Category: Yearly Goals

Greetings from Escondido California!  My favorite week of the year has come and gone.  We’ve played, swam, surfed and built sand forts.  We’ve used tons of sunscreen and taken 2-3 showers per day.  My week of bliss has ended, and we’ve said good-bye, reluctantly, to the ocean.  I miss it already.


We’re now visiting my in-laws, and Father’s Day has been spent with my husband’s family.  It’s wonderful to be here.   We have one last day of play ahead of us and then we’re headed home.  I’m reaching the point where my own bed is sounding better every day.

This week’s report:  60 steps.  It’s been a great week.

Highlights:

1.  I read five books this week, a total of about 1300 pages.  Talk about relaxing!

2.  I spent a lot of time this week holding my baby.  She cut her 3rd tooth this morning, and although she feels lousy she’s been sweet and it’s been great to spend a lot of time together.

3.  I had the opportunity to observe a family in the beach house next to ours.  They were having a large family reunion and it warmed my heart to watch them interact, express opinions and let their children play together.  It made me feel like my family (brothers and sisters) is a lot more normal than some of us think.

4.  We played Aggravation with my grandpa while we were in Newport Beach.  It was a lot of fun to have my children play with their great-grandpa.  I love him so much.


5.  My parents flew into town on Friday night and we were able to spend a day a the beach with them.  It was a dream come true.  It’s been 17 years since I’ve been at the beach with my mom and dad.  I really enjoyed sitting and talking with them while we watched the children play.

6.  Today I had the funny experience of meeting the mother of my oldest daughter’s first grade teacher.  What a small world we’re living in.

7.  I enjoy talking with my father-in-law.  He is very talented and I love his perspective on things.  He really thinks about life and I love to hear his observations.

8.  My kids went for six full days without getting in a car for any reason.  THAT’S an accomplishment.

9.  This morning at church I watched my husband holding our two youngest just outside the doors because they were being loud.  I sat there looking at him and marveled again that he’s mine and that our children have such an amazing father.  He takes good care of us all and we love him fiercely.

10.  Did I mention this?


(photo taken by my oldest daughter) Have a great week!

Hopeful Homemaker

Hello from Newport Beach California!  After 11 hours on the road yesterday, we are loving the salty air and cool breezes of the beach.  This is our one week out of the year when we truly change gears.  We live entirely by our needs, not by the clock or the world’s expectations.  I love it.


It took a crazy week to get us here, and we’re happy to have lived through it.  Getting ready for a trip is almost like moving.  It takes SO much stuff, so much cleaning, so much planning and arranging before you leave.  Every time we go on a trip I promise myself that it won’t be like this next time, but it always is.  And you live through it.

So here we are with another week’s report.  23 weeks, and I haven’t missed a single one.  Pretty cool.  This week I recorded 73 steps.  Included in those steps were some big things:  purchasing a new vehicle for our family, celebrating my husband’s birthday and driving to California.   In addition to this, I have a few other highlights.

1.  Upon arriving at the beach house, we were amazed to discover that we can park the space shuttle in my Grandpa’s little driveway.  After conferring with him and with his neighbor, it looks like we’ve got ourselves a parking space for the week.  If you know me and how I sometimes worry about dumb things, you’ll know that this is a huge relief.


2.  At 8:00 p.m. on Friday night (when I should have been packing and cleaning) I finished a quilt.  It was commissioned by my sister in law for her Dad’s 60th birthday.  It wasn’t the wisest commitment to make at this time of year, but at least I kept it.  By some miracle, it is completed and is now on its way to her.  Pictures to come in the next few days.

3.  I started another book.  I know.  I have this strange habit of reading 5 or 6 books at a time, but somehow I always finish them.  I packed several books with me to read this week while the kids are falling asleep at night and my husband is working remotely.

4.  I took my son to what we believe was his final doctor’s appointment for his broken finger.  After a little more than 2 months, it appears the adventure is over and he has a functional finger.  He’s managed to get his range of motion good enough that the doctor sees no need for therapy, and we just have a few warning signs to watch for.  Slowly but surely it’s beginning to look like a normal finger again.

5.  I tried a new recipe.

6.  I got a haircut.  This is a bigger deal than you might think.  The last one I had was before my baby was born, ten months ago.  The only haircut I’ve had since then was one I did myself.

7.  I keep learning the same lessons about being a mom over and over again.   Stay calm.  Be patient.  Speak softly.   If you want something from your children, give them a way to hand it to you cheerfully.  Smile more.  Hug them more.  This was one of those weeks that made me wish that I had learned more fully, wonder if I’ll ever really get good at this.   I hope I’m slowly getting better.

8.  I learned that when my two year old starts screaming (the kind of screams that make you pause to see if the electrical circuits in the house are going to explode like in the movie Monsters, Inc.) I can calm her down by holding her and whispering to her.  If I’m patient and persistent, she stops screaming.

Just for fun, I’m going to share one specific goal I have for the coming week.  I am going to buy 4 bowls for my Grandpa’s house.  Last year he had exactly 8 bowls in the house.  This year we can only find 6, which means that two have been broken.  After washing dishes in the middle of breakfast this morning so the rest of the family could eat, we’re just going to restock his cupboard and hope he’ll keep them around till next year.

One more thing.  If you want some entertainment this week, just wander the streets of Newport Beach CA after dark.  If you can find a house that has a cacophony of sounds pouring out of its windows, it’s probably us trying to get 8 children to sleep in one room.  It’s a real adventure, let me tell you.   Every year I wonder if we have a little crowd gathering on the street outside, covering their mouths to stifle the sounds of their laughter.  The thought of it makes me laugh, too, which is better than yelling.

That about sums it up.  This week I’ll be disconnected from the electronic world for the most part, so I’ve scheduled some posts for the week that will re-cap our recent trip to Denver.  In the meantime, we’ll be soaking up the sun, playing in the sand, surfing the waves and just being together.  I’ll check in as soon as I’m able, and share pictures soon.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

What a week it has been!  Tonight we sit in my family room talking with my sister and her husband.  They are staying with us for the weekend, and we’re having a wonderful time.  It’s hard to believe that a week ago we were in Denver, and a few days ago my son became a teenager.  The week has been long and yet short, full of work and fun.  I’m tired, but happy.

Tonight we went outside to take a walk after dinner.  The sky looked like this and yet it was raining drops of water so large that the wet spots on our driveway were 1-2 inches in diameter.


Rain in sunshine has always been one of my favorite kinds of weather.  We certainly enjoyed it tonight!

This week’s report:  52 steps.  As I said, it was a busy, happy week.

Highlights:

1.  On Memorial Day we went camping and had 3 elk come down into our camping area.  It was amazing.  I took some pictures which I’ll share soon.

2.  I started reading another biography, this one about Henry Knox.  I’ve always admired him and am really excited to be reading about his life.  More to come on him, too.

3.  Today I made a new dessert one that I dreamed up in my mind a few weeks ago.  It tastes pretty good.  I’m going to fine tune it and will share it soon.

4.  This week I cleaned and washed clothes over and over again, and yesterday my house actually looked somewhat clean.  Hooray!

5.  We’re making great memories with our cousins who are here staying with us.

6.  Tonight some of my children watched a dog die.  It was sad but also a good learning experience.

7.  We got the toyroom clean and I managed to thin out the toys a little bit.  It’s nice to take care of less stuff.

8.  My baby cut her second tooth.  She is such a little bundle of fun.  It’s so awesome to be the Mom and to have one person in the world whose countenance, whose whole body, is filled with happiness and energy at the mere sight of you.  It’s a lot of work, but I love being loved and wanted.  She’s growing too fast and will be walking soon, but she still loves me and wants to be in my arms.   I feel blessed.


I know it’s summer vacation and that I should relax, but I’m a little stressed about getting ready for our annual trip to the beach  and meeting a deadline this coming week.  I’m sure it will work out, and I’ll feel better about it once I just dive in and get to work.

Life is good.  Have a great week!


Hopeful Homemaker