One more to cross off for the month of July #78

Keep checkbook balanced for 3 months in a row weekly. Wow this has been tough but as of today I can say I have completed this one too. I sure hope its long enough to have helped establish a good habit.

A few more updates par for the course :)

Ok I couldn't help myself! This weekend was just absolutely one of the best I have had in a really long time. I drove out to Payson to help start the week the kids are gone a little easier. Dennis and I had a wonderful time and got one more crossed off my list and a couple additional ones worked on.

Sunday after getting a little bit of a later start then we thought we headed out to the golf course. We had spent the day before down in the Valley in Phoneix and Mesa shopping around looking at clubs for me. So yes, I am now the proud owner of my very own golf set! :) So Sunday Dennis spent most of the day working with me and teaching me how to hold a club, swing a club and actually believe it or not HIT the stinking ball! He was so patient with me, far more then I was with myself and extremely encouraging so I really started to enjoy playing. After playing at the driving range, practicing putting and pitch shots we picked up a golf cart and headed out. I only lost one box of balls, not to bad, and I really feel like I have a much better understanding of how to play. I look forward to playing with him a lot more ahead.

Then that night he drove me out into the sticks a bit and we got to watch the sunset in Payson, AZ ...the following are a few of the pictures I shot, I am also having one of them framed so that takes care of the first of 3 to have done :)

#80 Become Active in a group or ministry.

I was talking to a girlfriend earlier today about how busy my life has become with so many things going on. It became very obvious to me that it was time to cross off this item from the list considering how many days a week are now filled with events from either church or the 30-Something Ministry there. Tuesday night bon fires, Wednesday home fellowships, Thursday night leadership and then if Im in town almost each Friday night is now scooped up with the 30-Something group. I think this summer I can honestly say I have really met some great people and feel much more plugged in so to speak. Additionally volunteering 1 to 2 days a week at church as the graphic arts intern ...either way you look at it, I think I can easily say I have met this task and can cross it off the list.

Quick revisions

In an attempt to continue to challenge myself I have modified a couple of the items on my list. I have dropped a couple of silly ideas that were just something I kind of picked out of the air and added a couple that I have been thinking about quite a bit for the past few years. Learning to surf is one of those. I have wanted to try since I was a child and my grandmother in Iowa asked me if I did and when I said "NO Grandma, there are SHARKS out there" ....I've been haunted with her look since then. So I have added that to my list and also to take golf lessons and really attempt to learn how to swing a stinkin golf club :)

Additionally, I did send in a 2nd submission today to Comfort Cafe not just the one piece but two. Here's hoping :)

#18. Attempt to get something published

I'm really not sure what came over me today. But as I was reading over one of the blogs I keep up with "Window's to My Soul" I saw another site and some information I decided to check out. I clicked into Comfort Cafe and started looking around. Its a new website mostly designed to help out women who are hurting with both emotional and or physical challenges. I noticed right away that it was new and still had a great need for help in both the single/single parenting, and divorce/dealing with adultery area. The stuff I've been writing for some time now has dealt with both healing from a divorce, moving on and moving forward and dealing with the hurt of having had an adulterous husband. Then right at the top of the website it listed how to submit articles for consideration. I've been sitting and pondering weather or not to consider this ...an attempt to be published, but after a lot of thinking about it I have decided it definately counts...to me. :) Thats all that matters right :P. It took a huge bout of courage to send in a letter and send in one of the files I had written. I did already get a response back. It wasn't exactly what they were looking for but, she asked me to consider retyping it and resubmit it. I can't tell you what a boost that has been to me. I feel like I'm glowing....from the inside out. I know its silly. But I feel like a little kid at Christmas today. I've spent a good couple of hours rewriting today, Ill spend a couple more tomorrow since the kids are gone and then resubmit. But for now....I can cross this off ..........woot!

July off with a bang :)

Well as of now I have 3 more I can cross off the list. Try as I might to be clever and cute about it, I think the pure exhaustion of coming home after being gone for so long and so much to catch up on and do upon our return has hit me hard. Never mind the blasted heat.....which is funny in itself considering I've been vacationing in Arizona for the past 11 or so days. The thing is I had no idea that you could visit a slice of 'heaven' in the middle of the dessert of Arizona.

Last week the kids and I traveled up to Pine, Arizona and rented a cabin (thus crossing off #88). I knew the place would be pretty fun since it had a tennis court in walking distance and it was in a locked community needing a key to get into. The place however, was more then I expected. No, not the cabin. It was sweet, and fit our family perfect but where it was was more then I could have hoped for. The kids got to experience so much this trip. From learning to catch crawdads (thanks to Dennis), having a bat nestled one evening in the rafters outside on the huge porch, the taranchula that crossed the suburbans path one late afternoon, the deer walking through the backyard (until Jessica yelled "deer mommy deer!" that is), the snake that Jessica and Taylor (Dennis's daughter) caught, the fishing in the lakes and the fabulous firework show God provided just about each evening in the sky (lightening storms).

While there we did rent a boat and that then crosses off number 90. We traveled down to Rosevelt Lake (about an hour outside of Payson) me, Dennis and our combined 8 children. Talk about an adventure. The boat was a huge highlight to all the kids ....well I think honestly being towed behind the boat in the intertube was what they will remember the most.

Finally, the streets outside near Dennis's home had 'cherry' trees or 'Plerry' (because they insist they taste like plums) as my kids have labeled them and so I figured I could cross off yet one more since the kids had their fair share of picking off the trees. That then crosses off number 62.

July....off to a huge start, and Im sure many more to cross off in the very near future :)