10 things I'm looking forward to

This week's Monday Listicles is "10 things I'm looking forward to." I'm the kind of person who loves to have several items on my list to look forward to--it's probably why I love to plan vacations so much. Here goes!

1. Having my parents come home from their trip to England and Ireland. They've been having a wonderful time, including staying with Mike's sister and mum in Cambridge, but I do miss them! (And I'm just the tiniest bit envious!)

2. Celebrating my 49th birthday in a couple of weeks by going to Hood River to hear one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Dar Williams, perform on the actual day of my birthday. And my birthday in general!



3. The next girls' night away I'm planning with a close friend, in November. Love those times!

4. Seeing Chris graduate from high school (in a year and a half) and head off to college. The other day Mike and I met with a transitions specialist at his high school to start talking about the SAT, colleges, etc. It will all be happening before we know it!

With my dad and Kieran after "Hillbilly Heaven" last spring

5. Seeing my kids perform onstage, anytime, anywhere...I'm especially looking forward to the first time Kieran gets a role on the main stage at one of the children's theaters in town (his short-term dream).

6. Traveling more with my family...we need to return to England (haven't been there since 2007!), and I would love to take them to Japan someday, too, and Australia where Mike's brother and family live.

7. Seeing my kids grow up and continue to achieve milestones--high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, career accomplishments, and becoming parents themselves.

8. Seeing my husband achieve commercial success as a writer...not only fulfilling his lifelong dream but also hopefully contributing to my greater chances of #9!!

Retirement brunch with work buddies
 (the two on the left are now retired;
 the two of us on the right are still working!)

9. Retirement--this year I helped celebrate the retirement of two of the women who hired and mentored me in 1990. I feel incredibly young--and old--at work nowadays. I'm not in a hurry to grow old, but retirement does sound attractive. I'm guessing, given the late start I had in having children, that I will be retiring at a much older age than my colleagues, though. I hope we can retire at a young enough age that we can travel far and wide...returning to Asia and exploring Europe, and perhaps Africa and South America too.

10. Continued blessings, unexpected and planned for, which happen every single day...every day is a miracle waiting for us to pay attention.

Join in the fun at Monday Listicles over at Stasha's The Good Life.