2012 Intentions

We finally got around to having a little family sit-down about goal planning for 2012. Last Sunday once again found me teaching an impromptu YW lesson and, not having time to plan and it being New Year's Day and all, we talked about setting goals. The conference talk I used referenced an earlier quote from John H. Vandenberg: "It has been said that if you don't know where you're going, it doesn't matter which road you take." I encouraged all the Beehives to pick a couple things they wanted to improve on in 2012 and set up a plan to get there. Here's what Hans and I came up with.

And in case you can't read that....

1. Continue good habits formed in 2011 - Continue visiting the temple once a month, continue to be on top of regular tithing payments (instead of lump sums at the end of the year) and work on food storage.

2. Read Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price as a family.

3. Go to bed earlier. It's unusual for us to go to bed before midnight, with normal being around 1 a.m. This will change. From now on, we're dropping everything at 11 for scripture reading and prayers and going to sleep at 11:30.

4. Run. Hans is shooting for a half marathon, I'd settle for a good 10k.

5. Pay off remaining credit cards. We're almost there and I think we can do it in the next four months. Woot!

6. Take a vacation. Our cruise last month was the first trip we've taken in two years. Hans had actually only taken one day off in all of 2011. It means we burn out quick (and we're like less sparkly and attractive versions of the Cullens). Taking that cruise showed us that we really need to make time, and room in the budget, for "us time" and a chance to recharge our batteries. I suspect we'll be looking at another cruise in 2012.

7. Hans put "Do hometeaching" on the list. I think they must have talked about it in EQ last week....

8. Home improvements - While this list could be a long one, landscaping the front and back yards and adding crowning molding and baseboards throughout the downstairs top the list. In a dream world, we'd redo the kitchen this year. But that's a lengthy project that includes new countertops, backsplash, upper cabinets, a banquette, a new dishwasher and oven and a farmhouse sink. We can dream, right?

9. And last, but certainly not least, take more pictures of ourselves. We're really good at taking pictures of food. And our house. And ours dogs (oh gosh, we're THOSE people....) but we have very few pictures of the two of us. In fact, when I was making that photo collage, I discovered that despite our nine years, we have shockingly few pictures of us. We're working hard to improve that already.

Deep breath aaaannnnnddddd...... Go.