#9 See Macy's Christmas Exhibit, Santaland!

This was not on my original 25 Things list I made on my 25th birthday (almost a year ago), BUT, due to situations and other big events we have been blessed with as a family I've had to change a few.

I'm glad I added Santaland to my list. It was so much fun to see! Even Christian said he had a great time!

Here are the pictures!

The elves are waking up!

Even elves go to school, I guess.

Hanging their stockings to dry? ;)

Christmas tree choir!

The animals do the Christmas tree decorating.

Jackson was very interested in everything that moved!

Someone has to clean the reindeer stable.

Santa Claus Square

Mail Station

Then we got to see Santa's Workshop.

Making treats!

Sorting the mail.

More sweets!

Toy building!

 Gift wrapping!

Jackson sat on Santa's lap! He was a little nervous about it, but he didn't cry! We told Santa he wanted anything with wheels to spin on it.

Christmas Tradition maybe?

#25 Finish my Compiled Booklist

I found a booklist on Pinterest that I really liked. It had prompts for you to choose your own books, but would still help you get a little diversity in the types of books. There were 50 prompts, but being as busy as I am that was not possible. I picked 10 of them at random and filled in the books I wanted to read. I tried to pick from books that I had in my collection first, but hadn't read yet. I did still have to borrow and buy a few of them. 

1. A book you've started but never finished...The High King's Tomb by Kristen Britain

2. A book your mom loves...Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

3 A book by a female author...Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer

4. A book a friend recommended...A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

5. A book by an author you like but haven't read yet...Mirror Sight by Kristen Britain

6. A non-fiction book...Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin

7. A book from my childhood...Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

8. A book with a number in the title...20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

9. A book with more than 500 pages...Blackveil by Kristen Britain

10. A book set during Christmas...A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Most of them I liked. Some of them I didn't. (Honestly, the Jules Verne book was my least favorite, but I read it because Christian said it was one of his favorites.)

This next year I'll pick 10 more!

#19 Give Jackson his first Haircut

Ok, I've been stalling on this one. His hair was getting into his eyes and he almost had a mullet. So he's needed a haircut, but for some reason I didn't WANT to. He looked so cute with his long hair and little curls in the back!

BEFORE- Grandma had to hold him. He was so wiggly!!

And the back...(had to use a picture from the day before)

My mom did most of the cutting in the front since I had to hold him in place most of the time. Then we switched and I got the hair in the back.

AFTER- He wouldn't let me get a good picture, but here is the handsome boy after his first haircut!

#14 Do something with my FLUTE

This could have been anything. I made this goal because I love playing my flute, but sometimes life gets in the way and I forget about it. Since I didn't get to continue with flute at school I wanted to do something to help me remember how much I love it.

So...brief story. In middle school and high school I remember the All-District Band Concerts, where different bands from different schools/age groups in the district would play a few songs (at least that's how I remember it). And in between each band there was an adult band, called Wind Jammers, that would play a song or two. I'll be honest, I made fun of them and I ignored them. Why were these old people coming to play at a school concert?

Then, jump ahead many years (to this past summer). I saw my 5th grade band director, Mr. Ziemann, on a float in a parade in Prior Lake. He recognized me! And waved at me to come follow his float and talk to him. I went. He pulled out a little Wind Jammers info sheet and asked me to join their community band. He happens to be the director of that band. 

HA! Well I am an adult now, so I suppose I would fit in with this band now. 

I told him I "sure would!"

And now, I've had four practices and played in one concert already. We have two more Christmas concerts on Sunday, and then one more concert on Tuesday.

I'm sorry I ever made fun of Wind Jammers. It's a blast!

#15 Sing Karaoke (in Public)

I have ALWAYS wanted to be brave enough to sing karaoke in a public setting. I've been in plays and musicals where I get on stage and perform, but those are always very well-practiced and usually you have a few other people to share the stage with. Not scary.

Karaoke is scary because it's not rehearsed. Or what if you pick a stupid song? Or maybe you get up there and realize you don't know the song as well as you thought. 

Well, I did it! And I've got to say...it is NOT SCARY! Something to note is that there is usually someone there who is very drunk, and sings way worse than you. Or there will be someone who will, at least, sing equally as bad.

My first song was "Summer Nights" from the movie Grease (as a duet with a friend of mine from Charlotte's Web) and the second song was my all-time favorite, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles (which I did all by myself).

Christian didn't get any pictures of me up on stage, so I will just use one of the pictures I got of him. I'm sure he won't mind. ;) He sang an AC/DC song, I think?

#2 Be Involved in a Play

(This is really just a copy of a post on my McCall Clan blog, but it was also one of my 25 Things...so here it is again!)

We had our closing night for Charlotte's Web on Saturday 10/24! It has been so much fun being a part of this production. I made some wonderful friends! 

My mom and I got to do the show together. The last time we were in a show together was The Sound of Music in 2007! 

Here are a few pictures from Charlotte's Web... (All of the pictures on this post were taken by Juris Ozols who donates his time and photography skills to the Prior Lake Players for all their shows! He even got some stage time in this show as the "photographer" in Act I.)

Fern saving Wilbur from becoming bacon.

Wilbur and Fern

Mrs. Arable and Wilbur

The animals of Zuckerman's Farm!

At the Fair!

Wilbur wins a medal!

#24 Write 25 Blog Posts

Christian gave challenged me at the beginning of the year to start a blog, and for my 25 Things (for my 25th year) he said I should make a goal to post 25 times. Of course I planned to keep going after the 25, and I have. I'm up to 33 posts now. I hit my 25 post goal on October 3rd!

I used to be really consistent with my journal writing, but after I got married I had less time to myself to write. I like blogging because it's like a journal that I can also dump my pictures in. Thanks Christian, for the great idea!

#10 Read the Entire New Testament

I started reading a chapter or two in a day in the New Testament back in February, and I finished just last week. I made it a goal for this year because I have always spent my time reading the Book of Mormon or the Doctrine and Covenants, but haven't really focused my personal study on the Bible (except during Seminary in high school).

I loved learning more about Christ's ministry on the Earth and about the Apostles' missions after Christ's death. I'm so grateful for this book of scripture, and I'm excited to have started reading the Old Testament this past week.

#1 Post Jackson's Monthly Photos and Updates for Family

I started posting all of Jackson's monthly pictures and updates to facebook, but with new posts added to my "wall" throughout the month it took too long to find them when I wanted to look at them. (I love looking back at all the things he has learned over the last year!) So at the same time I started my family blog I decided to make a blog to put Jackson's monthly pictures and updates in, and so I can add to it in the future. Only, the future posts probably won't be as often.

I'm planning making a photo book with the monthly pictures from his first year!

Jackson's Monthly Updates

#21 Make a Cake with Fondant

I had the perfect opportunity to check off my cake making goal. Jackson's first birthday! I've always wanted to learn how to use fondant to decorate a cake. Not necessarily to cover the cake, but to make fun things to put on as decoration. I did a bit of research on fondant and actually decided to change it and use marzipan instead. Basically the same thing, except it tastes better, and it is softer (which made it easier to form into shapes).

I colored the marzipan to match the colors in the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Then I started making some of the foods in the book that the caterpillar eats, and punched holes in them. I made little round balls so I could decorate around the bottom of the cake, a number "1," and the hungry caterpillar. It took few hours to do this. (I had started out using almond paste which was totally the wrong thing, so I spent a lot of time re-doing things with the marzipan. And making it perfect.)

The night before the party I made the cakes and buttercream frosting. I frosted the cakes, being careful to make the smash cake as smooth as possible. I didn't care so much that the big cake was perfectly smooth and line-less. I wanted that one to have some character.

The morning of the party I decorated the big cake with all the marzipan pieces. And did a little bit of decoration on the smash cake.

I did not write Jackson's name on the cake. I did it initially, but didn't like it or the color. So I put it back in the refrigerator to chill it, and then peeled the letters off. I really wanted it to look nice so I asked my mother (who has many years of experience writing on cakes) to do the honors. And I'm glad I did, it looked great!

The boy and his finished cakes. I had so much fun doing it! And Jackson had a good time digging in to that smash cake.

#22 Crochet a Blanket

Christian got me crochet hooks for Christmas last year. I was so excited to use my gift, and to learn something new. I started watched YouTube videos to learn how to crochet, and made a goal to crochet something simple this year. A blanket.

I started over at one point because I didn't like the pattern I was using. So I came up with the idea to make 20 large granny square pieces, and then put all of those pieces together to make the blanket. It took a few weeks of working on it when I had some free-time. And I'm so happy with the results!

Now I have a nice blanket to hang over the rocking chair in Jackson's room!

#17 Go to the Minnesota State Fair

We made it to the state fair on Friday! It was Christian's first time, and I think he enjoyed it! Really, it was my first time to the fair. The only other time I've been on the fair grounds was to see Weird Al at the grandstand.

Me, Jackson, Christian, and Matt.

My mom and the Scott County tile.

We went to the Miracle of Birth exhibit and Jackson got to pet a pig! Actually he hit the pig and made the poor pig squeal. Oops!

Daddy and Jackson looking at the cow.

Baby cow!! Co cute!

Little goats.

Christian was told he had to get the bucket of cookies...so he did! The bucket was overflowing! Yummy breakfast!

The food was one of the BEST parts of the fair! We just wished that we could have tried more of it. We had Sweet Martha's cookies, fried cheese curds (I believe this was Christian's first time having fried cheese curds, and he LOVED them!), a tater dog, steak dinner on a stick, orangeade (the oranges were squeezed by a John Deere), and a pineapple juice served in the pineapple.

We saw a 1473 pound pumpkin!! This thing was MASSIVE!

Jackson had lots of fun looking around, but mostly liked this plastic bottle.

Some of the favorite crafts. Actually, I had LOTS of favorites in the craft displays. I would love to make quilts similar to these, and I took the picture of the Ron Swanson cross-stitch because it was funny and I knew Christian would appreciate it. (Christian took Matt and Jackson to look at the trucks and machinery while my mom and I perused the craft building.)

 And then there was the seed art. I'm so impressed that people can make art with seeds, that actually look good! These were the two favorites of mine.

 And you can't forget the butter heads. Unfortunately, when we got here to look the butter head carver was on break. 

Jackson was a tired boy! He slept for a good 2 1/2 hours while we pushed him around in the stroller. I was amazed he was able to sleep with all the sun, heat, and humidity!

Jackson wasn't the only boy who was sleepy. Matt took a little nap on the mommy's shoulder.

Here we are waiting for grandad to pick us up from the fair. He was even nice enough to take us for ice cream cones after.

We had a GREAT TIME! We are soooo going again next year!