Every year starts (or should start) with the creation of goals. By New Year's Eve 2006, I had all of mine written out. It was going to be an ambitious year. I'd like to review with you my successes and failures of the year, and share with you some exciting goals for 2008.
2007 goal: Get girlfriends.
Result: Went out with girls from the ward on New Year's Eve. Really hit it off. Was confident that I could now hang out with girls on a regular basis instead of spending all my social time with El Senor. Went out with one for lunch on New Year's Day. Shared with her my "get a boyfriend" goal (see below). She decided to adopt that one, too. She had a boyfriend one week later (so much for my girlfriend goal) and was engaged a couple months later.
Revised 2008 goal: Get couple friends.
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2007 goal: Get a boyfriend.
Result: Got a boyfriend, then a fiancé, then a husband.
Related 2008 goal: Get pregnant?
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2007 goal: Lose 20 pounds.
Result: Gained 10.
Revised 2008 goal: Lose 30. (Then get pregnant in time to gain again.)
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2007 goal: Read 10 books.
Result: Read the last Harry Potter. And 1.5 books about marriage.
Revised 2008 goal: Read 5 books.
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2007 goal: Get published.
Result: Well... technically yes... I wrote snippets about sports that have been published and are part of an item that is being sold in stores. Not quite what I was expecting... But I also wasn't expecting to become a designer either, so I think that it counts for something that I also have a bag with a lining I designed that's being sold in stores now. (And when I went to check it out in the store and opened the bag, the lady who worked there said, "Oh! The inside is so cute!")
Revised 2008 goal: Start designing wedding invitations as side-work.
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2007 goal: Topical scripture study: Create 26 Doctrinal Resource Sheets that explore different gospel subjects.
Result: Created 1.
Revised 2008 goal: Read the Sunday School and Relief Society lessons each week, even though I will be teaching the sunbeams. (I do not yet know what kind of scripture study preparing my lessons entails... do 3-year-olds know how to speak yet? Do they still pee their pants?)
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Other tidbits:
Accomplishments:
Attended Monster Truck Rally.
Got new design responsibilities at work.
Bought a bike.
Got married.
Moved to Springville.
Places traveled:
Washington D.C. with Switchback.
San Diego and Mexico with Murray (to see Switchback).
Maryland and New Jersey with family (and Murray who wasn't "family" at that point).
Costa Rica with Murray.
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In addition to any goals listed above, Murray and I have some great adventures planned for 2008. We have decided that since we both live in Utah, we need to take advantage of everything this state has to give us. So we'll be developing a list of things to do in Utah and we'll work through them over the next several years. This year, I think we'll definitely see the spiral jetty and maybe we'll bike around at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Other things will include Moab and Arches, neither of which I've been to. We'll make a list of other Utah must-dos and make sure that we've done everything by the time we 1) move away from Utah or 2) if we don't move away from Utah, die.
Other 2008 plans of note:
Buy a 24-inch iMac.
Go to Canada (maybe twice).
Go to Texas.
Go to Europe?
Go to San Francisco?
Go to Las Vegas to see Love.
Go birdwatching together.
Make lots of paintings and artwork.
Have fun day trips.
I think that 2008 is going to be a good year.
10 comments:
Congratulations on your many goals, Cicada! Murray is a very lucky man. And while I'm at it, you seem like a lucky girl, too. I'm glad you live in Springville now--that's where my hubs is from. From the looks of it, your 2008 is gonna be great! (I'm so excited those two words rhyme. I'm going to use them all the time!) (Hey, I just rhymed again!!)
I am impressed that the boyfriend goal resulted in a husband in less than a year. A word of warning about your pregnancy goal: teaching the Sunbeams in our first married ward was the best form of birth control Eric and I ever found. Good luck in the coming year.
Savvy will be a sunbeam this year, just to let you know what you will be getting into.
Holy crap, I can't believe how many of your goals you achieved! I only had one which was to lose weight--the result? Lost 15 then put on 20. Good times.
Brinestone and I would love to hang out with you two sometime—especially now that I'm in possession of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit.
Sunbeam birth control did not work for us. Our first was born 9 months and 1 day after we got married. Furthermore, sunbeams do talk but only when they want to which usually isn't when you want them too. And just so I can make this the longest comment ever, I'll tell you a story about teaching sunbeams. Jordy and I team taught them. During class, he'd take the boys to the bathroom and I the girls. We had this one kid who liked to hide under chairs and pick his nose and scream and talk about some weird lego robot things constantly and fall on the floor and play dead which worked really well when we taught the good Samaraten (sp) lesson. So anyways, Jordy took him to the bathroom. So the kid poops and then says, "I need help." So he opens the stall and the kid is standing with his hands on the ground and his butt in the air. Sick, I know. Jordy helps him out. Then, later he told the kid's mom and the mom replied, "Oh, you shouldn't have done that. He knows how to do that himself." Basically, my husband got conned by a 3 year old.
OK, just had to answer your question about Sunbeams.
I'm in nursery, so I know exactly what was in the group we sent the sunbeam teacher.
All but one of the kids has been potty trained for at least 4 months. The last girl has been potty trained for 1 month and that is a bit scary.
Suggestion, hit the bathrooms for a potty break at least one time on Sundays.
Also, these kids are obsessed with the drinking fountain. That can lead to more potty breaks, so either avoid or not depending on what you want to deal with.
Yes, these kids will need bathroom help. Mostly just a lift onto the toilet. But most can't wipe poop so be prepared. (sorry to bring it up).
The lessons are easy and can also be found online (YAY!). Subjects such as "I am thankful for my eyes" are abundant. Keep it simple. Sing a lot. Dance a lot.
I've heard that bringing snacks for the first few months helps with the transition (being used to getting them and all).
On the singing and dancing front, make sure you got the primary 1 CD that comes with your manual. Listen to it before hand and you will find that there are some fun activities to do, along with some great helps for the "I am thankful for music" lesson.
If you need any more suggestions, just ask. Sorry about writing a book.
By the way, these are the same lessons that they had in Nursery, so you could even hit the nursery teachers up for suggestions or color sheets (they love to color!)
Also, expect a lot out of them. they will learn to sit on their chair if you persistently, and gently help them to remember.
I wish you a lot of patience, cute and sweet kids, and endless smiles and hugs.
Also, don't use Primary Partners. Or anything else without the church logo on the back. My mom is in the Stake Primary and every time a kid gets a handout from the Primary Partners book from Deseret Book she calls me and rants about it.
The kids have a whole huge stack of them from our nursery and I am going to make them into a book for her one day.
Sunbeams typically really love church and Jesus and singing and for the most part are very excited to learn and help.
cicada,
mister charming is 3. he doesn't pee in his pants, and has a rather extensive vocabulary.
Rick,
If you head back here, sorry I deleted your comment. I didn't really appreciate you using my blog for self promotion. Anyway, if you'd scrolled down and checked out much of my blog, you'd know that my husband and I are not really in need of your services. We're both capable artists.
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