My next 30 years

What is it about turning 30 that gets everyone (including myself) all riled up? How am I already 30 anyway? Didn't I just turn 24? I definitely look at least 30 (thank you Buggy!)

My first 30 yrs have been full of magnificent highs and some heart wrenching lows. Glorious life affirming moments and moments when I wondered if I would really survive. Yet here I am, definitely surviving and overwhelmingly blessed with a caring husband and 3 beautiful children. While that is more than enough for me, I have a list of 30 things I'd like to do in my next 30 years.....which hopefully will be more than enough time to cross them all off and then some!

1)Work on a Habitat for Humanity house

2)Go skydiving

3)Visit Ireland

4)Get my child passenger safety technician certification (CPST)

5)Volunteer regularly at The Lord's Diner

6)Build a fire in the fireplace by myself

7)Renew our wedding vows

8)Take a hot air balloon ride

9)Move towards becoming more self sufficient; grow more of our own produce and continue to rely on venison for most of our red meat

10)Pay my respects at ground zero

11)Go on a mission trip with my kids

12)Have a family food fight

13)Become a certified breastfeeding counselor

14)Distribute blankets to the homeless

15)Make hummus from scratch

16)Volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House; set up jars to collect soda pop tabs and regularly donate homemade meals

17)Schedule in a monthly date with Eric AND keep it

18)Learn to crochet

19)Spend a day ringing the Salvation Army bell at least once every holiday season

20)Donate my services at KMOM

21)Camp at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival at least one more time

22)Shoot a really big buck

23)Learn to french braid

24)Run a 5K, specifically The Race for the Cure

25)Start a support group for families of children with food allergies in the Wichita area.

26)Convert my spice cabinet to all organic spices

27)Take lots of big family road trip type vacations and visit places like Gettysburg, the Grand Canyon, Arlington Cemetery, and Mount Rushmore

28)See Celtic Woman in concert

29)Attend a Nascar race (with Kelton)

30)Continue to strive to reduce our carbon footprint

December Catch Up

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but it is almost Christmas! We've been busy and time flies when you're having fun!
We put up the tree!






Katie especially enjoyed it. Funny how 2 yr olds hang all the ornaments in one spot.


Kelton did the same thing at that age.

Hartzel, our Elf on a Shelf returned!


We did Christmas crafts! Can't get enough craft foam!







I shot my first deer! It was just a little button buck, but I did hit it in the heart from at least 150 yds. And I may or may not have been so nervous that the scope kissed me on the forehead. When we were walking back to the truck, we walked right up on another, so E filled his tag that morning too.





We visited Santa! Katie was super excited, but hid her face the minute we walked in the door. Konny sat with him for just a minute and Kelton hopped right on up, as usual.





We had Christmas with E's side of the family. The kids all have such a good time together! With 7 kids, 7 yrs old and under in the house, what's not fun?












We're looking forward to a long relaxing weekend!

Thanksgiving Take 2

I can't believe I almost forgot to take a picture of Konny in the roasting pan! It's a tradition!
Kelton

Katie

Konnor

He was so happy sitting in it that I just set him on the floor to let him play. I walked away for a second and turned around to see that Katie has joined him.


You don't cook a 22lb turkey without having leftovers! In order to get the most use I possibly could from my turkey, I crammed the carcass into my stock pot and cooked it down to nothing!
I made sure to save out the wish bone!



I used the stock and meat to make soup then frozen the rest. That fed us for 2 nights and what's in the freezer will be good for at least 4 meals after I add noodles or rice! I also made gluten free turkey pot pie. Plus, there's multiple bags of meat in the freezer and with the leftover peas and mashed potatoes, I made a "thanksgiving shepherds pie".


Not that Katie minded eating the leftovers. I think Thanksgiving is going to become her favorite holiday!



Konnor tried something new for Thanksgiving...corn! Gerber Little Crunchies makes a cinnamon maple flavor that is basically just corn and cinnamon and maple. He's been eating them for almost a week, so I'd call it a pass!



I hadn't planned to go to the store this week, but when I won $5 from cellfire on cyber Monday, I changed my mind. I think this is the best I've done at Dillon's in awhile. My total was $8.82 and somehow my pomegranate didn't make it into the picture.


I stopped at Target too and got a robe, sleep shorts and pj pants for only .46!!! I did a happy dance on the way out of the store.