The End of the Goals Challenge!

Today is June 5, 2013. 1001 days since I started this goals challenge. I have accomplished so much, expanded my family, started a business (Jennifer Shea Photography) if you haven't checked it out!) and most importantly, grown closer to the Lord.

This challenge was just that, challenging. Trying to get everything done was crazy. Some of the simplest goals I could not complete. The ones I failed on were:

3. Volunteer 4 times per year (1/11)
6. Read 50 books (27/50) 
15. Play golf at least 1 time every 6 months (0/5)
24. Take Ryan Camping 
26. Take Ryan to a baseball game 
27. Grow garlic (1/2 Done) (Failed - tornado ruined the crop)
32. Attend 2 Wine and Design classes (1/2)
54. Go to bed at 9pm every night for a week
55. Take a bubble bath once a week for a month. (1/4)
83. Make a sculpture 
89. Stick with my Day/Night devotional for a year 100. Hang dry all laundry for 2 weeks 

Some of these I'm really disappointed that I could not complete. Namely volunteering, making time for myself to take bubble baths, and especially sticking with my devotional - every day. 

Some of these goals are going to be fulfilled this summer after the fact. We are going camping and to a baseball game soon. 

I want to challenge each person that reads my blog to set up your own goals list, even if it is only 10 or so goals. Try some things you would not do normally or you've been wanting to do but haven't taken that leap of faith to do. I did 101 Goals in 1001 days. That gives you time to actually complete every goal (even though I didn't finish some).

A special thanks to Jimmy for funding a lot of these goals. :)

I might start another blog for just family things and totally not goals related. I might just change this one up. Either way, my followers will be kept in the loop!

I had a blast doing this and even though some people asked "Why are you doing this?" because they thought I was crazy...try it. Accomplishment is a wonderful feeling.

My final goal:

101. Donate $5 to a charity for every goal not met or failed

Going to the Red Cross for the tornado victims in Oklahoma. 

Goal #93: Try Indian food

Last night I went to dinner at Taste of Himalayas with a few girlfriends. This was my first time trying Indian food.

We had vegetable samosas as an appetizer (not shown)

These sauces were wonderful! I especially liked whatever the green one was.

reshmi kabab (this was my favorite!)

chicken makhani and paneer makhani (paneer is a homemade cottage cheese but it's nothing like the American cottage cheese we eat)

Garlic and basil naan

Each dish was wonderful but I can't see myself eating this more than a few times a year. The food is very different but tasty!

Goal #7: Create a will

This was probably the most depressing goal to complete. Having to think about my death and where my assets and children will go after I'm gone. There's no question about where they will go but putting it on paper for someone to read in the future was kind of hard. I still need to get it signed but it's made and printed out. 

I wanted to make the process easy. I'm sure making things complicated after one is gone with dividing up assets, etc. makes it really hard on the executor of the will. I'm executor on three people's wills. I hope they are simple and straightforward. 

I think the most important part was the burial requests portion. Not to be any more morbid than needed but I requested to be cremated following an open casket funeral (if my CHILDREN wanted it open casket.) I don't think Jimmy would care either way but I want my kids to make that decision. They can decide what they are comfortable with. (I'm getting emotional typing this) so....The End.

Goal #56: Go on an alphabet walk. Find something that begins with each letter of the alphabet,take a photo, and put together a book.

I finally completed the photos for the alphabet book. This was harder than I thought it would be. I thought, oh, I'll just take the photos all in one day. Nope! Didn't happen like that. At all!! It's hard finding things that start with each letter of the alphabet. I did things the kids would recognize. And yes, I did take all of these photos! Except X, but I created that in Photoshop..

A-Ant

B-Barn

C-Crayons

D-Duck

E-Eagle

F-Family

G-Geese (got hissed at taking this pic. Geese are mean, possessed little buggers!)

H-Helmet

I-Ice, Ice, Baby

K-Kiss

L- Lucas

M-Magnolia

N-Nest

O- Orange

J- Jolly

P-Pinecones

Q- Quiet (yeah right!)

R-Ryan

S-Snow

T-Tricycle

U-Umbrella

V-Velcro

W- Waterbottle

X-X

Z - Zipper

Goal #90: Finish Ryan's 1st Year Scrapbook

I finally finished Ryan's scrapbook. I'm not a huge scrapbooker. I wanted to be but I really don't have the time or the supplies.

Ryan had a fun first year but man was it hard for me! He was a sweetie for sure but he had it rough. Colic, surgery, spitting up all the time (until he was 18 months old!)...on and on. But now we are through that and have other challenges. At lease we can communicate now. That makes it easier.

Ryan is so special to me. I am in awe of him.

After I finished I showed the book to Ryan and he wanted me to read through it 3 times. I never thought a boy would be that interested in a scrapbook. 

Goal #88: Memorize 5 bible verses

Throughout the bible studies I did over the winter I memorized other verses that corresponded with our study. These are a few other verses I liked and memorized.

Ecclesiastes 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in the mother's womb, so you cannot understand the works of God, the maker of all things.

Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not get discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive and beauty if fleeting, but a woman who fears The Lord is to be praised.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now The Lord is the spirit and wherever the spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Goal #86: Send 10 "Just Because" cards (10/10)

12 days left of this challenge! I better get on the ball. I have 15 more goals to complete. Well, actually 14 because number 101 is the donation goal.

This weekend I will take the boys to a baseball game and finish the Alphabet photo walk. I'll see what else I can get done.

Today I sent the last of the 10 "Just Because" cards. I made it super cute and did some hand lettering on the front of the envelope. I hope each person that received these cards enjoyed getting something hand written in the mail. I love you all!

Goal #76: Sing in public

You guys are going to laugh. I did. 

Last November(ish) I sent in my application to sing the national anthem at a local baseball game. I have experience singing the anthem in front of thousands but I did not get chosen. I didn't have an audition or anything so I don't feel too bad about it. They had a lot of school groups and other groups sign up to sing. Those groups get first priority. I'll try again next year. 

I haven't been to karaoke in years and I don't think I'll ever just bust out in song at the store or on the street so what's the next best thing? Singing on YouTube. Youtube is public, so there you go...

Lucas joined me in this video. I did not do a retake without him because he was just so darn funny. Surprisingly the camera was sitting still. I don't know why it looks so shaky. Oh yeah, there was a two year old jumping around!

Not my best singing. I'm no Whitney Houston but I had a lot going against me. Namely, pollen....I was coughing all night from that stuff. 

Anyway, enjoy the show. HAHAHA!!

Goal #4: Grow Herbs in a Terrarium & Goal #28 Plant Blueberry Bushes

Two weekends ago I finally bought two different blueberry bushes. There were two or three spindly little branches on each and by the time they made it into the ground there was only 1 left on each branch. The plants were very brittle. I planted two different kinds so they could cross pollinate. I guess this produces more fruit? Not sure. That was just the recommendation. Maybe in the next year or two there will be some fruit on the bushes. I remember my grandmother having a GIANT blueberry bush outside of her home in Mississippi and I always loved picking the sweet fruit and eating it on the spot. 

We also got our garden ready. We made the garden bigger and put up a new fence. Jimmy and I made a trellis that will be for the sugar snap peas (already planted) and the cucumbers and peppers we will get soon. We also started some lettuce and of course we'll have some tomatoes. Depending on how much room is left after that I might plant some strawberries too.

Today Ryan and I went on a rock hunt for a terrarium. I got rosemary and parsley at Home Depot so I put some of that in and Ryan started some basil from seed in a tiny greenhouse I picked up at the Target Dollar Spot. He's been enjoying watching how much it is growing. I put just one plant of each herb in our little terrarium. I don't know if it will last so I didn't want to waste my herbs that are going out in the herb garden. We already have oregano and chives out there that come back every year. Last year the rosemary was accidentally dug up and the mint died. I don't expect to use any herbs out of this but it will look nice on the window sill.

I think I need a bigger jar.

Goal #53: Cook 3 things from every cookbook I own (45 recipes/15 cookbooks=45 recipes)

I realized I had never posted this recipe.


I made my aunt’s salmon croquettes a few months back but I’m just now getting around to posting the recipe. I’m babysitting for my dear friend and lucky for me they are asleep and I have a few hours to myself to get caught up on my blog posts. 

I love my Aunt Linda and I love her cooking. The women in my family are amazing cooks!!

Salmon Croquettes
Linda Switzer

1 large can pink salmon, drained, bones removed
1 small onion, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 T. creamed horseradish
½ tsp. dried dill week
1/3 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
¼ tsp. salt (more if desired)
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
Yellow cornmeal
Peanut or canola oil for frying

Flake salmon into mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except cornmeal and oil. Mix well. Divide into 7 or 8 patties. Press patties into cornmeal.

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add patties and fry on each side until medium firm and browned. Drain on paper towels.

These are delicious served with a sauce of mayonnaise, ketchup. Horseradish, lemon juice and a little mustard (remoulade sauce). 

Goal #47: Go fishing

On our recent visit to Mississippi we had the opportunity to go fishing with my mom and step-dad. My step-dad, John, bought the boys cane poles, crickets, the whole shebang. We headed out to my mom’s boss’ lake and Ryan could not have been more excited to try something new. 

It was about 70 degrees when we went out and thankfully, dry. This was a great change from the weather in Chicago. It had been snowing off and on and in the 30’s. 

The fish weren’t really biting. The water was really stirred up and murky from all the rain they had recently fallen. My boys got a little bored but my step-dad caught a few (and made it seem, to the kids, like that THEY had caught it. He‘s cool like that). They got super excited to reel in their fish and see it up close, flopping around.

Ryan was a little afraid of the crickets and carried them like this everywhere.

We had a lot of crickets.

Lucas had his own way of holding his pole.

Ryan loves his GiGi.

Ryan picked some weeds beautiful flowers for me.

This dock made me nervous. Of course I forgot Ryan's life jacket. I don't think the water was more than a few feet deep where we were but you never know...

Up first was a catfish. Apparently, they have some kind of barbs on them by their fins that will really hurt if they get you with them. I had no idea. I’ve seen that show Hillbilly Handfishing and there is no way in….heck... that I would stick my hand or foot up in a hole to have a giant catfish latch on knowing that they have these barbs that will “sting” you. We threw it back.

Then a few white perch were caught that we kept. Ryan was a good sport and actually held it, or tried to hold it, (they have paper thin mouths) and take it to the cooler.

We saw several water moccasins. Eek! They were just chilling in the sun.

There were a few other small fish that we put back but we did catch a bream that was cute enough to have in a tank. He went back home though.

After awhile it was starting to get hot and the boys’ minds had moved on so we decided to go on home. 

Lucas loves John!

What a fun experience for my boys. Ryan can’t wait to go again…when it warms up here.