Day 1001

On December 30, 2008, I created a list of 101 goals that I wanted to accomplish in 1001 days.  Somehow, I completed 88 of the 101 goals (with a few more to be accomplished next month) which absolutely shocks me.  I was hoping to do at least half...I had no idea I'd fulfill so many of them!

When I created this list, Mike was laid off from his job, so some of the big-dollar items seemed like pipe dreams.  Ironically, as the 1001st day arrives , we find ourselves in the same situation.  Mike's last day of work is Friday. 

But I still feel a huge sense of accomplishment. Thanks for humoring me through this little project of mine.  It was fun!  But I think I need a break before creating new long term goals. Here's the list, with the unfulfilled items in bold. (and my defensive reasons that they are incomplete in bold italics)  

1. Wake up at 6am every day for 30 days in a row (5/7/10)
2. Create a realistic housekeeping plan and follow it for 1 month (6/12/10)
3. Complete the never-ending project I’m doing over our bed (1/13/09)
4. Do a 3 day media fast (8/2/09)
5. Have another baby (10/23/09)
6. Take 2 weekend getaways with my girlfriends (5/17/09 and 3/12/10)
7. Take a short vacation with another couple, no kids allowed (3/25/11)
8. Go to a marriage conference with Mike (1/10/09)
9. See the Grand Canyon (7/24/11)
10. Take a trip back to Kansas City (10/6/11) I'm leaving next week!!!
11. Read a fiction book, start to finish (I know, that’s pathetic, but I'm not a fiction reader) (4/6/09)
12. Start an All About Me scrapbook (1/15/09)
13. Organize the sports equipment in our garage (1/11/09)
14. Open savings accounts for the kids (6/25/11)
15. Teach the kids to tithe weekly (9/25/11)
16. Go on a cruise (1/11/10)
17. Put wood floors in my scrapbook room - I decided I don't need to do this anymore
18. Hike to the top of Camelback Mountain - I scheduled this several different times, but it never worked out.  I plan to tackle it within the month.
19. Share my faith with a stranger (9/15/11)
20. Teach Ryan to read (1/16/10)
21. Teach Kaylin to write her name (1/16/10)
22. Develop a workable system for paperwork in the office (3/15/11) 
23. Keep the desk clutter-free for 1 month (6/4/09)
24. Sell my old bedroom furniture that I had as a kid (9/24/10)
25. Recycle our unused electronics - I can't even remember what I was thinking of when I added this goal!  The only unused electronics that we have are recently upgraded items.  I wonder if I sold or donated the old ones...?
26. Do 25 random acts of kindness (9/22/11)
27. Attept to make homemade cinnamon rolls (1/27/09)
28. Go to San Francisco with Mike (3/25/11)
29. Label the baskets on my bookshelves and in the linen closet (5/28/09)
30. Fast from sugar for 30 days in a row (3/25/10)
31. Put cabinets and countertops in my craft room - Again, I'm not sure I want this anymore...I rarely have time to scrapbook, so I'm going to make due with the room the way it is now.
32. Figure out digital picture frames (9/24/10)
33. Learn how to use my MP3 player (9/9/11)
34. Post MHR every Friday for a month (1/23/09)
35. Clean outside windows and screens (6/2/09)
36. Have the kids choose a Christmas "angel" that’s their age and have them choose gifts for their child that they would want for themselves (12/15/09)
37. Volunteer at a homeless shelter - The fact that I couldn't fit this in is pathetic.  I hope to check it off by the end of the year.
38. Sit down and pre-plan meals for 1 month out and stick with the plan (2/5/09)
39. Visit a friend in the hospital (1/27/11)
40. Figure out how to make bread starting the dough in the bread machine and finishing it in the oven (4/27/09)
41. Buy more memory for the computer (2/19/09 - we bought a new computer instead of new memory, but this totally counts!)
42. Add ads to my blog to help bring in a little income (1/31/09 and 4/1/10)
43. Figure out how to record home movies to DVD using my computer - Our video camera died after writing this list, so I have no method of playing the old tapes. We just use my dSLR for video now.
44. Call a locksmith to unlock our empty file cabinet (7/26/11)
45. Try sushi (California rolls don’t count) (1/11/10)
46. Build a snowman with the kids (9/19/11)
47. Go jogging on the beach (9/6/10)
48. Buy groceries with a weekly cash allowance for a month (2/1/09)
49. Learn to use Photoshop (5/19/09)
50. Get 25 comments on a single blog post (1/11/09)
51. Create a family mission statement and frame it (7/8/09)
52. Pray for Mike every day for a month (2/18/09)
53. Go to a concert/comedy show (11/4/09 and 8/19/10)
54. Allow the kids to have dessert before dinner (11/15/09) and (6/26/11)
55. Color my hair back to blonde again (4/15/09)
56. Purchase overstuffed chairs and a large ottoman for our living room (4/25/10 - thanks for the great deal, Mom!)
57. Get the broken dining room chair fixed (1/18/09 - thanks, honey!)
58. Hang curtains on the office window - Still have the fabric, still need to figure out what I want on the window, still need to (likely) beg Mike's mom to help me sew something.
59. Install crown molding in the bedroom - Not enough spare funds for this luxury!
60. Take a photography class (12/6/09 and 11/20/10)
61. Get an amazing $1000 camera (6/10/09)
62. Do a cleanse (7/13/10)
63. Research buying contacts online to save money (8/24/10)
64. Start using 100% homemade household cleaners (6/27/10)
65. Make vegetarian meals 3x a week for a month (4/2/10)
66. Play in the rain with my kids (7/22/10)
67. Visit Desert Botanical Gardens - We have an annual pass and I've put this on the calendar a dozen times, but it just hasn't worked out yet!  There's currently a butterfly exhibit I plan to take the kids to on an upcoming family day.
68. Go to Organ Stop Pizza with the family (7/31/09)
69. Sign Kaylin up for a dance class (3/10/10) 
70. Camp by the Christmas tree (12/10/10)
71. Figure out Twitter(4/19/09)
72. Take a bubble bath once a week for a month (3/31/10)
73. Bring Mike breakfast in bed (5/31/09 and 6/21/09)
74. Find the perfect picture for above the dining room table (6/29/09)
75. Take a hot air balloon ride - Apparently, Mike has no interest in doing this with me.  He almost bought me a Groupon for my birthday, but didn't have time to find someone to go with me, since he has no intention of flying through the air in an unenclosed contraption.
76. Plan a girls day with just my mom and Kaylin (5/29/10)
77. Clean out my bedroom closet (4/14/10)
78. Purge old paperwork from our file cabinets (11/27/10)
79. Give myself a pedicure 3 months in a row (9/10/11)
80. Buy a van with a DVD player for long car trips (3/31/09)
81. Wash my car by hand (5/2/10)
82. Take a spin class (without leaving in the middle) (9/22/11)
83. Invite 5 “new” neighbors over for lunch (4/18/10)
84. Go a whole week without raising my voice to the kids, not once (7/16/09)
85. Teach Ryan to make a full dinner all by himself (5/13/11)
86. Teach Kaylin to go potty by herself (1/28/09)
87. Attend Kick Boxing every Saturday for 3 months - (*sigh*) My favorite instructor changed gyms while I was pregnant with Jason.  Kick Boxing just isn't the same with anyone else...
88. Attend a Yoga class once a week for 3 months - 12 weeks of dedicated Yoga in a row proved to be more challenging than I originally thought!
89. Lift weights 2 times a week for a month (3/12/10)
90. Jog for 30 minutes straight (6/2/10)
91. Talk Mike into getting a professional massage (8/21/10)
    
92. Let the kids make most of the decisions for an entire day (8/1/10)
93. Plan an international trip with Mike (7/25/11)
94. Watch Gone With the Wind (10/6/10)
95. Do a devotional with the kids every day for 2 weeks (7/17/09)
96. Go to bed at 9:00 every day for a week straight (1/22/11)
97. Research an inexpensive, good quality skin care regimen and stick to it (9/14/11)
98. Get Lasik surgery on my eyes - Still want it, still scared to do it, still don't have the funds for it.
99. Floss daily for one month (2/18/09)
100. Find the perfect-fitting bra (8/19/10)
101. Get 100,000 hits on my blog (1/12/10) - Current total of hits on my blog today: 236,675.