Goal Update

Remember my list of goals?

Here is my mother’s bracelet (#22).

 

And our family scripture study solution (#5).

 

Each morning the girls pick a picture from the Gospel Art Picture Book. We read the story from the scriptures (sometimes this requires some creative abbreviating depending on how long it it). Then we pick one short scripture (usually not even a full verse) to repeat.

 

The picture stays on this little ledge in the kitchen until we pick a new picture the next morning.

This seems to be working really well for our family at this stage. The girls are excited enough about picking the picture that they remind us if we forget. I’ve really noticed a difference in our home since we’ve started this.

 

I’ll leave you with a picture of Sandy. This is an art project from preschool. I’m so glad that she goes to preschool where they do art projects that I would never do. (colored corn syrup, what a mess, but it sure is pretty and she is very proud of it!)

 

 

And some pictures from today:

Christmas Projects

We signed up for some Christmas projects this year. One was Operation Christmas Child, where Sandy & Abby each packed a shoe box full of things for a child in a third world country.

Their choices really showed their personalities, so I took some pictures: (Sandy’s choice is always on the left, Abby’s is always on the right.)

I was really pleased that the experience ended up being such a positive one for my girls. We talked about it for about a week and they got excited about filling a box for their “little girl.” Then we made one trip to Walmart. I explained we were only buying things for their little girls, nothing for them. We started by picking up a shoe box-sized container for each of them. Then we went to various places and I let them each pick what would go in their box.

After we got home, I added some candy, small toys, and hygiene items (soap, shampoo) to the box and closed them up. It was a really good opportunity to talk with the girls about how blessed we are to have all the things we do and many people aren’t as lucky.

The girls went with me to drop off the boxes, I wish I’d taken a picture.

 

The other thing we signed up for was a mini-Holiday swap through Worldwide Culture Swap. We were matched with a family in England and we were supposed to send them a box with 3 to 5 things representing the winter holidays in Utah.

It was fun to talk with the girls about what they thought we should include and I learned a few things myself.

 

 

We sent a snow globe containing a skiier, salt water taffy, raspberry jello salad (with a recipe), chocolate-covered cinnamon bears, a Christmas CD from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with David Archuleta, Stephen’s Candycane Cocoa, and some postcards.

The taffy and chocolate covered cinnamon bears were made at a factory in West Valley City and the Stephen’s Cocoa is made in Farmington. I didn’t realize these things were made in our community – and, as I talked about with a neighbor, I learned that Stephen’s hot cocoa actually started in our neighborhood.

I hope they do this culture swap next year, I’d definitely participate again!

 

Also, got some signs I’d ordered in the mail. A little late, I’d say…

 

Today we went to the zoo with some new friends:

Happy Thanksgiving

 

We went for a walk before heading to Grandma & Grandpa’s house for dinner.

 

In addition to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and pie, we also celebrated Bill & Eric’s birthdays with cake. We might never need to eat again!

 

The First Real Snow

 

Some friends of ours turned their stairs into a mini sledding hill. The girls had a blast!

Happy Birthday, Bill!

 

Bill turned 34 today and we celebrated with our traditional birthday pancakes.

 

The girls were jealous Daddy got a candle in his pancake, so they decided they each needed one:

  

 

In other news, we’ve spent lots of time raking leaves:

 

The girls love to get in the yard waste can to stomp down the leaves!

Halloween 2012

 Yes, I am 3 months behind on my blog. (Although I'm back dating these posts, so by the time I'm done it won't look like I was 3 months behind. Right?) Perhaps updating my blog should have been on the list of goals in the previous post.

Back to Halloween. Sandy wanted to be a cowgirl. Therefore, Abby wanted to be a cowgirl. And I envisioned lovely pictures with my two matching cowgirls.

By the time Halloween night rolled around, Sandy no longer wanted to be a cowgirl. She had worn her cowgirl costume to a friend's dance class, to her preschool, and to our ward party (only one of those I actually managed to take a picture of and it didn't include Abby).

So, Sandy came up with her own outfit using things in her dress up box and went as a princess. And I wondered why I bought stuff for Halloween costumes.

             

I did take one picture at our ward Halloween party. Isn't this a great pregnancy costume?

32 Birthday Presents to Give Myself this Year

I was inspired by this post and this post to make a list of goals. Since I turned 32 this year, I made a list of 32 things I’d like to do before my next birthday (September 4, 2013). Here is the list (in no particular order):

1. Find a meal planning solution that works for me

2. Lose 25 pounds

3. Set up a family budget

4. Wear makeup – or at least mascara – every day

5. Hold regular family scripture study

6. Personal quiet/spiritual time every day

7. Focus on serving (friends and neighbors and through my church calling) in ways that are more meaningful but without making (unnecessarily) more work for myself.

8. Make at least one crochet project of the many patterns I have purchased this last year

9. Create a Pioneer Family History book

10. Do more fun things as a family

11. Read at least one professional development book (on writing or editing skills)

12. Go to the library once a week and read the books with the kids enough times that we are ready to take them back the next week

13. Set up the girls’ morning routines

14. Nag my children less

15. Catch up – and stay caught up – on business paperwork

16. Get pregnant (does that count as a goal?)

17. Make an FHE binder by month

18. Connect with each of my siblings  at least once a month

19. Make a play doctor kit for my girls

20. Go away (from work, kids, and the house) overnight with Bill.

21. Go to bed by 11 p.m. every night (it is currently 11:40 p.m. as I type this so I clearly have work to do)

22. Find a fabulous mother’s bracelet

23. Clean out the garage so we can actually park a car in there

24. Enroll Sandy for kindergarten (first I have to figure out where to enroll her)

25. Go out for a girls night at least once a month

26. Plant a garden

27. Make or find something fabulous to add to my newly remodeled front room

28.  Paint the doors, upstairs hallway, my bedroom, and the upstairs bathroom

29. Spend time each day working with my children on their letters/numbers

30. Get a new mirror for the upstairs bathroom

31. Put together a gallery picture wall

32. Do more art and craft projects with my children

 

Okay, so full disclosure is that I have actually completed a couple of these. But I’ve done them since my last birthday, so I decided it counts. I’m excited to work on these goals and to post about them.