Stolen List of 100 Things

My dear sister Danielle just posted a list of 100 things she may or may not have done... call me a thief, but I prefer to think of it as being somewhat inspired to do something other than pictures on the blog this post. Or maybe it's being somewhat bored. Besides, she got it from someone else anyways. Nothing is truly original, isn't that what they say?

1. Started your own blog - obviously
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - most memorably in Oma and Opa's backyard...
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables - this summer!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - ummm
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - does grade school count?
32. Been on a cruise - to Flowerpot Island, haha
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - I would hope so, living 20 minutes away!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - several times
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - I guess this depends on your interpretation of rock climbing...
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - just in time!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - with dear little 6 week old Peter
47. Had your portrait painted - well, does a self-portrait count?
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - haha, in a swimming pool at snorkel lessons
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - not quite big screen but we had fun
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - a holding camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Seen the Lincoln Memorial in person
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - poor finger
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - front page of several!
85. Read the entire Bible
86. visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92.Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - and one on the way!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Early December Update

Well, we're into December now - the lights are up, and the house is slowly getting decorated. I seem to have misplaced my creativity again, and this has been making it difficult to make things look semi-festive. Oh well, we don't really spend much of the Christmas season at our house anyways.
The loss of my creativity has not only resulted in a lack of decorating skills, but also in a lack of inspiration for writing blogs. I hope this is not too disappointing for my three readers.
How about I just post pictures.

This is Peter at his first First Birthday party, in Strathroy. Yes, he's standing
on his own... he'll do that if it's his own idea, and this week he's even taken
his first few steps between his Mom and Dad! However, if it's not his idea,
there's nothing we can do to convince him to straighten those noodle legs.Taste-testing the cake with cousin Robert in the backgroundWe got to meet our brand-new nephew Matthew Richard when we
were in Strathroy... I don't really have any great pictures but here he is,
not even 2 days old!Hmmm... the once favourite Blue's Clues book has been completely
destroyed over the last little while. While he used to be so careful with
flap books, Peter seems to have developed the idea that flaps are for
ripping and eating for lunch. Peter at his second First Birthday party, on his actual birthday here in
St. Catharines. What a lucky boy! Two parties, two cakes, two messy
eating sessions... what else could a little boy want? It appears that the cake was fairly goodOf course, with a birthday comes presents. We have to wonder, though,
if the age suggestions on the box might be a little too young, as I don't
see anyone under 20 years old playing with anything in this picture...
actually that big house-looking thing wasn't a gift from any of us - one of
my managers from work gave it to me and I thought I would let Peter play
with it for a while despite the fact that it hardly fits in the living room.
Unfortunately he likes playing with it quite a lot, so I guess we will be
tripping over it for a while yet! Why can't kids like the small toys?
Pictures of Little Vander Deen #2! We had an ultrasound on Nov 26
and it was so exciting to see this little one moving around in there.
I've been feeling little kicks for 5 weeks or so now, and it's exciting
to know we're halfway there to meeting him/her!

Eating spaghetti on his own... of course it's stone cold by the time he
actually gets it in his mouth, but he had fun trying to pick it up.
Definitely an eat-in-the-kitchen ordeal!I turned around the other day from washing the dishes
to see this little milk monster on the floor