Summah Lovin.

Sunny skies and suntan lines here in Erie. We are loving the spring/summer/fall weather, I guess we'll just have to deal with the winter! haha. All has been going really well for us. We are still both working hard, but making time for each other and others too.

We planned a Surprise 50th birthday party for Brandon's mom in May. She was so surprised and we had a great turn-out. I couldn't believe how easy it was to get her to the location; she really had no idea. It was so great to see her face when she realized everyone was there for her! Then, she and I went to NYC for a weekend in June (from her husband) and got her hair done at Devachan (the amazing curly-girl salon). It was so much fun! (i miss nyc!)

We had my family stay the weekend for Kyle's graduation party. B, Dad, and Jordan all went fishing (duh) on Sunday and caught catfish. Brandon couldn't resist bringing home the monster of a catfish he caught. Everytime my parents are here, B is bringing things home to chop up on the back patio. Geez! He was so proud of the 15 lbs. of nasty. Eww!

We are in the midst of planning the Beer Olympics (coming up on July 11) and we will be donating goods to the food bank for our June kindness. The summer has been great so far. I am planning a date for tonight to have a picnic dinner at Beach 1 (Presque Isle) because they have free concerts on Wednesday nights. I really love that Erie has so many opportunites to do organized fun things in the summer! I'll post pics after our picnic/concert date tonight!!

List lover...on steroids

So, a few posts down, I was talking about lists. I'm not kidding that I'm a list lover. Its actually kind of embarassing to even type this blog entry because of the extremely ridiculous amounts of lists that I create and keep around the house. These lists are found mostly in my planner or on my bulletin board. One of them is kept in a notebook that I add all my favorite quotations and is in our living room. I personally find it easier to get things done when I can cross it out and feel accomplished. So, in an effort to a) inspire others and b) truly show what a nerd I am; here are a few of the lists around our house...

"To do before 30th Birthday"

1. visit Thailand
2. Grow "Mermaid" hair
3. Have a signature dish
4. Go topless on the beach
5. Learn to golf
6. Learn to drive stick
7. Become certified in CPR
8. Become fluent in Spanish (again)
9. Grow a garden
10. Become a mother
    

"Shopping List (today)"

• wedding gifts (2)
• cards (wedding (2), sympathy (2))
• Fly ty stuff (table, organizer)
• PRINTER INK!!!!!
• Book: East of Eden

"Ways to take advantage of Erie:"

• Erie Times on Thursday = Showcase (local events)
• Bayhawks Basketball/Seahawks Baseball
• Chatauqua, NY...nice?
• Erie Chamber Orchestra
• Mercyhurst movie night
• Tom Ridge Center = IMAX!!
• Presque Isle
• Waldameer <3>
• Wine Festival in September!!

Books to look up:

1. The Bonesetter's Daughter
2. Lottery - Patricia Woods
3. The Color of Water
4. A Walk in the Woods
5. The Zookeeper's Wife
6. Peace like a River
7. Bell Canto (spell check?!)
8. Prayer for Owen Meenie (spch?)

Non-profit Checklist-To do:

• Create a plan
• Research competition
• How will it measure success?

Brandon&Tabitha's Forever List (made in 2005)

1. Take a gandala through Venice
2. Surf in Hawaii
3. Outback tour in Austrailia
4. African safari trip
5. See pyramids in Egypt
6. French kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower<3>
7. run with teh bulls in Spain
8. scuba-dive in the caribbean
9. wine-tasting tour in Italy
10. zipcord through the Costa Rican rainforest
11. go to a rodeo in Texas
12. Love parade in Prague
13. eat real thai food in Thailand
14. Carnival in Trinidad
15. Gamble in Las Vegas
16. Drink tequila in Mexico
17. visit the Statue of Liberty
18. Go to the top of the Empire state building
19. bungee-jump
20. visit Israel
21. Go to a final four basketball game
22. eat waffles in Belgium
23. kiss the Blarney stone
24. whale-watching in Alaska
25. visit the Grand Canyon
26. visit/drive through every state of USA
27. sky dive
28. travel the Amazon by boat
29. visit Santarinni
30. Oktoberfest in Germany
31. Visit the Great Wall of China

"Green Me:"

• Lower thermostat; wear a sweater
• check electric bill for type of power
• send back junk mail
• get a bike
• RECYCLE
• byob(ag) shopping
• Green shopping:
  http://www.ecobunga.com/
  http://www.sustainlane.com/

"the to do list you can actually do" (from Real Simple Magazine)-on my bulletin board

• Hit snooze
• Shampoo, rinse, repeat
• Forget to floss
• Eat a bagel
• Forget to put laundry in the dryer. Clothes can be permanently pressed (whatever that means) tomorrow!
• Screen phone calls
• See mailman coming and realize Netflix and bills are still on the kitchen counter
• Get sucked into a movie on Lifetime
• Grow anxious as Meredith Baxter murders the dad from 7th Heaven
• Put off remaining duties while reading celebrity gossip
• Decide for youself "Who Wore It Best"
• Skip Pilates
• Eat a burrito
• Pick up The World Is Flat on nightstand
• Read paragraph; put down
• Leave eye makeup on
• Lights out

12 Months of Kindness...revisited

Our 12 Months of Kindness has been going really well. I love the feeling of making time for others. Giving is receiving. Here's an update of little more than 1/3 of the way through the year.

January: goods donation to the our local Humane Society (bones, bedding, food, toys, etc)

-We donated $75 worth of food, treats, and toys to our local Human Society. We got more bang for the buck by going to Petco (where we are members and get discounts) and using coupons cut from the local paper.

February: bake cookies for the local Fire Department

-I made heart-shaped cookies for the Millcreek volunteer firefighters for Valentines day. They were at first confused then surprised and grateful that we thought of them. They are braver than us and we are grateful for them.

March: March Madness tournament poll (proceeds to Special Olympics)

-We had a great(!!) turnout for our March Madness poll tournament. Our family and friends raised over $290 that was donated to the PA Special Olympics. We received 26 tournament brackets and other friends donated even without participating in the game. We feel so lucky to have people in our lives that support us. The winner: Duke & Stacy Soltesz won a $50 VISA giftcard. In the spirit of the Special Olympics oath, "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt," the person with the lowest score: Sarah Moffett received a $5 gift card to Starbucks.

April: plant trees (Earth day<3)>

Instead of a tree we opted for a raspberry bush. It is planted in a BIG pot on our back patio. I can't wait to pick fresh raspberry this summer. We have also planted chives and some potted plants. I love spring. We added composting to the list as well. We bought a compost bin from Millcreek twp ($6) and I have a composting "crock" -purchased from www.sustainlane.com -that allows me to keep compost stuff handy without making multiple trips to the bin. Our garbage has been minimized significantly. We love Mother Earth.

May: Valley Scholarship

-We received 5 essay entries to consider for our scholarship. It was inspiring to hear from Valley seniors about what is important to them and how they are trying to make a difference. We hope that the essay allowed the students to at least reflect on their power to influence others. We have always tried to be positive role models for others. I think we have chosen a good role model as our winner:) S/he is someone who demonstrated leadership and passion. They will receive $1000 scholarship towards their education for next year. The Senior Banquet will be held on May 7. B and I will be traveling to Johnstown to present our award. There will be a plaque in the office displaying all the scholarship award winner names starting this year.