One thing this blog will always have is recent pictures and videos of Phoenix. Most of my family live in Oklahoma, so this is for them to see how fast she's growing. This post will include 30 things I'd like to do before I die, but first here's my sweet Phoenix counting to ten. She always skips six, and she says "nime" for nine. It's pretty funny, well at least to this proud Mommy it is!
Now I'll explain where I got the idea to post a list of 30 things to do before I die. I was reading this months issue of glamour magazine when I came across an article that seemed far more serious than the usual "what's in, what's out this season". It was about a 28 year old girl who developed a malignant brain tumor after being pitched off a street car in San Francisco. She was given 6 months to live. Her sister left her job, husband, and home in New York to move across the country and care for her. The 28 year old, optimistic girl lived for two years before she passed away. In her wallet she had kept a list of 40 things she wanted to do before she died. The list was written during her high school days, and she ALWAYS carried it in her wallet with her. By the time she died she had accomplished more than half of the things on her list. Her sister that cared for her opened a college fund in her name. (Danielle Anne Drumke 1995 scholarship fund at Smith college) This story moved me in so many different ways, I can't begin to imagine the strength it must take to KNOW your time here on earth is coming to an end, I also can only hope I would be an amazing enough person to put my whole life on hold to care for a loved one the way Danielle's sister did, and I pray that I'm always aware of what a blessing being healthy and having a healthy family is. This is how a story of a young woman that died of brain cancer has inspired me to live a fuller, wiser, more hopeful life.
30 life goals, in NO particular order...
1) Be the best possible Mom, wife, sister, and friend I can be.
2) Run a marathon. Half, whole, or both would be nice. It's a goal I've always had for myself, and I REALLY hope to accomplish it this year.
3) Get a degree. I was about half way there when I decided to take a little "break", and now I'm serious about finishing. That's the only thing my Mom ever asked of my sister and me, and now that Niki's going to LAW SCHOOL, I guess I need to bite the bullet and finish.
4) Visit Hawaii as often as I can. I LOVE Hawaii, it feels like you're in another country because it's so different, but there's still a Cheesecake factory!! What part of that isn't paradise??
5) Make Bobby laugh until he cries, like he always does to me! I truly married the funniest guy. He'll make me laugh so hard that I get embarrassed. I'd like to return the favor, but I'm just not that funny! :)
6) Start a running group. I know there are a few gals that wouldn't mind a nice easy jog once a week, right? (liz, leah??)
7) Read the bible from start to finish. I'm sure many of you that read this probably did this in Kindergarten, but don't judge me, I'm trying to be better at reading from the good book! :)
8) Learn to love myself despite my flaws. I HATE that I'm always worried about my weight, wrinkles, height, hair, etc. etc. When you look at the BIG PICTURE it shouldn't matter what size your butt is, or if you're wearing a pair of seven for all mankind's on that butt!!
9) Learn to cook like my Grandma. I mean, even if I could master a few of her recipes, I would feel like a winner!! Everything she puts on her table is SO good.
10) Have another baby. I always imagined having two kids. To some people that sounds like a little, and to some it sounds like a lot, but for me it sounds PERFECT!! This won't happen for a few more years. I'm not your average person, I'd like them spread out in age.
11) Put Phoenix in EVERYTHING! I got to pick ONE sport, and I picked soccer. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED soccer and still do, but I would've liked to try other sports too. I AM grateful to my Mom though for paying for the HIGH costs of traveling with a soccer team. I don't want to sound bratty in this, I just want Phoenix to dance, tumble, kick, AND hit!! Whatever she feels like doing!!
12) Snowboard at one of the great BIG resorts! Like Whistler, oh wouldn't that be lovely? I feel as free as a bird when I'm snowboarding.
13) Get a routine and stick to it. Like Monday-laundry, Tuesday-cleaning, you get the idea. I hate getting behind on things and then having to work for 6 hours to get caught up! I NEED a routine!
14) I'd like to get good enough on a 4 wheeler to go on the "guys' ride". I feel fear every time I get on one, but it helps if I'm following Liz. This is ambitious, as I'm sure my lack of experience and fear will hold me back from ever getting THAT GOOD, but it's fun to have tough goals.
15) I'd like to go with Bobby to Scotland someday. He is Scottish, and it's so beautiful there. I know we would have a blast.
16) Coaching a cheer squad would be WAY fun. I only cheered for like, 5 minutes in high school, mostly because I wanted to compete and my squad wasn't feeling it. My family is all cheer! My sister cheered for UNLV for 2 years, and my little brother is a choreographer that has taken squads to win National championships. So, I think it would be fun to try out coaching a competitive cheer team. Maybe Phoenix's?
17) See a world cup soccer match. I would LOVE to see the US women's team in action!! They are awesome.
18) Make a CD of Phoenix singing. My husband has all the recording stuff, so as soon as Phoenix can sing a few songs the whole way through we're going to record it! That way I can embarrass her when she's like 11 and thinks she's too cool for me!
19) It's safe to say that Bobby and I are dreamers, but I want to get our shirts in a store eventually. This shirt thing is a slow moving process, but we learned a lot from MAGIC this week, hopefully enough to keep moving forward.
20) Be a role model for someone who needs one. Most of us had one teacher in our lives that inspired us. Mine was my 5th grade teacher Mr. Anderson. He was GREAT, and he made me want to be GREAT. I hope to give that feeling to a kid someday.
21) Conquer my fear of heights. I don't know how to do that, but it would be nice.
22) Run across the Golden Gate bridge. I've never even been to San Francisco but I've always dreamed of going. I even made a necklace in high school that said "San-
Fran" in hopes that I would someday end up there, I had this vision of me in Birkenstocks with flowers in my hair. I was a weird kid? But, what would be better than running across that beautiful bridge?
23) See Billy Joel in concert. He is one of my all time favorites. My Mom loved him, so I grew up listening to him. Bobby also LOVES his music. I will have to pay a small fortune to see him, but it would be worth it!
24) Speak SPANISH!! I would LOVE to speak another language, and let's face it, Spanish is the one I'd probably get the most use out of.
25) Make my Mom proud. I miss her more and more as time goes on, and I hope she's proud of the person I've become.
26) Raise Phoenix to know Oklahoma as her home too. I was raised in both places kind of, and I want her to feel at home there. I would LOVE for her to attend college there. I'm planning ahead a little, I'll probably just settle for her going to college anywhere really!?
27) Take a hip-hop dance class. Sure I'm almost 29 years old, but it looks SO fun! One day I'm going to shake it in the back row of a class. I'll just wear a hat so no one recognizes me!
28) I've always wanted to learn a little about photography. I remember my friend from high school Sarah McCrea's Mom always taking action shots of us playing soccer. Ever since then I've always wanted a great camera to capture all of the action of my own family. :) Photo shop would be nice too.
29) Learn something new everyday. I keep a very eclectic group of friends. I like variety. I learn great things from all of them. I ALWAYS want to keep an open mind and loving heart. I NEVER want to judge others, and I NEVER want to be judged. I would like to pass this onto my baby girl.
30) To live each day grateful for my blessings, charitable to the less fortunate, selfless and humble, tolerant of others, and loving my family unconditionally.
I can only hope to accomplish half of these things like Danielle did. By making this list I hope that it will be a reminder of what's important to me, and what I'm grateful for. I know this was long, so for those of you that actually hung in there until the end, thank you. I hope it wasn't too boring. I also hope that some of you will make a list of your own, I'd love to read them!
6 comments:
Look how smart she is!!! You are going to have your hands full as she gets older!!! :-)
Ofcourse I remember you. How could I forget? Those were some of the CRAZIEST times of my life :)
Your daughter is adorable. Congratulations.
Niki had mentioned that you guys all still hang out. I'd love to catch up sometime if you guys do a lunch or something.
So great to hear from you.
I look forward to reading about you and your beautiful family.
BTW your running is so motivational. I need to get on that!!! lol
Talk about a little genius. NONE of my kids could count or sing ABC’s at 1 years old. So cute. I LOVED your list of 30 things. One thing that I admire about you is your opened mind. You have a realm of different interest and friends from all different walks of life. I would have to add that attribute of your to my list of things I would like to accomplish.
P.S. I love your running log. Very inspirational. Maybe if you start a running club and have a very very beginners class I would join.
First and foremost, I don't think there has ever been a moment in your life when your mom has not been proud of you! And if you don't believe me, look at how proud you are of Phoenix!
Second, I would SO take a hip-hop class with you! But you should know, I am very white!
I love the list! I think it's a great idea and great journal keeping for your baby girl to hold onto later in life.
Also, I see Phoenix weekly and she never ceases to amaze me! That girl is just smart!
Oh yeah, mission accomplished on the "guys ride!" You did that this last year! Your tougher than you think.
What a great list- I learned a lot about you! I will have to start thinking so I can create my own list. I hope that you can check-off every single one:)
Loved your list!! I've been working on a list for a long time now and I finally got it posted.
I think it's great that you wrote all of that down it will be fun to look back someday!
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