check and check

A little update on the 30 before 30 list 30 while 30 list.

#9: Go on a hike
On a beautiful morning in August some friends and I ventured to Mt. Airy Forest for a quick hike. We had a blast trekking through the woods and getting away from the noise. The best part was finding a treehouse at our turnaround point.

#10: Go on a blind date
Surprise. So, this was kind of unexpected and it wasn't the typical blind date, but I'm counting it. A longtime family friend randomly texted me to ask if I was dating anyone. I wasn't. So, she said that she had a single guy friend in my age range that she'd like me to meet. My response, "sure, why not." Seriously, people.

How'd it go, you ask? It was fine. Fine is being nice. While he's a guy with some good qualities I definitely felt like we would never work.

I'm marking this off my list, but I'd still be up for giving this another shot.

fifty words or less

I realized the other day that my profile/blog description is now outdated as I am no longer a twenty-something. It makes me wonder what has changed in the last five or so years since I created that little blurb.

My life was in a good place five years ago, surrounded by community and deep friendships. My nieces and nephew adored me. It was not without struggle, though. I'm wondering if I'd rather go back five years and do it all over again or if I'm glad that I'm on this side of thirty.

It doesn't really matter, I suppose, because I can't actually go back in time.

rubber meets the road...

It's official: I'm thirty. Three-oh. XXX. Three decades.

How am I feeling, you ask? Well, to be honest, there have been a roller coaster of emotions lately but when I stop to think about the life I have I sense how incredibly blessed I am. "Blessed" is sometimes a hokey word, but it really is the word that describes what I'm feeling.

I'm guessing you're wondering about how I did on my list. Funny thing...I stopped caring along the way, or at least stopped caring as much, probably because I knew there was no way I could get done everything I had planned to do.

Anyway, here's the updated list, with updates in bold and/or crossed off:
1. Take a spontaneous road trip.
2. Pass the Series 7 Exam.
3. Lose 30 additional pounds.
4. Grow some of my own food.
5. Splurge on myself by buying something solely because I love it.
6. Host a game night.
7. Learn to bake bread from scratch.
8. Take some modeling photos.
9. Go on a hike.
10. Go on a blind date.
11. Invest in creating community.
12. Put pen to paper and express my love for someone. Mail the letter.
13. Be kind to someone that has caused me pain.
14. Grow in my forgiveness of x. Somehow, without warning or effort, this has happened.
15. Take my nieces and nephew somewhere fun.
16. Commit to reading my Bible often.
17. Volunteer with an organization that I care about.
18. Create tree painting for my living room.
19. Take a dance class.
20. Cook an entire "from scratch" dinner.
21. Train Whisper. He's kind of trained.
22. Blog at least once a month. This barely happened. It felt like an obligation a few times, but I made it. I wish I put more effort in to blogging b/c I actually like writing down my thoughts and being able to go back to read them later.
23. Enjoy the sunrise over the Ohio, or somewhere more glamorous.
24. Travel somewhere new. Isle of Palms, SC! It was gorgeous. There's a whole post about it in my head...hopefully it will make it to this page sometime soon.
25. Jog a mile. I have fallen off the proverbial wagon...time to jump back on.
26. Finish CD gift for my brothers that I started a long time ago. Ooops.
27. Use the envelope system again. I have the best of intentions. I'm half-heartedly doing the envelope system.
28. Change the Game. Live it. Some days are better than others, but it's small steps in the right direction.
29. Get a tattoo. Maybe. I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to pain.
30. Celebrate my 30th birthday. Enjoy it. Live it out.

Eleven out of thirty. Not quite what I was shooting for, but I'll take it. I'm thinking about rolling over all the unfinished items into a new list.

I'm going to end with this quote because it makes me happy and helps me realize that success is not in the checking off of boxes but in the everyday moments. Goodbye twenties; hello thirties, I'm ready for you, this is going to be good...

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take me out to the ball game

Ball game is apparently two separate words or one separated by a hyphen. Who knew!? I'm officially crossing #15 off my list since I finally have the pictures on my computer to prove it.

We had gorgeous weather for the game and the kids were so excited! It was their first MLB baseball game and I'm so glad I was able to take them. They were really good. Okay, there was a little melt down because I wouldn't let them get both cotton candy AND snow cones. I feel no guilt, though, since I told them the rules up front. I almost caved. I can now understand why parents do. Seriously....they have cute little faces and you love 'em to pieces and all they want is a snow cone to make them happy.

Ryleigh is a little cuddle bug and hung on me the whole time. I didn't mind...I'm treasuring these little hugs for as long as I can get them. Scottie tried to be all independent, especially since he was the only boy in our group. And, Makayla showed a little bit of some sassiness, but I think she really enjoyed herself. I'd be lying if I said that it's hard to realize how much they're growing up. It's the epitome of bittersweetness. I adore them, but I'm afraid they'll want me around less and less in their lives and the thought of that kind of breaks my heart. Ahem (pull yourself together, Dana).

I love this first photo. We saw Rosie Red and the kids were super excited about it and I wasn't about to miss a photo op. So, we ran over to greet Rosie and even though she was motioning that she had to go up the stairs I managed to snap two quick photos.

The next photo was not long after the snow cone melt down and on our way back to the car. See, no one's crying so I totally think that's a WIN (which is good considering we got totally stomped by the Pirates. Boo.)

#15 is officially crossed off. :)

Click, click, click.

There are a lot of amazing sites out here on the internet. Seriously. I'm kind of hooked; and in case I didn't already spill my dirty little secret I will now: I didn't do so well with following through on my lenten commitment to be online less often. I think I'm okay with that, or I'm in denial.

I thought I would share my current favorites with you. Then, I remembered that I had done this once before on my old blog. What is really bizarre is that post was exactly four years ago today. Creepy.

Anyway, here are my current top five, in no particular order:

1. Better After
I'm obsessed with this site and often do a rabbit trail to all the sites that get linked through. It's kind of ridiculous how much I love this site. I dream of being featured here. One day, my friends, one day.

2. Facebook
Facebook is like a bad habit that I just can't quit. It sucks up a whole lot of time. Time that I could be using for more productive things; instead Facebook paves the road to procrastination in my life.

3. Etsy
Oh yes. Etsy has made it on the list for the second time. And, I have to point out the fact that I was hip and in the know since I knew about Etsy four whole years ago. I'm cool like that. I share my coolness with you.

4. Craigslist
My house is filled with Craigslist finds. And, I couldn't be happier about it. I LOVE a good deal and you can find a lot of great deals on CL. Plus, I feel a little more "green" by going the whole used route. I'm sitting in my living room right now and I can count eight of the eleven pieces of furniture I have in here are from Craigslist. I would never been able to afford all new stuff when I bought my house.

5. Apartment Therapy
I won a $500 gift card from this site about a year ago, but my love started before then. The gift card was to Lowe's which is kind of hilarious because I was an orange apron girl at the time (home depot, if you didn't catch that). I got a lot of cool stuff with that $500 bucks. Anyway, Apartment Therapy has lots of great articles, tips and photos to help with decorating and other house-related things. They also have other sections of the site devoted to cooking, tech stuff, babies, etc. I used to think I wanted to be featured on their site, but people can be kind of harsh in the comment section and I'm not down with that.

It's funny that most of my favorites revolve around decorating and/or house related topics with the exception of Facebook. I've been thinking a lot about sharing more of my personal before and afters. If I could give up a little Facebook time maybe I could make that happen. Don't hold your breath, though, Facebook's like a drug. Look how many times I've said written Facebook within this little paragraph. A drug, I tell you.

Happy Clicking.

upside down and inside out

No one tells you when you're a child that being an adult isn't much fun. Well, maybe they do but you don't believe them because you know when you're an adult you get to make all the decisions the way you want.

Pizza for breakfast? Ok.
Date that jerk of a guy? Sure.
Stay up til 2am even though you have to work? Of course.
Quit your job? Absolutely.

It's not that easy when you're an adult, or at least not when you try to be a responsible, level-headed, and compassionate adult. Many mistakes have been made and while sometimes it hurts like hell, I'm hoping that by continuing to love and trust and hope for something more that I'm going to be stronger for having walked through the experience.

One thing to remember: listen to the advice of your best friend...she'll tell you when that guy is a jerk and when to stay away. And, she'll hug you and love you even if you don't listen for the fifteenth time.

Momma said...

...there'd be days like this.

Confessions of an almost 30 year old single woman:
Most of the time I enjoy my independence. I don’t have to check someone else’s schedule if I want to have an impromptu dinner with a friend or take a road trip on a whim or buy a cute pair of new shoes or eat the last of the ice cream. I have the freedom to quit my job and move to Africa right now (though, the planner side of me starts to freak out). Seriously, life is pretty good. But, I gotta be honest:

Some days are hard.

Today is one of those days for no particular reason. Or maybe there is a reason that’s been building up since the last time I let the confession reach the surface.

My checklist of the ideal mate has evolved over the last decade since I sure have learned a lot about life and about love, especially watching other couples navigate what is surely the most difficult and rewarding relationship one can have on earth.

Ultimately what it comes down to is I want someone to know me and to love me in spite of myself.

I want him to challenge me when I want to avoid the situation and run away. I want him to make me laugh as we dance through life together. I want him to hold me when things are hard and remind me that he isn’t going anywhere. I want him to give our kids piggyback rides through the house and make sand castles with them on the beach. I want him to see how hard I’m trying, how much I care. I want him to love people in an incredibly generous way with gentleness and gracefulness. I want him to build our family up in prayer knowing that Christ binds us together. I want to feel the warmth of his love. I want him to be full of integrity. I want him to seek justice and advocate for those that have no voice. I want him to know that this is a commitment, one that’s gonna involve some hard work and probably some slammed doors and tears every once in awhile. I want him to know that it’s worth it.

Oh, and I want him to kiss me. A lot.