Have you Ever...

So I wasn't tagged, but it looked like fun...so here goes!

Copy and paste the list below into your own post, and then make bold (and/or italicize) all the things you have done. Tag 25 people plus the one who sent it. (I am NOT tagging 25 people. Do it if you wish!).

HAVE YOU EVER?

Started your own blog
Slept under the stars
Played in a band
Visited Hawaii
Watched a meteor shower
Given more than you can afford to charity
Been to Disneyland/world
Climbed a mountain
Held a praying mantis
Sang a solo
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Taught yourself an art from scratch
Adopted a child
Had food poisoning
Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
Seen the Mona Lisa in France
Slept on an overnight train
Had a pillow fight
Hitchhiked
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
Built a snow fort
Held a lamb
Gone skinny dipping
Been to a Broadway show in NY
Ran a Marathon
Been in three states at once
Ridden in a gondola in Venice
Seen a total eclipse
Watched a sunrise or sunset
Hit a home run
Been on a Cruise
Seen Niagra Falls in Person
Visited the birthplace of your Ancestors
Seen an Amish community
Taught yourself a new language
Had enough money to be truly satisfied
Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
Gone rock climbing
Seen Michelangelo’s David
Sung karaoke
Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
Visited Africa
Walked on a beach by moonlight
Been transported in an ambulance
Had your portrait painted
Gone deep sea fishing
Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Been to Grace Kelley’s grave in Monaco
Gone to a drive-in theater
Been in a movie
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Taken a martial arts class
Swam in the Mediterranean Sea
Visited Russia
Served at a soup kitchen
Sold Girl Scout cookies
Gone whale watching - dolphin watching
Gotten flowers for no reason
Donated blood, platelets or plasma
Gone sky diving
Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
Bounced a check
Saved a favorite childhood toy
Visited the Lincoln Memorial
Eaten Caviar
Pieced a quilt
Stood in Times Square
Toured the Everglades
Been fired from a job
Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
Broken a bone
Been on a speeding motorcycle
Seen the Grand Canyon in person
Published a book
Visited the Vatican
Bought a brand new car
Walked in Jerusalem
Had your picture in the newspaper
Read the entire Bible
Visited the White House
Killed and prepared my own meat
Had chickenpox
Saved someone’s life
Sat on a jury
Met someone famous
Joined a book club
Lost a loved one
Had a baby
Seen the Alamo in person
Swam in the Great Salt Lake
Been involved in a law suit
Owned a cell phone
Been stung by a bee

What about you?

So...

Over the Thanksgiving holiday my sister brought home this new game called Bananagrams. It is so much fun. It can be compared somewhat to scrabble in that you use tiles to form words, but my favorite part of the game is that you play with your own tiles and don't have to build off of other people's words. My in-laws and my husband are EXPERTS at Scrabble and it's just no fun for me to play because I'm not good enough! But with Bananagrams I can go at my own pace and make my own words. It's a great game! So for Christmas we had to get a set.

Last weekend I decided to play the Solitaire version of the game. Joel came in and decided to help so we ended up using every single tile! Here's what we came up with...


For the last 19 days Joel and I have been participating in the Love Dare Challenge. It has been a fun experience so far. Yesterday's Love Dare was:

Love Dare - Day 18

Prepare a special dinner at home and focus this time on getting to know your spouse better.
Proverbs 3:13

So last night I made spaghetti (one of our favorite meals) for supper. When I got home Joel had gotten me flowers! I was so excited, and the tulips were beautiful, don't you think?

LOST and other things

So our long weekend is now gone. We enjoyed having the day off and were able to run a few errands that needed to be taken care of. Next up for the week is the season 5 premier of LOST! We cannot wait. We are super excited because we feel like we got shortchanged last season (not as much as other shows) on the number of episodes. So we are ready to get back into the full swing of all that is LOST.

If you haven't seen the sneak peek of the premiere yet, go here:

http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=index

So we are officially counting down, and we only have a little longer to wait. Tomorrow night at 7 we will be sitting on the couch awaiting the beginning of the 2 hour premiere. So if you need to talk to us you better call before 7 or after 9!

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday (and a short week!). Would not want to overlook the historic even that is happening today of the Presidential Inauguration. We are watching it on the TV in the office here now...even though he's not my guy, I can appreciate the historical value of this event.

Growing up in the 80's

Although a couple of these don't apply to me, most of them do. It is hilarious to read this and think about just how true the statements are!

Enjoy!

You Know You (or your kids) Grew Up In the 80's IF:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.

2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do theCarlton

3. You know that 'WOAH' comes from Joey on Blossom

4. If you ever watched 'Fraggle Rock'

5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.

7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.

9. You played the game 'MASH'(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)

10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of ' WAX ON , WAX OFF'

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off, his cheeks shifted and his nationality became questionable.

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

17. You still get the urge to say 'NOT' after every sentence.

18. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

19. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

20. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying 'I know you are, but what am I?'

21. You remember 'I've fallen and I can't get up'

22. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

23. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

24. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

25. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

26. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

27. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

28. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as 'NKOTB'

29. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on 'Saved By The Bell,' The ORIGINAL class..

30. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.

31. You just sang those words to yourself.

32. You still sing 'We are the World'

33. You tight rolled or french cuffed your jeans. And still debate on which is the right term!

34. You owned a bannana clip.

35. You remember 'Where's the Beef?'

36. You used to (and probably still do) say 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'

So...

So it's been a while since I've updated. Last week was the beginning of a new semester, which brings with it a new schedule for day to day operations. So far it's been pretty good. I'm still not adjusted to being back at work after our wonderful Christmas holidays. Joel is teaching four classes so that is keeping him busy, and I am working and taking 2 classes this semester. Once we get used to the new schedule it should be fine (thankfully I don't have any night classes this semester!) We are trying to be careful with our time and not add too many things to our plates.

Hope this new season is going well for you. I have not been able to do much sewing since the start of the semester. I did get a pair of pants hemmed (I like them a lot, very comfortable), and I have been doing a good bit of quilting. I'll have to take a picture so you can see my progress. It's still a long way from being finished, but I am making a dent in the work!

Christmas season and a New Year

Joel and I have been on break for the last two weeks...it was so nice to be able to relax and do the things we wanted pretty much whenever we wanted. We celebrated Christmas with my family on December 25th at lunch, visited with more family that afternoon, and had Christmas with Joel's family on the 27th. It was great getting to see everyone including all of our siblings, grandparents, and most aunt and uncles. I love the Christmas season because it brings everyone together.

By the time we were finished making the rounds to all the family Christmas gatherings it was almost the new year. Joel and I went to visit his brother and family and got to stay for a couple of days and bring in the new year with them. On New Year's eve night we shot fireworks (it was COLD outside!) and then on New Year's day more family and friends came together to enjoy a lunch as a celebration of the year that has passed, the blessings our family has received, and to look forward with anticipation to the new year.

Yesterday during the sermon a verse really stuck out to me.

1 Peter 1:21 (NIV)

21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

The entire verse is amazing because it reminds us of the sacrifice Christ made for us and that we are able to become a son or daughter of his by simply believing in Him. The last part of the verse is what really jumped out at me, "your faith and hope are in God." This verse was a great reminder that our faith and hope should NOT be in ourselves or the things we can accomplish but in God. So the prayer that Joel and I have for this new year is that we would allow ourselves to be guided by God in his wisdom and that we would focus on having our faith and hope in Him.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a great New Year's celebration.

Just to let you know a little sewing did occur during the break (although not as much as I would have liked):

Baby boots...

With fun (but hard to sew on) grippy dots on the bottom!

Hope you're having a wonderful day!