My Bucket List-- 9 months later

My bucket list as it appeared on April 14, 2010 and notes on my progress:

1. Grow my own vegetables and freeze/can them. My plan is to grow tomatoes and peppers this summer. I am also hoping to freeze corn, strawberry jelly, and applesauce. I not only grew tomatoes and peppers, but had a pretty successful pumpking/gourd patch as well. I also managed to freeze corn, jelly, and applesauce. This summer I am planning to expand my garden.

2. Travel to South America. We traveled to Southern America instead. This summer Amirah had her first airplane ride and her first dip in the ocean when we went to visit Papa and Nana Burch in Florida.

3. I have always wanted to bungee jump before I turned 30, but that is only a month away and seeing as I have a 2 month old at home it doesn't seem like the wisest idea, so I am now changing that dream to riding in a hot air balloon. First of all my dream has never been to bungee jump. I accidentally wrote that instead of skydiving. Bungee jumping sounds terrible.

4. Make an office in a closet. They show these all the time in decorating and organizing magazines and I really want to try it. This project might have to wait until we buy a different house as all our closets are needed for things other than office supplies right now. I will keep this on my list.

5. Make a canopy for my bed. Before I do this I want to buy a new bed, as we are sleeping on the same matress I've had since middle school. This is partly coming true. Ysmaille and I are buying a new mattress with our tax return money. We are moving up in the world -- from a full to a queen.

6. Weigh 130 lbs. Right now this seems harder than all the above put together. Okay. Still not there. But I did lose all my baby weight.

7. Finish the book I started this winter. I know this sounds like an easy accomplishment, but it seems that when I have any down time I just want to read magazines because it's less of a a committment. I don't remember what book this was, exactly. But it's safe to say I finished it and probably a couple of others as well. Right now I am reading Julie and Julia and The White Masai. The White Masai is fascinating and I find myself thinking about it at school and wondering what's going to happen next.

8. Go to Paris. I know it's overrated, but I want to see it for myself. Plus, having a husband that speaks French makes it seem a little more doable. Still want to see Paris.

9. Sleep through the night. Thanks be to God-- Amirah has been sleeping through the night for months now and as much as I loved her little baby stage I am also glad it's over!

10. Buy $100 worth of groceries for $25 or less. Still working on this one. Couponing takes a lot of time, and I have just been doing the minimum.

That's where I am 9 months later. I'll keep my fans updated-- all 12 of you :)

Things to Come....

I've been inspired to make some changes in this new year...

1. When we first bought our house we had people over all the time and we prayed that our house would be a place where others felt comfortable and safe. Since having Amirah we have kind of become hobbits in our own little world. I want that to change. My new goal is to have someone over for dinner once each month. We've invited our first friend today.

2. I also want to continue to run. I'm just amazed at what my body can do. When I started to run/jog I could barely make it one minute at a time. Today I ran 8 minutes at a time. I actually ran more than I walked! My goal is to run a 5k in the spring.

3. This spring I am going to clean the basement. Ysmaille's going to help me. He doesn't know that yet. I cannot stand another year looking at the following: pajama bottoms, ceiling tiles, college textbooks, etc. The amount of stuff we have stored there is ridiculous. No more.

Ayiti, ou gen ke'm!

Haiti, you have my heart. I fell in love with this beautiful island almost the moment I set foot on it in May 2002. Within months I had also fallen in love with a beautiful island boy who stole my heart and wouldn't let go!

I can't even express how I feel about today- January 12, 2011. One year ago I sat in this same spot, so worried for family, wondering if they were okay, making phone call after phone call, watching the news, mesmerized at what one moment in time could do to my island. I saw the hotel where we got married. What once was a majestic, grandiose building standing on the side of a mountain was reduced to huge mounds of white and gray concrete. Ysmaille's parents' house, where we spent part of last summer, was now unlivable. I just couldn't wrap my mind around it-- still can't.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to forget about all our friends and family who are rebuilding, but it seems so far removed from us. It's almost like the needs are so overwhelming that instead of helping where we could we haven't really helped much at all...