30 before 30 update

Today to celebrate a great friend turning 30, I'm going to update by thirty, no wait, seventeen, new and improved, eighteen before 30 list. She's the reason I even made this list to begin with!!! Thanks Rach!

1. Chop it off!! - I have to laugh at the fact that I included this to begin with since it was already done when I posted. It's like when I make a "to-do" list and include "take a nap" so that I can for sure strike one thing off my list!

2. Finish 2 stockings (Derek's and baby's) - No idea when this will happen. I can't imagine finding time to do this... but I will still try! I remember from Grant's baby days that this is easier when the baby isn't mobile, so I need to get on it QUICK!

3. Organize the office weekly - Whoopsie! The "office" is now just a desk and it's still not pretty.

4. Go camping - Hoping to do this soon while it's still relatively cool. New rule - if Derek and Grant go camping and I stay home with Abby, this still counts. It also counts if I join but Abby doesn't.

5. Go to church once a month - Again - whoopsie!!

6. Teach Grant the Lord's prayer - When we say "forever and ever," he says "AMEN!" So he's learning! Anytime Julie prays, she starts with the sign of the cross and Grant will drop what he's doing to hold his hands together. Awwww.

7. Take a family vacation - Miami!

8. Finish our Italy scrapbook - When the hell was I thinking this would get done?! I see a photobook in our future. I wanted to keep several things from the trip, which is why I did a scrapbook to begin with, but I'm thinking I'll take photos of the things I wanted to include and just add a photo of them to the photobook instead.

9. Make photo albums (or photobooks) every other month - Huh-uh. New goal - along with Abby's baby book (produced from this blog), I want to start an annual family yearbook (ala YHL). It will be fairly easy to convert this blog into said yearbook. I LOVE the "Highlights" page that YHL added to the beginning of their book. Stealing that fo' sho'. New goal is to work on that every other month so it's not such a headache at year end. Both Abby's baby book and the annual yearbook will go thru December so "finishing" the book isn't on my 30 before 30 list. I'm sure there will be lots of duplicate material, but this will be the only year I have to do 2!!

10. Have a spa day with the girls - Had a massage with my sis while I was still on maternity leave. It was glorious. And the consignment store find of the DECADE ($40 for a brand new $300 dress) was the cherry on top!

11. Go to work without makeup - I found myself without a powder brush one day and thought it must've been a sign!

12. Plant a garden - I picked up some Rosemary and Basil yesterday (but haven't planted them yet). And the Cilantro from last year is already THRIVING!! An herb garden TOTALLY counts!

13. Make a blog book - A pregnancy book & Grant's baby book. I get extra points for this one - I did TWO!

14. Get a new fence

15. Take 1 day off of work - Ummm... yeah. I did this one. A couple times. Sent both kids to Julie's while I was still on maternity leave to get stuff done! SO glad I did!

16. Get a great pair of red heels - My $13 red heels are actually comfortable and ridiculously cute!

17. Take a hand-made sign to a sporting event - WHAT?! I must've been on crack when I made this list. The only way this is possible is if the kids don't go bc we wouldn't have a free hand to carry in the sign if they go! Baseball season is about to kick off, so maybe this one will play out!

And I'm adding one more item:

18. Learn to use my DSLR - Hopefully for CHEAP! Surely someone has put a dummy's guide on YouTube. Hell - I haven't even read the manual yet! That may be a good place to start...