Happy New Year!

Okay, okay.

New Year's day was a little while ago. I started this New Year off right: with a good case of the flu--four days of fever and chills. Now, I'm just easily tired and have a smoker's cough, bleh.

Last New Year's, I was in Urgent Care with Rae because he had dislocated his elbow. This---someone having a pressing health issue--- is shaping up to be a great non-tradition. I vote we do something else for 2016, ...like sparklers and eggnog.

Anyway, all that excitement means I feel behind on making New Year's resolutions. Here are my goals for 2015:

• 100% Visiting teaching, and I am going to let myself feel successful if I write an email, send a card or make a phone call. Maybe even if I just fb my sisters. 
• Read the BOM by the end of the year. I only got to Helaman last year, but I'm going to start and finish it this year, by golly. 
• Work through my yoga book. 
• Design and memorize a pilates routine. 
• Start lifting weights again. 
• Incorporate more "traditional foods" into our menus.
• Take the boys outside daily (where possible). 
• My goal last year was to answer my phone. I feel like I did better. My goal this year is to keep my voice mail box clear-er. It was full for about 8/12 months last year.
• Learn how to use a dehydrator. 
• Practice meditation. 
• Teach Raeford to read. 
• Help Joe learn to eat. 
• Blog weekly. I do find great joy in blogging, … I just need to make time to do it! 
• Read classic literature. 
• Reach out and connect with others better. 
• Attend the temple monthly. 
• Plan and take family vacations. Maybe try camping… maybe. 
• Read to the boys for a total of half an hour each day. 
• Practice listening without judging. 
• Practice patience with myself and others. 
• Try to apply "Come along, Come along" philosophy to my parenting. I want spend my efforts promoting good behavior. I also want to instill in my kids that they are good, that mistakes are temporary, and we can be better than we are now.
• Feel proud of the efforts I make in achieving my goals! 

These goals are breaking the rules of good goal setting, like be specific or have a deadline. That doesn't matter so much to me this year. Goals for me this year are a vision of where I want to go, not so much what it looks like as I'm getting there.

"Come on, Mom! Let's take a picture." Rae then pulls up Photo Booth on my Mac and shows me how to use the webcam to take a picture of the two of us. And adds effects.

I love this boy.