{ 2014 Year In Review }

How is it even possible that its 2015 tomorrow!

Amazing!! This year has been a year of expenses unwanted ones vechiles

basement flooding etc, lessons learned, and definite growth and memories made...

So Many beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

So many blessings along the way.

So very thankful for opportunities to grow this year to step out of my comfort zone and do things i don't normally do and I'm still here:) Another year down:)

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW

1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?

-Was in charge of my 20th school reunion by default but nonetheless we pulled it off
-I did something I have never done and stretched myself and had amazing people to work with...

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

My theme was to Carry On and that is exactly what I did
every. single. day.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?






- two new nieces and lots of friends new babies


4. Did anyone close to you die?


Nobody close


5. What countries did you visit?



Just the USA hopefully that changes soon;)


6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?


-patience as every year;)
-wiser time management
-Finally get to Europe..... make more money towards my goal  
sell more Jewelery to get there:)


7. What dates from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?


M's baptism and K's broken ankle

or Probably when the basement flooded, the suburban died on vacation...but more importantly the memories we made in ST George and summer
or maybe becoming the mother of a teenager;)


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?




Nothing huge just making it through another year did a lot out of my comfort zone and learned what I can do if I push myself and it was good:)


9. What was your biggest failure?



I think this year was a good growth year but we didn't fail we just started over the next day:)
tried harder did better and learned alot:)


10. Did you or someone close suffer illness or injury?


-  K broke his ankle:(
thankfully for the most part we were all pretty healthy


11. What was the best thing you bought?



- not sure feels like we spent a lot but not sure where it went haha


12. Where did most of your money go?

Basement flood repair , suburban repairs broken appliances and
KIDS SPORTS AND FOOD to feed them;)


14. What song will always remind you of 2014?


all of me by john ledgend
or all about the bass



15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? 

Happy.. same... counting my blessings you never know on any day what can happen what you can lose and
so appreciate it!
 
Thinner or fatter? Same..
working hard to stay that way:)


16. What do you wish you’d done more of?


- I had a pretty good balanced year though it gets busier as the kids get older its finding time to do the things that matter and I love being here for my kids each day after school and listening to there days good and bad and walking through it with them.... I love and am so glad I get to be and can be because they are only young once...and it flys by!


17. What do you wish you’d done less of?


- Same as usual being impatient sometimes

18. How did you spend Christmas?


-Our house /grandmas and grandpa F's /and then the gran and grand B then great grandmas long day but a fun one


19. What was your favorite TV program?


-PARENTHOOD and its ending this next month love that show! its almost the only show I watch now:(
looking forward to Downton season 5:)

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

- Surviving Hitler by Hakon Palm
-Finally read the Elizabeth Smart book amazing
- Eastward to Zion I loved
and many others:)

21. What was your favorite music from this year?



-Glorious by David A.,
- All of Me
 a whole lot more too:)

22. What were your favorite movies of the year?



- Haven't watched it yet:) 
Looking forward to Unbroken and Hunger Games and Meet the Mormons soon hopefully:)


23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?


-turned 38 jan 10 went to a movie and dinner with D the good ole mom birthday;) probably ended up at walmart too;)
onto my last year of my thirties


24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?



 there were lots of ups and downs but I wouldn't say anything would have made it immeasurably more satisfying .  I enjoyed watching my children grow, learn and make choice


25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2014?




- Jeans cardis boots


26. What kept you sane?



- Sunrises and early morning runs:))
Love them live for them! Can't wait to get back outside!


27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

 keep. going.

which is my theme for 2015 if I learned anything at all its the adage that "this to shall pass" and they do life goes by so fast
enjoy it create it make it what you want
I want 2015 to be deeper
more thoughtful
more meaningful
more follow through
more here with what matters most
more time with what matters
more spiritual connections for all of us
more temple
more scripture study
more FHE's with thought and meaning
more running
more intune.

essentially to keep. going. harder. 
not to let little things bother me
to let go of what doesn't matter
and concentrate on the important 5 around me:)

Here's to 2015

For an amazing one for all of us:)

What things would you like to see more of on the blog? 

Ideas? Thoughts ? Rants;) life? 

 or just Keep Going:) 

Does anybody even read anymore ha ha?

{ Christmas Festivies... }

So where do I start so much happened and right now its bitterly cold feels like Christmas still and thinking about a new year already seriously where did this year go??

...............

Well Over the past week

.....There was a big birthday to be celebrated 

my cute adorable little boy who was just a baby yesterday;)

turned 13!!

&

i became the mom of a teenager what the heck??

and then came the gifts.....

 who knew socks were so exciting when your 13 eh;) 

Elite/Nike crazy;)

......then there was the Sunday before Christmas pictures we simplified and used what we had except for L who got a new dress:

 Took some traditional pics

 

 some crazies

 

The busta move kid:)

 and then Christmas Morning.... it was so fun to see the kids' faces and the things they loved....

 some of the kids' favorite things were:

 

Had to go buy another one so they didn't kill each other fighting over it;)

The marker maker was for K2 but they all had fun doing it its like an experiment they loved it!

 

 They loved this D went shopping 2 days before Christmas and bought the kids a few things which happened to be maybe the few things they loved most;)

 

I got Chatbooks made 17 issues and love them so that was my favorite surprise to the family and I got a new iphone 6 because my contract was up on my old one but that turned into a disaster:( here's my FB status pretty much explains it:(

 Far TOOO much time wasted on things that don't matter :(( 

but somehow along the way they have become like a third arm:((

"I wanna cry I've spent 6 hours on the phone with apple..... reset my new iphone 6 ...6 times.....spent 12 hours in my office....... lost my nike app I've been working on for two years and my goal of 1000 miles of running before the end of the year!! i was so so close.... GONE! and logging on which I never actually synced with nike my own fault but it deleted then my phone got reset to aug 2013 lost a year worth of TEXTS {{{ SO PLEASE IF YOU TEXT ME SHOT ME A TEXT SO I CAN UPDATE MY CONTACTS:((( ALL 1st world problems but its funny how depended we become on them:((( i hate it. I lost pictures/ passwords/ apps /and music and most of all TIME!! redoing it all ....all because somehow my last iphone 4s update became encrypted with a password I have no idea what it is:((( ... I wanna cry:((

So in the end its worked out but seriously why? why do we waste so much time on the things? get physically ill thinking I wrecked something and lost so much:( 

but we had lots of fun in between over the past few days with family playing games ,late nights, sleeping in and so out of routine....

Some games we loved as a whole family were a few variations of:

 and apples to apples jr. Fun times:) 

I LOVE Christmas.

Hope everybody had a great Christmas we even had a white Christmas can't get better than that:)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

<<<<<::::::My Goal is To::::::>>>>>

 

and going .... Doing the things I'm doing. 

Setting new challenges and goals for myself. 

Pushing myself,  trying harder everyday and getting stronger at the things I am doing .....no coasting along ......but pushing ahead........ harder in every area of my life.......

TO keep going and doing even if it doesn't feel like it makes any difference because someday we will see the rewards of 

our hard work, our habits 

our parenting 

whatever it is for each of us if we pick up 

keep going don't stop we'll get there:))

AND that is my goal is to 

Keep Going..

IN 2015 the last year of my thirties. 

Because I am going to rock my forties;)

<<<<<>>>>>

Keep Going

coming soon....year end recap post {i hope} haha ....

What are your goals? or word for 2015? 

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R

 "The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday."

{Christmas Crazies.....}

L in the winter wonderland snow we got last weekend

That's us crazy:) one thing after another.... D's been gone 9 days already this month, we've had a cousin family dinner on D's side super fun to see everyone..tithing settlement..... kids projects and plays ....we've had so many fun memory making moments during and in between. I love this time of the year! Everybody is excited and there are so many opportunities to serve, to grow and teach our kids...of course there's lots of running around scheduling and sickies;)
But overall its a feeling I wish would last all year...

we got an amazing blizzard that coated the trees and has stayed for four days so far so so pretty!  So .....

 L and I had fun playing in the snow yesterday it was cold but fun;)

Some of our favorite books this Christmas are these the kids are getting older so I went to the library and we tried some out and these were the kids' favorite too and now I know which ones we want to buy we bought the Candy Cane one this year and it was better than I thought it was going to be:) Probably the favorite of all is Jonathan Toomey:)

 We also had our ward Christmas breakfast and it went really good. I was in charge of decor so I did easy mason jar globes with trees/ woodsy theme super easy:) and of course Santa even came to visit:  

Do you like where I placed santas chair ....so we can all remember the real reason for the season:)

Other than these fun things and rotary choir for L

we've been so busy its taken us to a week before Christmas and last minute stuff and getting ready 

for a certain someones 13th birthday this weekend 

now that is SO hard to believe 

that this much time has gone by, 

that there are only 5 more years at home, 

that he is taller than me more everyday

that he needs a new bed because his feet are going to go over the end right away

or that I'm old enough to have a TEENAGER!!! ahhhhh

But I love him so much he is a joy

a big help, smart, kind, and willing

see's what needs done and still lets me say 

I love you, hug him and well generally be in public with him ha ha j/k 

He is a great kid its almost heartbreaking that this time with these kids goes by SO fast and I'm realizing that more each day!

We waited so long for this baby boy who is now going to be a man sooner than we wish enjoy the littles because they for sure don't stay that way:(( 

LOVE this boy with ALL my ♥.

Happy Birthday on Saturday Mr. K! 

We love you to the moon and back!!!

SO 

from our house of Crazy:)
Now onto Christmas Baking, figuring out last minute gifts, neighbor gifts ..... and what I actually bought etc etc.....
 most of all enjoying it all:) and letting the other things go:)

{10 on Tuesday}

 

1. Holy. December. came in with a crazy, busy schedule....work parties, a two day seminar and then meetings, and decorating and getting ready for our stakes Festival of Nativities. I was on the committee for this and we had an awesome head of the committee and everything looked and came together beautifully but for all it was a lot of work getting there. 

2. Got some Christmas cards out earlier than usual this year and Christmas shopping done online mostly..... feels good to be mostly done except stocking and a few others and a couple bigger ones for L and M okay not all the way done ha ha.... 

We try to follow this concept but sometimes I wonder how I got a little of track in the end;)

3. Funny how I thought when K2 went to Kindergarten this year ...what will I do with my time..... yet I find so much to do everyday between all the kids, my calling, house, different committees and hobbies my time gets filled and I am thankful everyday I have time to put into my kids and snacks on the counter when they get home.

4. I will have a teenager in a couple of weeks. Teenagers are grumpy ha ha happy one minute, bugging everybody the next.... add a touch of defiance the next.... but seriously overall he's a great kid and I look forward to it:) all of em:) We will survive.... I clearly remember being a teenager like it was yesterday pretty sure most of us do... Although it makes me feel old;) Seriously it was just yesterday wasn't it that he was placed in our arms had waited five years for him and now he's turning 13 and only has like 5 years left at home!! Where has the time gone! I so enjoy him and he's such a joy! Can't imagine life without him in it!

5. So for Christmas I thought some of these things were pretty cool. My K since he was young has always wanted to be an engineer and always been fascinated by structures, buildings and bridges  only to bad I didn't see some of these before I bought his Christmas:)

 

found here

6. I keep adding new things or making things this year to add to our Christmas decor I used a lot of what I already had just in different spots I love it.....I did change the red and white bow to a bigger one fyi;)

7.A few other things I've had going on..... YW in excellence

8. ....we started our book countdown some of which I borrowed from the library because the kids are getting older and then I can see which ones we like before I buy them its working out great! I look forward to it every night and so do the kids:)

....AND a few catastrophes along the way like an orange crayon going through the wash with a whole big load of WHITES and all of D's white church shirts!! Talk about sickening:(( But a whole box of baking soda took a lot of the thinner material-ed crayon out but unfortunately ruined all his shirts and a few others:(  o what a year but we'll save that for year end live and learn :)

9. Loving this quote:

Dieter F. Uchtdorf said...
"Try and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible-- and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you."

AND that is what we are doing around here building real parts of ourselves some days its so hard to keep on keeping on .....until you see in each other the little glimmers of hope, learning and habit.... all apart of the process we are learning together.

10. This print reminds me of growing up:)
Have a great week:)

 

Have you watched this? #sharethegift 

 Take a few minutes to watch it and make time for the true reason for the season:)

I love Christmas:)