Shopping at Cosco

When everyone helps, we can do a Cosco run in under an hour!

Some thoughts on Motherhood from my dear friend Marilyn Bazinet

Just was just named Utah's young Mother of the Year 2015...

200 words on how being a mother has impacted my life.

The opening sentence of a manuscript written by C. Terry Warner states, "The only change that matters is a change of heart."  By this Warner means that real change is always a fundamental change in our "hearts" (e.g. our will, our desires, our intent). I became a mother eleven years and 8 days ago.  No other event or relationship has had a greater impact on my life because my children offer me a constant stream of invitations to experience a change of heart.  My children invite me to be my best self.  They invite me to be kind and forgiving because they are kind and forgiving with me.  They invite me to find joy in mundane things. They show me that life can be a continuous string of celebrations.  They invite me to listen carefully to their perspective and constantly look for solutions. They have taught me how much I want to know, love, and help them grow up to become happy people that love and serve others.  I am convinced that at the end of my life, the changes in my heart brought about because I became a mother, will bring me the greatest peace and joy.

-- 

Marilyn Bazinet

Homeschool conference

AnnMarie taught a class on home organization. She has great ideas and draws a big crowd!

Hugs

Not so easy hugging mom with s big tummy.

Am 2015 Goals

Am 2015 Goals
Personal

Spiritual
- Daily prayer morn and night
-Temple once a month
-Sunday school lesson every week
-character qualities word studies one per week
-Ensign article once a week
-100% VT

Health
-cut out wheat flour and sugar
- low GI
-work out 3x per week (after baby)
- no frankenfoods

Educational
Read...
7 principle of happy marriage
Child Whisperer
hypnobirthing
How to get your kids to practice
Talent is overrated
Trim healthy mama
Healthy sleep habits
Find writing program for Nathan
Help Jarod to get organized at school (study skills, Audrey and Ian Cox)
Duggar dating guidelines
James jones whistle while you work
Growing up Duggar


Family

Marriage
-weekly date night
-complete 7 principles workbook
-inspire not require

Parenting
- prayer morning
-Internet safety
- Set up Family financial economy (James Jones)
-research healthy sleep patterns
-set up Norton family dating standards
- continued consistent family devotionals (pick books for devotional basket monthly that go with Duggar qualities)
-research sibling rivalry
-30 min silent reading time daily
-Monthly Dates with each child

Homeschool
-read and use Noah plan (principle approach in everything)
- use family school
-memorize CC timeline song
- conquer math basic skills
- update everyone wunderlist/Ipad with new apps
- increase accountability with memorizations, riggs flashcards etc
- better writing skills
- research study skills
-consistent daily piano practice

Community building
-study skills seminar
-dating seminar
-family builder
-Monthly Mama nights
-writing seminar

Gondola

Took Am on a gondola ride at Naples island at long beach.

Laguna beach

Such a beautiful day at the beach.

Glowing

Boy does she make pregnancy look good!

Cali

Having such s nice time just the 2 of us

Airport

At the airport. We leave for Cali for a week. Just the 2 of us...

Prego

Isn't Am the cutest pregnant mommy ever!

Birthday cake Am

Christmas tradition

We have a family tradition where during the month of December every night we read a children's story about the true meaning of Christmas. This is the kids favorite book.

Christmas gifts

Not a bad looking christmas...We're celebrating on the 20th

Nutcracker

Tonight Am took meme and Gracie to the nutcracker ballet for meme's birthday. They had a fun time.

Christmas devotional

This morning we got up early to try and get stand-by tickets to the Mormon tabernacle choir Christmas concert at the conference center. Am tried to get tickets in October but they were sold out. It wasn't looking like we were going to get in. Then one of the workers saw Am was pregnant and felt bad for her standing out in the cold and slipped us 2 tickets!

Getaway

For Am's birthday, mom watched the kids so we could do a getaway weekend. We stayed at Grand America in salt lake.

Heritage park

Spent the afternoon at This Is The Place Heritage Park.

Hiking

Spent the afternoon in the mountains.

Skating

Went skating in Provo. Not bad for a pregnant mommy!