Cool Things of 2011

Went on a cruise (Feb)
Saw Lion King (Feb)
Festival of Colors (Mar)
Went to a Bruno Mars concert (May)
Ran my first 5k (May)
Saw Les Miserables (May)
Went to a Parachute concert (June)
Ran a 5k in the mud (June)
Ran my first 10k (June)
Ran a 10k with 5 other Schultz's (July)
Went Skydiving (July)
Saw Josh Groban in concert (Aug)
Went to Guatemala (Aug)
Saw Mary Poppins (Sept)
Ran a half marathon (Oct)
Went to Disneyland (Nov)

Bucket list review for 2011

- Go on a cruise









- Go skydiving


- Learn Italian
- Visit Italy
- Learn to play the guitar
- Go to the festival of colors

- Run a 1/2 marathon

- Ride in a hot air balloon
- Shoot a gun
- Write a children's book
- See Josh Groban in concert

- See Wicked
- Go to all the temples in Utah

So I did 5 things on the bucket list for 2011.
I'll be adding to this list and hopefully crossing things off as well in 2012.
First off, an amendment to one that is already on the list. Ride in a hot air balloon. Go to the hot air balloon festival in New Mexico.

Christmas 2011

I have to say Christmas turned out pretty great this year. I have found I get more excited about what gifts I gave others than what gifts I'm getting. I made some pretty sweet quilts for my brother and sister and an awesome book for my mom. I made it on Mixbook, but it's similar to ones you can make on Picaboo or Snapfish. If you want to see the quilts I made you can click here.
I did get a super awesome present this year. This is the first year my brother Kevin has gotten presents for people on his own. Usually mom buys them and just slaps his name on them, but he did it this year and it was pretty fantastic.
When we went to Disneyland in November we were behind this family in line for Star Tours. The two kids had on these sweet jackets that had this wire (e.l. wire) on them that lit up. We talked to them as we moved through the ride and after the ride we came out and saw the dad who had actually made the jackets. Kevin talked to him for a bit and then we were on our way.
Well I opened up the small package attached to the much bigger package from Kevin and I knew what was in the big package. The small package had the little controller to turn the lights on. We all ripped into our boxes and pulled out the sweetest jackets ever!

Sadly it appears Santa forgot my man. Guess I'll just have to see what I can do on my own. ;)

Carpools and cheaters

What a lovely evening I enjoyed with my cousin Richard and our new found friends Megan and Jamie. I was invited to go see the lights at Salem pond by my friend Liz. I invited my cousin to come along with me. We arrived at the designated meet up location and I quickly discovered that I didn't really know anyone there except Liz. Lucky for us, the two girls standing next to us also didn't really know anyone, we all became instant friends, bonded by our lack of outgoing-ness I suppose.
Since I didn't particularly want to drive I asked Megan and Jamie if we could go with them. We jumped in the car and headed for Salem. It didn't take long to move past the small talk and just start chatting and laughing like friends. We found the pond with little trouble and decided to just drive around instead of getting out since it was cold. We didn't see the rest of the group so we just went off on our own. We drove around the pond a few times before we discovered that the rest of the group had congregated on the bridge. We turned around to go and park and meet them there. After apparently getting too close for the comfort of the car in front of us, we passed them and hurried to our perfect parking spot, skillfully maneuvering the dip in the road with no trouble.
We quickly decided that we had made the right choice in staying in the car to look at the lights. 2 minutes on the bridge was more than enough. We returned to the car and headed to Liz's house for some hot chocolate. Small talk with the others in attendance and then to the games. We played the T-shirt game which is similar to Apple to Apple's. We had a great time, but as more people joined the game, winning became more elusive. Richard and I had been winning but then it looked like it might take forever for someone to win. Jamie wasn't feeling too good, which her neck starting to hurt her from a car accident a couple months ago. We decided we needed to end the game quickly, so we "joined" teams with Megan. Unfortunately her partner still doesn't know about this and I suppose you could call it cheating, but it was for a good cause. Jamie really was ready to go. We left the party laughing pretty hard and had a great time driving home. I wish I had some pictures of the 4 of us. We really had a great time.
Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa

I'm not sure what it is about the holidays, maybe the fact that they focus so much on family, but sometimes (especially the past few years) it just makes me more aware of my single-ness. Sometimes it's just lonely!!! I really enjoy being single for the most part. I can go out with my friends, be silly, stay up late, sleep in, buy what I want (for the most part), go on vacation, I really only have to worry about me. (Obviously I am concerned with those around me, but you know what I mean). But sometimes, I just want someone to cuddle with on the couch, to hold my hand in the mall, and to tell me that I'm just so great (words of affirmation can do amazing things).
I had a thought the other day as I did the "10 days of finals" for my cousin who is in law school and as I've sat many hours at night working on a Christmas present for my brother. I thought "some guy somewhere is really missing out". Honestly, I'd be the cutest, most thoughtful girlfriend in the world! But for now I guess my brother and my cousin can reap the benefits of my awesomeness and I'll continue to try and be patient waiting for my perfect doughnut.

Dear Santa,
Could you please leave me a man when you drop by my house this Christmas?
Love, Cathy

Dear Snow

Dear Snow,
I thank you for being so prompt in reply to my post of yesterday. I'm sure I looked like a 5 year old on Christmas morning when I looked out the window and saw your tiny flakes coming down. It only increased as the size of your flakes did and I'm telling you, you've made my Christmas. Now please stick around, but vacate the roads and if it wouldn't be too much trouble, take a little jaunt up to Idaho so they can have a White Christmas as well.

Thanks so much for such a lovely Christmas surprise.

Love, Cathy

Christmas Spirit?

Here it is, less than two weeks until Christmas and I'm completely void of Christmas cheer. I've done it all, put up the tree, watched the movies, listened to the music, baked cookies, gone shopping, been to parties, but alas, NOTHING. I am just not in the Christmas Spirit. I've concluded that it's the lack of snow. Considering the fact that there is NONE, it's a little on the depressing side. This is what I want.

and yet this is all I have

I can't even tell myself to just look forward to it when I go home, they don't have snow EITHER!! What is this?! I just want a little snow for a White Christmas. Blizzard! Cover the ground? Send a few flakes!? I need some help.