Goals Check no.1

It's that time. Goals check time. Here we go:


1. Get more sleep: Go to bed early, get up early.

I did such a fantastic job with this for about a week. It was a glorious week really. Henry was in bed no later than 8:00pm, Johann and I were sleeping by 10:30 at the latest. I felt pretty darn good. I've been doing a horrible job lately. I get all this nervous energy at night, and it's finally quiet so I want to relax and then work while I don't have a little shadow following me. I have to buckle down and get myself to sleep, sleep, sleeeeep!

2. Keep reading: Yup, purposefully very broad.

So far this year I've read Middlemarch and then a book written by Elder Hafen called The Broken Heart.
I finished Middlemarch in January and February went by like a blur. While I haven't completed an entire book, I have continued to read, mostly from George Herbert's The Temple. Everyone, EVERYONE, I don't care if you hate poetry. Herbert is fantastic. Get into it. Now. Go.

Anywho. Middlemarch is fantastic. I love so many of the characters. I really, really love Dorthea.

The Broken Heart was also a good read. The main message is to understand the relationship between the bitter and the sweet, between experience and growth, between this life and the atonement. It's pretty repetitive but I would definitely recommend it.
Right now I'm working on The Collected Stories of Eurdora Welty which has been enjoyable and Emma.

3. Write more: Blog once a week. Go to the museum once a month and write about a particular painting or two.

Blogging. Check. Going to the museum and writing-fail. I may just pick pieces from books or past favorites. Or I may just drop this portion of my goal.

4. Read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and a conference talk daily. Read the gospel doctrine and Relief Society lessons before class.

Check. I have really enjoyed reading conference talks. Not something I have done on a daily basis for an extended period of time ever. I like it.

5. Have a date with Johann weekly: even if that means just watching a movie together at home.

I think so far, this is a check, though we have had lots of at home movie nights. =)

6. Attend the temple monthly and have family home evening weekly.

We've been doing good with having family home evening. January we had to go to the temple separately because Henry was sick and we had planned with our friends towards the end of the month. February we got to go together and it was nice. We even had lunch at the cafeteria after. My favorite part there was going to the cashier and having her heckle us into taking more saltine crackers for our soup, "The missionaries come in here and take 10 a piece! take more than what you have!!!"

7.Keep a monthly budget.

I'm pretty proud of having been diligent in recording ALL our transactions and seeing where we're spending money, where we need to cut and where more needs to go. It's been a very good thing.

8.Get rid of the weight I gained during (and after lovingly nurtured) while pregnant with Henry. I've been working on it but I need to make a very concerted effort to just kick the rest of it. Three years is long enough, though that first year I didn't sleep at all and I have a sneaking suspicion that didn't help me out much. Anyway, I have tons of excuses, now its just time to do it.

I have definitely noticed a correlation between my sleep and weight-loss. Just sayin'. Anywho, since the beginning of the year I've lost about 6lbs which I know isn't awesome for two months but I'm much more into really losing it for good by changing our lifestyle as far as eating, exercising and sleeping. I'm trying to work up my courage to give up sugar. I feel like its a good time. The only holiday coming up is Easter and I'm not really big on Easter candy anyway. So we'll see. Anyway, I have about 15-17 lbs to go. I figure if I can get there by summer that would be great. Sooner would also be great. =)

9. FINALLY take a family picture. It WILL happen this year. The end.

I'm waiting for Utah to stop being a tundra. I won't even think about it until then.



The End.