We are so happy to be a family of 5! Our favorite thing to do is just hang out together at home. I am thankful that I get to be home with my children. I am also happy to be able to be a support to John while he completes some rigorous training! He is really amazing. I hope that we are developing the type of relationships with our kids that will get them through the difficult situations that will eventually come their way. I am never good at keeping New Years Resolutions, but I decided to set a few goals for 2012. These are goals that will ultimately (hopefully) lead to stronger family relationships, stronger testimonies, and a more happy and peaceful home.
1. We really need to be better about holding weekly Family Home Evening. My problem in the past is that I've tried to complicate the activities too much, so eventually I'm not able to keep up to the standard that I have set for myself, and I stop doing it altogether. So this year, I plan to hold weekly Family Home Evenings. I hope that if I simplify the lessons and activites, I will be able to be more consistent, and have more opportunities to share my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with my family.
2. One personal goal I work on daily is learning to be more patient with my kids. It is hard to be a mom, and having little kids around all the time can make the best of us go crazy at times! I am not a terribly patient person even in calm situations, so to keep my cool in the midst of chaos has proven to be a challenge! However, I am going to put my best foot forward, and try to do a little better every day. I want to set the type of example for my kids that I would want them to emulate. Man, I love them! The goal here is to show them how much! I have told Ivy and Porter that they are learning to be obedient and kind, and Mommy is learning to be patient! We'll all learn together.
3. My third goal is to be better at taking action! I have a tendency to over-think things, and complicate them to the point that they don't get done. Just as I want to simplify our Family Home Evenings, I want to simplify the rest of my life as well! I hope to be able to set priorities so that I can focus on the things that are most important, to take action when I have a project I want to complete, and to attempt to increase my attention span so that I can actually learn some new skills and finish a few projects this year! Wish me luck on that one!
