What did you learn this week???

Life Questions: Rules are --Anything you have done has to be in Red

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow figh
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (a little bit of one)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted/drawn
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (as a witness!!)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

How many of these things have you done??

Thought for the day......

"You don't have to know what direction you're going as long as you're moving forward."

I heard this a few minutes ago on TV and it really struck me. I turned to Jennifer and told her, "Wow, that really makes a lot of sense." We started talking about the importance of not becoming stagnant. Which kind of connects to another topic of discussion we have been talking about a lot lately....often times people become stagnant because they don't accept responsibility for their own destiny. I can't imagine how an individual walks around in this world insisting that every bad/unfortunate/unlucky, etc. thing that happens to them is due to some external force. I can assure you that as long as you continue to tell yourself that world is out to get you, it will probably "get you" everytime. I choose to adopt the idea that I am the only person/thing/factor that controls what happens to me. Maybe this isn't completely true, but it sure does make me feel better.

I guess I didn't really realize it, but Jennifer and I definitely embrace this philosophy of moving forward toward all aspects of like, or at least we certainly try to. Together we make a lot of decisions that often times others don't understand and sometimes we don't understand them, but we are always certain that we are moving forward - together.

I have recently found a great deal of comfort in the idea that Jenn and I are moving forward - together. Anyone who knows me knows that I really struggle with not knowing every single detail about the future - basically I MUST know what direction I am going at all times or I don't feel like I am moving forward or moving anywhere. I am so thankful that Jenn has been able to bring a great deal of balance in my obsessing - I have learned to accept that I might not always know where I am moving, but I am always certain (because of my own decisions) that I am moving forward, and I wouldn't want anyone else in the world by my side.

Are you moving forward?

A whole new world.......

This week will mark the beginning of school for Justin and I --- Wait -- hold up -- School? Didn't you guys just finish school for the fifth time??? those are some things you might be asking. Well, let me tell you .....We are on a whole new career path and we are on it jointly!! Thursday marks the beginning of our Accelerated nursing program. We already have a degree (ok...a few) and so we can in a few short months become RN's and then shortly there after move into a nurse practitioner program. Confused?? Ok..... follow the pics....

We will complete this accelerated program in a few short months.....
And then shortly thereafter become one of these........
We considered, VERY BRIEFLY, medical school, however given that I'm over the hill and we'd like to start a family soon we needed the quickest path to careers in the health care field.
So we both applied to several Physician Assistant Programs and Nursing programs. We went to interviews, payed application fees, and had to sweat out or destiny for the past few months. We got into all the programs we applied to (4 to be exact) however decided that since Nurse Practitioners ultimately have more autonomy in the end than Physician assistants that we'd go that route instead. The Accelerated nursing program at UNM had about 300 applicants and only took 8 -- yes 8 and we were 2 of the 8 -- not bad for a bunch of old geezers (well mostly me)!! So it is sure to be an adventure. Justin has a lot of health care experience but I have zero -- I am starting as, John Locke would say, a tabula rasa.........

Back to the future - Christmas edition

As promised here are the pictures from our Christmas baking and wrapping extravaganza -- I know they are a "few" days late... but at least I FINALLY got them up!!!

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Justin happily making mint icing

Sugar cookie men pre-baking

Sugar cookie men while baking

The HOMEMADE mint chocolate brownies
My homemade gift tags -- the first letter of the recipients name!

Presents!!

Close up on the wrapping and tags

The goodie boxes I made for the people at work!!

The inside of these precious little gifts!!

The end!