My Bucket List

This list is ever growing as I constantly learn about a new cool thing I have to see, do or try. But here are the present must do's in no particular order.

1.) Cruise the Mediterranean in order to tackle many sights simultaneously: Rome, Greece, Istanbul, Cairo

2.) See the Great Pyramids
3.) Drive across the country
4.) Hike Zion
5.) Hike Havasu
6.) Go Shark Fishing in SF

7.) Scuba through the kelp Forest in Monterey

8.) Illustrate a children's story
12.) Dig for a fossil and find one
13.) Travel abroad and live in another country
14.) Kayak through the Glacier in Juno, Alaska 
15.) Walk along the Great Wall of China
16.) View Niagara Falls
17.) Snorkel with a Whale Shark
18.) Swim in a tropical ocean naked (I tried that once w/Brandon and we got busted!)
19.) Go on an African Safari
20.) Fit wedding dress 25th anniversary& have a Trash the dress photoshoot

21.) Hike to the base camp of Everest
22.) Colorado rodeo
23.) Walk through Israel retracing the path of Christ
24.) See my children get married (Mariah, 2022)

25.) witness the birth of a child

26.) sea loggerhead turtles hatch
27.) Learn to play an instrument 

28.) Walk with the penguins in south Africa (Boulder Beach)

29.) Ride in a helicopter
30.) Run a triathlon with one of my kids
31.) Eat BBQ in Texas
32.) sleep in the cave hotel (Arizona/Cappodocia, Turkey)
33.) Own my house outright
34.) Hike Haiku stairs
35.) Drink coffee on the deck of a boat while watching Killer whales
36.) visit Petra
37.) Hug a Panda Bear in China ($330)
38.) See the Taj Mahal
39.) Shop in a Bazaar in Morocco
40.) Carp Fish in Mississippi
41.) visit the orphanage in Uganda 

42.) step foot on every continent 

Things that I have already crossed off my bucket list
1.) Witness the Monarch migration (2011)

2.) Travel to an exotic country (Costa Rica 2005, India/Thailand 2007, Cambodia 2017)
3.) Hiked Half Dome (2007)
4.) Married with kids (2004-)
5.) Swim with dolphins (2003) (2004)(2024)
6.) Tour Chichen Itza (2004)
7.) Witness the eruption of a volcano (Mt. Arenal) (2005)
8.) Witness a blizzard (Tahoe-2011)
9.) Make love under the stars (2005, 2006, 2014)

10.) Whale Watching (1993)(2014)(2022)
11.) Stay the night in a tribal hut (Indian Jungle 2007)
12.) Complete a Tri-Athalon (3 actually-Summer 2008)
13.) Drink Beer in an English Pub (England 1999)
14.) Witness Broadway (Lion King 2005) (Wicked 2013) (Phantom of the Opera 1999)
15.) Tour the Nation's Capitol, The statue of Liberty and Time Square (2005)
16.) Experienced science camp as a student (1998), teen counselor, teacher and Administrator/Principal (1998, 2006-8, 2009, 2013-14, 2022-24)
17.) Zip-lined through the Costa Rican Jungle (2005)
18.) Repealed down a Cavern (Moaning Caverns, 100ft, 2001)
19.) Snorkeled with Sea Turtles (2001, 2002, 2004, 2024)
20.) Been a Foster Parent (2007-8)(2022) 
21.) Ride in a hot air balloon (May 2013)
22.) Get published (September 2014)

23.) Host a missionary (Ashia Givens 2013-2015) (Rai family, 2023) (Kyndal Ray Edwards, 2024)

24.) Bring someone to Christ (Maggi DeRosa 2012)

25.) Cave Splunking (natural Bridges sept. 2013)

26.) Hold a baby Tiger / Feed a Hippo / Hold hands with a baboon 

(Zoologico Puerto Vallarta, August 2014)

27.) MUD FACTOR obstacle course (2012, 2013, 2015)

28.) Be the maid of honor in a friend's wedding (2003, 2005, 2021) 

29.) raise a litter of pups (2014)

30.) Climb to the peak of a mountain (mt. Dana, 13k elevation July 2014) (Huavna Piccu, Peru 2015)

31.) Deep sea fish: Halibut (1995) Baracuda (2014) marlin (2024)

32.) Witness a Blood Moon (2015)

33.) Be in the newspaper (graduate Stanislaus-the record 2009, Girl Scouts Easter mission-The Record-2015, reopening schools during pandemic-The World Link-2020. 12 Days of Hunger -The World 12/2022)

34.) Read a book in one sitting (Incantation may 2015)

35.) Kayak Lost Lake, Oregon (June 2015)

36.) Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge (April 2015)

37.) Hike Machu Pichu  (May 2015)

38.) change a life or two for the better...(Cordova Family 2023) (Students/ongoing goals)

39.) Run a half marathon (Nike SF Oct 2015)

40.) Crash a Wedding (Allison and Dean 2015) 
41.) Build an Awesome Snowman (2015)
42.) Reunite with my foster children (Nov. 2015, Jan. 2016, June 2024)
43.) Cage Dive with Sharks (Hawaii 2016)

44.) write a novel (author of my love 2016)
45. ) Bubble run with Family (June 2016)
46.) Visit the Jelly Belly Factory (Oct. 2016)
47.) Hot air Balloon Festival Reno (Sept. 2016)
48.) See the Sculptures in Anza-Borrega State Park (June 2017)
49.) See Salvation Mountain (June 2017)
50.) Witness a Solar Eclipse (Aug 21, 2017)
51.) Tube float the Mokelumne River (Sept 2017)
52.) Tour the Angkor Wat ruins, Cambodia (Sept. 2017)
53.) Ride an elephant through the jungle (Sept 2017)
54.) Try Escargot (Palin, Cambodia Sept 2017)(Girl Scouts 2/2020) 
55.) White Water Raft (Chattanooga TN, 1997, Payette River Idaho, 2022)
56.) Speak at a woman's conference (India 2007, WMS  11/2017)
57.) Witness a Flying Paper Lantern Festival (Willows, Feb 2018)

58.) Witness the Aurora Borealis (Brandon’s 40th, 2018/ Oregon 5/2024) 

59.) Sleep in an igloo (Borealis basecamp,2018)

60.) Live in the trailer with my family for an extended period of time (2020 Coos bay) 

61.) Hike Mt. Diablo (2018)

62.) Eat Brunch in New Orleans (5/21) 

63.) Swim with manatees (2019)

64.) Be on the news for something positive (Reopening The Lighthouse school During Pandemic 2020) https://kcby.com/amp/news/local/lighthouse-school-goes-through-test-run-of-young-students-in-class

65.) Witness a spectacular artist at a live street painting festival (Berkeley, 2019)

66.) Witness Old Faithful (7/2020) 

67.) Ride a Camel (Wildlife safari, 2020) 

68.) See Wild Bison (Yellowstone, 2020) (Custer state park, SD 2025)

69.) Adopt a child (Uganda orphanage, 12/21) (Marissa 2024)

70.) Save a life (paid for Gloria’s surgery, 12/21) 

71.) Hike Tunnel Falls Oregon (2022)

72.) Slot Canyons AZ (2022)

73.) Be in four places at once (4 corners) (2022)

74. Get my Master's Degree (6/2020) 

75.) Raise Chickens (2021-Present) 

76.) Witness the King Tides (Shore Acres, 2023) 

77.) Hike Hanging Rock (7/2023) 

78.) Shoshone Falls (7/2020) 

79.) Deep sea Fish for Marlin (Kona, 2024)

80.) See Mt Rushmore in person (7/30/25)

There are many things I want to do, and many things I have already done. All in all, I can never complain about my life. God has blessed me immensely with a wonderful caring and compassionate family who is fully supportive of my many dreams and ambitions. I have been blessed to witness mighty sights, and tour many lands but all in all I desire nothing more than to please my heavenly Lord and savior, raise healthy, happy and successful children and die happily married after a lifelong devotion to the man that I love.