30 before 30

So about a month ago I turned 29.

29.....as in 1 year away from 30.


And, I did not freak out....but in true Jenny fashion I made a list.

a 30 things to do before I turn 30 list.


Some of them are pretty awesome, some are pretty normal....some are easy to cross off and some are kinda hard to quantify....but I want to share them w/you and let you know as I cross them off!

1. Run another 1/2 marathon
2. convert blog into a *mostly* food blog
3. can tomatoes (hopefully from our own garden)
4. try my hand at painting
5. tailgate a BSU game
6. knit something in the round
7. make my own nut butter
8. 30 days of skirts/dresses
9. refashion something from a thrift store
10. try mountain biking
11. attend musical/ballet
12. go to the Shakespeare festival here in Boise
13. 1 whole month on budget (LOL)
14. infuse some liquor
15. make my own vanilla extract
16. sell something I make
17. eat entirely local for one week
18. attend a festival
19. host a backyard concert
20. get to know our neighbors
21. hike in sawtooth mountains
22. make my own marshmallows
23. paint the bedrooms in our house
24. drive through a redwood
25. attend a Powwow
26. take a day-long bike trip
27. be a good aunt/uncle
28. become awesome at making homemade bread
29. get myself a fancy-schmancy camera

30. dress 50s vintage for something special/important


So obviously I have crossed some of these off-

The above photo is a picture of me at the Renaissance fair that happened this weekend in Eagle!
We got to see some pretty interesting things, including the King and Queen. I was asked to "make way" for them...


This is a photo of Mr. Gill, Bosley and I preparing to drive-thru a Redwood tree when we went on our camping trip in Northern California (SO FUN!)

Not all of these things will be easy to photograph either....but I'm super excited to work on all of these them!
It makes looking forward to turning the Big 30 a little easier to handle, and hopefully I'll be more awesome for completing these goals.
Are there any fun thing YOU want to accomplish this year?
Throw it up and we'll do them together!



Love

Jenny G

Brown and gross

So it's Jan 12 and there is no snow in Boise. I know I had a little fit about that last time, but for reals people there is NO SNOW!!!!!
When Mr. Gill and I moved out west I told myself that I want to try to be a more adventurous girl.....try to do some camping....I did a little snowboarding (I cried the whole drive up the mountain though, knowing it was the last time I'd be able to walk without a limp) and was looking forward to doing it again this year. I thought maybe we'd even do a little snow-shoeing.....I don't want to waste the opportunity of being in such a Beautiful and extreme sports climate.
But, for the winter it seems......there will be no snow.
And it doesn't just hinder our exploration of winter sports.....it's ruining people's lives!

Kind of.

People who work at the slopes have had to figure out how to be paid cause.....no one is skiing.
More dramatically though, people here in Boise keep talking about how if there isn't a snow pack on the mountains, there will be no snow melt in the spring.....less water in the rivers....no water through the canals that bring water to the cities and farms because really......boise is a DESERT!

Snow apparently is vital to the workings of this valley.
And last but not least, no snow leaves us brown and ugly winters....:/
I heard a rumor that the reason lots of places are having such strange weather is because of the earthquake and tsunami over in Japan....truth? It seems shady at best but, at least it gives us something to blame.
I don't necessarily have a point to this ramble except that um, pray for snow.....and Can I just tell you that today when I was driving in the middle of the city there were two kamikaze deer? Seriously one ran right in front of my car and the other was waiting in the wings! Antlers bigger than my car! (ok....maybe not bigger than my car)

Some things never change.


Jenny G

Happy Campers

The Month of Movies!

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Gill and I tried to go camping.....emphasis on TRIED because we never actually made it to camp.

We got lost in the mountains instead.

Because I told Mr. Gill to turn on an unmarked dirt road on top of a mountain.

The road was so narrow and seemingly endless we kind of thought we were either going to careen off a cliff or have to spend the night on the road in the middle of the woods next to the *CREEPY* trailers that said no trespassing w/electric fences (heaven help us).


And I recorded it.


A couple of things to note before you watch the video:

1. Mr. Gill and I will have children who clearly annunciate when they speak.

2. Sometime I laugh uncontrollably when I'm freaked out and maybe I sound like a weird dying bird when I'm laughing/crying at the same time....which, just so you know happens a lot.
Just be happy YOU didn't marry me.

3. We made it home. I recorded this whole schpeal about how we made it out safely but then I didn't actually hit the record button when we were saying it....and so, you don't get it see it. Sorry!

Enjoy!

*Jenny G

A Few

Memorial Day Weekend was a fun one for us Gills here in Boise.

While we were getting ready for our Saturday evening plans...Mr. Gill discovered a new friend in our backyard....
that was actually trying to get in our house

let me in please

He performed acrobatic stunts trying to win our hearts and become part of our family.

Hello?

I think Mr. Gill would have let him in.....but, I might be allergic.


It was also wet and cold, which ruined our plans for camping.
Or so we thought! Thanks to the engineering minds of Leaman and Mr. Gill and the always enjoyable company of Lindsay, we were able to have a wonderful camp-like experience in our own backyard.....followed by a Kill Bill marathon.

Yes, that's a broom holding up the tarp. Thank you Men.

The last highlight of the weekend I'd like to share with you all, my good friends....is a photo we took while touring Lucky Peak....which is a dam that keeps the valley that the city of Boise is in from being part of the river.

yup. 

I hope you all have a wonderful first weekend of June!

Love

Jenny G

Photo Review

So here is a photo rundown of just SOME of the things we've been up to lately

Camping in Southern Indiana:
The First trail we hiked

Set-up the tent

My Birthday @ West Baden
The beautiful hotel in the background (yes it is that huge)

The Atrium or dome

The awesome porch:lovely coffee and homemade granola bar breakfast out here the morning we left...sigh....it was wonderful.

Everyone hanging out in Baltimore when we road-tripped for Ian's High School Graduation

465 to Eden's First Concert!

We'd really like to fill you in on all the lovely details of the last 2 months but, there is way too much to say. Know that we are moving forward with where we feel like the Lord is calling us, learning a lot and really just having a lot of fun! 

Love

The Gills