August Picture-a-Day

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

I did really well during the month of July taking at least 3 pictures each day. Sorry if you follow me on instagram and get sick of my random pictures. Here are the prompts for August. Feel free to play along, using the #mydailylife365, and feel free to tag me @bre11414. I will be posting each of my photos to instagram. It's going to be a lot of fun! Come play along!

My favorite Photo-a-Day from July: Day 13 {Bright}

 A bright and sunny Sunday morning in Wyoming.

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28 by 29 | Date Night 1

16 // Have 12 planned date nights with the hubby 

That equals one real(ish) date per month. We don't ever really go on dates. We just do our thing week after week. I want to actually have something planned so it's like we are actually going on a date, not just being our usual coupley selves.

Since July was slowly coming to an end and I hadn't really come up with anything to do, I ran across the above image on Pinterest, and decided that's what we'd do for our first date. On July 17, I sent Greg that image in a text and said, "You, me, tomorrow night?"

Strangely, he agreed. He even went shopping for the pizza toppings while I was at work. And he put the bread dough in. We have a bread maker, so don't expect any fancy recipe for the dough. It was quite basic, and I'm sure Pinterest has even better recipes anyway!

We both had the idea to make individual pizzas, so we heated up the oven and started rolling out the dough. About 30 seconds into it, we saw a spark, then a fire in our oven. The bottom element was burning out, literally burning. It was kind of funny. We had to get out our toaster oven to finish making them. They still turned out delicious.

 {Greg's is on top, mine are on the bottom}

Once they were done, we ate and watched, "I, Frankenstein" which was a lot better than I imagined it would be. Seeing previews I thought it looked super cheesy, but it really was quite good, and a different twist on the Frankenstein story.

Now, it really wasn't much more than what we normally do, but making a point to call it a date, and putting away our phones, ipad, and tablets for those few hours made it all the more special. Now I just need to come up with 11 more date ideas. What do you have?

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28 by 29 | 3 Pictures Each Day Intro

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

I love taking pictures, and I love looking at pictures. I need to take more pictures, so to help with that, one of my goals is to take at least 3 pictures each day. Now, there are a lot other picture-a-day challenges out there, but of course, I had to create my own. Feel free to play along, using the #mydailylife365, and feel free to tag me @bre11414. I will be posting each of my photos to instagram. It's going to be a lot of fun! Come play along!

Going along with this challenge, I will also be taking a picture each day of something that made me happy. Not only will that get me thinking about how I was blessed that day, but I also get to share my happiness with you! I'm using the #mydailyhappy365. I can do this!

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28 by 29 | #9 Intro

9 // Learn more about my ancestors

Number 9 on my list is really important to me. One thing that has been really encouraged by our church leaders is doing our Family History, or Genealogy. I've kind of had a bad attitude about it, but then I realized I was going at it all wrong. Instead of just searching for names, why not get to know these people I'm researching, and why not start with those closest to me.

For a while now, I've been really wanting to get together with my Grandma Norene and learn more about my Grandpa Stan. He passed away before I was born, so I know very, VERY little about him. In April we  had a Relief Society Activity where we learned a little about the importance of keeping journals and personal histories. I was so moved by it, that I made the decision to ask my Grandma if I could come over sometime and learn more about my Grandpa. For whatever reason, he was just not talked about a whole lot, so there is a lot for me to learn about him.

On Sunday, I was in Cokeville for my niece Lilli's baptism. After the baptism we were at my parent's house eating brownies and ice cream, and my sister Shari started talking about how she hadn't been to the dentist in a while. This led to talking about teeth, and my Grandma just came out with, "Your Grandpa Stan had perfect teeth." As soon as she said that I got a little excited. She went on to talk about him and his perfect teeth. She told us that he never had a cavity in his life, but he did have a false tooth.

Grandpa Stan used to participate in Cutter Racing, which is a race featuring two horses, a driver and a chariot racing together down a quarter mile of track. When it is done on snow they use skis on the sleds, but this particular race, Grandpa Stan was on dirt, so his sled had wheels. As he was racing, a rock flipped up and split one of his teeth vertically. It was replaced with a false tooth.

It wasn't a long story, but it was a fun couple of pieces of trivia that I didn't know about my Grandpa: he had perfect teeth, except for his false tooth, and he participated in cutter racing. I also learned what cutter racing was. Then I was able to learn a little about my dad and uncle. Apparently my Uncle Stan also has perfect teeth, while my dad doesn't. Thanks dad!

As I was getting ready to come home, I gave my Grandma a hug and she said, "I'm looking forward to you coming over so I can tell you more stories." It made me incredibly happy. I plan to write stories here that I learn about him, or any of my ancestors, as well as posting them over on FamilySearch.org. I am so dang excited! I want to eventually also put them together in a scrapbook, which could just be one of my goals for next year.

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28 Before I Turn 29 | Introduction

Sometimes I come up with these really great ideas, and then I get super excited about them, and then I get a few weeks into it, and 'give up'. Well, this time I really have it.

I want this next year to be the best year ever. And the year after that, and the year after that. I want to do something awesome with my life, so one needs goals. I've been doing this every year for the past few years, but this year I want to share my experiences, and get feedback and advice, and encouragement from you. Otherwise, this will just turn into another one of those epic fails.

I'm still in the process of completing my list, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know. Instead of doing vague goals like, "Lose weight" or "Organize my house," I went a bit more specific. I think you have to be, or else it's harder to feel like you've accomplished something.

Here is my list so far. I'll be explaining each one of the goals as time goes on, but I really good use a few more suggestions. I'm stuck. So, here we go...

28 things to do before I turn 29

1 // Read the Book of Mormon twice

2 //  Write a note to 28 people

3 // Try 28 new recipes

4 // Do my Visiting Teaching every month

5 // Begin a 50 states album

6 // Learn 10 fun facts about each state (to include in 50 states album)

7 // Create an exercise program for myself and do it at least 2 times a week

8 // Document a 'Day in the Life' each month

9 // Learn more about my ancestors

10 // Try 12 things I've pinned on Pinterest

11 // Read a General Conference talk each week (52)

12 // Perform 12 Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)

13 // Plan a girl's day out

14 // Read 28 new books

15 // Create and send 6 care packages

16 // Have 12 planned date nights with the hubby

17 // Run or walk a 5K

18 // Go 28 days without Facebook

19 // Take at least 3 pictures each day

20 // Memorize 28 scriptures

21 // Do something to raise awareness for Scleroderma

22 // Do something awesome with my hair

23 // Buy 2 new outfits

24 // Eat at 5 new places

25 // Go on a real vacation with Greg

26 // 

27 // 

28 // 

Now I'm stuck. Help me out with those last three. I'm up for just about anything.

Like I said, I'll talk more about each one over time, and explain a little more about my intentions with this. I just need to get it out there, so I can be thinking about how to fulfill these. I made them easy enough to accomplish, but not so easy that I can do them all in one day. This is a daily challenge to help me become a better person mentally, spiritually, physically, and any other way I can be a better person.

I'm excited. Are you?

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Thursday Three | 04.17.14

Thursday Three was developed by Kristin from RUKristin. You can read more about it {here}, then play along over on Instagram and follow me @bre11414.

• I am so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and for the Priesthood power in my life, and knowing that I am fully able to use that priesthood in my life. #iamlds 
• I am so excited for my birthday. I've got a great list of almost 28 things to do before I turn 29. Just need a few more ideas to add to it.
• I wish I were a better person...more outgoing, more friendly, more willing to serve, more faithful and knowledgeable in the gospel, more sympathetic, just more better!

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