30 before 30 [get to know my neighbors]

We've been living in our house now for 4 years in July, and I am ashamed to say that we're just recently meeting all of our neighbors.  And I hate that.

Over the years, I'd get the idea that I wanted to go over and just knock on the door, but something always stopped me.  So this year, I had grand plans of baking my go-to cookies and distributing them among our neighbors during Christmas break and introducing Judah. Great excuse idea right?? Babies are wonderful buffers I've come to realize. Buuuut I didn't realize that we would have 6 different Christmas family functions to go to and hardly any downtime at home over the holiday.  So I scraped that idea and decided that we would do something for Valentine's Day.



Well I told Joel of my plans to go door-to-door in our little cul-de-sac and he was totally on board.  It wasn't until the day of (the Sunday before V-day) that you could see the look of awkardness creep over his face.  Because let's be honest.  It WAS awkward.  It was awkard to knock on someone's door and offer them homebaked treats out of the blue.  It was awkward to have to say, "Yeah, we've been meaning to come by and introduce ourselves."  And it was awkward to hear, "I didn't even realize you were pregnant!" while I was holding a 9-month old Judah at the time.  So yes--the entire situation was very awkward and sometimes cringe-worthy. But it had to be done!
 

Overall, it was such a great experience.  One that I may even turn into a yearly thing as Judah gets older and can help pass out Valentine's Day treats.  Joel and I both had a fun time talking to our neighbors and hearing their stories.  And since then, seeing our neighbors outside is no longer reduced to a head nod or wave but leads to conversation now.  Imagine that! Amazing how a simple gesture is all it takes.

So this all leads me to No. 19 on my 30 before 30 list:

19. get to know my neighbors 

It's definitely still a work in progress, but I'm happy to say that No. 19 is officially underway!

30 before 30 [become a mom]

 15.become a mom 

I know there will be many more great moments in being Judah's mom, but these last few months have been so incredible. I've already forgotten the rough beginning few weeks--well not really.  :)

Being a mom is not quite what I expected.  I knew I would love our little boy, but the actual feeling of love I have for Judah is unexplainable.  I knew I would worry about him,  but the actual irrational fear I get on his behalf is crazy!  I knew it would be hard to leave him after my 12 weeks maternity, but the actual day I left was heartbreaking and pretty unbearable.  I'm learning so much about myself and Joel in the process--seeing Joel blossom into the wondeful father that he is makes my heart skip a beat with every story I see him read Judah and every song I hear him sing.  Seeing myself in the mirror as I hold Judah is still surreal, but I try to soak up every single moment we have together. He's already grown so much so fast.

Judah is such a wonderful addition to our family, and I often pray that he grows to be loving, kind, joyful, respectful, and faithful. I know he is ours on loan, so I am very grateful that God chose Judah to be the one that made me a mom.

30 before 30 [nail biter]

I finally stopped biting my nails!!  I honestly can't remember a time in my life when I didn't bite my nails or just gnaw on them in general (gross, right?).  It's a habit I wasn't proud of and always wished that I could have the self-control and patience to have pretty nails, but I eventually couldn't resist and never got to see the white of my nail.

If you only knew how many things my dad did to help break me of this habit growing up.  I tried popping a rubber-band around my wrist when I gave in, coating my nails with this really spicy stuff (which I only ended up kind of liking--so this one failed miserably), and getting people to slap my hand down or yell at me to stop when they saw me biting since I didn't even realize I did it.  Nothing worked!  Until I got pregnant.  The minute I learned about all the germs and nasty things lurking underneath my nails, I stopped instantly. No trip-ups, no hesitation--just stopped. And soon the white appeared! Prenatals also help keep them strong and growing, so that helped to see progress and get momentum.

Sooo this brings me to one of my list items:

12. stop biting my nails

I wasn't really sure what to do with my hands and it doesn't help that I'm double-jointed, but here they are in all their glory!  Since this picture has been taken, I have cut them down just so I can type and text, but it was nice having them for a while.

Now let's hope that I'll be able to keep this one and not revert to my old ways.  :) 

30 before 30 [wisdom gone]

I kind of almost forgot about this one and may have been a little more excited about this surgery had I remembered that I would get to strike through one of my list items.  Either way, I FINALLY got my wisdom teeth out after being told so for about 8 years!!

10. get my wisdom teeth out

I know I can be a little dramatic at times (or at least that's what a certain someone tells me), but this was definitely in my list of top 5 worst life moments.  All four were impacted and somehow growing into the roots of my other teeth. At one point during my almost two weeks of being swollen, I was convinced that I would never be able to see my cheek bones again (or ears for that matter).  I also convinced myself that somehow I ate the wrong thing, and it was only a matter of time before I would have to be rushed to the ER to fight some infection. I have also sworn off mashed potatoes for the next 10 years.

But thankfully, I have a husband to calm me down when I was being crazy and just tired from not being back to normal.  And I have family and friends who eased my fears with their recovery stories and an especially sweet friend(/dental hygienist) that humored me by bringing some supplies and checking on me when one of my stitches was giving me issues after a week and a half. (Thanks Amie!)

Needless to say, I am beyond relieved to cross this one off my list.

30 before 30 [christmas cheer]

Well I finally did it!  I finally sent a Christmas card!  (Without a hint of procrastination might I add.) I normally design one and then get cold feet because I felt weird just sending a card with me and Joel's picture on it.  And then there is the whole thought of: how do I celebrate the birth of our Savior with a 5 x 7 pic of me and Joel, complete with an overused Christmas phrase--but in a great font choice and color combo of course!

And then I just had to stop thinking so hard about it. I came to the conclusion that designing is a passion of mine, and it's rare that I get to express it within my own limits, so I saw this as an opportunity to show love to those around me in my own way and reflect on the great and joyful life we are able to have because of Him, His birth, His life, and ultimately His sacrifice.  Plus, I know I LOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail and seeing families grow--just to be thought of is such a great feeling.  So I decided to go for it, and I'm so glad I did.

Which brings me to cross out list item #13 from my 30 before 30 list:

13. send out a Christmas card 

(I design one every year, but then never follow through)

The response was overwhelming, and it just went to show me that people were touched and excited to receive a card from us for the first time.  I quickly realized that something so simple as a picture with words can bring someone love and meaning. 

30 before 30 [new car smell]

this post is only 2 months late, but we finally took the plunge! after 8 years in my beloved civic, joel and i decided to upgrade. i still don't know why he insisted on the new car being for me, but we got rid of his truck and now he whizzes around town in his used, green go-cart. thank God i married someone who doesn't need the finer things in life. :)

this brings me to one of the things i had on my 30 things to do before i turn 30

23. buy a new car

it definitely wasn't as stressful as buying a house, but it was still pretty up there. researching and looking for the best deal take it out of you. but then you get to drive away in a newer car and you forget about all the anxiety that comes with any big purchase.

i'm loving it as you can tell, but it has definitely taken some getting used to. all the bells and whistles that come with today's cars are foreign to me. the salesmen really didn't need to say much because the entire time they were talking, i kept thinking, "you had me at key-less entry."

now all we have to do is make sure this car lasts as long as my civic has. i just hit 100,000 miles on the civic, so i'm curious just how long it's going to be around. i hope the two get along. :)

30 before 30

i saw one of my favorite FRIENDS episodes the other day when rachel turns 30 and it got me thinking. why don't i have anything to look forward to when i turn 30 in 5 years?? so, in honor of my favorite TV show of all time, i decided to make a “things to do before I turn 30” list, phoebe buffay style. let’s just hope that when i complete it, i won’t then find out i’m really 31...poor phoebe. :)


1. get back to my wedding day weight (it’s only 10 lb.; that should be easy right??)
2. throw a party
3. watch a sunrise at the beach
4. bring all my decorating ideas for our house to life
5. buy a camera and learn how to use it
6. watch AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list (a professor in one of my design classes in college urged us to do this...i think it's time to take his advice :))
7. finish reading Pride and Prejudice
8. make our garden pretty again
9. get a web site for jen&ink
10. get my wisdom teeth out
11. join a Pilates class
12. stop biting my nails
13. send out a Christmas card (I design one every year, but then never follow through)
14. take a cooking class
15. become a mom
16. clean out my e-mail (3000 and counting)
17. go hiking in the mountains again
18. travel more (Austin, New York, and Chicago are on the top of my list)
19. get to know my neighbors
20. go on a fun road trip
21. go without TV for a week
22. pay off my student loan
23. buy a new car
24. cook an entire Thanksgiving meal by myself
25. learn how to Cajun dance (I feel as if I’m living a lie not knowing how)
26. pay for a stranger somewhere anonymously
27. see Michael Buble in concert
28. visit a winery
29. see a Broadway show
30. learn to drive a stick shift