2018 New Years Resolutions

I always try to blog about my New Years Resolutions, and even though it is already the middle of January, I still have my goals - I just haven't had the time to post! Last year my word was Love. I think that was a great focus and even though I did poorly on reviewing my resolutions regularly throughout the year, the spirit of that word was something I was constantly working towards. I definitely want to bring that on into the next year too. I think there was some improvement with hopefully more to come. I think stopping and just LOVING my kids instead of seeing the mess or asking for immediate obedience, is something I constantly have to remind myself of. Hopefully, eventually, I will get to the point where it doesn't have to be a reminder. I think Russell and the love he brings into our family and the unity it automatically provided has definitely impacted the love I feel and can spread. And when I wake up with a prayer and a minute to myself, I start the day of right with my kids and see the difference in the love I am spreading through our family. So I'll keep this one going forever :). 

For 2018, I chose Positivity. Specifically, positivity through the Lord. I think that actually goes nicely with last year and continuing to bring the love through in my attitude. Some of the specific ways I want to create positivity is MORNING scripture study. As I previously mentioned, I have noticed a huge difference in my attitude as a mother (and a person) if I have time to myself to get into a happy mood in the morning. Russell has cut down nursing at night to just around 2am and around 5am. The 5am one is hard because then I want to hit snooze at 6am a million times. Because of that I end up getting out of bed at 640am and running full tilt into a crazy morning of hurrying the kids for everything until we race out the door. And....already we have negativity all morning long in our home. On the FLIP SIDE when I do get up in time to get myself ready and take time for the Lord, things go so much more smoothly, I have so much more patience, the kids are happier, we usually have music playing and read scriptures, and the kids go out the door at the same time but with so much more POSITIVITY and LOVE sending them on their way. 

This year, I am shooting for mornings like that. For evenings like that. For personal preparation that makes our family days better. By reading my scriptures every MORNING. Saying prayers ALL DAY LONG. By having much less screen time (phone) and by getting to bed earlier so that this can all be possible. My parenting goal is to ignore junk behavior (I learned this year that over 90 percent of behaviors that kids do that drive us crazy is 'junk' behavior that the child does to get love or attention) and ENJOY them with hugs and laughs and singing. More song singing. More tickling. More redirection. Because that junk behavior is really just looking for all of that from me anyway. And Sterling and I have a goal for weekly dates--to help us in our personal goals and our parenting goals. But also to help us just enjoy each other more. Which sounds delightful. We have started out strong, let me tell ya! Last night Sterling ran to Walmart to grab us some treats. Came back, we spent thirty minutes trying to pick a movie...and went to bed instead. I definitely think we can work on date night, haha!

I did have a goal set of reading 50 books this year. This was to redirect myself in the evenings from my phone to a book. But I actually just started a job teaching English online and plan on doing that for two hours in the morning before my kids wake up and two hours in the evening after they are in bed (residency applications and interviews, why oh why are you so expensive?!?!?) and so...reading may not be happening as much. I do have one parenting book that I am in the thick of and loving. And I did just go through instagram and deleted quite a few people I followed that were just time-sucking. Plus, it's warming up so we need a whole lot more beach days over here while I can have them!

With starting my new job the one thing that has REALLY suffered is working out. I had been doing so well, but with preparing for interviews and taking head shots (what?!?!) and random other things that it has added to my list, I have not been working out. I am not exactly sure how I'm going to continue to fit that into my schedule, but when I get up to read my scriptures I at least want to stretch out so that I feel more invigorated for the day. And maybe for this season that might be all I get in. I do get in a LOT of walking by taking Ruthie to and from school every day--so at least there's that!

I hope that by the end of 2018 I can say that we have a general spirit of love built into the routines in our home. I hope that I will have an anchored hold on the Savior so that my parenting reflects that and my children know Him through me. I hope that I will have a solid habit of morning scripture study. I hope my kids have less and less and less memories of me skimming my phone real quick when they are in the same room as me. And that my life will be filled with Positivity Through the Lord. Here we go, 2018!