40 before I'm 40

7/26/13  Sweet!  I just updated my list, it's looking good!  I am hoping in five short years my goals will be met. 

I  just updated my list, I only have about 10 more things to do in the next 6 years!  I think I need to add more, I need some ideas! 


~Edited part~
Just checked out my list and to my surprise I got to check THREE things off!  I/we have painted the inside of our house, we are getting new carpet next week and the girls are in a dance class!  YIPPEE!  The next thing I want to accomplish is teaching the kids how to ski!  Saving up the bucks so we can head to the mountain!  Let me know if you have any tips on how to teach three small children to ski.  I am assuming we will most likely resort to lessons, this may save all of us some tears!  I will let you  know how it goes.

I need to add to my list, the years are ticking away and I still only have 29 items.....

I am frustrated, I am so technically challenged.  I am trying to make my list a link on my page that I can click on and look at periodically....I can't figure it out!  Please help.  I was editing it, and apparently I have to re-post it AGAIN so I don't lose it, so sorry. 

The exciting thing is I got to check off "Take a cooking class!"  I bought a Groupon and it was great!  Kent and I got two date nights during the week and got some great recipes too.  Soon I will be able to check off a girls weekend, hopefully a family camping trip (does the backyard count?) and for SURE an Alaskan cruise!!!  Kent and I were offered a FREE Alaskan cruise!  It leaves from Seattle, so we don't even have to pay for airfare.  We couldn't pass it up, the only bummer is, they don't have cabins big enough for our five person family.  Brayden has already been on two cruises with us, so we are taking the girls on this adventure.  Brayden is going to spend the week with my parents!  THANK YOU!  We do have to pay for the girls to join us, but it was a very good rate that we had to take advantage of.  It still seems too good to be true.  I feel like I am jinxing us, we are supposed to leave July 9, which happens to be two weeks before my sprint tri.  I think I am sabotaging myself!  Oh well, maybe I will actually be motivated to work out on this vacation.....I will finish the tri, it just may not be pretty! 

That's the latest here, it hasn't really sunk in yet!  BTW, we were offered the free trip from Park West, an art dealer from which we "invested" in some of their art.

The Phillips Family: 40 before I'm 40What are some things I want to do in the next 8 and a half years, before I'm 40? YIKES! Maybe if I write them down I will accomplish at least some of them. I am going to give it a go and add to it as things come up:


It has been one year since I wrote this list.  Sadly, only a few of them have been completed.  But I do realize that some of these things are ongoing, lifelong goals.  I have a lot of traveling that needs to get done in the next 7 years!


1. Be more patient with my children. (I'm pretty confident that this will be a LIFE goal)

2. Take a cruise with Kent and ALL the kids. :)  ~happening in 2 months!

3. Get all of the kids into swimming lessons.

4. Teach Brayden to snow ski, and then the girls too.

5. Complete a sprint triathlon. Done 2 times!

6. Take a sewing class.   (Thanks for the reminder Megs!)

7. Take a cooking class with Kent.


8. Go to Europe with Kent.

9. Scrapbook at least the girls' first year of life.

10. Do a canopy tour in Costa Rica. DONE

11. Visit the East coast, especially New York City.

12. Volunteer in each child's classroom.

13. Become healthier with my diabetes. A1C = 6.5  Done 6.2!

14. Take a vacation to Lake Chelan.

15. Go camping as a family.  Such great memories made!

16. Learn how to crochet or knit (I'm not sure which is which).

17. Go to a natural hot springs.

18. Take a long girls weekend somewhere, ANYWHERE!  (happening in July!!!)   So fun!


19. Take a nice getaway for our 10th wedding anniversary.

20. Expand my practice as the kids get older.  It's growing and growing, feeling fortunate!

21. Get a will. Done!

22.  Have the girls take a dance class.

23.  Paint the inside of our house.

24.  Get new carpet.

25.  Build a new deck.  (Have Kent build a new deck.)   Thanks Babe!

26.  Take an Alaskan cruise.

27.  Hire a house cleaning service.  :)  Loving it!

28.  Start an IRA account.  (Newly added).

29.  Complete a bike race (25-50 mile) with Kent.  By myself, not with Kent yet though....


*The list will grow as I grow older and think of more things that need to be completed or experienced. *
What are some of your goals and/or wants?

Less than a month.....

Ever since I gave birth to my twin girls I have been asking EVERY mom of twins, "When does it get easier?"  Most of these mom responded with laughter, (knowing that it never gets easy, just different) but the ones that took my question seriously all responded, "When they turn 4." 

Guess what?  My life is about to change....my babies are going to be 4 on March 14.  Less than a month!  This day can't come soon enough.  I don't know what is going on with my children, but it has been a rough couple of weeks.  I think it's the Winter blahs, and the being cooped up inside for months and months.  I know all of my friends seem to be struggling with their children too. 

My countdown has started.....we are going to party like rock stars for their 4th birthday!  I have no plans yet, but it will be awesome!  Good luck to all of you surviving these last few weeks of Winter, Spring is almost here, and my job is going to get easier!

P.S.  I will keep you posted and let you know what a breeze my life has become within the next month or so!  :)

Willy Wonka

My MIL, Sandy, was so sweet and bought all of us tickets to go see the Children's Theatre production of "Willy Wonka."  Unfortunately, my SIL, Shelby, fell on the mountain last week and BROKE her knee cap!  Sandy is in Oregon helping take care of her and her family.  I hope you're recovering quickly Shelby!

Here is a horrible pic. of the six munchkins.  Brayden, Keegan, Owen, Ally, Dani and Ellie.


So, Kent, Sarah, Grandma Vanna, the six kids and I went to the show.  It was fabulous!  The kids were enthralled through practically all of the 2+ hour production!  My favorite part was when Veruca Salt made her appearance (she's the spoiled, rich girl).  She stole the show and had quite the attitude.  After her monologue Brayden looked over at me and said, quite loudly, "WOW, that girl is more naughty than Dani!"

We missed you Sandy, thanks for the special, Sunday afternoon treat!

Two days off?!?

Sadly last week, I was thrilled to potentially have two days off in a row, from being a productive mom/wife/member of society, at the expense of having gum grafting surgery.  That's right folks, I was actually looking forward to having oral surgery, so I could lay in my bed for TWO days and sleep while being on some nice pain meds.! 

My surgery was scheduled for Thursday morning.  On Wed. night I picked my wonderful mom up from the airport (she was taking over for me),  I visited coherently with her for a few hours then hit the sack.  As I was drifting off to sleep I told Kent how excited I was to have the next couple of days off.  Looking back, that seems very sad.  Who in their right mind would want to have oral surgery to get time off?  This oral surgery consisted of them scraping my palette (one of my client's parents informed me that it felt like a cheese grater being scraped along the roof of your mouth) and then taking that tissue and attaching it to my gums where I had some receding, due to genetics.  GOOD TIMES!

However, I did not feel a THING!  I was out and when they tried to get me goin' I was not havin' it.  I took a lot of time comin' around apparently.  All I know is I felt good, it was nice to be floating and not have a care in the world.  It wasn't so nice to not be able to eat because you have a mouth full of blood and RAW skin everywhere (it seemed).  Thank you Helen for driving me to and from and for not making too much fun of me.  :)  I really appreciate all that you do!

When we got back to my house, to my mom and the girls (Brayden was at school) I took a seat on the couch and I thought I would hang and talk to my mom and Helen.  I faded pretty fast, I remember sitting on the couch and slowly not being able to sit up, I just kept tipping and tipping.  I figured it was time to pass out....and I did just that, for almost two straight days!  I vaguely remember people coming and going, (a client showed up, she forgot I cancelled for the day), luckily my mom interceded before she got too far into the house.  Children were screaming (can you imagine?), phones were ringing, children were running, children were fighting, children were screaming....do you think I cared?  Not a bit!  I did have a touch of concern for my mom, but I knew she could brave through it!  Then all was silent, everyone had left the house.  I remember thinking, I could get so much done right now.  BUT  my mouth is bloody, I am high and I can't function, oh well, better sleep some more!  I attempted to hold up a book and read, but that didn't even last 30 seconds....I love pain meds.!  It's such a good thing that I have made the choices that I have, otherwise I could see myself floating through life without a care in the world......but what would my children do if I wasn't there to nag, pester, annoy and speak sternly to them.  :)

All is well, I am on the mend, back to reality, off the drugs, and LOVING every second of it!  Children are screaming.....

Thank you for everything Mom!  I wouldn't be able to be high without you!  :)