We never know how much time is left, how long we are blessed to be here and with the people we love, doing the things we are passionate about.
A few years ago when Chris was doing Fight Club (not the Fight Club you're thinking of), he was prompted to get with the family and have us all write down our life goals. We wrote them down on our chalkboard basement door.
Here's Mine:
Here's Mine:
In case you can't read it (some of the chalk has rubbed off over the years), here's what it says.
~ Red Barn
~ Cure CF
~ Go to Hawaii
~ Live to 86
~ Ride in a gondola in Italy
~ Work with Joy in Niger
Let me explain, and then add a few more...
~ Red Barn
For quite a while my sister, Heather, and I have been wanting to turn my Dad's (previously my Grandparents) barn in to an event space. Chris and I bought the house my grandparents built. They sold antiques and depression glass out of the little red barn behind their house. It was called Whetsel's Red Barn.
If you've seen pictures on facebook, you realize, the barn we are using is MUCH larger and it is actually white...
It's called The Red Barn, as a nod back to Grandma and Grandpa. We think it's kind of fun and that it will help people remember us.
We have done a lot of work...and by we I mean our whole family. Mom and Dad, Heather and me, our husbands, but especially Killian and Keegan. The boys took out the entire loft of the barn this summer. Actually in about 3 weeks. It's amazing.
We celebrated the beginning of the barn reno with dinner IN the barn!
Sweet Hank was there too! (I love you Hanky!!!!!)
The loft is down, we saved all the wood we could. The barn is SMILING!!!!!!
A friend took our picture the evening the boys finished dropping the loft completely.
I'm so excited for where the barn is going and the fact that we get to do it together!!!
~ Cure CF
Okay, I am not specifically curing CF, but I want to see it. I really think I will see a cure in my lifetime! It's coming and it's so exciting.
~ Go to Hawaii
I've never been, and it looks beautiful, so I'd like to go.
~ Live to 86
With the life expectancy, for people with CF, being 42 (when Chris met me it was 28) and rising every few years, I have always said I will die of something other than CF. Chris and I decided we will die together of Euthanasia at 86, so we never have to be without each other. Once the CF cure comes, the age may change ;0)
~ Ride in a gondola in Italy
Chris and I went to Vegas for our 2nd anniversary. We rode in a gondola at the Venetian hotel, it was fun. But I would love to travel and I'd love to go to Italy and ride in a gondola there.
~ Work with Joy in Niger
Joy is Chris's Aunt. She and Gary (Chris's Uncle) are missionaries in Niger. Joy is a nurse and has run a clinic in the bush for years. Every time they come home to Indiana, we make it a point to see them. Joy and I sit and talk the ENTIRE time. I love this, it's my fave! Ever since I met Joy, it has been a dream of mine to work with her in Niger.
With a lot of the unrest where they are, she hasn't been able to be out in the Bush in her clinic for a while now. So I'm not sure if this will be able to come to fruition. But I won't take it off my bucket list, because if things change, I'm on the next flight out (during the season Joy says is best weather wise to come....it's HOT in Africa)!
Here's a few more that I've added over the past few years:
~ Sing lead on a cover at Crosspoint
Bucket list items are supposed to be things that are BIG, and while this may seem small to some, it's BIG for me. I did this once when we met at school, before we built our building, but Chris wasn't there (It was the Indy 500, and he goes every year with my parents).
Every weekend we do a cover song that relates to the message and I would love to sing lead on one.
~ Teach a message at Crosspoint
Oooh, this one is REALLY BIG! It gives me jitters just typing it out. We have a great teaching team at Crosspoint, and I love when we have guest speakers to give us a new perspective. I'm not even sure what I would talk about, or what kind of message or perspective I could give others. But I feel like God is prompting me to share my life insights, and I know if the opportunity arose, He would guide me with the words.
~ Travel to Haiti with Chris
Chris went on a mission trip to Haiti this past February. I sat and listened to all of his stories and experiences and was kinda jealous. Also, he was like, "You HAVE to go next year!" Serving others is something we are passionate about and I would LOVE to do that together.
~ Emma
Yes y'all, I know we have her ;0) I mean all kinds of things related to Emma. There are so many and so many more that will come up. Get past 2nd grade reading (seriously), watch her get her license, pick out prom dresses, be there for her first heartbreak, see who she becomes, cheer her on as she chooses her career, help her pick out her wedding dress (she wants to go to Kleinfeld's, but she said YES to my dress a few years ago, so this is really just a technicality), dance with her at her wedding in The Red Barn (Mom's can do this too).
~ Volunteer
I recently "retired" to focus more on my health. I'm not made to just sit and do nothing, and I haven't been...but I would like to get out and serve/volunteer in other capacities.
~ Increase lung function and return to workforce
I had a doctor's appointment last week and my lung function is already up to a percent higher than it has been since before October 2017...WOO HOO!!!!
So there it is. My bucket list, in no specific order (other than I started with what was written on the door). Things will be added in the future, I'm sure, but now it's written down.
I love nothing more than to cross things off my lists, so time to get to it!
