The Last Day of the Year

Today is that favorite of all listmakers, goalsetters, and planners, New Year's Eve! It is the last day to accomplish all those things you said you would do "this year". It is a day to see just what you DIDN'T do this year, and decide if that needs to be fixed in the year to come or if it really didn't matter anyway!

Here are some things I DID accomplish in 2008:

- Planted and cared for our first garden!
- Stayed out of debt.
- Went camping with the family to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant - with a 7 year old, 3 year old, 2 year old, 10 month old, daddy, grandma, grandpa, and my pregnant self! In a very HOT July. I loved it!
- Got pregnant again - horray! Another blessing is coming.
- Read my scriptures more days than I missed. I definitely still missed days, but it was better than the year before.
- Played outside with my children more.
- Survived a week with no power.
- Increased our food storage.
- Cooked with our food storage regularly - even the wheat!
- Homeschooled and LOVED it! What a blessing this has been to our family. We have spent more time together as a family living and learning that the average public school family gets to. - I have seen my oldest become fluent in reading, fluent enough that she will read books to her siblings, that she can read the scriptures during family scripture study, and can read several books in an hour of quiet time.
- I have seen the light in my children's eyes as they have learned about God's creations, be it a kitten, a caterpillar, a plant THEY grew in the garden, or how to make the letter A.
- I have watched another baby grow from 2 months old last January to a walking, climbing, sweetheart who loves his siblings.
- I have four children who are still innocent, who have been sheltered and allowed to be children. They have not been exposed to the evils and wickedness of the world day in and day out.
- I have watched as each child has grown and developed - sometimes in surprising ways!
- I have so many more blessings that have come this year, but that list gives you a peek.

Here are some things I did NOT accomplish in 2008:

- Losing all that baby weight! Hahaha. I guess that's okay, since it is getting me another little baby soon.
- Reading my scriptures every day.
- Being patient with my children and husband all the time. Nope, definitely failed this one, but I'm trying.
- Worried less.
- Made exercise a regular habit.
- Practiced playing piano, something I really need to do as my skills are VERY limited.
- Complained less.
- Learned to sew with a sewing machine. The machine I have hates me. Really, it does.
- Made a rotating meal plan.


For the year of 2009 I am doing things a little differently. I am only setting goals for 6 months. Every year in June and December I go through these overwhelming urges to plan and set goals, so why fight it this year? Things can change a lot in 6 months. I know for a fact that where I am right now is totally different than the situation I'll be in in 3 months. Now I have 4 children who are at least all walking and relatively easy. By June I will have 5 children. And face it, while babies are a blessing, they also throw the whole family for a loop as we learn to live with a little one who cannot meet ANY of their own needs. The schedule that works today (wonderfully) will change at least twice in 6 months. Probably more. The homeschooling that we are doing now will be drawing to a close for another year in June. It will be garden time again!

Tonight I will commit my goals for 2009 to paper. I will make a nice copy of our new schedule that has been tweaked for a new year. And sometime in the next few days I will share them here.

But right now I have something more important to do - go be a mommy! My little ones are asking for a snack and at our house we love baking treats, so we're off to the kitchen for some fun and mess making! I'm voting for homemade pretzels or cookies - maybe both!