Category: Bucket List

Wisconsin: Another State Bites the Dust

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In pursuit of this hair-brained scheme, 4 generations of women set out this weekend to explore some new territory. We managed to have a great time, but this trip certainly was not without its challenges. I started out the week a stomach bug from you know where, followed by my mom who had to have two different types of antibiotics in order to get over her junk. But wait, there’s more…when he did finally arrive in Minnesota Addie came down with a 102 degree fever. So, we got to have a tour of the the wonderful Edina Urgent Care Center and local CVS pharmacy.

We were finally able to get Addie well and managed to keep anyone else from getting sick in order to make the most of the time on our trip. Here are a few of our highlights:

  1. Lunch at the American Doll Bistro
  2. Exploration of the Mall of America
  3. Fall Foliage River Cruise
  4. Hudson, Wisconsin and Stillwater, Minnesota downtown shopping
  5. And of course, Addie’s favorite, playing cards in the hotel and swimming in the hot tub pool and hot tub

We had a great time. 43 states down and 7 left to go!

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Choose the Bigger Life: Fall Break 2018 Plans

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I LOVE Fall Break…and I love that the hurricanes have stayed far enough away from us this year so that we actually get to keep those off days to have some adventures!

Most of you know that I have a quest to visit all 50 states and I currently have EIGHT more states to go! For Fall Break this year I am going to get to knock off two move states and Ella gets to take her first-ever plane trip!

Here’s the plan:

-Saturday: Minneapolis,  Minnesota

-Sunday: Fargo, North Dakota (State 43 for me!)

-Monday: Ellsworth, Wisconsin (State 44 for me!)

-Tuesday: Back home!!

Mid-west Fall Break here we come!

Fall Bucket List Item #6: Decorate for Fall

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Fall is upon us once again and so despite the craziness of life….a bit of decorating is a must. This year Addie is old enough to help get out our one little orange rubber maid. Honestly, I like that we put out the same predictable decorations each year (a few are listed below). While I love whimsy and novelty, I also find joy in routine and tradition. I like that we don’t have box after box of complicated decor. We have one box. We put out the same items year after year with little deviation or addition.

Traditions bring a sense of richness to life that I love to share with my girls and husband. I love this little tradition so much that I think I may start doing the same with one box of items for Easter/Spring as well as Summer.

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Pre-Fall Bucket List Adventures

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Who cares that it isn’t “officially” fall yet?! When you get an opportunity to knock a few items off on the 2018 Fall Bucket List, you just go for it!

Life being crazy-busy like it is and will be for the next year or so, we seriously thought about canceling our trip to Blue Ridge. However, when remembering Gretchen Rubin’s words in my ear to “choose the bigger life,” we headed out for another whirlwind weekend getaway.

In less than 72 hours we crammed in the following:

-Pony rides

-Chicky bowls at our favorite Cuban restaurant in Blue Ridge

-Blairsville’s First-ever Taste of the Mountains

-Apple picking

-Downtown Blue Ridge Window shopping

-S’mores!

-Addie Milked a Cow!

 

 

 

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Fall 2018 Bucket List

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Fall 2018 Bucket List:

  1. Celebrate Addie’s 5th Birthday
  2. Paint Pumpkins
  3. Go to Disney World
  4. Explore 2 new states
  5. Go Trick or Treating
  6. Decorate for Fall
  7. Make homemade Fall Decorations
  8. Create a Thanksgiving Tree
  9. Finish the Thanksgiving Tablecloth
  10. 3rd Annual Friends Giving “C-theme this year”
  11. Light a Sky Lantern
  12. Go to A Harvest Festival
  13. Take Family Pictures
  14. Go to the Fair
  15. Read/Listen to 6 Books
  16. Get to GOAL WEIGHT!!!!
  17. Holistic Health Lesson
  18. Finish Christmas Shopping
  19. Cornmaze
  20. Udemy Lesson
  21. Relentless pursuit of goals!

Summer Bucket List 2018 Update

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This Summer has been jam-packed with life. Ugly, messy, beautiful, crazy, fun, adventurous life. We got a lot done, but when I think about this summer I am reminded of a quote from my girl-crush, Rachel Hollis:

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  1. Paint character rocks– DONE!

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  1. Pick blueberries—DONE!

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  1. Take newborn photos—DONE!
  2. Go to Virginia–DONE!
  3. Eat LOTS of fresh tomato and bacon sandwiches–DONE!

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  1. Swim lessons for Addie—DONE! (with Granny Layne as primo swim instructor)

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  1. Create Year 9 Photobook—Um…not yet…
  2. Plan 2018 – 2019 Trips (Fall break, Christmas, Spring Break, & Summer)- Spring Break–DONE!, Fall Break–DONE! Summer & Christmas–Not Yet!
  3. Paint pottery–DONE!pot4
  4. Tye dye–Not yet, but we have all of the ingredients needed for a fun night!
  5. Make stepping stones-Not yet, but we have all of the ingredients needed for a fun night!
  6. Go see a matinee- DONE!
  7. Create a girl’s-only spa night–DONE and DONE!

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  1. Go to tea with Addie—DONE!

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  1. Make homemade pizza–DONE!
  2. Celebrate 9 years of marriage- DONE!

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  1. Go new school clothes shopping with Addie- DONE! (Okay, so I mostly did this online)
  2. Throw an End-of-Summer & Beginning-of-School Adventure Night- DONE! We went to Chili’s but it still counts…
  3. Have a labor party to welcome Eleanor and get back to goal weight- DONE & DONE (Sort-of…I am 7lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight with 33 pounds down in 10 weeks. Yeah, I am pretty happy with this, the rest will come).
  4. Light a sky lantern-Not yet, but we have all of the ingredients needed for a fun night!

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Bucket List: 1st Friday Arts March in the Starland District Savannah, GA

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Have you explored your own hometown lately? Waring and I did just that last weekend. I have been wanting to explore the Starland District in downtown Savannah during the 1st Friday Arts March for a year or so now. For one reason or another things have not worked out until…. last Friday!

Waring and I took the littlest out on the town to meet Mer, Justin, and Baby Eli out for Tacos and a walk through the Starland District. We saw a pretty wild flower art exhibit, tasted olive oil and vinegar, ate tacos, and enjoyed some time catching up with friends. I love it when bucket list items are: 1). close to home 2). reasonably priced 3). pretty painless to accomplish 4). fun!!!

 

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The Beautiful Lynchburg, VA

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Waring had to go to school….and we came along for the ride. We had a great time in the small town that is now as the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley. We ate lots of good food, were mesmerized by fireflies and deer in the back yard each night, played at the children’s museum, hiked around the Natural Bridge, had traditional English tea, and even road an elephant. Yup….it was a pretty good week. Waring didn’t get to see much of the city, but he did well in his classes and is one step closer to graduation. That is what I call and win-win!

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Summer Bucket List Item: Paint Pottery

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For the past two years Addie and I have painted pottery over the Summer. We always make Christmas ornaments for family members and something that Addie picks out for herself. This year we had company in the form of Katie, Leona, Meredith, Baby Eli, Mom, and Little Sister Eleanor! We had a full table, full hands, and definitely full hearts. Take a look at some of the craziness from yesterday. Summer bucket list item checked way, way, off the list…until next year!

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Birth Story: Eleanor Mary 6/20/18

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June 19, 2018

Addie and I spent the day getting our nails and toes manicured  with Meredith and Christine and ate pizza at Aunt Karen’s house for dinner. At this point I have literally TRIED everything that I could Pinterest in order to get this baby out….but she has been determined to stay put. As some have put it so kindly, I wasn’t the most fun to be around…to those of you affected, I am sorry! I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that that I would be induced on the 21st. I was not particularly excited about artificially starting labor, but honestly I felt miserable and wanted to get Eleanor out. I wanted to meet her. I wanted to start the next chapter in life that didn’t involve my feet looking like two swollen sausages and having to pee every 2.5 minutes!

June 19th/ 20th, 2018

I laid down around 11:30 and Waring came home and went to sleep around 12:30. At 1am I woke up with a broken water. I woke Waring up and told him that I thought my water had broken. We called Waring’s parents to come watch Addie while he headed to the hospital.

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At 2:30 AM I had checked into the hospital, and found out that I was already 4-5 centimeters dilated. Eleanor would arrive shortly! After an epidural (thank you, Jesus) I was able to relax a little bit, but not really sleep. By 5:30 AM I was dilated to 9 centimeters. My doctor was to report to work around 6:30 so I was told to relax and “labor down” until she came in to check in. Well….let’s just say that it was a good thing that my epidural worked really well because at 8:00 AM I still had not seen Dr. McIntosh.

The doctor finally arrived around 8:15 AM, sat her purse down, and asked if I was ready to push. After three sets of three pushes and two and a half minutes later Eleanor had made it into the work at 8:28 AM!

Eleanor weighed 7lbs 9 oz and was 21 inches long. She came out, and the doctor placed Eleanor on my chest for the “golden hour.” I am not sure what was supposed to be golden about it because she cried (read: screamed) pretty much the whole time. She wasn’t happy about her eviction from her cozy home, but her lungs were nice and healthy! That afternoon we were placed on the Mommy/Baby ward of the hospital and our family was able to visit. Eleanor was beautiful, healthy, and nursed like a champ. The experience has been altogether different than Addie’s arrival. I am thankful for a bit easier labor, delivery, and arrival.Waring and I are smitten with her, and Addie finally has a real-life baby doll. I love my little family of four and can’t wait for the adventures ahead!

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