Update on 101 Goals in 1001 Days!

Years ago I started my 101 goals in 1001 days.  The concept is to basically write down 101 goals that you are dying to do and you give yourself a time frame of 1001 days to accomplish them.  Well my "Version 2" is done.  At least the 1001 days are.  My first version( listed here ), I think I did pretty good.  I finished all but 34.  This time around, I am actually more amazed at how quickly those 1001 days came back around.  I didn't finish as many as I would have liked but I am motivated to start my next set and get rolling.
I'm a pretty big goal-oriented person.  I am always wanting to try new things, start new projects, etc and this gives me some motivation to accomplish these.  The 101 goals can be anything you dream of.  Something simple like cleaning out your closet to something big like travel around the world.
I do truly believe writing down your goals makes them so much for obtainable.  They are there in front of you, you can't forget what they are and I even find myself staring at my list thinking of what next goal I can cross off.
Here is my Version 2-  there are a few goals that have changed for me in the last few years that I don't feel need to be on my list anymore.  Life changes so much and certain things that might have been important to me years ago, maybe aren't now.
I am working on my Version 3.  I'll be moving all my unfinished goals to the next version and adding some new ones.
My new end date is
May 10th, 2015!!  Holy Cow!  2015???  Yikes!

Will you be making your list, share it with me if you do.  Good luck :)

Here is Version 3!  Wish me luck, here it goes.....

101 Goals in 1001 days

Goals from past versions

1. Take Reagan and Hunter horseback riding
2. Go to a Yankee game at Yankee stadium
3. Shoot a destination wedding on another continent
4. Take a cruise
5. Travel to New Zealand again
6. Attend WPPI
7. Write in Reagan and Hunter's journals once a month
8. Take a East Coast trip to Boston, Washington D.C, New York
9. Get boob job, tummy tuck- thanks to Reagan and Hunter:)
10. Take weekly walks with my family

11. Shoot a wedding in the snow
12. Go through and label all old negatives and organize
13. Organize extra photos in albums

14. Watch the ball drop in Times Square for New Year's Eve
15. Set up more lunch dates with "girlfriends"
16. Travel to Greece

17. Set 30 minutes a week of "me" time

18. Learn how to travel by plane without having a freak-out
19. Read the bible from front to back -
20. Pray every day
21. Never go to bed angry with Michael –

22. Put all personal blog entries into an album

23. Reorganize desk, work flow, have professional organizer help

24. Travel to Maryland to meet Michael’s extended family

25. Take a girl’s shooting trip with Courtney

26. Go to Disneyland for my birthday

27. Stick to monthly budget for 1 year straight

28. Travel to North Carolina’s beaches

29. Lose 40 pounds

30. Take my kids fishing

31. Pick a Christmas Angel and buy a gift for them

32. Go to a Yankee spring training game in Florida

33. Write a handwritten letter to my parents, husband and kids letting them know how much I love them

34. Travel to Chicago

35. Get my teeth whitened

36. Host an Ugly Christmas sweater party

37. Take a pole dancing class

38. Get CPR certified

39. Take the kids to a play

40. Take Michael to a theater show

41. Watch the sunset with my family

42. Watch the sunrise with my family

43. Host a costume Halloween Party

44. Spend one weekend a month with no internet/computer

45. Paint our master bedroom

46. Buy a new car

47. Have Christmas pictures taken at Disneyland one year

48. Hand make headboards for all our beds

49. Make game night for our family once a month

50. Buy nice patio furniture

51. Take the kids up to a cabin for a weekend

52. Memorize 10 psalms

53. Take the kids to a college football game

54. Have more friends over for a BBQ

55. Make a girl trip to Vegas for a day

56. Secret Goal

57. Secret Goal

58. Watch the Rockettes

59. Watch Miracle on 34^th St

60. Watch Gone with the Wind

61. Take Reagan to tea

62. Take the kids to see the Polar Experience

63. Secret Goal

64. Write a children’s book

65. Make another 101 goals in 1001 days on May 10th, 2015

New Goals

66. Secret goal

67. Re-do kitchen table

68. Re-do office desk

69. Paint console table

70. Secret Goal

71. Learn to forgive

72. Redecorate front porch

73. Order large canvas print for bedroom

74. Take kids to Bearizona

75. Have a room in my house featured in HGTV magazine

76. Be on the reality show Wipeout

77. Travel to Tybee Island in GA

78. Travel to Hilton Head in SC

79. Take kids to Smithsonian

80. Go to Vegas-adults only trip with Mike

81 Make homemade ice cream with the kids

82. Give the kids a scavenger hunt inside the house

83. Take the kids to play mini golf

84. Plant a garden in the backyard

85. Make smores in the back yard

86. Play hide and seek with my kids in the house

87. Take kids sledding

88. Take kids to Hawaii

89. Travel to San Antonio

90. Visit Tombstone, Arizona

91. Take kids to Kartchner Caverns

92. Visit Longest Yard Sale in America

93. Kiss Mike in the rain

94. Build a fort in the house with the kids

95. Have the four of us dress up for Halloween 1 year

96. Take the kids on a hayride

97. Plan a huge family reunion in New Mexico

98. Help someone else cross off a goal from their 101 goals in 1001 days

99. Build a snowman with the kids

100. Pay for the person behind me in the drive thru

101. Plan a flag football family event

Start Date: August 13th, 2012

End Date: May 10th, 2015

# 54-Give Blood! -Accomplished

I started my version 2 of my 101 goals back in November and hate to admit, I have been slow coming out of the gates. There are so many things I need to get done and haven't even thought about accomplishing them. So a few weeks ago I decided to get down and start seriously looking at these again.

My first one up, I donated blood! It's something I had always wanted to do but passing out a few years ago while giving some blood for some tests of mine hindered that decision. At least I can laugh about it now. It's amazing how totally appreciative the lab workers are and how excited they are that you are donating blood. The whole process took about 45 minutes, that even included the 15 minutes of what I like to call "I can eat cookies for 15 minutes to help replenish my blood supply and don't even have to feel guilty about it" time.

A couple of other things I got to check off....

#39. Walk for Piper in the CF walk- April 25th, 2010 –accomplished April 25th, 2010



#47. Volunteer at my church- accomplished 2010

#65. Give up fast food for one whole month-accomplished Feb 2010

#72. Paint the kids rooms-accomplished July 3, 2010

#75. Take the kids to Polar Express for Christmas –accomplished 12/11/09




I got a couple more up my sleeve to complete, can't wait to share with you!!

A funny little story....

So years ago when Mike and I were first married, we talked about having 3 or 4 kids. It just seemed right to us. And little man Hunter came along and he was a lot more than we knew had to handle so for the sake of our sanity we kind froze the number at 2 kids. I never was 100% definite that we wouldn't have any more kids. Mike was but there was always a little voice in the back of my head telling me to have another one. So I kept all the kids clothes. Instead of giving them away when they grew out of them I saved them all. With having a boy and a girl, and the not knowing if you'd have another one or what sex it would be it just seemed smart of me to keep them.
In my head there would be a lot of money saved in having the third have the hand me downs. So one by one I started packing all the baby clothes into bins and piling them up in the garage. And every time I packed one, I roughly thought that was "Bin #10". My mind kept reassuring myself," oh it's ok, it's only 10 bins of clothes, that isn't too bad."
Well a few months ago, Mike and I were cleaning out and rearranging the garage and I started to count the number of bins that we had of clothes. Again this was in my mind another way to reassure myself that I only had about 10 or so.....
1,2,....5....10....17...23......27.......30,31!! 31 bins of baby clothes and toddler clothes!!!! Can you imagine how much garage space that is taken up. So I promised Mike that by the end of the year I would go through all 31 bins of clothes, sort them and either sell them, give them away or pack away my absolute favorites.
So I started today with 3 bins. Yep you guessed it, I bawled my eyeballs out. This is way harder than I thought it would be. Especially to look at the little baby clothes. Your mind starts racing and thinking about when they were that little, where they wore that outfit. All moms have little stories about their clothes, they got sick in that shirt at the restaurant or they wore that home from the hospital, this they wore their first Christmas.... the list can go on and on.
I finally got through the 3 bins and did actually really well with the items that I kept. I think Mike would be proud of how little I kept. This task won't be an easy one for me and certainly not fun to have to get rid of so many memories. It's not just about getting rid of the clothes, it's closing the door on some memories and having to rely on your head to remember these little things.

So wish we luck in getting through the next 28 bins and keep me in your prayers. I have to keep thinking positive and maybe just maybe one day, we'll have enough room to get my car back in the garage! :)

Piper's Walk

My good friend Courtney Fries who is a fellow photographer and lives in Colorado has two adorable daughters. Piper and Finley. Piper is "almost 6 years old", her birthday is right around the corner. If she is like my Reagan it is a countdown at this point to turn 6 and when someone asks her how old she is, she doesn't reply "5", she replies, "almost 6".

Piper has Cystic Fibrosis which has no cure. The average life expectancy is 37 years old. CF can clog the lungs and lead to life-threatening lung infections. Courtney has to be on her toes when it comes to germs at all times. Daily things that we all take advantage of is a struggle for them. Piper is on 12 daily medicines. Every morning Piper wakes up and has to do one and half hours of treatment and again in the evening.

I met Courtney 2 years ago at a photographer workshop and she and I just clicked. I found her to be so uplifting and inspiring. And even all that they go through she just has the best outlook on life and such a sense of humor. She truly is an angel.
I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Piper yet, although she has touched my life in more ways that I can describe.

With that in mind, I wanted to help out in anyway I could. The Cystic Fibrosis Arizona Chapter is having a walk on April 25, 2010. And we will be walking for Piper that day. Our team name is Piper's Posse. I am so honored to be able to do this for Piper and her family and am so thankful for all you that have already showed your support.

I would be tickled if you all would like to join us for the walk on April 25th. It starts at 8:00am at Tempe Town Lake. If you are unable to walk with us and would like to donate, you can do it in two ways. You can go to the CF Foundation page and make a pledge for our team or you can go to Piper's website. On that website the proceeds will go directly to Piper's family.

If you have any questions or would like to donate to our team you may also contact me at mandy@mandyhank.com We would love to see your bright shinning faces the morning of April 25th!!!

Polar Express

Last weekend we drove up North about 3 hours to Williams, Arizona. They have this awesome experience every year that I've been dying to take the kids to. We wanted to wait until they were old enough to appreciate it and still young enough to believe in Santa.
They try to recreate the Polar Express story about taking a train to the North Pole to see Santa Claus.
You check into your hotel and head over for dinner. Once dinner is done, you change into your pajamas and hop aboard the train. The train looks just like it does in the movie. When you are on the train, they hand out hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. The audio story of the Polar Express is read and you travel up to the North Pole in the dark. Once you arrive, the kids can look out the window at this little village they have decorated to look like the North Pole. And everyone sees Santa outside waving. Santa climbs on board and the way back he visits with each child and hands them a sleigh bell. Everyone sings Christmas Carols the only way back and for Reagan and Hunter it really was magical.
Their faces were so lit up in awe that it was really him. They were so adorable and innocent, it definitely brings a tear to your eye.
We went with three other families, 8 adults and 10 kids. The adults brought some of our own "hot chocolate" to drink and sat around and played card games. The kids jumped on the bed, ate a ton of candy and stayed up later than they ever have, (a huge mistake when the next morning came)
We woke up the next morning and took the kids to a play area. The thought in our heads was, "oh we'll spend the morning up there and let the kids play in the snow, oh how fun for them." Yeah that lasted about 15 minutes and the kids were having meltdowns. Crying and screaming the snow was cold, they were wet, the couldn't walk. You name it, we heard it. So we played for about 15 minutes, dried them off and back down the hill to Phoenix we drove.
It was a short trip but definitely a great time! Memories like that you can't pass up.

Waiting in line for dinner


Here's little Kholey at dinner


Alaina


Got our pj's on and ready to go


All the moms had matching Pj's- don't we look adorable?


Alaina yelling for the train to come- the kids were so excited, they could hardly stand it


Hunter waiting for the train


Can you just see the excitement?





And here he is!!!! Handing out sleigh bells :)


Hunter trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue- if you look close he did get one :)








All 10 kids :)


Jaxson happy because we haven't reached the snow part yet





Everyone is still happy at this point


Reagan doing snow angels :)


Starting to loose it a little





It really started to snow on us which is so not normal. People we live in Phoenix and cold to us is 70 degrees. It was fun and I think we appreciate that fact we don't wake up to every morning and have to scrape it off our cars :)

Oh and I got to mark off goal #75. Take the kids to Polar Express for Christmas –accomplished 12/11/09

101 goals in 1001 days- Version 2!!

Well I finally completed my second list. I thought it would be easy since I transferred about 30 from the previous list over, but I got stuck at #87 for a few weeks and just couldn't think of anything. Thank goodness it will be another 900 and some days before I have to do another list.
This list was again really motivating for me. It got me excited about the next 1001 days and I keep trying to figure out what I can accomplish first. There are a few Secret goals on my list this time. Last time there was one and the only reason it was a secret was because we were throwing my parents a surprise Anniversary party and I couldn't let her know until it happened for obvious reasons. We don't have any of those this time just ones that will have to be kept for my eyes only. :)

And hey would you just know it, I already accomplished a goal before I published the full list- I'll be blogging about that goal later today :)

Here it goes .......

GOALS FROM PREVIOUS LIST
1. Get published in wedding magazine
2. Take Reagan and Hunter horseback riding
3. Get caught up with scrapbooking
4. Take a cooking class-accomplished 5/18/11
5. Go to a Yankee game at Yankee stadium
6. Go to an Oprah show and meet her
7. Shoot a destination wedding on another continent
8. Take a cruise
9. Travel to New Zealand again
10. Set up our family in a trust
11. Win a WPJA award
12. Become a member of WPJA
13. Attend WPPI
14. Write in Reagan and Hunter's journals once a month
15. Take a East Coast trip to Boston, Washington D.C, New York
16. Get boob job, tummy tuck- thanks to Reagan and Hunter:)
17. Take weekly walks with my family
18. Shoot a celebrity/high profile wedding
19. Send out birthday cards and anniversary cards to everyone this year -accomplished 201020. Send out anniversary cards to past clients
21. Shoot a wedding in the snow
22. Go through and label all old negatives and organize
23. Organize extra photos in albums
24. Spend one whole week with nothing on my to-do list -accomplished 3/17/1025. Spend one day, laying in bed, watching movies all day long- accomplished 3/17/10
26. Watch the ball drop in times square for New Year's Eve
27. Set up more lunch dates with "girlfriends"
28. Travel to Greece
29. Set 30 minutes a week of "me" time
30. Attend an American Idol showing at the Kodak Theater
31. Learn how to travel by plane without having a freakout
32. Read the bible from front to back -
33. Pray every day
34. Never go to bed angry with Michael –

ALL NEW GOALS35. Put all personal blog entries into an album
36. Reorganize desk, work flow, have professional organizer help
37. Go through all 31 bins of R & H’s baby clothes and sell or give away -accomplished 9/5/1038. Travel to Maryland to meet Michael’s extended family
39. Walk for Piper in the CF walk- April 25th, 2010 -accomplished40. Take a girl’s shooting trip with Courtney
41. Go to Disneyland for my birthday
42. Throw Michael a big 40th birthday party-accomplished 7/6/12
43. Start Hunter in drum lessons- accomplished Jan 2012
44. Stick to monthly budget for 1 year straight
45. Travel to North Carolina’s beaches
46. Lose 40 pounds
47. Volunteer at my church -accomplished Sept 201048. Fly a kite with my kids -accomplished 5/9/1149. Take my kids fishing
50. Pick a Christmas Angel and buy a gift for them
51. Go to a Yankee spring training game in Florida
52. Write a handwritten letter to my parents, husband and kids letting them know how much I love them
53. Take Michael on a surprise weekend getaway-accomplished 7/6/72
54. Give Blood -accomplished 7/18/1055. Travel to Chicago
56. Get my teeth whitened
57. Host an Ugly Christmas sweater party
58. Take a pole dancing class
59. Get CPR certified
60. Take the kids to a play
61. Take Michael to a dinner theater show
62. Buy bicycles for Michael and I to go riding with the kids-accomplished 3/2012
63. Watch the sunset with my family
64. Watch the sunrise with my family
65. Give up fast food for one whole month -accomplished Feb 201066. Eat one veggie a day for one whole month
67. Visit the snow with my kids once a year 2009,2010,201168. Have my wedding negatives scanned to a DVD -accomplished April 201169. Have lunch or dinner with my parents once a month accomplished70. Host a costume Halloween Party
71. Spend one weekend a month with no Internet/computer
72. Paint the kids rooms -accomplished 7/3/1073. Paint our master bedroom
74. Buy a new car
75. Take the kids to Polar Express for Christmas –accomplished 12/11/0976. Do a boudoir session for Mike -accomplished 5/3/1177. Have Christmas pictures taken at Disneyland one year
78. Hand make headboards for all our beds
79. Use a new recipe once a week for six months-accomplished
80. Make game night for our family once a month
81. Take my kids out for ice cream once a month -accomplished82. Buy nice patio furniture
83. Get Zumba certified
84. Take the kids up to a cabin for a weekend
85. Memorize 10 psalms
86. Take the kids to a college football game
87. Have the Osheels over for a BBQ
88. Make a girl trip to Vegas for a day
89. secret!!
90. secret!!
91. Watch the Rockettes
92. Watch Miracle on 34th St
93. Watch Gone with the Wind
94. Start Tennis lessons again-accomplished 2012
95. secret ! -accomplished 9/22/1096. Take Reagan to tea
97. Take the kids to see the Polar Experience
98. Get a brazilian wax-accomplished 4/30/11
99. secret!
100. Write a children’s book
101. Make another 101 goals in 1001 days on August 12, 2012-accomplished
First Date: Nov 15, 2009
End Date : August 12, 2012

Has a 1001 days come and gone already?

In the middle of my hustle and bustle of life, I realized that my 101 goals in 1001 days has met it's deadline, and I totally forgot- oops. My date was Nov 3, 2009. I knew it was coming but the last few weeks have been nutty so it slipped my mind. I actually haven't been able to cross anything off the list in a while but I realized in the 1001 days that my life had changed a bit and certain things I thought I wanted to accomplish back then, I really don't care to now. There are also some items that I really want to accomplish even if I can't accomplish them in my first 1001 days. I'll keep putting them on my list until they are.
I think 101 goals in 1001 days are so important. Sure there are some things on my list that might be silly but they are always in the back of my mind and if I write them down and if I think about accomplishing them, it just might happen. So I'm posting my old list to show you all that I accomplished. I'll be working on my next list in the next few days and am glad to share it with you. Fill free if you are inspired to do yours and send it to me. I'd love to see what you'd put!

Here's my first list!!
Anything in Red was accomplished
Anything in Green will be put on the new list

101 Goals in 1001 days
1. Clean out master closet -accomplished 2/11/07
2. Throw out old towels -accomplished 3/18/07
3. Hang curtains in bedrooms down stairs -accomplished 7-26/07
4. Hang window treatment for sliding glass door-accomplished 7/8/07
5. Hang up pictures of Reagan and Hunter in hallway -accomplished 11/1/08
6. Book 20-25 weddings a year
7. Get published in wedding magazine
8. Visit the Stephens’ Family in Texas -accomplished 12/26/08
9. Take Reagan and Hunter horseback riding
10. Buy quads
11. Learn photoshop from front to back –accomplished 2009
12. Plan an awesome SURPRISE 30th wedding anniversary for my parents!!!-accomplished 11/10/07
13. Set up connections with 4 new wedding vendors this year -1, 2,3,4 accomplished 2008
14. Make promo-collages for vendors
15. Take Mike Colon’s 4 day workshop in Newport Beach -accomplished Jan 21-24
16. Lose 20 pounds -accomplished 2008
17. Organize the kids playroom -accomplished 4/08
18. Get caught up with scrapbooking
19. Take a cooking class
20. Take a ballroom dance class -accomplished Spring of 2008
21. Make a business profit of 30% each year -accomplished 2007
22. Buy 2nd 5D Canon -accomplished 10/11/07
23. Go to a Yankee game at Yankee stadium
24. Go to an Oprah show and meet her
25. Shoot a destination wedding on another continent
26. Read 10 great marketing books -1,2 down
27. Redo decor in Master Bedroom -accomplished April of 2008
28. Get Reagan potty trained accomplished 2009
29. Have a rockin’ 30th birthday party 9-11-08- yikes accomplished 9/11/08
30. Take a cruise
31. Be able to quit my day job- make photography my "only" job –accomplished 2008
32. Spend more quality time with my family -accomplished 2008
33. Travel to New Zealand again
34. Visit a new place for vacation each year -accomplished June 8-10,2007 (Catalina Island)Cancun, 10/08
35. Set up our family in a trust
36. Set up our will -accomplished 10/08
37. Attend church more often -accomplished 2008
38. Win a WPJA award
39. Become a member of WPJA
40. Attend WPPI
41. Hook up my fax machine
42 Tape record Reagan talking and signing -accomplished 7/8/07
43. Write in Reagan and Hunter's journals once a month
44. Make a business plan -accomplished 3/6/07
45. Hire an employee (s) - accomplished 8/08
46. Open a studio -accomplished 9/3/08
47. Learn Spanish
48. Take a East Coast trip to Boston, Washington D.C, New York
49. Make date night with Mike once a month -accomplished 2008
50. Take an adult only vacation with no kids -accomplished Oct 21-24, 2008 Cancun
51. Get boob job, tummy tuck- thanks to Reagan and Hunter:)
52. Learn how to shoot Raw accomplished 9/22/07
53. Take weekly walks with my family
54. Spend cuddling time every day with my kids and husband -accomplished 2007
55. Go to Vegas for "just the day" once a year! -accomplished 2/21/07
56. Shoot a celebrity/high profile wedding
57. Attend PUG meetings every month
58. Transfer my e-mail to Outlook -accomplished 3/11/08- thanks Courtney!
59. Get my name out in the "wedding world"
60. Attend 4 photographer workshops -accomplished 7/25/07, accomplished Jan 21-24, 2008, accomplished 5/4/08
61. Send out birthday cards and anniversary cards to everyone this year
62. Get success software to organize clients -accomplished 7/08
63. Send out anniversary cards to past clients
64. Join toastmasters
65. Actually celebrate our wedding anniversary every year. -accomplished 3/29/07 & 3/29/08 &3/29/09
66. Volunteer -accomplished July 2008
67. Visit B & H Photo in New York City -accomplished 11/2/07
68. Shoot a wedding in the snow
69. Get lasik eye surgery -no can do. :( Dr. says I can't have it. Replace with Make new 101 list when I finish this one.
70. Learn to eat more veggies -accomplished 2008
71. Limit Dr. Pepper -accomplished
72. Go through and label all old negatives and organize
73. Organize extra photos in albums
74. Spend one whole week with nothing on my to-do list
75. Spend one day, laying in bed, watching movies all day long
76. Tell Mike, Reagan and Hunter I love them every day. accomplished 2007
77. Bake homemade cookies for Christmas every year -accomplished 12/22/07
78. Buy a real plant and keep it alive -accomplished 2007
79. Fix or replace my broken Precious Moments
80. Get my tattoos touched up -accomplished 10/30/08
81. Watch the ball drop in times square for New Year's Eve
82. Take a carriage ride in Central Park -accomplished 11/3/07
83. Visit the Statue of Liberty -accomplished 11/2/07
84. Go to the top of the Empire State Building -accomplished 11/2/07
85. Take Reagan to a Disney "character" breakfast at Disneyland -accomplished 6/7/07 and Oct 7, 2009
86. Set up more lunch dates with "girlfriends"
87. Have my wedding ring cleaned, resized -accomplished 11/17/2007
88. Travel to Greece
89. Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center -accomplished 11/3/07
90. Set 30 minutes a week of "me" time
91. Get regular pedicures -accomplished 2007
92. Attend an American Idol showing at the Kodak Theater
93. Talk to my parents on the phone or by e-mail everyday -accomplished
94. Learn how to travel by plane without having a freakout
95. Try Sushi- ewwwww , I said try it, not like it -accomplished 4/10/07
96. Be brave and try new techniques with my pics -accomplished
97. Have a family picnic in a park –accomplished 3/2009
98. Read the bible from front to back -
99. Pray everyday -
100. Never go to bed angry with Michael -
101. Kiss Mike and my kids good night every night!-accomplished 2007

Yee-Haw!!!! Texas here we come!

The day after Christmas we left at 4am, loaded up my parents motor home, stuck the kids in the car seats and drove 16 hours to San Angelo, TX. You probably don't know where that is, but it's in west Texas and pretty much surrounded by farm land and a bunch of towns that you drive through and I swear if you blink you'll miss it.
My sister left home after high school to go to college there and never came back. She met her husband and 4 kids (two sets of twins) and has a wonderful cute little Texan life along with a cute little Texan accent she's developed over the course of 20 years there. I'm sure you can't help it after that many years.
I actually haven't been back there in about 6 years and my kids have never been there so I was really excited to go, not to mention I can cross off another one of my 101 goals in 1001 days! Yippie!!
#8- Visit the Stephens in Texas!

Here's the motorhome!

Some images of our long drive- the good thing was we didn't have to stop that much since we had a bathroom on board but we needed to every couple of hours to stretch our legs. If you asked my kids to get in there now they'd probably run away screaming!

There girls thought they were just too cool because they had the same pj's!

Cousins fooling around

Garrett

Garrett and Hunter playing around

Sweet little Pierce

My sister Kristy is the middle sister so this bottle of wine I found for her I thought was perfect!

Reagan on her Nintendo DS that she got from Santa! Boy that is a life saver on the motorhome

This is my sister's house, I love all the yard they have- we don't have lawns like this in Phoenix, we're all compacted

Here's some other great homes on her block

Their sweet dog Lucas

Hunter passed out after playing with the "big boys"

Pierce on the computer. Reagan found out what Webkinz were at their house and has a new obsession

Two nights before we left we went to eat at Ichi Ban. The kids loved it!

Here is Hunter, my dad, Carson and my sister Kristy

The last night we were there we went to eat here- it's the biggest hole in the wall out in the middle of no where. All the hunters come in here to eat after hunting. It's by far a fancy place but we had a good time.

This is Texas for you

Me, my mom and my sister- Reagan's taking the pictures, did you notice the level?