It's raining, it's pouring.....

Yep, it is fall... and I live in the valley. You would think I would be used to all this rain by now, but I am not. I love listening and watching the rain, I just do not like to be in it. And what bet better than doing that? Doing it and drinking CARAMEL APPLE CIDER! It is my favorite fall drink!

Apple cider is a great drink that warms me up, but add a spoonful of caramel into it and spray some whip cream on it and the drink becomes an amazing treat! So let it rain, I will be drinking my caramel apple cider!

"This Junk is Delicious!"

Well, here I am... shocking moment? probably.

I wanted to share this moment with you. A couple weeks ago I made meatloaf for dinner, which Josh has never had before. He looked at it and was like " Auntie Krystal I do not know if I should trust you about it." He normally says this about anything he has never had. So I encouraged him to take a "brave bite". He did, and he took a moment to think about it and then he says very excitedly " this junk is delicous". hahaha, it was a great moment. I did a couple things to capture the moment: I texted my best friend to share with her ( we do this constantly because we have boys the same age) and then I grabbed my camera... its going to be an awesome scrapbook page!

It is really interesting to me how a smell, touch, taste, or sound sends me down memory lane. It is even more interesting when I smell something and I know it is familar to me, but I cannot figure out why it is so familar.  The smell of old spice will always remind me of my father, the smell of vanilla does the same of my mom.   Anyway, I was just sitting out side drinking a cup of coffee and I got a strong sense of familarity came to me... so I had to say something.

In the last week I have done four scrapbook pages, so that has been nice. I need to get some more scrapbook inserts though, as I have run out. I will have to take some pictures of the ones I love so I can post them. I have SOOOO many pictures of Josh it is unreal. But then again, Im trying to capture the time he can't spend with his mom, for his mom. Plus if I did not take pictures of him, what else could I take pictures of? ME???? No, NO thanks.  I do have some pictures of myself, but unless I have a good reason, I tend to only scrapbook pictures of myself once a year. who knows why. 

I guess Josh was bored yesterday, he decided it would be a great idea to jump on his bed. I cannot blame him though, jumping on the bed is fun. I remember growing up my sisters and I ( who ever it was that I was sharing the room with it at the time) would have jump contests on our beds. Or we would create obstacle courses that involved alot of jumping. So on one hand I totally cannot get upset with this fun idea he had. HOWVER, he jumped so much that the frame totally buckled. I tried to put it back together, but it wont work. So Im calling in my parents, lol. They can fix it. 

Well, I should wrap this up, my best friend is coming over with her kiddos again today, and we are going to get bagels and coffee ( our ritual) and maybe take the kids to the park... or maybe we will just lock our selves in my extra room and scrapbook... hahahhaha yeah right, like that would keep them out!

I Fail.

I feel like a failure some times. I make all these goals  and I plan on sticking to them, but then I get preoccupied with other things that I could be doing. I have done several scrap pages recently So I have been pretty happy with that. My best friend of like 22 years does a great job of motivating me with that. She is constantly sending me pictures via text messages of her amazing pages. We hang out once a week when our schedules are aligned and compare our pages. I have so many scrap supplies I think I need to go to scrapbookers anonomous.

My five year old nephew is living with me, while his parents get their lives together. Anyway he is growing like a weed, and is a very busy little boy. He is so smart though, he amazes me with his intelligence some times.  He is also a dare devil, always jumping off of things, and is willing to try most anything. This July he will be learning how to ride motorcycles...I want to encourage him in anything he is interested in... reasonably of course. He also allows me to take alot of pictures of him, so he keeps my scrapping going. 

I had my birthday a little over a month ago, and it is weird to me. I don't feel like 26... so incredibly weird to me. Im not loving this getting older thing.... at all... 

And so the list begins

The Mission: to complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Taks must be specific (ir. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks myst be also realistic and stretching ( ie represent some amount of work on my part.

Why 1001 days?

Many people have created lists in the past- frequently simple goals such as New Years resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. !001 days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, beacause it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some talks such as over seas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:

1. Be decisive. Know exactlu what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and make the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. REview them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of thinking.

This list must be completed by October 6, 2011.

I have looked at a bunch of other lists, and noticed that they are organized by group, but I just Don't have the time to organize it all like that,I don't have the time and I really want to post this so I can officially start.

1. read 100 books I have not read before (45/100)
2. Do something with my hair that is completely unlike me. Completed Jan. 9, 09.
3. Send my postcard to post secret and let the secret go Done May 2009!
4. Give all handmade gifts one christmas
5. finish Matt and Krista's wedding present before their first anniversary (1/31/10).
6. Make my mother a memory quilt
7. Give up soda for two weeks straight done.
8. give it up for good
9. lose ten pounds, and keep it off done
10. lose 20 pounds and keep it off
11. make a scrapbook all about my favorite things
12. make a scrapbook of my family
13. Go to Georgia to visit my best friend.... can't go to Georgia to visit her she is moving back this week (3/23/09)
14. pay off my credit card
15. grow a plant and keep it alive done
16. Find a new recipe once a month and make it (8/33)
17. Take Josh to Omsi and experience through his eyes
18. go back to school and dont stop this time. Back in school 01/04/10
19. Go through my stuff and donate what I do not need DONE 3/23 will be doing again in a few months
20. cut out the useless spending
21. blog/journal atleast once a week
22. make a list of things I like about myself.
23. make a time capsule
24. have a girls weekend with my mom
25. have a girls weekend with my best friends Going on a 'mid week adventure 02/09-02/12
26. go camping on the beach
27. sew an outfit for myself
28. One day each week, do not spend any money.
29. get a tattoo
30. detox my body
31. Move to Idaho not happening.
32. have my nieces and nephews over for a slumber party
33. take a walk or bike ride twice a week (rain or shine) (12/143)
34. use my canvas shopping bags more This is going well.
35. recycle whatever I can so far so good.
36. floss everyday for a month (15/30)
37. pick a charity and donate to it
38. volunteer for something in the community
39. Have pajama day at least once a month (3/33)
40. organize my scrapbooking stuff and keep it that way
41. Get caught up on Josh's life book and stay that way
42. organize my pictures
43. redecorate my bedroom
44. decorate my bare walls in the living room
45. Go a weekend with out phone, computer, television or ipod
46. change the legal way of spelling my name
47. make and send a card to someone once a month (7/33)
48. Take a picture of my self once a month (0/33)
49. Do not take anything out of savings for six months ( not even to put it right back) completed
50. make a growth chart for Josh and check his progress once every three months (0/11)
51. Plan a weeks worth of meals and stick to it
52. put ten dollars into savings for every goal I reach
53. make my self a rag quilt
54. send a "just because" present to five people (2/5)
55. Do something nice for five strangers (4/5)
56. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on www.freerice.com (15,000/1,000,000)
57. Make a snow angel
58. get my passport
59. drink only water for one week (7/7)completed
60. Collect and save all my change ( minus the quarters, I need to do laundry after all)
61. Take a class for fun
62. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy Done! I did a scrapbook page on this!
63. Get a guys phone number
64. call the guy
65. host a dinner party
66. wear make up everyday for a month (30/30)
67. open a savings account for my future bookstore
68. buy myself flowers done... orange roses.
69. Go to the zoo
70. Dance in the rain
71. Go on a date
72. Buy myself a piece of jewelry
73. Take Josh to Disneyland
74. Make five completely organic meals (2/5)
75. Do not say anything negative about work for one week (0/7)
76. Make play dough with Josh
77. buy some nice dressers
78. buy a new mattress
79. Take Josh to every park in this town
80. buy ten things off of etsy (3/10)
81. shop local for gifts
82. buy a really amazing bag
83. fundraise for the march of dimes
84. Get up early every day for a month ( by 7:30) (30/30)
85. Get wii fit complete 2/15
86. use wii fit three times a week
87. Take Josh swimming three times a week during the summer (completed summer 2009)
88. Go out for a "fancy" dinner for no reason at all
89. Decorate my living room
90. Get new glasses
91. write letters to my loved ones in case anything happens to me
92. Renew my foster parent certification
93. make some jam and give it away (completed October 2009)
94. Get my nose repierced
95. watch the sun rise and set in the same twenty four hours
96. Take Josh on a picnic in a park
97. Find picture frames for my pictures and put them up
98. make a list of everything/everyone I am thankful for
99. have a backwards dinner with Josh ( start with dessert then main course, then salad, etc.)
100. call a friend once a week (not the same one every week)
101. make a new list!