Life Day 2010

Sissy, life without you would be way too boring. Thank you for all the smiles and laughter you've given over the years.






Your passion for life is inspiring and I could never thank God enough for the amazing sister He gave me (and let me keep in 2000). Happy Life Day! I love you!

Truly Thankful

I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season.

Phenomenal parents.


A silly sister.


A hilarious husband.


Incredible in-laws.


A precious puppy.

Thursday 13: Brought to You by the Letter "O"

*Idea from Alisha at Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander*


1. Oatmeal – I eat mine with brown sugar.

2. Oceans – I’ve visited the Pacific and the Atlantic.

3. Olives – I enjoy black olives on their own, but not so much in or on other food products.

4. Olympics – My favorite event in the winter Olympics is ice-skating and my favorite event in the summer Olympics is gymnastics.

5. Omelet – I cannot eat these because they are just too much egg for me.

6. Onions – I’ve only recently discovered the deliciousness of this bulb.

7. Online - Four of my five classes next semester are online. It's strange not really getting to know your instructors.

8. Operation – The only official surgery I’ve had was having my wisdom teeth removed.

9. Oprah – I can appreciate the things she’s done for people, but I find her annoying on her show.

10. Orange – The color Mitch and I plan on painting our downstairs bathroom when it’s finished.

11. Oregon Trail – A favorite computer game from elementary school that I still enjoy playing. I don't think I've ever made it to Oregon successfully.

12. Ornament - Mitch and I bought our 2010 Hallmark Christmas ornament back in October. Can't wait to hang it up on the tree!

13. Oreos – I do not dunk mine.


More Thursday 13!

Sunday Smile

Snapshot Saturday: Family Fun

The family is one of nature's masterpieces.
~ George Santayana ~

Friday Finds

I have found another way to waste time online: Pacman! I can't believe I've never heard of this site until this week!


Happy Friday!

Thursday 13: Brought to You by the Letter "N"

Before I begin my list, I would like to thank all those men and women who have served or are currently serving our country. Happy Veteran's Day!




*Idea from Alisha at Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander*


1. Nachos – Nothing fancy on mine; just beef and cheese, please.

2. Nail polish – I own three colors, two of which are shades of purple. I only paint my toenails.

3. Naps – When I get my best sleep.

4. Napkins – Cloth napkins gross me out a bit but I like that they’re better for the environment.

5. Nativity – I have the Willow Tree Nativity set and love it dearly.

6. Neon – I used to drive an aqua-colored one. She was pretty cute.

7. Neosporin – I’m a huge fan. I put it on everything.

8. New York Times – I visit the best-seller list on a weekly basis to find novels I might like to add to my reading list.

9. Nickname – My favorite is “Pumps” (from the hubby).

10. North Dakota – The only state in which I’ve ever lived.

11. Nosebleed – I’ve only had a couple in my life and they are horrifying. It’s not just the blood, but the warm gushing feeling that makes me queasy.

12. Nouns – My favorite part of speech, probably because it’s the most simple and straight-forward.

13. Number Crunchers – One of my favorite computer games in elementary school. I bet I’d still enjoy it.


More Thursday 13!

Randomosity

Thanks to all my readers for playing along on yesterday's post!

I just do not understand why a company would put 17 items in a package. Why 17? Why not 15 or 20? I don't even mind that it's an odd number (okay, I mind a little), but that it's an odd number that doesn't make sense! There is no way that there was any type of rational thinking involved in that decision-making process.

Anyhoo, on to other random things:

• I have been obsessed with Gobstoppers lately. Unfortunately they're not of the chewy variety, but they are still pretty darn good. In fact, I've been craving them and have had very little interest in chocolate!
• I haven't had a haircut in almost a year. I'm thinking it's about time.
• I cannot wait for this semester of classes to be over! It has been less than fun. I only have one accounting class (which is torture at its finest) and the rest are business courses. I honestly can't handle much more busy work or assignments that in no way apply to me and the degree I'm planning to get. UGH! Next semester I do not plan on taking any business courses and will avoid my current accounting instructor at all costs. Only five more weeks . . . *sigh*
• I never got around to decorating for Halloween and have yet to do anything for Thanksgiving. Not sure if it's going to happen or not. I am actually ready to start dragging out the Christmas tubs and pulling out all that sparkles and twinkles. I've got a bad case of the Christmas bug but I refuse to be on of those people who ignores the Thanksgiving festivities. Only 16 more days and then I can go nuts.
• Speaking of Christmas, I'm still accepting recipes for my family bar competition. Please help a girl out!

A Baffling Pack

Can anyone guess what drives me batty about this pack of ponytail holders?

101 in 1001

I have jumped on the 101 in 1001 bandwagon and I'm extremely excited about it! I've even convined a few others to start a list! I hope to blog about each task so we can all see my progress.


A couple of important numbers:
Start Date - November 7, 2010
End Date - August 5, 2013


Here we go!


ACTIVITIES
Embroider something
Applique something
Sew curtains for the dining room
Sew an article of clothing
Give my scrapbooking desk a facelift
Learn how to use a round brush
Learn how to tie a tie
Organize all my computer files
Make a background for my blog
Celebrate 25 days of Christmas and blog about it


AROUND THE HOUSE
Plant a vegetable garden
Hang a birdfeeder in the yard
Decorate the yard with plants and flowers
Mow the lawn
Learn how to use the snow blower


BOOKS & MOVIES
Read a nonfiction novel
Read a classic novel
Read a memoir
Read a book series
Read a book in one day
Reread a book
Listen to an audio book
Read a short story
Watch a classic movie
Watch a documentary
Watch a foreign film
Watch a movie series
Watch an entire television series


FAMILY & FRIENDS
Have a “professional” family photo taken
Send out family Christmas cards
Play catch with Mitch
Ride with Mitch during a day shift
Set up a play date for Crickett
Go on a strudel ride with dad
Visit every thrift store in town with my sister
Take a road trip with the girls
Give five handmade cards
Give five handmade gifts
Meet a blog friend


FIRSTS
Dye my hair
Try dry shampoo
Go shopping on Black Friday
Ride in a hot air balloon
Play Bingo at a bingo hall
Attend an estate sale
Go cross-country skiing at night
Go snowshoeing
Try a vegetable I’ve never had before
Try a fruit I’ve never had before
Listen to five new musical artists
Eat at five new restaurants
Earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting
Attend a church service led by Pastor Nate
See a comedian
Ride a horse
Buy a piano
Buy a sewing machine


HEALTH & WELLNESS
Run a 5K
Run a 10K
Run a half marathon
Run a marathon
Complete the one-hundred push-ups challenge
Complete the two-hundred sit-ups challenge
Complete the one-fifty dips challenge
Complete the two-hundred squats challenge
Become flexible enough to touch my toes
Reach my goal weight
Take a spinning class
Attempt yoga for 30 days
Find out my blood type
Give acupuncture a try
Visit a dermatologist
Find a family dentist


NORTH DAKOTA ACTIVITIES
Volunteer at the local humane society
Volunteer at the library's used book sale
Go through the Holiday Home Walk
Go through the Garden Walk
Attend a local Symphony-Orchestra concert
Visit the Former Governor’s Mansion
Ride the Lewis and Clark Riverboat
Go to a barn dance
Travel the Enchanted Highway
Visit Dickens Village
Visit the Geographical Center of North America


PHOTOGRAPHY
Organize digital photos
Organize film photos
Read point-and-shoot camera manual
Read DSLR cameral manual
Read photography emails
Work my way through Photo Idea Index by Jim Krause
Work my way through a Photoshop tutorial book
Take a photo that I normally wouldn’t take for fear of embarrassing myself
Start a photography blog
Start and complete Project 365
Photograph five North Dakota towns
Give a photo of mine as a gift


OTHER
Get an imprint of Crickett’s nose made as a necklace
Write to Sally, updating her on Crickett
Donate money to a needy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Thank an employee for great service and notify the manager
Host a giveaway on my blog

Sunday Smile

Book #24

I finally got around to blending this year's library book sale finds with the books from sales past. Today I got to choose the novel for my next read (it's always so much fun to start a new book!). Being the number nerd that I am, I used a random number generator to help me decide which book. I've been looking for a reason to use this site and it was just as fun as I thought it would be.


The generator decided on book number 24, so it looks like I'll be reading:



Have you ever chosen your next book in a weird way?

Sunday's Classifieds

Someone please buy this puppy before it's too late.