101. Celebrate the completion of this list

The actual 101st thing is to celebrate the completion with the girls. Who are these girls, one might ask? My 3 sisters and my step-mom. We all started our lists together. So celebrating together was 101 on all of our lists. However, things change. Life happens. You get married. Have babies. Move houses. Renovate houses.  Some of them didn't finish their list or have changed their list and their start/end dates. So instead of celebrating with them, I've decided to (once again) change this up to celebrate with Matt. He has been the most important part of getting this list done. He's spent his hard earned money on some things on this list. He's spent his time doing things with me he'd rather not do. He's stayed home watching our girls while I got to go do really fun things. So it's only fitting that I celebrate the completion with him.

This is the last blog post on this blog. Bitter-sweet. It's amazing that I did it - I actually completed the list! With loads of help from many different people, which is one of the things I've loved about this adventure. It brought Matt and I closer. It made me a better mom because I could do some things outside of motherhood. I got to know friends better.

I learned so many things - here are but a few:

•  I am more than a mom. There are many titles that define me - not just mom. I am first a daughter of the King. I am a wife. I am a fruit and veggie canning wannabe. I am a reader. I am also a mother, but not just. I knew it somewhat before, but now I really know it. 

• I can start a business! I never would have thought I'd be interested in or able to start my own business. 

• I hate cross word puzzles. I want to like them, but i just don't. 

• I LOVE Wicked. I want to see it anytime it's in Charlotte. Which happens to be in 2013 when I will take my two bigs to see it so they can fall in love too.

• I'm addicted to CFA half sweet-half unsweet tea. And I'm okay with that.

• I like autobiographies! Never thought I did, but I actually do. I'm so thankful for all the ladies in book club who continue to widen my horizon with books.

• Bridge has changed my life. It's the best game ever. I will be one of those old ladies in the retirement center who plays bridge with her friends every day. Which reminds me of my Grandmother...Grammy. She went to be with her Lord and Savior in July 2012. Grammy, if heaven permits you to read blogs, this post is dedicated to you. Matt and I always wanted to play bridge with you and we look forward to the day in heaven when we can.

• I love dresses! I thought I hated them, but I actually love them. Oh, and boots. I love boots more than dresses. Put the two together and you have something better than coffee and scones, peanut butter and jelly, or chocolate and caramel.

• Bulk cooking has changed my life. Seriously - thanks to Chris V. for this gift.

• I adore flea markets. I hate Chipotle. 

Well, there you have it. Thanks to anyone who ever read any post. I appreciate you coming on this journey with me. Special thanks to my sweet husband and children who have been along for the ride without getting to have all the fun. 

Above is the very last picture of my blog of 101 things in 1001 days. Notice the paper and pen in front of the Prosecco? It's the beginning of Matt's list. And the legacy continues...

79. Photography series on each kid

Thanks to Derek R. for this great picture!

When I first put this on my list, I had envisioned me taking great pictures of my sweet little girls. Who would all have their hair beautifully braided or pig tailed. With precious boutique dresses and unscuffed Mary Janes on.

Ha. Good one. The joke is on me. The day I get all four girls to look as cute as they possibly can is the day I get a medal. My girls have super curly and thick hair. I can get my 3-year-old to keep a pony tail in her hair for exactly 3 seconds. My 5 and 7 year-olds would cooperate, but to get their hair to cooperate is a different story.

They all have some pretty cute dresses. They also all have some pretty strong opinions about what they like and don't like to wear. They like the ugly dresses and don't like the cute boutique ones. Go figure. And the day I can get all 4 kids to dress up without getting something gross (food, dirt, poop) on their clothes, I want another medal. Or perhaps I'd just get a jail sentence...since it would take something drastic and scary to achieve the cleanliness.

On to another problem - shoes. I try, really try to teach them the difference between church shoes and play shoes. I fail. Their dress shoes end up looking like they were in the middle of a war.

My last problem (and probably the biggest) is the lack of a quality camera. My point and shoot is fine for what it is - but it takes a great camera to take great pictures. One day, I'll get that camera. I don't have it yet though.

So, where does this leave me? Well, I have great friends. Who have not only a great camera, but amazing eyes for great pictures. And lucky for me, our family goes to Holden Beach together every year with these amazing friends. So, I hit them up to take some pictures of my girls throughout the week. The beach solved all my problems. Shoes - not needed on the beach. Hair - no one expects perfectly braided and combed hair at the beach. Wild and crazy beach hair is actually pretty cute. Dresses - don't need them at the beach. Besides, kids in bathing suits are so much cuter. You know, little bottoms showing and stuff.

And now for a few of the pictures. Thanks to Dana D. and Sarah H. for some of these amazing photographs!

Morgan

Ava

Kennedy

Emmaline

14. Read all the books of the bible

I've been a Christian since I was a senior in high school. I'm now 33 years old. I'm embarrassed to admit that until now, I had not read all the books of the bible. There were a few books in the Old Testament that although I read parts of them, I've never read them all the way through. I can now say that I have read the entire bible. Understand it? No. Love it? Mostly. I am one of those crazy (insert sarcasm) Christians who really does read and love the Old Testament. So many people today want to separate the "Old Testament God" and the "New Testament God". Yet, God does not change. He is the same in the New Testament as He was in the Old Testament. A Holy, Loving, Compassionate, and Gracious God. It's sometimes harder to see in the Old Testament, between all the sacrificing, fighting, war, and threats of destruction. Which is why I said that I "mostly" love it. It's hard to understand why God did a lot of the things He did in the Old Testament. Then I remember that God's ways and thoughts are higher than mine. I can't possibly understand the why behind it all. So I don't get so frustrated when I don't get it.

I'm glad I put this on my list to do. Historians and sociologists tell you: "To understand the present (and future), you must understand the past." And it's true. Reading the New Testament takes on a deeper meaning when you pair it with the Old Testament. But in order to pair it with the Old Testament, one must read it.

4. Weekend away with Matt, 34. Go to a wine festival

Matt and I have been married 12 years, this August. And this weekend was his birthday. Two great reasons to go to the mountains! We went to a music festival at Chateau Morrisette. We spent two glorious nights at a bed and breakfast. I had a whole three days worth of meals that I didn't cook or clean up after. We did wine tastings, sat on a lawn drinking wine and listening to music and watching drunk hippies dance, went antiquing together, saw deer on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and got up close and personal with a hummingbird while eating our breakfast on the porch.

Black Dog sangria at the festival

Grapes at a vineyard

I am so thankful I put this on my list. Those people who are fans of wine (those who aren't fans just haven't had the right wine yet!) should take a trip to the Chateau Morrisette vineyard. Or even the Shelton Vineyard in NC. And when you go - let me know so I can come with you. 

28. Take a cooking class

Meet Jackson from Williams-Sonoma. He is a jam canning expert. He showed a group of about 10 of us how to make and can three berry jam. I learned the difference between water baths and pressure cookers. I learned why ball jars are the best jar to use. I learned how to make jam without the pectin.

Here's the jam before canning it:

Guess what my next big purchase will be?! Yes. Canning supplies. Matt usually has a big garden with lots of extra veggies that we end up cooking and freezing. But I love my freezer space, so if I can the extra I save my freezer space for my bulk cooking meals.

Overall, I had a great experience at the Williams-Somona cooking class, which by the way was free and they offer a variety of classes all throughout the year. Next time, I'll bring Matt along and make a (free) date out of it!

56. Go to bed at 10

My usual bedtime is after 10pm. Way after 10pm. Ever since I was a teenager, I was a night owl...preferring to stay up and be productive, then sleep in. I do my best organizing, planning, cleaning, etc at night.

My bedtime this week is 10pm. Yikes. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can. Beginning tonight - July 5, I will be going to bed no later than 10pm for a week. I'll shoot for a 7 day week, but settle for a 5 day week.

Gotta go. I have less than an hour to get the kitchen cleaned, house picked up, and some home school lesson planning.

UPDATE: I did it. Sort of. Close enough. For 5 nights, I mostly went to bed at 10. Lights were out. Some nights, I was actually able to go to sleep right away. Others, I couldn't. To be honest, I only really loved the 1st night. The others were work to make myself go to bed at 10. Another negative - the house. Disaster. Evenings are usually when I pick up from the day. Clothes get folded and put away in the evenings. Dishes get washed. Dishwashers get unloaded for the next morning.

Going to bed at 10 made it so that I didn't get all that stuff done. So while I may have woken up a little less grumpy, I came downstairs to a dirty kitchen. Which in turn made me grumpier than if I had just stayed up until 11.

Overall - I checked this off just to check it off. It didn't change my life or schedule at all.

84. Host a swap party

I love books. I love wine. What better thing to swap than books and wine? I had a few friends over and we ate, drank, talked books, and had lots of fun. It was a great opportunity to try out some of the fun recipes I've pinned, but haven't had the occasion to make. Mini cannoli, strawberry shots, avocado egg rolls, and more. And it was a great opportunity to find some fun new books to read.
Thanks sweet friends of mine for making this a great night and another check off my list! (And thanks to Matt for helping me prepare all the food!)