About 2 summers ago, I set a goal of visiting all of the US National Parks. I have a great respect for the National Park Service and their efforts to preserve the natural wonders of America, and I think it's a pity that more people don't appreciate them. So I set a goal. In that summer alone, I visited 5 national parks. Since then, my visits have tapered off to nill, but that doesn't change my goal. So here's a quick review of places I've been and haven't been and all that nonsense.

Alphabetically speaking, I've hit the Grand Canyon...

The Grand Tetons...

The Smokies (GREAT Smoky Mountains)...

Mount Rainier...

Yellowstone...

And Zion...

In addition to these, there is one with questionable boundaries and a lack of controlled entrance, so I may or may not have been to it. The interestate goes directly through Petrified Forest and that's about as much of the place as I need to see. I saw petrified wood, and yeah. Here's a statue made of petrified wood...

There are 58 official National Parks. As of the time I looked up this list. I figure I'll save the national forests and historic sites and stuff like that for another day. For now, I'll stick to my goal of discovering America the Beautiful. I think my next goal will be Acadia, up in Maine. Or maybe Congaree, which is apparently in South Carolina. Go figure. I kinda always thought that SC got jilted.

Granted, there are several parks that I will most likely never make it to. American Samoa, Denali, Dry Tortuga, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Wrangell-St. Elias are all a bit unreachable, being distant islands or in Alaska. But a girl can try, right? So yeah. One of these days, I'll at least get the 48 reachable ones. And also reach my goal of backpacking the Grand Canyon. I can train for it by packing in all of the other national parks. Ooh! Good plan!

Back to work. And by work, I mean checking on a furnace and making a paper chain to count down to the release of Harry Potter. woo!

100th post!

As I was thinking about what to post here, I came to the realization that this is my 100th post since I started this blog! Now, if I were accomplishing something other than talking about myself, this would be a major milestone. But, since I'm a nerd, the number itself is pretty cool. And I do love milestones.

Speaking of significant milestones, I finished a notebook this week. I take all of my sermon notes in a Moleskin notebook as a means of paying better attention in church. It's rare that I fill a notebook, but I finished this notebook. After a bajillion sermons with 1-2 pages of notes, I filled it up. Interestingly, I discovered that I started the notebook in September of 2007, the same month that I met Chris. I'm just very proud of myself for having filled it up. Now I can use the green one that mom bought me for Easter a year and a half ago.

Back to the whole numbers thing. Chris and I have selected a wedding date: March 5, 2011. It's actually 3/5/11. Three five eleven! All prime numbers. Yay for something dorky to remember.

And in the world of significant insignificant things, I also finished a post-it-note pad yesterday. Another small victory for a girl that loves fresh school supplies.

In news about things other than random insignificant milestones, I have started another blog. The other one is simply me rambling about wedding planning. The usual hilarity should ensue.  The link to that blog is HERE.

I figured having a separate blog for my wedding ramblings would make things less obnoxious over here on my usual blog. This is the part where I say "you're welcome."

In addition, a big thank you to Aunt Rose and Uncle Paul for having everyone up to celebrate Stacy's birthday. I'd say it was a rip-roaring success and we managed to thoroughly surprise her!

Have a fantastic weekend and all that jazz!

Oh by the way...

Chris and I are engaged, for those who haven't heard. He came down to join the Greenville Burkas at Edisto and proposed at sunrise all romantical like. :) Before you ask, we don't have a date, but we're shooting for March at this point (so mark your calendars in pencil). And be aware that if dad or Chris tell the story, they make me sound way crankier than I really was.

So, here are a few pictures, starting with a lovely family photo...