list

40 Things To Do While I’m 40

Posted on June 25, 2012 Written by Tonya

So, like many of you I have a Bucket List of very lofty, somewhat expensive and sort out there things I would like to do before I die, but in the meantime, I have 40 immediate goals to tackle over the next 12 months (seeing as I have sort of missed the boat on things to do BEFORE turning 40).

Actually, I am very happy with my life, the way I look and the items that fill our family calendar. Oh, sure, I wish I had my pre-pregnancy tummy back, fewer gray hairs on my head, and a lot more free time, but I’m really okay welcoming a new decade.

My 40 things, in no particular order:

Watch all 550 minutes of The Planet Earth DVDs.
Run at least four 5Ks. The first one is coming up on July 4!
Sell my parents house in Arizona.
Find a new house here, buy it and move in. Whew!
If we aren’t going to move, finish decorating our living room.
Raise a puppy. More on this later.
Have a baby or at least get and stay pregnant by June, 2013. I am SO ready to get off this roller coaster.
Read one book (at the very least) per month.
Stop letting so many phone calls go directly to voice mail (are you reading this, Leah?).
Successfully potty train my son. It’s time, yo!
Finish writing my father’s story.
Go easier on myself. In general. In all matters of my life.
Resume my yoga practice.
Walk the 1000 steps in Laguna Beach.
Purge my stuff.
Have an epic garage sale. See above.
Drink more champagne.
Take Lucas to the beach by myself. Just once.
Schedule more one on one time with my sister.
Take Lucas on the Radiator Springs Racers at Cars Land just as soon as he grows one inch taller. 🙂
Eat more salads than sandwiches. At home.
Spend less time blogging, tweeting, status updating, pinning and playing games. For reals!
If I have to be on Pinterest, start trying some of the shit I pin.
Meet more local bloggers in person.
Make out with my husband more.
Reach out to my family across the country more often.
Lower expectations across the board.
Cook more. I was on a roll for a while and then got lazy.
Try new restaurants… Pizza Ortica, Chow, The Deck, Rooftop, etc.
When eating out at the same old places, try something different on the menu for a change.
Never lie about my age.
Give paddle boarding a whirl.
Go camping.
Consider hiring a trainer.
When moisturizing, never forget my neck!
Mail medical insurance claims before my husband has a cow.
Volunteer in Lucas’ classroom.
Leave the phone in the car and really BE in the moment.
Spend more time outdoors.
Stop making lists!

Happy birthday to me.

Look for updates!

Memories Of Daddy

Posted on June 24, 2012 Written by Tonya

With Father’s Day just a week ago and mine and Lucas’ birthday this month, my dad has been on my mind a lot lately. There are so many big and little things that remind me of my dad, the time we spent together and what a great role model he was to me.

My dad and I had a very special bond and I was a Daddy’s Girl through and through. I miss our conversations, his genuine thirst for knowledge and his hugs most of all, but here’s what has been rising to the top of my memory bank and making me miss him a little more than usual (in no particular order):

1. Hearing my dad drop the F bomb the first time. It was directed at traffic and made me giggle like crazy.

2. A mortifying incident in which he yelled out the car window to a classmate of mine riding his bike after darting in front of us, “That’s the kind of thing that will get you killed.”. That was 18 years ago and recently my husband yelled the exact same thing as a biker crossed our path. I nearly peed in my pants.

3. My dad loved to dance, especially to 80’s music. Sadly, my dad was a terrible dancer, but you just had to admire his enthusiasm.

4. His roots. My father was born and raised in a very small town in Texas and while he grew to appreciate it, he did everything he could to leave that life far behind him. I wonder if he knew at 10 that someday he would work and live in Africa.

5. His loss. My dad lost his father when he was just six years old, his step-father when he was 21 and his mother at 32.

6. His steady grip and childlike humor as he walked me down the aisle. Twice.

7. Blue. His eyes were kind and the brightest shade of blue.

8. My father lived in Dockers and plaid button-down shirts, in varying degrees of blue, his favorite color. As a family, we lovingly referred to his shirts of choice as “Mike Adams” shirts because you could spot one a mile away.

9. His strong, capable rough hands. He was a nail biter and always wore both his wedding ring and his class ring (seen below).

10. His chicken scratch handwritten lists. He made lists for everything; things to do, movies to see, books he’d read, bills he paid, phone calls to make, etc., etc., etc. My love of lists comes directly from my father.

My dad on my wedding day – August 4, 2007.

Linking up with Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a meme right up my alley, because I LOVE lists! Thanks to Kim of The G is Silent for coming up with this week’s topic: celebrate your father with 10 happy memories. I could have gone on and on and on with this list.

$1000

Posted on June 17, 2012 Written by Tonya

1. Gas up.

2. First stop: Starbucks for iced Chai tea latte for me, iced latte with extra shot for my husband and a box of apple juice for Lucas.

3. Drive and hour and a half northeast and check into La Quinta Inn & Suites for one night.

4. Unpack and then head straight to the hotel gift shop. Purchase new swim suits, magazines, water toys, and sunscreen.

5. Head to the pool and enjoy a fun-filled family day complete with lunch, laughter and lots of water play, all while soaking up the hot desert sun.

6. After showers, greet babysitter, who has been booked for four hours.

7. Date night dinner at Las Casuelas, where the best chips, salsa, guacamole and skinny margaritas on the planet are served.

8. On the way home in the morning, stop at toy store for a Cars movie car Lucas has been missing for days, Max Schnell.

9. Return home rested, full and happy.

10. Have photos from the weekend actually printed (who does this anymore?) and the best one(s) enlarged and framed. Photos like this one:

No where near the desert!

Any money left over (yeah, right… hotel gift shops are highway robbery!!) goes into Lucas’ piggy bank.

How to spend $1000 in 10 steps.

How would you do it?

Linking up with Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, because I LOVE lists!

Vacation Highlights

Posted on June 7, 2012 Written by Tonya

Trust me, I hate hearing about other people’s vacations just as much as the next gal, so I’ll just share the highlights from ours….

In case you missed it, we spent last week in North Carolina attending a wedding in Lake Lure and stayed at the inn where parts of Dirty Dancing was filmed.

Johnny's Cabin (and no, we did not stay here).

We were expecting it to be muggy and gross but instead it was mild and gorgeous, but as with all vacations there were ups and downs. I’ll let you decide which is which.

Four hotels in six days is a lot of work with luggage and a three year old.
I forgot to pack a hat, towels, beach toys, but was able to purchase all for $40.00. Grrr.
Those mountain ranges are beautiful, but the winding roads led to Lucas’ first experience with car sickness, which led to me washing out his soiled clothes and newly acquired towels in a public fountain. It was awesome. My husband took pictures.
None of us ever adjusted to the time difference so we didn’t make it to breakfast once (not even the free kind). Dry cereal in our hotel room does not count!
Speaking of eating, Lucas ate mac ‘n cheese for all but one meal. Can you say: super embarrassing and not always easy to accommodate?
I came home with two mysterious bug bites.
Reading the same three children’s books over and over and over again gets old really fast.
Over the course of three days, we were in a swimming pool, a lake and a splash pad.
One Lightening McQueen was thrown into a fish pond at the lovely Charlotte Airport Sheraton. Luckily, it was retrievable.
One of us (ME) missed the wedding ceremony because another one of us (LUCAS) was napping (see bullet point above about time difference adjustment).
~~Too much~~ BBQ, hush puppies and sweet tea were enjoyed.

One of the many reasons I adore traveling is meeting new people and learning something unexpected each day I’m away from home. I suppose I don’t have to travel to do that, but I seem to be more open to it when I’m living out of a suitcase. Here are those highlights:

An iPhone can be thrown 20 feet across a room (don’t ask, it was not one of my finest moments) and still work 24 hours later. Those 24 hours were touch-and-go and there was nothing but a black screen and a few tears on on my part, but it came back to me stronger than ever.

Brazil has the second largest population of Japanese people (next to Japan, of course) in the world. [wedding reception convo]

The most visited winery in the United States isn’t located in Napa Valley. It’s at Biltmore Estate, in the mountains of North Carolina, where approximately 1 million visitors stop by to sample award-winning estate wines each year. Grapes can be imported for processing and bottling to a place that has perfect climate or making wine.

A couple having a dinner at a table next to us made a point of coming over to our table to welcome us to North Carolina after overhearing us talk about our home. Southern hospitality truly exists.

Newborn puppies can die from something tragic called Fading Puppy Syndrome (again, don’t ask).

Once you get home from a vacation and look through all the photos you took, there won’t be a single shot of the entire family together.

There is no place like home!

Me completely geeking out on the audio tour at Biltmore Estate.

One of the best parts of our trip for me was of course being together as a family but I also thoroughly enjoyed (as exhibited in the photo above) visiting Biltmore House and Gardens in Asheville. Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt’s 250-room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago. Biltmore House is truly an architectural and historical wonder.

Things Overheard At A Toy Store

Posted on January 29, 2012 Written by Tonya

One of my least favorite places to go with Lucas is a toy store, for obvious reasons (especially when having to buy a gift for another child).

1. Okay, we’ll go in for a minute, but I’m not buying you anything today.

2. I’m not buying you that.

3. No, you don’t need it.

4. You have a lot of these at home already.

5. Maybe Santa* will bring it to you for Christmas.

6. Please put it back.

7. Do not open it, we’re only looking today.

8. Yes, it’s very cool, but I’m not buying it.

9. Crap, where did he go? Crash!

10. How about a catalog, would you like to take home a catalog?

The good news is I’m getting better at deterring, distracting and saying no.

The bad news? Our catalog collection is growing.

*The Santa card works all year long, doesn’t it?

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, because I LOVE lists!

Reflections

Posted on December 31, 2011 Written by Tonya

The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection. – Thomas Paine

As I took down our Christmas decorations yesterday, I thought about my year. As always, it was full of ups and downs, sweet memories and milestones, moments I wish could have lasted forever and days that I would never want to relive. All I could think is I hope 2012 has more of the same. Well maybe a few more ups than downs.

One of the many reasons I love having a blog is the chronicling of my life, which in large part revolves around my sweet boy, Lucas. Letters For Lucas is a place where I can share my thoughts and receive an abundance of support, no matter what the subject matter.

My 2011 recap would not be complete without mentioning my weekly series, Letters For You, which I launched in September. I am so proud to host this series and I’m constantly overwhelmed by its warm response.

This year, I attended my first two blog conferences and was finally able to meet many of the women that have meant so much to me in the blogging world and am pleased to now call IRL (in real life) friends.

I enjoyed going back and re-reading my 2011 posts and had a lot of fun choosing these photos and my favorites, all that I feel sum up my year.

Click each photo to find my favorite Letters For Lucas post from that month.

Please enjoy and however you choose to ring in the new year, be blessed.

Linking up with some of my favorite bloggers and their awesome, I-wish-I-had- thought-of-that link ups:

Happy New Year, everyone!

Dear Santa

Posted on December 22, 2011 Written by Tonya

With only THREE shopping days until Christmas, I sure hope someone sees this in time…

Dear Santa,

I’ve been nice this year (well, I tried) and I’ve come up with a short list of five things I’d really like to find under the tree Saturday morning:

Someone other than me to fill the Q-tip container.
A guaranteed two hour nap from Lucas each and every afternoon, along with no hitting, throwing, splashing, biting or temper tantrum (especially in public or in front of his grandparents). Ever.
I would also love it if Lucas could find a way not to wait until 30 seconds before we are about to walk out the door to poop.
A car that never needs gas, a refrigerator that’s always full and an endless supply of paper towels.
And last but not least, just once I’d like to go on a trip and not have a lotion, face wash or bubble bath leak in my toiletry bag.

Of course no Christmas wish list would be complete without wishing happiness, love and success to everyone in my life and peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

Okay, I lied, there are WAY more than five things I’d like this Christmas. Please see above about “trying” and have a little mercy.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Love,
me

The Perfect Vacation

Posted on November 13, 2011 Written by Tonya

When I think of vacation, I picture quality time spent in a poolside lounge chair with a great book, a pile of magazines and being served too many cocktails.

I also associate vacations with letting my hair down, uninterrupted conversations, new experiences, sleeping in and room service.

Costa Rica, October, 2005

I envision escaping it all: laundry, bills, TV; the mundane of my every day existence at home.

Vacations are meant to be memory-making adventures sprinkled with a little more indulgence than usual and hopefully some decent photos to bring home and frame.

Cabo San Lucas, April, 2001

My perfect vacation [and only because it has been so long that I’ve had one quite like this] would be somewhere sunny and coastal and alone with my husband.

Grand Canyon, Summer, 2008

My perfect vacation would also include:

1. Someone to pack for me, first class tickets and a limousine ride to and from the airport would all be wonderful, but I honestly don’t mind shuttles or coach seats (just so long as I don’t get stuck next to a screaming kid or a stinky fat man).

2. The ability to enjoy the vacation without any mommy guilt!

3. Having been rained on, snowed in and caught in a hurricane, the perfect vacation would include perfect weather upon arrival and for the entire length of our stay.

4. The ability to pack everything I might need and nothing I won’t, in other words, as many shoes as I want without any questions from my traveling companion and no emergency stops at a mall or drug store for something stupid I forgot at home, like a bathing suit. Yes, I have done this before. More than once!

5. Souvenirs. In the form of a special trinket, new friends or the rekindling of an old relationship with a true BFF.

Visiting my BFF, Sophie in New Caledonia, May, 2010

6. The ability to truly relax. This is so much easier said that done, especially for my husband when confined to a lounge chair. For me, if in a beach or pool setting, I could hang out in the sun all day every day, breaking only to eat, sleep and shower, but for him, it’s not so easy. I’m open to water sports and boat rides.

7. The ability to indulge in sweet treats and pretty drinks without gaining a single pound.

8. The ability to NOT get sick. I have had some of the nastiest colds in my life while on vacation.

9. Spa services. Enough said.

10. Returning home to a clean home, fresh sheets on the bed, mail sorted and someone to do the mounds of laundry.

Hawaii, August, 2011

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley, as I LOVE lists! This week’s topic: 10 Things That Make A Vacation Perfect (selected by Hopes@StayingAfloat)

Halloween

Posted on October 30, 2011 Written by Tonya

The best things about Halloween?

1. Candy corn. I know it’s available all year long, but I only buy it during the month of October. I’m the only one in my house that likes it and so far, I’m on bag #3.

2. Multiple visits to the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.

3. After the sun goes down, Lucas has been ~~demanding~~ requesting that we drive around our neighborhood to see all the Halloween decorations; twinkle lights, pumpkins, spiders, ghosts and one amazing pirate ship are his favorites.

4. Carmel apples, cake pops and other yummy treats friends are braver than I to try to make.

5. Holiday arts and crafts.

6. Glow in the dark skeleton jammies.

7. Decorating pumpkins with pipe cleaners, stickers, glue and pomp pomps instead of knives.

8. Watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

9. Trick-or-treating and hoping for the good stuff.

10. Children dressed up as Super Man, princesses, Woody and sharks. Speaking of sharks, will you please check out the face on the shark below? I love having a child! Especially during the holidays.

This post was inspired by Stasha’s Monday Listicles, a linky right up my alley! This week’s topic: Ten Things Halloween.

I’m also linking up with Jessica (Four Plus an Angel) and Tracy’s (Sellabit Mum) Boo! in the Blogosphere Halloween Photo Link Up.

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