I didn't pick a word for 2013. I think it was because I was busy packing and staging our house to sell it.
I knew that I did want to do a word this year.
I have made my "goals", decided what I want to change or add in my life this year.
But I was having trouble deciding on a word that encompassed all of the things I wanted it to.
I brainstormed. I came up with words and then vetoed them because they weren't exactly what I was looking for.
And then I was on the computer working on some things for a family night and, while not even thinking about it, the word came into my mind.
It is perfect. I don't know why I didn't think of it.
My word for 2014 is
Last week I spent a couple of days scouring the Internet and my personal files to put together a planning binder for this year.
Most of you who know me know that I am a very organized person. I always have a plan.
This fall for some reason that was harder to do.
Many of you may have seen the video that asks people to try to fit a bunch of rocks into one bowl. Most of them can't do it. But the person that put all the big rocks in first can then fit all of the small rocks in.
They compare this demonstration to life by saying that the big rocks are the things that are essential and most important for us to be doing. The small rocks are the things we do for fun or in our spare time.
For me, if I don't have my life or day planned out I tend to forget certain things and end up doing the "small rocks before the big rocks" which leaves no room for the most important things.
I created this binder so that I have something cute that I can take with me that allows me to , at any time, see the things I want to focus on this year.
It has sections for all of my big rocks.
Those big rocks are as follows:
FOCUS on making sure our family is spiritually sound.
This would mean that we are having family scripture study and prayer as well as our personal.
That we are having Family Home Evening every week. Also we will be better about our family devotionals.
And that our home is a Christ-centered home.
This also includes my own scripture study.
Making sure that we all have stewardship's (chores) and they are being done.
I do much better with having a cleaning assignment on my schedule each day rather than one big clean day. But this year I have been doing the one day.
When I have to spend hours on cleaning the entire house, I don't have much time for anything else.
Maddy complains when she has to do a chore so I want to make sure that both girls know what they are stewards over and know why it is important.
I want to teach my daughters to be keepers of the home.
It is important to me that our girls grow up knowing how to keep a home.
I know that sounds old fashioned to many nowadays. But I am old fashioned.
I love old fashioned things.
I want to teach my daughters all of the things that I find helpful.
I tend to just do it all myself because it easier and quicker... but this year I will accept and require help.
Abigail will be planning and cooking at least two full dinners each month and Madeline will be planning and helping cook one.
I will be working on cleaning, sewing, menu planning, budgeting, and the already mentioned cooking.
Abigail goes to Miss Manners with her Grandmother and she is learning manners, etiquette, and penmanship amongst many other things.
I want our home to be a place where we reinforce what she learns.. a "home-ec." class in a way.
I want to focus on my marriage.
Doug and I very independent people and tend to just do our own thing. While we have many common interests we also have many not common interests.
It is not unusual for him to be on the computer and me with my nose in a book.
Sometimes if we both want to see the same movie he will go with his friends and I will go with my friends or my mom so that we don't have to get a babysitter.
While I have no problem with this and it works for us, I also want to make sure that we are taking at least two nights a month to have dates outside of the house.
One to go to the temple, and one to do something recreational.
FOCUS on preschool with Maddy
The same things don't always work with Maddy the way they did with Abi.
I want to make sure that we are having preschool of some kind three days a week.
This is the year I want to get her reading and really buckle down.
FOCUS on myself
I am going to be doing the Relief Society Pursuit of Excellence again this year with different goals than I used last time I did it.
I will spend at least one night a week writing.
I will get up at 5am to exercise and do my personal scripture study before everyone wakes up. This is something I have done for a long time but the holidays kind of messed with it.
Mainly, I want to FOCUS on having and maintaining a "House of Order".
