Goodbye 2009!

A few years ago, I was challenged by a teacher to make 100 New Year's resolutions for the next year, they don't have to be big or intense, but to do small things that make life more interesting. (Here's 2008 in case you were interested)

2009

1. Buy the Lion King [X]
2. Try out for the Amazing Race (not possible but it’s ok)
3. Play cards with the family [X]
4. Work with Acquire the Fire [X]
5. Go on a spontaneous roadtrip [X]
6. Go to a zoo. Anywhere (I went to an aquarium. It counts) [X]
7. Play more Ultimate [X]
8. Have an awesome message at Starlite [X]
9. Go on Urban Outreach again [X]
10. Watch the Hannah Montana Movie [X]
11. Make a music video [X]
12. Eat at Pancho’s at least 20 times [X]
13. Go to Beach Week
14. Go on a mission trip [X]
15. Spend a quiet time with God at least 2x a week [X]
16. Exercise often [X]
17. Spend less time on the internet and TV [X]
18. Watch the stars [X]
19. Dance in the rain [X]
20. Make dinner for people in my hall [X]
21. Spend more time with my roommate [X]
22. Strengthen new friendships [X]
23. Maintain old relationships [X]
24. Call extended family
25. Go to a Chinese buffet all day
26. Go on a scavenger hunt [X]
27. Watch sunset and sunrise on the same day [X]
28. Buy something off an infomercial
29. Get a piñata [X]
30. Buy something from a lemonade stand
31. Make an unexpected friend [X]
32. Order pizza with a ridiculous accent
33. Learn how to street drum
34. Learn to break dance
35. Have a dance party [X]
36. Do karoke [X]
37. Learn to count to 10 in 10 different languages (I’m at 4)
38. Hang out with homeless people [X]
39. Go to a concert [X]
40. Drink 100 oz. of water a day [X]
41. Color in my coloring book [X]
42. Write letters, not emails, but old school 42¢ letters [X]
43. Go hiking [X]
44. Fly a kite
45. Read in my Spanish Bible [X]
46. Make an art book! [X]
47. Have a waffle night [X]
48. Play board games with friends [X]
49. Be more encouraging [X]
50. Talk to Paul Conn [X]
51. Apply for Deer Run [X]

The following were at Deer Run

52. Create lasting relationships [XX]
53. Catch a fish with my bare hands (heck yeah I did!) [X]
54. Conquer fear of heights on ropes course (faced fear yes, conquered no)
55. Go canoeing [X]
56. Change lives [X]
57. Grow as a leader [X]
58. Grow in my relationship with God [X]
59. Have an amazing summer! [XX]
60. Go fishing [X]
61. Stare at the stars all the time [X]
62. Find the albino deer! [X]
63. Pet a deer (next summer…)
64. Blob somebody
65. Play paintball! [X]

66. Find a church in Cleveland [X]
67. Get involved in said church
68. Hang out with my brothers and sisters more from TSC [X]
69. Have movie nights [X]
70. Call more people [X]
71. Eat more vegetables
72. Spend less time on facebook
73. Read a really great book [XX]
74. Learn to play racquetball
75. Go on more walks with Diamond [X]
76. Get to know my neighbors (ehh not as well as I would have liked)
77. Watch David Crowder in concert (*sigh* one day…)
78. Write encouraging notes to girls on my hall [X]
79. Finish reading through the Bible [X]
80. Donate Blood [X]
81. Break some rules [X]
82. Climb to the top of a roof [X]
83. Go cliff-jumping
84. Stop procrastinating
85. Go to bed at a decent hour (seeing as I’m doing this at 3 a.m.? fail.)
86. Figure out what’s going down in life
87. Complete counseling [X]
88. Go on some more Jesus walks [X]
89. Get good grades
90. Spend a day in my PJs [X]
91. Go to the public library and read in the Children’s section [X]
92. Do a random act of kindness [X]
93. Sleep in my hammock [X]
94. Become a floor leader [X]
95. Have a reunion with my imaginary friends [X]
96. Have family time [X]
97. Giggle [X]
98. Become a Youtube sensation [X] (I think so!)
99. Be awesome [X]
100. Complete most of the items on this list (77 completed!) [X]

2008

Hello friends!

I'm just updating (a little late) about my AMAZING year of 2008. It was a year of growing up, finding my childhood, graduating high school and entering college. I made many new friends and I can't wait for the new adventures to begin!

At the beginning of 2008, I was challenged by a teacher of mine to create a list of 100 resolutions. These were not to be things that were impossible or things to be easily thrown away like the dreaded "lose weight" resolution that everyone tends to forget about when the Superbowl comes around. These 100 resolutions were personal goals that one wishes to do or reach within that year. I figured that reaching 75 of these would make it a good year--and it was!

So I'm passing this on and challenging you to make one too

2008 Resolutions

1. Apply to College [x]
2. Learn to fix a car [x]
3. Graduate high school [x]
4. Go to Holiday World [x]
5. Travel to Graceland 2
6. Hang out on the rocket at the Alabama/Tennessee state border [x]
7. Go to a Chinese buffet all day
8. Contemplate getting a tattoo [x]
9. Steal a shopping cart [x]
10. Go to Waffle House/IHOP at 3 a.m. [x]
11. Make friends at Waffle House/IHOP [x]
12. Be able to go into a restaurant and order the usual [x]
13. Go on a good "date" (be it friend or boy) [x]
14. Change someone's life [x]
15. Save someone's life [x]
16. Go to karoke night [x]
17. Make a funny movie [x]
18. Vote
19. Learn to do a handstand [x]
20. Play an amazing game of Ultimate Frisbee [x]
21. Beat Andrea S. at Apples to Apples 
22. Learn to speak Spanish better
23. Sponsor Christopher (a boy I met on a mission trip to Nicaragua) [x]
24. Do something for Nicaragua [x]
25. Have a scavenger hunt at Wal-mart
26. Spend 24 consecutive hours at Wal-mart
27. Buy dry ice [x]
28. Go on a mission trip [x]
29. Do a random act of kindness [x]
30. Buy something off an infomercial
31. Write in a journal [x]
32. Run and get in better shape [x]
33. Buy a pinata
34. Watch a sunrise by staying up all night [x]
35. Get accepted in college [x]
36. Make some sweet T-shirts [x]
37. Make up a new word/catchphrase [x]
38. See Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [x]
39. Watch the Indiana Jones movie with my family [x]
40. Watch the 2008 Olympics [x]
41. Stay up all night playing cards [x]
42. Repair a broken friendship [x]
43. Watch the stars/ a meteor shower [x]
44. Get lost in the middle of the woods
45. Get exempt for 2nd semester exams [x]
46. Get on expert in Guitar Hero [x]
47. Make an AMAZING PB&J sandwich [x]
48. Have a game tournament [x]
49. Paint my room [x]
50. Hug myself [x]
51. Have a group hug [x]
52. Bake some cookies [x]
53. Play some craaaaaazy Uno [x]
54. Get an ajimbe drum
55. Drink a 2 liter by myself [x]
56. Make a new friend [x]
57. Try out for the Amazing Race
58. Play Life [x]
59. Dance in the rain [x]
60. Give someone a compliment [x]
61. Buy something from a lemonade stand
62. Try lasagna [x]
63. Drink 64 oz. of water a day [x]
64. Finish Mere Christianity [x]
65. Call more people [x]
66. Laugh [x]
67. Take life less seriously [x]
68. Have fun with my college roommate [x]
69. Make new friends at college [x]
70. Get a job [x]
71. Make some money [x]
72. Have some sweet conversations with God [x]
73. Get to know my neighbors [x]
74. Read some books off my list of amazing books [x]
75. Watch some classic movies [x]
76. Write a song about a moose [x]
77. Get a lottery ticket [x]
78. Challenge someone to a duel [x]
79. Beat said person at duel [x]
80. Order pizza with a ridiculous accent
81. Be British for a day [x]
82. Have a waffle night [x]
83. Make quesadillas [x]
84. Be taller than a 7th grader [x]
85. Learn how to do step [x]
86. Plant a tree [x]
87. Stay alive [x]
88. Play Chinese Fire Drill [x]
89. Watch Space Jam on a bus
90. Go garage-saleing [x]
91. Pick up pennies off the street [x]
92. Save up enough change to pay for a meal at Pancho's [x]
93. Fly a kite [x]
94. Watch Star Wars [x]
95. Win a foosball game [x]
96. Be a secret agent for a day
97. Ride a trolley [x]
98. Go to a free movie thing [x]
99. Do something for a free T-shirt [x]
100. Try not to choke when my sister makes me laugh after I've taken a big gulp of water [x]