New Year's Resolutions Review

I'm currently nursing myself and 3 kids back to health after we were all hit with vomiting, diarrhea, fever and coughing this week. I've been lucky to get away without the vomiting and coughing, so it's made my job a little easier, but still, there's just no way to paint it pretty when I'm taking care of one kid and missing something explosive from another. I've been wiped. Katie started Monday at noon and Tom and Dancy followed suit on Tuesday. Yesterday I took Katie to the ER for IV fluids (HAP-py New Year to US!) because she hadn't kept ANYTHING down in 50 hours and we were worried about dehydration. She's doing much better today--taking sips of water, half a popsicle, and a hearty consumption of Wheat Thins. Tom and Dancy have not been near as severe as Katie. We're not worried about them. Just patiently nursing them through it.

Anyway, getting beyond the graphics of my life--

2013 Resolutions

 

1. Exercise 3-4 days a week.  Begin a yoga/tai chi rotation.  I'll need to get a tai chi DVD.  --Yeah, I did okay at this. The tai chi was really enjoyable, and I was really good at getting back to my exercise after Dancy came out. Now I just need to get back into it because I quit when life got all hectic with Dancy's starvation months. I'm sure the lack of exercise contributed to my insanity as well.
2. Prove to the world that a healthy baby can be produced without me gaining 25-35 pounds during pregnancy. Really? Because that's an obscenely ridiculous amount to gain.  No wonder women have body image issues after pregnancy.--I ate healthy and didn't over eat up until 8 months in when Shad was working 60 hrs a week for a month, and we hit up all the fast food joints WAY more than we ever have. So I think I did gain about 25 lbs, but lost all but 5 of it giving birth and the other 5 came off when I started back into yoga. (Honestly looking back, this one seems really ridiculous and I'd cross it off if I could, but it is what it is.)
3. Prove myself wrong that I'll still be able to yield a successful garden with a fresh baby and two toddlers. --NOPE! I grew ONE pumpkin.
4. Use my crockpot twice a week. --I didn't keep track, but I use it all the time for yogurt and almost once a week for a meal. Good enough for me.
5. Bake more homemade breads.  So excited for the breadmaker on its way!! --Ohhhh, we love this! Finding an electric food slicer for $3 at a garage sale this fall has made this even more enjoyable. And my favorite husband got me a grain mill for Christmas, so I'm looking forward to even more ease and possibilities with bread. A friend of mine told me that you can grind your dried beans and mix that in as part of the flour. It adds flavor and nutrition to the bread as well as helping to use my food storage!
6. Read a chapter a day in the Bible.  I'm still Gospel Doctrine teacher and have Doctrine and Covenants to study this year, along with Our Heritage, so I'm trying to be realistic.--I think I remembered this earlier this year, but then completely forgot about it.
7. Read 10 biographies/autobiographies.--Didn't make it to ten, but I just wasn't that into reading this year.
8. Decorate 1 room.  Besides the baby nook I'm creating in my bedroom right now...--Haha! Baby Nook...that lasted for a week and then we moved her OUT. But we did much more than one room. I love seeing my home come together!
9. Learn to play 1 song on the guitar.  The kids most commonly ask for Baby Monkey so I'll go for that.--Nope.
10. Learn to sing "I Am a Child of God" in Mandarin Chinese.  I bought a Chinese hymn book before I went to China!  I am a big believer in music being an excellent tool for language acquisition.--Nope.
11. Connect with an extended family member over the phone once a week.  Family is such a loosely defined word in my book:)  Paul Jones, Nikki (Kelson) Thomas, and Robyn Bailey count as family.--Not sure if it was weekly, but I did so much better with this than I had been.
12. Work on Family History once a month.--Got out of the habit with Dancy, but did good before that.

 

So I forgot to write this down somewhere I'd see it all year. I sure forgot about half of these! This year, my resolutions are simpler and qualitative:

 

2014 Resolutions

 

1. Proverbs 31: 10-31

¶Who can find a ^avirtuous ^bwoman? for her price is far above rubies.

 11 The heart of her husband doth safely ^atrust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

 13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her ^ahands.

 14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

 15 She ^ariseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

 16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the ^adistaff.

 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the ^apoor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her ^aclothing is silk and purple.

 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

 25 Strength and honour are her ^aclothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of ^akindness.

 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of ^aidleness.

 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

 30 Favour is deceitful, and ^abeauty is vain: but a woman that ^bfeareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

 

2. Doctrine and Covenants 88:118-119

118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

 119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

 

Happy New Year to you all and best of luck in your endeavors this year. Goals are to help us keep moving forward and are meant to build us up, not to tear down. Be bold and patient, and enjoy improving yourself day by day.