The One with the Birthday Extravaganza & a Tribute to Wilbur Willman

Prepare to be wowed by the amount of things I have accomplished since April! For my birthday, my wonderful friends agreed to help me knock out a big chunk of my list. Our goal: cross off 15 items in 24 hours. The reward: I get to cross off any item off this list that I don't want to do. We did it! But I'm holding off on choosing which item to cross off until the list is closer to being finished. Here's the motley crew that took on the challenge:

#172 go fishing

We're not exactly sure if it was actually ok to fish in the neighborhood lake, but that did not stop us. The wind & lack of fish (aside from the gigantic rotting one near the shore) are really what stopped us.

#188 make cookies and eat them all

Due to the enormity of the day, I did not give in to peer pressure and make dozens of cookies. 6 made, 6 eaten. Excellent breakfast.

#275 chase a duck
So...this wasn't really very exciting. I felt like I should have planned out something more dramatic, but I ended up just kind of hunching over & running very awkwardly. Here's the video.

#195 go to Bub's and eat the 1 pound Big Ugly burger

Yeesh definitely one of the harder items on the list. 1 pound of meat after it's cooked. But with incredible support/stories to try and distract me, plus an iron stomach, I powered through. You can watch part of the painful process here. Be sure to look for my picture hanging on the wall at Bub's. : )

#148 climb to the top of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument

I still haven't decided if this was a great idea to try and walk off some of the meat, or a horribly bad idea. By the time we made it to the top of the monument, my stomach was a bit more like a brick than a stomach. But the view was great and we got to look down on some of my favorite places.

#155 explore Mass Ave.
Our exploring was kind of eh. Some of us don't really like shopping. Or browsing. Or exploring. Or walking really. We were pretty tired at this point, so we left most of Mass Ave. unexplored. And apparently without a picture. : )

#276 polish someone's shoes
To continue in the tradition of not taking pictures...apparently I don't have one of me as I polished Ashleyne's boots. This is what happens when I don't blog until months after the fact. Pretty sure they're the shiniest boots she's ever owned though!

#269 throw a drink in someone's face
This was definitely my favorite item from the day!!! Holly was the one who put it on the list initially, so she knew that she would someday be the victim. She knew it would be coming at some point during the 24-hour extravaganza, but I wanted to do my best to surprise her. I texted Kim while we were all sitting around the living room so that she'd be ready to videotape the instant I got a chance to do it. I only ask that when you watch the video later in the blog that you will cut me some slack. I drank most of the water from my glass first, I asked to see her phone so that there would be no chance it would get wet, and I didn't do it to her while we were out in public. And I promise it only looks so hard because it was from such a short distance & I had to do it fast before I started laughing. Don't worry, the video is farther down in the blog. Kim's laughter is definitely my favorite part.

#186 eat corn on the cob without using my hands
This one comes thanks to one of my high school kids, Maggie Roth. She is one of the people who added several items to the suggestion box for my list (which will remain open for ideas until the list is completed), and this one made the list. Not as hard as I thought it would be, except for having to turn it over to start the next row. And the fact that I didn't want to eat another bite of food for the day. Corn!

#182 go cosmic bowling

A bowler I am not. Shockingly, cosmic bowling did not add to my skill level. I am usually lousy, slightly better the second game, and then increasingly lousy if I play any additional games. But it was a blast and Ashleyne won the award for most entertaining bowling form with her arms above the head windup.

#237 light firecrackers

We almost had to break the law to get this one crossed off the list. We barely got them set off by 11pm, but luckily it was unnecessary to be a rule breaker.

#266 go star gazing

Yep. This is us star gazing.

#284 host a spelling bee

It was a hard-fought battle, filled with extremely difficult words and a lot of buzzing from the Taboo buzzer, but Liz pulled out the victory in the end. Her prize was the rest of the shoe polishing kit!

#271 post a video on You Tube
Please enjoy.

#175 go camping

We finished a strong day of frolicking & cavorting with some backyard camping at Kristen & Ashleyne's house. We were utterly exhausted, but triumphant! Now I just have to convince them all to do it again next year!!

#89 read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
#90 read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
#91 read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
#92 read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
#93 read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
#94 read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
#95 read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

This little project got started while I was on vacation with Travis, Kelli, and James. Last year I did hardly any reading on vacation, but this year I plowed through the first four Harry Potter books. The rest were finished shortly thereafter and now Travis & Kelli have been watching the movies with me- just the last two to go. Travis even did themed food for the first day we watched movies. My brother can surprise you with how creative he can be. I really enjoyed the books, so that made it hard for the movies to be quite as good. You just lose too many little subplots and character developments that are part of what make you like the books so well.

#133 visit California relatives

This was such a great trip! I had not seen the majority of my CA relatives (my Grandma Willman's side of the family) since we did a big family reunion out in CO the summer of '96. My parents and I went out to celebrate my 2nd cousin Wendy's wedding. It was so much fun to meet all of her college friends, catch up with all of my cousins, and meet their spouses & kids. In this picture is Jen (my cousin Nick's wife), cousins Wendy, Whitney, & Stephanie, and Wendy's sweet little Olive.

#30 read Beau Geste by P.C. Wren

I had seen this movie multiple times, but when Travis says that he really enjoys a book, that's one that must be read. My dad first read this when he was a teenager and always loved it. It's such a great adventure story, and you should definitely read it before you watch the movie because it will keep you on the edge of your seat even more.

#34 read Autobiography of Wilbur Willman or The Farm Boy Grows Up by Wilbur Willman

My grandpa wrote his memoirs back in 2010. It contains so many delightful stories of his days growing up on the farm, being in the Air Force, meeting my grandma, raising their four boys, their world travels after he retired, and so many more memories. However, I really want to end this post with a bit of a tribute to the amazing man that we lost at the age of 98 on August 15th.

My grandfather was a hard worker, still gardening outside his assisted living center last summer. He was extremely bright, and continued to keep his mind sharp by doing jigsaw puzzles until the last. He loved his wife, kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids with his whole heart. Nothing was more precious than seeing him coo and chuckle as he held a tiny baby in his arms. He remained physically active as he recovered from hip surgery, beat multiple cancers, and continued to golf well into his 90s. He is the most generous man that I have ever known, and we were blessed to receive money from him every birthday & Christmas that helped to pay for college. Grandpa was a wonderful storyteller, had a home that provided us with so many childhood memories, had his own unique fashion sense with his suspenders & famous mustard yellow socks, gave extremely entertaining speeches to his clan at family holidays, and gave hugs that involved him viciously pounding you on the back.

There is so much more I could say about my grandpa and the impact he had on my life, but I will just finish by saying that the things I am most grateful for are his strong faith and the fact that he is now reunited with my equally wonderful grandma in heaven. Our patriarch will be deeply missed. I love you, Grandpa.

3 Years Down, 7 to Go

Ok so the grand total completed out of 300 after 3 years is...87! So I'm only 3 off my pace and some (go to 10 Pacers, Colts, Indians games & a couple of books) are partially completed. I'm feeling good about the next few months too
since Holly is supposed to be helping me complete 31 things before her 32nd birthday in July. Without further ado, here's what the last few months have entailed:

#57 read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

This was such an inspiring book and definitely helps remind me of how blessed I am in my life, as well as how little true adversity I face on a daily basis. Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who helped Jews escape from the Nazis and was the only one from her family to survive the concentration camps. Hers is a story of learning the inner strength she was given by God, trusting that He is still sovereign in the midst of great evil, and realizing what it truly means to love and forgive your enemies.

"Perhaps only when human effort had done its best and failed, would God's power alone be free to work."

"And I would know again that in darkness God's truth shines most clear."

"...when we're feeling poorest--when we've lost a friend, when a dream has failed, when we seem to have nothing left in the world to make life beautiful--that's when God says, You're richer than you think."

#156 go to a movie by myself

I decided to go spend a nice Saturday lunch eating popcorn and watching the second of The Hunger Games movies. I have to say that even though he's not necessarily one of the main characters, Stanley Tucci cracks me up in his role. The movie was quickly forgotten though since I had 3 missed calls & a bunch of text messages saying...

#141 go to 10 Colts games (9 done)

Kyle had scored free tickets to the playoff game against the Chiefs & was seeing if I wanted to go with him. Um...yes! This may have been the biggest swing of emotion I've ever experienced at a game I've been to. The first half was absolutely miserable watching them (which of course I've experienced before as a life-long Colts fan), but the comeback win produced perhaps the loudest and most electric atmosphere I've been in there. Gotta say that Luck kid's not too shabby.

#206 go line dancing

Yes, line dancing. We all know my great love of dancing, but I will willingly oblige my friends when they are deciding what they want to do for their birthday celebrations (as you'll see again below). Celebrating the lovely KB's birthday involved eating at an Ethiopian restaurant on the west side and then heading to Saddle Up in Castleton. Sadly, my bum knee will probably prevent me from pursuing my line dancing career, but I think there's hope for Ashleyne...she has a surprising knack at quickly picking up steps just from standing and watching people for a couple of minutes. And yes, that's what our eyes actually look like when we go out for a night on the town. : )

#2 read Emma by Jane Austen

Emma is probably one of my favorite Jane Austen books...although if you want to be creeped out, go search for pictures of the book cover and you will realize this is the only one where she doesn't look really scary. She may not be my favorite female lead, but some of the supporting characters are really entertaining and add a lot of humor to the story. I also would recommend watching the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, as well as the BBC version with Romola Garai.

#255 be adventurous

We now enter birthday celebration #2. As someone who rarely runs, has only exercised a handful of times since my Curves closed down a year and a half ago, and has a bad knee, what better way to spend an early, chilly Saturday morning than to run an urban obstacle 5K? But after surviving it (with burning lungs, a minimal amount of blood, and massive amounts of bruises), it was necessary to make it count for something on my list. So obviously it falls under being adventurous since you participate as superheroes. : ) Check out their website if you want to see more about it. My small group is pretty awesome to do so many crazy things together. And Kyle happened to be working downtown so he came and met up with us near the end of the course to cheer us on and run along. Yay for brothers!

#174 play laser tag

After getting showered and eating some lunch, the next phase of Ashleyne's birthday celebration involved a few intense rounds of laser tag at Laser Flash in Carmel. We even got to play with just our 7 friends so that we didn't feel bad getting destroyed by a bunch of 10 year olds. I don't know how I've gone my whole life with never having played before because it was a lot of fun!

#67 read Love Does by Bob Goff

Oh, Bob Goff. I have to say that Bob and I are very different people. He has done some pretty crazy things in his life and uses words like "risk, adventure, and spontaneity" in his everyday vocabulary. Every chapter has another ridiculous thing happening- sneaking into the set of a movie, basically forcing his way into law school, becoming a consul for Uganda, having his kids writing to all of the world leaders & then flying them around the world to meet any of them that responded...you know, normal everyday stuff. But he is a gifted storyteller and I really did enjoy reading this book with my senior girls' group because it's one of those books that really challenges me to step out of my comfort zone to try and live out love in my actions and in all that I do. Some of his many great tidbits:

"...the brand of love Jesus offers is that it's more about presence than undertaking a project. It's a brand of love that doesn't just think about good things, or agree with them, or talk about them...Love does."

"I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I'm more afraid of succeeding at things that don't matter."

"Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, 'Let's go do that together.'"

#235 buy flowers for myself

Bought some lovely flowers to use as a centerpiece for the tea party that Holly and I hosted for some of my senior girls. We made way too much food, but I have to say we did a pretty decent job for our first time attempting some of the food we made. Check out her blog here (which you should really be following already anyway) for all of the details about our delicious menu.

#140 go to 10 Pacers games (3 done)

This kid makes my heart so happy. How many 6 year old girls do you know who gladly give up getting toys for Christmas in order to go to a Pacers game instead? Best. Niece. Ever. While it was impossible to live up to the hype of last year's game (her first Pacers game, sat next to a lady also wearing a Big Roy jersey, got a pink balloon flower, was on the big screen for about 30 seconds, won a gift card for being the loudest section, and they played much better), we still had a blast! Lily is one awesome kid!! 

As a little teaser for my next update...for my birthday extravaganza, my small group & I are attempting to knock out 15 things in a 24-hour period. Because if I do 15 in one day, I can choose one item off my list to cross off that I can't/don't want to do. And the List Master (Holly) has said that if we can do 30 things, I can cross off 5. That's probably impossible, but stay tuned to see how it goes!

Update #9

Whew!  Got another update in before the end of the year.  Tried to work on getting through some of the books on my list & swapped out some of the original ones since I kept reading books that weren't on my list.  I also have my list on Facebook now since DocStoc was being stupid and kept taking it down...that's a rant that I won't go into again.

#88 read Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick

Yeah so this is why I should blog more frequently or at least type up a quick synopsis after I finish reading a book- otherwise I kind of forget what I read 4 months ago.  : )  But basically he talks about believing God for the impossible and living out audacious faith.

"With God's help, I intend to incite a riot in your mind.  Trip your breakers and turn out the lights in your favorite hiding places of insecurity and fear.  Then flip the switch back on so that God's truth can illuminate the divine destiny that may have been lying dormant inside you for years.  In short, I'm out to activate your audacious faith.  To inspire you to ask God for the impossible.  And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential...if you're not daring to believe God for the impossible, you're sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian life...if the size of your vision for your life isn't intimidating to you, there's a good chance it's insulting to God."

#42 read The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

Such an interesting book that my friend Kim let me borrow.  Bauby was the editor of the French Elle when he suffered a massive stroke and was in a coma for almost 3 weeks.  He then suffered from locked-in syndrome, where he could only communicate by slightly moving his head and eyes.  His memoir was written by him blinking his left eye to select letters one by one as they were read off to him.

#225 smash something

Not nearly as exciting as if I had gotten a picture of the deer that I smashed into on the way to Michigan.  But I was going 60, it was dark, and despite the fact that I caught it solidly on the back hip, it may have actually hobbled away without dying.  I was really lucky that the grand total of repairs was only $25- big shout-out to my favorite mechanics at Eskew Automotive!!

#201 play the piano in public

For our county trustee Christmas dinner, I busted out a classical masterpiece for playing the piano in public... The 12 Days of Christmas.  Not my best performance ever, but people couldn't really notice since it was a sing-a-long.  I think I should be good for another several years before I play in front of people again.

#99 read Getting Naked Later: A Guide for the Fully Clothed by Kate Hurley

 Apparently there needs to be some clarification with this title- the emphasis is really on later, not naked.  This was a great book where Kate mixes a ton of humor with a lot of honesty as she discusses being single- the joys, the struggles, how the church deals with singles.  She really spoke to a lot of people- those who are struggling with being single, those who are content (but other people aren't for them), and everyone who swings between those two extremes.

"I do not want to give you the 'contentment sermon.'  We will talk about how important it is to be thankful for where we are in life, but we will also talk about the need to be honest about our feelings.  We will look at the paradox of being thankful while still being honest about our frustrations."

#98 read When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

This is one of my friend Kristen's favorite books.  Definitely tugs on your heartstrings and I have to say I now know way more about hearts & surgeries than I ever did before.  But that's all I'm saying about the book because I don't want to say anything that will spoil it!

#141 go to 10 Colts games (8 done)

First game of the season that I went to was a huge win against the Seahawks.  You know it's a good one when your voice is practically gone & your hands are sore from clapping so much.  It was also the game where Robert Mathis got the 100th sack of his career.  The man is a beast.

Game #2 was a win against the Titans (yay for dominating the division again like normal).  Love getting to spend time with this guy!!

And game #3 was a Christmas present from my fantastic roomie, Sarah.  Aside from seeing my third win of the year in person, they also had a Colts Homecoming week where a bunch of former players were down on the field at halftime.  The best part though was getting to see Eric Dickerson & Marshall Faulk inducted into the Ring of Honor.  This might mean I was kind of a weird little elementary school girl, but Eric (along with Bo Jackson) was my childhood idol, so it was great to see him out there.

Good news...there is hope on the horizon of actually accomplishing some interesting things on my list by the next time I blog...so stay tuned!

Update #8

Wow the titles of my blog posts are sensational, aren't they?  Currently taking suggestions for exciting future titles that keep track of what update I'm on.  Without further ado...

#183 plant a garden

While I can't take credit for the whole thing (and this is less than half of everything planted), I do help my dad with his garden every year.  The man is amazing...multiple kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, melons, & squash, as well as beets, okra, asparagus, green beans, corn, strawberries, radishes, onions, pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and probably other stuff that I've forgotten.

#163 run a 5K

Had a blast bonding with Hols doing this.  We ran the Color in Motion 5K down at the state fairgrounds.  While I had blue boogers for a week, this was a really fun event...even if it did involve running.  : )

#142 go to 10 Indians games (4 done)

Buddy time with Ashleyne & Kim.  If you aren't friends with them too, you should be.  They are fun. F-U-N fun.

#38 read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I don't even know how to summarize this book in such a short space.  It's the incredible story of Louis Zamperini and the journey he traveled.  He was a young Olympian in the Berlin Olympics and then became an airman in World War II.  After crashing into the ocean and surviving 47 days at sea in shark-infested waters, he and his one surviving crewmate were captured by the Japanese.  He spent the next two years being severely mistreated in various POW camps.  After reading the devastating statistics about the emotional & physical aftermath dealt with by POWS, as well as their 30x higher suicide rate, it was no surprise that Louis came close to destroying his marriage and family.
But God was not finished with his story yet.  Louis attended (was dragged by his wife to) a Billy Graham tent revival and turned his life over to God as he had pledged to do when he was floating out in the middle of the ocean.  His life transformed, he later went and met with his former Japanese guards in prison, opened Victory Boys Camp for lost boys, and became a motivational speaker.  Such a good book and it really made me more aware and appreciative of all of those who have ever served in the military and the traumatic experiences they have endured.

#157 go to summer camp

Technically this wasn't on my list before, but it was way better than other things that were on it.  After all, who would have thought I would be going to summer camp for the first time at the age of 32?  It was our first time taking kids down to Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, GA.  Aside from being quite a trek, it was a really great camp and I loved getting to spend time with these 8 kids.  If you really want to experience what camp was like for them, here's a video of their week (Jacob & Ashley were their counselors).

#146 go to the Indiana State Fair

Yes, I have lived in Indiana my whole life.  No, I had never been to the state fair before.  Finally you can all stop harassing me.  It was a big week for me...summer camp and the fair...if I ever get ballet lessons, my childhood will finally be complete.  (Yes, you may roll your eyes at this point, Mom.)  Kristen, Ashleyne, and I had a decent array of fair food, but I know that we can conquer even more next year!

#176 ride a horse

One of my last times with Laekin before she heads off to college.  I love my high school girls and all of the fun times I get to have with them.  We went down to Ft. Benjamin Harrison State Park to ride.  It was really peaceful and quiet in the woods there.  Although it was her first time riding, she was an excellent horsewoman.  And all good outings are made better when they're followed up with a ButterBurger & frozen custard at Culver's.

#224 plan a scavenger hunt

For my first time planning a scavenger hunt, it turned out pretty well.  Some of my senior girls and I headed to downtown Noblesville for some fun & a picnic.  With my lovely assistant Holly, we sent them running around taking lots of pictures & videos and rewarding them with candy & prizes.  Their final task was to solve a word scramble in tribute to our dear Dasha who moved a week ago.

#169 play dodgeball

Definitely the first time I've played since junior high or high school.  While I definitely threw like a sissy girl, I caught some balls and never got out.  But most importantly, all of the old people took down the high school kids.  A fitting ending to our last week at the park for the summer.

#180 keep score during a baseball game

I know this makes me kind of a dork that this is on my list.  But I love sports and I love statistics.  And sometimes you just need something to keep you distracted during a Cubs game.  2-0 game with very few substitutions or crazy plays so it was a pretty easy one for me.  Had to know how to score a wild pitch and a guy thrown out trying to stretch out a single into a double.  That was about it.  No run-downs or anything where I had to really pay attention.

By the way, this next year is looking good in terms of me keeping up on my activities.  My dearest sister Holly has started a new list (be sure to check out her blog...if you're reading mine, there's no way you shouldn't be reading hers), and one of the items on her list is to help me with 31 things on my list during her 31st year.  Woohoo!!

2 Years Down, 8 to Go...

So...things we've learned after I've completed year 2 of this journey:
     a)  I am not what you would call a consistent blogger.
     b)  Reviewing books is also not a strong suit of mine.
     c)  After a lackluster effort to close out 2012, I am still on pace to finish in time.

#218 visit the Rhythm Discovery Center

Lily & I had a weekend together at the beginning of December, and one of our outings included going to the Rhythm Discovery Center downtown.  They have a lot of interesting educational information, but most importantly, they have tons of hands-on things for kids to do.  There are giant chimes hanging from the ceiling, xylophones, an 8-foot gong drum, shelves full of percussion instruments, soundproof rooms with drum sets, and much more.  If your kids like to bang, shake, or rattle things, or just make a ton of noise in general, this would be a great outing for them.

#141 go to 10 Colts games (5 done)

It was a pretty incredible game to be at to wrap up the regular season.  Aside from beating the Texans (always lovely), it was also Chuck Pagano's first game back on the sidelines.  Great moment caught on the big screen as you could see the pure joy & emotion on the sidelines.  Also happy to catch Bruce Arians celebrating in this picture.  He did such a great job this year, and I hope he enjoys his first head coaching job in Arizona.  Bonus moments in the game: Deji Karim's 101 yard kick return for a TD was straight up the middle of the field and finished right in front of us in the end zone.  And the halftime show involved monkeys wearing Colts jerseys & chaps...riding dogs...herding rams.  You cannot make this stuff up.  Go here to see it for yourself.

#80 read My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

This is a great daily devotional that his wife created from her notes on his sermons and lectures.  So many good takeaways, but here's one I liked that included a reference to the title:

"Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point- a great crossroads in our life.  From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire, giving our utmost for His highest- our best for His glory."

#257 play 20 classic Willman games in one day

This was a little brutal.  As it turns out, 20 games is a lot to try and play in the course of the day- even with doing modified versions to try and shorten them.  But it was great sibling bonding time and we even convinced Brit to join in for a while.  Next time we will stick to a handful of classics instead of giving ourselves an added stress of trying to rush through a bunch.

The games we played were: Trumpet, True Colors, Scattergories, Guesstures, Split Second, Midnight Party, Outburst, Win Lose or Draw, Taboo, Bazaar, Trivial Pursuit, Squirrel Game, Strawberry Shortcake, Madcap Marathon, Mad Magazine, Monopoly Deal, Euchre, Peanuts, Phase 10, & Yahtzee.  Since we're Willmans, we also came up with a scoring system.  And the big winner was...Travis!!

#200 tune my piano or buy a new one

My dad bought this piano for me online as a housewarming present when I moved into my apartment 8+ years ago.  But I was poor at the time and couldn't afford to get it tuned, even though it sounded pretty awful after him driving for hours with it on his trailer.  Then since I rarely played it, it never seemed worth it to me to get it tuned.  It was moved again when I moved into my roommate's house a few years ago, but still it sat untuned...until her fateful Christmas party this year.  Then after several friends of hers that are in a band played it throughout the night, the guilt & shame washed over me and I was finally convinced that it was an embarrassment to me, as well as to my years & years of piano lessons growing up.  Whew.  (Side note: Everyone was right.  It definitely does sound much nicer when I play, especially since several of the keys were broken too.)

#84 read Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

Lots of stuff to chew on in this one, especially for someone who likes her nice, safe, un-risky life.

"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness  and providing for the family.  So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud- just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend- woven around church (mostly).  This is life for millions of people.  Wasted life.  We were created for more, far more."

"To make others glad in God with an everlasting gladness, our lives must show that he is more precious than life...To do this we must make sacrificial life choices rooted in the assurance that magnifying Christ through generosity and mercy is more satisfying than selfishness.  If we walk away from risk to keep ourselves safe and solvent, we will waste our lives."

#136 renew my passport

No, I am not getting ready to flee the country.  Yes, it appears I am smirking in my new passport photo.  Apparently I tried to smile really big while keeping my mouth closed.  Awesome.

#140 go to 10 Pacers games (2 done)

This game was so much fun!!  It was Lily's first Pacers game & she was so proud to be sporting her Big Roy jersey.  She had a blast and was very entertaining for the people around us.  Her shining moment came after the 1st quarter when she made it onto the big screen.  They kept her on so long that she started blowing kisses.  To see more about her big adventure, go here.

#48 read Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot

Yet another convicting book to read.  To hear about these missionaries' passion and servant hearts was just incredible.  To them, nothing was more heartbreaking than knowing that there were people in such remote places that they had never had the opportunity to hear about God in their own language.  Their devotion to spreading His Word despite the risks they knew they were taking, and which ultimately led to five of their deaths, is truly awe-inspiring.  It was an honest, heartfelt account of the struggles they dealt with, the shortcomings they felt, and how the survivors continued to minister to the Aucas.

"...may we who know Christ hear the cry of the damned as they hurtle headlong into the Christless night without ever a chance.  May we be moved with compassion as our Lord was.  May we shed tears of repentance for these we have failed to bring out of the darkness.  Beyond the smiling scenes of Bethlehem may we see the crushing agony of Golgotha.  May God give us a new vision of His will concerning the lost and our responsibility."

#215 buy some art

My art was photography that I bought in greeting card form.  One of my former youth kids was selling his photography to raise money for a trip to Nigeria.  He went there as a photojournalist for Global Hope Network to photograph their mission work.  Check out his work.

#139 go to the Children's Museum

I hadn't been to the Children's Museum since I was a kid, and while it definitely would be more fun with kids along, we managed to find enough to keep ourselves entertained.  I went with Holly & my friends Kim, Ashleyne, & Kristen as a post-birthday celebration.  Highlights included playing some old-school video games, an epic battle of Jenga, seeing Christian Bale's Batman suit, Holly & Kim almost getting in a fistfight voting for their favorite superheroes, all kinds of cool geckos, and trying to avoid the crazy girl dressed as The Constructionator.

So as I finish my 2nd year, I will once again say that I will attempt to make a better effort to do some fun & exciting things before I update again.  : )

Tally for the 1st two years = 64/300 completed!!