25 Before 25

Sometime in the next week, I will be exactly two months from turning 25. That sounds like a remarkably grown-up sort of age to me. Then again...Angel turned 25 on the first birthday that I knew him so it couldn't be all that old...because that was a long time ago and he's still not ancient.

{Last Year's Birthday Dress}

Still, it's my last couple of months in the first quarter-century of my life--might as well use them well, if not wisely.

1. Travel to a country I've never been to before (hopefully that will be easy, since the Japan trip's already planned).

2. Eat churros. (5/21 at the Alley with Angel and Anna)

3. Go on a dinner date.

4. Write 2 more devotionals for QWC's monthly devo ebooks . (6/15 Wrote and submitted 2 devos for July's ebook)

5. Exercise regularly.

6. Go hiking. (Macritchie Nature Trail, 6/22)

7. Find a bridge I've never walked across before and walk across it. If you didn't know, bridges, any bridges, of any size or shape, are some of my favorite things in the whole world.  (Palawan Beach Bridge, 6/23)

8. Make an awesome Youtube video.

9. Read 10 books.
 - read "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman (5/18)
 - read "The Penderwicks" by Jeanne Birdsall (5/21)
 - read "Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?" by Lemony Snicket (5/22)
 - read "The Tiger Rising" by Kate Dicamillo (5/29)
 - read "Interesting Times" by Terry Pratchett (6/1)
 - read "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton (6/8)
 - read "Where Angels Fear to Tread" by E.M. Forster (6/11)
 - read "Nothing to Fear" by Jackie French Koller (6/12)
 - read "Mort" by Terry Pratchett (6/20)

10. Write some fiction - vignette, short story, etc.  Wrote "Leave You Alone" (6/2)

11. Go to Singapore.  (6/22-6/25)

12. Cross-stitch something new. Check it out on my instagram

13. Go swimming (my apartment complex has a pool and I think I've gone swimming twice in the last year because I am not a fan of changing clothes)  (5/30)

14. Write a goofy blog post.

15. Listen to Rich Mullins or Fernando Ortega while getting ready in the morning, at least 5 times. I like starting my day with good, peace-filled music...but that doesn't usually translate to actually remembering to turn on a playlist on my computer. Check (5/18). Check (5/20). Check (5/29). Check (6/13)

16. Do at least two fancy hairstyles on sisters. Chignon on Anna (5/29). Triple twist on Anna (6/6).

17. Go on a church retreat.  Check (6/10-6/12)

18. Go somewhere in my city I've never been before. Chinese Town Hall (5/29). Clan Jetties (6/13).

19. Receive a birthday card.

20. Not forget our 6th engagement anniversary on July...1st or 2nd...I have to ask my Dad I know it's in his calendar for some reason (it counts as 'not forgetting' as long as I actually remember the anniversary during the day that it happened. Bonus points if I tell Angel "Hey, you proposed to me 6 years ago today!")

21. Go out for breakfast with sister Anna.  (5/20, at SAB)

22. Swing-dance. With my husband as a first choice, but other partners are fun, too.

23. Have a guest stay in my home. (6/8)

24. Try out a currently unknown recipe.  Made churros with Anna (5/27) Made red bean dal from scratch (6/6)

25. Be content--or, if content's too easy, be overwhelmingly, earth-shakingly, thankful and joyful--with what I have and haven't achieved/accomplished/experienced in this first quarter century. These years have included a lot of good I've never expected, and other expectations have proved more elusive--either way, "Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul."

......

Got any recommendations of a recipe I absolutely must try? :)