On the Move

In case you haven't heard . . .

The Meyers are Moving!

Rick's job in Logan, where he was hired on 3 months ago as a temporary employee, has turned into permanent employment! So we are moving back to Logan. Really, I do not want to move, but a job is a very good thing! and Logan is one of the places that we both like - except for those dang cold winters!! NOT looking forward to that! But I am getting really excited now for the move - except the moving and packing and cleaning part! :)

Things have happened really fast - we spent 2 weekends house hunting (where Rick and our realtor thot I was being a bit picky! what do they know?!) and have ended up with the first one that "made me jump up and down." That's what I had told Rick - I was looking for a house that would get me excited - and this one did. No, it's not the "perfect" house - but I think with any house, over time you will find things you don't like about it. But we are excited for it! It actually wasn't even on our list to look at, but one that the realtor (a different one than the one that thot I was picky) knew about from it being in his neighborhood.

That was the 24th of July weekend. Rick has already taken a load of stuff to the house - the owner was SO nice to let us move in before closing so that we would be settled before school started - and then let us have the keys even earlier than agreed upon! The plan was to move in on the 21st - at that time I thot that school started on the 26th. But then just a few days ago I found out that school starts on the 18th!! Oh My Heck!! What a HUGE difference a week makes in moving! So we are going to get as much done this weekend as we can and move up but will most likely be back to AF the next weekend to finish up.

Now if we can just find the perfect renters!! Or even some unperfect ones!

Bear Lake

Like most kids, mine LOVE the beach! So we went on another little beach trip, this time much closer to home! A couple weekends ago we picked up Rick in Logan and headed thru Logan Canyon to find us a camping spot for the nite.

We love camping, though it has been some time, and the drive thru the canyon was beautiful! We stayed at Beaver Creek and were lucky to get their last camping site! The kids had a great time "hiking" thru the woods around us, and cooking their own hot dogs and roasting marshmallows for smores. Jackson wasn't too keen on the whole sleeping under the stars thing, but finally settled down once we all went to bed.

The next day we went to "the beach" - Bear Lake - for some fun in the sun!

This picture pretty much sums it up!

Lots of Smiles - Happy Kids
Silly ones, too!

This boy was SO content playing in the sand

I think this little girl grew a fin!

We had a very fun day and the kids keep asking when we can go back! We used to go to Bear Lake every summer, sometimes twice during the summer, when we lived in Wellsville. It's been too long since we've been back so this was a very nice little treat for us! Hopefully we can go again later this summer.

And just for those who didn't know - for the last 2 months Rick has been working in Logan. He was hired on by an engineering firm there "temporary, but with the possibility of going permanent" (sound familiar?) So he drives up to Logan Sunday evenings, stays the week with his old childhood neighbors, and then comes home on Friday nites. Overall it is working out pretty good - of course we miss having him home, but we make the most of our weekends when we do have him with us, and are grateful for the work that he has.

Vancouver & the Oregon Coast

A couple of weeks ago we made the not very short drive up to WA/OR for Rick's brother's wedding. I was really dreading the drive, but the kids were really good - Jackson even decided that it was in fact, ok to sleep in the van - a small miracle!

Just before getting to Vancouver, we stopped here:

Multnomah Falls -

and hiked up partway to the waterfall

We also hiked this giant rock -

Beacon Rock.

The view from the top was gorgeous!

I am surprised at what good little hikers my

kids are - pretty happy ones, don't ya think?

Before heading to the coast, we stopped at OMSI - the Oregon Museum of Science & Technology.

The kids loved the dinosaur exhibit,

but the water area was their favorite!

They seriously could have played there all day.

And then it was on to the coast, near Astoria, where we stayed in a huge old Victorian house with a total of 29 people. It was crazy, and loud, and fun. And I am kicking myself for not taking pictures of all the wonderful people that we do not get to see near enough!

The wedding was on the beach, near the shipwreck of the Peter Iredale - and the weather actually cooperated!

Rick was one of the groomsmen - I thot

he looked hot in his linen suit & hot pink tie!

and Jackson is just always cute!

Here's my cute little flower girls and 1 of the ring bearers

and I just absolutely LOVE this picture of the girls spinning!

And again, that was about it of the pictures I took on the coast - not even a single one of the bride & groom!

Congrats Ross & Kari!
We love you guys!

Gabriella's New Do

For months Gabriella has been asking, begging, to get her hair cut. And I wouldn't let her. She has such beautiful, long, thick hair. And I wanted her to want to cut it because SHE really wanted to. Not just because a couple of girls at school had gotten their hair cut!

I finally gave in. Sunday morning she reminded me that I had told her a couple days before that I would cut it for her the next time she washed it.

I tried to get her to be satisfied with just a few inches off, like we've done a few times before. But she wouldn't be happy with that. She wanted it cut just above her shoulders, but we comprised and settled on just past her shoulders. In all, it was about 7 inches we took off!

I know it isn't completely even, and the one side ended up quite a bit shorted than the other, which is why she has a bit of "layering" around her face, but I think it turned out quite cute!

And most of all - she loves it!

A Week Off From Facebook

So yesterday began the No Facebook for a Week Challenge. I saw one of my cousins was participating in this and decided for numerous reasons that I would too.

I think Facebook is great!

Really, I do.

But if you are like me, you find yourself hopping on several times throughout the day to see what the lastest is, who's doing what, who took their turn on what game, or who left a comment on your post.

And wasting so much time.

My oldest sister Laura recently said something along the lines of "Isn't that what all you little homemakey moms do all day?" (play on FB)

I definitely do NOT want to be in that category!

Yes, FB is fun. Yes, you can connect with old friends. But seriously, if you haven't had any contact with them in the last 10 years, are they really that important to you?! Is there really that much important stuff constantly going on?

NO!!

Honestly, I really haven't missed it that much. And yes, I am getting more done and spending more time with my kids.

Yet, last nite & much of today, I find myself thinking in Facebookese.

Lisa Meyer is tired of cleaning up barf!

Lisa Meyer is LOVING her new washing machine!

Lisa Meyer - Oh no! Now the baby's throwing up!

Lisa Meyer is wishing my hubby was here to take his turn with the barf!

Lisa Meyer is tired.

Lisa Meyer needs a nap.

Lisa Meyer took the kiddos mini-golfing. It won't be happening again soon.

Lisa Meyer is cleaning up even more barf.

Lisa Meyer is excited for our trip to the Oregon Coast in a couple weeks!

Happy 1st Birthday, Jackson!

Aren't those baby blues just gorgeous?!

Well, the day came.

The day that I have been excited for and wishing

wouldn't come, both at the same time.

My BABY turned 1!

May 30th was Jackson's birthday.

I can hardly believe it has been a year.

It has gone by WAY too fast & he is growing

WAY too fast! I wish I could freeze him for a little while!

But for now, I LOVE that he is not walking,

he's a great cuddler, and is such a happy little guy!

His Train Cake

We went to Rick's parents for dinner & to celebrate.

He was so careful digging in to his cake!

A few days ago, I realized it was too quiet -
you know the quiet I'm talking about!
And this is where I found Jackson - IN the tub!
No idea how he got in it, but he did -
and without making a sound either!

He was LOVING it!
This is a typical happy, scrunchy face - LOVE it!

Me & my little Bubba!

Have I mentioned that I LOVE this little guy?!

I am so lucky & blessed to be his mommy!

Easter

Easter was good.

Here are my 4 little bunnies -

wearing their new shirts from Nana.

My cute little scrunchy nosed Bubba!

I am SO totally in love with this little boy!

Showing off their new outfits.

Gabriella & Tabitha showing off their awesome
spinning skirts I made them.
(nice messy background, don't ya think?)

The IceBreaker Recap - FINALLY!

Not the best picture, but sadly, the only one I have from the IceBreaker mini-Triathlon that Rick & I particpated in way back in March!

My weeks of training paid off - I finished!! No, I did not win anything or set any awesome records, but I DID IT!! And I felt dang proud of myself, too! I had such a HUGE feeling of accomplishment as I crossed the finish line and collapsed, crying, into my husband's arms.

My swim went pretty good - Rick & I were some of the very last ones (of about 200) to start. Biking could have gone better - there was a hill right at the beginning that really slowed me down! I don't like hills!! And I didn't quite have the gears on the bike figured out. I felt like I was the absolute last person finishing on the bike - LOTS of people passed me. LOTS of people on their run, passed me! Running after biking that many miles was hard! Especially going up that dang hill! Just as I started my running, another runner caught up to me and we chatted a little and kind of stayed together, pushing each other on for a while. I'd run a little, then walk some, run some mroe, and walk again. But I really pushed myself and I ran across the finish line!

My time was 1 hour 45 minutes - not too shabby for a first timer.
Rick's time was 1 hour 38 minutes - he beat his last year's time by 27 1/2 minutes!!

I am EXCITED to do it again next year!

Randomness

- I Survived the IceBreaker!! Not only survived, but I did pretty good for a newbie! It felt so good to cross that finish line and then collapse in Rick's arms and cry. Yes, he beat me. By a whole 7 minutes! Picture and more to come someday - maybe soon. But probably not until after April 15.

- I only have 3 weeks left of working! It's sad. I really like my little job. Especially Fridays - we go out to lunch every Friday. And I get paid for it. Pretty nice. But seriously, the time has FLOWN by! Last year it seemed to drag on and on and now I can't believe how soon the end is coming. It's sad. Really.

- I feel like I get nothing done on the days I am home. But really I do get a lot done, there is just SO STINKIN' MUCH of it that needs doing! Today my to-do list read something like this: Tennis, Schedule dentist appointments for the kids, renew my medicaid app for the kids, go visiting teaching, dishes, laundry, fix dinner, go to work for a couple of hours, take William to soccer practice, make some Usborne Books phone calls (want to host a party?), mop the kitchen/dining room, clean my bathroom, clean the main bathroom, and lots more. And that doesn't even count anything to do with the kids daily life! Rick's Honey-Do list (since he was not working today - sigh) was something like this: Clean out the Garage, dump the recycling, make a phone call. Fair?! I think not! So nice that I am learning more and more how to delegate things to him! He got to go to soccer practice with William, do the dishes, help with laundry, pick up kids from school and get them lunch, and tomorrow he can sweep and mop - if he's home. And the other half of my to-do list will have to wait until next Monday.

- I dyed my hair last nite. Saturday I got a good trim and thinning and then last nite turned out to be a mistake. My "Golden" Blonde is really Strawberry Orange Blonde. Good think I have a cute hat to hide under for a few weeks.

- We hung Easter Eggs on our cute little stick tree this afternoon - very festive and the kids were SO excited!

- I LOVE playing tennis! Yes, it was #1 on my list of things to do today. Gotta get my exercise in for the day. Priorities, Priorities!

- Tomorrow nite I am going with my good neighbor friend to the Taste of Home Cooking School! SO Excited!! This will be the 3rd one we've gone to and love every minute of it!

- My baby is too big. Plain and simple. I wish I could just freeze him at this age he is at - he is just too stinkin' cute! I CANNOT get enuf of him! Except for maybe at 3 in the morning. He army crawls all over the place so fast that why bother learning to do the real crawling thing?

- I made some brownies last week - nothin' fancy - just some Betty Crocker mix - and the last few minutes of baking I sprinkled with marshmallows and Andes baking chips - YUMMIEST brownies ever!! Made them for a little Girls' Nite of sorts I had and then hid the rest from Rick and the kids and munched on them in secret. Now I crave them. Think I need to make myself some more next time the hubs is gone! Shhh!!

- I think if I do that, I'll gain back the 6 pounds I've lost REALLY fast! At least it will be for a good cause, right?

A little update

So just a little update on what we've been up to the last few weeks!

Gabriella and William had SEPs at school (parent/teacher conference) and they are both doing wonderfully! I do have some smart kids! Gabriella is reading WAY above the "normal" level and William AMAZES me at how good he is doing with his reading. They are both going to be playing soccer this spring and are so excited for it!

Tabitha is crazy as ever! I WISH I knew some trick to get her to sleep longer! She will NOT nap, but oh how she needs it! Some nites she plays in bed and isn't asleep until 8:30 or so, and then is up right about 6:30 every morning - sometimes earlier. And wakes me up. And I do NOT like being woken up that early - especially when I still have a baby waking me up at nite!

And oh how I LOVE that baby!! Jackson is now 9 months and 9 months has brought a LOT of new things all at once, and so suddenly (or so it seems!). I really do forget when new things are supposed to be happening and at what ages my other kids did things. If army crawling was an Olympic sport, Jackson would take the Gold - hands down! I know that none of my other kids did any army crawling, but he has been at it for at least 6 weeks now! And man can he move fast! Nothing is safe from him! In the last week he has learned how to sit up on his own (from a laying position), how to pull himself up standing in his crib, and he is working on teeth 4 and 5 coming in. I do NOT like his new little tricks of sitting up and standing up. The last week he has not wanted to sleep when it is nap time or bed time. He wants to sit up and stand up and play and then whine and fuss until someone lays him back down and then he screams! until he sits up again and then he plays and then he whines and fusses until we lay him back down again and then he screams and yeah - you get the picture! It has not been a very good week sleep-wise for our not-so-little Bubba. Until Daddy set up the pack-n-play yesterday. Brilliant! (ok, really, it was MY idea!) He goes right to sleep, nice as can be. Silly little boy of mine.

Rick has been LOVING being at home with the kids all week while I am working. (did you catch that sarcasm there?) I think the kids like having dad in charge instead of mom because dad doesn't make them clean their rooms and lets them have friends over every day, all afternoon. What a nice daddy he is! He did have a job interview last week that we are waiting to hear from and he has another job lead he is pursuing. Maybe, just maybe, we will get a job soon! He's been working out 5 days a week and is doing AWESOME!

I have really been enjoying my job. I'm now only working 4 days a week instead of 5, which has really been nice - I NEED that day to get things done! (though the paycheck isn't quite so nice) I've been doing my workouts at least 5 days a week as well. I haven't quit worked up to running those 3 miles at once yet, but I did push myself a few days ago and I did run/jog/walk it in MUCH better timing than before! Swimming is going SO much better for me, too. I'm still pretty slow, but feel a lot more confident in my skills.

Only 2 more weeks until The Icebreaker!

Happy (belated) Birthday to the Princess!

Princess Tabitha turned 4 on February 1 -

To celebrate, she had her first little friend party.

A Princess Party, of course.

I had some trouble with the cake, but after tossing one that

compeltely caved in, I was very happy with the final result!

Her Princess Cakes!

4 Dancing Princesses!

And just for fun - here she is,

playing with Jackson - he makes such a good pillow!

Pushing my Limits

Today I ran (jogged) a mile. A full, stinkin' mile!

And I am proud of myself for it - VERY proud!

And then I cycled for 11 miles, partly uphill.

And then I tried to run some more.

But my legs had had enuf!

At the Fitness Center where I run, I have to do 13 laps around the indoor track to complete a mile. When I started a couple of weeks ago, I made it only 3 laps before stopping to walk. On Saturday, I made it 8 laps. But today I did ALL 13. And it felt great!

As I ran (jogged) I kept thinking how truly AMAZING our bodies are. We can do SO much more than what we think we can. The first 5 laps were pretty easy. Then I was feeling tired. I wanted to stop and walk many times, but I kept going. I pushed myself and pushed some more. And I did it.

Ok, now I know for a LOT of people, a mile is nothing! A friend's post on Facebook today said she was going to run 4 miles - 4! And here I am, all pleased with my 1. But I am because for me that is good - that is AWESOME!

And tomorrow I will do it again - and then some.

I have a personal rule that whatever I do the day before, I will do at least that much the next day, if not more. So from now on, it is going the full mile before stopping to walk - and working my way up to 3 of those miles!

Brothers

Who could resist these handsome, silly guys?

NOT ME!

(2 0f my 3 favorite boys!)

In the beginning, William didn't care too much to bother with Jackson. But now that Jackson is bigger and a whole lot more playful, William LOVES holding him and playing with him. (In fact, William and Gabriella often argue over whose turn it is to hold Bubba!) He is a sweet boy, loves to give compliments to his mom and sisters and girls at school, telling us that we are pretty or he likes our shirt. And he loves singing songs for us that he's learned at school.

Jackson is at such a fun stage!! He is almost 8 months old now! The time is going by way too fast for me, though. I just want him to stay little for a while longer so I can enjoy it all more. He is such a sweet, happy little guy. He takes great naps, going to sleep on his own, and is finally down to only waking once in the middle of the nite (thank you!). He is doing pretty good sitting on his own - a little wobbly at times still, and is trying to crawl! He does a cute little inchworm movement and can be halfway across the room in no time! And why is it that he is attracted to all the things he shouldn't have? Shoes, papers, cords, etc, are his favorite things to chew on - and with 2 teeth, you better watch out!

It Is Time!

For these 2 to get in SHAPE!

(and I don't mean round!)

(Thank you to the Princess Tabitha for taking our picture -

I look terrible! I had just gotten back from my workout &

Rick was getting ready to leave for his)

Really - I'm just posting this for us - for me. A goal not written down is only a wish, right? So here it goes and here I will randomly do updates and see how we are both improving!

So, here's the skinny of it. Rick and I have both signed up for The Ice Breaker. It's a mini-Triathlon that happens on Saturday, March 20th - 2 months from today. 300 Meter Swim, 11 mile Bike (almost 1/2 of that being uphill! kill me now) and 3.1 mile Run (a good part of that uphill, too!)

Can I just scream? Am I totally and completely NUTS?! Those who know me well, know that I am NOT a biker, I do NOT run (in fact, in 6th grade was told that I couldn't because of my asthma), and as far as swimming - well, I can stay afloat, but breathing in the water? I don't think so.

And ok, so maybe I am on the skinny side. But that doesn't mean much. I am WEAK. I am a WIMP! But Rick on the other hand, is um, not quite what you would call skinny, but he is STRONG! That big guy there can run faster and longer than my skinny little weak legs can any day! He can bike twice as far, twice as fast as I can!

I was chatting with a friend about this the other day - how a lot of people have that misconception that Skinny = Fit. NOT TRUE!! My husband is a whole lot more "in shape" and Fit than I am. But watch out, Baby! That is about to change!

So - WHY do this to myself? To US? Well, for me, I vowed that after this baby (who is now almost 8 months old - cry) I WOULD lose the baby fat, I WOULD get in shape. And Rick has had a long term goal of that (and a Harley ride coming at him, too!) Oh, and we promised ourselves a cruise for 2 once he's dropped 100 pounds. So, NOW is the time!

Rick did The Ice Breaker last year. With very minimal training/working out, he DID it. He finished and I was so proud of him for that accomplishment. But now, doing it together, we can push each other, encourage each other, and hopefully we can do MORE than just finish!

And in doing it, we WILL get into better shape and hopefully create some good exercise/eating habits that will continue with us. And be good role models for our kids, too.

So, our training officially started 10 days ago. (I say "officially" because for the last couple of months we have been exercising pretty regulary on our own, but not like this!)

Rick is continuing with his Boot Camp class that he does 2 mornings a week, plus going to the gym to run, cycle, swim, whatever, at least 3 other days a week. And on the days when he isn't working right now, he is spending even more time at the gym.

I have started taking a 2 hour cycling/swimming class once a week. The rest of the week I jog/walk a mile (for now - I will get better and work my way up to 3!) and cycle for 11 miles (about 30 minutes) and/or swim laps. I'd also really like to get into the weight room, but I'm too chicken to go alone.

If YOU are in the area and interested in The Ice Breaker, go to http://www.timptriclub.com/

Starting Weights:

Lisa - 128 pounds Rick - 320 pounds

Hmmm . . .

Anyone else ever find odd pictures like this on their camera?

Or maybe something like this?

How about a headless child?

Or perhaps something like this?



If so, maybe you have ONE OF THESE at your house!

This little princess absolutely LOVES taking pictures!! She is always grabbing the camera or a cell phone and setting things up and clicking away. And she doesn't do all that bad all the time either!! Anyone have any suggestions for a child-friendly digital camera that doesn't cost a whole lot? The Princess has a birthday coming VERY soon! (You can see her birthday countdown chain hanging on the wall in the 2nd picture!)

Oh, and the crown was from Santa - I think it may be permanently stuck to her head.

Christmas 2009

Ok, so a LITTLE behind here! Just a few fun pictures from Christmas - I didn't take many, but here's some fun ones!

My Crazies!

But they can be Angels, too!

My little Christmas Elf!

Christmas Morning - in their new jammies!

Tabitha posing and showing off her dress -
(that she insisted on wearing almost EVERY day in December!)
and matching bows I made.



A visit with Santa!
(oops - thot I fixed the red eyes - oh well!)

All in all, a good Christmas - spent Christmas Eve at Nana & Pap's (Rick's parents) and then Christmas morning at home opening presents. Rick's parents and Melissa joined us for our Christmas turkey dinner and then a fun rest of the day playing with the new toys and games.

The week after Christmas we spent in Idaho with Lisa's family and Rick spent the week remodeling her sister's bathroom - fun times! The kids had a great time playing with ALL of their cousins, including the 2 brand new little ones that had just been born!

Centers!

The kids had no school today.

Thank you, Dr. King, for what you did for our country.

But what to do? I was NOT about to take 4 kids out for fun -

stressing about being home every 1 1/2 hours for naptime

(yes, he sleeps that often!)

By 9:30, I could tell it was going to be a LONG day -

a very LOOOOOOONG day if I did not do something to entertain these kids.

A light bulb clicked on - CENTERS!!

William often tells me about how he did "centers" at school and how much he enjoys them.

For those who aren't familiar, the idea is simple. Just set up different activities for the kids to do around the house, and rotate every 10 - 15 minutes (or as needed!)

We had 5 different centers this morning:

Reading

Wipe-Off Activity Boards

Art

Spelling

Yogo Math (sorting and counting Yogos by color)

It was a HIT! William was so excited to help get the centers all ready. The kids rotated every 12 minutes and we had a fun, quiet hour, with the kids all working independently.

Took a break for a couple of hours (I had a lunch meeting) and then shortly after getting back home, they were literally BEGGING to do MORE centers!

So this afternoon we did:

Building (blocks & legos)

Reading (yes, again - we love books!)

File Folder Games

Puzzles

Art (again!)

Play-doh

Jello Jiggler Making with Mom

All while listening to some fun kid music!

There are SO many different things you can do for this! The kids LOVED it, had a fun day where we even incorporated learning into it, they got their reading done for the day, and I was able to get some things done (in 12 minute increments!) on my own.

The main thing is to have things that all of your children can do at their level. My art table was simple - lots of construction paper, crayons, markers, kid scissors, glue, and a kid safe paper cutter (Tabitha LOVED this!) - if you aren't comfortable with your kids using scissors, you can do something as simple as coloring books or pages. At our math center, Gabriella had some real math problems to solve with her yogos, while William and Tabitha just counted out the different colors. Smaller kids could even just sort the colors or shapes or whatever! Just make it fun!

We will DEFINITELY be doing Centers again on another No School day!

2009 Tag

1 - What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Became a Full-Time Working Mom for 2 1/2 months (getting ready to do it again, too!)

2 - Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and will you make more for next year?
Pretty much - see previous post!

3 - Did anyone close to you give birth?
Myself, baby sister Jessie (girl), SIL Johnna (Joe's wife, boy), cousin Kristina (girl)

4 - Did anyone close to you die?
Rick's wonderful Uncle Larry - one of the greatest, sweetest men I know

5 - What vacations did you take?
Wonderful Meyer Family Reunion in Michigan - including 3 days on the lake

6 - What do you wish you'd done more of?
Scrapbooking, reading, playing with my kids, exercising, blogging

7 - What was the best book you read?
Absolutely LOVED Goose Girl by Shannon Hale - not sure if that was the best, but the best that comes to mind right away!

8 - What was something you wanted but didn't get?
Nothing really - I don't have a lot of major wants - just one thing, and it's still a work in progress.

9 - What kept you sane?
Same thing that always does - an early bedtime for the kiddos! and trips to Kohl's!

10 - What valuable life lesson did you learn?
Regardless of what's going on, I can choose to be happy - no one else can make me that way, it's all up to me.

Happy 2010

It's THAT time again.

A New Year - and that means New Year's Resolutions.

I've been reading over my list of resolutions for 2009, and evalutating how I did. Overall, I did ok - could have been lots better, like always, but not too bad.

Here's a recap of what I wrote one year ago:

1 - Keep up with the dishes. Overall I have done pretty good at this one - mostly. Yes, having a new baby kinda screwed things up for awhile (including a day a neighbor came just at the right moment when I was about to have a breakdown and she so kindly did my mountain of dishes and cleaned the kitchen for me) and slowed me down, but mostly I did ok with this one. Hopefully I can do even better this year!

2 - Piano lessons for Gabriella. Absolutely did NOT happen. In fact, I'd totally forgotten about that. Maybe this summer, we'll see.

3 - Scrapbook. I've done a little, but nowhere close to doing the first year of each of my children. I will definitely keep working on this when I can.

4 - Hair Bows. Again, I've made some, including some to go with T's Christmas dress that I was very pleased with, but not as many as I thot I would.

5 - Eat more fruits & veggies. This one I actually feel like I did very well with. Our family in general eats a lot better now than we used to and for that I am very happy. (and I only gained 32 pounds during my pregnancy, my goal had been 30, like I was hoping to!)

Now, in my defense, shortly after making these goals, I started working Full Time - something I hadn't been planning on doing the first of January. So that REALLY threw things for a loop. And then I had a baby. And I am going to start working again in 4 weeks, but this time I am planning on it and know what to expect so I can be prepared (and not use it as an excuse for next year!) Oh, and I will NOT be having a baby this year.

So, my goals for this year, for 2010 are:

1 - Continue with the 5 from last year.

2 - Make weekly Meal Plans. SO frustrating when it gets to be 4, 5 o'clock and I'm wondering "What's for dinner?" and asking the kids and I always get responses like "Pancakes" "McDonald's" "Pizza!" When I don't have anything written out and planned ahead of time, it is so frustrating! But when I do, we have yummy dinners at a decent time. And to go along with this, I need to take time in January to make a bunch of freezer meals to be prepared for when I start working soon.

3 - Attend the temple once a month. Really, it shouldn't be that hard to go, should it? Especially since it is literally up the road!

4 - Exercise. I've been doing more of this the last couple of months, but I really need to keep at it. I have a little bit of baby weight that I still need to get rid of and I want to overall be healthier and more fit.

And to go along with #4 -

5 - Compete in the Ice Breaker Mini-Triathlon. This scares me. It really does! I am not a great swimmer, biker, or runner! Rick did the Ice Breaker last year (and finished!) and plans to do it this year and I have been toying around with the idea of doing it with him. I figure if he can do it, I can do it - right?! It's in April if I remember correctly, so I really gotta get busy on goal #4!

Anyone want to join us?