30 day journaling project- Day 4

The prompt for today is to bullet point my day. Interesting!
(Typical day as an elementary school guidance counselor)
*6:00 Wake up
*6:50 out the door
*7:10 read a Psalm or Proverbs in my car
*7:20 check morning emails
*7:45 mic check 1, 2, 1, 2 and here we go to hectic cafeteria duty
*8:15 morning announcements
*8:30 5th grade classroom guidance
9:30 planning time to return phone calls, plan for schoolwide events
10:32 3rd grade classroom guidance
11:00 Lunch duty (need I say more)
11:42 4th grade classroom guiance
12:30 grab a quick lunch
1:00 see teachers about concerns
1:30 return emails and see students as needed
2:30 begin for dismissal
3:30 work is done and home I go
4:00 nap
5:00 workout
6:00 dinner and errands
7:00 chill and relax
9:45 off to bed to start again in the morning

30 before 30 (How goes it)

I am about halfway through my 29th year, so I figured it would be good to look at my 30 before 30 list and take a little inventory. Check-in on this list of goals that I hope to complete by April 28th, 2015. The original list is below, with completed goals in bold, asterisks by in progress goals and edits or changes in italicizes (Yes, I am so that person, who even organizes her lists!)
Because this is a fun project, I am allowing wiggle room with some of the goals. And so far, this list and this whole project idea have been quite wonderful! I would recommend it to anyone:)

start the birthyear with the 29 gifts challenge (Day 1- April 28th 2014)
host a dinner party to welcome in one of the seasons (Fall is my favorite)
go on a cruise
celebrate 30 in a BIG way
celebrate 30 in a quiet way
*travel to 5 places that I've never been before (3 down and 2 to go!)
sleep under the stars
watch a full sunrise and full sunset from the beach
finish reading Julie and Julia, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Outliers, and Strength to Love
*cook or bake 24  "new to me" recipes (2 a month hopefully) (as of today I am at 12!)
take a surprise visit home to see my parents
*maintain my weight, below a "magic" number (Gotta get my motivation back on track)
plan a trip just for the sister and I
read through the New Testament
clean out my email ( all 3 accounts)
buy a pedometer and track my steps
adopt a classroom for a school year (I am not sure what this would entail..but any interested teacher friends, just ask, and maybe we could work something out)
update my scrapbook
use the scanner I got and really organize old memories, pictures and papers
go to a concert
start a personal prayer warrior project (daily, dedicated and specific prayer time)
sit down and write family history (Stewart and Miles)
incorporate yoga weekly, or twice a month
take piano lessons ( I have been wanting to do this for over 10 years)
go sailing
swim/feed dolphins
*get serious about my finances ( I am thinking Financial Peace University) (January 2015)
*send 30 cards to our military and the sick and shut-in (use church bulletins to help with this )
try horseback riding again
end the birthyear with the 29 gifts challenge (Day 1 Cycle 2- April 28th 2015)

30 day journaling project- Day 3

The prompt is simple...A book you love.
Hahaha, except I love a lot of books! But, I will narrow it down to my absolute favorite story, a tale that I have read and reread probably a hundred times.

A hint you say? Ok, here is a quote “And to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

Ahhhh yes, Pride and Prejudice. I wish I could remember the first time that I read this classic treasure. It was somewhere between 5th and 7th grade. I know, that is not a very good estimate, but I feel like it has been a book that I have always enjoyed reading. No matter, at my current age of 29, I can still say that this story has been my favorite now for years. It seems to only get better with age, and I just find it both comforting and pleaseing (a word we don't use so often anymore).

I love the elements of family life in the story of the 5 Bennett sisters. I grew up in a house with 1 sister, so I get the feminine vibe. I love the strong, sometimes wrong, Elizabeth Bennett. She is all that encompasses strength in literature, to me. I would go so far as to say I would name my maybe future daughter Elizabeth, I just love her character that much!

I love the old English setting and time of history. Then of course you have the wide array of personality types displayed. There is the ridiculous, the studious, the romantic, etc. The Darcy and Elizabeth, developing love story, is perfection to me.

All in all, I don't think I will ever, ever love a book as much as Pride and Prejudice!