- graduated from high school 
- got my driver's license 
- got a job 
- graduated from college 
- got engaged 
- got married 
- bought a car 
- bought a home 
- had a baby 
- paid off the mortgage 
- Presidential Academic Fitness Award 
- took the SAT 
- lettered in band in middle school 
- learned to play clarinet 
- learned to play trombone 
- learned to play piano 
- learned to speak French (some!) 
- visited another country 
- visited 9 states (MD, WV, DE, VA, PA, OH, MO, NM, AZ) and Washington, D.C. 
- visited the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 
- visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History 
- visited the Carnegie Science Center 
- visited Oglebay 
- visited Nemacolin 
- visited the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium 
- watched a Cirque du Soleil performance 
- attended the state FFA convention 
- attended the national FFA convention 
- earned my state FFA degree 
- competed in a national FFA competition (bronze award) 
- attended the Autumn Glory Festival 
- attended the Buckwheat Festival 
- attended the Forest Festival 
- attended the Springs Folk Festival 
- visited Cass Scenic Railroad (rode train to top!) 
- visited Seneca Rocks 
- visited Smoke Hole Caverns 
- visited Greenbank Radio Observatory 
- visited the Lincoln Memorial 
- visited the Washington Monument 
- visited the WWII Memorial 
- visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (the wall) 
- visited Arlington National Cemetery 
- visited Blackwater Falls State Park 
- visited Cathedral State Park 
- visited Herrington Manor State Park 
- visited Swallow Falls State Park 
- visited Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge 
- visited Jug Bay 
- visited Chincoteague 
- visited Ohiopyle State Park 
- traveled by plane 
- saw the northern lights 
- built a snowman 
- flew a kite 
- learned how to make and can salsa 
- learned how to sew 
- learned how to crochet a basic stitch 
- learned how to drive 
- earned a CPR card 
- earned a boating safety card 
- earned a hunter safety card 
- served as FFA chapter chaplain 
- served as church treasurer 
- served on church council 
- assisted with VBS 
- went sledding 
- learned to cross-country ski 
- learned to ride a bike 
- attended our son's wedding 
- became a mother-in-law 
- went camping 
- went hiking 
- photographed a lunar eclipse 
- photographed a solar eclipse 
- won NaNoWriMo 
- photographed the northern lights 
- photographed a comet 
- saw a comet 
- watched a solar eclipse 
- watched a lunar eclipse 
- learned how to identify birds (birdwatching!) 
- learned how to weld (very, very basic!) 
- designed shelves and a hutch 
- bought an electric fireplace 
- started a commonplace book 
- got baptized 
- visited Sight & Sound Theater 
- got fired from a job 
- bred and raised bunnies 
- had guinea pigs as pets 
- had cats as pets 
- had dogs as pets 
- had goldfish as pets 
- had tropical fish as pets 
- had a pet hedgehog 
- had parakeets (and mom's canary) as pets 
- raised chicks to laying hens 
- spotted a ringtail in Arizona 
- spotted an Strickland's woodpecker in Arizona 
- earned a $1,000 scholarship 
         sep 12 2025 ∞
 sep 13 2025 +