Five Years... The First Two and a half.

Its been five school years since I started working on my degree, and I am finally done. I wrote my last exam yesterday morning, and I AM DONE! (assuming I don't fail my basketball course, which if I do, you can all disown me as a family member/friend). My journey has taken me to many places and through many experiences.

I started my voyage at Mt Royal College in Calgary, which was when I courted Kristy and saw me get engaged. I only stayed for a semester, and then transfered to St Mary's University College, mainly to play basketball. This semester saw me get married, came close to a perfect season in basketball (lost in the championship game), and a move from my biological parents basement to my parents-in-law basement. It also saw me go on my first cruise on my honeymoon and my first trip to Mexico. After a summer of painting people's homes, late applications to other schools, taking a course on my own in 2 1/2 weeks, and tough decisions, we knew we were off to Edmonton for many years.

(For those who wonder why I chose the U of A, here is a recount of my reasoning process. The choice for me was either the U of A or U of C for business school. U of A required that students take one year of prerequisites, and then you can get in, but no sooner. U of C, however, required that you either apply directly from high school or you had to wait for two years before applying. I applied after one year to the U of A {granted, I applied over a month late} and was accepted, so I decided to go with the sure thing instead of waiting another year and taking the chance of not getting in. Also, the fact that the U of A has a great reputation as a school didn't hurt either, as well as getting away from family, since we were living in their basement and three blocks away from the other set.)

My first semester in Edmonton was great. We loved the space and being able to strengthen our marriage. It saw me make some of my closest friends to date, be a groomsman to my best friend, learn that I was going to be a father, enjoy some tasty meals at Granny's house, overpaying for a last minute apartment rental, and the decision that I was going to become an accountant. Kristy worked hard to support us as we got adjusted to school and Edmonton. The next semester saw me begin one of two stints with Coca-Cola as a delivery driver, the joining of the co-op program, moving to bigger, cheaper, and a more ghetto apartment, and many preparations for the upcoming baby, which blessed our lives during the summer.

In the fall of 2006, the adjustment period really began as I tried to balance baby, wife, school, and work. We also purchased our minivan as well, breaking an oath I made many years ago that I would never be caught dead with one parked in my driveway. Oh well, the sacrifices you make.

To be continued...

My Bucket List

A year or so ago, Kristy and I went to the theatre and watched a movie called "The Bucket List", which we thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend to anyone who wants to watch a good-hearted comedy. (Stars Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman). For some reason, as of late, I have been contemplating different things that I would love to do before I "kick the bucket." Granted, I am still young, but I feel as if it is a list that should be made, added to, and adjusted as soon as possible so that things can be checked off on a regular basis instead of rushing to do it all in one's "golden years". So here are a few things that I have done and want to do on my list. Feel free to share things that you agree with, as well as any others that you have on your list that I should think about doing. I am going to break things down into different categories for my own purposes.

Here we go!

LIFETIME GOALS
Serve a mission (completed)
Get married in the temple (completed)
Have children (completed)
Get a good education (completing)
Own a house
Serve a mission with my wife

TRAVEL
Overnight African Safari
Backpack up and down New Zealand
Drive the Loop around Australia
Speed down the Autobahn
Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef (or somewhere like it)
Swim with dolphins
Shop in a busy market in the Middle East (like you see in movies)
Go up the Eiffel Tower
Visit all 50 of the United States (half done)
Visit all of the Provinces in Canada (mostly done, except Maritimes and Territories)
Visit all of the unique temples
Go through the Panama Canal
Boat down the Amazon River
See the Great Pyramids and Sphynx
Float down the "streets" of Venice
Travel through the Grand Canyon
Revisit Quebec
Take a train across Canada (completed)

CHARITY
Pay for someone (other than my own child) to serve a mission
Set up a scholarship


CONSTRUCT
Build a tree house
Build a deck
Build a shed

DO
Attend a session of General Conference in the Conference Centre
Sing in front of a large group of people (completed)
Run in a race (5K, 10K, or marathon)
Coach a sports team (completed)
Learn to snowboard
Buy a truck
Go down rapids (min. Class 3 or 4) (been down smaller ones, but nothing big)
Learn to fly a plane
Learn to ride a motorcycle
Go on a fishing trip


These are a few of the things that I want to do before I pass on. I will add things to it and cross things off. I will also share the experiences with you as I do them. Share with me your lists!