Year 35!
Year 34 has been a year full of changes. I currently feel like I am in limbo with life. Capitol View Winery sold in August, and unfortunately it didn’t work out for me to stay as an employee. I finished out my career at the winery celebrating with all of my friends at the end of September, just right after harvest. We took some wonderful trips including a personal favorite to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Zion National Park. We also visited family in Paso Robles for Grandma Teddy’s Celebration of Life, went to St. Louis to buy a pickup, visited Mexico for the first time and made our way out to the East Coast and Estes Park again! We learned a lot with our trucking business and I started taking some marketing classes (but didn’t finish). We also finally broke ground on our house this past winter and then quickly went to a stand still because of the weather. Here is to year 35!
A few years ago I made a 30 before 30 bucket list. I made it to try and hold me accountable for my dreams and goals. I made it to have something to look forward to, to work towards. A few of these things, I will be taking off my bucket list and I will probably add a few others. I enjoy looking back at this to see how far we have come and where we can still go. Dreams change, goals change and that is ok. I am hoping to do the things I truly love and have people in my life that make it better in every way. I can’t wait to see what 35 will bring my way!
My Bucket List
1. Visit 911 Memorial
2. Visit Yellowstone – Update in 5/24, Ryan and I took a road trip at the end of May to the beginning of June to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Zion, Phoenix and Arches. We saw so many animals, hiked some amazing trails, visited with friends, and captured some really cool photographs!
3. Visit Europe – Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherland, UK, Ireland, Sweden
4. Visit St. Lucia or another Island in the Caribbean
5. Visit Hawaii – Update in 1/25, Ryan and I took a trip to Kauai and Maui. We had a wonderful trip exploring both islands, drank lots of yummy drinks and ate so much fish!
6. Visit all 50 states. I need to go to: Idaho, Montana, Hawaii, North Dakota, Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. We went to Montana and ate at a Taco place for lunch one day while in Yellowstone and drove through Idaho to get to Salt Lake City for the night.
7. See the Northern Lights in Alaska – We would love to go on a Cruise for this 🙂 – Update 2024, We are going to Alaska this coming May, but I don’t think that we will be seeing the Northern Lights.
8. Host a Friendsgiving – Update 2/19 – We have such an array of friends and not a big enough house to host, so this may have to wait until we move!
9. Learn Italian – Update 2/24, I have been taking lessons from Duolingo for the past year! It has been so much fun and I would like to continue this
10. Build our Dream House and Sell our Lincoln Home – Update in 3/24, We are so excited to finally have a hole in the ground. Hopefully by the end of April we will begin framing and moved in in the next year.
11. Cook at Home and buy more Local – Update 3/24, We have been doing a much better job of this. Ryan loves to cook and I love his cooking!
12. Savings Plan for Retirement, House, Ryan’s Hunt, and Pay off two Semi Trucks. – Update 3/24, We have paid for Ryan’s “Once in a lifetime” hunt and got two Semi Trucks paid off this last year! We also had started a savings for our house, but decided to invest in our trucking business.
13. Create Travel Photo Books of our Adventures and update Blog Posts
14. Ready 12 books this year – Check out the Blog Post here! – Update 3/24, I am excited to have updated this blog post! I did get 12 books read this past year! I opened a goodreads account and now have a goal of 20 books for 2024!
15. Take a pottery class
16. Try 52 new recipes – Check out the Blog Post here! – Update 3/24, I think we tried a really good amount of recipes but I didn’t take photos of everything!
17. Take a train to somewhere in the US
18. Find a Job when I move or start an online career of some sort – Update 3/24, I purchased a online marketing class last March, but didn’t complete it. My goal this year is to finish the class and try to figure out what I want to do!
19. Finish reading the Bible and do my Daily Devotionals. I am currently on 2nd Samuel – Update 3/24, I am now onto Psalms.
20. Visit Martinsville Racetrack for a Nascar Race
21. Visit Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea for Wine Tasting
22. Blog about more personal adventures – Take a look at some of the Honeymoon adventures on the blog!!! Update 4/18 – I will be going on three different trips this year so make sure to check back for these adventures! Update 2/19 – I went on a few trips last year and am finally getting around to editing those photos, so hopefully I will get them done soon! Update 3/20 – Still haven’t updated the blog, but I did get the Oregan and South Carolina trip edited! Update 1/23 – I do really want to make this blog more of a travel blog and create books with our adventures. Update 1/24 – Ok, this is just funny at this point!! I still need to edit photos for all of these trips… Maybe one day I will get them up.
Previous Goals and Updates
1. Meal Plan and Follow a monthly budget – Update in 4/18 – Meal Planning went out the window. But, we have put a budget in place and have done really well with it so far! We have even started putting money away for retirement and trips, each week! Update 2/19 – I would still like to do this. I have been recording what I eat to see how it makes me feel. I have been having some stomach aches after eating certain things so I am trying to figure out what they exactly are. Update 3/20 – THIS HAS TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR!!! Update 1/23 – I am going to keep this on my list, but change it a bit. We are wanting to cook at home more with fresh and more local ingredients! We do have a budget, that we follow for the necessities, but having some savings goals this year will be added.
2. Learn how to make buttercream icing – I have tried this before and it did turn out!
3. Visit Paris, Italy and Greece – We are planning for 2020! Update 3/20 – this trip has postponed. We learned that Greece isn’t the safest, and Ryan has not been to Hawaii. It will be his last state before he has visited all 50. So we are planning that for 2021! Update 1/23 – Well Thanks, COVID. Trips really took a back seat, so hopefully 2024! Not really crossing this off, but changing the goals above.
4. Visit Mayan Ruins – Update 1/23 – We went to Mexico this January, but didn’t leave the resort, Maybe next time, maybe not, I am taking this off the list for now!
5. Redo the Kitchen, living room and bedroom flooring – Plan to repaint the kitchen cabinets are in the works for May of this year! Update 2/19 – My mom painted the cabinets and they look amazing! We have also bought the flooring and backsplash and have our countertops picked out! Update 3/20 – We have our kitchen 95% done! Just need to install the fan and a few pieces of trim. The living room floor is done and our arches are gone! Update 1/23 – Everything is DONE!
6. Get caught up on Scrapbooks – I really don’t think that this is going to happen, so I may make some Shutterfly books instead. Update 3/20 – I would still like to update my Shutterfly books or at least get all of my photos organized by year. Update 1/23 – This goal is jut probably not going to get accomplished. I will be crossing this goal off!
7. Begin Yoga – Update 4/18 – I will be starting Yoga in June 2018! Update 2/19 – I Loved doing Yoga, but got so busy with wedding season, so I postponed my membership until June 2019. Update 3/20 – I still have my gym membership. I love Yoga and Zumba, but might cancel this year and try this OBE program. Update 1/23 – though I do love Yoga and Zumba, I have been doing more walking this past year. I will be crossing this goal off!
8. Be part owner of a Winery – Still our Dream! – Update 3/20 – This is becoming a reality! Ryan and I are so excited to be patterning with Les and Trish to learn the business and how to make wine! The transfer will happen over the course of the next 10 years!
Update – 1/23 – As of August of 2022, Ryan and I have decided not to purchase CVW. It was a very difficult decision, but we feel that it was the right decision to make.
9. Be a mentor for photography – Update 2/19 – I was a part of the Omaha Photo Collaborative Group and was able to be a mentor for a few months. It was a great experience!
10. Shoot an In-Home Engagement Session – Update 4/18 – This In-home session was a blast! I can’t wait to do another one!
11. Put together a Styled Shoot – Update 4/18 – Celene with CK Artistry, Natalie with I Bloom and Adorned Bridal were a part of this amazing shoot that Schuyler had modeled for!
12. Visit Australia – Done in October 2015 for our honeymoon!
13. Eat the Waffle Mac n’ Cheese at Andiron Steak and Sea in Las Vegas – Done in December of 2015 for our Christmas Road Trip!
14. Tour Wine Country in California – Done in December 2015. My husband and I ended up purchasing 16 great bottles of wine and a case of beer 🙂
15. Learn Calligraphy – This was so cool! I hope to continue to practice this technique!
19. Brush up on my Spanish and or Learn a bit of French – Update 3/24, I am taking this off my list and just sticking with the Italian.
I have loved looking back at this to see what all I have done and what we still want to accomplish. Can’t wait to see what the next 30 years bring! #dreamchasin
