The updated 101 in 1001

A few years back I started this list...I didnt get very far and had high hopes of completing it. this year I changed it up a little and made things a little more attainable. So here it is in all its glory....my new 101 things to do in 1001 days! Keep me accountable folks!!!! If you can help me accomplish any of these items let me know!!!

1. Take Pilates
2. Run a 5K
3. Learn to cook a really good steak
4. Visit Lake Tahoe for a week and show Ryan around
5. Take a road trip just for fun
6. Eat at a new restaurant once a month
7. Learn about the stock market and invest $1000
8. Camp in Yosemite
9. Read the entire Bible
10. Volunteer
11. Cook dinner at home 3 times a week for 3 months
12. Build a dog sized deck for Bozley
13. Take a vacation and not bring my laptop or phone
14. Shoot a new baby session
15. Learn about wine
16. Go to the dentist twice a year
17. Plant an Herb Garden and use it!
18. Go Sledding
19. Go on a missions trip with my husband
20. Go fishing with Ryan
21. Learn to surf in Hawaii
22. Go to my 20 year High School Reunion! Go Lakers!
23. Learn a martial art or how to box
24. Spend a week in the summer on the east coast
25. Teach Bozley agility courses
26. Go apple picking and make a pie from the apples I pick
27. Ride a segway
28. Walk in the Memory Walk for Alzheimers and raise over $1000
29. Read Art of War
30. Clean out spare room closet
31. Start an account strictly for charity giving and contribute each month
32. Send homemade card to friends
33. Clean out closet and get rid of everything I don’t wear
34. Double my 2009 income
35. Save 90% of what I make for a month
36. Buy a second investment property
37. Eat something I have never tried before
38. Make a new friend
39. Go out on a boat
40. Go camping
41. Send someone a care package
42. Build a snowman
43. Learn to play an entire song on the guitar
44. Have a Martha Stewart looking dinner party
45. Buy an antique
46. Move my moms china hutch into our house
47. Ski in Colorado with Amy and Andy
48. Update the look of my blog
49. Send thank you notes for small, unexpected reasons
50. See a movie on opening night and have to wait in line for it
51. Learn to sew
52. Have a really good Halloween costume
53. Babysit for a friend so they can have a date night
54. Attend a formal event
55. Make a piece of jewelry
56. Paint my living room
57. Help my husband build the deck in the backyard
58. Plant an Orange Tree in our backyard
59. Plant a Thornless Mexican Lime Tree in our backyard
60. Randomly send someone some small item they mentioned wanting
61. Have an adventure
62. Plan a couples night to happen once a month
63. Paint my living room
64. Help Ryan with the removal and remodel of media center in living room
65. Visit family in West Virginia
66. Take a vacation somewhere we haven’t been
67. Get in good shape
68. Take flying lessons
69. Spend a night in a luxury hotel just for fun
70. Go to an Angels Game and not freak out in the crowds
71. Design Shower invites
72. Design Holiday Cards for friends
73. MASTER INDESIGN
74. Learn to knit
75. Buy golf clubs and go golfing with Ryan
76. Resurface the French doors in dinning room
77. Plant yummy veggies in the yard and actually eat them
78. Take more classes
79. Have lunch with a girlfriend at least once a month
80. Get more bookings for family portraits (at least once a month)
81. Cook one new recipe a week for a year!
82. See the monsoons in Arizona
83. Go horseback riding
84. Write in a journal at least once a week
85. Buy 3^rd lens for my camera
86. Buy a new MAC desktop
87. Go to New York
88. Go to San Francisco during the Christmas Season
89. Sell stuff on Ebay
90. Buy something off of Ebay
91. Learn to shoot a gun with Ryan
92. Enter a photo contest
93. Vacation in Napa
94. Ride in a hot air balloon
95. Blog everyday for a month
96. Visit a friend I haven’t seen in a long time
97. Learn a foreign language….Finnish!
98. Do something for someone anonymously
99. Print a photo of Bozley for the Family wall
100. Really try to make all this happen!
101. Take a hike
     

A day with ever growing Avalee

Such a cutie!
she smirks....just like her daddy!

She is already learning to live Biblically!

The other day I was blessed by my dear friend and her daughter April .....and of course Bella. Bella came up to play with Bozley...a puppy play date and I got a lunch date with April. Avalee came into the world on July 4th and has continued to grow....she is a beautiful little girl!!! We had a lot of fun together!

I have the greatest job in the world

Recently I was hired by a great company.....Play-Well TEKnologies. I was hired as a LEGO engineer...I teach engineering concepts to kids using LEGOS. Seriously......I have the coolest job!!!

Recipe #2 : Pineapple and Pork Stir- Fry

For those of you who really know me..you know that I really dont eat a lot of pork. I dont like cooking with ..it scares me..but I am trying to overcome the fear! So in order to do this I tried a new recipe, and much to my surprise it was really good! So here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Pork and Pineapple Stir- Fry
4 servings (1 3/4 cup each)

What you will need:
1 1/4 cups uncooked instant rice
1 3/4 cups water
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if desired)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 can (20oz) pineapple chunks or 16 fresh pineapple chunks, drained, 2 tablespoons liquid
reserved
3/4 pound boneless lean pork, cut into thin bite size strips
1 bag (16oz) coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)

1. Cook rice in 1 1/4 cups of water as directed on package
( I cheated and used already prepared frozen rice from Trader Joes)

2. In small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of the brown sugar, the cornstarch, ginger, pepper flakes, the remaining 1/2 water, the soy sauce, and reserved 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice; set aside.

3. Heat 12 in non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add drained pineapple chunks; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Cook 5 minutes, turning chunks occasionally.

4. Remove pineapple from skillet; set aside. In same skillet, cook and stir pork over medium high heat, 2 minutes.

5. Add coleslaw mix, cook and stir 3 to 6 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in centerand cabbage is tender.

6. Stir pineapple and cornstarch mixture into pork mixture; cook and stir about 3 minutes or until pork is glazed and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over rice.

I also added some fresh snap peas to the stir-fry.


Nutrition Facts:
1 serving
440 Calories
7 grams fat
2.5 grams saturated fat
0 grams trans fat
55mg cholesterol
750 mg sodium
69g carbohydrates

Happy cooking!

New Recipe #1

So in my previous post I said that I was going to try one new recipe a week and post the recipe....here goes!

CHICKEN TORTELLINI SOUP
4 servings ( 2 cups each)

What you will need:
2 cans (14 oz each) fat free chicken broth with 33% less sodium
3 cups water
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb pre-cut chicken breast chunks or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1/2 lb) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 package (9oz) refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 cup frozen sweet peas

1. In 3 quart saucepan or dutch oven, heat broth, water, onions, basil and garlic. Stir in chicken and tortellini . Reduce to medium; simmer uncovered 4 minutes
2. Add spinach and peas; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until spinach is wilted, tortellini is tender and chicken is no longer pink in center. If desired, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition facts: 1 serving
330 Calories
7 grams fat (3g saturated, 0g transfat)
70mg cholesterol
750mg sodium
37g carbohydrates


Next recipe up.....either Chili Lime Pork Chops or Pork and Pineapple stir- fry

Happy Eating!

The goals of 2010

So this post is a little late..I should have posted this last week....but hey I have been busy! Generally I dont make resolutions....mainly because I know that I will not keep them. I have ADD when it comes to resolutions...they sound so good, but then I lose interest and move on. So, I make goals....that way I can give it the old college try and if it doesnt work out then so be it. No harm , no foul! So here are this years goals..in no particular order.

* Love my Husband better
* Try one new recipe a week ( I will try to post the recipe as well)
* Break a sweat (workout..in one form or another) for 300 of the 365 days
* Read the Bible (entirely)...I get bored in the old testament so I am starting in the NT this time!
* Volunteer more
* Worry Less
* Smile More
* Appreciate the little things
* Journal at least once a week
* Blog once a week!
* Take my camera out once a week and shoot around! (post pictures????)

2009 Blessings

As I sit here and think back on the past year..I am realizing that amongst all of the hard times there were so many blessings. I am reminded of God's Faithfulness to us and his goodness and grace. I reminded of the fact that we have good health. We have running water, a roof over heads, food in tummy's and clothes on our backs. Why is that we focus so much on the negative on our lives? This year...I plan to look at all the blessings. To not take advantage of all that we have!

Here are some of the blessings of 2009 (in no particular order)

* Good Health for Ryan and I
* Ryan has a great job that despite the economy keeps growing
* I got hired by a great company to work with kids and teach once again
* Our AMAZING friends that stand next to us...that encourage us, that spur us on. For these friends we are truly grateful!
* Our wonderful and much needed vacation to Kauai that we thought we were going to have to cancel due to finances. But Gods goodness allowed us to go!
* We had a great trip to Arizona in June and spent much needed time with all the kids!
* We joined a married couples Life Group...what a blessing
* We have each other (Ryan and I that is)
* The Lord allowed my mom to stay with us one more year. Despite the disease and how hard it is, I cant imagine a world without my mom.
* We have an AMAZING family.
* We have been able to watch our nieces and nephews grow up more this year. They are becoming such exceptional kids!
* We were able to finish the paver patio in the backyard, due to the help of great friends and family.
* We finally got the dog that we had been waiting for...We LOVE BOZLEY! He brings so much joy and energy into our house! It feels more like a home now that we have him!
* I have been able to watch Ryan's relationships with his brothers grow this year!


I am sure that there are so many other things that I can post.....but we are most grateful for God's grace and provision. He is faithful to us, even when we lack in faith! Here's to an amazing 2010!

The Young Year in Review

January: Ryan and I celebrated 3 years of wedded bliss
February: I felt the nearness of God as I struggled with my moms disease
March: Ryan and I went to Denver to visit my dear friend and her husband. I finally put together my garden in the front of the house
April: I turned 35
May: We hosted a baby shower for the Thompsons...awaiting the arrival of Miss Avalee
June: We brought home our own little bundle of fur...BOZLEY
July: worked at Royal Family Kids Camp and we welcomed little Miss Avalee on the 4th!
August: We started work on the backyard remodel
September: Made our first round of Limoncello. Amy and Andy came out to visit for Amy's birthday and spent the day at Disneyland!
October: Walked in the Memory Walk in honor of my mom. Bozley got stung by 3 bees and went into shock. Saw Star Wars in concert with Anna and EG. Hosted the Halloween party on our newly finished backyard patio!
November: Hosted our first Thanksgiving at home. Went to Kauai
December: Spent Christmas in Arizona. I got hired with Play-Well TEKnologies as a LEGO Engineer!