Another one down, and one bites the dust

If you read my last blog post, you know that we are now living in Lexington.  We will be here for the next 5-6 years (at least), while Matt completes his PhD at the University of Kentucky.  This also means that I will turn 30 in Lexington.  Unless Jon and Steph want to move from the wonderful city of Chicago, we will not be living together any time before I turn the big 3...0...  With Stephanie's blessing, I have decided to change one of the items on my list.

Matt and I have talked about being foster parents since before we got married.  Now that we are in Lexington we are feeling that it is about time that we stopped talking and started doing.  We are going through the foster parent training, and could have a child (just one) placed with us by the end of the semester if all goes well.  With that being said, I am changing "Live with Jon and Steph" to "Become Foster Parents" on my 30 by 30 list.  We are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives, and I'm looking forward to marking another item off my list.

Side note - I am also considering changing a couple of other items on the list as a 28th birthday present to myself. It is my list - I'll change it as I choose.

On a different note, I can mark "Play Mandolin with a band" off the list.  For Christmas Matt got me Mandolin lessons.  Which proved to be quite beneficial when he also booked a gig for us to play at a wedding.  It was a humble gathering in South Knoxville, but it was a gig, and I played mandolin.  I even sang harmony on a couple of songs (okay maybe one song).  It was fun.  I'm not sure if I'll be playing for any event in the near future, but if you ever need a mandolin player, feel free to call my agent.

Epic List Fail

If you haven't already heard, me and Matt are looking at phd programs over his spring break.  We have currently driven 1400+ miles over the past 6 days to look at Temple University, Carnegie Mellon university, and the university of Kentucky.  All of the schools have been great each with its own list of pros and cons, but unfortunately none of these schools will put us in the position to live with Jon and Stephanie.  Whatever school/city is chosen, we will be living in that location when I turn thirty.

I had many lofty plans about living in Chicago with Jon and Steph: a house, a garden, living together, supporting one another, sharing resources, becoming foster parents.  It makes me sad that none of those plans will come to fruition at this point.

This is the second time ours plans to live together have been thwarted.  It seems that the universe is just not on our side at this point

I know that one day we will all live together as a happy family. It's just not going to happen before I turn thirty.

I guess the question at this point is do I want to change that list item or accept that there will be at least one uncompleted item on my list?  (Your input is welcomed)

2 More Down, too many more to go

As of December, I have marked two more items off my list!

Back in December we had a fun little get together over at the log house.  To add to the merriment, Nancy, Tony, Kellie, Jason, Aaron, and Mitzi decided that I was going to get at least one of the to do's marked off my to do list.  Thanks to the marvelous musical stylings of Tony VanWinkle - I can now play Down by the Riverside on banjo!  It's probably the easiest song anyone could learn on the banjo, but I know it.  I am so thankful to have friends that are so supportive!

Also in December, I had an adventure in soap making.  The 'rents bought me a soap making kit to complement the components I procured from the Hobby Lobby.  I'll try to load some photos later.  I made both glycerin based soaps and an goats milk base soap.  I mixed in lavender, orange pill, Shea butter, and various oil to make numerous soaps.  It was actually fun and made the house smell like a clean laundry mat(think lovely mingling of soap smells, not college basement washroom).  I gave away much of the soap as Christmas presents, but if you are ever by the house and want some soap I think I still have 7-8 bars left (I made a lot of soap).

Making those bars of soap actually made me get back into making my own household products.  Before that I was being lazy and just buying conventional soaps and cleaners.  Now I'm making shampoo, hand soap, body wash, lotion - if we need it, I'm making it!

More updates coming soon (I'm on vacation, so don't be alarmed by the massive number of blog post coming to a neighborhood near you)!