Saturday, January 11, 2014

Goals Progress Update

Read the Book of Mormon as a family.  Study and read the scriptures.  
-We have been reading the Book of Mormon everyday as a family.  On Monday, I needed to catch up and ended up reading five chapters to the kids while they played with blocks and toys.  I starting following bookofmormon365 on Instagram which has helped a lot . It tells you what verses to read everyday and if you do not have scriptures you can read the verses right there on their Instagram.  I have found so much power in these scriptures especially ready through them so quickly and from cover to cover.  I see more of th beauty of the story. And especially the family dynamics and faith of Lehi and his family. How many times did they see angels or have dreams and visions?   How many times were they asked to go back to Jerusalem?  

Get along with and love my family.  
- I am not perfect at this but working on it.  

Go to the temple once a month.
- We have babysitting lined up to go next Saturday night. 

Run a 5k
- No progress with this yet.  Although Brian and I have decided I will be running my 5K on May 4th, our 7th wedding anniversary, and he will be running the half marathon.

Lose 35 pounds
-I am tracking my calories on Fitness Pal on my phone.  And I do not think I have had one day where I have been at or under my calorie goals. But I am becoming more aware of what I am eating and what changes I need to make.

Invest in relationships with grandparents and great grandparents.
-Last week, we went and visited Grandma Merkley in her new apartment and also got to see Grandma Payne.  And this week, the kids colored pictures and I wrote Thank You cards for all our Christmas gifts.  Many of the things we received from our grandparents and Grandma Payne.  We love all the gifts they have given us.  But most of all, we love having them in our lives.

Pay off debt and have savings. 
- I participated in a Spending Freeze last week.  I am following the blog Fun Cheap or Free and she is hosting a Finance challenge this month I am participating in.  Follow me on instagram bandraverett or on Facebook to see all the fun I am having doing this challenge.

Trade in car for SUV/minivan
- I have been working for 6 weeks cleaning offices, twice a week, I get my first paycheck this week. And this money will go towards saving up towards a new vehicle after we pay off some debt.  

work on goals with my kids and husband.
-everything is more fun when we encourage and help each other.

Highlights of the Week

Monday, Hannah and I went to the mecca called Costco.  I should not have been overwhelmed since I have had a membership to Sam's Club for the past two years but I was.  This Costco was huge. I had a $50 gift card we received for Christmas so we got a couple of things to tie us over for the week apples, soda, corn dogs and some of Costco's huge and delicious muffins.  Mmmmm! Yes, I have not started eating healthier yet.

Tuesday,The kids and I went outside and they rode their bikes. Taylor got a new Spiderman helmet for Christmas and was itching to try it out. There were a few spots where Hannah (2) had to help push Taylor (4) up the hill because he did not have enough momentum.  We also helped bring two little puppies, who were getting cold being outside, back to their house.  The kids had a lot of fun being outside and did not want to go back inside.

Later, that night I filled in and had the Bear Den over at our house.  The boys were passing off teaching each a new game and learning to play new games.  We played "The Skittle Game"  A get to know you game where they could take up to five skittles one of each color and each color was a different question they had to answer.  We played "Stampede", where the boys have to do different actions when they are called out and whoever is last to complete the action is out.  One action is Indian where they lay down flat.  Stampede where you point to a wall and they have to run to it.  Two men to a fire where they sit down and act like they are roasting marshmellows over a fire.  Two men on a log, where one boy acts like he is a log and the other two sit on him.  We also played Hot Potato with a potato that Brian's grandma made out a pantyhose, googly eyes, and a permanent marker (: You can also play this standing up with a broom.  We played an animal game where you everyone had an action for their animal they had to do (I was a mosquito) and then you had to do the action for one of the other animals (players) and then they would do their action and another animal's action and so on.  If someone hesitated or did a wrong action they were out.  The last game we played was four corners.  Before the game starts you pick 4 corners and number them.  Than the person who is IT kneels down in the middle eyes closed and counts to seven and than yells out a number whoever is in that corner is out or any boy(s) that are not in a corner are also out.  The person who is IT then picks the next person to be IT.

All in all it was a very busy hour full of game playing and I think my kids were thoroughly entertained.  I will be having the Bear Den over to my house again this week since the Bear leaders had their work schedules change and will no longer be able to teach Bears.

Friday, Dad was home again.  We were spoiled having him home through the holidays.  And with him working mostly nights this week they were missing their Daddy especially around bedtime.  So on Friday, Dad built a snowman, Mr. Frosty, with Taylor and Hannah, while Mom and Ryan went on errands.  Later that night, Dad took the two older kids to the rec center to swim while Ryan took his afternoon nap.  They swam for over 2 hours and when they got home we had pizza and salad for dinner.  Today, after I got home from cleaning offices all morning my new side job, I just enjoyed being home with Brian and the kids.  We then got Burger King and ate it on the way up to Lehi to go to Cabela's.  Brian got a $25 gift card to Cabela's from his co-worker, Brad.  Brian bought some snow gaiters to go over his boots and lower half of his pant legs to keep out the snow.

On the way home, Hannah had to go potty so when I saw the HOT Doughnut light on at Krispy Kreme we stopped there so she could use the bathroom and we could get some complimentary doughnuts.  We were all going to go to the BYU Men's Basketball game but Taylor (4) fell asleep and there was no waking him so I dropped Brian and Hannah off at the game and they got a ride home with Brian's sister Angie and the cousins.

Life is full.



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Goals

These are the goals I accomplished or started to make significant progress on in 2013:
 Complete 12 sewing projects.
Eat a sit down meal with my family at least 5 Times a week.
Make Green Tomato Curry 12 pints
Have a craft class 

This year, here are a few of my goals this year:
Read the Book of Mormon as a family.  Study and read the scriptures.
Get along with and love my family.
Go to the temple once a month.
Run a 5k
Lose 35 pounds
Invest in relationships with grandparents and great grandparents.
Pay off debt and have savings.
Trade in car for SUV/minivan
work on goals with my kids and husband.



The Kids

Cute Brother and Little Sister Duo, they are best friends but will also often be heard saying back and forth, "No, you're bad. No, you're BAD." And then, breaking into fits of laughter.

 My good friend, Nicky, took these pictures when both of our babies were about 6 weeks old.  Her daughter, Abigail and Ryan, are only 3 days apart.  That has nothing to do with the fact the two of us our friends (wink,wink).  But here we were up Rock Canyon behind the temple, with 7 kids under 4.  Crazy times!
 Living in Provo, saving spots for the Freedom Festival Parade, on the 4th of July, is a new family tradition.  We were able to save spots right where Beste was helping out with the Chamber of Commerce.  I have never seen this picture before.  I am so glad this moment was captured; that hug is so sweet.

Taylor eating an apple waiting for the parade to start.
 They got these fireman hats from when their preschool class went to our firestation.  We go every year; they are still too little to have started asking the firemen questions. Hannah looks so little here.
Eating at the food truck, Waffle Love, after the parade, Nana and Beste's treat.   So Yummy!!!

Talking to Taylor



How old are you?  4

Who is your best friend?  Michael, his cousin

What is your favorite thing to eat?  Green Beans and Carrots

Favorite Drink?  Milk and Orange Pop (that Mom makes in her Sodastream)

What is your favorite Christmas present you got?  My Spiderman sleeping bag

What is your favorite show?  Jake and the Neverland Pirates

What is your favorite movie?  Mulan

What is your favorite song?  Up on the Housetop and What does the Fox Say?

What is your favorite animal?  Goat and sheep

What is your favorite color?  Blue and Yellow

What is your favorite thing to do with Dad? Try to go hunting.  For what?  Deer

What is your favorite thing to do with Mom?  Sleep by you.

I like to tickle baby's chin.  I like to watch movies with baby.  I like his name (Ryan).

I like to read books.  I like to read Beste and Nana's book, the Santa One.  I like to look at the pictures.
I like to go on the website abcmouse.com and play games.


Interview of Hannah

How old are you? Two

Who is your best friend? Taylor and Maycie

What is your favorite thing to eat? Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. To drink? Juice

What is your favorite show? Bubble Guppies

What is your favorite movie?  Tinkerbell

What is your favorite Christmas present you got? Boots

What is your favorite color? Pink