25 Things to Do Before I Turn 26- The Checklist

1. Finalize my cupcake website and figure out how to get the website I made to post onto the domain I bought... it is harder than I thought it would be.
Live as of 2/25/13 thanks to some genius tech support from Liz: http://www.dearcupcakemn.com/
2. GET A TATTOO.  This is the year, people.
3. Skydive.  I also have to do this before the end of September due to the fact that I bought a Groupon.  :)
Here's a YouTube video of my dive.  YouTube says it may have audio/visual sync issues but its okay because I didn't scream so it shouldn't look/sound too weird.
4. Donate blood (I am afraid but feel compelled to do it...)
5. Take a vacation
6. Sushi and sake dinner party
7. Travel someplace new

Oshkosh, WI for Heidi & Ryan's wedding, September 28, 2013

8. Color Run 5K!

July 14, 2013.  It was awesome.  I want to do it every day.   They're serious about it being the happiest 5K on the planet.

9. Make glitter TOMS
10. Agility training with Jazz (that dog needs a way to expend some energy and put his intelligence to good use)
11. Top Chef food tour in Chicago (I've made a list of restaurants I need to go to of chefs who we've seen on TV)
12. Golf 4 times (I think that's reasonable)
13. Cupcake photo shoot!
14. Build a snowman

I know he's little but look how cute he is!

15. Taste Twin Cities winery tour
16. Go skiing
17. Try a new workout or sport
I had no idea Peak 10 would pop up in my life when I wrote this goal.  I'm so glad it did!  Here is the first of my blog posts about Peak 10.
18. Fly a kite
19. ALASKA (for Ellie's graduation!  I feel like its only fair since she came down here for our high school graduations...)

HERE I AM IN ANCHORAGE!

20. Sister road trip

Chicago to Oshkosh, September 2013

21. Take a cooking class

Saga Hill cooking class, Aug. 22- this is me and our homemade mozzarella!

22. Launch Gib's Bibs with Allison
Check us out on Etsy!
23. Save money instead of spend it
24. Find a new volunteer thing to do
The Learning Exchange in April/May and likely again this fall.
25. Read 10 more books
* Yes Chef by Marcus Samuelsson
* Bridesmaid Lotto by Rachel Astor
* Gamble on Engagement by Rachel Astor
* The Wedding Wager by Rachel Astor
* Instant Mom by Nia Vardalos

To see my lists from years past, check out 24 Things and 23 Things.

#45: My year in pictures

1. January

I love when Liz draws pictures of Jazz.  This was a great birthday present.

2. February

This is just one of many pictures from my trip to Colorado.  I think this is my favorite because it looks as though my grandparents still lived there and Poppa had just left this spot in the office.

3. March

Party time for Phil's birthday before he became a daddy.  Yay for the cactus tower of margarita!

4. April

Sweet baby Gibson Monroe Wolpers, born on Easter.

5. May

I have no idea if this happened in May (I think it did...) but not a lot of other stuff took place this month so here's the picture I choose.  Yay for family!

6. June

In June we got to spend lots of time with Grammy Donna and the Asays!  It was a blast.

7. July

Little Miss Nina's 21st birthday bash.  Crazy!

8. August

Oh and here's that one time Nina and I ate lamb testicles...

9. September

Visiting my wonderful friends in Winona.

10. October

I think this is my favorite picture from any part of the wedding festivities- the 4 of us in a bathroom at the bachelorette party.  So fantastic.

11. November

The second roaring 20s party.  Thank goodness for Phil Wolpers and his desire to make this a tradition.

12. December

And here is family fun day where we stopped to see Allison and Gib. 

#44: Bad boys vs the good guys

Today one of my coworkers got on my case, as he often does, about me liking "bad boys". Another coworker, upon hearing me admit to this, said it was disappointing to learn this truth about me.

Here's what's disappointing.

Of the last 3-4 so-called "good guys" that I've liked, they have ALL ended up with other girls.

My bad boys are always there when I need them. Sure they are the ones who provide me with the most interesting stories about drugs, drinking, partying and sex but they're also the ones who genuinely care about me.

I was thinking today how easy it is for me to tell my bad boys how much I love them but basically impossible for me to admit any sort of crush on those good guys. Why do you suppose that is?

At any rate, the good guys aren't that good and I can't bring the bad boys home to my parents.

It brings me to a quote from a wise old man that I remembered this weekend: "Boys are bad, books are good, so read a book."

Words to live by.