Two down!

#14 -- check
I had a successful party!  It was a miracle after the last five or six parties I tried to have.  Sure it was my birthday party, but I'll take what I can get. 

You see, the last party I had, only my sister and her family, and my next door neighbors came.  The one before that, only my sister.  The one before that, my sister, her friend and my mother-in-law.  The one before, only my sister.  Perhaps you see a pattern.  So when people started actually responding to RSVP positively, I was shocked.  Of the physical invitations that I mailed, all but three of them came, and I sent out more than six.  It was a birthday miracle.  That' all I can say.  I felt so loved.  So thank you, if you came to my birthday party!

You're thinking, where are the pictures?  Well, aparently that should have been on my list of thirty things to do -- remember to take photos at every event, but it's not and I didn't remember.  But maybe if I'm lucky someone else did, and they will send them to me ...


#26 -- check
I ran a half marathon, my first one, maybe my last.  It was the St. George Half.  It was on Jan. 22, 2011.  My time was 2:13, and I ran the whole time.  I'm quite proud of myself.  I may be short and stubby, but I finished.

Now, I realize technically, that was a few days before my birthday, but I'm counting it.  If for some reason the girls in my ward can convince me to do it again this year, then I'll count it as two halves make a whole marathon!

Several women in my ward and even a few from our next door neighbor ward all signed up and drove down together.  We stayed in a hotel and shopped and played games til way past my bed time.  We ate treat til I was sick (but only after I'd run).  And we all finished our race!  Way to go girls!

What I really hope is that someone got a picture of the mini van all packed up on the way home.  There were seven women with all of our things (and I didn't have the most) plus the shopping bags, and a bunch of tired legs.  It was amazing that we got the door closed.

Aloha!

I admitted to Travis when we were in the airport that there are a few reoccurring dreams that I have regularly.  1)  I am back in Australia.  I dream that the most often.  2)  I work at Outback again.  I miss that job.  3)  I dream that I am in Hawaii on the beach.  Well, dream come true!  And the best part was, it was even more beautiful in real life than it is in my dreams!

To prepare myself for the trip I bought a new swimsuit.  Then I headed my little pale self over to the tanning salon and after two successful 45 second sessions in the spray-tan stall, I found myself feeling a little less mortified at the thought of wearing a bathing suit in public.  After all, tan fat looks better than pale fat.  And of course, I gave myself a fabulous pedicure.

Then I packed up my toothbrush, a few skirts, shirts, underwear, and swimsuits.  Of course I forgot my jammies.  You may be thinking, what's the big deal?  You're in Hawaii, but after I get to our sleeping arrangements, you'll understand.

This is where we stayed.

This vacation was with Trav's brother, Jeff and his wife, Kristie and then two other couples that I didn't really know before we spent a week together.  We rented a house for the week.  It was perfect, I thought, but upon entering the house I only counted three bedrooms.  Yes, that was because there really were only three bedrooms.  So the fact that I forgot my jammies and/or sweats was a big deal, because I had to sleep on the futon for two nights!  Still, I was in Hawaii, so there wasn't too much to complain about.  If I really needed sleep I would just sleep on the beach, with the soothing sound of waves in the background.  Oh wait, no!  Wrong again.  

The sunset from our porch.

Winter is the rainy season in Hawaii.  We were told, after the storm subsided, that we experienced the most rain that Maui has had since something like 1985!  Still, despite the large amount, the rain was warm.  So we could just go to the beach after it stopped?  No!  You see, rain storms wash the pesticides from the sugar cane plantations into the oceans.  You don't swim in that water because of the disgusting idea of getting contaminated with pesticides, but it is because the pesticides kill fish and then the sharks swim up to the shallow waters to eat those dead fish.  So I did get to sit on the beach.  I just didn't get to go snorkeling with the sea turtles like I had hoped.

Hawaii -- first thought?  Pineapple!  Coconut!  Pina coladas!  In my dreams of being in Hawaii, the beaches weren't as beautiful as they were in real life, but I did drink many pina coladas.  Although the beaches in Maui are amazing, it is not a touristy island, so there weren't pina colada shacks at every beach.  On the other hand, if it was pot that I had wanted I wouldn't have been let down.  Pineapple farms and coconut trees, but not pina coladas?  

The beautiful road to see "The Blow Hole" (It's a cavern that blows water, not a person!)

So of course I am a well-versed exagerater, and acting like a spoiled bratt.  I went to Hawaii!  We were able to spend plenty of time on the beach.  I had a great time!  I came back with somewhat of a real tan, and I even finally got my pina colada (in the airport).  If only I didn't haven't to go back to school ...

Thirty for thirty!

Thirty always sounded really old, but now that it has arrived, I'm still convinced it is old. 
I have compiled a list of thirty things that I am going to do, or attempt to do this year.  That way, I when I turn thirty-one I can't say I haven't done anything with my life!

1)  Read the entire New Testament
2)  Read the Book of Mormon in 1 week
3)  Learn 30 new songs
4)  Give/send birthday card to every member of my family for the next 12 months
5)  Go on a 30 mile back pack trip
6)  Read 30 new books
7)  Visit 30 new places
8)  Take 30 temple trips
9)  Go to all the temples in Utah
10)  Get 100% percent visiting teaching for the next 12 months
11)  Write 30 blog entries
12)  Write 30 journal entries
13)  No candy for 300 of the next 365 days
14)  Have at least one successful party (50% of the people I invite come)
15)  Fold the clothes within 48 hours of washing them for the next 12 months
16)  Have my Sr. Recital
17)  Record/dictate Zella
18)  Finish Princess Ellie books
19)  Finish my unfinished sewing projects
20)  Finish my unfinished painting projects
21)  Practice the piano more -- enough to pass of my piano requirement
22)  Complete my CIL exams
23)  Get a mamogram
24)  Be in a Utah Festival opera production
25)  Have at least 2 more tea parties than last year
26)  Run a half marathon
27)  Get an A on my last jury
28)  Pass all of my classes
29)  Weigh less in 365 days than I do today
30)  Get the songs on the family CD right, again!

Wish me luck!  That's a lot of things to do, but nothing too unrealistic.  I'll try and track all my successes here on my blog, seeing as that will also aid in the completion of #11!