31 Things I'll Do While I'm 31

I can't believe we are already approaching the end of July! It's been a whirlwind of a summer. I haven't had a chance to blog about what a fun "Full House" we've had, so here's a quick update...

My brother got an internship in Boulder back in June and moved into our basement. The boys love to climb all over him and he likes to tease them, so I refer to him as our resident Joey Gladstone. Aunt Becky (really Uncle Eric) got a new job at 'Wake Up Nashville' (or ABC), so he and Uncle Jesse (er, Auntie Tricia) moved in with us after packing up their pad in downtown Denver. We don't have any troll-like twin swaps or a Kimmy Gibbler and our Danny Tanner isn't a single dad, but there's enough of us that we don't fit at the kitchen table without the leaves in place.* 

Anyhow, Eric made the trek eastward at the beginning of July and Tricia settled into our spare bedroom for a few months to finish up some flowers for weddings she had already booked before planning their move. The boys adore her, I love having a girlfriend around to talk to, and we all appreciate her cooking. I'll miss them both so much when Mike heads back to school in a month and Tricia moves on to her new life in Nashville, but I'm cherishing this unique opportunity to live together as adults.

Speaking of adulthood, my brother and I had a birthday yesterday.

He could have went out and had a wild night on the town, but he chose to join us for a different kind of wild dinner - the Noah and Benjamin kind. 

During dinner we had a chat about goals for the next year. Tricia hopes to buy a house, Mikie wants to climb a fourteener, and Ryan plans to eat good food. Tricia came up with the idea that I make a list of 31 things I want to do before I'm 32. So here they are... you can hold me accountable.

1. Run a half marathon
2. Visit an apple orchard
3. Take a class at the gym that intimidates me
4. Write a handwritten note to someone for no reason at all once a month
5. Eat more berries, less brownies
6. Play in the rain with the boys
7. Get dressed up and serve dinner on fine china
8. Play basketball
9. Read a Tolstoy novel
10. Wear more lingerie to bed and less of what I am currently wearing to bed in public 
11. Take a hike
12. Go to at least one activity in the Mom Group that I signed up for three years ago
13. Finish the boys baby books
14. Find enough quiet time to hear God and leave enough spare time to carry out His plans 
15. Swim across Long Lake, then back
16. Finally hang all of my photos in the house
17. Get in front of the camera with the boys more often (do not crop self out after)
18. Watch a season of a TV series that isn't geared towards toddlers
19. Create a calendar with my family & friends birthdays on it
20. Plan a night away with Ryan (surprise him)
21. Finish a rough draft of my novel
22. Volunteer at Children's Hospital
23. Give a review, complete a survey, or let a manager know when I receive great retail service
24. Build a snowman
25. Attend a wine tasting
26. Snuggle my boys whenever they will let me
27. Play a board game
28. Leave my phone at home (on purpose) more often
29. Go to a tailgate
30. Learn to make an old family recipe
31. Take less naps

I am heading up to the mountains this weekend and I plan to knock out #11, so I'll try to get a quick post up while I'm on the trip. In the meantime, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear any ideas you have for next years list.

*Apologies to anyone reading this that did not grow up in the 80's and 90's, I realize my "Full House" reference makes zero sense.