30 by 30

Sorry in advance for the length of this however I really hope you read this though and help me out with this on-going project. Also sorry for the lack of pictures. I tried putting some in here but it just messed all the spacing up and I couldn't get the pictures in the right places.

Although there is tons to blog about and I am way behind in my new year's resolution (sorry I broke that one I guess) I'm deciding to blog about something that isn't chronicling one of our many travels this year (and believe me there are a lot). If you want a taste of those (hopefully we'll blog about them someday) you can go here or here or basically read Amy and Ryan's blog about what occurred during our outstanding road trip with them (look in their late July/August posts).

Inspired by our friend Michelle we've been working on our 30 by 30 list (in Heather's case 31 by 31 on the 31st (her golden birthday)). If you haven't heard of something like this before it's basically a set of 30 goals to accomplish by the time you are age 30. I'm blogging about this and will probably in the future add polls, a countdown, the list, etc. to the sides of this blog, and continue to blog about this as it gets closer and closer to my 30th birthday (which is still a little less than 2 years away). I'm blogging these to at least a.) Write down my goals and b.) have you all keep me accountable to this list (which I hope you do and hope you help me with this list (by offering suggestions, encouragement, etc.)

Anyway, here is my 30 by 30 list. Heather is still working on her 31 by 31 list and who knows she may or may not also blog about hers. I've done my best to categorize this list:

Personal Development (These are goals that will development me personally, either physically, emotionally, personality, or in some other sense:

1.) Read 30 books. This may not seem like a lot...but it is for me. As a side to this I want to read at least one classic fiction, one non-fiction, one biography or autobiography, one LDS fiction, and at least one LDS non-fiction. All of those being separate books and not counting in more than one of those categories. Any suggestions? Hopefully eventually I will put on this blog a virtual book shelf (as in a list) of books I'll read, and maybe your suggestions will be on there...so start suggesting.

2.) Be in a play or at least try out 3 times for one(s). I did a lot of plays in High School and Middle School and really enjoyed it. It makes me super nervous to think about memorizing a script again for one. I think this will be a good personal development project though (as it will build confidence and acting ability and get me out of the house) and we'll see how it goes. If you know of any play tryouts in the North Salt Lake area where the play doesn't conflict with my busy season let me know.

3.) Give at least $30 in at least $1 increments to 30 new charitable organizations (as in ones I've not heard of before or donated to before). This is a personal development goal because I will get to find out about new interesting organizations that I can help even if its in a small way. It also helps as a tax write-off, but I'm not doing this one for that reason. Just an added benefit of it.

4.) Get my CPA. This one shouldn't be too hard as I'm almost there, but I'm not there yet and I needed more than just "Just for Fun" goals.

5.) Work out at least once a week for at least once a month. This goal is important because I don't currently work out, and I'm probably very unhealthy in the inside. Know of any good workout routines or good suggestions to get this one going?

6.) Get LASIK (this one I'm already on my way toward so is kind of a filler item. I've always wanted to have perfect/near to perfect vision without any aid (contacts, glasses, etc.) I go into the doctor in about a week to ensure that I am well qualified to receive LASIK. If I'm not....well I may need to have a replacement goal...any suggestions?

7.) Jump from a high dive. This is in personal development because I've never done it before, and it sounds really scary to me. This will hopefully increase my bravery, thus a personal development item. Preferably this would be done into a body of water (is there even any other way?). It doesn't necessarily have to be off an actual high dive, I suppose it could be from a high cliff or something like that.

8.) Do something semi-dangerous (yet to be determined). Something Heather doesn't immediately approve of like flying a plane or helicopter, sky diving, bungee jumping, hiking angel's landing. Also Amy Fitzgibbons has to approve it thus making Heather approve of it (also a new year's resolution). This should probably be in another category, but it will strengthen my relationship with Heather and make me a braver, better, well-rounded person. Any suggestions here? Help?

Spiritual Development(goals that will develop me spiritually):

9.) Have a child (if possible). The if possible portion is on there because we are trying and it hasn't happened yet. I put this as a spiritual goal and not something else because I think having a child would really increase me spiritually because it would probably motivate me to be a better person, etc. Really it could go in all the categories though.

10.) Read/study "Preach My Gospel." I won't even count this as one of the books in #1. I was a missionary before this came out and I still haven't completely read/studied it. I've started to at least once, but never quite studied it completely.

11.) Bare my testimony in fast and testimony meeting while successfully fasting at least once. This is on here because I honestly can't remember the last time I've done this and it was at the least sometime before I was married. I add the successfully fasting part to this goal because I have trouble fasting as well (although I've been 100X better about that than I have been with bearing my testimony).

12.) Write in my journal at least once a week for at least once month in a row. This is also something I haven't done since before I got married. I don't even think Heather is mentioned in my personal journal which is quite unfortunate....hopefully blogging has been a type of journaling, but I really need to write in my personal journal.

13.) Attend the temple at least once a month for at least 3 months in a row. I've actually been back to the temple a number of times since being married, but I really need to get in a better habit of going.

14.) Volunteer at least 30 hours in a year to some good organization. If I accomplish this in the year before my 29th birthday, do it again in the year before my 30th birthday. If I don't get it done in a year at least get 30 hours in before I'm 30.

Just For Fun (self explanatory, but probably the biggest portion of this 30 by 30 list):

15.) Get a set of golf clubs and go golfing 3 times (9 holes) or 1.5 times (an 18 hole time and a 9 hole time) or 6 times (driving range), or 12 times (mini-golfing) or a combination of these counting up to the equivalent of going golfing 3 times at a 9 hole course. If I accomplish this before I'm 29, do it again before 30 (the golfing part not the buying the clubs part). Hopefully the clubs will be a set that fit me but if I am rapidly approaching 30 I may need to get a junky goodwill pair.

16.) Watch 30 new films and 30 old films (from the time I've posted this blog). This could be considered in the personal development portion as I would like to watch some "good classic" films. Any good suggestions? Maybe I'll put up a list of the movies I decide on eventually here as well (See explanation of #1 if you don't know what I mean).

17.) Go sailing. I've been trying to do this since I married Heather as my father-in-law Joseph does have a small sail boat I've been wanting to go on.

18.) Go to Cherry Hill Water Park. I've been trying to do this since I've known about Heather's trips to Cherry Hill as a kid with the Registers. So in order for me to accomplish this goal it has to be with the Registers and with Heather. 2 summers left!

19.) Go on a wave-runner. I've been wanting to go again for a long time...since like I got off my mission.

20.) See Arches National Park (preferably hike to the arches).

21.) Travel abroad (as in internationally). I've gone international twice in the last two years, but I really love to travel outside of the U.S.A. and see everything there is to see. I figure I can see more of America (which I do want to see) when I have kids and less money. :-)

22.) Take Heather to Hawaii. One of those things that we've been meaning to do...but instead we go to Australia and New Zealand.

23.) Go to club 33. I think that to accomplish this goal Ryan Fitzgibbons has to be there or it just won't be as magical for me.

24.) Eat something that's cool that's fried (like a fried snickers bar, Twinkie, a Smore, or something like that).

25.) Have an 11/11/11 party. Save the date, you are all invited.

Financial Goals:

26.) Buy life insurance. I think this one won't happen until #9 happens or until at least Heather quits her job. Anyone know what type? How much, etc. would be good?

27.) Pay off a student loan.

28.) Invest short and long term. I'm kind of already investing long-term by having a 401k plan, but want to have some more personal short and long term savings/investments. Any suggestions on what would work best?

General Goals (goals that don't quite fit elsewhere):

29.) Help a hitchhiker. I think this should be under another category but Heather said to put it here as I think she's afraid I'll be murdered or something. Really it's helping another person so I think it should be like Spiritual or something, but I'll just leave it here.

30.) Successfully grow tomatoes. Should be easy right? Well we planted a garden this year (solely in my opinion) to grow tomatoes....well other than the strawberries that's the one thing that didn't grow completely this year. Squash, flowers, and spinach grew just fine, but not tomatoes. If this doesn't work next summer than I might have to get one of those indoor things as I might not trust my 3rd summer trying to grow tomatoes.

So please offer your help, check the sidebars of this blog (in the future) for polls, etc. Any suggestions, comments, encouragements, etc. are more than appreciated.

What's been going on?

In this post I mentioned I'd share some more about what's been going on in 2010 (since we are practically half way through it already, and you haven't seen any real pictures from it or anything yet).

Well here goes.

These cute kids and their parents were visiting us at the beginning of they year (If you don't remember that, you didn't read the other post I wrote from the link above).

You may recall that the olympics were held in SLC in 2002. Well I had never been to the olympic park and so we decided to check it out in mid-January.

Also in January Heather took me on a super cool Amazing Race themed date, complete with Fast Forwards, Roadblocks, and Detours.


It ended with a fun game of bowling.


We always seem to go to Las Vegas during or in between Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day. This year was no exception.

Here's Heather with one of the MGM lions.


Amy had a resolution this year to play the slots. She's lived in Vegas all this time and had never gambled before. What a good person she is! Well we're all a good influence on her to make this resolution aren't we? (Sorry Amy I didn't get your permission 1st before sharing these!)

Well she really took to it.

She was gambling all weekend


Not really, but I made it seem that way right? And she actually came out somewhat ahead after like 3 slot pulls, on of which I did (hey it wasn't my dollar right?)!



Anyway, after we pealed Amy's body from the slots we decided to go put our money into machines that don't give you back money (but it was still a lot of fun).


These were taken at the Pinball Hall of Fame. You should go check it out next time you are in Vegas. They had a pretty fun Russia vs. USA game. It was a lot of fun, but I think I lost.



Well after all that gambling Amy felt like she needed to repent and go to the temple so on Sunday we checked out the Las Vegas temple which I had never seen before and I thought it was pretty darn cool. Although they really should have fountains there.


On Valentine's Day instead of giving Heather a real gift I finally finished the puzzle we had started during Christmas (my family is big on puzzles during the holidays). Heather always gets mad at me for not wanting to work on puzzles, when I start them, because I get lazy/bored about them during the time it takes to finish them.
This puzzle is called "State Birds and Flowers" its in a box in our game closet, so we always tease that we want to play the game "State Birds and Flowers" when its really a puzzle.


A few weeks later we finally decided to take the puzzle down.

Maybe more of 2010 next month?

Before the month is over.../Stories

So being that it's the last day of January I have to fulfill a new year's resolution before the month ends (so soon already). I also am suppose to include pictures and update the quote wall.....seeing as we have no funny quotes I doubt that will happen, but maybe I'll put up some historical or spiritual quote or something.

Anyway, I don't really have much to blog about as I've begun work life is pretty boring and slow. In fact I'm going to tell you some semi-work related stories that probably aren't too funny, but perhaps amusing.

I have a pair of black gloves that Heather gave me for Christmas 2008. She gave me these gloves because during Christmas break 2007 I had lost one of the gloves that were my Grandpa's that he used in WWII (I believe). I'm still a little sad about that and want the one I lost replaced with a pretty much duplicate someday. They were also the gloves that I used during my mission. I really shouldn't call them gloves seeing as it was more of a mitten, but whatever back to my real story.
So gloves (and other items) have a tendency of jumping out of my pocket and getting lost. In fact I've already lost one of the gloves in the pair twice this month. Once, while we were inside Costco (we go to Costco even without a membership (using an expired membership card) to get free samples and when we are bored) I noticed that my glove was missing and had no idea where it would be. Oh well I guess I'll have to get new gloves eventually. Well when we were leaving Costco Heather and I noticed that the glove was on one of those orange cones right in front of Costco. I guess someone had found the glove and decided to put it on top of the cone just so we could find it!
The second time was probably less than a week later. I noticed that my coat pocket was missing my glove at work. Well I guess I'll have to get new gloves eventually. On Sunday I check the ward lost and found just in case. They weren't there though. As I drove into work that next week (this past Monday) a big white van stopped in the parking garage in front of me and a bunch of guys got out and started collecting trash. I thought to myself "I wonder if they'll find and throw away my glove, I better find it before them." (not even considering that the glove was most likely lost somewhere else...like Costco. Well as a pulled into a parking spot I noticed that I was going to run over something black. It was my glove! It was sopping wet and had gone missing for about a week, but there it was in this parking spot I had probably only parked in a few times before. Who knows when the next time I'll lose my glove again?

Here are some more unfunny stories from that same Monday:

My office work space/cube area is pretty cold during the day so they've given some of us individual heaters. I was gifted mine from a co-worker who has a better one. Well as a result of these heaters we have shorted out the breaker, which results in the power-loss to our cube areas computers. So now we have to monitor our heater usage and only one of us in our cube area can use there individual heater at a time.

As I wrote that story down on a sticky (on Monday to tell Heather later) I kept spelling heater as heather.

I'm not very busy at work yet so on Monday I was writing a list of things I could look up on the internet. One of those things was The Melting Pot (as I briefly considered going there for my half birthday which we celebrated this week). However, when I later looked at the list I read "Me Hing Pot," and said to myself "What the heck is the Me Hing Pot." Apparently sometimes I can't even read my own handwriting.

At Williams & Sanoma they have a cake pan where you can make a cake that looks like a giant cupcake. I've always told Heather she should get that so she could make a giant cupcake. Well someone brought a giant cupcake to work which made me happy/excited.
Anyway, those are my lame-o stories. Sorry you most likely wasted your time reading them.