Have you ever....

I totally stole this from the Higbee's blog - thought it was cool and made me feel accomplished.

200 things I have and have not done:
1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven (in) any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (with my fear of heights only made it a few steps)
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school (more than once!)

89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco (have you seen me dance??!)
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (I assume this is mini-golf?)
133. Gone deep-sea fishing (went - spent most of the time seasick.)
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane - oh I wish!
151. Ran away (my room was never clean enough)

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss - just in my classroom!
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget.

158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half-dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed ’til your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier
185. Seen a geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom-made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a hunter’s safety course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Known CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded yes to a calling you hated & ended up loving it.

I, Benjamin...

Ben opened his first talk in sacrament meeting with: "I, Benjamin, having been born of goodly parents am forced to speak today. Actually, I am thrilled to be here. " (The opening was a compromise since he wanted to say he was born of somewhat-goodly parents.

He shared 4 scriptures that testified of Christ, bore his testimony, and went over his 3-5 minute limit.

Excellent job for your first, or tenth time!

I have discovered the joy and addiction of family history and have spent hours the past few Sundays tracking down family records. It's kind of like being a detective.

Summer school ends on July 3rd and I can hardly wait! Ben has been going with me and doing peer tutoring with 5th graders. We are both ready for some lazy summer days.

Nate's anemia issues are improving, and he actually wants to go and do things some evenings.

We are getting our food storage organized onto some new shelves and planning a garden (in Houston, gardening season begins in early fall.)

Scout Camp

I have had a wonderful, testosterone-free few days. I took Friday off so I could have a whole day to myself. By Saturday, I was ready for my men to come home. Just as I called to see how much longer they would be, Nate said look out the window and there they were! Ben ran right in the door and gave me the biggest hug. It was great - although a little stinky. Evidently, he only took 1 shower all week.

Ben didn't pass off very many merit badges, but he's nearly completed several. Guess we'll hit the remaining reqs in July. He had a wonderful time being part of a group of boys and definitely grew in confidence and boyness. He thinks he wants to play football in the fall, and so we are working out everyday to be ready.

Nate had a good time too. He was blessed with other leaders who had their own health issues and so they all supported each other and had a good time. He came back with good color and a fair amount of energy and most importantly - a smile.

Spiritual Cockroaches

If you really know me, then you know that I have 2 severe fears in this world.
#1 - Heights. I have this uncontrollable fear of heights. I hyperventilate on overpasses.
#2 - Cockroaches. I love snakes & spiders, but show me a cockroach and watch me run screaming.

Today, while we were in sacrament meeting and enjoying a very spiritual testimony meeting, my sister took off her shoe and started smacking it on the pew in front of us. I raised my eyebrow at her until she mouthed "roach". I immediately cringed, lifted my feet off the floor and pulled up my skirt a little. Eventually, I began to relax until I saw another run across the pew in front of me and another scuttle past my bag. I clasped my mouth shut with my hand and began shaking in terror. Nate asked if I needed to sit in the foyer and Ben started singing "la cucharacha" under his breath. Since we were in the second row in the middle, I didn't want to disturb everyone by crawling over them unless I had to. So I kept telling myself that it was only an insect, they don't eat people, it was only two, etc. Then I noticed waves of disturbances in other pews and the lady behind me held up 5 fingers. UGH!!!! I am proud to say that I did not jump up and begin speaking in tongues, which is what might have happened. I did make it to the end, but I couldn't tell you about the last 7 testimonies. I thought it a fitting end to the meeting when Bro. Groesbeck said that as long as we are spiritually prepared we have no need to fear. Hmmm.....I wonder where that puts me?