before I die I will...

This story starts about 5 years ago, when on a whim, I created my own little bucket-list...

This list contained about 50 of the things that I wanted to do in my lifetime. Yet, following the pattern that most of my "great ideas" seem to follow, years went by and this list was shuffled to the back of my memory and lost among the many other faint ideas and memories that I had filed away. 

While cleaning out the contents of my computer the other night I came across this little bucket-list that had once been so important to me...

I opened the document and read.

As I read through the list I paused to highlight every hope and dream that has been achieved since the creation of the list. I was slightly disappointed at how short the progress I had made seemed to be. 

Then I noticed something...

Of the 16 items that I had crossed off the list 14 of them had been crossed off only since, and because Kirby had come into my life. This simple fact made each little item crossed off the list mean way more than a simple check on a to-do list ever could on it's own. These checks each represent a special memory I now share with my sweet husband.

I am so thankful for the experiences that this young marriage has brought in to my life and I cannot wait to see how many more "checks" we add to this list in the years to come...

the "checks" I have achieved because of him...

This summer Kirby and I drove from Idaho to Florida, to Alabama; then from Alabama to New York, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, and Colorado back home to Idaho.

 

That blonde blur next to the cutie in the green plaid is me!

 I am glad I saved a screen shot of the beginnings of "Muir to Love."

I seriously miss having a pool, and warm enough weather to swim in it! This was at our apartment in Alabama.

So the pictures of us in this B&B are all lost somewhere on Kirby's old memory card...totally heart-breaking BUT we will be staying here again!

 

The Full Length List:

1.  Go through the temple - 2012 
2. Visit at least one temple in every state (39 left to go as of 2013)
3. Ride on a train
4. Sing karaoke in public - 2010
5. Shake hands with a prophet
6.  Learn how to play the guitar
7. Go scuba diving
8. Visit the Sacred Grove - 2013
9.  Ride in a hot air balloon
10. See a show on Broadway
11. Go on a cruise
12. Become a wife – 2012 (details in this post)
13. Become a mother
14.  Milk a cow (yeah, I know, weird...but I do live in farm country now!)
15. Go on a road trip across America - 2013 (details in this post)
16. Keep a scrapbook for my kids
17. Learn how to take care of all my own finances
18. See the Christmas lights on Temple Square - 2012
19.  Go skinny-dipping
20. Teach someone how to play the piano
21. Eat an authentic Chicago dog - 2013
22.  Learn how to French braid - 2013
23.  Leave the country - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - 2012 (details in this post)
24. Sew a dress
25. Run a marathon
26.  Help build my own home
27. Visit New Zealand
28.  Learn to salsa dance - 2010
29. Join a book club
30.  New Year’s Eve at Time Square
31. Go on a safari
32.  Learn to play poker - 2012
33.  Plant a tree
34. Climb the statue of Liberty
35. Graduate from college
36.  Start a blog - Muir to Love - 2013 (details on this page)
37. Go ice fishing
38. Have Mexican food...from Mexico - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico -2012
39.  Build a tree house
40.  Swim in a waterfall
41. Go backpacking
42.  Keep my own garden
43. Live in another state (not counting school) - Alabama 2013 (details in this post)
44.  Go snow-shoeing
45. Harry Potter Land
46. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast - Spokane, WA - 2012
47. See a real life palm tree - Charleston, SC - 2011
48. Go to Paris
49. Host a dinner-party
50. Own a house

I know...this list is kind of boring as far as bucket-lists go.

But I wanted to create a list I could actually accomplish...and I plan to! 

Good luck to you all on achieving your own personal goals and dreams and thanks for reading!