My Hopes and Dreams (a.k.a "bucket list")

Everyone has hopes and dreams. Some may be super extravagant, while others are very down-to-Earth and practical. I've had this bucket list in my mind for quite some time now that I figure it only proper that it gets written down. They say you are more likely to accomplish your goals if you write them down, do they not?

Always look UP towards your dreams!
Nothing is too far if you dream big enough and put in enough effort.
(Photo: Alaska Pipeline, June 2013)

Okay, so here it goes, in no particular order:

(accomplished dates are noted)

~~Get pregnant~~ April 2015 (m/c May 2015)
Have a healthy baby
~~Compete in a cooking contest~~ July 2016 Naturally Nutritious Contest
Go to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics: Family reunion!
Paddle board
Live in Europe. Okay, I know this one is pretty out there, so I'd settle for just visiting.
Hike Mt. Fuji

This was when I was little and lived in Japan...
hopefully someday I'll have a picture with me
on top of Mt. Fuji
~~Become a certified yoga teacher~~ May 2016 @ The Yoga Studio
Broaden my cooking repertoire. I cook a lot of Indian, Thai, Japanese, and French, but I'd love to get better at African and Eastern European Cuisines. So, to do this, I would like to make 5 new dishes from these two areas.
Get to the point where I am pleased with my body and comfortable in my own skin. I'm not sure how to measure this except for that I won't compare myself to my past self or to others. June 2016: But ongoing!

Hawaii May 2013
Go to massage school: I've kind of gone back and forth on this one, but I figured I ought to just put it down just in case.
Go on a cheese tour in France with Marshall
Spend a week in Tahiti. With my bestest friend ever. Hmmm...who could that be?
Visit Greece
Visit the Amazon Rainforest
Eat at one of the World's Best 50 Restaurants according to this list.
Make a home where people love to be. Ongoing
Do a mission trip abroad
See every LDS Temple in the United States (Bonus: Go inside each of them)

San Diego. 2012. Check.
Forage nettles and cook with them. We had the best nettle cream sauce earlier this year and now I want to make my own!
Eat at a Michelin Star Restaurant.
Grow my own vegetables.
Always do the Lord's will. Ongoing
Visit California Again. I haven't been back to the place I grew up since 2011.

These were delicious pears from my parent's home in CA

As I thought about what I want to accomplish in my life, I was taken back to my past experiences and adventures and realized all the things I have done. I feel really blessed.

So here's my challenge to you: make your own hopes and dreams list, remembering all the amazing things you have done. Then go forward and tackle some more! :)

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle. I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future. Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up. Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee

I'm Pregnant! .....

...or so I thought. And you did too. Happy April Fools Day! I had been having baby dreams and feeling nauseous on and off during spring break, and I knew I would test immediately when I returned home from our road trip. The test was barely visible and I didn't believe it, so I said nothing to Marshall. That night I had a dream where the next pregnancy test I took was a solid double line. Well, two days after the first test, I got my obvious positive. I was so excited. Not knowing if it would be a good pregnancy or not, I tested again two days later and the line was darker, so I felt confident. The past two pregnancies I miscarried at approximately 6 or 7 weeks both times, so I was pretty nervous about this one. What if it happened again? Would I be strong enough? Knowing that I needed extra strength and prayers, I asked roughly 40 of our family and closest friends to fast and pray with us on Easter Sunday. That Sunday I was on the top of the world. I felt so strong an

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

Tender Mercies

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