Resolutions and Follow Ups!!

Resolutions . . . 

Of course we're gonna talk about them in February.  

I can't exactly recall how I decided on some of these goals and 

wow over the course of January they have changed.  

They also a lovely chat with a fantastic relative about 

the reality of motherhood. 

 I think that this has been an important learning experience.  

I started with my original goals and over the month 

I allowed them to morph into goals that were a little different 

(mostly just more attainable/reasonable 

with the basic concept still there).  

I realized early in the month that as we moved into a 

comfortable routine they may change a bit!!  

After all I've never had three kids before!!

I'm not going to go into details about how my goals 

looked originally, here's my list as they stand.

(I am going to continue to let them morph just a bit!)

Spiritual

Read a Chapter of the Old Testament Every night.

Choosing more spiritual Entertainment.

Educational

Learn a new quilt pattern

Learn how to Make Bread/Rolls/Tortilla's 

and Laundry Detergent

Financial

Cut back on Grocery Bills, 

Stick closer to the budget,

Pay Off the VAN!!

(we are so close already!)

Physical

Exercise 6 days a week with the girls

Brush and Floss my teeth every day twice a day

Family

More Meaningful and Planned Family Home Evening.

Find Creative ways to curb the screaming!

(from everyone but especially me)

Now we went over our goals for a Family Home Evening 

one night and the girls also made goals for me to help them with.

(thank goodness I have all year to work on some of this!!)

They include some things like 

Ms. A learning all the songs for the Primary Presentation 

and Passing her Swimming class next session!  

Ms. E getting Potty Trained. (Yikes!!)

Mr. T gets to learn how to crawl and walk 

(ha ha not helping one bit on this one!!) 

Shane also has some goals in which I have a role, 

like getting 100% Home teaching 

(meaning I need to be around to watch the kiddo's at night) 

and only spending $25/month on lunches at the school. 

(meaning I help him get his hiney out of 

bed on time to make a lunch!)

This is such a daunting task when I look at it all together,

and I'm always grateful for a little divine intervention 

that diffuses some of the chaos around our home these days!!

Now for a little bit of fun,

Reviewing Last Years Goals! 

FOLLOW UP TIME!!

So I am almost completely finished our BOB 

you can read my last update here.

All we are missing for the BOB's is 

a few larger more expensive Items like 

Crank radio's and carbon straws.

Our Document folder is almost complete as well Except for a 

WILL!!

(still trying to convince Shane it's 

not super depressing to take on)

The other fantastic update is 

FAMILY HISTORY!

Of my Three Goals here I feel I have at least made 

some progress on each one!

My favorite was going through the box of originals from my Dad!

He has some super exciting documents/copies of documents.

When we started getting into Family history a bit more we went 

to see a family history consultant which was really fun 

and a bit eye opening as to where we should start 

on each line in our family.

They had also invited me to come scan/copy all of 

Dad's documents on her fantastic photocopier!

However we had a hiccup as soon after she was hospitalized 

and is still not doing very well.

In a surprising turn of events our printer died and we ended up 

investing in  a printer/scanner/copier combo which will 

allow us to do all that work!!

I also just took Mr. T out to the farm to meet my grandparents 

and took the time to ask grandma about her early life 

and some of the stories she remembers.  

We took a Dictaphone and I'm in the process 

of transcribing them for everyone. 

( I will probably give everyone copies for 

Easter Presents, that's the goal anyway).

I'm still amazed by how much I learn when I just ask even my parents.

That same visit I asked my dad what his grandpa did for a living. 

(I knew Grandma Grew up in Calgary but I had no idea 

what her dad did or how she and Grandpa met!)

Turns out He was a delivery driver for CP rail and we 

even have a photograph of him standing beside the delivery truck. 

This also launched my dad into telling a story about his mother 

and her siblings stealing watermelon from the rail yard, 

and bringing out a book of photo's of all kinds 

that I had no recollection we had.  

Look at all the resources I found just by opening my mouth!

We even have a picture of Grandpa during the war 

with his para trooping unit!  

Where was this when I was trying to explain to Ms. A 

what a soldier was around Remembrance day!!

These goals obviously are still standing until I finish the BOB's 

and hit brick walls with the family history.

Now that I have all the progress written down 

I am a bit proud of the progress I made this year on these goals!!

This has been quite a post!! wow ITS a NOVEL!!

So to make it up to you . . . I promise my next post will be 

filled with pictures!!

(after all it's about the girls new bunk beds, 

and the adventure they are having getting 

used to sharing a room)

Valentines #5, #6, #7, and Family History Progress and Goals

These past few days have been a little bit crazy,
I apologize for keeping you all in suspense about
daily valentines!!

Here are the last few days of valentines!!

Valentine #5
Sunday afternoon Shane received this one and shared some with everyone.


(just like I secretly hoped he would)

Valentine #6
Monday morning I slipped these into his backpack.He said he would keep them in his desk for Emergency Rations!!

Valentine #7
This morning I gave him this one.


Which he promptly shared with Ms A!! (so sweet of him!!)

FAMILY HISTORY
Here is where things stand!!

My Mother has family histories for each of us children
back at least 4 generations.
Life stories not just pedigree charts.
I just finished reading them this week.
Which led me to some specific goals.

As I was reading through the binder I kinda lost track
of the line and who I was reading about several times.
In that collection there actually was not ANY
Pedigree charts or Family Group Sheets.
On further investigation I found out that
although my mother has an abundance of written information,
she does not have any of it organized on a computer program.

Goal #1 is to Get Pedigree Charts and Family Group Sheets ready
for the Family Histories books,
and to get started computerizing her files,
which includes getting in contact with the relatives
who do have this already computer ready!

Shanes Grandma also gave us a collection of
life histories from his family for Christmas.

Goal #2 Read through these and compile a list of questions for her.

This is my Grandfather.My uncle just petitioned the government
for his service records in the Air Force.
(which he is sharing with everyone!)

Talking with my father about his records I found
he has not scanned ANY of his documents
that he has obtained copies of to verify his records.

Goal #3 Go through Dad's Huge box of originals
and help him scan them and link them to
appropriate ancestors through his program.

So I am Happy to have a chosen Direction with family history.
When I decided to focus more on family history I didn't expect
it to be so consuming and exciting!
I definitely didn't think it would be so hard
to just pic a direction to move forward with!!
Man it was difficult
I could have made multiple goals for each line of our family history!!
I feel like 3 is PLENTY!!

I'll Keep you posted!!

Looking forward to tomorrows post!!
DATE NIGHT IS TONIGHT!!

Potty Week, Family History, and 14 days of Valentines!!!

Obviously my mind has been in a few places this week!!

#1 Potty Week!!
Well we attempted a headfirst dive into potty time and
we didn't sink or swim, we are officially in limbo.

All week we put stickers on the chart set a timer
and made a game out of the whole thing,
while the table was covered in assorted juice boxes and treats!!

Thank goodness it was so cold so I didn't feel so shell shocked
by being inside all week!!
She even got to wear a skirt two of the days!!
(which made her super happy!!)

At the end of the week she peed on the floor and
looked up and said "guess I need to use the potty"
at that point I knew she was just not ready.
What I can't figure out is what to do now.
I need to find the middle ground.

Mostly because I don't feel like this week was a total failure.
LOOK AT THE STICKERS!

Saturday daddy took her out for ice cream
because SHE HAD OVER 100 stickers on her chart!
That in itself is amazing to me!!
So now Shane and I are STUCK!
Where do we go from here??

#2 Family History
My mantra this last couple of weeks.
Don't make assumptions,
and FOR GOODNESS SAKES JUST ASK!!

I thought I understood what type of records my parents
had as part of their family history.
BOY WAS I WRONG!!

I had no idea what I had in store for me but
the wealth of interesting information that got plopped
literally in my lap was AMAZING!!!

All for me - all I had to do was ask!!

Some of it was already done for me by loving family members.
Life stories of ancestors dating back to pre-1850.
That is all that I have looked at so far,
I also had a huge box pointed to and was told
"there's the copies of the documents I found, enjoy."

Which I just about jumped out of my skin about!!

I went out and bought myself a Brand new notebook,
(mmmmm new notebooks),
because I knew I would forget things if I didn't write them down.
Questions, paths to follow, insights and silly thoughts.
(like how funny the two contrasting life histories are
of an ancestor who divorced her husband)

I'm enjoying this journey already!!

#3 14 Days of valentines!

I'm hoping to slip these into Shanes lunches
or shoes or backpack etc.
He's at the school all day most days
and so I'm hoping to brighten his days!!

Oh yes I'll be sharing them all here!
Starting with this beauty!


Oh yes I have plans for them all to be this corny!

Enjoy!!

Random Flowers and Milestones!

Two Parts to my Post today!!
#1 My husband brings my Random Flowers
#2 Scrapbook Milestones!

#1 Random Flowers
Oh how I love my Random Husband!!
And the Random Flowers he brings me!!

Let me explain, I don't make things easy on him in the flower department.
It's not that I don't like Roses its just that I find them
- well Ordinary and without Imagination on the purchaser's part!
So I get to hear the funny stories like the ones attached to these lovely Freesia!!


In walks my husband up to the counter and says to the florist,
"I need some flowers for my wife, Something unusual."
To which the florist says something like "Any Special Occasion?"
And He replies "nope, but if I bring her roses she'll look and them and say,
"oh . . . . . these are . . . . nice" (which is sooooo true!)
So this genius florist says
"then you want something that will stay nice for a long time
and smell great, How about Freesia?"
My loving husband says "OK, is there any more colors?"
(since Freesia are traditionally white)
and the wonderful Florist plunks in some gorgeous red/orange!!


My Husbands mission is complete,
the Florist at Save On Foods may have got a smile out of it,
And I got some beautiful Flowers for my kitchen!!

I love my Random Husband!!

#2 Scrapbook Milestones
With a shift in focus to family history this year
I have also had an increased desire to catch up on my scrap book.
(I know that fundamentally this is impossible!)

I explained it once to shane - when he asked me WHY!
Its because I hope that some day someone will have an
interest in my life - and until then - I'll Enjoy them!!


But never the less I have reached an important milestone.
I have scrap booked everything up to my mission!
Wow 21 years!!
So here's the next hurdle.
My mother is scrap booking my mission for me!
She scraped my brothers and is still working on mine.
So Now I am needing a bridge between my books and hers
to come at the end of the book
after all the pages of me getting ready to go!

It is also a weird feeling to start directly after my mission.
I feel like its all of the sudden it's 2005 and I'm not that far behind.
(course then I remember all the significant things that come after . . .
Like MY WEDDING!! Oh and I haven't done much for the girls !!)

I also Decided that I wanted to dig out my old journals to help me!!
Fill in some details - especially since having the babies
I don't have a whole lot of memory power!!

So off to Cardston I go today!! To dig into my past!!

New Year, New Direction!!

Well I had so much to post that was floating around my brain this week
and it all came to a Stop - because of POTTY WEEK!!

Now I had finished a few projects hat I had going in order for me to
look forward to focusing on potty
and so I wouldn't get so focused on something that I would ignore
Ms A's needs this week while we tried out the potty!!

Now our potty journey will be a completely separate post -
needless to say I found I was still wandering around trying to think of things
that NEEDED to be done.

Of course I wasn't thinking about mopping floors or doing dishes
- NO WAY -
I was thinking of artistic, crafty, sewing stuffs that NEEDED to be done.

In a flash it hit me and I was grateful for this little tidbit of
inspiration and comfort that came to me.

What I NEEDED to do was just be with my kiddo's.

I suddenly stopped wearing a hole in the kitchen laminate due to pacing and
began reading books and playing match with Ms. A
and wrestling with Ms. E and practicing words.

Eventually I did go back to cleaning but I had this nagging feeling
that there was more inspiration to come.

After Christmas and this wonderful overabundance of craftiness
I thought that I would just mesh back into what I enjoyed doing before
and started a new crafty list.

When I wrote it I immediately felt like there were
things on this list that were missing.
I also realized that a lot of these things were just because
- things to make just because i wanted to create -
not things I really needed to make.

I started working on these projects and guess what . . . . da da da!!
I WAS STILL BORED!!

Why because I was so focused on ME!!

Even the quiet book that was floating around in my brain.
(it wasn't really a need)

So this morning as I was making breakfast
(as strenuous as cold cereal is to make),
I tried to think of some really meaningful projects.
Maybe even things I should have been doing for years,
that I could start working on in order to focus on what is really important!!

Today I am grateful to post about a couple of inspired projects.

Two major shifts in focus that will be taking my effort
away from the sewing machine (a little)
and closer to becoming the person I want to be.
(When I grow up!!)

#1 Starting to work on a plan for Emergency Preparedness Kits,
(including and especially documents), One Year Supply,
and Emergency Plans.

During the fires this fall (one of which directly affected our little family),
I realized that evacuating two adults
is very different than evacuating a family.
Even our existing 72 hour kits were not enough for the kiddo's and ourselves.

#2 Personal Family History and Genealogy

I have always had a desire to know more about my ancestors
- especially my fathers genealogy from Scotland.

This was also spurred on by my grandmother
receiving some wonderful photographs
of her growing up on a small Island off the BC coast.

( I'm sure this was last summer - But I'm just grateful that I have them!)

These Two are my favorite!!

Thank goodness for my parents starting their own records
and Shane's Mom and Grandparents who have paved the way for me!!

So you can Look Forward to Hearing more about
What I find along my way!!

I'm Excited!!! Are You??