Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Oh and our card for the year

Some of you I don't have new addresses for.....

Peace on Earth


















This is a picture of a girl delighted in the fact that she just gave her brother a mohawk.  The look of satisfaction.

Gumball ornaments they invented on their own.










Friday, December 23, 2011

Stole from Jesi

Jesi got this from www.intenders.com

It is just perfect for the New Year....cheers.

New Years Goals

If you write them down, they are more legitimate :)

First off, write more, blog more......

OH wait...lets go to last year's list and see if I even accomplished anything.

1)Spend more times outdoors exploring....camping...swimming...stargazing....more boat/river trips...more bonfires...more gardening.   Yes I did!!  We shall continue to do it..... 
2)I want the kids to see the world....appreciate the beauty of this planet and of its people. I want them to see wild animals in the wild....not just in a zoo. I want to hear Mason say "Mom that is preeeetttyyyyy..." (in that ever so cute Macy Macy voice of his.)  Maybe a little, but really we should be doing it more. 
Proposed trips (and saving accordingly for them): (NOPE NOPE NOPE......as tears of sorrow well up. It just wasn't in the cards this year.)a)Family trip in the Caribbean on a catamaran.
b)Family trip to Hawaii
c)Montana State Parks trip
d)Family road trip to Florida for some beach time (Kendall and I have talked about this endlessly).
e)Pacific Northwest trip (to visit Auntie Lauren/Kyle/Tami/Mike and our friends who are opening a winery there).
f)Visit Auntie Noonie when she moves to the farm.
g)Family river trip down the Colorado
h)Family hiking trip down Havasupai

(PS you wanna come?? Say the word...)

3)Find an outlet for stress....in January I am starting yoga. More photography...it makes me happy. ****YEAHHHHH I GOT THIS ONE RIGHT THIS YEAR******
 
4)The tv is off a lot now and I like it. Keep reading, more library visits.    I highly enjoyed my visits to the library this year but I still watched tv.   
5)Work more on planning meals for my family. Healthy meals. Did pretty good, but still could do better.

NOW FOR 2012......

Well...my goals are going to revolve around five words.  WANT NEED WEAR READ SELF

I saw on Facebook someone that for Christmas does one present of each (except SELF) for their kids. 

So for WANT goals for 2012:
1)Do more photography.  Take a class.  Learn more about ISOs and F Stops....learn to use Elements. 
2)More fun trips.
3)More fun nights out with the gals.
4)More date nights with the hubby.
5)Get the new house spiffed up. 

NEED
1)To eat less junkfood.
2)To work out or do yoga at least one more day a week.
3)To go to bed earlier.
4)Spend less, save more.  Use coupons.  Be frugal.  Use what I already have.  Sell unused stuff on eBay or donate to Goodwill. 
5)Work with Kendall and Mason more on reading.
6)Simplify. Organize.

READ
1)Read at least one book a month. 

WEAR
1)Buy used, sell used, buy less. 
2)Sew more??
3)Be happy with what I have.

SELF
1)Be more adventurous. Relaxed. Dance in the kitchen more. 
2)Practice yoga more at home. 
3)Drink more water. 







Thursday, December 1, 2011

I love this so immensely....

Mom regrets

A friend sent this today and it arrived at the exact moment that I needed to read it. 

If I had my children to raise over again...I'd build self-esteem first, house later, I'd finger paint more, and point fingers less, I'd do less correcting, and MORE connecting ,I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes, I'd care to know less, and know to care more, I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play, I'd run through more feilds and gaze at more stars ,I'd be firm less often and affirm MORE often, I'd model less about the love of power and more about the power of LOVE!

We struggle so much with buying and preparing and doing and then before you know it your kids are graduating and you are sending emails like this because you wish you had done more.  I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT MOM.  I want to feel like we did a lot. I want the kiddos to feel like they touched, saw, ate, experienced so much. I want them to be interviewed by a magazine years from now and when the interviewer asks them what their childhood was like, they will say "It was so amazing.  We had the most caring and loving parents.  We saw the world."

Which brings me to one of my struggles.  In our new house, we have a craft room(Like, how cool is that!!). My issue is that Kendall literally could spend all day in there creating and decorating and the sort, which is a good thing.  BUT...she absolutely hates cleaning up after herself and she wastes soooo many materials: paper, glue, tape, you name it.....  How do you find the right balance?

My first step in my goal to smother my kids with love is start with this holiday season....every few days doing something fun.

1)Make Gingerbread Houses
2)Go to the Holidazzle Parade
3)Bake cookies
4)Give presents, hats, jackets to the school drive
5)Make some ornaments and decorations