35 is the magic number!

(c) 2007 Ms. Huis Herself at musenmutter.blogspot.com

It was my birthday yesterday! As you might suppose, it was a tad bit busy - my parents were here for the weekend (and we got so much done! Thank you!!) and Pumpkin seems to be getting a tad "under the weather," and we were trying to do a fair amount of shopping for the house and all. So my post is getting delayed until today.

Last year for my 34th birthday, I wrote about 34 things I'd done in my life. This year I think I'll try for 35 I'd like to do, in no particular order. (Ok, other than the first one, which I wish was done already.)

1. finish unpacking!!!!!
2. visit the Great Wall of China with Mr. Kluges because I've always wanted to see it
3. visit the pyramids with Mr. Kluges since he's always wanted to see them
4. go back to Paris with my children when they're old enough to remember and appreciate it
5. go back to Venice on a second honeymoon, but also on that trip see new parts of Europe we haven't visited yet
6. watch my girls grow up to be the strong, confident, loving, competent, assertive, empathetic, cooperative, responsible women I know they can be
7. watch them graduate high school
8. watch them graduate college
9. develop family traditions (like maybe making gingerbread houses every year...)
   
10. learn how to can pickles from Gramma Yori
11. get to make my mom's chocolate chip cookies well enough that Mr. Kluges finds them to be as good as hers
    
12. get this House of 42 Doors into a state where I'm proud to bring people into it - and not have to say, "It'll be beautiful someday." (Not that I don't like it now, but I keep seeing all of the to-do projects, you know?)
    
13. pay off the house
14. go hang gliding
15. go snowmobiling
16. write a novel for NaNoWriMo
17. learn what shape/style/cut of clothes look good on me
    
18. get rid of the stuff that doesn't
19. get down to my appropriate BMI (Good news is I'm only about 10-15 lbs. away from being in the "normal weight" category.)
    
20. maintain that BMI
21. visit Yellowstone National Park and see Old Faithful
22. make fun Halloween costumes for our family every year
23. have one or two cats for pets again
    
24. watch my girls each find the love of her life
25. enjoy grandkids - someday in the distant, distant future
26. learn another language at least to tourist level in preparation to visit a country that uses it
27. exercise regularly - I always feel better when I am getting regular exercise, but it's too easy to let it slip out of my schedule when I get busy
28. run a 5K race
29. if that goes well, run a 10K or longer (Note: I have no desire to run an actual marathon, but have great respect for those of you who have!)
30. get my master's degree
31. finish my mosaic that I started in 2002, tried to finish this year, and still haven't quite completed
32. attend more Girls' Adventure Weekends
33. go back to Ireland when my kids are older to show Pumpkin where she lived for two years, to let Penguin see where she, ahem, got started, and to visit our friends and favorite places from when we lived there
    
34. learn enough of the constellations and their stories to go star gazing with my children
    
35. Hike some or all of the Superior Hiking Trail
    

And oh yeah, I wouldn't mind #36. winning the lottery, either! It would make so many of those previous 35 a lot easier to accomplish! *grin*