Family Focus and Goals

At FHE last night,
with a drumroll and a Ta-Da!,
we revealed our family's focus for 2011:

When I Choose the Right, I am Happy.

As we were deciding on our family's "theme" for 2011, our thoughts and discussions kept revolving around choices--the small and the big choices we make each day, the effect of our choices, and how to make right choices. Our boys are growing up so quickly and spending more and more time away from home. All too soon, they will both be in all-day school. They are becoming so independent and want to spend more time with friends, playing sports, and other activities. We also know that this year Kyler will be turning 8 years old. It will be time for him to choose whether or not to be baptized. We hope that by focusing together and learning about our choices, we will all be ready to make thoughtful choices and accept responsibility for our choices. We want to feel the joy that comes from making good choices. 

Our goals this year include:

Family: study Preach My Gospel, hiking all the trails in our guide, singing the hymns at church, and reading The Chronicles of Narnia Series together

Kacin: read a chapter book, play the piano, stretch/yoga every day, and memorize 6 scriptures

Kyler: finish reading the Book of Mormon, create 5 different types of art (painting, drawing, pottery, etc.), stretch/yoga every day, and memorize 7 scriptures

Laura: play 3 hymns on the piano (not the made-easy ones), finish Personal Progress, study the life of Jesus Christ by reading the Gospels and Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage, and run a 5k or some such thing

Eric: read the Book of Mormon and D&C in Portuguese, study for and take the GMAT, grill with 5 different recipes in the summer, and run a 5k or some such thing

Note: the stretch/yoga every day goal for the boys came because the boys each wanted a goal to exercise every day. Because E and I feel they are naturally very active and we play at the park, ride bikes, and play sports all the time anyways, we wanted them to do something a little different. We also hope that by doing some kids yoga they will learn strategies to help them relax, breathe, calm down, and increase their focus.