In the new year, we want to usher in more peace.
More calm.
More comfort.
Eric and I decided to choose Psalms 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”
In a world that values busyness and loudness, we want to put more trust in stillness.
Showing posts with label family theme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family theme. Show all posts
In the new year, we want to usher in more peace.
“In all of living have much fun and laughter.” —Gordon B. Hinckley
It all started with a couple of boys on April fools day who had a late start at the high school the next day. So they concocted a plan. And pulled me in as driver.
The plan involved balloons, forks, and these pretty pictures.
They dressed in black and loaded up the back of our car with their supplies.
But, alas, the family that they wanted to pull this prank off on had a dad outside doing yard work at 10pm at night! So we parked in the driveway next door thinking he would go inside any minute. Which he do not. Let me tell you hiding in a car for 20 min with those clever and funny boys got me laughing so hard and I don’t think I stopped for the rest of the night.
They didn’t want to push their luck all at once so they were going to sneak away and then come back. But that’s when they were spotted and chased to the backyard. They jumped the fence and called me to pick them up on the next street over. They told me they’ve never run so hard or scaled the wall that fast.
So even though it didn’t go according to plan, going into stealth mode was for sure a fun night.
I’m sure he was implying that we should all sneak around at 10:30pm on a school night dressed in black to help our teenagers pull an April fools prank.
It all started with a couple of boys on April fools day who had a late start at the high school the next day. So they concocted a plan. And pulled me in as driver.
They prepared for the evening while watching high school musical. Which I think just added a certain element to the night.
The plan involved balloons, forks, and these pretty pictures.
They dressed in black and loaded up the back of our car with their supplies.
But, alas, the family that they wanted to pull this prank off on had a dad outside doing yard work at 10pm at night! So we parked in the driveway next door thinking he would go inside any minute. Which he do not. Let me tell you hiding in a car for 20 min with those clever and funny boys got me laughing so hard and I don’t think I stopped for the rest of the night.
At one point, the boys thought the dad had gone inside and so they got out and peeked around the wall only to see him literally right on the other side of the wall from them.
Eventually, we drove around to the street behind their house to see if they could sneak in the back way. They could see people awake inside, but determined it was maybe an option. We drove back and forth a few times. For over an hour! Patiently waiting for the dad to go in the house. Because what kind of crazy is that to do yard work so late at night? Well, it didn’t seem like he was going to finish any time soon. So the boys switched up their plans and went to tape all of their pictures up on their back glass door.
But they were determined to put the rest of the stuff in their front yard. So they went into super stealth mode and climbed over the wall and through a gate and got themselves onto the front porch. They laid this down and snapped a picture of how close they were to the yard working dad.
They didn’t want to push their luck all at once so they were going to sneak away and then come back. But that’s when they were spotted and chased to the backyard. They jumped the fence and called me to pick them up on the next street over. They told me they’ve never run so hard or scaled the wall that fast.
We decided it would be best to wait until another night to use the balloons the boys had prepared.
In total, we spent almost two hours sneaking and spying and laughing.
The next morning the mom sent me this of their work:
So even though it didn’t go according to plan, going into stealth mode was for sure a fun night.
Last year I know we were so inspired when we chose the family theme to "seek the good." Cancer brought me down low and it was the best reminder to remember that there is always good. Sometimes we have to search a little bit to find it, but it is there. God is in the details. and God is good. I hope our children will always remember our 2018 theme and seek the good throughout their lives. What we seek for, we will find.
For 2019, we had a theme in mind and we almost settled on it, but then I thought back to 2018 and its craziness (yes there was good, but there was also stress!) and I knew we needed something a little bit more lighthearted than what we originally thought of. After prayer, discussion, and thought we concluded that our 2019 family theme should be......
For 2019, we had a theme in mind and we almost settled on it, but then I thought back to 2018 and its craziness (yes there was good, but there was also stress!) and I knew we needed something a little bit more lighthearted than what we originally thought of. After prayer, discussion, and thought we concluded that our 2019 family theme should be......
Say Cheese!
"In all of living have much fun and laughter.
Life is to be enjoyed not just endured."
-Gordon B. Hinkley
This year is about having some fun!! It's about adventures and laughter and enjoyment. It is about taking hard, difficult situations and using humor to find happiness. It's about changing our attitudes and perspectives to find joy and pleasure and wonder in life. It's about smiling when we don't feel like it. It's about laughing at ourselves and our mistakes. It is taking each day and cherishing the gift that it is. It is letting loose and relaxing and enjoying our days and our moments. It is being corny and silly and goofy.
We made it a family rule that whenever anyone says "say cheese" everyone has to put a big ol' smile on their face. We want to smile more!
Say Cheese!
We set some fun goals this year. Well, I set some goals and then I decided that some of them will be family goals. ha! But they are good things like playing all of the games in our closet, eating more fruits and veggies, inviting lots of families over for sunday dinner, and going on an adventure once a month (though adventures won't always be everyone in the family each month). So far we have played a few games, successfully incorporated a few more fruits and veggies than we normally do (still working on increasing this one), had 5 families over for dinner, and have been on an adventure every month (universal studios with the older boys, legoland with the littles, and a family adventure scheduled this month--adventures make life fun.) Go us!
We also set some simple individual goals.
Kyler: learn to drum 3 songs
Kacin: learn 6 new magic tricks
Perry: learn to read
Layla: read Book of Mormon before baptism, learn to sing all the words to a song
Brinna: keep us smiling as she learns to talk
Mom: read 52 books
Eric: the year of the Eric!
Eric made a whole bunch of specific goals and a plan and I'm so proud of him for doing so. We are calling this the year of the Eric! While I won't share all of his goals and resolutions, I will share these two. He is studying from a paper copy of his scriptures each day and attending the temple each week. He is 100% on these two goals so far and I'm happy for him.
I am so excited about my goal to read more. 52 books! For many years, I averaged reading about 12 books a year. I love reading, but so many other things have gotten in my way. Last year, I stretched myself and read 24 books. Once I met that goal I knew I wanted to stretch myself again. So I decided this year I will read a book each week. I am having so much fun with this goal this year and I am well on my way.
Looking forward to many smiles, much laughter, grand adventures, and a whole lot of fun in 2019!!!
(hand lettering credit goes to a sweet teenager in our ward who made this sign for me)
It is already May. Traditionally, I've done our yearly family theme post at least within the first two months of the new year. Month 5 seems about right for 2018 though.
Our family theme for 2018 is...
SEEK THE GOOD.
We want to remember that there is so much good out there in this world, but sometimes we have to seek it. Sometimes we have to deliberately notice the good in others and in ourselves. Sometimes the easy choice is to watch or listen to whatever the world or our friends throw at us, but it is so much better to seek for that which is good when it comes to picking the movies we watch and the music we listen to. Sometimes we get so busy and distracted by life that we don't see all of the opportunities we have to do good. We can seek for opportunities to serve and do good for someone. We can seek to be closer to our Savior and to feel the Holy Ghost. If we seek for the good in life, we will find it.
We are also trying to focus our weekly family home evening lessons on the "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet and what that teaches us about seeking the good.
We set goals during the first week of the year when we introduced this theme to our children.
Family Goals 2018:
1. at least one member of the family will attend the temple each month
2. at least once a week we will play a family game
3. we will learn more about our government in preparation for our DC trip
4. our family home evening lessons will be based on "for the strength of youth"
Layla:
1. read the scriptures each day
2. seek to use good words
Perry:
1. read the book of Mormon (with help) before being baptized
Kacin:
1. seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost by thinking good thoughts and saying positive and kind things
Kyler:
1. every night tell mom and dad something good that happened during the day (and if something bad happened)
Laura:
1. seek to make our home a safe haven and our family strong with weekly specific goals (I write these personal goals in my weekly planner)
2. use my time wisely, including reading 25 books this year
Eric
1. Exercise mind and body
I'm glad that our family has a focus each year. And I've loved thinking about this particular theme this year.
I found a spot to hang all of our yearly themes. I should've tried harder to put them up in order of which year we focused on each theme, but it worked out this way based on size of frame more than anything else. I love that we are surrounded by these themes as we eat our family meals.
You can find all of my past blog posts about family themes by searching family theme on the side search bar or under labels or here.
I sat down a few weeks ago to brainstorm my thoughts for our focus in 2017. After praying, I made a list of thoughts, words, and scriptures that came to my mind. My mind kept settling on something to do with the word "courage." Eric and I talked about a few different ideas. But it wasn't until the day before we presented our theme to our kiddos that we settled on a phrase and a scripture.
Our 2017 family focus is Have Courage, and Be Kind
20 And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.
21 Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.
This phrase "Have courage and Be Kind" was the trendy latest-thing after the Cinderella movie came out so we hesitated to use it for fear it had been over used. We like the idea of carving our own path around here and not jumping on a bandwagon. But there was no way around it, the phrase was simple and to the point and exactly what we want to focus on this year.
Our goals this year are focused directly on this theme and have more to do with our character, our actions, and our thoughts.
Have Courage and
Be Kind
2017 family goals
Have courage
-to try new
things
-to stand for the
right
-to be friendly
-to act
-to face your
fears
-to be honest
-to show up
-to be involved
-to care
-to develop and
share your talents
-to choose the unpopular,
but right, choice
-to follow your
heart
-to communicate
clearly
-to look everyone
in the eye
-to say “I’m
sorry” or “I was wrong”
Be Kind
-notice others
-give compliments
-hold the door
for others
-show empathy
-give hugs
-smile
-be generous
-show gratitude
-say please and
thank you
-say “I’m sorry”
and be quick to forgive
-stay calm
-use a pleasant
tone of voice
-put others
before yourself
-don’t argue
-assume everyone
is trying their best
-give the benefit
of the doubt
-to yourself
When we presented the theme to our kids and talked together about what it means, I also found this quote that I just love. I read that this was on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta and it is based on writing published by Kent Keith. It's hanging on our quote board right now.
People are often
unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them
anyway.If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.If you are
successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.If you are honest
and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and
sincere anyway.What you spend
years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.If you find
serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.The good you do
today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.Give the best you
have, and it will never be enough. Give your best
anyway.In the final
analysis, it is between you and God. It was never
between you and them anyway.
So there you have it. We are ready for 2017!
A new year, a new family theme!
2016 is the year to
Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Humble, Be Clean, Be Prayerful, and Be True
To kick it off, we watched the talk by President Hinckley, a special address that was given back when Eric and I were in high school (oh, I remember going to this fireside so well!) , that introduced the Six B's.
We decided that each month we would focus on a different Be. And instead of setting year long goals, we would set monthly family goals.
January, Be Grateful, write 3 thank you notes
February, Be Smart, read a book together
March, Be Humble
April, Be Clean
May, Be Prayerful
June, Be True
Then repeat the 6 B's one more time each to finish out the year. We are going to decide on the family goals as we get closer to each month. Maybe, if I remember, I'll post them here.
Recap of last year-
In 2015, our theme was "The Family is Ordained of God" and we studied the family proclamation. I love the clarity and simplicity of that inspired document. I think it blessed our family to put a little more emphasis on learning the principles in that proclamation. We also came up with "mantras" to help us remember how families treat each other. They were: families forgive and move on, families communicate, families give hugs, families stay calm with each other, families tell the truth, and families speak nicely to each other.
Other years: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
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