January- long updates

I’ve been working on a series of goals and i have been wanting to post about it for sometime now!

i have like a million goals (see picture), and i get a lot of slash marks (meaning i didn’t do it) but i am happy about the success i have had. for one thing last week i had a day where i went to bed with the house a disaster feeling terrible but i was still able to give myself stars for the other things i had done. The more important things like teaching Eli a new letter and reading books for fun with the kids, giving hugs and saying i love you. Laughing with Mitchell.... It was so great to realize that my project was helpful in more way then one. :)

Last night we made delicious cinnamon rolls for our FHE treat and activity. They turned out to be the best gluten free cinnamon rolls i have ever had! you can find the recipe here. Eli helped me mix everything up and daddy and Eli helped me roll out the dough and put the good stuff inside. I will always treasure the memories of cooking with my family, i love it and am so grateful for the blessings we enjoy!

I have a goal to laugh more with my kids, i have a quote by Elder wirthlin on my fridge that says "next time you're tempted to groan you might try to laugh instead" i have really been trying to do that. I have been so cranky and stressed waiting for the house to finally go through and trying to figure out how to get enough sleep that i need the extra reminder. Every night both our kids are in our bed. I get that half awake state of sleep. I should probably just be more harsh but i a neighbor who is kind of old and cranky and i just don't want him to knock on our door all mad (yes that has happened before), but really i am a weak mommy and i have to really be feeling like i can conquer the world to let my kids "cry it out".  So they never do, i just say okay come snuggle with momma.
The kids are both getting so big. Eli is in a Thomas the train phase,, he has 3 of the trains from the series and Harold the helicopter. He loves them and carries them EVERYWHERE with him. When we leave the house they come with us in the turtle backpack I got him for Christmas. And at night they are rucked in beside him. He will clean off bookshelves to play with them, making up some game with a cute plot of different engines that only he understands. I love that he does so much imaginative play its so fun!!

Kayden is just adorable. He really get cuter everyday! He loves toys way more then his brother did at this age, because Eli was not that into toys we don’t have many for him so I want to get Kayden more toys!!
I have the shopping bug. BAD! Which is bad. Tax return is already spent in my mind; I think Mitchell has lost his patience about it because he is not talking to me about the long list of things I want. I really should not spend more money. It won’t do anything but give us more stuff but I find myself dreaming about spring wardrobes and about that children’s book I love and more toys for Kayden and a buffet table for the new house, and all the paint I want to redo the kitchen, and picture frames and nice new bedding…..  I cant have it all,  I should not be wanting to spend so much money!
But don’t worry Mitchell will tell me no and make sure I think things through!
We have been making a special gift for daddy. For valentine’s day we have no budget buying a house is pretty pricy. So we are trying to do free things for each other to celebrate! Eli and i have cut out at least 100 paper hearts (he has colored some of them too) and on each one we are writing something we love about daddy. He will have a large jar full of hearts about how much we love him! I think he will be really touched. Though i highly doubt he will read all of them, not in one sitting. We are also making Valentine ’s Day cards homemade to send to all of our grandparents who are far away. :)
I am also doing a “26 days of learning” thing with Eli every day we learn about a new letter and animal. Its been really fun he can identify a lot more letters now and I have learned quite a lot about different animals. Its been extra preparation work for me buts its worth it. Also I have been teaching FHE from the nursery Manuel preparing the week before and Eli has been really enjoying that too. I don’t have a gift of knowing how to teach really young children so its been nice to use resources that teach me how to teach.

I have been meal planning. I love to have a menu and usually I am regular with it but ever since Kayden I've been to lazy. This month I am doing it again with added goals of eating healthy lunches and snacks and doing freezer meals. I have made several batches of freezer snacks out of pudding and fruit and yogurt, that I just freeze into Dixie cups. Its been really nice to not have to worry about dinner some days. But tragically my crock pot broke! Those of you that know my cooking style know this is a BIG deal I use my crock pot several times a week. My nice beautiful one broke in November and someone gave me their old old one for free but now it too has passed on. bummer!!! It’s a really good thing our tax return is coming so that I can replace it!
We have been able to go to several different family gatherings this year’s so far and it has been wonderful. We missed Mitchells sister’s wedding last year, how terrible is that? So this year I made a goal to go to every possible family event. So far we have done several and I do feel happier and more connected. If I am here in the area I should take advantage!
here are somemore cute pics of my kiddos!