**Punch it Margaret!!!!

I have pondered this a lot. I read a while back about how someone used a word as their New Years Resolution. I really liked this idea and thought for a while what word could I make my slogan for the year? So I looked at my weaknesses...eee gads that was not fun. So I looked at my strengths...Aaahh much better...self esteem in check. Okay back to those weaknesses..gently. Their was a common thread to a lot of them..which I won't discuss. But they seemed to circle around my color code. Out of Red, Blue, White, or Yellow; I am most white and the rest yellow. I am defined as A peacemaker. A peacemaker brings a great gift of clarity and tolerance and are generally kind, adaptable and good listeners. Sounds nice huh, but there are a whole slew of negative traits that ring very true.
I decided that to develop positive traits that are associated with other colors would take work. But I don't think it is beyond my reach. I decided that the word for the year would be Initiative. I put it in those two colors because I am pretty sure it comes easy to both of those colors which I have very little running through my veins. Instead of shying away from things I want to jump in with both feet. Instead of waiting for my husband to do it I want to
"get ur done"!
Please don't confuse this with feminism. Shane will still be responsible for the garbage every Monday and I will still peel his oranges for him. I just want don't want to be wishing 4 months after my taillight goes out that he will notice and sweep in and fix it for me. I went to Schucks myself (shameless plug for those nice, helpful men), came home, read my manual, and installed the little bugger myself. I felt so proud for fixing something that had driven me nuts for so long. Goodbye annoying red light that glared at me every time I turned my car on.
Instead of sitting back and waiting for things to happen I am going to visualize that green light and put the pedal to the metal....not quite to the point of buying my own living room furniture but give me a few months.

Here are a few things I have put off that I may decide to tackle:

1. Construct mesh ladder for my tomatoes on my garden box
2. Tear down UGLY fence in my back yard that my FIL put up before we left for Florida.
3. Hmm I broke into a cold sweat thinking about doing 1 & 2...I better baby step my way into those first.

I don't know what kind of effect this will have on me if any. But worse case scenario is my tomatoes will be fabulous and I can guilt Shane into doing even more things like finishing trim work on bedrooms that have gone untouched in 4 years on January 25th.

**vague reference to an obscure 80's commercial.... scroll ahead to 7:55 if you are curious. Yes I remember this; I know I am random; I can't believe youtube had it either.

Provident Living

"We encourage you wherever you may live in the world to prepare for adversity by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt. . . . If you have paid your debts and have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts."—The First Presidency,

Is it just me or is this one of the hardest things. I am a simple girl but sometimes I have a hard time defining wants and needs. I need my carpets cleaned...or do I just want my carpets cleaned? I think I really need it, but do you see where it can be hard? I have been trying to save for new furniture but then sometimes the thought creeps in..."you do have somewhere to sit ya know, you don't really need it".

The tragedy in Haiti puts a lot in to perspective and I think I could use that money to sock away a lot in my food storage, but let's be honest, How Boring. I decided this month to buy nuts because they are 1/2 off from the holidays and fill the jugs that I bought two years ago with water. Not spectacular but more than I had yesterday.

Has the New Year brought any resolutions in this department for you? What are you doing to 'feel more secure'? How do you discern between wants and needs?

Random Schmidt

What a room can look like after one week with cousin and a very inattentive mother!

What a most excellent team looks like while participating in the Amazing Race! Did I mention winning team?

What a daughter looks like on Nerd Day at school. I know...apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

What a toilet can look like after a two year old has watched too much Finding Nemo.

Christmas With Family

The Christmas family gathering featured everything from formal Christmas dining to watching college bowl games. Here you see some musical chair competition with the kids showing off the latest dance movements.

Dress-ups and pair-ups were ongoing. The kids had a great time dragging out all the dress-up clothing -- for the adults to pick up for them later.

We found time for ice skating again this year. The big kids played tag, while the younger kids just tried to stay standing. Thank goodness for the helper supports.

Our favorite past time was eating. The formal Christmas dinner was divided into three settings to get everyone to the food at the same time.

Did I say something about eating? Ham and potatoes au gratin. What a feast.

An afternoon bowling revealed some talent that had heretofore lain dormant. It also revealed a need for some of us to practice a bit more.

Perhaps it is obvious who was the big winner for the day.

Jacque teamed up with some of her Chorale friends for a Christmas concert. The music was special and the food afterwards was an added treat.

Christmas comes but once each year. It's a shame, because there is nothing like Christmas to show families how much each one is loved and appreciated.