For the Record...

Our Christmas vacation was wonderful.  We paid a few visits to the city, one of our favorite places to travel.  We also held our annual Family Home Evening on GOALS!!!!  Yes!  I love making goals and I love helping my children set goals that they can achieve.  

That bridge is epic.  I've seen it hundreds of times but every time I see it I take a hundred more pictures.  

Here we are headed to the Fairmont to see the famous life size Ginger Bread House that they've been displaying for years.  

Here it is!  The life size Ginger Bread house.  On the right, the kids are pretending to eat the Ginger Bread.  They said they actually saw a lady take a big lick down one of the sides of the house.  And, as soon as they said that I turned around to see all of my kids six and under licking the house, so there ya go.  What can you do, it's a life size cookie for Pete's Sake.

Usually we go to see the Temple lights before Christmas time, but this year we couldn't fit it in.   So, we went for Family Home Evening during the first week of January.  It was so nice to go after Christmas, much more relaxed.  

I love the new year.  And I loved visiting the Temple in the new year.  It's the perfect time to re-evaluate, to be happy about progress and successes.  

Shane insisted on sitting on the front bench.  It was killing me.  Oh well.  :)  

So, for the record 2014 goals are as follows:

Kalen:

Physical:

- Hike Mount Whitney (I'm getting permits to hike this mountain in mid June with Kalen, my dad and my brother in law, Sean Foster.  I hiked it with my dad when I was Kalen's age.)

-Bike twice a week with his dad.

School:

-Finish BYU math course with an A grade

-Complete three science projects pertaining to what he's learning this year.  

Service:

-Earn his Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge toward his Eagle.  This requires a lot of service hours which he will fulfill through a project called "building bikes for the poor," on Saturdays.

-Once a month do a service project through justserve.org with family.

-Play piano monthly for the care center.

Spiritual:

-Attend temple every other month. 

-Read some church books written specifically for the youth.  

Developing Talents: 

-Solve 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 Rubiks Cube

-Play piano for Priesthood meeting and prelude music.

(The kids wanted me to take note of what they had accomplished through the year of 2013.) 

In 2013 Kalen learned how to play the LDS hymns which he prepared for to be able to play for Priesthood and Prelude music at church in 2014.

He did make a Junior Olympic time on his swim team in 2013. 

He had a goal to read and finish the Book of Mormon for the second time on his own, he is chapters away from finishing.

He attended the temple every other month in 2013 to do baptisms.  He loves the temple, as he has this for a goal again in 2014.

As much as we tell them not to run at the blessed temple...they run and run and race, apparently.  

Gwyneth

Physical:

-Getting onto the A team with her swim team.

-Learning how to use a curling iron and doing her own hair for Sunday church.

School:

-Focus on math.

Service:

-Doing justserve.org projects.

-Playing piano for care center.

Spiritual:

-Complete Faith in God

-Be consistent with prayer and scriptures.

Talents:

-Have Thira teach her how to knit.

-Work on embroidery.

-Sewing lessons with Grandma.

-Learn one simplified hymn a month.

-Learn Spanish.

(Accomplished in 2013:)

She knows how to crochet.

She has finished the Book of Mormon for the third time on her own.  ( I print out a chart for them every beginning of the year and they follow it daily...I highly recommend it.)

She has the Articles of Faith memorized.  It's crazy.  She can just spout them off.  I want to be more like her.  :)

Reece:

Physical:

-Do more biking with his dad and older brother.

-Make MVP on family swim team again.

School:

-Be finished with his work by 1:30pm.

-Continue reading at least 20 minutes a day.  

Service:

-justserve.org projects.

-Play piano for care center.

Spiritual:

-Share testimony every other month.

-Finish reading the Book of Mormon by himself.

-Continue with Faith in God for Scouts.

Talents:

-Learn how to solve the 3x3 Rubiks cube.

(Accomplished in 2013:)

Worked on Faith in God consistently through the year.

Made MVP on his swim team.

We love making and achieving goals.  Some are achieved easier than others and some of these goals are mainly to foster habits that we want to have throughout our lifetime.  I love our family so. There is nothing more important to me than to see them happy by achieving, working hard and striving to do what is right and good.  Happy New Year and good luck to all with the making of goals and personal achievement!!!