Goals for 2010!

Financial:
1. Emergency fund of $1000.
We recently have found the magic of Dave Ramsey, and his Financial Peace University. We haven't taken the class, maybe that would have motivated us a bit more, but we are happy with the way things have gone thus far. We have payed off both of our cars and have no credit card debt. Now we we need to build up an emergency fund and then make sure we don't tap into it unless it is an ACTUAL emergency!
2. Pay off Genny’s two smaller school loans.
FYI- school loans are debt!! Ours seem like such a mountain to climb that up until a few months ago I didn't even want to try. But we are breaking them up into smaller amounts and hopefully after a while we will be able to see actual progress. Baby steps up a mountain...
3. Save for special events; Kaela’s wedding, Colorado trip, cash only.
This is a big one for us because we never really paid much attention to Dave Ramsey's rule about cash only, we have put things on interest free credit cards and paid them off as soon as we could, tv, snowblower to name a few recent things. We never really saw it as a big deal until now. We know we have some pricey things we want to do in 2010 and for once we are going to try to do it without accruing any debt. I am sure we will spend our cash on hand more wisely with the idea that we can't do things we want to do if we don't have the money to do it. What a concept!
4. Start saving for a 20% down payment on future house by paying extra money to our current home loan.
Ever since we had Veronica's fifth birthday party in our house it has been clear to us that this house doesn't meet all of our wants. It fits our needs ok, but we like to throw parties and I like to be able to send the kids to a play room when they have friends over or I just need a break. Our home will work for us for now while we really try to pay off some school loans and save for a big down payment, but this is definitely a goal I would like to work toward more seriously.

House:
1. Finish all misc projects, before any new projects can start.
2. New shelving units in the basement.
If we are going to live here for any extended amount of time we need to have a place to put things. My new motto, a place for everything and everything in it's place! It has worked pretty well in our new bedroom but the stockpile of coupon items seems to be taking over the basement- we need to do something to manage this better!
3. Move Veronica and Felicity into same room and Peyton into his own.
4. New Shelves in closets.
The kids are starting to really grow into their own interests. Some of them are (like momma and daddy) board games and computer games, and we just need a place to put them all!
5. Seriously consider insulation in attic and back room.
The other night after a shower in the freezing cold basement, I went into our bedroom and the temp said 45 degrees, that is just too COLD! This goal needs to be moved to the top of the list!

Personal
1. Eat healthier meals
During our first biggest loser competition (we are currently in our second- and hopefully the message will resonate a bit better and this will be our last) my sister and her husband and our family would get together for Healthy Mondays! This really helped get our week started out on the right foot and we really enjoyed this time together. My husband got me a Biggest Loser cookbook for Christmas so hopefully we can start this tradition again and I won't have to search nearly as much for some healthy recipes!
2. Start a regular exercise routine, time to tone!
It doesn't do a person much good to lose weight if they are still really flabby and aren't seeing much difference in their waistline. I really hope to rectify this in the coming months!
3. Swim in a triathlon.
My cousin and I are talking about teaming up with another friend and doing a team triathalon, where one persona rides the bike one person swims and the other person runs. I think this would be a lot of fun and a good way to acheive some goals- such as becoming a more fit person!

Familial:
1. Family Date nights!!!
We have done this a few times and each time we do we enjoy it. I don't know why we don't do it more often, probably just laziness and a lack of a routine. If I were to really rate my goals, this would be number two, right below the part where I talk about not freezing to death in my room at night!
2. Home school 4 days a week.
We have started this already and so far so good.
3. More family prayer time.
I have a plan to incorporate this more into our daily life. It seems to me the things that are best for us are the things we are most willing to brush aside. I know God's promises, and I believe them, still it is hard to give up what I want to do for what HE wants me to do, even though in my heart I know I will be better off!


My friend published goals of hers last year and then did an update midyear. I was amazed to see all she accomplished with the passing of (not very much) time! This blog post isn't really for any of my faithful readers (do I still have faithful readers after two posts in the last six months?) it is for me, something where I can see what I have said is a goal and then in a couple of months come back with an update and (hopefully) see tangible results!

Another Drought

Ended!!! Soon to come a list of goals for 2010, inspired by fellow bloggers. Hopefully updating this blog on a more regular basis will be one of my goals! Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and has a Happy New Year!

Look who's...

WALKING!!! Felicity has just taken off and walking is now the preferred mode of transportation. Her favorite things are still the same, the xbox and the computer, but now she walks, no RUNS, to play with them. She is growing up fast!


Be sure to check out this updated post!

a BIG day for Felicity!

Check out this video!

Check this out!

My friend Mary and her daughter made this for us. It inlcudes her 2 children and my three...
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/UJ0NC3xEzku95uW9

This is a new one, Peyton is the mad scientist, Tim is Frankenstien, Genny is the werewolf, Ronni is the bride and Felicity is the Vampire... fitting.
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/rWB1HftTWObRhn3z

This one has a few devries kids in it...
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/l6R0SopKkTfetmLP

You're not the boss of me!

I am forever going to be haunted by these words. I became a legend of sorts in my family when I was about four, I told my (formidable) grandpa that he was not the boss of me. I hear this story nearly every Christmas, or at least everytime people start talking about "Old EJ". I used to think it was cute and was proud of my 4 year old self, but now that I am a parent, each time I hear it, I am secretly hoping that my parents, once over the shock, took me out back and taught me a lesson about respect. That being said today is not the first time that those words have been uttered in my house. The first day I heard these words I decided (however unwisely) to make them the boss of each other. Ronni had to listen and do whatever Peyton said and vice versa. I really haven't heard too much about bosses since that day. I thought perhaps whatever I was trying to teach sunk in. Well this way of thinking was pre-5 year old Ronni. This was the conversation at lunch.

R- Peyton we need to pray
P- You are not the boss of me
R- Acutally, I am the boss of you
P- No you are not, Mommy is the boss of me
R- I am almost six so I AM the boss of you.

The conversation continued with Ronni counting out how old she will be for the next 10 years, and then I will be seven and then I will be eight and then I will be... I ended the conversation by saying it was time to pray becuase I AM the boss of them!

(for any of you wondering, ronni has been 5 for a week and a half- naturally almost 6)

As an added side not, my kids are really into rhyming right now. The word they were just talking about was duck. So far I have heard, ruck, truck, luck... I am hoping they stop there.

All I want for Christmas *Updated*

Is my two front teeth!

This blog post is dedicated to my littlest redhead, Felicity. Or as Tim likes to call her, Lissy, or as Peyton likes to call her Lissy-bug, or as Veronica likes to call her Gissy. (I don't mind the first two ;) Felicity is getting so big, nearing her first birthday, October 4. Right now she has four teeth that are almost all of the way in. Her two bottom middle teeth and the ones right next to her two front teeth, on the top. I could have titled this blog, I vant to suck your blood... she literally looks like she has vampire fangs, it is hilarious!! Her two front teeth are starting to break through, maybe by Christmas she won't look so goofy, maybe. I will post a picture of this when i get a chance... I used this picture as inspiration during Papa Pumpkin Camp! In the background is the pumpkin Tim carved. Introducing, Felicity Vampire!

Felicity is also almost walking, she will pull herself up to almost anything,a couch a chair, the wall a tonka truck, you name it. Speaking of tonka truck, this is, coincidentally, her new favorite toy. She likes to climb inside it and just lounge, every once in a while her sister or brother will drive her around the living room. This is how she rolls...

I am a little concerned for my future. She absolutley knows when she is being a bit mischevious, and absolutely doesn't care. If she gets caught she gives it up, but if you don't catch her she is home free! How I know this? Well, if she is holding anything that is not hers or isn't a toy if you walk anywhere near her she will automatically hold out her hand as if to give you the offending item. I have known for a while that this is a worrisomer trait in her but never have i been worried as much as today. I walked in from outside and she was playing with a lesson book I have for ronni that I left on the floor. I was just watching her for a little while, then she saw me. She opened the book and literally tried to climb in, basically hide herself in the pages. The closer i got the louder she laughed! I knew, for certain, at this moment that I am in big trouble where Lissy is concerned! I am sure she is not at all unlike another third child I have known in my life. (I may or may not be referring to myself)

She also did something really sweet tonight. With any of my other children we never really used a pacifier, we made sure they knew how to suck on one just in case, but never made sure we had one when leaving the house and going somewhere special. With Lissy we have definitely used it more, sparingly still, but more. The thing is is that she really likes the pacifier. If she could pick a favorite thing in the whole wide world, it would be the pacifier. Anytime a child would come over to my house, she would find their carseat in order to find a pacifier, and she has been rewarded many a time by a nice juicy pacifier just waiting for her to steal. Sometimes it didn't matter if a baby was in the carseat and the pacifier was in their mouth she would ultimately steal or try to steal the pacifier. Today we have are a watching a couple of kids for a friend. Sure enough there is a baby and sure enough there is a pacifier. Felicity is stoked I am sure. Anyway, the little boy was crying and felicity went over to him, took the pacifier off of the floor next to him and rather than put it in her mouth she picked it up and held it out to him. It was so sweet! Then after he stopped crying she took the pacifier out of his mouth and tried to hand it to me (still not putting it in her mouth).

Another sweet thing she does right now, kisses. She has for a few months, anytime you ask for kisses she will open her mouth and lean towards your mouth saying, "AAAHHH". She will also say a few words. She has been saying momma and dadda since about april, but lately she will say a few more. A lot of times she will say them a bunch of times on the first day she says them and then anytime you prompt her again it is hit or miss. For instance, when the Bills won their first game of the season she said touchdown. She also has said diaper. She is one of our best diaper changing babies yet. She will go to the closet where the diapers are, take one out of the drawer (with a little help) close the drawer and then close the door and then go to the diaper that you lay on the floor. I can't say enough about this sweet little girl, she just melts my heart.

My little girl is getting big, it really is crazy how fast time flies!