20-ish Wishes (In Celebration of My 200th Post)

I just recently published my 200th post, which I think deserves some kind of attention. For my 100th post I listed 100 things I am thankful for (click here for that post). I want to do hopes and wishes this time. But don't worry; while it would be pretty easy to do, I'm not going to list 200 wishes today. Here's my top 20 or so:

• I hope someday to own a home that will meet my family’s long-term needs.
• I hope to be a suitable housekeeper by then too!
• I hope to hold my bachelor’s degree in my hands within the next two years. Or I hope we are blessed with more babies soon. I don’t think it will be possible to have both. But hey, since I’m only musing here, why don’t I go ahead and wish for both?!
• I hope to always see what is genuine/ sincere about others and what is good about them too.
• I hope to always treat everyone I encounter with kindness and tact, but I hope the way I treat people accurately reflects how I feel about them.
• I hope to be aware of my neighbors/ friends/ family’s needs, and I hope to have opportunities to fill those needs as well.
• I hope to be prepared for emergencies and hard times.
• I hope to handle emergencies and hard times with good decisions and a clear conscious.
• And in the interest of full disclosure I’ll admit that I hope to once again reach a size 8 or 10 and stay there at least until the grand kids start coming and it’s fully appropriate to be more soft and squishy. (Wrinkles and loose skin remaining at a minimum would be fantastic too)
  

Of course this list wouldn’t be complete without a fair amount of hope for my family’s future:

• My ultimate hope is that we can all make and remain faithful to the covenants that will allow us to be a family for all of eternity. I can't imagine anything more desirable than being a family with my favorite people forever.
• But as we're heading down that path, I want my children to grow up to be healthy (mentally, physically, spiritually, etc.), unselfish, balanced, educated, contributing members of their various social groups (family, ward, community, country).
• I want them to build personal, meaningful relationships with their Heavenly Father and learn to serve him with mind, body, and soul.
• I hope they learn to serve others and work, hard. But I hope they learn how to play hard too.
• I hope to foster in them an appreciation for nature, family, exercise, good music, and creativity.
• May they learn how to work toward and achieve goals.
• May they develop wonderful imaginations.
• I pray that Ben and I can teach our kids how to be self-sufficient. So much hinges on that.
• I know that much of this depends on the tools and keys that we, their parents, provide. I pray that we will be constantly in tune with the spirit of the Lord, that we might do a thorough job.
  
• I hope to someday be the mother my beautiful boys deserve, and likewise, I hope I will someday be the wife my amazing husband deserves too.
• I hope I spend enough quality time with my boys to provide them with a solid foundation and not an unhealthy dependence.
• With all that said, I hope I can convey to my children my total adoration and unconditional love. These are only my hopes. There are no expectations that they must meet in order to win my love or approval. These are not benchmarks that must be hit for my children to make me happy.

I only hope for these things because I believe they offer true happiness and freedom to the possessor. This isn't about something that I want from my children; this is something I want for my children.

I guess that's enough for now. Thanks for listening. Let me close with one final wish; I hope the future shows you all the opportunity and happiness you can handle. Lots of love, Lynners