New Year Improvements

For some reason, I don't like the term "New Year Resolutions."  It seems too cliche,  commercialized, overwhelming, stress-inducing and depressing.

In 2013 I set a couple goals, and I'm happy to report that I accomplished them.  I wanted to run a race after training.  Check.  I wanted to return to college.  Double check.  We also set some family goals, which I chronicled HERE.  We did so-so on these goals, which was better than the not-so-good we did in 2012, and the oh-crap-we're-terrible we did some of the previous years.  When we had our 2013 family review last week, we gave ourselves the following grades:

Family Home Evening:  C
Family Prayer:  B
Temple Attendance:  B
Family Scripture Study:  C (first half of the year we got an A, second half we got a D)
Exercise:  C (again, first half of the year we got an A, second half we got a D)
Family Time:  B

We realized something this year.  We don't have a lot of time together as a family anymore.  The older the kids get, the busier we are with various activities.  Our weekdays are pretty chaotic, so they don't leave a lot of time to just relax together.

This is our weekday morning schedule:
Brevan wakes up at 4:45 and showers
I get up at 5:15
Brevan leaves for seminary at 5:45 (I drive him half the time, and a neighbor takes him the other half)
Brynlie gets up at 6
Brynlie takes bus to school at 6:40
I exercise in basement 6:40-7:20
I wake up Lindsey and Logan at 7:25
Lindsey and Logan get on the bus at 8:15

In case you're wondering, Ryan wakes up whenever I need him or he feels like getting up!  Haha!  The latest he will get out of bed is 8:00, but never before 7:00.

This is our current evening schedule (which changes with the different sporting seasons - soccer seasons are their own version of insanity):

Monday:
Brevan has Robotics 2:30-6
Lindsey has gymnastics 6-7
Brynlie has dance 7-9:30

Tuesday:
Brevan has Debate 2:30-4
Brevan tutors Spencer at his house 4-5:30
Logan has basketball practice 6-7
Brynlie has dance 8-9

Wednesday:
Brevan has Robotics 2:30-6
Lindsey has gymnastics 6-7
I teach Activity Days 7-8
Lindsey has Activity Days (different group than mine) 7-8
Brevan and Brynlie Youth Night at church 7-8:30

Thursday:
Brevan has Debate 2:30-3
Brevan has piano 3:15-3:45
Logan has piano 3:45-4:15
I have college from 6:30-9

Friday is Date Night, unless the kids have plans that make us postpone our date until the next day.  Our Saturdays are busy with sporting games (all of Logan's basketball games are at 8:30 am).  Throw in all the church responsibilities, homework, chores (each kid does at least one chore a day, plus many more on the weekend), practice time, etc. and I'm feeling cheated out of our family time.  We make the most of it, and try to enjoy our weekends together, as well as have at least 4 dinner meals together each week.

I fill in the problem gaps by having 3 morning "family" prayers before the kids head off to school at their various times, and whichever parent is home at 8:45 pm reads scriptures with the kids for 10 minutes, has a family prayer and tucks everyone into bed.  I'm usually the one still gone at one of the kid's activities, so I will listen to the scriptures with that child while driving in the car.

We make do.  It's not ideal.  We're never going to be used as an example in a Sunday School lesson, but God knows our efforts and we see the blessings.

We set new family goals for 2014, including tweaking the Scripture Reading plan and having the kids give more input on how we can achieve success.  I always feel good about our progress if I know we are doing better than we did the year before.  I can see improvement, so I have to accept that as progress and not aim for perfection.

I have a few personal goals for this year, too.

1.  Run in TWO races.
2.  Educate myself on eating healthier so we can improve our diets.  I've deemed this goal "Eat Clean Twenty-Fourteen."  I've already made big strides in this area as I've spent hours researching and informing myself on eating a balanced nutrition.
3.  Get straight A's in school.  This will become increasingly harder as my classes become more demanding, but I'm determined.
4.  LOVE.  In the past year, I've started to learn the depths of love.  I've realized that most of the world's problems can be solved by simply loving.  When I'm disappointed, I pray to love more.  When I'm depressed, I pray to FEEL more love from my Father.  When I'm happy, I can spread the pure love of Christ by helping others feel important and valued.  Love heals wounds and softens hearts.

There are many other goals I could add to my list, but these are my basic ones.  I also want to find a system of organization that works for me so I can maintain order in my kitchen cupboards and pantry, as well as finish a thousand different projects that I've started.  I want to be better, do more and gripe less.  But I still have plenty of years to accomplish it all!