Bucket List

Today, I turn 25 years old. That is big one for me.  It is an age that makes me sit back and evaluate my life and experiences so far. And, it makes me think about what else I hope to do before 30.  As of now, I am just excited to move to the next check box on surveys (from 18-24 to 25-29)! I can hopefully, now, be taken more seriously!

Speaking of life and experiences...

I was asked to do a half-marathon in May, "You know, something to cross off the bucket list."

Hmmm.....my bucket list.

Whenever I thought of things I wanted to do in my lifetime, I would always think of the 'general' ones: get married, have children, celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary, etc. I am not one to want to jump out of airplanes, bungee jump, or anything daring. I am pretty boring for the most part.

Lately, however, I have caught myself saying, "that is something that I want to do." I realized that ultimately it would be on my so-called bucket list. And, then I realized something else: it is pretty therapeutic making a bucket list and crossing items off. It makes you feel accomplished and worth while. :)

So, here are some items that I have mustered up, in no particular order. Some I've crossed off already and am excited that I was able to do so.

1) Find true love & get married
2) Have children
3) Get a Bachelors Degree
4) Own a pair of Manolo Blahnik heels
5) Attend an Aerosmith concert
6) Go to Europe
7) Meet a 3rd cast member of 'Saved by the Bell'
8) Get a Masters Degree
9) Attend an Elton John concert
10) Adopt a dog in need
11) Run a half-marathon
12) Fit into my skinny jeans
13) Get a Doctorate
14) See The Red Hot Chili Peppers in concert
15) Go to Disney World, with my children
16) Go to a College Football Championship
17) Go skiiing
18) Go parasailing
19) Ride/Sleep on a train
20) Visit Jamestown, NY (Lucille Ball's Birthplace)
21) See the Statue of Liberty
22) Go whitewater rafting
23) Visit Grauman's Chinese Theater
23) See the Grand Canyon
24) Win a game show
25) Own a Mercedes Benz
26) Gamble in Las Vegas
27) Win a drawing
28) See a Broadway Show
29) Ride in a helicopter
30) Visit the Alamo (verify that there isn't a basement)
31) Go to Washington, D.C.
32) Celebrate a 50th Wedding Anniversary
33) Find a hidden treasure
34) Write a book 

Some of these show how sheltered I am! haha. What would be on your bucket list?

More About Me

If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?Well, as my profile suggests, they are totally members of our family. The Chihuahuas are my fur-children. :) They were an even bigger part of our lives before we had Lucy. Santa would bring them gifts, as did the Easter Bunny, and so on. Santa still brings them gifts; but, Lucy is now the center of our universe. We try to make sure we give them special time and attention when Lucy is sleeping. They are still very special and close to my heart.

If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?My wish would be to see Lucy grow up, get married, and have a family of her own. Materialistically, I would love to be able to help design a home, to be custom built. :)

What would you do with a billion dollars?Design a home to be custom built, with all the trimmings!
Buy a huge Cadillac SUV
Buy a truck for Heath
Buy a snow blower
Go to Disney World annually
Go on a European Cruise
Go on a Disney Cruise
Adopt more Chihuahuas
Start my Masters and Doctorate right now
Visit my distant family annually
Go on a clothing shopping spree for the entire family
Pay off our family’s debt/share with our families
Invest/Save
Donate


What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?Lucy, Heath sometimes (if he didn’t put me in the bad mood, haha), good food, the movie theatre, buying a new movie, holidays, the weekend, shopping for pretty much anything, new clothes, a new purse, decorating, organizing, exercising, family, sleep

What is your bedtime routine, with your kids?It changes with teething. She gets her jammies on, she gets her binkie and her sippy cup of water, and we try to read to her on most nights. On others we snuggle until she is sleepy. I always pray and occasionally sing to Lucy.

If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your significant other?We met in high school. :) It really isn’t that interesting. Haha.

What kind of books do you read?I like mysteries. I am super juvenile and have been reading Nancy Drew Mysteries since I got the entire set for Christmas in 2009. It is a quick and fun read. I have also been reading the Pretty Little Liars Series; I am in the beginning of the third book. Otherwise, I am lame and like reading biographies about celebrities. I finished ‘Miles to Go’ about Miley Cyrus and have read the beginning of Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett’s book, ‘Sliding into Home.’

How do you see yourself in 10 years?Oh boy! Well, I hope we are even more financially secure and perhaps I will be making more money ;). I hope we will be shopping around for or moved into a new home. I am still thinking 3 children. I want to have my Masters degree and hopefully either have or am working on a doctorate. Of course I am still happily married and our family is involved in the community.

Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?Umm….no. This isn’t really even something that I had to contemplate.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?Hit snooze as many times as I can. Then when Heath pokes me and says, “You need to get into the shower.” I finally give in. I then gather my undergarments and a brush, then head for the shower.

If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?That he listened more sometimes and that he had the same sleep schedule as me (stay up late and sleep in). :)

If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?I wouldn’t. It is weird to think of a name that fits me. I like my name now too. I used to hate it because it was a boy’s name. But, now that I am older, I like the uniqueness (without the crazy spellings).

If you had to choose between six months of sun or six months of rain, what would you choose?I would probably choose sun; but, I sure do love rain! I just love thunderstorms!

If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?Cheeseburger, fries with ranch, and bosco sticks. I have an addiction! Or, Kraft Mac and Cheese!

What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?The journaling – I think it will be so neat for Lucy to see these blogs when she grows up. It is sort of like writing a book about your life, with really short chapters. Plus I love getting followers, ‘Likes’, and comments about the blogs. It makes me feel like people care, which is really nice. :)

Do you prefer salty or sweet foods?
Salty – bring on the chips, crackers and cheese. When I was pregnant it was all sweets though (Oreos, Sour Patch Kids, and Laffy Taffy).

What items are in your purse right now?My wallet, a coupon book, Ibuprofen, Sucrets, a pen, gum, a compact, chap stick, my keys, my cell phone, my iPod Touch, a small brush, tampon case, lipstick, antibacterial, paint samples, lotion, perfume, Dramamine, and a list of daycare children for Lucy’s valentines

If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?I have been to both and enjoyed the beach more, I think. I was horrible at skiing!

What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn’t?I don’t think I watch anything that I necessarily shouldn’t. It is more that I shouldn’t watch so much TV! Right now I watch: Pretty Little Liars, Greek, American Idol, American Pickers, Hellcats, Glee, Holly’s World, Saturday Night Live, Tosh.0, and Biggest Loser.

I also watch: Secret Life of the American Teenager, Kendra, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Melissa and Joey, Storm Chasers, the Buried Life, 16 & Pregnant, and Teen Mom.

After some reflection I’ve decided that I probably shouldn’t watch 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. They are pretty horrible; they are my guilty pleasures. And, Tosh.0 is pretty offensive. Haha. Lucy is definitely banned from these shows!

10 Days Away from Lucy

Besides the quick post last week and the television schedule for Christmas, you may have wondered where the heck I was! Or, perhaps, you didn't even notice - which is fine too. Well, I was in Mexico...on a cruise to be exact. I didn't want to say anything before hand because I am paranoid about people knowing we are gone.....you understand.

It all started when my mom got remarried. She wanted to go on a family trip to celebrate. I highly recommended a cruise, since we just loved our honeymoon cruise. When I was 8 months pregnant with Lucy we decided that we would book it. My thought process was, "Lucy will be 10 months old by then and it won't be as scary." It was a thought for such a 'non-mother.' What the heck was I thinking? Heath even asked me that a few days before the trip. What were we thinking, leaving Lucy for this long? We seriously thought it wouldn't be THAT difficult.

Well, as she grew and we grew into parenthood, I became increasingly nervous about the situation. I was basically 'freaking out' in all of my paranoid ways. In the last month I cried lots of nights to Heath, just pouring out to him how scared I was of leaving her.

As most of you have gathered, I have some control issues. I like feeling somewhat in control of the situation - especially if I feel emotionally attached. So, giving up control and trusting things will be alright is very difficult for me. I did the only thing I knew how, as a self proclaimed, organized, control-freak. I made a Lucy 'handbook' for the relatives who were keeping her.

It was a 7-page manual about her routine, feeding, teething, sleeping...you name it, it was in there!

Over the top? I know what you are thinking, "you left her with relatives (specifically her aunt & uncle and her grandma), not some bum on the street!" Yes, you are correct. I know that and I told myself that over and over again. Also, I've left her before for overnight visits with my mom and even full days with other family members. I even trust daycare to watch her for 8 hours a day!

I think it was the idea of the ship - being disconnected from the world. I kept thinking of this horrible story I once heard about a girl whose grandmother passed away while she was on a cruise and she didn't find out until she got back. No one wanted to ruin her trip and she hadn't contacted anyone back home. I just knew I would come back to Lucy in the hospital or with stitches or something! Calm down Cori, you're crazies are emerging...

Finally though, the day came. It was time to say "Until Later." I kissed her and told her how much I loved her over and over again. I prayed for her more times that day than I can remember. I was terrified. I of course bawled my eyes out, which resulted in my Aunt and my Grandma crying too. It was an emotional one for the moms.

I thought about her the entire trip. We ended up being able to check our email on the boat. It was like $25 for 60 minutes; so, we'd check it fast. Our family sent updates, pictures, and videos. It was something that I looked so forward to during the day. It almost made me cry too; but, it was a happy cry. It was exactly what I needed. Thank goodness she didn't pass any major milestones during those 10 days. I really would have been upset then!

The cruise was exactly what I wanted; well to be honest, it was what I needed. Heath and I both needed it. I needed to learn to trust and let go of a little control, every once in a while. I needed to get away from work and stress too. Overall, it was just nice to feel like Heath and I were married again! We haven't really celebrated each other in a long while. On the cruise we were able to get dressed up, go to nice dinners, relax, and actually get some alone time.



The hardest part, I thought, would be saying good-bye to Lucy. Wrong - coming back to see her was harder for me. She changed! She looked different! He hair was lighter, her hands were bigger, her face changed a little, she just looked different! She even smiled differently! If you ask Heath, I am delirious. Hey, a mother knows these things and she had changed, seriously! I felt so left out. That was when the guilt came pouring over me. She was kind of shy and confused when we got back. It broke my heart. I just held her tight and told her that we'd never leave her again - to that, Heath laughed. He thinks I'm dramatic; I'm sure. Today, she is finally back to 'normal' and I am used to her always changing looks.

Would I do it again? Yeah, probably. I feel like a much more seasoned mother now, for some reason. I feel like I took a major step that I would have had to experience at some point. I just skipped ahead a few chapters. Plus, the cruise was so fun and as I said before, it was great for Heath and me.

Thank you, family, for keeping my baby girl safe. I owe you! :)