Summer Goals. The End.

Summer is over…. And when I look at this list I feel like a failure! It’s a good thing God loves us in spite of our unfruitful attempts! I will say that the productive part of my summer was cut short because of my month of European adventures (Tough, right??). SO, with that all said, here is how my summer goal list has panned out.


1. Start blogging.

This is my second blog.


2. Read 5 books from my personal library that I haven't yet read.

I read Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Really interesting book about the origin of the LDS faith. Since my family has roots in Mormonism, I have been interested in understanding what the religion teaches. This book was an objective history of the revelations that Joseph Smith and the subsequent prophets had that began and maintained the religion.

I am also halfway through Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Beth talked me into reading it when I was looking at books at her school library in Vienna. I’m enjoying the fantasy so far!


3. Make contact with 3 friends each week who I don't see on a regular basis.

This was a fun one to work at! I have had friends move to nearby cities, states, and countries and it is so hard to keep in good contact sometimes! I feel like a horrible friend at times. I don’t think I quite made the 3/week goal for every week, but I did find myself having conversations with friends and family I don’t run into on a regular basis, which was the point!


4. Listen to Pastor Mark Driscoll's sermon series on Luke.

I am currently on the tenth sermon in the series. It’s awesome! I have been challenged to know the Bible more and continue seeking Truth. If you haven’t heard his teachings before, you can check him out at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mars-hill-church-mark-driscoll/id129950451


5. Learn 30 phrases in German.

I downloaded “My Daily Phrase German” through Radio Lingua Network on iTunes to practice some German each day. It was a great, easy introduction to the language. I’m a super visual person, so I ended up typing up the phrases as well. It was fun to practice these over in Austria…. though I got some funny looks when I didn’t say things quite right. I am sorry, but I can’t quite get the throat/phlegm thing down! Unfortunately, I will probably forget almost everything I learned. I guess I will just need to go back.


6. Put together a photo album of post-college pictures.

I printed a ton of them out and organized them chronologically. They are still waiting for me to do anything else with them. Haha. Oops.


7. Begin and finish an art project.

I am currently working on a photo book with all of my Maui pictures on picaboo.com. I haven’t been super creative in a long time… dang it!


8. Cook/bake/bbq a new recipe each week.

A. Fish tacos. I used a recipe from my brother-in-law, Randy, when making dinner with some friends. I cut up salmon, put it in the dry batter, and then fried it. We topped the tacos off with red cabbage, cilantro, and mango salsa. Delish!
B. Oatmeal cookies. Yes, I have made oatmeal cookies before, but just not this recipe.
C. Cowboy salsa. This was a big hit at a Fourth of July potluck.
D. Risotto. I used chicken and threw in zucchini, tomatoes, and carrots. I also spiced it up a bit. :)Thanks, Nikki for trying this one out!

E. Pancakes from scratch. Thanks, Beth.
F. Cheesy sausage penne. Thanks again, Beth.

9. Journal.

I don’t even want to comment on this one… I still haven’t finished writing about my trip through Europe that ended almost three weeks ago. I have gotten some good journaling ideas, but I haven’t been good about following through with them.


So, there are my summer goals. Honest. Warts and all.