My "30" List

I love the fall. I love "back to school" season. I love the cooler weather. I love the fresh garden vegetables. I love to wear jackets (some people love shoes--I love jackets!) I also love September because it's my birthday month and I love my birthday. This year was a little different. I wasn't quite as excited to approach my 29th year. The last year in my "twenties"? Where had the time gone? Ten years ago, I looked forward to my twenties. That was when everything exciting was going to happen! Moving away from home, going to college, living on my own, working, dating, finding a career path, falling in love, getting married, being a "newlywed", getting pregnant, having children, etc. Luckily for me a lot of those things happened and I wouldn't change where my life is at right now. But the "thirties?" It sounds like a whole new dimension! It just seems kind of......boring? Not that boring is bad. But I don't expect big life changes in contrast to all the changes I went through in my twenties. (At least I hope there are no huge changes!) So, I guess the fear of turning 30 is two-fold: what will the next ten years be like (a.k.a. how will I change) and how can I "spice" up the next ten years as we go about our daily life? So, I came up with an idea....

What would be 29 things I would want to do before I am 30? This was really hard. Harder than I thought. Some things I knew I would do anyway, so why make it part of the list? I wanted things that would take some planning and time to accomplish. It has taken me almost two months to finish my list and it is similar to a "bucket list", only there are only 29 things to accomplish and I have until I am 30 to complete them. Now, don't expect any wild and crazy stuff because I am not a wild and crazy girl! I just wrote down some things that I would personally like to do/see, things I would like to do/see with my family, spiritual things, and also some "projects" that I can never seem to get to (you will know which ones I mean)! I hope that by posting this "30 List" on my blog, I will be more motivated to accomplish them (similar to writing down New Year's Resolutions). I also plan to print it off so it can be somewhere visible in my house. It should be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to doing everything on my list, so I think this 29th year will actually be great!!!! (I'm also going have my list on the sidebar and when I accomplish something it will disappear! Oh, how I love crossing things off my list!!)

1. Ride Frontrunner (done 09/08)
2. Go to a National Park
3. Participate in the All-you-can-eat-ice cream at the Utah State Fair
4. Clean out my cupboards
5. Lose 9 pounds
6. Take an LDS Institute class
7. Test drive a Mini-Cooper (my dream car)
8. Go on an overnight trip without kids!
9. Do the 12 Days of Christmas for someone
10. Hike to the Timpanogos Cave
11. Attend a General Conference session
12. Make home-made salsa
13. Start a new family tradition
14. Shop at IKEA
15. Run in a 5K
16. Go to a State Park
17. Make a will
18. Read the Book of Mormon (again)
19. Clean my blinds
20. Star-gaze at Antelope Island
21. Attend the temple (12 times)
22. Finish Christmas shopping by Dec 1st
23. Take a college course
24. Attend a concert with Nick
25. Be current on the girls photo album/baby books
26. Stay up until 12:00am on New Year's Eve
27. Read the required "missionary" books
28. Buy a nice swimsuit
29. Write a letter to my girls about motherhood