Making Goals for 2016

My sister in law is amazing and makes these great lists every year of her goals.  I love it.  And I love that she reports back at the end of the year on how well she did.  I think it is such a great idea- some accountability, but no shame in not making it.  The focus is on the improvement, not a magical transformation.  And her goals are not huge life-changers, just things she wants to do, or improve.

So, I made some goals for me, and for FHE last week we did some family goals.  The kids were cute. I asked what was on our bucket list for Japan, and what we wanted to do as well as do better. Here is what we came up with:

My Goals
1.  Try 1 new restaurant a month (I'm already 1 for 12 since I ate at a delicious Okonomiyaki place on Monday!)
2. Get my Visiting Teaching done each month, even if it is a call or a letter.
3. Go on 6 Cultural Excursions- either in a group, with friends, or by myself.  But get out, move away from my comfort zone, and see Japan
4. Sew and finish a quilt for my bed. (I'm on a huge sewing kick right now, but o far, only baby blankets are coming out.)
5. Volunteer at the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society twice a month.
6. Have a lunch date with Dan twice a month.
7. Visit Hiroshima Castle
8. Go to the Motonosumi Inari Shrine- the 122 Torii Gates shrine.

Bucket List Goals for 2016
1. Climb Mt Fuji
2. Do Karaoke
3. Visit Cat Island
4. Go to Universal Studios.
5. Go to Kuga Park (when it is open!!)

Family Goals
1. Media/Tech-Free Wednesdays
2. Do our Saturday Chores diligently (as opposed to not often, which is the current status quo)
3. Do a better Job of Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.
4.  Kids cook dinner once a month.
5. Go out and do more things as a family.

I see that the Family Goals are a little vague and maybe should have had some more measurable details in them.  Perhaps when I write them on posterboard to post on the wall I'll do that.  And I shall try to report back at the end of the year on how well we did.

Family Fun Day... Fail

We have been slovenly this Christmas Break.  Which is really not so bad, because I have lots of things I can do and I enjoy not having to do anything.  However, it seemed a terrible waste of an opportunity to go and DO something, so we planned to have Mandatory Family Fun on Thursday, Dec 31.

The day was doomed from the start.  The sky was gray and the forecast was for rain.  We persevered. I wanted to check out a big park that sounded fun, so we printed the directions and drove out into the mountain, raindrops notwithstanding.  I was excited that we managed to not get lost and we were able to find the park.

However, it was closed!  Who closes a park?!  And by closed, I mean, barriers around the parking lot so you can't go in, and the road closed off so you can't keep going.  What was up with that?!!  We were sad.  We drove across the street to a parking lot, and discovered a random little park right there.... within eyesight of the giant fun (and CLOSED!) park.  We had a little fun while planning our next move.

We decided to go out to lunch at the Udon Noodle place that the kids love but Dan has never been to. So off we went.  We got to the noodle place and I was absurdly pleased because we took a different road and it was faster and we didn't get lost.  Alas, being New Year's Eve, the Udon Noodle place was closed!

Okay, new plan.  We decided to go to the "Italian" Restaurant that has these amazing breadsticks.  It is right nest to a market, so we could get garlic breadsticks and find something Japanese-y in the market.  Unfortunately the parking lot there was so full, there was no parking and with a car full of kids who were now losing patience, we kept going.

As we headed back home, we discovered that the delicious BLT place was open.  So we divided and conquered. Callie and I went there for lunch, Dan dropped Joshua and Delaney off at the Food Court, and Dan took the rest to the bowling alley and everyone was happy.

Now I have to tell you, I was really impressed by the great attitudes the kids had.  It could have been a horrid whiny disaster, as things did not go as planned.  However, they rolled with it all, stayed cheerful and we actually had a pretty fun time.

Fun on the Teeter Totter at the little park.

The girls wiped down the twins and had a lovely time.

Neither rain, nor park closures can stop us!

Ryle practiced her balancing and did great.

And the swing got some more use.

We enjoyed fun signs like this one on our drive.

And who knew there were JWs in Japan?!!

Callie opted for Yakisoba for lunch and was very happy with it.

I devoured this giant slice of heaven.  BLT with avocado.  Yum!

Merry Christmas!

 Well, it just wouldn't be Christmas without a post of the loot.

But first....  It was a lovely Christmas.  The kids got up around 6 and went to check out their stockings.  I got to sleep in till after 7.  Dan and Callie went and delivered cinnamon rolls to the 2 guys locked up in the brig and they guys who had to be on duty with them.  The presents didn't get started till close to 9, which was fine.  It was a leisurely morning, and no one complained.

Much fun was had while opening gifts and many were the exclamations of "Just what I wanted" and "Yay"!  It seemed that all were satisfied and delighted with their haul.  The kids did a great job of putting their stuff away and the house was fairly clean by bedtime.  I proclaim it to have been a delightful day.

The poor tree was squeezed into a corner, just barely big enough to fit it. I thought it looked perfect.

Levi had to be a part of it all. 

Rylee's favorite present was this mini-harp.  Our neighbor plays the harp and Rylee is obsessed with it. 

Marian is happy with this, and I know her hiding spot so I will be ...ahem....helping her to share. 

Someone made this same face for all his photos.  I shall save them for his future girlfriends. 

 One of my favorite gifts of the year!  I can't wait to start trying the recipes.

Marian was happy to get a shirt that met her specifications.  Joshua was jealous. 

I can only assume his face indicates an overwhelming feeling of joy. 

Delaney's face is overcome with joy.  What spectacular gift has moved her nearly to tears? 

She got a sewing machine.  She is super excited to learn to use it and she already LOVES sewing. I'm pretty sure she can already hand sew better than me.

Mmmmm.... Mexican cocoa. 

Could she be any cuter? 

I was rather excited about this, and then was rather disappointed that it did NOT contain actual moose munch. I think they got me twice on that trick.

Love this kid.  Love the sweet gifts the kids gave to each other. 

I can't even tell you how much fun has already been had with this!

Merry Christmas!!

A Little Levi

I may need to mention what an awesome dog we have.  Such a good natures, sweet puppy.

This little gem was discovered on my phone.  Little Levi, all tucked in.

Fun with boxes.... and the dog.

Look at that adorable face!

Christmas is coming!  And Levi is ready!

He is hoping something under the tree is for him!

(And he got some yummy loot.)

And sometimes good natured dogs get stuff like this done to them.  He is such a good dog!

Thinks that make you go "Hmmm?!!"

Sometimes I find pictures on my phone that leave me scratching my head.  Sometimes I take pictures that crack me up.  Let me share some of the more entertaining ones with you here.

Rylee found this when we jumped in on a trip to Costco with friends.  We did not bring it home, but were sorely tempted.

Callie has been having a little too much fun with an app on my phone.

It is a make up app and her resulting photos give me fits of giggles.

The hair!  The hair kills me on these.  That and the lovely man in the background.

The Japanese have these adorable hair clips- who else would think of a Santa hat hair clip?!!  Ryle loved having it on her head.  Cute and amusing!  And you may get some next year for Christmas.....