A New Year!

A new year is come and with it many opportunities. The children have grown the past year physically, mentally and (I hope) spiritually. The adults (I hope) have sharpened our physical stature, mental aptitude and spiritual awareness.

Dad finished his 365 with a photo from a hike we took on New Year's Day. We enjoy hiking and Banini #4 actually hiked the entire time. Boyd's photo of him really captured our family's pondering of realistic goals for this year's future.

Our first goal..... Hold Family Home Evening EVERY week, regardless of sickness, death, dismemberment, OR any other distraction. (A song, a prayer, a short message, a song and a prayer are the minimum requirements.) When Bryan and Justin were small we always had FHE, without fail, but in the last two years or so, FHE had become a 50% event. THIS IS CHANGING......100% is the only option. We want our children to understand this is important for many reasons....(can you think of why it is important to gather your children around you at least one time a week and teach them a value that is important to you and your family?)

Our second goal....Regular Temple attendance. Dad goes regularly, Mom was improving. Now we are going. (Non LDS people, the temple is a sacred place of worship. It is a place where we go to be closer to God. Consistent attendance acts as a reminder of why we are here and what our true focus is in our lives.)

Our third goal... to go on at least one hike as a family every month. Easy right... not! During the cool months this is easy. We have many hikes within 25 miles of our home. The surrounding area is beautiful and fun to explore. During the summer months, unless you get five children out of bed at 3:30am, dressed and to the site by 4:30 am for your hike, IT IS TOO HOT! So we usually have to drive 100 miles or so, for a hike that is cool enough in the daytime to do. With the last two year,s fuel prices, we have not always had the extra money for a 200 mile trip for a 4-5 hour hike. So this goal is going to take some financial planning, we are budgeting for the expense now...a little planning goes a long way!

Our fourth goal.... well we decided three for the family was enough for this year. We want to be successful with our goals and if we can add to them as the year progresses, we will. A goal for improvement does not have to start with the new year. A goal is good for anytime. Yet, the new year is often the time our family regroups from the holiday craziness, utilizing the insights we gain from trying to follow our Savior's example, and identifies areas we want improvement. We will continue to keep our current good habits and look forward to adding consistency within our family.

We wish each of you a happy New Year!!