28 by 29 Update

Since I am now 28.5, I thought I would post an update on how awful I'm doing with me goals.

1 // Read the Book of Mormon twice -- I am ALMOST done with the first go around. I was doing so well there for a while, I just need to finish up so I don't have to keep playing catch-up.

2 //  Write a note to 28 people -- 0/28 written

 

3 // Try 28 new recipes -- 0/28 tried

 

4 // Do my Visiting Teaching every month -- I think we're at 3/6

 

5 // Begin a 50 states album -- I have stuff FOR it..Just need to sit down and get things together

 

6 // Learn 10 fun facts about each state (to include in 50 states album) -- ^^

 

7 // Create an exercise program & do it at least 2 times a week -- Did okay for a little while. Need to step up my game starting MONDAY

 

8 // Document a 'Day in the Life' each month -- Nope. Keep forgetting. My life is too boring

 

9 // Learn more about my ancestors --  Not doing so well on this, though I have plans to  get some info

 

10 // Try 12 things I've pinned on Pinterest -- 0/12 Tried

 

11 // Read a General Conference talk each week (52) -- I have read a few...Need to do better!

 

12 // Perform 12 Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) -- 0/12

 

13 // Plan a girl's day out -- Planned in my mind, just not realistic plans

 

14 // Read 28 new books -- 3/28 (I'll post about this later)

 

15 // Create and send 6 care packages -- 0/6

 

16 // Have 12 planned date nights with the hubby -- 1/6, totally flopped!

 

17 // Run or walk a 5K -- Not yet

 

18 // Go 28 days without Facebook -- Not yet

 

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day -- Doing well on this (Sorry those of you who follow me on Instagram)

 

20 // Memorize 28 scriptures -- 1/28

 

21 // Do something to raise awareness for Scleroderma -- Not yet

 

22 // Do something awesome with my hair -- Done, and will do again

 

23 // Buy 2 new outfits -- Nope

 

24 // Eat at 5 new places -- 1/5 (PANDA)

 

25 // Go on a real vacation with Greg -- We'll see

 

26 // Grow my Etsy shop -- Somewhat

 

27 // Still have no ideas for this

 

28 // Or this one....

 

I'm doing such a bad job!

28 by 29 | Exercise

7 // Create an exercise program & do it at least 2 times a week 

Before I got "sick" I was in the process of training for a half marathon. I was doing awesome. I was running about 4 times a week, and doing Pilates on my 'rest' days. It was so great. I felt great, and even though I wasn't losing weight, I was slimming down, and just knew if I kept going I would eventually start to lose the weight. I didn't get super far in my training before everything hurt, and the shooting pains became unbearable. I was so bummed.

Over the  past two years since then, I just have not wanted to do anything. Walking around the block kicked my butt, and lifting things were just too hard. I hate it. All I wanted (and still want) to do was sit around. 

I know that exercise is important, especially when you feel like crap, but I have to say, they are lying in those arthritis commercials when they say that you feel better when you get up and move. I repeat: IT IS A LIE!! There is no ounce of truth. I don't even feel good on the inside. I want to punch and kick things is how I feel. 

However, I decided I just need to do it. I decided to include it on my {28 by 29} list so  I would have to do it. I kept it simple and only required 2 work out days. If I do more, awesome, if not, then great. I sucked it up the first month. I guess I could count the times that Greg and I walked around the block, but I sucked it up for sure. 

Well, you can read about why I finally decided to get started {here}. I even made a chart and everything. That is the first step. I was a bit surprised that Greg actually would be on board with it, since I decided I'd put him on there too so we could have a competition.

We did pretty well for week 1. (I started last week). This week wasn't as good, since I had appointments, and other things going on, but I did still get my two days in, so I still get a gold star!

It really has not felt good. Not one little bit. My hips are killing me, my feet are hurting, and my arms are sore. I have been wearing arm weights when I walk to hopefully help build up my upper body strength. It sucks, however, I can still smile after walking a full half mile! Go me!

Some motivation? Right...

This is how I feel most days. Greg teases me about being a T-Rex. It's sad how true it is.

Hopefully one day I'll be able to run again. It's my goal. Or, I will just continue to kick my treadmills butt by walking 1.5 mph!

28 by 29 | August Picture a Day

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

I did really well during the month of July taking at least 3 pictures each day. Sorry if you follow me on instagram and get sick of my random pictures. Here are the prompts for August. Feel free to play along, using the #mydailylife365, and feel free to tag me @bre11414. I will be posting each of my photos to instagram. It's going to be a lot of fun! Come play along!

My favorite Photo-a-Day from July: Day 13 {Bright}

 A bright and sunny Sunday morning in Wyoming.

28 by 29 | Date Night 1

16 // Have 12 planned date nights with the hubby 

That equals one real(ish) date per month. We don't ever really go on dates. We just do our thing week after week. I want to actually have something planned so it's like we are actually going on a date, not just being our usual coupley selves.

Since July was slowly coming to an end and I hadn't really come up with anything to do, I ran across the above image on Pinterest, and decided that's what we'd do for our first date. On July 17, I sent Greg that image in a text and said, "You, me, tomorrow night?"

Strangely, he agreed. He even went shopping for the pizza toppings while I was at work. And he put the bread dough in. We have a bread maker, so don't expect any fancy recipe for the dough. It was quite basic, and I'm sure Pinterest has even better recipes anyway!

We both had the idea to make individual pizzas, so we heated up the oven and started rolling out the dough. About 30 seconds into it, we saw a spark, then a fire in our oven. The bottom element was burning out, literally burning. It was kind of funny. We had to get out our toaster oven to finish making them. They still turned out delicious.

 {Greg's is on top, mine are on the bottom}

Once they were done, we ate and watched, "I, Frankenstein" which was a lot better than I imagined it would be. Seeing previews I thought it looked super cheesy, but it really was quite good, and a different twist on the Frankenstein story.

Now, it really wasn't much more than what we normally do, but making a point to call it a date, and putting away our phones, ipad, and tablets for those few hours made it all the more special. Now I just need to come up with 11 more date ideas. What do you have?

28 by 29 | Conference Talks 1

11 // Read a General Conference talk each week

Part of my goal for the 28 by 29 project is to improve myself mentally, physically, and spiritually. One way I'd like to do the last one is to read a General Conference talk each week. I can get the last 87 Conference issues of the Ensign on my phone and kindle, so it's easy access. I didn't want to be too particular on what I read, I just wanted it to be kind of random, so I use random.org to choose the issue, then the talk. Since technically my 28 by 29 started on a Wednesday, I'm going to use Sunday as my day to read the talks, and post my thoughts on Monday.

The talk I chose this week is from April 2011, by Larry M. Gibson, called, "Sacred Keys of the Aaronic Priesthood."

He speaks about the responsibility of holding the Aaronic Priesthood keys, and how he worked with a young Deacon president to learn his responsibilities. He has this young man go to the scriptures to find the answer, and then to pray about what he needs to do. One part I really liked was when Elder Gibson says, "Go to the scriptures and discover for ourselves what our duties are." I think can apply to both men and women in any callings we have. Yes, the priesthood responsibilities are more spelled out, but in any calling, if we have questions, if we turn to the Lord with real intent, we will learn what our duties are.

It goes on to explain that one of the responsibilities is to invite all to come unto Christ, and one way to do such is to serve others. I love that he quote President Monson saying, "The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others." As there is so much controversy as to whether or not women should have the priesthood, I think the quote speaks quite directly to women, as we are known to be more charitable, and to serve. We don't need to hold the priesthood to serve others, but we can use the blessings of the priesthood to serve.

Elder Gibson goes on to say, "Service is the very foundation of the priesthood—service to others as exemplified by the Savior." Without service, including service of women, the priesthood would not function the way our Heavenly Father intended it to.

When I first chose this talk, I thought, "Oh great. A talk about the priesthood. How will this apply to me?" But as I read through, yes it was more intended for men, but I was able to see and notice how the priesthood blesses me in my life, and how I, as a woman, can use the blessings of the priesthood, service being one of them!

28 by 29 | July Picture a Day

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

I love taking pictures, and I love looking at pictures. I need to take more pictures, so to help with that, one of my goals is to take at least 3 pictures each day. Now, there are a lot other picture-a-day challenges out there, but of course, I had to create my own. Feel free to play along, using the #mydailylife365, and feel free to tag me @bre11414. I will be posting each of my photos to instagram. It's going to be a lot of fun! Come play along!

Going along with this challenge, I will also be taking a picture each day of something that made me happy. Not only will that get me thinking about how I was blessed that day, but I also get to share my happiness with you! I'm using the #mydailyhappy365. I can do this!

28 by 29 | #9 Intro

9 // Learn more about my ancestors

Number 9 on my list is really important to me. One thing that has been really encouraged by our church leaders is doing our Family History, or Genealogy. I've kind of had a bad attitude about it, but then I realized I was going at it all wrong. Instead of just searching for names, why not get to know these people I'm researching, and why not start with those closest to me.

For a while now, I've been really wanting to get together with my Grandma Norene and learn more about my Grandpa Stan. He passed away before I was born, so I know very, VERY little about him. In April we  had a Relief Society Activity where we learned a little about the importance of keeping journals and personal histories. I was so moved by it, that I made the decision to ask my Grandma if I could come over sometime and learn more about my Grandpa. For whatever reason, he was just not talked about a whole lot, so there is a lot for me to learn about him.

On Sunday, I was in Cokeville for my niece Lilli's baptism. After the baptism we were at my parent's house eating brownies and ice cream, and my sister Shari started talking about how she hadn't been to the dentist in a while. This led to talking about teeth, and my Grandma just came out with, "Your Grandpa Stan had perfect teeth." As soon as she said that I got a little excited. She went on to talk about him and his perfect teeth. She told us that he never had a cavity in his life, but he did have a false tooth.

Grandpa Stan used to participate in Cutter Racing, which is a race featuring two horses, a driver and a chariot racing together down a quarter mile of track. When it is done on snow they use skis on the sleds, but this particular race, Grandpa Stan was on dirt, so his sled had wheels. As he was racing, a rock flipped up and split one of his teeth vertically. It was replaced with a false tooth.

It wasn't a long story, but it was a fun couple of pieces of trivia that I didn't know about my Grandpa: he had perfect teeth, except for his false tooth, and he participated in cutter racing. I also learned what cutter racing was. Then I was able to learn a little about my dad and uncle. Apparently my Uncle Stan also has perfect teeth, while my dad doesn't. Thanks dad!

As I was getting ready to come home, I gave my Grandma a hug and she said, "I'm looking forward to you coming over so I can tell you more stories." It made me incredibly happy. I plan to write stories here that I learn about him, or any of my ancestors, as well as posting them over on FamilySearch.org. I am so dang excited! I want to eventually also put them together in a scrapbook, which could just be one of my goals for next year.

28 by 29 | Introduction

Sometimes I come up with these really great ideas, and then I get super excited about them, and then I get a few weeks into it, and 'give up'. Well, this time I really have it.

I want this next year to be the best year ever. And the year after that, and the year after that. I want to do something awesome with my life, so one needs goals. I've been doing this every year for the past few years, but this year I want to share my experiences, and get feedback and advice, and encouragement from you. Otherwise, this will just turn into another one of those epic fails.

I'm still in the process of completing my list, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Instead of doing vague goals like, "Lose weight" or "Organize my house," I went a bit more specific. I think you have to be, or else it's harder to feel like you've accomplished something.

Here is my list so far. I'll be explaining each one of the goals as time goes on, but I really good use a few more suggestions. I'm stuck. So, here we go...

28 things to do before I turn 29

1 // Read the Book of Mormon twice

2 //  Write a note to 28 people

3 // Try 28 new recipes

4 // Do my Visiting Teaching every month

5 // Begin a 50 states album

6 // Learn 10 fun facts about each state (to include in 50 states album)

7 // Create an exercise program for myself and do it at least 2 times a week

8 // Document a 'Day in the Life' each month

9 // Learn more about my ancestors

10 // Try 12 things I've pinned on Pinterest

11 // Read a General Conference talk each week (52)

12 // Perform 12 Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)

13 // Plan a girl's day out

14 // Read 28 new books

15 // Create and send 6 care packages

16 // Have 12 planned date nights with the hubby

17 // Run or walk a 5K

18 // Go 28 days without Facebook

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

20 // Memorize 28 scriptures

21 // Do something to raise awareness for Scleroderma

22 // Do something awesome with my hair

23 // Buy 2 new outfits

24 // Eat at 5 new places

25 // Go on a real vacation with Greg

26 // 

27 // 

28 // 

Now I'm stuck. Help me out with those last three. I'm up for just about anything.

Like I said, I'll talk more about each one over time, and explain a little more about my intentions with this. I just need to get it out there, so I can be thinking about how to fulfill these. I made them easy enough to accomplish, but not so easy that I can do them all in one day. This is a daily challenge to help me become a better person mentally, spiritually, physically, and any other way I can be a better person.

I'm excited. Are you?