New Year, new beginnings

 

Just catching my breath from the holiday craze with family, gatherings, traditions, distance learning, etc...

DJ & Sara had us for Christmas last month and they gifted us a Balboa's gift card.  It was the perfect family FHE treat last week.  Love the vibes there, and the topping options are super fun.  Beatrix and I shared a vanilla bar dipped in oreo one side, butterfinger the other side, drizzled in fudge.

Avery, Zara, Andrew and I had been here before so the boys got to see what it was all about.

2020 was a hard and good year.  Like all years there were ups and downs, some downs seemed a little harder than other years at times.  The ups were so good though!  Like our trip to San Diego, Zara's baptism, hiking the Grand Canyon, Andrew being called into the bishopric, and other things.  Grateful for 2021 with new beginnings!  We already had a family goal meeting and looking forward to seeing those goals happen in coming months.  Really hope we can support each other's goals as a family too.  What are your goals/hopes/dreams for 2021?

If you're local and haven't been to Balboa's yet I definitely recommend it!

summer goals

Today felt like the first real day of summer break, what with camping and Memorial Day celebrations.  Elliot started summer band, which he wasn't looking forward to.  That is until he had a lesson with my sister Julie on the new hard song he got today.  Avery started level 4 swim lessons at Kino which she was really scared about, but when I picked her up she was so excited to tell me about her new friend Julie. Now she can't wait to go tomorrow!

I also met with the kids individually to plan out their little summer chore charts.  Normal daily things like brushing their teeth, reading their scriptures, practice piano and then some fun new ones.  Zara wants to jump on the trampoline every day! :) We recently started having them earn computer time now.  For every minute they read they get a minute on the computer up to 30 minutes each day.  Right now I only let them on websites their school recommended here and here.  I like these because they aren't just fun, they learn things and do math along the way.

I have my own goals this summer.
1. blog every day
2. take more pictures with my DSLR camera
3. work on Andrew's family's pedigree charts/geneology


What are your summer goals?

New Year's Day 2015

I didn't want another month to go by without posting something sharing something here.  This is how we spent the first day of the year!  In snow!!  Normally we go on a hike but this opportunity was too good to pass.  The snow in the desert on the way to Pine was just stunning!  Look at those snowy saguaros.  Just beautiful. 

^ ^ Just after making snow angels. ^ ^

^ ^  Even Rupert enjoyed the snow.  Zara stayed in the car most of the time. ^ ^

^ ^  Yep.  First sled ride.  It only lasted about five seconds but that was enough for my heart. ^ ^

One of my goals for 2015 is self mastery.  It's an ongoing thing but one specific goal I had for the month of January was to complete the whole30 challenge.  You can learn more about it here.  After all the junk I ate over the holidays this was a natural choice to help me eat more healthy.  Yesterday was my last day and it was great!  I found some new recipes, learned how much I love almond butter, ate lots of veggies and lost a few pounds.  For February I want to focus on going to bed earlier and waking up earlier and working out more.

a talent do be developed

The other day I made a new discovery.  I can paint.  I can paint watercolor.  On a whim I asked Andrew if I could try out his new water color paints (not without guilt because it was a Christmas gift and I'm notorious for gifting Andrew things I will also use, but he asked for them).  It was just for fun, but it really was fun.  I've never considered myself an artist so this was a happy surprise.  I look forward to painting more, although I should consider purchasing my own supplies.  It goes to show that you never know how good you might be at something until you try.  This painting is a result of trying to keep things interesting and fresh with my "picture at home each day" goal.  I am officially a convert to goal keeping, if I wasn't already.  Who knew?

2013 goals

It's taken me a while to settle on some goals and I still don't quite feel settled but I better write them down now before time runs away.  I'm hoping that my some of my goals will be habit much sooner than a year.  I also want to add a few goals here and there throughout the year to keep things fresh.

1. Take a picture everyday at home.  This is to motivate me to work on my home, improve my photography skills, and capture fun moments with the kids.
2. Stick to a budget and pay off the car.  I mean it!  I know I'm only a week in, but so far so good!
3. Pray every night with Andrew.
4. Go on two dates each month.  Why is it so hard to do this?!
5. Make a vimeo account and blog a few videos.  I have been wanting to do this for a long time.
6. Give blog design a face lift.  I want this blog to reflect me.
7.  Spend one-on-one time with kids each day.
8.  Obtain Avery and Zara's dual citizenship.  Yea!

I tried to keep it real this time.  My over all focuses this year will be to strengthen my relationship with my family and improve our home so it can be a place where we are happy and comfortable.  Andrew's family is visiting in a couple months so that gives a real deadline to many of the house projects we have already started.  Seriously, my house is a mess right now!  Please share a link of your goals this year.  I would love to read!

2012 book roundup

I realized yesterday that I could only remember what 5 of my 13 2012 goals were.  Ha!  Not bad for a year later.  I still haven't decided how I'm going to do my goals this year but it will definitely be different.

I'm still a newbie at making goals but there was one goal I knocked the socks off!

#12 Find 5 new good reads.

Mission Accomplished!

Reading is something I have always enjoyed but is something of a challenge with small children.  Just for fun, here are the books I read (and completed!) in 2012, in the order I read them.
*Links available for books I wrote reviews for.

1. Matched / 2. Crossed / 3. Hunger Games / 4. Catching First  / 5. Mocking Jay / 6. Daniel and Nephi / 7. The Witch of Blackbird Pond / 8. HypnoBirthing / 9. Delirium / 10. Divergent /11. Insurgent / 12. Graceling / 13.Fire / 14. Bitterblue / 15. Emily of New Moon / 16. Emily Climbs / 17. Emily's Quest / 18. Anne of Green Gables / 19. Anne of Avonlea / 20. Anne of the Island / 21. Anne of Windy Poplars / 22. Seeking Persephone / 23. Anne's House of Dreams / 24. Anne of Engleside / 25. Rainbow Valley / 26. Rilla of Engleside / 27. Daddy Long-Legs / 28. Kansas Brides / 29. Friday's Child / 30. Wonderland Creek / 31. A Proper Pursuit / 32. Born to Run / 33. The Darcy Connection / 34. While We're Far Apart / 35. Entwined / 36. Reached

If I had to pick which books were my top five here they are:
#1 Born to Run.  Very motivational as a runner.
#2 Entwined.  I still can't believe I was halfway through this book before realizing it was the 12 dancing princesses story!
#3 HypnoBirthing.  This seriously got me through my first natural delivery!!
#4 Emily of New Moon.  L.M. Montgomery has such an extensive vocabulary and beautiful wording.
#5 A Proper Pursuit.  I was 1/2 way through this book before realizing I've read it before.  It's a good one!

Also, noteworthy author would be L.M. Montgomery.  Once again, amazing vocabulary!  I read 11 of her books this year and her style of writing does not get old.

2012 goals

Last night we got home from our long flight from England. Coming back took much longer and we are all jet lagged but it's really good to be home. With my body clock off I'm not up for posting England pics yet. Instead here are my 2012 goals.

1. Read Hypno Birthing and have a natural delivery.

2. Learn 1st movement of Schumann's Fairy Tales viola concerto and record it.

3. Send photos to in-laws each month.

4. Have one sewing project each month.

5. Declutter/paint/decorate master bedroom.

6. Desert Grande triathlon with Andrew.

7. Do a race I've never done before.

8. Loose baby weight.

9. Talk less/listen more.

10. Do some back yard and front yard gardening.

11. Read/study scriptures at least 15 minutes every day.

12. Find 5 new good reads.

13. Eat 5 fruits/veggies a day.

I feel really good about my goals this year. They are all attainable but still just enough of a challenge to keep me busy and motivated. I think I'm going to print my goals out and put them on my bedside cabinet to read often. What are your 2012 goals?