2013 wishes and a new Bucket List!

Many people say that 13 is an unlucky number. Well I beg to differ and am making a pact with myself and my hubby that 2013 is going to be a lucky year for us. I have decided that positive thinking and positive behavior will lead to positive results! So, with only weeks left in this year (minding the Mayan calendar is wrong) I am forecasting a great year next year! We will start fresh with everything in our lives including the baby making! Practice has made perfect for us so we are into the execution phase of this project! Wish us luck! Perhaps we will attempt to purchase a house next year as well, in preparation of starting to expand our family. I am throwing my previous plans out the window (love, degree, marriage, house, then baby) because lets face it....three out of five in a row isn't that bad of a track record. "Life happens when your busy making other plans." We have had the 'plan' and now realize that you cant plan every aspect of your life. Surprises happen. We can only hope for the best things to come our way and be good people in the process.

So this is year three of the bucket list. We continue to do little checks off our list for the things in our area and metropolitan of Los Angeles and the list is dwindling down little by little. If you missed the last two you can see 2012 and 2011 here. I am keeping track of all things Bucket List related in the Lifetime of Memories tab up top! Again this list is mostly comprised of things to do in our general area and is subject to change whenever! Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Sailing
Attend a country concert
Attend a sporting event (Kings, Lakers*, Dodgers)
Surf/Boogie Board
Hiking
Universal City Walk  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
Saddle Ranch  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
Mechanical Bull Riding  (Coffee n Conversations - City Walk Weekend Update)
William S. Hart Museum
La Brea Tarpits
Griffith Park Observatory
Gene Autry Museum
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Sign
Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Descanso Gardens
Rodeo Drive
Paintball (In case you didn't know.....paintballs do actually hurt)
Attend a drag race (My Big Fat Redneck Vacation)
Grauman's Chinese Theater
Attend a TV Show Taping
Renaissance Fair (April-May)
Magic Castle
Catalina Island (The Isle of Catalina)
Zip Line  (The Isle of Catalina)
Crystal Cathedral
Lucky Strike Bowling
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Morro Bay
Hearst Castle
Grand Canyon
Club 33
Get a tattoo (A Special Piece of Art)
*Visit a new country (*Mexico, *Caribbean, England, Ireland) (Not likely but its on the list)  Hot Air Balloon flight (Again not likely cause I am CHICKEN! But there it is)
Snowboarding/Skiing
*Olvera Street via the Metrolink
*Lake Tahoe
*Camping
*Getty Museum (How I passed into another decade)

*L.A. County Fair
*Play in the snow
*Wakeboarding
*Kneeboarding
*Kayaking
*Wine Tasting
*Visit a new state (*Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Florida)

* - Already have been together, & would like to re-experience
Text - Completed task YAY!

Side Note: 2012 has been a year of lessons. Lesson's that we both needed to learn and we have both grown immensely from them. From family, to friends and even our own relationship. I have learned to be patient with those around me. Things may not always go the way I want, so I have learned to let them go their own route and let go of the things that are not important. I have done my grieving, with my fathers death and also with many other losses that I suffered in 2012. I know that difficulties will come still, but in dealing with all the things that life threw my way this year, I am confident that I can handle anything life throws at me later! I have learned to be strong, even when I want to be weak. To love all things with my whole heart, even when they hurt me. On new years eve last year, when the clock struck midnight I cried. I cried for all my sadness; thankful that the year had closed, not knowing what 2012 would have in store for me. I have a feeling that this new years eve I will have the same feelings of sadness, but knowing that the things that happened in 2012 have better prepared me for the rest of my life I think they will be a mixture of sadness and hope. All I can say is bring it on 2013. I am ready!

New Year, New Me

New Years has always been a contemplative time of year for me. Its a chance to re-asses one's goals and how you would like your next year to progress. While each person is different, I am not going to make the standard New Years Resolutions this year, but to make a lifestyle changes for my family. It is not widely known, but Darin and I are looking into starting a family. We have the "when it happens, it happens" kind of outlook on it and are not specifically "trying" to get pregnant. We will not be upset if it does happen, but we also want to be a little more prepared if the situation happens. With this in the back of my mind I have made a conscious effort to make a healthier me. I would like to be in good health and shape when the time comes so that I have as little complications as possible, and to also have the ability to bounce back quickly. To make this happen I have started a new work out regime and have decided to cut out fast food from my diet and start to make home made dinners. (Now that I have my new hardware, this is entirely possible!) I have also started to take a multi-vitamin and folic acid. With a couple of recipe books in hand and exercise TV on my OnDemand this goal seems to be very attainable.

Next on the lists of things is out with the old and in with the new. With a new set of priorities comes a need to clean out ones closet, literally and figuratively. Within the last 2 years Darin and I have realized what we are capable of dealing with and what we are not. I had a conversation with my cousin who recently had the same revelation about certain people that he no longer converses with and I told him that he probably just grew out of his friendship with that person. I think that is a great way of thinking about it. You should never think ill of someone that has hurt you or has left your life, for whatever reason. Just think of it as a growing process and what qualities in people that you want to have around you. We have a wonderful group of friends that are always there when we are in need and a wonderful family that will do anything for us. Our support system is very good. With the figuratively part out of the way we have decided to start cleaning out our junk. Today we started with the garage, and had a mighty large trash pile and a very large donation box too. It felt so good to get somewhat reorganized again. The next task is to tackle our closet and kitchen and get rid of things that don't get used and give them to people in need. Why should it just collect dust in my cabinets when somebody else can use it? Besides, when we finally buy a home I don't want to pack and transport things that I am never going to use again!

The final thing on my list of lifestyle changes (NY Resolutions) is to be more adventurous. Not necessarily the jumping out of airplanes adventurous, but the kind where Darin and I take something that we have never done and go do it. I know lots of people that do this, and I have decided to take note and introduce some variety into our lives. As they say, variety is the spice of life and we live in one of the most interesting states in our country so why not take advantage of it. This will get Darin some photo experience and it will be a good stress outlet for both of us.

There they are....my resolutions for the year. Out on paper (well sort of) instead of in my head. Hopefully I will be able to keep these resolutions this year. I am looking forward to 2011 and celebrating 9 years together with my husband, 4 years married, 3 baby births, 2 weddings and a partridge in a pear tree.