Good Riddance 2011!

For New Year's Eve, we had a Good Riddance! celebration.

We each listed something we regretted/wanted to forget about last year.
We regretted the times we got angry with each other and shouted or called names. We regretted skipping homework and biting our nails. We regretted uncouth behavior like burping and tooting around company.

We sealed up our bad luck and sorrows from the past year in a box and burned them!

Good Riddance!

Then we looked back at our blessings and happy memories.

Now we are ready to make a fresh start in the new year.

We made some goals as a family- I was really impressed with the kiddie pies. They know what they need to do. Just like their mom, they need to translate knowing into doing.

I usually set a goal in each of what I see as the areas I have responsibility for in my life. Often, they are repeats from the last year because I do well in spurts-not the long haul. Sometimes I totally own a resolution--like 2 years ago when I decided to recycle all our metal cans. I pwned that one and it is a habit now.

Most of the time, I really have lots of goals in each area of my life--but I feel like I have to choose only 1. After reading my sister's blog today, I decided to free myself from that silly restriction and put down all the things I want to accomplish this year--because I can work on them one at a time and if some of them have to be on next year's list again, so be it.

Health Goal- Exercise a minimum of 3 times a week. My goal is to have good enough cardiovascular fitness that I can dance around the room to the Nutcracker Music with my girls for more than 3 minutes without huffing and puffing.

Drink a gallon of water a day-or as close to this as possible. Every time I crave something sweet, I will drink 20 ounces of water first. Then I will leave the kitchen.

Diabetic Eating Plan: for the last 2 months, I had to strictly follow an eating plan because I once again developed Gestational Diabetes. I successfully controlled my blood sugar levels by following my diet/eating plan. It was easy to follow a diet when somebody else's life besides my own was at stake. All I had to do was think of Baby Dumpling and I could say "no" to mashed potatoes and chocolate cake. It is harder to say no for my own health's sake. But I'm going to give it a try.

Mom Goal-
Establish the Children's Hour: each night at 7pm I will send the kids to get on pj's and brush their teeth. Then, until 8pm, it will be Children's Hour. I will read to them or even play quiet board games or just let them tell me about stuff. I am hoping this will improve their sleeping habits and help them feel loved. Often when they get home from school, I am so busy thinking my own thoughts that I'm not really paying attention to their stories. I want to actually "Be there" mentally for them.

Wife Goal- Not be sharp and cranky, ever. I haven't been sharp or cranky recently but that is because the Man of the House has outdone himself in helpfulness and sweetness. He's cleaned the house, done the laundry, taken care of the kids and is constantly asking what he can do to help me. I've mostly just sat around holding Baby Dumpling. It is easy to be pleasant. One of these days, I'm going to be tired and life won't be perfect and my pleasantness will actually be tested. That's when I can prove myself.

Homemaker goals-
*Stick to the budget better (by using the cash system) and save more this year than we did last year.
*Stick to the chore chart every day.
*Plan meals well enough that I only go to the grocery store once a week.
*Make plan for the week on Sunday evening & follow it!

Spiritual goals-
**Scripture study with kids every Sunday afternoon & write in scripture journals.
******Note to self: purchase composition notebooks for us all
**Read Book of Mormon every day. Planned time & place: at dinner table right after dinner.
**Have a general plan for Family Home Evening so it is easier to plan individual lessons.
**Go to the temple every other month. Pick day in February now!

Family Fun-
**Go on an adventure once a month: January's adventure is visit this new art museum on Martin Luther King Day

Happiness goals:
**Restart my gratitude journal
**Sew things!

Mary Kay goals:
**make a plan and work my business as if it is an actual job and not just a hobby!