Bring On 2009!

2008 flew by faster than I can really comprehend. For the most part I feel like it was a really good year for our family and for me personally. Here is a list of a few highlights:

Obama won! I really could not be more optimistic about the direction he wants to take our country in. For so long I have been a little embarrassed by our false bravado, our selfishness, our disregard for the rest of the world, our "bigger is better" mentality, and "Mine! Mine! Mine!" attitude. We finally have earned some respect from the rest of the world and we finally have a rational, intelligent leader who understands the reality we are in and has a plan to begin to rememdy the disasters we have created. I am behind this new administration 100%

R and I came to some agreements on what we needed to do for the health of our family. We have realized where we need some outside help and acquired it, we are making sleep a priority for all of us, we are focusing on wholesome foods, and are being very selective about the quality and quantity of media in our home. I will readily admit that we slip up often, but for the first time I really feel like we are pretty much on the same page with our parenting.

Z started Kindergarten! We are officially past the "pre-schooler" stage. I have really enjoyed moving on to big kid type activities. We went to Lagoon in October and Z pretty much was able to ride everything he wanted to. He is a whiz at math. A dynamo builder and making progress with his reading. He's an absolute sweetheart and loves to help out. He is willing to work hard and is determined to master the skills he associates with being a man. And we finally made significant progress with his encopresis. What a relief that has been for all of us! Z played soccer this year and really is amazing! He just has a natural talent for sports.

M started 3rd grade. So far we really like both his teachers, Mrs. Mitchell for homeroom and Mrs. Olsen for reading. Speaking of reading, M has read 4 Harry Potter books this year as well as 2 Fablehaven books along with a ton of books in between. He has made significant strides with his anxiety and OCD which makes me very proud. He has become very considerate and understands the consequences of his actions. He and his brother have improved their relationship significantly. They still fight like crazy, but there are periods of fun and calm in between. M also received his orange belt in karate and began to take a weapons class. He is really dedicated to his karate lessons and it has been fun to watch him progress.

We got our new kitty Freddy! What an awesome cat! R was so against getting another pet but is just as in love with him as the rest of us. This cat has certainly added some spunk to our house! I am constantly laughing at the stuff this creature does! This brings the total of pets in the family to 4; Pepe our lab, Freddy the kitty, and 2 beta fish.

R had a successful year with his real estate business. It has been a crazy year for the market but R has been solid and committed to following the systems Keller Williams has created for its Realtors and it has paid off. We've seen many agents quit and have somehow managed to soldier on and keep me home with the kids. All in all, his total sales wasn't much lower than last year. Pretty amazing considering the economic meltdown this country has experienced!

I have lost 31 lbs. this year. While much of this I attribute to coming to terms with the fact that I do have ADD and getting the appropriate medication which happens to have the not so horrible side effect of reducing my appetite, I have also improved my diet and done a lot of walking! I feel so much better physically, mentally and emotionally. I am really proud of myself!

We finally cut a "window" in the wall between the kitchen and the living room and cut a door to have easier access to the storage under the stairs. What a difference these two minor projects have made! Our home feels so much brighter and open with the window. And having access to under the stairs has enabled me to finally declutter my kitchen and organize our food storage. I am so glad we finally did it!

In November M had his tonsils removed. What a champ this kid is. I couldn't believe how brutal it looked in the back of his throat, but he never complained and had a stellar attitude about the whole thing. And now he is sleeping better and hopefully he won't be getting sick as often.

We have 3 new nephews in our family. In April my sister and her husband had their 3rd child and 1st boy, R. This kid is so cute! Lucky for her he is such a good baby and our entire family has really enjoyed having a baby around. In July R's brother and his wife had their first children. Yes, plural, they had twin boys K and S. They are darling! I can't even imagine having twins, but they are handling it all with such an amazing calm. I have been having so much fun with all these babies!

Speaking of babies, R and I decided that we were really, truly done having them. In December we took the plunge and R had the ole snippy snippy. So glad to have that taken care of. He was super grumpy and whiny for a few days, but we survived.

Our boys have become proficient snowboarders this year. It really makes me proud to watch them shreddin' up the slopes!

And to end the year we had a fabulous holiday season. Usually the holidays are stressful and difficult for our family. This year was really pleasant and fun. We spent time with all our favorite people, including my sister L and her husband S who are currently living in Philly. I hope all our future holidays are as great as this one has been.

So that was our year in a nutshell. I'm sure I've missed something important, but this is what has come to mind right now. Tomorrow I will post about my hopes and resolutions for 2009. I've got quite a year planned!

Nature is Amazing!

I thought I'd give a quick snippet about life around here lately.

Snow, snow and more snow. Wow. It is hard to believe we could get so much snow in such a short time. I've always figured, if we have to have winter, it may as well snow. And boy have we.

So today I took the Z-ster sledding with our Mommy Group. Oh my gosh we had fun! I definitely counted it towards my workout for the day. Lots of walking uphill, followed by zooming, shrieking and laughing. And of course bowling other children over. Z managed to knock our friend Carson over, right in the gut. Carson managed to laugh it off and keep going. Then Z hit his cousin A, who is very petite, in the back. It knocked the wind right out of her, poor thing. My sensitive little Z was yelling, "Did I hurt her?! Did I hurt her?!, Oh NO!!!" I didn't know who to feel worse for. Both managed to recover and a good time was had by all.

M had cub Scouts today. As we pulled in the driveway after I picked him up we were greeted by this sight:

Amazing aren't they?

We are so fortunate to live where we are reminded of the magnificent world we live in.

A Week in the Life

So I did make it to Weight Watchers yesterday, barely. We woke up to one heck of a snowstorm. It is about time! I weighed in at 175.4. About what I figured. So my first goal is 6 lbs. for December. I want to be 169.4 on January 1st. Too ambitious for the holidays? I don't think so. It's just of matter of priority, and right now, decluttering my body is right up at the top.
This week has been filled with the mundane: school, work, karate, homework, cleaning, carpooling, etc. I finally got going and painted my kitchen ceiling yesterday. I took M and got some Christmas shopping done. Today I painted one coat of the yellow I am painting the walls. Already it looks so bright and happy. I know I'm going to love it. I moved some shelves downstairs to put the games in. My plan is to have one of my chrome restaurant style racks full of only dishes. I want to start using "the good stuff" all the time. Why the heck not?
R took the boys out sledding yesterday. It was quite a storm and they had a great time. I think I will take them out again tomorrow after school.
We went to dinner with some close friends that I just adore. Neither of us could find a sitter, so we loaded up the boys (they have 2 as well) and headed to a local pizza joint. It was a little crazy, but also fun. Sometimes I get a kick out of the madness that can be family life. I was proud of us, especially of R, for just going with the flow and having a good time. We went back to there house and just talked and enjoyed each others company. I had a really great time.
Today we decorated the Christmas tree. It looks really pretty. Every year I want to buy a new pre-lit tree and I then I can't convince myself to spend the money on it. And the past few years I have wanted to change my ornaments, but I just don't have the cash. Then I get it decorated and it looks so pretty that I don't really mind.
I'm sitting at the kitchen table overlooking the valley all blanketed with snow. The valley is clear (a rarity these days) and you can see all the way to the Great Salt Lake. The pine trees in my backyard are covered with snow and icicles. You really couldn't plan a prettier picture. It's moments like this that I am filled with gratitude and awe. It's these moments I need to remember when I'm frazzled and focusing on the problems.
I have just planned M birthday party and e-mailed to reserve a spot at the Utah Museum of Natural History. He wants to do a Super Sleuths party. It should be really fun. I've also designed our New Year's party invitations. I'm feeling a little more in control now. December is always a hectic month for me. Besides the normal Christmas craziness I also get to plan a New Year's party for a huge crowd, 2 birthday parties for my kiddos, come up with gifts for kiddos 2 weeks after Christmas as well as a gift for my mother, and plan spotlights for my kids at school. If I don't get a start early, I'm doomed. So I'm glad to have completed a few tasks.
So here's to another fabulous week!