 years ago. To save myself and those around me, I left the state.

I cannot do anything to change the past - I am actually thankful for the past, because it has made me who I am today. But dearest S. Whoever said that you could never love a child of another as much as your own got it wrong! I think of S daily....when Madison is in the back seat singing, when she rolls her eyes at me, when she laughs or finds something extremely funny, when I log into Facebook, when I see S's cookie jar in the cabinet (one I have kept with me through it all..).....

...when I think of the responsibility of parenting and realize that I never set a good example in front of her...but she is always with me. I keep it light, I give her the space she wants, I cannot share with her how I truly feel. She doesn't wish to hear it and I can never tell her why I left her. We do not know each other as adults or the people we have grown to be. But time and distance never takes away from the special place she has in my heart. I carry her with me daily. While she will never view me as a parental figure in her life, I will never stop viewing her as a vital part of my life.

Enough of the mooshy stuff. Not only do I have to get myself motivated - I've got to motivate my husband as well...the weather is great for doing something outside and planting those Mums that are dying in the pots!!

I finally found my blog and decided to write a moment while I drink my coffee. You guys are soo good at this - Sherry, Sue, Jeanette....ooohh Jeanette. It saddens me you are gone. One thing about Jeanette, she could always make you laugh - it might be after the fact of course, but she was very dear to me.

As I read through what I wrote a couple of years ago (wow, it's been that long?!), I wish to edit a statement I made. While I wrote my husband's favorite poem to live by, I commented that that did not work for me.....the Wise Ole Owl. Funny how life changes you - or perhaps our husbands do. I now prefer the quiet. While I do tend to still talk, I have learned it best not to involve myself in the drama of others.

Life is too short and full of its own worries to concern ourselves with what others are doing. Marlon has taught me that! Such a wonderful husband. I am not sure where I would be without him. He has taught me what true love really is.

I guess we never can know what true love and forgiveness is until we find ourselves lying at the foot of the cross. We must accept God's love and forgiveness - we then forgive ourselves - then we can in turn share that with others.

I am thankful today that I have known true love. I have forgiven myself and allowed God's love to be evident in my life.

I am blessed!

Okay, we wore that last joke out, so I deleted it.......

the dusting did not work, however, Marlon and I did clean house yesterday. He even mopped for me. That was sweet.

It's wintry weather today. Ice on the ground. Madison is home and I'm thankful we have nowhere to go. We plan on making cookies and drinking hot chocolate.....(and some schoolwork I suppose....)

Lots of love to everyone!