Forty Before Forty

I haven't forgotten about this blog. It really is something I'd like to get back into. I'm just trying to figure out my voice in the sea of mom blogs and political upheaval and self promotion and a trillion opinions. Oh, yea. And I need time too. Time to think and time to write and that little hot commodity is quite hard to come by these days.

In the meantime, though... you know those Forty before 40 lists? I made one. Because I like goals and lists and crossing goals off of lists so this is pretty much my happy place. And just in case anyone cares about the not too lofty and perfectly attainable goals I hope to reach before I hit middle age, I thought I'd grace you with my list.

And so, here it is. Before I turn 40, I hope to....

1. Always be reading a book. I started this year and it has been so good for my brain.

2. Take a big trip for our 10 year anniversary. It's next year. TEN YEARS. I feel like such a grown up.

3. Grow our family. Both by birth and through adoption. I pretty much want all the babies.

4. Mentor and be mentored. Any takers?

5. Start my own business. I have three ideas up my sleeve... I just need to go for it. I think I also need money to do this, but I'll just cross that bridge when I get there.

6. Get my nose pierced. Again. Because you're only young once and I'm running out of time.

7. Chop off my hair. Let's be honest, I don't like change. I keep the same haircut for no less than ten years because I'm scared to do anything drastic. But I think it would be fun to go all out so I'm working up the nerve.

8. Go to Asheville.

9. Write a children's book. And a grown up book.

10. Learn to embrace imperfection. And messy hair.

11. Grow in confidence as a momma. It is the hardest, most beautiful job I have ever done. I've never had to plead with the Lord more to protect my kids from my mistakes. But I also want to learn to give myself grace and to be okay with my kids seeing me fail. It's good for me and for them. Perfect mommas don't need Jesus and Lord knows that I surely do.

12. Take a cooking class.

13. Go on a Fall Foliage bed & breakfast road trip.

14. Napa Valley vacay. Enough said.

15. See the Northern Lights. I'm actually kinda iffy on this one. I've heard they're not all they're chalked up to be.

16. Take a fitness class at a trampoline park.

17. Retake our wedding pictures for our Ten Year. First of all, our original pictures suck. We didn't even get them until our 4th year of marriage (and here is the super sweet video of the time DJ finally tracked them down and surprised me with them). I just need to decide if I want to trash the dress or just get all dressed up and include the kids to show how our marriage and family has changed and grown in ten years. Or maybe I'll do both, because how fun would that be?!

18. Have a prom party. Because my birthday is in prom season and because once you're married, it kinda feels like you will never again have the opportunity to get all dressed up ever. There are no balls or galas in my life and I want to get dressed up, dangit! The whole shibang. Fancy gown, professional hair and make up, a limo, a group of friends and a fancy dinner. Oh yea, and maybe dancing, too.

19. Get Moses' name changed on his social security card. This is actually beyond my control but I've been working on it for almost a year and it very well may be the end of me.

20. Expose our family to the global church in our own backyard. We've always talked about how one Sunday a month we'd like to visit churches of other ethnic and denominational backgrounds in order to help to keep both the nations and the Church tangibly before us. I hope we start doing this soon.

21. Create a capsule wardrobe. Or better yet, have someone do this for me.

22. Find a realistic & healthy balance with social media. Because this is always a battle for me. Eesh.

23. Go to a Korean Spa. Actually, get DJ to go to one. He's too modest for his own good.

24. Move. Or learn to love Garland. No, wait. Move.

25. Be able to think about and decide on my kids' education without hyperventilating and getting sweaty pits.

26. Stop eating dessert every day. Just kidding. This little habit started the day Jones was born and it's a little gem that I hope never goes away.

27. Discover a creative outlet. My perfectionism tends to be a killjoy in this arena.

28. Learn to cut my own bangs. This might not seem like a big deal, but I typically refrain from doing things I can fail at. Especially when that failure is on my face. (I actually cut my bangs for the very first time like two weeks ago. It wasn't the best ever. But, it wasn't awful either.)

29. Go to a Happy Hour Live event! Yes please. I basically have a girl crush on Jamie Ivey.

30. Join a book club.

31. Care less about being loved and accepted. Care more about being loving and accepting.

32. Learn to be okay with a simple Christmas. It's easy to buy into the hooplah. To feel the pressure to spend a lot of money and to buy a lot of things. But honestly? It stresses me out every year and it can kinda be a killjoy. I want Christmas to be about our sweet little traditions. About baking and sharing meals and time together and making memories. Some gifts, yes, but not many and not for everyone. And I want to be okay with that.

33. Take a ballet class. I'm being serious.

34. Expand & diversify my friend group. It's all too easy to stick to people who look and act and think just like you. But there is value and beauty and much to learn from in the differences too and I hope to see this more in my life.

35. Somehow end up on one of the Ellen In Your Ear pranks. Those things are hilarious.

36. Learn how to be girly. There's more to fixing hair than just a straightener or a pony tail, but I'm just not sure what. And accessorizing seems fun minus the part about not wanting to spend my money on accessories. And, I want to smell good! Oh and rompers and wedges and high waisted swim suits and shirts that tuck into pencil skirts. Can someone please devote a weekend to teaching me about all these things?!

37. Go to the airport on a whim and purchase the cheapest out of state plane ticket. As long as that place is somewhere fun and not lame. Spend the weekend enjoying said city.

38. Take a photoshop class.

39. Learn to strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere. People are fascinating and I want to know all their stories. My friend Mackenzie is great at this. So is Brandon Stanton. I basically want to be him because Humans of New York is fascinating.

40. Figure out who on earth I should vote for in this election and truly be at peace with my decision.

So there you have it. You are cordially invited to join me in crossing off any item (or items) of your choice. Really. Otherwise, I might forget I created this list and end up doing none of them at all.

xoxo,
courtney