Wow, this week seems like it's been the busiest week ever, and that's saying something for me!! Let's review.
Tuesday was my last day working at CP--sadness!! I'm glad that I am able to keep working with CP now as an independent contractor, because otherwise I would seriously have been bawling all day. Yes, I am a crybaby, especially when it comes to big changes. Tuesday was a super busy day at work, too, which in some ways made it easier and in other ways made it harder.
Wednesday was my first official day as a stay-at-home mom! Let's just say it didn't go exactly as planned... So, my alarm went off at 6:30 so I could start P90X. Did I get up? NO! I instead battled with getting up and going back to sleep, dozing in and out of sleep, for the next hour. At 7:30, I woke up and started working. About 8:45 I remembered that B2 had preschool on Wednesdays, so I tried to hurry and feed him and get him ready for preschool. We were a few minutes late. :-\ Immediately after preschool, I came home, got myself cleaned up, and went to a visiting teaching appointment. After that was over, I came home again and tried to do some more work. At 11:15 I left to pick B2 up at preschool. We came home, had lunch, and I piled the kids back in the car to go to my in-law's house. I left the kids there and went to my hair appointment. When that was done, I picked up the kids, went home, made pizza dough, and finished my work for the day. While I was working, I got a phone call from my dad saying that my grandma passed away Tuesday night. My grandma has been really sick my whole life, and honestly we're all surprised that she lived as long as she did. She will definitely be missed. Once I was done with work, I threw everything I needed for pizza into the car, packed up the kids and the husband, and went back to my in-law's house. We started making pizza and my parents and siblings showed up. We ate, then watched the BYU vs. SDSU basketball game. It was great watching the Cougs beat SDSU!! Go Cougars! After the game, we packed everything up again, drove home, and put the kids (and adults!) to bed (late).
Thursday morning I woke up (I didn't do P90X because my brother J stayed the night and was sleeping in our front room), did some work, made breakfast for the family, got the kids ready, and...um...I forget. That day is mostly a blur. My parents were in town, so I know we did some stuff with them, but honestly I don't remember any details. Thursday night we drove up to Salt Lake to attend my sister's (final) volleyball banquet. She won the Coach's Award, which is given out by the head coach. I was so proud of her! But, of course, she totally deserved it. :) And, once again, the kiddos got to stay up late as we didn't get home from the banquet until close to 10:00.
Friday morning I woke up, did some more work, got the kids ready, took B2 to preschool, did some more work, and picked B2 up from preschool. I then went shopping with my parents to a place in Salt Lake called NPS Freight. It's a store that sells grocery items that are largely expired (but only recently) and some other stuff. I've heard people rant and rave about this store, but frankly I wasn't that impressed. After we went to NPS, we grabbed some lunch, and then went home. I stopped by Walmart and grabbed Despicable Me from Redbox. We watched the movie that night, and I put the boys to bed. I had decided a while ago that once I stopped working I would try to get B2 through the night without Pull-Ups, so we put him to bed in under. On the way up to the Salt Lake Airport to pick up my brother, who flew in for the memorial service for my grandma, I dropped off Despicable Me. When I got home, I woke B2 up to try and go potty, and then went to bed...late again.
Yesterday, I slept in! After this week, I was completely exhausted, and as I didn't have any work to do I decided not to get out of bed until 9:30. I then frantically tried to get the kids ready and we drove up to Salt Lake for my grandma's memorial service. After it was over, we stayed at the church for a luncheon, cleaned up, and went around the corner to my aunt's house. We watched the BYU vs. NM basketball game, and was heartbroken to see my Cougs lose. After the game, my aunts, uncle, and cousins went through Grandma's things and picked out some mementos. I got some awesome stuff that I'm going to put into a shadow box, and a few items I'll use. We put the kids to bed, and B1 and I actually crawled into bed around 9:00 p.m! Go us! I watched some M*A*S*H trying to stay awake for a bit so I could wake up B2 to go potty, but fell asleep and woke up at 2:00 a.m. B2 was still dry--two days in a row! I was so proud of him!
Wow, what a week! Add on top of all that my day-to-day crap like doing dishes and washing 4,000 loads of laundry, and it was quite a week! Hopefully this next week will be more calm. I'm planning to start P90X tomorrow, as well as a cleaning routine I've set up. I'll update this next week on how I'm doing on P90X.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Funny things B2 says, Part 200-something
Scene: B2 and Uncle J are in our front room.
B2: "Wanna see my butt crack?"
Uncle J: "Uh...no."
B2: <Pause> "Well, how about now?"
Scene: Rinz, JoJo, and B2 are sitting in the 7-11 parking lot. B2 sees an ad for donuts on the store's window.
B2: "Rinz, they have donuts here."
Rinz: "Yeah, they do."
B2: "You need to go buy some."
Rinz: "No, I don't want any."
B2: "If you don't buy some, you won't have any."
Rinz: "That's OK."
B2: <Pause> "They sure look delicious."
B2: "Wanna see my butt crack?"
Uncle J: "Uh...no."
B2: <Pause> "Well, how about now?"
Scene: Rinz, JoJo, and B2 are sitting in the 7-11 parking lot. B2 sees an ad for donuts on the store's window.
B2: "Rinz, they have donuts here."
Rinz: "Yeah, they do."
B2: "You need to go buy some."
Rinz: "No, I don't want any."
B2: "If you don't buy some, you won't have any."
Rinz: "That's OK."
B2: <Pause> "They sure look delicious."
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Goals Update
Okay, so I thought I'd update everyone on how my goals are going. Yes, I know it's only halfway through January, but I'm pumped about knocking these suckers out!
Goal 1 - Finish P90X. I haven't started this yet, but as planned. I will be starting P90X in two weeks, so be prepared for the swear words that will be coming from that post...
Goal 2 - Half Marathon. I also haven't started this, as planned. I intend to start my training about the time I finish P90X, if not sooner.
Goal 3 - Lose 10 pounds. I'm doing really good on this! Okay, so I've pretty much been sucking the past few days. I got down to 138.7 by Wednesday this last week, and then went on our quarterly managers retreat. On the bright side, I think I kept my weight loss to the smallest amount ever on these retreats, but I did gain 1.3 pounds. I weighed in this morning at 140, so I am just a little way past the halfway point. If I stay motivated, I think I can hit this goal by the end of January. At that point, I just need to keep it down until we (hopefully) go on our cruise in March.
Goal 4 - Finish the Old Testament. I haven't picked up on that yet. I'm still working on finishing the Book of Mormon, and will start this goal at that point.
Goal 5 - Read 12 books, with at least 6 being non-fiction. I have started this goal. I'm currently reading Wizard's First Rule, which is obviously a fiction (fantasy) book. I want to have this finished by January 25th so I can return it to my coworker. My next read is a non-fiction book, Boys Should Be Boys.
Resolution 1 - Build an unbreakable habit of prayer and scripture study. I am doing much better on my scripture study, but not so great (okay, honestly, no improvement at all) on prayer.
Resolution 2 - Cultivate friendships. I really hope those in my ward didn't take my initial post as a pity-party or fishing for friendships, but regardless of their inference on my intent, I feel like more of an effort has been made by the women in my ward to reach out to me, and I appreciate it!!! I have also been trying to make an effort to accept those invitations and be someone that others would want to be around. Tonight I went to a girls night out with about 15 other women, and had a BLAST!!! It was such a good time, and I look forward to the next one.
Resolution 3 - Love being a mom. While I haven't yet gained any insight on how to keep my kids occupied all day (especially when it's cold outside and we can't play at parks or go swimming), I am seriously loving being around my kids and anxious for the time that I can spend all day long with them! Only another week and a half left!
D is giggling in the dark while I'm typing this. Silly kid. I should probably turn off the computer so he can sleep...
Goal 1 - Finish P90X. I haven't started this yet, but as planned. I will be starting P90X in two weeks, so be prepared for the swear words that will be coming from that post...
Goal 2 - Half Marathon. I also haven't started this, as planned. I intend to start my training about the time I finish P90X, if not sooner.
Goal 3 - Lose 10 pounds. I'm doing really good on this! Okay, so I've pretty much been sucking the past few days. I got down to 138.7 by Wednesday this last week, and then went on our quarterly managers retreat. On the bright side, I think I kept my weight loss to the smallest amount ever on these retreats, but I did gain 1.3 pounds. I weighed in this morning at 140, so I am just a little way past the halfway point. If I stay motivated, I think I can hit this goal by the end of January. At that point, I just need to keep it down until we (hopefully) go on our cruise in March.
Goal 4 - Finish the Old Testament. I haven't picked up on that yet. I'm still working on finishing the Book of Mormon, and will start this goal at that point.
Goal 5 - Read 12 books, with at least 6 being non-fiction. I have started this goal. I'm currently reading Wizard's First Rule, which is obviously a fiction (fantasy) book. I want to have this finished by January 25th so I can return it to my coworker. My next read is a non-fiction book, Boys Should Be Boys.
Resolution 1 - Build an unbreakable habit of prayer and scripture study. I am doing much better on my scripture study, but not so great (okay, honestly, no improvement at all) on prayer.
Resolution 2 - Cultivate friendships. I really hope those in my ward didn't take my initial post as a pity-party or fishing for friendships, but regardless of their inference on my intent, I feel like more of an effort has been made by the women in my ward to reach out to me, and I appreciate it!!! I have also been trying to make an effort to accept those invitations and be someone that others would want to be around. Tonight I went to a girls night out with about 15 other women, and had a BLAST!!! It was such a good time, and I look forward to the next one.
Resolution 3 - Love being a mom. While I haven't yet gained any insight on how to keep my kids occupied all day (especially when it's cold outside and we can't play at parks or go swimming), I am seriously loving being around my kids and anxious for the time that I can spend all day long with them! Only another week and a half left!
D is giggling in the dark while I'm typing this. Silly kid. I should probably turn off the computer so he can sleep...
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Time for New Years!
So, I got tired of the #Reverb10. This year's questions were pretty dumb. But, it's almost New Years Eve, so it's resolution time. But, instead of resolutions, which tend to have a negative connotation of vague intentions that rarely see fruition, this year I want to set goals, complete with action plans and deadlines. So, here it goes.
Goal 1: Finish P90X
Right now, I am planning on being a stay-at-home mom at the end of January. Once I am no longer losing 2 hours a day to commuting, I want to invest more time into getting back into shape--because, frankly, it's pathetic how much my kids wear me out. So, I want to completely go through P90X as my first part of getting into shape. I've realized I hate treadmills, and there's no way I'm running outside when it's this dang cold. I plan on P90X taking more than 90 days to complete, asI want to do the full 90 day workout without working out on Sundays (usually the 7th day is for stretching, but I don't want to skip that workout). If I don't miss any days and stay perfectly on schedule, I will finish May 10th. But, let's be reasonable and say my deadline is the end of May. I also have a plan of waking up every day at 6:30 to start my workout. That may seem early, but it's pretty much the time I'm waking up now, or earlier, so it's not that much of a stretch. We'll see if that remains the case once I try...
Goal 2: Run a half marathon
My bucket list contains as one of its items the goal of running a full marathon. So, why not buckle down and do it this year? Well, there's a fairly good chance that B1 and I will try to get pregnant some time during 2011, and I don't want this goal to get squashed simply because something more important comes up. My plan is to start training for the half marathon once I complete P90X, using the same hour in the morning as I currently have set aside for P90X (I'll have to figure out how to work this out on days when B1 is off flying). I want to run a 5K no later than the end of June, and run a half-marathon no later than the end of August. The only out I want to give myself for not completing this is pregnancy.
Goal 3: Lose 10 pounds
I think goals 1 and 2 will get me to this, but I hope to hit this goal a lot faster. I got on the scale today and saw an ugly number: 144.6. I haven't seen that number in a long time, and frankly, it sucks. I don't want to wear any of my shirts because of the muffin top I get. I want to get back to 135. Not 137 or 136, or even 135.8. I want to get to 135.4 or lower, where I can honestly say I weigh 135. Deadline: May 31st (again, I'm hoping to finish that sooner).
Goal 4: Finish the Old Testament
B1 and I have been reading the Old Testament for something ridiculous, like 2 years. This year, I want to finish what we started. No, I'm not going to be super ambitious and start over--I just want to finish. Deadline: December 31, 2011.
Goal 5: Read 12 books, with at least 6 books being non-fiction
I LOVE to read. Seriously, I do. But a few months ago my father-in-law told me that I needed to branch out from my fantasy genre. While I do love fantasy, I thought his comment was a little too global. For example, lately I've also read some classics (I'm currently reading Madame Bovary, and this year alone I've read Animal Farm, Great Expectations, Scarlet Letter, and Persuasion). However, I have not been reading a lot of non-fiction (other than self-help and business books), so this year I want to stretch myself a bit and read some more non-fiction books. I'm allowing self-help (or, as I prefer to think of them, self-improvement) and business books to fit into the non-fiction category, as I've been enjoying those. Deadline: December 31, 2011.
On the right side of the blog I will keep a list of these goals and update you on my status. This way, I have some accountability.
Now, for some resolutions. These are things I want to do that will take constant improvement and will never have a point where I can say "Done!"
Resolution 1: Build an unbreakable habit of scripture reading and prayer.
After our recent scare about maybe moving to Minneapolis or Houston (resulting in us being able to choose to stay in SLC or choose to move), I came to an unhappy conclusion: I can no longer complain about living in Utah, since I choose it. Secretly, I've been blaming Utah for anything unpleasant - Utah Mormons, Utah culture, Utah weather, and so on. I remember one sob-fest I had, a year or so ago, when I told B1 that I just can't be a good LDS member in Utah. Honestly, I don't remember the argument that I tried to make for that statement, but I've let it be an excuse for why I don't do the basics. A few months ago, our stake Relief Society presidency challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by March 19th. I'm a little behind now, but am on track to be caught up by Saturday. Reading the Book of Mormon has brought sanity back to my life. I'm more patient with my children and overall happier. I want to keep this up and not stop once I hit the short-term goal of March 19th.
Resolution 2: Cultivate friendships
Considering I've lived in my condo for five and a half years, I feel like I'm missing the friendships that others have created. Not to guilt-trip anyone who reads this blog and also lives in our condo community, but it's the little things that make me jealous of what I lack, such as people posting on my Facebook profile or inviting me to activities (granted, this latter one, I hope, has been largely due to my inability to attend since I've been working full-time). I'm not saying I want to be the most popular person in the ward (okay, I do, but that's not reasonable)--I just want to feel like I can go to church and sit next to someone without the feeling of needing to create, awkwardly, conversation. I'm not going to post here what I plan to do, because I don't want anyone to feel like they're my project or that I'm their project.
Resolution 3: Love being a mom
Of course, I love my kids. But honestly, the looming possibility of being a stay-at-home mom has me terrified. Here at work, I've coined a pathology: "What-the-crap-do-you-do-all-day disease." It's rampant at work--department A wonders why Department B can't help out with task C, because seriously, what the crap does Department B do all day?? I have the same problem with stay-at-home moms, but a different twist. I know it's busy being a stay-at-home mom, but what I wonder is what on earth do they do to keep their kids busy, without resorting to 5 hours a day of Spongebob? This is something I desperately want to learn. B2 will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and I don't want his last months of being at home all the time to be spent in front of the TV. I do plan to attend as many play groups as I can, and we bought the Pass of All Passes so we can spend lots of time at Trafalga, Seven Peaks, and sporting games. Seriously though, SAHMs, any feedback, advice, or tips you can give me would be warmly received!!!
Wow--these are some lofty goals and resolutions, but I really think I can do it!
Goal 1: Finish P90X
Right now, I am planning on being a stay-at-home mom at the end of January. Once I am no longer losing 2 hours a day to commuting, I want to invest more time into getting back into shape--because, frankly, it's pathetic how much my kids wear me out. So, I want to completely go through P90X as my first part of getting into shape. I've realized I hate treadmills, and there's no way I'm running outside when it's this dang cold. I plan on P90X taking more than 90 days to complete, asI want to do the full 90 day workout without working out on Sundays (usually the 7th day is for stretching, but I don't want to skip that workout). If I don't miss any days and stay perfectly on schedule, I will finish May 10th. But, let's be reasonable and say my deadline is the end of May. I also have a plan of waking up every day at 6:30 to start my workout. That may seem early, but it's pretty much the time I'm waking up now, or earlier, so it's not that much of a stretch. We'll see if that remains the case once I try...
Goal 2: Run a half marathon
My bucket list contains as one of its items the goal of running a full marathon. So, why not buckle down and do it this year? Well, there's a fairly good chance that B1 and I will try to get pregnant some time during 2011, and I don't want this goal to get squashed simply because something more important comes up. My plan is to start training for the half marathon once I complete P90X, using the same hour in the morning as I currently have set aside for P90X (I'll have to figure out how to work this out on days when B1 is off flying). I want to run a 5K no later than the end of June, and run a half-marathon no later than the end of August. The only out I want to give myself for not completing this is pregnancy.
Goal 3: Lose 10 pounds
I think goals 1 and 2 will get me to this, but I hope to hit this goal a lot faster. I got on the scale today and saw an ugly number: 144.6. I haven't seen that number in a long time, and frankly, it sucks. I don't want to wear any of my shirts because of the muffin top I get. I want to get back to 135. Not 137 or 136, or even 135.8. I want to get to 135.4 or lower, where I can honestly say I weigh 135. Deadline: May 31st (again, I'm hoping to finish that sooner).
Goal 4: Finish the Old Testament
B1 and I have been reading the Old Testament for something ridiculous, like 2 years. This year, I want to finish what we started. No, I'm not going to be super ambitious and start over--I just want to finish. Deadline: December 31, 2011.
Goal 5: Read 12 books, with at least 6 books being non-fiction
I LOVE to read. Seriously, I do. But a few months ago my father-in-law told me that I needed to branch out from my fantasy genre. While I do love fantasy, I thought his comment was a little too global. For example, lately I've also read some classics (I'm currently reading Madame Bovary, and this year alone I've read Animal Farm, Great Expectations, Scarlet Letter, and Persuasion). However, I have not been reading a lot of non-fiction (other than self-help and business books), so this year I want to stretch myself a bit and read some more non-fiction books. I'm allowing self-help (or, as I prefer to think of them, self-improvement) and business books to fit into the non-fiction category, as I've been enjoying those. Deadline: December 31, 2011.
On the right side of the blog I will keep a list of these goals and update you on my status. This way, I have some accountability.
Now, for some resolutions. These are things I want to do that will take constant improvement and will never have a point where I can say "Done!"
Resolution 1: Build an unbreakable habit of scripture reading and prayer.
After our recent scare about maybe moving to Minneapolis or Houston (resulting in us being able to choose to stay in SLC or choose to move), I came to an unhappy conclusion: I can no longer complain about living in Utah, since I choose it. Secretly, I've been blaming Utah for anything unpleasant - Utah Mormons, Utah culture, Utah weather, and so on. I remember one sob-fest I had, a year or so ago, when I told B1 that I just can't be a good LDS member in Utah. Honestly, I don't remember the argument that I tried to make for that statement, but I've let it be an excuse for why I don't do the basics. A few months ago, our stake Relief Society presidency challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by March 19th. I'm a little behind now, but am on track to be caught up by Saturday. Reading the Book of Mormon has brought sanity back to my life. I'm more patient with my children and overall happier. I want to keep this up and not stop once I hit the short-term goal of March 19th.
Resolution 2: Cultivate friendships
Considering I've lived in my condo for five and a half years, I feel like I'm missing the friendships that others have created. Not to guilt-trip anyone who reads this blog and also lives in our condo community, but it's the little things that make me jealous of what I lack, such as people posting on my Facebook profile or inviting me to activities (granted, this latter one, I hope, has been largely due to my inability to attend since I've been working full-time). I'm not saying I want to be the most popular person in the ward (okay, I do, but that's not reasonable)--I just want to feel like I can go to church and sit next to someone without the feeling of needing to create, awkwardly, conversation. I'm not going to post here what I plan to do, because I don't want anyone to feel like they're my project or that I'm their project.
Resolution 3: Love being a mom
Of course, I love my kids. But honestly, the looming possibility of being a stay-at-home mom has me terrified. Here at work, I've coined a pathology: "What-the-crap-do-you-do-all-day disease." It's rampant at work--department A wonders why Department B can't help out with task C, because seriously, what the crap does Department B do all day?? I have the same problem with stay-at-home moms, but a different twist. I know it's busy being a stay-at-home mom, but what I wonder is what on earth do they do to keep their kids busy, without resorting to 5 hours a day of Spongebob? This is something I desperately want to learn. B2 will be starting kindergarten in the fall, and I don't want his last months of being at home all the time to be spent in front of the TV. I do plan to attend as many play groups as I can, and we bought the Pass of All Passes so we can spend lots of time at Trafalga, Seven Peaks, and sporting games. Seriously though, SAHMs, any feedback, advice, or tips you can give me would be warmly received!!!
Wow--these are some lofty goals and resolutions, but I really think I can do it!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Awesome Prayer
Tonight during prayers, B2 prayed for the following:
"Please bless O that she can grow up like me, and play soccer."
I hope Aunt K is okay with O playing soccer!!!
"Please bless O that she can grow up like me, and play soccer."
I hope Aunt K is okay with O playing soccer!!!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
If you're happy and you know it...
Right now B2 is sitting on the potty singing "If You're Happy and You Know It." I was doing my hair, and this is what I heard:
"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.
I'M NOT HAPPY!"
"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.
I'M NOT HAPPY!"
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
#Reverb10
So, last year I did the #Best09 Challenge, where each day I had to answer the prompted question. I really enjoyed it, and wanted to do it again this year. This year it's called the #reverb10. So, I'm a little late getting started (I was supposed to start Dec 1), but better late than never, right? So, let me get caught up.
December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
For me, I think the best word is BUSY! This year has been busy, busy, busy. B1 has been flying like crazy, we've been working our tails off to get out of debt, I'm still working full-time, my sister finished her senior year of volleyball (so of course we were at every game), and so on. Next year, I want my word to be contentment. I will be making a major change, going from working full-time to being a stay-at-home mom. By the end of the year, I'm hoping to get some type of routine down and I'm hoping to LOVE being a mom.
December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
Life keeps me from writing a lot. I'm sure I could spend more time writing, but then I'd spend less time with my kids or hubby. So, I'm not planning on making that change any time soon.
December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
Maybe this is cheating to pick a moment so recent, but last night was my company Christmas party. I've never had such fun. We started off with dinner. Then, my boss gave everyone $100 in gold coins and told us to go shopping for an assigned person in the company. The twist? We were playing a game of Assassin (with dart guns we had received from him the week before). So, we had to shop while watching our backs. While in Big 5, I had a fellow employee try to gangsta shoot me (with his gun held sideways) while he used his wife as a sheild. In Costco, I shot a fellow manager square in the back. Outside Costco, I had a dueling war with a different manager as we ran in circles to avoid the other's darts. In Sports Authority, I had a James Bond moment as a I shot at a coworker while running sideways. After the shopping and Assassin were over, we gave and explained our gifts, and watched our Christmas video. This was the first time I had some embarrassing footage in our annual video, and I had a great time laughing at myself while my coworkers teased me. It was just overall a great night.
December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
Having young children, creating a sense of wonder is easy. All I have to do is sit down and watch or listen to them, and I'm amazed. I'm amazed at how smart B2 is getting. In fact, just today I picked him up from the babysitter's house and he started singing a song about the different kids in his preschool class. He is a sponge, so I'm very lucky to have him in such a great preschool.
December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?
I let go of a very good friend this year. Without too many details, the relationship had grown unhealthy. For a while, I felt very lonely. But, the sacrifice was definitely worth it.
December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?
The last thing I made was food--of course. I'm always cooking. I made thumbprint cookies that were rolled in pecans. They were okay. I think I can improve on the recipe. This next year, I want to learn how to edit videos, and start editing our home videos and burning them to DVDs.
December 7 – Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?
I have, even more so, developed community at my work. Now that we have passed the Christmas party, my resignation is looming near and it makes me sad. I will still be working there as an independent contractor, and will be in the office occasionally, but I will really miss the daily association with all the wonderful people there. In 2011, I really want to make friends in my home ward. Right now I feel like I get along really well with people in my ward, but I don't feel like we're FRIENDS. At best, I feel like we're neighbors. (I really hope this doesn't offend anyone!! Seriously, I know the problem is on my end--there are great people in my ward!) With my working full-time, I've missed out on a lot of opportunities like play groups, hanging out at the pool or parks, and so on. I'm super excited to jump into that as much as I can in a few more weeks.
December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.
This is really hard for me. First, I don't think I'm all that different, and second, I really have no idea what I do that makes people light up. The only thing that really comes to mind is that I love to serve others, and usually anonymously (I don't want to feel like I'm serving for the appreciation, so I like to do it anonymously). Unfortunately, I'm not so gracious about receiving service...
December 9 – Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
As mentioned previously, last night's Christmas party for my work ROCKED!
December 10 – Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?
I think the wisest decision we made was the preschool we chose for Bw. His teacher is amazing, and he learns so much. He absolutely loves learning. He's learning his letters, and learning to write them. He looks forward to his homework! He sings songs I've never heard that I'm sure he learns at preschool. That was the best decision we made.
December 11 – What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
Wow...what a doozy! Here it goes.
December 12 – Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?
This is kind of a weird question. I don't know that I ever feel like I'm separate from my body. So, my answer is pretty much always.
December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?
Oh dear, you're in for it if you start asking me plans. My goals next year are to get back in shape. I want to do this by completing P90X. By that time, it should hopefully be warmer, so I want to start running. I want to run a half marathon by the end of the summer, and hopefully a full marathon next summer. I think I can hit all these goals unless I get pregnant (no plans for that now, but you never know...).
December 14 – Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?
Wow...there's a lot I appreciate. I think the one thing I've come to appreciate the most is living so close to family. We thought we were going to be moving out of state about a month ago, and I was so sad about the possibility of leaving my sisters behind, my brother, my in-laws, my extended family, and so on. So, as much as I hate living in the cold and I tend to complain about the state in which we live, I LOVE being near my family!
December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.
B2 loves attention. We took him to Trafalga's and he loved being with his mom and dad and going mini golfing.
D said Mama first. He now gives me hugs and kisses. He's a momma's boy, and I love it. His new thing is he likes to wipe my nose with a tissue. He's so gentle when he does it.
Rinz finished volleyball. I got teary-eyed when the last point was scored. I'm so proud of her. And a little bit jealous, to be honest.
Beez is pregnant. She looked so pretty last night at the Christmas party. I never understood why people say pregnant women glow until I saw her last night.
B1 has been working so hard for our family. He's so excited about finally being the breadwinner. I'm so excited about being the happy little housewife.
B2 and D love their grandparents so much. I'm lucky they have one set who lives close and one set that visits often.
E and K finally got their baby. O is the most beautiful little baby. You can see in K's eye how much O means to her. I've never seen E prouder.
CP has been so good to me. I'm going to miss being there every day. I need to find more people I can refer to work there--anyone who doesn't work there is missing out.
December 1 – One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
For me, I think the best word is BUSY! This year has been busy, busy, busy. B1 has been flying like crazy, we've been working our tails off to get out of debt, I'm still working full-time, my sister finished her senior year of volleyball (so of course we were at every game), and so on. Next year, I want my word to be contentment. I will be making a major change, going from working full-time to being a stay-at-home mom. By the end of the year, I'm hoping to get some type of routine down and I'm hoping to LOVE being a mom.
December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
Life keeps me from writing a lot. I'm sure I could spend more time writing, but then I'd spend less time with my kids or hubby. So, I'm not planning on making that change any time soon.
December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
Maybe this is cheating to pick a moment so recent, but last night was my company Christmas party. I've never had such fun. We started off with dinner. Then, my boss gave everyone $100 in gold coins and told us to go shopping for an assigned person in the company. The twist? We were playing a game of Assassin (with dart guns we had received from him the week before). So, we had to shop while watching our backs. While in Big 5, I had a fellow employee try to gangsta shoot me (with his gun held sideways) while he used his wife as a sheild. In Costco, I shot a fellow manager square in the back. Outside Costco, I had a dueling war with a different manager as we ran in circles to avoid the other's darts. In Sports Authority, I had a James Bond moment as a I shot at a coworker while running sideways. After the shopping and Assassin were over, we gave and explained our gifts, and watched our Christmas video. This was the first time I had some embarrassing footage in our annual video, and I had a great time laughing at myself while my coworkers teased me. It was just overall a great night.
December 4 – Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
Having young children, creating a sense of wonder is easy. All I have to do is sit down and watch or listen to them, and I'm amazed. I'm amazed at how smart B2 is getting. In fact, just today I picked him up from the babysitter's house and he started singing a song about the different kids in his preschool class. He is a sponge, so I'm very lucky to have him in such a great preschool.
December 5 – Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?
I let go of a very good friend this year. Without too many details, the relationship had grown unhealthy. For a while, I felt very lonely. But, the sacrifice was definitely worth it.
December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?
The last thing I made was food--of course. I'm always cooking. I made thumbprint cookies that were rolled in pecans. They were okay. I think I can improve on the recipe. This next year, I want to learn how to edit videos, and start editing our home videos and burning them to DVDs.
December 7 – Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?
I have, even more so, developed community at my work. Now that we have passed the Christmas party, my resignation is looming near and it makes me sad. I will still be working there as an independent contractor, and will be in the office occasionally, but I will really miss the daily association with all the wonderful people there. In 2011, I really want to make friends in my home ward. Right now I feel like I get along really well with people in my ward, but I don't feel like we're FRIENDS. At best, I feel like we're neighbors. (I really hope this doesn't offend anyone!! Seriously, I know the problem is on my end--there are great people in my ward!) With my working full-time, I've missed out on a lot of opportunities like play groups, hanging out at the pool or parks, and so on. I'm super excited to jump into that as much as I can in a few more weeks.
December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.
This is really hard for me. First, I don't think I'm all that different, and second, I really have no idea what I do that makes people light up. The only thing that really comes to mind is that I love to serve others, and usually anonymously (I don't want to feel like I'm serving for the appreciation, so I like to do it anonymously). Unfortunately, I'm not so gracious about receiving service...
December 9 – Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
As mentioned previously, last night's Christmas party for my work ROCKED!
December 10 – Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?
I think the wisest decision we made was the preschool we chose for Bw. His teacher is amazing, and he learns so much. He absolutely loves learning. He's learning his letters, and learning to write them. He looks forward to his homework! He sings songs I've never heard that I'm sure he learns at preschool. That was the best decision we made.
December 11 – What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?
Wow...what a doozy! Here it goes.
- Negativity. I have a very nasty habit of being negative, especially about myself. I'll complain about my stretch marks from my pregnancy (or the hundreds of other things wrong with my body, mostly pregnancy-caused or pregnancy-related), my loneliness, my crows feet that are growing around my eyes, my hair that never seems cute, my clothes that never seem flattering, my disobedient kids, my inability to control my temper...I could go on. My life could seriously do without all this negativity. My goal for next year is to curb my negative comments. I want to try to give more service, so I don't think about myself so much. I want to put a little more effort into my appearance. I want to spend less time in front of the TV and computer and spend more time with my kids (I get more frustrated with the kids if they interrupt me while I'm watching TV or working on the computer than almost any other time). I think this can change my life because I will be happier if I'm not focused on the negative so much.
December 12 – Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?
This is kind of a weird question. I don't know that I ever feel like I'm separate from my body. So, my answer is pretty much always.
December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?
Oh dear, you're in for it if you start asking me plans. My goals next year are to get back in shape. I want to do this by completing P90X. By that time, it should hopefully be warmer, so I want to start running. I want to run a half marathon by the end of the summer, and hopefully a full marathon next summer. I think I can hit all these goals unless I get pregnant (no plans for that now, but you never know...).
December 14 – Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?
Wow...there's a lot I appreciate. I think the one thing I've come to appreciate the most is living so close to family. We thought we were going to be moving out of state about a month ago, and I was so sad about the possibility of leaving my sisters behind, my brother, my in-laws, my extended family, and so on. So, as much as I hate living in the cold and I tend to complain about the state in which we live, I LOVE being near my family!
December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.
B2 loves attention. We took him to Trafalga's and he loved being with his mom and dad and going mini golfing.
D said Mama first. He now gives me hugs and kisses. He's a momma's boy, and I love it. His new thing is he likes to wipe my nose with a tissue. He's so gentle when he does it.
Rinz finished volleyball. I got teary-eyed when the last point was scored. I'm so proud of her. And a little bit jealous, to be honest.
Beez is pregnant. She looked so pretty last night at the Christmas party. I never understood why people say pregnant women glow until I saw her last night.
B1 has been working so hard for our family. He's so excited about finally being the breadwinner. I'm so excited about being the happy little housewife.
B2 and D love their grandparents so much. I'm lucky they have one set who lives close and one set that visits often.
E and K finally got their baby. O is the most beautiful little baby. You can see in K's eye how much O means to her. I've never seen E prouder.
CP has been so good to me. I'm going to miss being there every day. I need to find more people I can refer to work there--anyone who doesn't work there is missing out.
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