Beginning of 2014

January 2013

This year of journaling will be dedicated to recording the little moments that I want to remember and freeze in time. Yes,  we do a lot as a family and participate in a lot of activities and events, and we have a lot of stories each month,  but I want to be able to look back at the small moments that otherwise wouldn’t be remembered 10-20- even 30 years later.

I am also probably going to be writing more entries on subjects that irk me. I feel like every day I am bombarded by backwards thinking and I need an outlet to articulate how I feel about it. I want my kids to know how I feel about some things. Some subjects may be difficult for me personally, but after talking with Dan I feel like now is the time in my life I need to share things that I have been through that have shaped me into who I am today, and also there is always the social issues that make everyone mad at each other. You know? The kind where everyone is an expert on, and if you disagree with them, they are imbeciles or haters? Yeah, those types of social issues.

 I’m going to brave it. Not because I think I am so important that everyone wants to hear me. I can assure you, I am aware most people don’t care to know how I feel on certain subjects. But here is what makes me want to write- My babies. I feel like the world is teaching them so many things that are wrong, and it’s not that I don't already talk with them about things that I feel need to be talked about, but some of the stuff is just too heavy for their ages right now and since I print out these entries every year, my kids will have them to look at later in their lives.

So for this next year, it will mostly be random family moments and the rest will be opinion pieces on an array of subjects.

Ashley Moments

·         I took Ashley to Taco Bell and got her chips and cheese. She said, “This is the best day of my life.”

·         She began finishing her sentences with, “Your majesty” whenever talking to Dan or me.

·         She began saying, “My pleasure” when we said thank you.

·         Ashley has mellowed out a LOT. I can take her to stores now and she listens and stays by me for the most part. I can now shop at almost normal speed with her instead of the speed-shopping I had grown accustomed to for the past 2 1/2 years.

·         She had her 3^rd hair cut and did fantastic. The first two ended with her screaming and me holding her. She sat nicely the entire time and politely did everything the lady asked her to do.

Molly

·         On the way to school, Molly asked if the moon weighed anything. I said yes. She then asked if shadows weighed anything.

·         Molly helped Dean with puzzles like she was a little teacher when the Clarks stayed with us.

The Clarks found a cheap way to take a trip back to AZ and they stayed with us. It was the most fun we’ve had in a long time. We love the Clarks and hope they move back, but also want what is best for them and their family. We made great memories with them. Way too many to count.