Intentional- Writing about New Year's goals in April.

For the first time in I think ever I made real actual goals/resolutions this year.  Four months in and they are still going strong.
At the end of the year Jordan and I sat down to talk about what did and didn't work for us for the past 12 months.  It was really good to look back at a whole year and see how are family had changed, for better or for worse.  
 We also decided that we wanted to pick a word or phrase for our family to focus on for the year, and pick a new one each year.  For our first word we picked, INTENTIONAL.  We want to be a family that does things with real intent.  This in includes how we read our scriptures, attend the temple, save and spend our money, spend our free time, teach our children, continue to educate ourselves, and so much more.  We want to be a family that is Intentionally trying to become more Christlike.

Some of the things that worked well for us.
1.The Dave Ramsey Plan
2. Learning to work together, often separate, but with the same goal in mind.
3. Listening to a Conference talk in the morning.
4. Getting up before the kids in the morning.

What didn't work.
1. Not having a weekend.
2. Not having our own Garden.
3. Living over an hour from the temple.


Our Goals for this year
1. Read 10 books as a couple, and 5 individually.
2. Read the Book Of Mormon Jr. as a family and go mini golfing when we finish
3. Become Debt Free (DONE!!) and be on baby step number 6 in 18 months.
4. Find a family scripture
5. Attend the temple Twice a month
6. Visit PolyFace Farms
7. Run 1/2 marathon together.

Memories we hope to make this year

1. Beach Trips
2.First camping trip as a family
3.Teaching Madilyn to fish, she has been asking for months.
4. Fun times at the YMCA
5.Gardening
6. Visit Arizona (DONE! Too quick but lots of fun)
7. Trips to the Zoo and Children's museum (we were gifted season passes for Christmas, such a great idea!!!)
9. Weekend trips to different southern states and small sustainable farms ( in our awesome craigslist tent, because hotels are overrated when your kids just ruin things and cry all night)


It had been really fun to have something we are working on together as a family.  Our weekend and even weeknight have been much more fulfilling.  Jordan also loves getting out of dishes and picking up because he is reading out loud to us in the evening.