It's been forever since I blogged. I have Disneyland pictures to post and I want to write about Haley's many birthday parties. I still can't believe she's 5. Wow.
But, for now, I don't have time. So, here's something funny that Haley said the other day.
She walked in wearing a princess dress.
Haley: "Mom, tell me I look charming!"
Me: " You look charming!"
Haley: "Thank you!" (as if she hadn't just told me to say it) "Charming means really, really pretty."
She is really, really pretty and charming and pretty funny too! I love that girl.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
We did it!
This morning I just realized that tomorrow is the last day of the month and that we actually did our "no spending". Yippee! The kids and I did a little dance this morning to celebrate while Haley sang, " We did it! We did it!" a la Dora.
It seriously has gotten so much easier as the month progressed. I really do think that at least I have changed how often I think about spending money. Here are some more of the observations I have had over the last month.
*I have a lot more time when I'm not running errands several times a week.
*We still have had so much fun as a family. I think I was worried that I would get bored this month or not have anything to do. But, we have done so many things and almost all of our usual things. We've been swimming at the rec center about 4 times and we'll probably go tonight. We've been to 2 BYU basketball games and there's another one tomorrow. I still take Haley to story time at the library and to dance class. It's just that we don't follow that up with shopping or eating out which is really good. I didn't realize how often we go out to eat or grab a treat or whatever after some sort of activity. That's a really bad habit to have and hopefully this month will help me break it. We went to the Bean Museum and then had a picnic one day. I workout with friends almost daily and play basketball every week. Anyway, it was just good for me to see that most of the things I really enjoy doing are free (or already paid for by passes/season tickets) so I really don't have to spend money to enjoy myself.
*It is so liberating to walk into a store and not be tempted AT ALL by all the good deals and good food. I had to go to Macey's to get some rolls for a funeral luncheon (before we started this we made the exclusion for church things (tithing, fast offerings, activities, dinners etc.) because those are things that are important to us) and I loved being able to walk in, go straight to the bakery, pick up the one thing I needed and walk out without even looking at all the other things that I don't need but end up buying anyway. It was such a great feeling.
*Confessions: I did end up buying gas last week. There were a few trips to Salt Lake that I hadn't anticipated and I got low quicker than I thought I would. That would have been fine, we could have walked to and from school and church for a week, but I had to take Haley to a hearing test with the district audiologist in Lindon. When we left, the light for the gas was already on, so I knew I would have to get gas. But, I purposely just got a little bit so that I wouldn't just drive all over the place for the rest of the month. The purpose of this challenge was to help us cut out the unnecessary spending, not really to save on gas anyway. But, maybe I'm just making excuses.
*Another confession: I bought some tights yesterday for Haley's dance class. Her other pairs all had runs or holes all of a sudden. Maybe because she insists on wearing dance clothes pretty much 24/7. Anyway, I probably should've just made her go tightless even though they really aren't supposed to, but I guess I was just not in the mood to be that cheap. Somehow I justified it because it was only a couple days before the end of the month and we had done so well all month. Oh well, I guess I can't be perfect. :)
*I meant to write about this earlier, but I never got a chance. Right after I wrote my last update post I had mentioned that we would have to go buy milk for the second half of the month. We were totally okay with that and had planned on it all along. Well, that night, my nephew Hyrum slept over at our house. When his dad came the next day to pick him up, he said, "I have some things for you." Then he pulled out some grocery bags filled with snacks and a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. It was the nicest thing! In fact, I got a little teary-eyed later telling Jason about it. Then, the next Saturday, my two brothers showed up on their way home from grocery shopping with another gallon of milk for us. It was so thoughtful. So, we have a day left and still plenty of milk. I have such a wonderful family. It was so great to see that other people cared about our silly little challenge. I have had so many other people ask us about it and how it's going and take interest in what we are doing.
*I am so surprised that we still have food in our cupboards, freezer, and fridge. I really thought that by the end of this month we would have to get really "creative" with the things we were eating. But, we have been able to eat meals that are pretty much our regular meals. In fact, I think our kitchen is more stocked today than it is normally--weird. I way over bought on a lot of things so we will have plenty for the next few months. We even spaced the treat type of foods out better than I thought. This has been very good for me to know better how much we need to spend on groceries and the kinds of things that we go through quickly, etc. Surprisingly, I think we can spend a lot less on groceries each month than I anticipated. I will definitely be a smarter shopper now after doing this experiment.
I have learned so much in this past month, but this post has taken me longer than I thought to write. I want to make this a regular thing that we do because I know that I always have to "relearn" things. We may do it once a year or a couple times a year, who knows. But, hopefully, we'll just be able to remember what we've learned and not be so wasteful and spendy. I think everyone should try it for a month just to discover your own spending habits and thought processes--it's very enlightening.
It seriously has gotten so much easier as the month progressed. I really do think that at least I have changed how often I think about spending money. Here are some more of the observations I have had over the last month.
*I have a lot more time when I'm not running errands several times a week.
*We still have had so much fun as a family. I think I was worried that I would get bored this month or not have anything to do. But, we have done so many things and almost all of our usual things. We've been swimming at the rec center about 4 times and we'll probably go tonight. We've been to 2 BYU basketball games and there's another one tomorrow. I still take Haley to story time at the library and to dance class. It's just that we don't follow that up with shopping or eating out which is really good. I didn't realize how often we go out to eat or grab a treat or whatever after some sort of activity. That's a really bad habit to have and hopefully this month will help me break it. We went to the Bean Museum and then had a picnic one day. I workout with friends almost daily and play basketball every week. Anyway, it was just good for me to see that most of the things I really enjoy doing are free (or already paid for by passes/season tickets) so I really don't have to spend money to enjoy myself.
*It is so liberating to walk into a store and not be tempted AT ALL by all the good deals and good food. I had to go to Macey's to get some rolls for a funeral luncheon (before we started this we made the exclusion for church things (tithing, fast offerings, activities, dinners etc.) because those are things that are important to us) and I loved being able to walk in, go straight to the bakery, pick up the one thing I needed and walk out without even looking at all the other things that I don't need but end up buying anyway. It was such a great feeling.
*Confessions: I did end up buying gas last week. There were a few trips to Salt Lake that I hadn't anticipated and I got low quicker than I thought I would. That would have been fine, we could have walked to and from school and church for a week, but I had to take Haley to a hearing test with the district audiologist in Lindon. When we left, the light for the gas was already on, so I knew I would have to get gas. But, I purposely just got a little bit so that I wouldn't just drive all over the place for the rest of the month. The purpose of this challenge was to help us cut out the unnecessary spending, not really to save on gas anyway. But, maybe I'm just making excuses.
*Another confession: I bought some tights yesterday for Haley's dance class. Her other pairs all had runs or holes all of a sudden. Maybe because she insists on wearing dance clothes pretty much 24/7. Anyway, I probably should've just made her go tightless even though they really aren't supposed to, but I guess I was just not in the mood to be that cheap. Somehow I justified it because it was only a couple days before the end of the month and we had done so well all month. Oh well, I guess I can't be perfect. :)
*I meant to write about this earlier, but I never got a chance. Right after I wrote my last update post I had mentioned that we would have to go buy milk for the second half of the month. We were totally okay with that and had planned on it all along. Well, that night, my nephew Hyrum slept over at our house. When his dad came the next day to pick him up, he said, "I have some things for you." Then he pulled out some grocery bags filled with snacks and a gallon of milk and a dozen eggs. It was the nicest thing! In fact, I got a little teary-eyed later telling Jason about it. Then, the next Saturday, my two brothers showed up on their way home from grocery shopping with another gallon of milk for us. It was so thoughtful. So, we have a day left and still plenty of milk. I have such a wonderful family. It was so great to see that other people cared about our silly little challenge. I have had so many other people ask us about it and how it's going and take interest in what we are doing.
*I am so surprised that we still have food in our cupboards, freezer, and fridge. I really thought that by the end of this month we would have to get really "creative" with the things we were eating. But, we have been able to eat meals that are pretty much our regular meals. In fact, I think our kitchen is more stocked today than it is normally--weird. I way over bought on a lot of things so we will have plenty for the next few months. We even spaced the treat type of foods out better than I thought. This has been very good for me to know better how much we need to spend on groceries and the kinds of things that we go through quickly, etc. Surprisingly, I think we can spend a lot less on groceries each month than I anticipated. I will definitely be a smarter shopper now after doing this experiment.
I have learned so much in this past month, but this post has taken me longer than I thought to write. I want to make this a regular thing that we do because I know that I always have to "relearn" things. We may do it once a year or a couple times a year, who knows. But, hopefully, we'll just be able to remember what we've learned and not be so wasteful and spendy. I think everyone should try it for a month just to discover your own spending habits and thought processes--it's very enlightening.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Mother's Job
Britton (a few minutes ago): "I wish the kids could live all by themselves. Then we could have all the fun that we want."
(Pauses to think)
"But, then we'd have to eat garbage."
It looks like I'm doing my job well--keeping the kids from having too much fun AND from having to eat garbage.
(Pauses to think)
"But, then we'd have to eat garbage."
It looks like I'm doing my job well--keeping the kids from having too much fun AND from having to eat garbage.
Friday, February 13, 2009
"No Spending" Update
Well, the month is half over and here is the run down for how it's going with not spending any money. So far, so good.
*I had to buy some children's tylenol when we ran out last week when Britton was sick.
* I was completely unprepared for Valentine's Day at school. This is the first year I've had a kid in school, so it's not something I really think about. When I planned for the month, I actually did think about it, but more in the context of me and Jason and I figured I could make a special dinner and we could do something at home or something free. But, I didn't want to make Britton not have something to take to school. My original intentions were to have him MAKE valentines and treats so that we still didn't have to spend money, but my week was too crazy and that didn't happen. So, last night at about 10:00 I ran to the store for valentines.
And that is all the money we've spent so far. I'm pretty pleased.
However, I think the next two weeks will be harder. I'm to the point where I really have to conserve on gas if I'm going to make it through the month. So, I'll probably be starting to walk a lot more often. We have plenty of food, but we are getting low on some of our favorites, mostly the snacky treaty types of food. So, I'm going to have to be more organized about planning out meals and cooking ahead since most of the easy-to-grab-at-the-last-minute things are gone. I will have to buy milk soon too, but that is something that I planned because I really didn't know what to do about that. I thought about trying to freeze milk or use powdered milk which both probably would've worked. But, in the end, we just decided milk was the one thing we would buy midway through the month.
I've been really happy with this experiment so far. The first few days, it seemed like every time I was in the car, I thought about grabbing some food or a treat or something or running to the store. So, I had to subconsciously remind myself that I couldn't spend money. But, it really only lasted a few days. Now I rarely even think about spending money. I am really surprised how quickly my thought habits have changed.
Another thing that I have noticed is how much food my kids waste. I guess I knew they did before but now, knowing that I can't just run to the store when we're out of something, it bothers me more. Seeing the half a cup of milk on the table or the bowl of uneaten cereal didn't really phase me before. Now it seems like I'm always saying, "Don't ask for food unless you're actually going to eat it!" I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. I think it's good for my kids to be more aware of what they are wasting and try not to do it, but I don't want to always be nagging them either.
I am amazed at how dedicated my kids are about this too. They will ask for things, out of habit, and I will just say, "We can't get that right now, it's February." And they are just fine with that. No fits. No tantrums. They don't even complain or say that they can't wait until February is over. The other night, I had planned to take Haley with me to the BYU basketball game. At the last minute Britton decided he wanted to go too, but we only had 2 tickets. He really wanted to go. I said that maybe we could make an exception and buy him a ticket, but he didn't want me to do that. He ran into his room, got his wallet, and pulled out all his money. We counted it up and he had enough to buy a ticket. He still had some change leftover so he wanted to buy a brownie at the game. I offered to take his change and just pay for his brownie so they wouldn't have to count it all out, but he said, "No, you can't spend any money, I'll just buy it." It was so cute. We had such a fun time at the game. The whole way home he kept saying, "I'm sure glad I had enough money to go."
Last week I had to buy some things for some church stuff (things that would be reimbursed). When I got out my wallet to pay for it, Britton practically yelled, "Mom, but you can't spend any money." It was kind of embarrassing. I explained to him that it was okay because it was for church and I would be getting the money back. I'm just so happy that he is so dedicated to helping us do this.
I have had to say "no" to a lot of things already. Things that I normally would say "yes" to. Some are things that I really like to be able to do, but most of the things are things I say "yes" to but don't really need to (and probably really shouldn't). Even though I've said "no" to things, I really don't feel like I've missed out on anything. I think this is a really good thing for me to realize. I am not a huge spender as far as shopping goes, but I do love to get out and do things like go to movies and out to eat. But, it's good for me to see that I can have really fun times with my friends and family without spending money.
Well, I will post more updates and more things that I have learned/realized as they come. I think the next two weeks will be more challenging, so wish us luck!
*I had to buy some children's tylenol when we ran out last week when Britton was sick.
* I was completely unprepared for Valentine's Day at school. This is the first year I've had a kid in school, so it's not something I really think about. When I planned for the month, I actually did think about it, but more in the context of me and Jason and I figured I could make a special dinner and we could do something at home or something free. But, I didn't want to make Britton not have something to take to school. My original intentions were to have him MAKE valentines and treats so that we still didn't have to spend money, but my week was too crazy and that didn't happen. So, last night at about 10:00 I ran to the store for valentines.
And that is all the money we've spent so far. I'm pretty pleased.
However, I think the next two weeks will be harder. I'm to the point where I really have to conserve on gas if I'm going to make it through the month. So, I'll probably be starting to walk a lot more often. We have plenty of food, but we are getting low on some of our favorites, mostly the snacky treaty types of food. So, I'm going to have to be more organized about planning out meals and cooking ahead since most of the easy-to-grab-at-the-last-minute things are gone. I will have to buy milk soon too, but that is something that I planned because I really didn't know what to do about that. I thought about trying to freeze milk or use powdered milk which both probably would've worked. But, in the end, we just decided milk was the one thing we would buy midway through the month.
I've been really happy with this experiment so far. The first few days, it seemed like every time I was in the car, I thought about grabbing some food or a treat or something or running to the store. So, I had to subconsciously remind myself that I couldn't spend money. But, it really only lasted a few days. Now I rarely even think about spending money. I am really surprised how quickly my thought habits have changed.
Another thing that I have noticed is how much food my kids waste. I guess I knew they did before but now, knowing that I can't just run to the store when we're out of something, it bothers me more. Seeing the half a cup of milk on the table or the bowl of uneaten cereal didn't really phase me before. Now it seems like I'm always saying, "Don't ask for food unless you're actually going to eat it!" I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. I think it's good for my kids to be more aware of what they are wasting and try not to do it, but I don't want to always be nagging them either.
I am amazed at how dedicated my kids are about this too. They will ask for things, out of habit, and I will just say, "We can't get that right now, it's February." And they are just fine with that. No fits. No tantrums. They don't even complain or say that they can't wait until February is over. The other night, I had planned to take Haley with me to the BYU basketball game. At the last minute Britton decided he wanted to go too, but we only had 2 tickets. He really wanted to go. I said that maybe we could make an exception and buy him a ticket, but he didn't want me to do that. He ran into his room, got his wallet, and pulled out all his money. We counted it up and he had enough to buy a ticket. He still had some change leftover so he wanted to buy a brownie at the game. I offered to take his change and just pay for his brownie so they wouldn't have to count it all out, but he said, "No, you can't spend any money, I'll just buy it." It was so cute. We had such a fun time at the game. The whole way home he kept saying, "I'm sure glad I had enough money to go."
Last week I had to buy some things for some church stuff (things that would be reimbursed). When I got out my wallet to pay for it, Britton practically yelled, "Mom, but you can't spend any money." It was kind of embarrassing. I explained to him that it was okay because it was for church and I would be getting the money back. I'm just so happy that he is so dedicated to helping us do this.
I have had to say "no" to a lot of things already. Things that I normally would say "yes" to. Some are things that I really like to be able to do, but most of the things are things I say "yes" to but don't really need to (and probably really shouldn't). Even though I've said "no" to things, I really don't feel like I've missed out on anything. I think this is a really good thing for me to realize. I am not a huge spender as far as shopping goes, but I do love to get out and do things like go to movies and out to eat. But, it's good for me to see that I can have really fun times with my friends and family without spending money.
Well, I will post more updates and more things that I have learned/realized as they come. I think the next two weeks will be more challenging, so wish us luck!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
One to Remember
Yesterday Haley and I were walking to pick Britton up from school. She insisted on bringing her notebook and pen to draw as were walking.
At one point she turned to me and said, "Can you please carry these for a minute?"
I took the notebook and pen and then she said, "I have a situation in my bum" as she started adjusting her underwear.
It was probably the funniest thing I have ever heard. And the way she says "situation" is just priceless.
At one point she turned to me and said, "Can you please carry these for a minute?"
I took the notebook and pen and then she said, "I have a situation in my bum" as she started adjusting her underwear.
It was probably the funniest thing I have ever heard. And the way she says "situation" is just priceless.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Thankful Thursday
Yesterday did not turn out the way I had planned, but thanks to my family, it was still a great day.
Britton woke up, burning up with fever and with a sore throat and a cough. I knew he was too sick to go to school. I had quite a few things planned throughout the day that I was really looking forward to, but I knew I would have to cancel some of them to take care of Britton.
Britton asked if he could have a blessing, so we called my dad to help Jason give it. My dad was here in just a few minutes. It's so great that he's always willing to come over at a minutes notice. Thanks Dad!
Jason volunteered to go a little bit late to work so that I could go to my aerobics class. It's not really a class. A friend of mine who lives around the block has a dance studio in her house, so we've been getting together to do my Turbo Jam DVDs. We decided it would be really fun to have a group get together once a week, so yesterday was our first day with the group and I really didn't want to miss it. Thanks Jason!
In the afternoon, Haley had dance class. I really didn't want to make her miss it. When she got up in the morning, she immediately put her leotard and tights on. Several hours before she asked me if she could go. When I told her it didn't start for 2 1/2 hours, she said, "We can just wait in the waiting room." Needless to say, she was more than a little excited for it. So, I called my mom and she was more than willing to take Haley so that I could stay home to take care of Britton. Then, she took Haley over to her house to play for the rest of the day and I was able to just snuggle with Britton and take a nap with him. Thanks Mom!
In the evening, we had planned to have my mom watch the kids so we could go to parent/teacher conferences and then to our ward temple night. I wasn't sure if my mom would still want to knowing that Britton was sick, but she didn't mind at all. It was so great getting to go to the temple. We have been so busy lately and Jason and I rarely have anytime to spend together. It was so nice to be together in such a peaceful place. Thanks again Mom!
While we were at the temple, Jon and Mijoung offered to take Haley swimming with them. She was so happy and had such a good time. She ended up having such a fun day because of all the things people took her to do. Thanks Jon and Mijoung!
I am so glad that we have so much family nearby and that they are always happy and willing to help. What a blessing!
Britton woke up, burning up with fever and with a sore throat and a cough. I knew he was too sick to go to school. I had quite a few things planned throughout the day that I was really looking forward to, but I knew I would have to cancel some of them to take care of Britton.
Britton asked if he could have a blessing, so we called my dad to help Jason give it. My dad was here in just a few minutes. It's so great that he's always willing to come over at a minutes notice. Thanks Dad!
Jason volunteered to go a little bit late to work so that I could go to my aerobics class. It's not really a class. A friend of mine who lives around the block has a dance studio in her house, so we've been getting together to do my Turbo Jam DVDs. We decided it would be really fun to have a group get together once a week, so yesterday was our first day with the group and I really didn't want to miss it. Thanks Jason!
In the afternoon, Haley had dance class. I really didn't want to make her miss it. When she got up in the morning, she immediately put her leotard and tights on. Several hours before she asked me if she could go. When I told her it didn't start for 2 1/2 hours, she said, "We can just wait in the waiting room." Needless to say, she was more than a little excited for it. So, I called my mom and she was more than willing to take Haley so that I could stay home to take care of Britton. Then, she took Haley over to her house to play for the rest of the day and I was able to just snuggle with Britton and take a nap with him. Thanks Mom!
In the evening, we had planned to have my mom watch the kids so we could go to parent/teacher conferences and then to our ward temple night. I wasn't sure if my mom would still want to knowing that Britton was sick, but she didn't mind at all. It was so great getting to go to the temple. We have been so busy lately and Jason and I rarely have anytime to spend together. It was so nice to be together in such a peaceful place. Thanks again Mom!
While we were at the temple, Jon and Mijoung offered to take Haley swimming with them. She was so happy and had such a good time. She ended up having such a fun day because of all the things people took her to do. Thanks Jon and Mijoung!
I am so glad that we have so much family nearby and that they are always happy and willing to help. What a blessing!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Flashback
I just found these videos of Christmas 2007 when we were in China. It's actually not Christmas Day, we did our "Christmas morning" early, before we left for Thailand. Anyway, I thought I would post these videos.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Cousin Cuteness
I love how they are all snuggled in!
I love how Britton has his arms around Haley and Hayden is trying to not be in the picture.
Roar!
Just chillin'
Haley's Dance Class
Haley started a dance class yesterday. She's just taking a cheap, community class through UVU to see how she does. She is already way better than she was for her sport's class. She was a little shy to talk to the other girls, but she wasn't shy at all to actually do the class. She listened and followed directions perfectly. And she had so much fun. I think she's really going to enjoy it. 
Thursday, January 29, 2009
No Spending in February
Okay, Jason and I decided that we are going to have a month of not spending ANY money. I am so excited. Usually, I try to make up weird fun little contests and goals for myself and my family, but I'm the only one trying to do them. So, I was surprised when Jason actually agreed on it and I think it's going to be even more fun and more successful that way.
So, here is the plan...
So, I already prepaid all our bills for next month. And I've been gradually buying all the groceries we'll need for the month. Saturday, I'll finish that off. And Saturday night, I'll be filling up my van with gas and making that last a whole month. So, we're not really spending NO money, but by purchasing all the necessities before the month and then NOT spending anything, it will cut out all the mindless, impulse spending that we do. Eating out is our biggest problem. We seem to always be able to justify it. And we make "treat runs" to the grocery store all the time and end up buying so much stuff that we don't need. I think we'll be able to go a month on one tank of gas. Most of the places we HAVE to go (school, church, etc.) are close enough to walk to. But, since it's winter, I rarely walk. So, it will make me think about it more and maybe I'll be homebound or walking by the middle of the month, we'll see. As far as entertainment goes, we have season tickets to the BYU basketball games and we have a pass to the Rec Center. Those are things that we really enjoy and gives us a way to get out.
Anyway, I'm really excited to see how this little experiment goes. I'm hoping that it makes us more creative by looking outside of the box to fulfill our needs. Also, I hope it breaks us of the habit of buying everything we want right when we want it. I've heard a lot of people say you should have a "30 day list" where you put something you want on a list for 3o days before you can buy it. Usually, after the 30 days, you don't even want it anymore. I think this is a great idea, but we've never been disciplined enough to do it. So, maybe this will help us start that. I think it will also help our kids. They are pretty used to saying, "can I get a new toy?" or "can we go to Wendy's?" and unfortunately, the answer is usually "yes". Also, I think it will help us invite people over to our house more instead of suggesting meeting for lunch or dinner or some other thing. Some of our favorite times are just playing games with our friends at home, but we rarely do that.
Well, I'll post throughout the month about how it's going and any challenges we encounter and things we learn. I can't wait for February!
So, here is the plan...
So, I already prepaid all our bills for next month. And I've been gradually buying all the groceries we'll need for the month. Saturday, I'll finish that off. And Saturday night, I'll be filling up my van with gas and making that last a whole month. So, we're not really spending NO money, but by purchasing all the necessities before the month and then NOT spending anything, it will cut out all the mindless, impulse spending that we do. Eating out is our biggest problem. We seem to always be able to justify it. And we make "treat runs" to the grocery store all the time and end up buying so much stuff that we don't need. I think we'll be able to go a month on one tank of gas. Most of the places we HAVE to go (school, church, etc.) are close enough to walk to. But, since it's winter, I rarely walk. So, it will make me think about it more and maybe I'll be homebound or walking by the middle of the month, we'll see. As far as entertainment goes, we have season tickets to the BYU basketball games and we have a pass to the Rec Center. Those are things that we really enjoy and gives us a way to get out.
Anyway, I'm really excited to see how this little experiment goes. I'm hoping that it makes us more creative by looking outside of the box to fulfill our needs. Also, I hope it breaks us of the habit of buying everything we want right when we want it. I've heard a lot of people say you should have a "30 day list" where you put something you want on a list for 3o days before you can buy it. Usually, after the 30 days, you don't even want it anymore. I think this is a great idea, but we've never been disciplined enough to do it. So, maybe this will help us start that. I think it will also help our kids. They are pretty used to saying, "can I get a new toy?" or "can we go to Wendy's?" and unfortunately, the answer is usually "yes". Also, I think it will help us invite people over to our house more instead of suggesting meeting for lunch or dinner or some other thing. Some of our favorite times are just playing games with our friends at home, but we rarely do that.
Well, I'll post throughout the month about how it's going and any challenges we encounter and things we learn. I can't wait for February!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Week in Review
*Monday
Monday I spent the day doing loads and loads of laundry. Seriously, how many clothes can 4 people have? In the evening, we hung out with the Tanner's. We just let the kids play which they were more than happy to do while the adults watched "Ghost Town." It was hilarious and we all laughed so hard. We miss them so much and are glad they are visiting from China.
*Tuesday
Tuesday night, Jason had racquetball league at the Rec center, so I took the kids swimming. My mom bought us a family pass for the rec center for Christmas and we are LOVING it. What a great gift. My kids love the pool and love playing basketball.
*Wednesday
I went to Standards Night for Young Women. It was really good and took me back, thinking about all my good friends from my stake growing up. I sure do miss them. I was so lucky to have such a great group of friends. And great leaders who planned fun things for us to do.
*Thursday
I had a church basketball game. Can I just tell you how much I love playing? It has been way too long since I played on a basketball team. I love it!
*Friday
I went with Jon, Mijoung, Chloie, and my mom (and my kids) to see Madagascar 2. I really liked it. I thought it was better than the first one. Haley was dancing around whenever there was music and she went up to the front of the theater during the credits and danced away.
*Saturday
We went up to the Tanner's all day on Saturday. Melanie invited a bunch of girls from high school for a play group. So, I got to see Julie, Maryann, Angela, Rachel, and all their kids. So much fun. I love that we can all get together and we can just talk and talk for hours. In the evening, I went out with Jason to the BYU basketball game. It's been a while since we've both been able to go, so it was really fun. I miss my husband. He's been so busy lately (which is really good), but we haven't had as much time together lately.
Monday I spent the day doing loads and loads of laundry. Seriously, how many clothes can 4 people have? In the evening, we hung out with the Tanner's. We just let the kids play which they were more than happy to do while the adults watched "Ghost Town." It was hilarious and we all laughed so hard. We miss them so much and are glad they are visiting from China.
*Tuesday
Tuesday night, Jason had racquetball league at the Rec center, so I took the kids swimming. My mom bought us a family pass for the rec center for Christmas and we are LOVING it. What a great gift. My kids love the pool and love playing basketball.
*Wednesday
I went to Standards Night for Young Women. It was really good and took me back, thinking about all my good friends from my stake growing up. I sure do miss them. I was so lucky to have such a great group of friends. And great leaders who planned fun things for us to do.
*Thursday
I had a church basketball game. Can I just tell you how much I love playing? It has been way too long since I played on a basketball team. I love it!
*Friday
I went with Jon, Mijoung, Chloie, and my mom (and my kids) to see Madagascar 2. I really liked it. I thought it was better than the first one. Haley was dancing around whenever there was music and she went up to the front of the theater during the credits and danced away.
*Saturday
We went up to the Tanner's all day on Saturday. Melanie invited a bunch of girls from high school for a play group. So, I got to see Julie, Maryann, Angela, Rachel, and all their kids. So much fun. I love that we can all get together and we can just talk and talk for hours. In the evening, I went out with Jason to the BYU basketball game. It's been a while since we've both been able to go, so it was really fun. I miss my husband. He's been so busy lately (which is really good), but we haven't had as much time together lately.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Saying Goodbye to 2008!
I know it's almost the end of January, but this new year kind of crept up on me and it's taken me several weeks to get back into my routine. Actually, I don't even think I'm there yet, but getting a bit better every day.
Anyway, 2008 was such a good year for me--probably one of my favorites. We were able to do lots of really fun things and there were a lot of changes in our lives. Here are some of the changes we experienced:
*Remodeling our basement
*Moving to Utah from China
*Me quitting work to be a stay at home mom
*Jason's parents moving into our basement
*New carpet, couches, piano, table, and bed
*Britton starting 1st grade
*Jason starting his own business
Now that I actually sit down and list the changes, I realize just how HUGE the year has been. We have had many changes that have dramatically changed our life. And we also had many experiences that I never want to forget.
Also, I was able to check off quite a few things on my "100 things to do before I die" list.
#43 Run in a 5k
#44 Bike the Provo River Trail
#56 Play on a volleyball team with Jason
#73 Run 300 miles in a year (I actually ran a lot more than that--Yeah!)
#75 Go to the Great Wall of China
#88 Ride an elephant
#90 Ride in a hot air balloon
So, goodbye 2008! And hello to 2009! Here's to another great year!
Anyway, 2008 was such a good year for me--probably one of my favorites. We were able to do lots of really fun things and there were a lot of changes in our lives. Here are some of the changes we experienced:
*Remodeling our basement
*Moving to Utah from China
*Me quitting work to be a stay at home mom
*Jason's parents moving into our basement
*New carpet, couches, piano, table, and bed
*Britton starting 1st grade
*Jason starting his own business
Now that I actually sit down and list the changes, I realize just how HUGE the year has been. We have had many changes that have dramatically changed our life. And we also had many experiences that I never want to forget.
Also, I was able to check off quite a few things on my "100 things to do before I die" list.
#43 Run in a 5k
#44 Bike the Provo River Trail
#56 Play on a volleyball team with Jason
#73 Run 300 miles in a year (I actually ran a lot more than that--Yeah!)
#75 Go to the Great Wall of China
#88 Ride an elephant
#90 Ride in a hot air balloon
So, goodbye 2008! And hello to 2009! Here's to another great year!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
My Date with Britton
Last week, Britton and I went to the BYU basketball game together. When we dropped Haley off at my mom's, my mom gave Britton some money and told him to buy me dinner. He was so cute picking out food and handing over his money. He was so excited to get Dippin Dots, I think that's the only reason he really likes going to the games. He was so energetic the first half, jumping up and down, dancing around, and cheering "Go BYU!" Then the second half he just wanted to go to bed. It was hilarious to see the difference. I had so much fun just hanging out with him.
mmm, dippin dots.
what a cute face!
the game
self portrait
messy eater, just like me
mmm, dippin dots.
what a cute face!
the game
self portrait
messy eater, just like me
Friday, January 16, 2009
Christmas
We spent Christmas Eve at my sister, Sheryl's house. They have a party every year and it's been a fun tradition for us. Her husband's family lived in our ward growing up so we all know them very well. It's fun to be able to get together with all of them and their kids at least once a year.
Britton, Me holding Jacob, My Mom holding Emily, Mark, Rick Carty
Britton's very favorite thing to do--hold Jacob
Me with Haley
Biz, Chloie, My Mom, Ethan
When we got home from the party, the kids opened up their new pajamas. I think these pictures are hilarious with Britton totally crying. He loved his pajamas, but he slipped off of the hearth and hurt himself right before the picture. And he's pretty dramatic, so he wouldn't stop crying.
Christmas Day was so much fun. We did all of our stuff at home and then went to my parent's house in the afternoon. The kids were completely spoiled even though they really didn't need any more toys. They were so happy. It was such a great holiday.
Britton, Me holding Jacob, My Mom holding Emily, Mark, Rick Carty
Britton's very favorite thing to do--hold Jacob
Me with Haley
Biz, Chloie, My Mom, Ethan
When we got home from the party, the kids opened up their new pajamas. I think these pictures are hilarious with Britton totally crying. He loved his pajamas, but he slipped off of the hearth and hurt himself right before the picture. And he's pretty dramatic, so he wouldn't stop crying.
Christmas Day was so much fun. We did all of our stuff at home and then went to my parent's house in the afternoon. The kids were completely spoiled even though they really didn't need any more toys. They were so happy. It was such a great holiday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kemp Family Christmas Party
I am so far behind on blogging that I won't be writing a whole lot but I wanted to post some pictures. We hosted the Kemp Family Christmas Party at our house this year. It was on Dec. 22. It was the first time in a long time that everyone has been together. All the kids are growing up so quickly. It's fun to see them all enjoying each other.
We watched Elf, ate good food, re-enacted the Christmas story, and had a mini talent show by a few of the grandkids. It was such a fun night. We really do need to see everyone more often.
***My apologies to everyone for the blurry pictures. I think my camera lens was dirty or else on the wrong setting or something. I shouldn't be trusted with a camera.
Landon, Jared, Jason, C.J., James, and Jasmine on the floor in front
Kris and Jason
Marcus, Brigham, John, Lydia, Payton, Leanne
Sydney, Jasmine, Landon, Jared, Jason, C.J. James, Shari, Jessica, Alex, and Chelsey
Corbin, Kim, Kris, Jason, and everyone from the previous picture
Corbin
Jason and Sydney
Britton and Hayden
Grandma Kemp and Landon
Grandpa Kemp
Jessica, Shari, Chelsey, Alex
We watched Elf, ate good food, re-enacted the Christmas story, and had a mini talent show by a few of the grandkids. It was such a fun night. We really do need to see everyone more often.
***My apologies to everyone for the blurry pictures. I think my camera lens was dirty or else on the wrong setting or something. I shouldn't be trusted with a camera.
Landon, Jared, Jason, C.J., James, and Jasmine on the floor in front
Kris and Jason
Marcus, Brigham, John, Lydia, Payton, Leanne
Sydney, Jasmine, Landon, Jared, Jason, C.J. James, Shari, Jessica, Alex, and Chelsey
Corbin, Kim, Kris, Jason, and everyone from the previous picture
Corbin
Jason and Sydney
Britton and Hayden
Grandma Kemp and Landon
Grandpa Kemp
Jessica, Shari, Chelsey, Alex
Back to Blogging
I can now get back to blogging thanks to my great husband who fixed my computer. I am so grateful that he knows how to do all the things that he can do. He saves us so much money by being able to do things himself. He's the best!
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