Seven squared

I didn't take many pictures on my birthday. Not of my cake, not of my husband making the cake, or of the two children of mine who were around. Instead, I took selfies with the cutest lil' munchkin I know: my granddaughter. That's what was important on my birthday.

I took a video of my grandson playing with my nativities, which was adorable, and I would post it, but this template and the saved videos on my phone don't get along.

Since this next year of my life is my 50th year, I decided to make a list of things to do to celebrate being on this earth that long.

My list:
1. Visit my sister who now lives in Memphis. We will go to Graceland. I'm not an Elvis fan, but if you go to Memphis to visit, you go to Graceland. You can't go to Memphis and NOT go to Graceland.

2. Go on a hike, possibly along the Mississippi River. I have a book that lists 60 hikes within 2 hours of the Twin Cities, which I will use to choose where I go.

3. Tour the James J Hill House. Maybe even during the holidays next year when it's done up in holiday decorations?

4. Go to a Saints game in their new stadium. (This was Jim's suggestion, can you tell? Given that I'm going to do a lot of these things with him, it makes sense to make one or two of them something he would enjoy)

5. Visit the Walker Art Museum.

6. Go to a show at First Avenue (this list is not necessary a list of things I have never done, like this one--I have seen exactly one show at First Avenue. They Might Be Giants. It's more a list of things that if I have done them before, I haven't done them enough, or when I did them, they were so enjoyable, I wanted to do them again)

7. Tour the Bachman Idea House

8. Go to Devil's Kettle Falls/Upper Falls in Judge Magney state park. The waterfall where half the water goes down a hole and no one knows where it leads.

9. Possibly on the same trip as #8, get my passport stamped in Canada.

10. Go to Como Park Conservatory. It's been too long. Possibly since elementary school.

11. Cross-stitch a little Christmas ornament every month (this one will be tough not because it's cross stitch, but because I'm having myself do it monthly. Tough to start new projects and get them done in one month)

12. create 2 pages of quiet book activities for Jackson and Emma.

13. Read scriptures at dinner no matter if any children are home.

14. Do one thing (create something, read something, visit something, cook something) from a different Pinterest board every month. I've even made a list. January will be adding to my car survival kit from a site I pinned to my Prepper Wannabe board.

That's my list. I love making lists. We'll see how many of these I can cross off. Trip to Memphis might be in the latter part of April, The Judge Magney state park thing will be a summer trip. Not on this list are things I know I will be doing, like graduating a senior, and then taking him out to college, and things that are not in my control, like perhaps a wedding, both of which will use up vast quantities of my energy and time.

Bring it on, 50th year!