4. participate in some sort of competitive race > 5k.

now, when i originally wrote this goal down, i wasn't really thinking of the moonlight ride as counting as "competitive" and i wasn't thinking bikes either, but ... it's going to have to count since  i didn't do anything else.

two weekends ago was the annual moonlight ride on antelope island. i still think this is one of the funnest things you can do in salt lake. the ride starts at 10pm when you ride from white rock bay to the farm and back again, totaling about 24 miles round-trip. the first hill you ride down makes it all worth it. a blast! i would recommend it to anyone.

dad, me with my free shirt!, and whitney.

also i feel like i need to thank my new bike for helping me up the hills and making us FLY! down 'em. you're the best bike.

11. perfect the ultimate sunday dinner.

last sunday i decided to finally buckle down and make that sunday dinner i'm always talking about.

the menu:

- lemon & garlic roast chicken

choice ingredients: rosemary takes food to the next level. and coarse kosher salt should be put on everything. plus it makes me feel legit putting handfuls pinches of it here and there.

the chicken, the lemon, the rosemary, the garlic. missing is the bbbuuttteeerrr!!!

i apologize for the quality of this picture, but i had to document that i actually had my hand inside a chicken. and ... it was too much.

the before ...

and the after. what a beauty!

- fresh lemon limeade

- roasted vegetable medley

made up of produce mostly picked from our garden. not pictured are the beets, carrots, and onions which really brightened things up. i think this was the best dish. i have a thing for veggies right now.

- twice baked potatoes

- and a chocolate souffle for dessert

i had the most fun making this. and BOY WAS IT GOOD! 

the help:

- my sous chef, dad

i can't put into words my love for this guy ^^^ i mean, he spent his whole sunday (even skipping his nap) helping me with my goal. don't get me started on how talented he is and how he can and DOES just about anything he wants. and then he teaches me. thanks pop.

the table:

the take-back:

- well, i learned that cooking a big, fancy meal is harder than it appears. i think i was cooking for 4 hours straight. the other hard part is making sure that everything is done and hot by the time your guests show up. let's just say that i need some practice with time-management. 

overall it was a great experience and i had a lot of fun. and really, that is all i wanted anyway. that and the chocolate souffle.

24. rescue something.

my grandma is the queen of estate sales. if you're looking for her friday or saturday you''ll find her scouring dead people's houses. she actually finds some pretty marvelous stuff and knows how to get the best deal (read here about the experience paige and i had with her one saturday).

i'm the benefactor of this obsession and recently got my hands on some old, very mid-century modern tables.

cute! but i couldn't just leave them the way they were, grandma-style. i took this as an opportunity to rescue them from their current state and thereby check another item off my 25 things list >>> rescue something. 

i had a 50s vision for them but also wanted to accentuate the art-deco detailing, picked a color, sanded, painted, sanded again, painted again and voila!

i have new tables.

9. grow a garden.

garden heaven (please notice it involves a cat).

i just got the following email from my uncle: 

hello everyone,
i will be in town over the weekend. saturday i will be at peggy's to take down the green house.
everyone is welcome to come and get some plants. there are dozens of tomato, squash, melon, pepper, eggplant, perennial flowers and shrubs. there are probably enough for everyone to take a half dozen or more.michael

^^^ it looks as though the universe is working with me to meet my goals.
^^^ i love my family. they make green houses and then they plant things and then they give them all away.

happy friday.

7. buy a scooter.

guess i won't be fulfilling number seven of my 25 things list. 

i just don't know whether to be mad or feel so loved.

9. grow my own garden.

i've never been so happy to see just a little green. 

welcome to the world miss butter lettuce!

20. learn to love something i hate.

remember when i first started my list and i tried to love shrimp and i didn't? something has changed and i'm proud to say that i am now a lover of shrimp; i have successfully learned to love it. hooray!

something else i hate: going places by myself; it's awkward right? wrong! i went to a movie (skyfall) all by myself on new year's eve and i had a ball. 

picking a seat! all by myself.

laughing! all by myself.

popcorn! all to myself.

diet coke! all to myself (the down side to this is that i went to the bathroom twice during the movie).

eating fish, going to the movies by myself, checking things off lists, feeling accomplished.

i think i'll make this a thing.

hello world.

first day back from my technology hiatus and i think it's pretty safe to say i didn't miss it. i watched tv and went to the movies, but only used my phone for talking (and maybe a text here and there for EMERGENCIES) and didn't go on facebook or youtube or blogger or instagram or gmail or twitter or pinterest ONCE!

most exciting is marking it off my 25 things list, my motivation for living.

even though my break plans didn't go as planned (i didn't even pick up my book, where can i find home alone 2? my body decided to go on a cleanse all by itself and excrete all fluids from my body, making it difficult to enjoy christmas feasting and coaco latteeing), les mis was great, santa gave me everything i asked for, my long lost sister made an appearance on skype, and  i got a good sleep here and there, it was good.

15. read 4 classic novels.

guys, i'm reading!

see ya!

via karen young.

 off to dallas, texas today to check off a long time item on my to-do list. also to find out what that big cartoon apple tree shaped thingy is. 

perk: it's 84 degrees there today. 

hello swimming pool!!!!

fall times are near.

lavell edwards stadium, 2011 - gonna be missin this girl tonight! as always.

this summer was the longest summer of my life! it may have something to do with the fact that my best friend moved away from me mid-june. yeah, i think that's it. so i'm happy that fall is just around the corner.

tonight we kick off the football season at lavell edwards stadium! as you know, the wightmans love their football.

and tomorrow is our annual swiss days trip (can't wait for that marriott bed).

other fall activities i'm looking forward to:

- making doughnuts

- using my hot chocolate maker again

- pumpkin EVERYTHING

- boots, scarves, sweaters

- that crispy goodness air

- oh! delicious soups!

- halloween and horror films

- general conference

- reading ... i need to start number 15 on my 25 things list. suggestions on a classic novel would be great!

happy almost fall.

11. perfect the ultimate sunday dinner.

via tobyscott.

a couple weekends ago, annie and i tried our hand at making a souffle. we were a little nervous and didn't know what to expect but it turned out great (maybe i haven't stopped thinking about it since). seriously so marvelous.

then on sunday night, my dad made the most delectable roasted chicken. it was drenched in butter, sprinkled with fresh rosemary, and had the perfect hint of lemon. oh my it was so juicy and delish.

so here's my ultimate sunday dinner as it stands now:

- whole roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots

- chocolate souffle

the plan is to create the menu, then take a stab at it. eventually i'll perfect it and invite you all over for the ultimate sunday dinner.

if you have suggestions on what i should add to the menu, i'm all ears.

5. visit texas.

via talltanbeautiful.

guys, i bought my plane ticket to texas.

yeehaw!

20. learn to love something i hate.

i wasted no time beginning my list. at the restaurant last night i tried to love beets. i tried really hard, but nope, i still hate them. 

then i tried really hard to love shrimp. and i thought for a minute that it had worked, but when i went back for more i hated them again.

try try again.

25 things to do before i'm 26.

via theblackapple**

for some reason i excel at to-do lists. and what better way to use this talent than by creating a year-long to-do list?

i have dubbed the making of this list a birthday tradition. thanks to those who know me best, who helped me come up with this list. i'll make you proud.

25 things to do before i'm 26

1. hike mount timpanogos.

2. travel outside of the united states.

3. make a quilt.

4. participate in some sort of competitive race > 5k.

5. visit texas.

6. hike the narrows.

7. buy a scooter.

8. visit havasupai.
9. grow my own garden.
10. throw a tea party.
11. perfect the ultimate sunday dinner. boeuf bourguignon? souffle a la orange? chocolate roulade?
12. get a passport.
13. invest in my future kitchen.
14. spend a day at the spa.
15. read 4 classic novels.
16. learn about sailing, then sail.
17. make my own jam.
18. take a week long technology hiatus.
19. write out my testimony, then sign it.
20. learn to love something i hate.
21. geocache.
22. become an expert on a historical figure.
23. master the scorpion pose.
24. rescue something.
25. write 25 years of my personal history.

here's to another year of growth and achievement, and feeling accomplished.

**primrose by emily winfield martin; this could be me at 12 years old, spittin image. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

**update! 1) coming to a blog post near you, next year! 2) ... this is probably a year or two out 3) SOMEday 4) done 5) done 6) this too will happen next year, if it's the last thing i do 7) not gonna happen 8) apparently this takes planning and hiking friends, both of which i lack 9) done 10) i have no excuse for this 11) done 12) next year 13) done; but i don't know that $9 china is an "investment" 14) not done. who's up for a day at the spa? 15) i just, i just ... i hate reading. there, i said it 16) saved for when i live in annapolis, md 17) might happen come harvest time 18) done with GREAT PLEASURE! 19) done 20) done 21) saved for when i'm a pirate 22) i thought about doing this, i thought about it a lot, but that's all i did 23) saved for when i'm buff 24) done 25) i wrote about one year, then gave up.