A Year of Family Selfies

Hello on this Monday! I was clearing out my draft folder and thought this post should go live.

Just some random goal I came up with and managed to complete in 2016.

A Year of Family Selfies. That was the random goal :) 

Ultimately, I was just happy to have a monthly family picture.

I wasn't going for anything glamorous, just simple pictures documenting us in real life each month.

Being a military family was a major complication.

A year of selfies doesn't equal 12. A year of selfies gets to be whatever the military 

decides he will here for.

In 2016, the magic number was 6. 

A mediocre number, Marine Corps, but still thankful for 6 :)

Hiking Idyllwilde January 2016

Miniature golf Murrieta February 2016 

(no Zachy)

San Francisco in March 2016

Bearizona in April 2016

University of North Carolina Wilmington- May 2016

Movie bound- June 2016

A goodbye in July 2016

Just to complete a full year, I'm adding our homecoming picture.

A hello in January 2017.

I think we need to try again in 2017. Kind of hoping for 12 pictures this year ;)

Road Trip California Central Coast

In our attempt to squeeze every drop out of our time left in California. We felt a road trip up the California Coast with the final stop as San Francisco was appropriate. I had no idea what awaited us. Central California coastline is nothing you imagine California to be. All the bucket list ideas of driving up Highway 1 are rightfully noted! Pictures can't begin to do it justice!

Paso Robles

Big Sur

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey 

San Francisco

I'll be posting more for Big Sur/Monterey and San Francisco later in the week. I just wanted to post some photos which created a summary of our trip. I'm still in awe!

Glen Ivy Hot Springs

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness! Sunday was one of the most relaxing day of my life. My friend brought me to the spa. Believe it or not, I've never been to a spa. Which I now realize is one of the biggest mistakes I've made in life :)  I plan to make up for all the lost opportunity! I've got my return visit booked at Glen Ivy Hot Springs in a few weeks. This time I making it a date with my husband. 

Everything about Glen Ivy is wonderful. Lots of heated pools. Shaded property. Lounge chairs. People bringing drinks poolside. Mineral baths. No children. For all you mommas, teachers, and caregivers out there, think nap time multiplied by 100 kind of quiet. I can only ask myself why have I not been doing this self-care thing regularly? After all the spoiling I had Sunday, I know the necessity!

At this particular spa there was a mineral bath which is suppose to be great for you in some way. The thing is it smells like rotten hard boiled eggs. Not the most pleasant or the first thing you want to consider doing to relax. But it really did feel so relaxing. And you get over the smell..mostly.

This was one of the saline tubs. A gigantic tub with epsom salt.

Club Mud. The best thing about Glen Ivy Hot Springs in my opinion. Check inhibitions at the door! It's like being a three year old again and throwing caution to the wind. Club Mud is all about covering your self head to toe in mud then baking yourself until you are a crusty shell. I loved every minute and this is why I'm headed back. Well, that, and the floating bean bag chairs… and the fresh squeezed blood orange mimosas. Ok, and maybe the no kid thing.  

Tell me readers, are you a spa lover? Please share all you know! I'm just learning the ropes.

A Walk Across Town

Some of you may vaguely remember a list I created over a year ago here. My 101 Things In 1001 Days bucket list of sorts. I've never published it nor do I talk about it much. You might notice me using hashtags like #101thingsin1001days or #101 in1001 on my Instagram. The hashtag signifies me crossing something off my list.

Most recently, I took a beautiful Sunday afternoon to walk across our town. 6.5 miles of hilly terrain. It was kind of fun. Kind of exhausting. And I did it! 2.5 hours total to complete. 

When I put this adventure on my list a year ago there was a different meaning. I thought a simple physical challenge to empower me. However, after finding out we were moving to North Carolina the walk became more about my connection to this place we call home. 

I know the more I think about this connection the more I know it's so big for me. The emotion of leaving Temecula is because for the first time in 17 years of military life I've felt like I could call a place home. I know I've never been able to do that outside of Iowa. Walking the length of this city gave me a chance to know the city more. This walk wasn't quite goodbye but it is a start. I'm going to remember this one.

Believe In or Settle For

I'm a list person. That's just who I am. Come into my house on any given day, ask me to see all the lists I currently have, and I can show you at least 5. Lists make me feel organized. They make me feel focused and accomplished when I cross even one thing off. Doesn't matter if that one thing was get the mail out of the mailbox!

You better believe I buy into bucket lists, life or seasonal. A certain number before a certain age lists. And most recently, a 101 Things in 1001 Days. I've been working on the latter since the new 2015 year. To keep on track with the '101 Things' list, you need to complete a task approximately every 10 days. Seven months into the list, I should have 21 things accomplished. I have 15. While it's not on schedule, I still feel good about the progress. Some of my list is a process, like send birthday cards to every person in my family throughout an entire year. That takes a while to complete. While others are things I can choose to complete in one day, like 'Say yes for a whole day'. Believe me everyone wants to be around for that day!

All of my list is meant to push me towards bettering myself, enjoying my life, and accomplishing some goals. One of my 101 Things includes answering all 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind. I felt the questions would push me to open up to others. Which is kind of cheating because my blog does provide a bit of anonymity, but it's a start!

Currently on #7: Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

I do believe in what I am doing right now. Personally, I have committed to being fully present for my family. I have struggled with my desire to spread myself a little thinner with activities, more schooling, or committing time to a cause placed on my heart.  But my kids and husband won out because of my personal choice. I'm not feeling the pressure of time right now. I feel everything has a season and this particular season is about my family. I trust there will be time for the other things later. I can honestly say this is a new feeling :)

Professionally, I'm on the fence about whether I'm settling or believing in my work. On one hand, I feel like I believe in my work. The field of school age care is developing. I like being a part of a field with so much potential growth. I like creating and implementing a quality program for my (work) kids. I like that my job supports families who work and provides them with a sense of comfort regarding their children. Those things make me happy. I also believe in my role as a leader. Not that I do a phenomenal job at leading :) but that I have learned more about myself in this role than any other aspect of my life. I have been knocked down repeatedly. I've cried lots and lots and lots of tears. I've been boiling mad for days. I've contemplated quitting without notice and finding a retail job with a really great discount for the rest of my life! But I have always picked myself back up. And after I do, I'm better for it. A little meaner… but better.

When I feel I'm settling, it is because I believe there is bigger work out there. A demographic really in need of help. Parents who work but can't afford quality care. Kids who are begging for someone to encourage, support, and work off the clock for them. My heart is ready for that kind of purpose. I just don't think the season is right.

Make Me Rich!

If happiness was the national currency, how would you earn the most money? Would you need to change your career or the way you spend your time? Recently, I read Oprah's book What I Know For Sure which really made me think about what I do to get myself happy. My conclusion: Not a lot. I find myself getting into really comfortable routines. Routines I'm not even sure I like. Sometimes, I look back on an evening or weekend and think 'What a waste of time!" Clearly I'm not very smart.

It may be the Oprah haze talking, but I think it's time for a change. I'll put the summer bucket on the back burner and work on a happy list.  They say 21 days make a habit! Maybe by the time the hubby leaves I will have it all figured out! 

My short list for happy:

Taking pictures
Water--like oceans and lakes
Quietness
Alone time
A Clean House

Now, all I need is to change our entire economic currency to happiness and life will be grand! Who is with me?!?

What The World Needs Now...

What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I'm not trying to get philosophical here but I suppose these questions matter. I find myself existing on a superficial plane sometimes, do you? Not a vroom vroom airplane, think geometry ;) I talk about things like the Kardashians and silly work problems. The weather and what the latest movies are. Super important stuff *sarcasm* that really doesn't matter. I do not need to have extremely serious or personal conversations all the time but every once in awhile it is ok to push below the surface!

These 50 Questions To Free Your Mind are pushing me to do just that. My goal is to complete all 50 in blog posts over the next two years, as part of my 101 Things In 1001 Days. 

Back to that 'change the world' question, I would choose HATE. I can't even watch the news anymore. All the crap going on over in the Middle East. That's the worst kind of pain for my heart. Motivated by hatred for others and their beliefs. All the bullying you read about on the internet. Just hatefulness. Nothing good comes from such extreme negativity. We don't even have to replace it with LOVE, just some mind-your-own-business feelings!

I'm good with differences. I'm good with getting a little annoyed everyone can't agree with you. I want people to see everything my way too! It's understandable people dislike other people or things. All of those irritations seem very normal. However, hatred is the extreme which often motivates evil things. I think we all would be better off without it!

36 Acts of Birthday Kindness

My birthday motto: The best way to celebrate another year is to share kindness with others. 

Much like last year's 35 Acts of Birthday Kindness (<---- link="" p="">

We added a few more friends to the bunch and tried to change up the random acts of kindness.

Always a good way to grow older!

#1 Post address to write letters for families of fallen Marines.

#2 Comments on Facebook

#3 Call my grandma

#4 More Love Letters.com

#6 Breakfast for friends

#7 Giveaway flowers to moms

#8 Giveaway balloons to kids

#9 Hand out compliment cards

#10 Quarters in the vending machines

#11 Open doors for 10 strangers 

(BTW if you aren't doing this day-to-day I recommend trying it)

#12 Buy frozen yogurt for a stranger

#13 Straighten shelves and hanging racks at a store

#14 Pennies for wishes

#15 Hide $ in children's books at the bookstore

#16 Put carts away at the Toys R Us

#17 Straighten the shelves at TRU

#18 Buy candy for cashiers

#19 Leave diapers and wipes in the changing stations

#20 Give a gift card to a shopper

# 21 Buy movie tickets for a couple waiting in line

#22 Flowers to senior center

#23 Potted flowers for seniors

#24 Treats to senior center

#25 Note to senior center

#26 Water for anyone who needs it

#27 Bubble basket for a family together at the park

#28 Free popsicles at the park 

#29 Happy Sidewalk chalk messages/art

#30 Best yard award to a house in the neighborhood

#31 Take down garage sale signs

#32 Pick up trash around the local school

#33 Pass candy out to people

#34 Bubbles to someone at the park

#35 Happy messages on parked cars

#36 Give a gift to someone in need

About a week after my birthday kindness day, I was the recipient of a random act of kindness (RAOK). Someone saw the writing on my van about 36 acts of kindness and stuck a very sweet note with gift in my window. I'm going to put it away with my other 101 things in 1001 days envelopes and open in 2017. It will be a fun reminder of this day!

Saying Versus Doing

When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? I suppose for me the answer is YES! I love to talk about dreams. I think up some pretty lofty goals. Bucket lists are my past time!  When it comes to making goals reality, I tend to fail.

I'm always waiting for the right moment. Trying to gauge the perfect time to pursue what I have in mind. But  there is always something standing in the way of moving forward. Most recently I created a list of 101 things in 1001 days. To accomplish the tasks, you have to average completing a new goal every two weeks. I feel this has been the biggest push towards me doing more than I say. Five months into the project I've accomplished 11 of 15 goals expected for the duration. 

Things like writing encouraging letters to strangers and completing a random act of kindness birthday project. Hiking outside California and finding the courage to make a radical hairstyle change. All those crazy ideas I always talk about but never do. Maybe it's really age that gives me courage rather than a silly idea from Pinterest. 

Regardless, I'm feeling the courage to be bold enough to start accomplishing some of these things I've always talked about! How about you? Where do you fall on the saying vs doing spectrum? What encourages you to do more of what you are talking about?



50 Questiosn To Free Your Mind

Sedona Hiking

After a day at the Grand Canyon, we made our way south to Sedona. Most well known for the red rocks. We didn't spend much time but we made a quick hike at Midgley Bridge Trail. Making our way down to the trail was more than enough for my nerves. It was steep! But the views down by the river may have been well worth it!