Bucket List

I've decided to start a list of things I want to do before I die.  I'll add to it when I think of more things.  For now, here is what I've got.

1.  Visit all 50 states
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
2.  Go parasailing
3.  Visit Australia
4.  Visit England
5.  Go to Jerusalem
6.  See the Great Wall of China
7.  Tour the castles in Europe
8.  Buy a home
9.  Plant a garden
10.  Build something completely by hand
11.  Visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower
12.  Go to Los Angeles\Hollywood
13.  Visit the Biltmore at Christmas and in the Spring
14.  Learn to swing dance
15.  Learn to surf
16.  Tour the White House
17.  Visit Boston
18.  Go to Memphis
19.  See the Golden Gate Bridge
20.  Visit the Mall of America
21.  Go to Disneyland
22.  Visit the San Diego zoo
23.  Visit Canada
24.  Ride a double decker bus in London

Help

Ok guys I need your help.  I really want to be able to blog about books and not have to spend a ton of money doing it.  We all know I love to read and so I found several publishing companies that will send me books for free to blog about.  However, I have to have at least 30 followers on my blog.  I know my other blog is new but if you could follow it, that would be great.  If you don't want to read it, that's fine.  It just has to publicly show that I have 30 or more followers.  If you know someone else who might be interested in my other blog, send it on.  The link if http://onandofftheshelf.blogspot.com/.  Thanks!

New Blog

I don't blog much anymore but thought I would try and blog about the books I read.  I started a new blog http://onandofftheshelf.blogspot.com/.  I am going to try and right about the books right after I finish them so they are fresh in my mind.  If anyone has any tips or can give me feedback, that would be great.  I posted 2 posts already and am working on a third on a book I read last week.

Update

I got really slack about blogging.  Obviously, I haven't blogged in almost a year.  This year I've started out trying to read through this huge stack of books I've got.  I started with Seven by Jenn Hatmaker, then read Unglued by Lysa Terkeurest.  After that, Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis.  Currently, I'm reading A Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  However, I've put that book aside for a little bit to read Orphan Justice by Johnny Carr.  I've spent the last couple of months thinking about orphans and the living situations they experience in overseas orphanages.  While looking at the Christian Alliance for Orphans website, I ran across Both Ends Burning.  I'm super excited about seeing the documentary they have made called Stuck watching the preview has changed my outlook on a lot of things.  I think everyone should look at the preview http://buy.stuckdocumentary.com/.    Another site I've been visiting has been amazima.  So many other neat things I've found but that's all for now.

Prayers

Some of you know I'm in school for Medical Billing\Coding. Anyways, I'm nearing the end of my school, but I really need a full-time job before I finish. Also, I'm going to have to move at the end of summer\beginning of the fall. I'm not too concerned about the move since I've already had one person say I could stay with them (but it would be temporary and I need something more permanent). I really need a job that I will be able to live off of what I make so I'm asking for prayer in that regard. I've been looking and have probably applied for five or six jobs already so we'll see. Also, prayer that I make the right decision about where to live. My blog wasn't letting me post so that's why there's been a delay.

The Day My Car Died

I was driving back from Greenville last monday after spending Easter with my family. Anyways, I noticed the A\C went out and I thought that sucks, but I was close to home. Well, then my a\c comes back on and the check engine light comes on. I ignored it thinking I was almost home. (FYI, don't ever ignore that!) Then I noticed my car was slowing down. It didn't seem to have a lot of power. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw smoke. I decided to get off at the next exit and go to the gas station. I pulled off at 177 on I-26. I got to the top of the ramp and stopped and my car went dead. It wouldn't start. I tried calling my dad, no answer. I tried calling the house, no answer. I called my friend Michelle and she got her brother to come and get me. I called my dad again and this time he answered. I told him what was going on. Then I called AAA to get a tow truck. In the meantime, several people stopped, but I told them I didn't need help. AAA towed my car to the Car Care Center for free and Peco, Michelle's brother, gave me a ride home. Well, the next day, the Car Care Center calls and tells me I need a new engine. It's going to cost me $5,000! My car is worth $2,000 or less. So, now I'm getting a new car and I sold my civic to a friend who wants to try and fix it. I know it's weird, but I kind of feel a sense of loss. That car was my first car. I had it for the past 8 years almost to the day. I've had so many adventures in it. The song that keeps running through my head is American Pie. I guess the line in it that makes me think about it is, "drove my chevy to the levy but the levy was dry".

Wayback Wednesday

Today I've been baking cupcakes most of the day. This reminds me of when I was little my mom would always bake birthday cakes for my birthday. She would always decorate them so they looked professionally done. She even knew how to make a cookie cake that looked like one you would buy at the store. They were soooo good! I guess that's where my love of baking come's from.