My 25th year comes to an end

Today is the eve of my 26th birthday and because I haven't blogged in awhile, I needed to post my list! I always knew that my 25th year would be one of the most life changing for me. I'm not sure how or why I knew this, I just had a feeling. This past year I had many firsts things happen to me. I got my first ticket for rolling a stop sign ( I'm still mad about this one). I bought my first house, I became pregnant for the first time ever, I lost a baby for the first time, and most importantly I learned that life doesn't always go the way you plan it and there isn't much you can do about it.

In a previous post, I explained that I had to change some of the things on my list due to some unfortunate circumstances. It is hard to make a list and expect it to go the way you want it to because things always change. This is probably why I make a new to do list like 3-4 times a day because the things I have to do are constantly changing. So here goes what I accomplished throughout my 25th year:

1. Go to the Harry Potter Theme Park- I successfully did this over Thanksgiving break and it was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. I still think about this trip all the time. I love love Harry Potter and I cannot wait to go back there some day!
2. Read 25 books I've never read.
Here are the list of books I read:
The Christmas Blessing: so sad
Mini Shopaholic
Rangers Apprentice #1
Swim Swim
I am Number Four
Heart of the Matter
The Red Pyramid
City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angles
The Clockwork Angel
Just Enough Ligh for the Step I'm on
The Power of Six
Heaven is for Real
Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
The Legend of Spookly the Square Pumpkin
September 12th
The Best of Me
Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark
Ten Little Caterpillars
Dream
Son of Neptune

3. Try 25 foods I've never tried before.
I tried so many new foods and spices that I finally had to keep counting. I think the best thing I tried was mint sangria gelato!!

4. Put on a 3-course dinner party at my house.
I didn't realize, but I do this all the time!

5. Take a cooking class.
I can't wait to do this again

6. Participate in a mini-triathlon or 5k.
I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with my mom and sister back in April.

7. Attend a Cowboy's football game. -I love that stadium!

8. Go to an aquarium.
Thanks to Rene and Jaclyn we got to see all of the fist a couple of weeks ago at the Grapevine Aquarium. I will have to try the Dallas one next because I have heard it is much bigger.

9. Have a beverage in honor of my little sister, Colleen's 21st birthday on March 8th.
I went out and had some non-alcoholic drinks on her birthday because I was pregnant at the time, but everyone I was with purchased and had a drink for her!

10. Purchase cowgirl boots and wear them out.- So my mom bought the cowboy boots I wanted and instead of me going and spending another $200 she agreed to let us share them. They are red and from the Reba collection at Dillards.

11. Be in a wedding. - Thanks to Erin and Hannah I got to be in two weddings this past year!

12. Put red in my hair.- This was the most challenging thing for me. I finally caved and put small streaks of red in my hair last Wednesday. I know I waited until the last minute, but I chickend out almost everytime I had my hair colored. I will be sure to post a picture of this.

13. Donate something to Cook Children's hospital.- I have been collecting new children's books to give to the hospital. I will be donating these books this Saturday with my mom!

14. Join a church.- Rene and I are so excited to now call White's Chapel in Southlake our church family. We enjoy helping at the church and listening to the minister.

15. Write a letter to a congressman/woman.- I wrote a letter to Representative Todd Smith and in that letter I addressed education and the rising costs of college tuition.

16. Attend a concert for one of my favorite singers.- Yea to the American Idol concert!

17. Start and finish my wedding scrapbook.- This is the only thing on my list that I did not finish. I am so anal when it comes to my scrapbook. It took me 21 days to do 8 pages. Now I have a new deadline of this scrapbook: April 19th and I will finish it by then!

18. Add to my family.- Though I did not add to my family the way that I wanted to, I was able to add so many more things to my family. Rene gave me my adorable Sadie for my 25th birthday and I love her to bunches. I welcomed many new friends into my family this year and my sister got engaged to a great guy who was also welcomed into our family.

19. Buy my first house with Rene.- This was quite difficult as well! I should also add quite expensive. Buying a house comes with a lot more hidden costs than the say, but I love our new house and am already making many memories in this house!

20. Go karoke with friends.- I didn't get to do this with friends, but I did get to karoke with some second graders during sunday school at the church!

21. Skype with a friend.- I only did this one and it was on Christmas when we skyped with Rene's family!

22. Stop, relax, and paint a picture.- Thanks to Joanne, our team went and painted a picture together at a studio in Grapevine.

23. Host a house warming party- I so enjoyed all of the people who came out to our house for the party last Saturday. I had so much fun showing off what we have done!

24. Volunteer for something.- - Rene and I began volunteering in the Sunday School classes this past summer at the church. We were asked to come back and help out during the year. So every other Sunday we teach Sunday School and we love it!

25. Take a picture for everday of being 25 and post it on my blog- This is also one thing I did not complete. As I said in a previous posts, some days in my 25th year were not worth capturing with a photo. Sometimes there are just some things that other people do not need to see. Though I will not stop taking pictures because I love pictures and I don't want to forget the special people and memories in my life.





Thank you to everyone who helped me complete my list of 25 things to do.