This Is Not a Bucket List...

I am really annoyed by the term "bucket list".  I just think it's kind of dumb.  So this is just stuff I want to do...eventually.

-Learn how to say the alphabet backwards.
-Do a back handspring
-Run a half-marathon (a full one seems painful)
-Speak a foreign language fluently (knowing a few phrases in French is no longer impressive)
-Learn how to cook good enough where Ryan doesn't say, "Here, let me finish cooking that chicken up for you," as he's gently pushing me away from the stove. 
-Get through a pedicure without giggling and pulling my feet away.
-Stay caught up on laundry
-Do karaoke
-Learn how to grow a garden and keep from killing everything.
-Learn how to walk on my hands
-Dance like John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever."  Awesome.
-Go to a Dave Matthews concert (come on, Stewart...let me tag along next time.)
-Get a basketball goal in my yard and yell, "Jordan!" every time I slam it.
-Master the Moonwalk.
-Have long legs (okay, I'll never have long legs, but I'll never learn to cook either, so whatever)
-Play the banjo.
-Live in New York City (maybe when the kids are in college and Ryan and I have nothing else to do)
-Jump off the high dive at Point Mallard.
-Finish college
-Read Braille
-Be on Jeopardy and win big.
-Find the perfect shade of lipstick.  Years of wearing make-up and I still can't get it right :)
-Go to Switzerland and Austria and ski.  I hear it looks like a snow-globe there.
-Visit every state capitol. 
-Have nice handwriting.
-Go to bed at 9:00 pm every night (Again, maybe when the girls are in college)

I Was Running!

One of my favorite movies ever is "Forrest Gump".  I love everything about that movie;  the actors in it, the soundtrack, the way it moves through the different decades.  What I love most about it though is the movie's resounding theme...running.  In fact, my favorite line from the movie is, "From that day on everywhere I went, I was running!"  I just love how he says it.  You can tell Forrest loved to run.  Now, I'm nowhere near the runner he was, but I do understand his love for it.  I understand his excitement when he got a new pair of running shoes from Jenny.  I understand how he had the urge to run to nowhere in particular.  I had that urge today, tonight actually, about 8:00 pm.  I have taken a long break from running, due to housing a human being in my tummy for 38 weeks.  I knew getting back into it would be tough, after all I am lugging around a little extra weight since the last time I laced up my Nikes, but I was determined to do it anyway.  I've been telling myself that I'd start today, but today always turned into tomorrow and then before I knew it, two months passed since having Anne Claire.  I couldn't think of any more excuses tonight, so I changed into my (snug) running t-shirt and my (even snugger) running shorts and got out the door.  I began slowly, mainly because I wasn't sure if I'd remember how to run.  Then I began to hit my stride, a painful, shallow-breathing stride, but a stride nonetheless.  I sped up, realized that was a mistake, and slowed my pace a little.  It was getting darker by the minute, and for a moment I thought that running this late was a bad decision.  That passed when I realized I had forgotten, shall I say, a particular undergarment that ladies should wear whilst doing any sort of strenuous activity.  Darkness in that capacity had become my friend :)  I gave myself little milestones like, "Just get to the yield sign and you can walk for thirty seconds."  Then I would give myself a little mental "high-five," and say "Way to rock it out, you super-athlete, you!"  Okay, the second part is untrue, but I may try that next time.  By the time I reached my house, I was sweating (sorry Mom, glistening) and I felt like my lungs were about to explode.  I staggered through the front door and Allison said, "Mom, what happened?"  All I could spew out was, "Uhhhgghhhhh."  I sat down and felt my lungs fill back up with oxygen and downed a bottle of water.  Despite the side cramps and charlie horse I could feel developing in my leg, I felt awesome.  Sure, I may be able to speak in only one syllable words for the next 12 hours, but it was totally worth it.

You and Me in the Summertime

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a swimming pool in the backyard.  Anyone who knows me better knows that I have not been in that pool, or any pool for that matter, in the last two years.  It's not that I don't know how to swim, or that I don't like swimming, because I do.  I just don't want to stuff myself in a bathing suit, nor do I want to get my hair wet.  Shallow yes, makes sense to me and my frizzy hair, absolutely.  Five years ago, pre-Mary Carolyne, Laurie and Anne Claire, me and my 125-lbs self wouldn't have thought twice about putting on my bathing suit and jumping in.  Now, me and my no way am I gonna say-lbs self get nauseated at the idea of putting on a suit and having adjust certain areas so as not to offend neighbors or scare children. That being said,  I love our backyard pool and I was glad that Ryan had the girls in it when I came home from work today.  They looked so cute splashing around and jumping off the diving board.  I decided since I won't get in, I'd take a few pictures....

How Do I Love Thee?

In light of our six-year wedding anniversary, which will be June 19th, I thought I would share some of the things that I love about my sweet Ryan.

1.  I love that you love God.
2.  I love that you love me, no matter what.
3.  I love that you love our babies, no matter what.
4.  I love that you think I'm the prettiest girl in the world, even when I have on no make-up and I haven't slept a wink the night before.
5.  I love that you put gas in my car.
6.  I love that you understand how important my Sunday afternoon naps are :)
7.  I love that you let me use up all the DVR space on my shows.
8.  I love that you separate your clothes in the correct laundry bags.
9.  I love how you can organize drawers and cabinets.
10. I love that you laugh at me/with me, whatever.  I love to hear you laugh and know that I can make you laugh.
11. I love that you wanted a big family (I think we got one faster than we thought!)
12. I love that you have the best of both your mom and dad.
13. I love that you respect your parents.
14. I love that you are willing to cook supper nearly every night.
15. I love that you record shows that you think I'll like.
16. I love that you call me "Linds" even though I pretend I don't like it.
17. I love that you get me the most thoughtful gifts.
18. I love that you help me with housework.
19. I love to hear you sing/rap.
20. I love that you have nice feet :)
21. I love that you know the words to every Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast song and you sing along with the girls.
22. I love that you don't say anything when I run up a tab at the coffee shop.
23. I love that you smell like Old Spice :)
24. I love your hands.  They make me feel safe...mainly because you can throw a mean punch.
25. I love that you like to cuddle on the couch with me.
26. I love that you can eat a Krystal in one bite.
27. I love that Mary Carolyne loves you so much, she even wants a beard like yours :)
28. I love that you take the girls out for Daddy/Daughter time :)
29. I love that whenever you order a salad at a restaurant, you say, "And I'm gonna want a bunch of crackers."
30. I love that you are to the penny on our checkbook.
31. I love that you brought me and my mom flowers when we went on our second date.
32. I love that reading makes you sweat :)  It's cool, reading is not for everyone.
33. I love that the first time you told me you loved me was on the beach.
34. I love that you drove over an hour to my house when we were dating, just to bring me a pumpkin for Halloween.
35. I love that you bought me a Christmas Tree to put in my apartment when we were dating.

36. I love that you told me you check the messages at work, just to hear my voice on the outgoing message.

37. I love that you said, "Do you mind if I live vicariously through your shoes?"  So funny :)

38. I love your "fake laugh".

39. I love that you like to have people over to our home.

40. I love that we played poker at your 10th birthday party.

41. I love that you taught me to swim when we were nine and you didn't make fun of me for being nine and not knowing how to swim yet ;)

42. I love that you are sweet to children.

43. I love that you agree with me that we have no business having a dog right now!

44. I love that you don't get mad at me when I mess up.

45. I love that you expect our girls to treat me with respect.

46. I love that you laugh at me when I try to moonwalk.

47. I love that you can figure out math problems in your head :)

48. I love that you are sweet to my momma.

49. I love that you vacuum under the couch because I always forget to.

50. I love how you always stand up for me.

Happy Anniversary!  You are my sweet, sweet Ryan and I love you more than you'll ever know!