SNOW in November... who would have thought!

The kids are loving that winter has arrived already. I love that I got to stay warm and cozy (most of the day). I did take the kids outside this morning to play. Zoe finished her snow girl that her Daddy built for her. I pulled them up and down the driveway on their sled. Presley lasted about ten minutes though and he was ready to come back inside. We watched Zoe play from our front window. When the kids came inside they had a "tea" (hot chocolate) party. Mommy had another cup of coffee!

The roads are very icy so I am staying put and keeping warm!

101 goals in 1001 days update

I have taken a big break from posting or even trying to accomplish my goals right now. I have been so busy being back to work. I don't know how I did everything and went to school. The man upstairs had a lot to do with that!! I started this on July 6, 2010 and my end date is April 2, 2013. I do have a few things to update though.

Here is my list in no specific order:

1. Go for a road trip
2. Identify 100 things that make me happy
3. Go on a picnic We had several this summer!
4. Find a personally inspiring quote and work it into a piece of art or home decor
5. Buy a lottery ticket
6. Have a candlelight dinner
7. Go to the Great Wolf Lodge again!
8. Do some volunteer work
9. Go to church
10. Go to Mt. St. Helens
11. Go to the beach (a warm one) We went to Long beach in September and it was warm out does that count?
12. Get Zoe in a class (gymnastics or dance). We decide to wait until she is in Kindergarten.
13. Buy Christmas presents in November I have started Christmas shopping. I actually started in October this year!
14. Go to Edgefield (booked for Nov. 20th) This weekend! I am sooo excited!! It was a really great trip... possibly a new tradition every year after conference week.
15. Sell our house
16. Pay off debt (working on it)
17. Read 10 books all the way through (1/10)* I am reading about 3 books at once... I am too ADD!
18. Bake cupcakes I made candy corn cupcakes for Zoe's birthday
19. Finish my quarter sleeve tattoo
20. Go to Disneyland (In February!!)
21. Celebrate my 30th birthday We had a party at our house it was a lot of fun! I still don't feel 30!
22. Raise $500 for the Race for the Cure (250/500)*
23. Get a gym membership and use it * I started taking Zumba classes 2 times a week and I LOVE it! I still want to get a membership though so I can run on the treadmill.
!)
24. Have Thanksgiving at our house (This coming Thursday! Steve is smoking a turkey!)
25. Write a love letter to my hubby
26. Write a haiku
27. Write 50 reasons why I like myself
28. Take a trip on a train
29. Make Mimosa So yummy!
30. Eliminate non-fitting clothing from my wardrobe
31. Put together an emergency food kit
32. Back up all digital photos
33. Spend an entire day at the beach
34. Go fishing
35. Take a Zumba class I love ZUMBA!!
36. Cook 25 new dishes (6/25) *
37. Make strawberry jam
38. Buy a new computer
39. Write to someone who inspired me
40. Go to 5 restaurants I've never been to before (4/5): Eco Park Restaurant, Blue Plate in Portland, LA CASA, Gustav's German Pub
41. Go to Seattle
42. Keep a prayer journal (started it Aug. 11th)
43. Make my own birthday cards
44. Bake all my families birthday cakes
45. Find 10 dairy free recipes that are really yummy (1/10)
46. Make a family recipe book*
47. Go to the zoo five times (1/5)
48. Go to the Children's Museum
49. Go to Las Vegas
50. Throw Zoe a BIG 5th birthday bash She loved her Halloween themed costume party. She said she wants to do it again next year.
51. Start a new hobby... Is this a hobby?
52. Go to a garden (lilac or tulip)
53. Complete my Master's Degree It's official!!
54. Sing karaoke (drinking may be involved)
55. Grow a garden (Do tomatoes count?)
56. Do 10 random acts of kindness (1/10)
57. Donate to charity
58. No Starbucks for a week (I think this one may be impossible! My closest attempt was 3 days!)
59. Keep a food journal for Presley for a month
60. Add more fruits and veggies to our diet*
61. Paint Zoe's room
62. Move Presley upstairs
63. Lose 10lbs... 5 lbs so far*
64. Set a budget and stick to it!*
65. Get Presley in pre-school
66. Go on Field Trips with Zoe's class
67. Play board games at least 20 times (7/20)
68. Read to Zoe and Presley (almost) every night)*
69. Watch 10 "classics" I haven't seen before (0/10)
70. Buy or make 10 new decorations for the holidays (3/10)
71. Go to the Pumpkin patch
72. Cut down our Christmas Tree
73. Take 26 pictures, 1 for each letter of the alphabet and make a book for my kids
74. Make a personalized photo book for Presley (like Zoe's)
75. Develop wedding photos that haven't been developed yet
76. Put pictures in albums
77. Move into a new house
78. Go out to breakfast at the fireside cafe
79. Have a big Easter Egg hunt with family and friends
80. Save for Hawaii $0
81. Write a list of things that each person in my life has taught me
82. Go to an aquarium
83. Buy bikes and use them (For the kids so far!)*
84. Get a manicure/pedicure
85. Make 5 new desserts (2/5)
86. Go on a motorcycle ride with Steve
87. Play golf
88. Try 10 new beverages (3/10)*
89. Paint the kitchen cabinets

90. Buy new frying pans Got them for a gift!!
91. Eat breakfast everyday for a week (I'm not a breakfast eater!)Yet another impossible task... Does coffee count? I don't do breakfast!
92. Watch the sun rise and set in the same day
93. Go on a date once a month with my hubby* (5/33)
94. Plant some flowers
95. Make a list of 100 reasons why I love my husband
96. Attend a festival/ concert
97. Go camping with friends
98. Throw a dinner party
99. Don't say anything negative for a week
100. Pay for a person's Starbucks behind me
101. Tell my family I love them everyday!*

I am doing pretty well!

Stike means I completed the task
numbers or * means I have started it

Winter is creeping in!

Fall has come and gone. The leaves having turned beautiful colors and withered away to early tones. We celebrated Zoe's 5th birthday with a Halloween themed party. My little pumpkins had a blast trick-or-treating this year. We should have enough candy to last us until next Halloween (and we even gave some to Grandpa Ray)! I just finished up parent teacher conferences and they went very well. I have a really great group of kids this year. Thanksgiving is next week and I look forward to spending time with family! I am thankful for many things this year... my family, my job, my health, my home to name a few.

At the pumpkin patch... Zoe and Presley's first time in the corn maze!

Pumpkins!!

Carving our pumpkins!

30 and Flirty!!

I am offically 30! I had 4 days of celebration. On Friday the 17th, a co-worker Billina made cupcakes to share with my class. The BEST chocolate cupcake I've ever had. Yummy!

On Saturday we had a big birthday celebration at our house. Steve made yummy fish tacos. My favorite! At one point we had 12 kids running around our house. They were having so much fun together. I feel so blessed to have such aweseome friends and family to celebrate with.

On Sunday the 19th (real birthday), we walked in the Race for the Cure! There were lots of people walking to support a cure for breast cancer. My birthday wish is that this could happen soon!

After the race we went to Uptown Pizza as always they have yummy food and a great atmosphere. Mom made me pink cupcakes! Thanks to everyone who came to the race!

On Monday, just when I was thinking my birthday celebrations were over, I had another surprise. On my window at work I had a huge poster that said, "Happy 30th Birthday Mrs. Fortner!" and balloons in my classroom. A parent also brought me the cutest froggy cupcakes to celebrate again with my class.

Now that the sadness of no longer being in my 20's is over (thanks to all of my celebrations), I am looking forward to my many accomplishements in my 30's!!

Rod Run 2010

On Sep. 11th, Steve and I got to stay overnight in Longbeach for the Rod Run with John and Joni. Presley and Zoe got to go stay overnight with Grandma Vicki.

Steve and I had a great time!