Bucket List #22 - Run in a race = Complete

On Thanksgiving morning, I ran in my first race. It was a 5k in Draper called the Utah Human Race, and yes, it was 6 degrees outside. All the proceeds went to the Utah Food Bank and LDS Humanitarian Services. So this is Olivia, Brett, and I before the race.

And Brett, Olivia, and Tricia. This was Tricia's 6th race of 2010. She's so awesome! I have the awesomest friends!
And Olivia, Me, and Tricia

Me after the race. I ran the whole way! It cost extra to be timed, so I don't really know how long I took. Tricia thinks I probably came in around 33ish minutes. Not too bad!

Yes, those are icicles on my eyelashes. It actually wasn't too cold while I was running, but I almost became an igloo afterward when we were standing around all sweaty.

The whole gang with the blow-up turkey. Tricia's family also participated. Happy Thanksgiving! And thanks friends for letting me join you on this frigid Thanksgiving morning! I think we've started a tradition!

And hurray for the first item on my bucket list being complete! I'm running in a 10k this Saturday. At the end of this 5k, I thought, I must be crazy to run twice this much next weekend. Let's just say, there's going to be some walking happening during the 10k!

Bucket List

I don't know about you, but ideas of things that I want to do in my lifetime always pop into my head. I finally decided I would sit down and jot a bunch of them down so that they were in writing, and so that I could commit to actually accomplishing them. It ended up being 100 things. So here is my bucket list (it may expand with time, but this is a good start):
1. Visit all 50 states (at this point "visiting" means my feet or the tires of my car being in the state boundaries, though I would love to actually sight see in every state eventually)
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona - √
Arkansas
California - √
Colorado - √
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia - √
Hawaii
Idaho - √
Illinois - √
Indiana - √
Iowa - √
Kansas - √
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland - √
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota - √
Mississippi
Missouri - √
Montana - √
Nebraska - √
Nevada - √
New Hampshire
New Jersey - √
New Mexico - √
New York - √
North Carolina
North Dakota - √
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon - √
Pennsylvania - √
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas - √
Utah - √
Vermont
Virginia - √
Washington - √
West Virginia
Wisconsin - √
Wyoming - √

2. Visit Italy
3. Learn to play the guitar again
4. Go to a round of a major PGA golf tournament
5. Go to a night tennis match at the US Open
6. Visit Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont in the fall
7. Go to Disney World
8. Go skydiving
9. Visit Jerusalem
10. Touch the Great Wall of China
11. Visit Angkor Wat
12. Go bungee jumping
13. Kiss a black guy
14. Go to a Laker game at the Staples Center
15. See Mount Rushmore
16. Hike Half Dome
17. Get married in the temple
18. Get Lasik surgery
19. Own a home
20. See Celine Dion in concert
21. Hear Josh Groban sing “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”
22. Run in a race – 11/25/2010
23. Kiss in the rain
24. Be covered head-to-toe in mud
25. Go skinny dipping (for real)
26. Go to an NFL game
27. Go camping at Barton Flats again
28. Do a session at every temple I possibly can
29. Be a photographer
30. Do the temple ordinances for at least one of my ancestors
31. Write a personal history
32. Stomp in a vat of grapes to make grape juice
33. Kiss on the top of a mountain
34. Build something from scratch with my own two hands (like a piece of furniture)
35. Take each of my nieces and nephews on a vacation just me and them (if I never accomplish #17; if I do accomplish #17, take each of my kids too, of course!)
36. Play on a volleyball team again
37. Re-watch all of LOST
38. Wear a jersey with my last name on the back
39. Create a work of art
40. Take a cooking class
41. Take a dance class
42. Perform a dance for an audience
43. Be a scripture scholar
44. Memorize The Family: A Proclamation to the World
45. Memorize The Living Christ
46. Read Jesus, The Christ
47. Go to the baptism of someone I have helped convert
48. Ride in a hot air balloon
49. Go on a cruise
50. Slalom water ski again
51. See a tornado
52. Watch the sunrise from the top of Mt. Timpanogos
53. Be a temple worker
54. Drive across the country (preferably in an RV)
55. Win a game of PR with zero points
56. Punch someone in the face
57. Shoot a bow and arrow
58. Get a professional massage
59. Golf 18 holes
60. Go to events at the Olympics
61. Make a wedding cake
62. Be in the right place at the right time
63. Scuba dive
64. Be on the Amazing Race with my dad
65. Hike the Grand Canyon
66. Serve a mission with my husband (again hinging on that ol' #17)
67. Go deep sea fishing
68. Hike to Delicate Arch
69. Go repelling
70. Visit Prague
71. See Stonehenge
72. Visit Machu Picchu
73. Go to a taping of the Today Show
74. Bowl over 200
75. Catch a foul ball at a baseball game
76. Win something in a raffle
77. Eat a maple donut with bacon crumbles on top
78. Eat something disgusting
79. Surf
80. Ask a boy on a first date
81. Go curling
82. Be on Cash Cab
83. Go snowshoeing under a full moon
84. Help build or renovate a house or part of a house
85. Go to Banff National Park
86. Shoot a hand gun – Jack Bauer style
87. Take a picture of lightning
88. Mow a lawn
89. Kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve
90. Do service in a third world country
91. Fly first class
92. Go to a rodeo
93. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
94. Learn to make delicious Thai yellow curry
95. Do a back walk over again
96. Ride the Heber Creeper
97. Fly in a helicopter
98. Get Steve Young’s autograph
99. Meet the prophet
100. See Lord of the Rings sites in New Zealand

Feliz Cumpleanos a Mi

So sorry for the long absence! Life has been nonstop lately. So while things are a little slow here at the ol' workplace, I thought I would post quickly about my birthday festivities. It is quite possible that I have the best family and friends on the face of the earth! My parents were in town Halloween weekend for Sophie's blessing and to meet little Isaac, so we had a family party that weekend. Then I had a party with my friends on my actual birthday. This will mostly be pictures...

Pea coat from the parentals...love it!
This kid came to celebrate with me. :)

And this goofy kid...

And my dear sweet Dedo...

No candles = a match to blow out = very funny!

And Podge, Ryan, and Izzy were there...

And these two motherly hotties were there...

And this most awesome bro-in-law was there...

The family party was a blast!

So my first ever blog post was on my 30th birthday last year, and I documented a day in the life of me. This is a day in the life of me on my 31st birthday.... one hour on this bad boy at 5:30am. I asked for possible names to name him since he is my boyfriend. Someone suggested Lance (after Lance Armstrong), and I quite like it! Lance loves my sweaty rear sitting on him everyday. :)

Then this breakfast of champions around 7am. Vanilla Almond Shredded Wheat is my current fav and avocado toast is pure heaven!

Then I headed to work for good 8-hour work day.

Amy brought the kiddos up to take me to lunch at Lonestar Taqueria. Delicious! And kissing these face is the best birthday present ever!

Then we tried to teach Jack, a 2-year-old, how to actually take a picture of people. Very funny!

Still very funny!

Then I met up with a bunch of friends for dinner at Cafe Rio. Yummmm! Every mean really is a masterpiece!

Then it was off to Michelle's for cake and ice cream and games. Again, no candles, so I blew out matches. I think it might be a new tradition!

Gotta love that Costco red velvet cake!

Let me just name all my friends who were there for journaling purposes... Julie Burns and Kyle Kallas

Brett Bytendorp

Nathan Jones and Tricia Ellison

Michelle Chatterton (thanks for making my party awesome!), Heather Litster, and Gretchen Jeske

Tricia Ellison and Olivia Oldham

I had to include this pic because it cracks me up. Kyle was checking the Jazz score constantly on his phone. And I was like...ummm, there is a TV here. So the Jazz won on my birthday, congrats to all my Jazz fan friends. And more importantly, the Lakers won on my birthday and Kobe had a triple double. Thanks, Black Mamba!

Martha Parker

Haley Greer

Brian Lambson, Mandy Gunderson, Anne Gunderson

Emily Hadfield also came, but I failed at taking a picture with her. She gave me two of her tickets to the MoTab Christmas concert for my birthday. Bless her! Then we played Cranium and Rook into the wee hours of the night. So so fun! I love all these people so much! I tell everyone that age 30 was the best year of my life so far. Here's to hoping that 31 is even better! Thanks to everyone for making my birthday so special!

Oh and PS...Kyle made me the funniest card ever for my birthday. I'm sad I didn't take a picture with it, but it involves rainbows and an audio clip from the YouTube famous Double Rainbow guy. It's a must see! And Brett gave me a Hooters t-shirt...special! :) And I got Rook cards, clothes, and gift cards. Awesome!