New Years Resolutions

No pictures, again. I got a new phone because Sterling's phone died so he took my android and I got an apple. But I put my photos from the android onto his computer because I was really, really struggling figuring out how to download apps and things to get them onto my apple computer. So it was a million times easier to put them on his computer and then just get a thumb drive and put them onto mine. We just haven't done that yet. So pictures will eventually be coming.

In the meantime, resolutions.

I love New Years Resolutions. For the past several years I have picked a word. A word that sort of encompasses the ideas and hopes that I want to work on and work towards throughout the year. This year I picked:

HUMOR

I've thought a lot about my parenting this year. I've been following three instagram parenting coaches and reading a few books and trying to make sure I was doing x, y, and z to make my home a happy place and improve my relationship with my kids and really be effective and having positivity in our home. I've been implementing quite a few things, all of which are good and going well and I will continue. But I keep getting back to the thought that basically, I just need to lighten up. ENJOY them. Laugh with them. Choose the humor. Ignore more of the junk and let loose and play. Don't take myself or them so seriously.

"FIND HAPPINESS IN ORDINARY THING AND KEEP YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR." Boyd K. Packer

Normally I would put up a quote that went along with my word, but this has actually been on our bedroom mirror for a year now. I love it so much. And for some reason it is so hard. I actually put this up in regards to marriage. I pretty much haven't seen Sterling since before this summer. He started his surgery rotation a few weeks before we left for Utah. Then we were in Utah for 8 weeks. Then he's been in hard rotations that take a lot of his time and leave a few wee hours of the morning for his studying. He's been ground to the dust. Pulverized. And it just got more and more stressful until after his test the first week of January. Which meant when we DID see each other I thought we had all this important stuff to do. But if I just laid back and ENJOYED having him around---it was so much better!

So obviously, this is a goal that would help me in all aspects of my life, not just parenting.

The other quote I love is "Make the choice to be a light-bringer." Chieko Okazaki. I actually love that one so much I want it to be our family theme for next school year. But that's what I want. I want to be that for my family, for myself, for my memories. I think that if I can achieve that, I can look back on my life and be fulfilled.

How do I break down that goal? I want to laugh---more than 5x a day. Obviously, I'm not going to be counting, but I want some really good belly laughs in my days. I want to mop up the 5th spilled cup of milk and still be singing with my kids and teaching them, instead of feeling anger. I want to feel anger much less in general--most things in life at the stage my family is at are so easily fixed. I should enjoy the messes and be less OCD about cleanliness. I want to plan in happiness for my day. Instead of making check lists, try to schedule so that I'm allowing for free/fun time instead of filling my moments with what I should be doing.

I broke down my goal setting this year into Spiritual, Physical, Educational, and Social.

For social I made the goal to plan something in the morning with friends once a month. Again, trying to see the light side of life and be a light-bringer. I think most stay-at-home moms enjoy getting together with friends but it's tricky. We have a playgroup once a week, but I was thinking of planning something like an EAT CAKE brunch or a favorite things party. We don't need to find a babysitter to enjoy time together! And this is a great goal because it would pull me out of my introversion that stay-at-home motherhood sometimes enhances. I also made the goal to go on dates with Sterling, maybe even weekly?, and to take one child each month on a date--this can be showing up to eat lunch with them at school or anything like that if we can't find an evening due to Sterling's crazy schedule. Also I want to chat with my kids on their bed each night.

Physical--go to bed even when Sterling is up studying, find a gym class that I like to attend regularly, and then Sterling and I signed up for a 5k in April. Maybe I can convince him to do a half marathon after that?! I just got myself a Garmin for my 30th birthday coming up (what?!!?!) and I'm pretty excited.

Educational--I want to learn to play a new song each month on the piano. This brings me a lot of light/enjoyment and it's something I don't make time for. Read one book per month. Read chapter books out loud to kids, not just picture books.

Spiritual--My big one for this is phone use/screen time. I want to pretty much cut out all screen time in our house except for family wii on bad weather Sundays when we can't go on our usual walk and family movie nights. I want to not use my phone in the morning at all until the kids have gone to school and between the hours of 2-7pm when the kids are home from school and not during dinner or on Sundays. Obviously pulling it out to chat with family or when the kids are in bed or napping, it's not a huge deal. But I want my kids to see me this year, not a screen. I knew it would be tricky because I'm nursing, but I do feel like I am making strides already. Scripture study daily. Why is regular scripture study so hard when you have babies and they never keep a schedule?!?  That is always a goal. I put up the question "How have you seen God and felt Him as your partner in motherhood?" or in life. I want to keep the awareness that God is my partner. It is something I heard last year that really struck me.

Along with spiritual is the new Come Follow Me for church. Sterling and I *just* sat down last night to figure out our goals for that. I tell ya, January was crazy. We have some ideas, and I would like to do a morning devotional along with our Sunday study, so wish us luck!

Humor. We got this. 2019 has a lot of 'unknowns' for us as med students hopefully moving up to residents, but it's going to be a good year! Even if we spend the next three years in Florida (ugh. pray that's not really the case. but maybe I'll be able to laugh about it?!?!)