2015 Resolution Wrap Up

This is my final review of my resolutions for 2015. 

Resolution update:

1. Saving Money - We did save money this year. We didn't end up with the amount I planned, but we did have a pretty expensive trip to New York in August. And Ross's colonoscopy cost more than planned as well. But overall we're happy with what we've saved and have plans to do better in the new year.


2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - Well, I didn't lose the weight I'd planned. In fact I weighed myself today and I'm down exactly one pound from what I weighed when I started seriously tracking it in February. But I'm happy enough with that. I'm glad I didn't gain and I will try to better next year.

3. Read 3 books a month - I made exactly half of this goal happen. Today I finished my 18th book. But it's still better than the few I did last year.

4. Blog at least once a week - This went well until summer. Then I fell off the wagon. I wish I had more details about this summer and fall, but life moves on, documented or not. :)


All in all I'm happy with what's been done. Having specific goals that I could actually remember all year helped me at least try harder to meet them than I've done in the past. So even though none of them were fully accomplished, they were all aimed for and partially completed. Onto 2016...

End of the Year Wrap Up!

I didn't blog as much as I would've liked, but this is a list of cool things that happened this year.

Our family events:
Ross and Bella went to their first Daddy/Daughter Dance.
Lilly found that she likes the "Pinkalicious" medicine (Amoxicillin) after having an earache.
I tried cooking two new things - Sugar Cookies and Chicken Fried Rice "Hamburger" Helper.
I started running the Star Card Cart at Bella's school.
We went to our first movie night at the school and had so much fun that we kept going!
I went to my first book club with Mom a few times.
I had a girls night with Melissa and Mom before Elijah was born.
Bella started going to Pre-Teen Night at the YMCA and loved it!
I went to visit Sarah and Jason in Michigan for the weekend in the Spring.
I dyed my hair for the first time in over a year.
Bella had her school dance - Candyland Theme!
We made cupcakes as a family for Valentine's day!
I cut about 4 inches off of Bella's hair.
Bella had a week off school! (President's Day, and 4 snow days!)
We made lemon poppy-seed muffins with a homemade glaze.
Tried Sweet & Sour Chicken Helper to much success!
Ross and I had a date night while Mom kept both girls overnight.
Lilly and I visited two preschools and picked the FCDC. 
Bella wrote her "famous American" report on Sally Ride.
Ross and I painted at Cheers to Art - a picture of the Cincy Skyline.
We decorated our downstairs bathroom with a painting and a new storage unit.
We hosted the family birthday party for Mom, B and Rosie.
Ross and Bella went to the multicultural fair.
Bella forgot her lunch for the first time!
We all went to Flubs on opening day!
The girls rediscovered the Wii and played a lot of sports games.
The girls helped make drop biscuits, and then refused to eat them! LOL!
We had a family game night and played Ticket to Ride, Charades and Barbecue party.
I got an inflammation in my eye that required medication. Boo!
I finally got around to finishing our Taxes through TurboTax.
Bella, Ross and I saw the Wizard of Oz at the Community Arts Center.
We had a very cold Easter Egg hunt at Melissa's church.
Bella's new bike arrived in the mail, Lilly's was bought at Target, and Ross put them both together!
Dad and B went out with us for Sunday lunch and then came over for a visit.
Took Mom to Cheers to Art with Melissa to paint "I love the Reds" painting.
The girls got 3 Easter baskets - one at Mom's, Dad's and home.
We had Easter Dinner at Mom's and then at Dad's.
We dyed Easter Eggs at home and Mom joined us.
Our McDonald's meal was paid for by a stranger!
Ross went to the Fairfield city meeting about the Landominiums to be built next to us.
Bella and Lilly had their first Dentist appointment with Dr. Kennedy. Bella had a tooth pulled and another crowned.
Bella took a trial class at Flip N Twist Gymnastics and loved it so we signed up. Then Lilly signed up in the Fall.
We started using a jar filled with questions (called "The Key Jar") to ask at dinner time to help us have things to talk about.
We went as a family to the Fairfield Arts Fair and saw Bella's creations.
We dropped off over 700 cookies and 4000 VBS flyers to 5 local schools.
Ross had a routine colonoscopy.
We switched from Time Warner Cable to Fioptics.
Ross took Bella on her field trip to Fernald.
I finally got to wear contacts again!
For Mother's day I got a homemade purse from Bella and a new Tervis cup that both kids picked out.
We had a celebration at Emily and Jason's new house for Mother's Day, Brynna and Jason's birthdays and their housewarming.
Lilly got 5 vaccination shots!
We had our first movie night of the year in Village green and we passed out our VBS information.
We got our new canopy and a new lawn mower!
We had a Memorial Day party with the family and celebrated Moe's birthday.
Bella went to KI with the Murrays and Nate, then again with the Johnsons.
We had our first family trip to Kings Island with Mom, Moe, Nate and Eli.
Bella had her last day of second grade!
Sarah came home for good and we went to see Pitch Perfect 2 with Lacey!
Ross attended Origins Game Fair.
Ross and I Went to Mike and Sarah's Wedding.
I worked at and the girls attended Vacation Bible School.
Went to Eli's dedication at Princeton Pike Church.
Celebrated Father's Day at Andy's, along with Andy's birthday.
Saw Inside Out at the theater all together.
I attended a baby shower for my cousin Catherine.
Celebrated Red, White and Kaboom with the family at our house.
Celebrated 4th of July at Andy and Rosie's and Joe's birthday.
I went to a Spa Party with my friend Jen.
Lilly spent the night with my mom, while Julie spent the night here with Bella.
Got my car fixed up with 3 new tires.
Got the plumbing in the basement fixed.
Celebrated Nate's birthday at Pump It Up.
Went on vacation with the Thompson side of the family.
Bought our school supplies and new shoes.
Bella went to Great Wolf Lodge for Julia's birthday party/sleepover.
Brought Ross to KI on a Sunday and stayed at Soak City the whole time. 

Our family events:
Ross and Bella went to their first Daddy/Daughter Dance.
Lilly found that she likes the "Pinkalicious" medicine (Amoxacillan) after having an earache.
I tried cooking two new things - Sugar Cookies and Chicken Fried Rice "Hamburger" Helper.
I started running the Star Card Cart at Bella's school.
We went to our first movie night at the school and had so much fun that we kept going!
I went to my first book club with Mom a few times.
I had a girls night with Melissa and Mom before Elijah was born.
Bella started going to Pre-Teen Night at the YMCA and loved it!
I went to visit Sarah and Jason in Michigan for the weekend in the Spring.
I dyed my hair for the first time in over a year.
Bella had her school dance - Candyland Theme!
We made cupcakes as a family for Valentine's day!
I cut about 4 inches off of Bella's hair.
Bella had a week off school! (President's Day, and 4 snow days!)
We made lemon poppyseed muffins with a homemade glaze.
Tried Sweet & Sour Chicken Helper to much success!
Ross and I had a date night while Mom kept both girls overnight.
Lilly and I visited two preschools and picked the FCDC. 
Bella wrote her "famous American" report on Sally Ride.
Ross and I painted at Cheers to Art - a picture of the Cincy Skyline.
We decorated our downstairs bathroom with a painting and a new storage unit.
We hosted the family birthday party for Mom, B and Rosie.
Ross and Bella went to the multicultural fair.
Bella forgot her lunch for the first time!
We all went to Flubs on opening day!
The girls rediscovered the Wii and played a lot of sports games.
The girls helped make drop biscuits, and then refused to eat them! LOL!
We had a family game night and played Ticket to Ride, Charades and Barbecue party.
I got an inflammation in my eye that required medication. Boo!
I finally got around to finishing our Taxes through TurboTax.
Bella, Ross and I saw the Wizard of Oz at the Community Arts Center.
We had a very cold Easter Egg hunt at Melissa's church.
Bella's new bike arrived in the mail, Lilly's was bought at Target, and Ross put them both together!
Dad and B went out with us for Sunday lunch and then came over for a visit.
Took Mom to Cheers to Art with Melissa to paint "I love the Reds" painting.
The girls got 3 Easter baskets - one at Mom's, Dad's and home.
We had Easter Dinner at Mom's and then at Dad's.
We dyed Easter Eggs at home and Mom joined us.
Our McDonald's meal was paid for by a stranger!
Sarah and Jason came to town and surprised us!
Bella went to her friend Laila's birthday party at Skatetown, USA!
Ross went to the Fairfield city meeting about the Landominiums to be built next to us.
Bella and Lilly had their first Dentist appointment with Dr. Kennedy. Bella had a tooth pulled and another crowned.
Bella and Lilly went to the school skating party.
Bella took a trial class at Flip N Twist Gymnastics and loved it so we signed up. Then Lilly signed up in the Fall.
We started using a jar filled with questions (called "The Key Jar") to ask at dinner time to help us have things to talk about.
Took Lilly to the doctor after she had an earache in the middle of the night.
I helped Mom cut down a bush in her yard.
We went as a family to the Fairfield Arts Fair and saw Bella's creations.
We dropped off over 700 cookies and 4000 VBS flyers to 5 local schools.
Ross had a routine colonoscopy.
We switched from Time Warner Cable to Fioptics.
Ross took Bella on her field trip to Fernald.
I finally got to wear contacts again!
For Mother's day I got a homemade purse from Bella and a new Tervis cup that both kids picked out.
We had a celebration at Emily and Jason's new house for Mother's Day, Brynna and Jason's birthdays and their housewarming.
Lilly got 5 vaccination shots!
We had our first movie night of the year in Village green and we passed out our VBS information.
We got our new canopy and a new lawn mower!
We had a Memorial Day party with the family and celebrated Moe's birthday.
Bella went to KI with the Murrays and Nate, then again with the Johnsons.
We had our first family trip to Kings Island with Mom, Moe, Nate and Eli.
Bella had her last day of second grade!
Sarah came home for good and we went to see Pitch Perfect 2 with Lacey!
Ross attended Origins Game Fair.
Ross and I Went to Mike and Sarah's Wedding.
I worked at and the girls attended Vacation Bible School.
Went to Eli's dedication at Princeton Pike Church.
Celebrated Father's Day at Andy's, along with Andy's birthday.
Saw Inside Out at the theater all together.
I attended a baby shower for my cousin Catherine.
Celebrated Red, White and Kaboom with the family at our house.
Celebrated 4th of July at Andy and Rosie's and Joe's birthday.
I went to a Spa Party with my friend Jen.
Lilly spent the night with my mom, while Julie spent the night here with Bella.
Got my car fixed up with 3 new tires.
Got the plumbing in the basement fixed.
Celebrated Nate's birthday at Pump It Up.
Went on vacation with the Thompson side of the family.
Bought our school supplies and new shoes.
Bella went to Great Wolf Lodge for Julia's birthday party/sleepover.
Brought Ross to KI on a Sunday and stayed at Soak City the whole time. 

Near the end of the year I stopped blogging and recording things. But these are the big things that happened:
Bella started 3rd grade. She now has 2 teachers during the day.
Lilly started pre-school. It wasn't easy at first, but she's doing well now.
We got a hamster in October. Her name is Fluffy Biscuits Unicorn Thompson.
We had everyone over for our annual Halloween party.
Pat came for a visit and got to be here with us for the girls birthday party and Thanksgiving celebrations.
We had both Thanksgiving and Christmas at Sarah and Jason's house.
We had a nice Christmas Eve with Mom and Melissa at Melissa and Joe's house.

Aug 23 - 29

This week's highlights:

• Ross went to see a movie. 
• The girls took Ross to Petland. 
• I hand cleaned the entire kitchen floor. 
• Eli had an accident and got a fractured skull. 
• We had a family party for Ross's 40th birthday!

Sunday - We didn't go to church this morning so we played around the house. At lunchtime Ross went to see "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." at the movies and I took the girls for their Sunday McDonald's run. After we were back I took a short nap on the couch. Ross returned and I took him and the girls to Petland so they could look at hamster stuff and show Ross what they wanted. I looked for a new purse but was unsuccessful. We came home and had a good dinner and then read and watched TV until bedtime. I did manage to get the office cleaned up in preparation for next Saturday's party.

Monday - Today I stared out cleaning my kitchen floor. Handwashing the whole thing because it's been a long time since it was deep cleaned and it needed it. Then I met Mom at McDonald's play place for Nate and Lilly to play and eat. Then they came back over to our house where we played with and fed Eli until Mom had to leave with them. Mom called later and told me that there had been an accident. She was holding Eli and walking him and Nate to their doctor's appointment when they all fell. Nate scraped his arm, but Eli hit his head. Thankfully Melissa was there a minute later. The docs there sent them to the local Children's hospital. There they found that he had a soft skull fracture and a little bleeding, so they sent them on to Cincinnati Children's for further evaluation. They did another CT which showed the same fracture and a little more external swelling, but nothing else wrong. So they are keeping him overnight for observation.

Tuesday - I spent most of today just thinking about Eli and not getting a whole lot done. I worked on cleaning the floor some more and spent time playing with Lilly. In the afternoon we went outside and blew bubbles and then pulled some weeds while waiting for Bella to get off the bus. Ross got home in time to be with Lilly while I took Bella to gymnastics so I got to stay there and watch her a little and read my book, which was really nice. Eli got released in the evening and is doing well so far.

Wednesday - I don't have a great memory of today, but it was laundry day and Mom stopped by in the afternoon after she had bought a new car. It is a 2015 Chrysler Town & Country. We had church in the evening as usual.

Thursday - More cleaning and prepping for the party.

Friday - More cleaning and prepping for the party.

Saturday - In the morning we all baked a cake for Ross's birthday. Then we cleaned up and chilled out before the party. At 4 people started arriving and we had a great time celebrating Ross! Later in the evening a bunch of us went to Dad's old house to get out some of his furniture.

August 16 - 22

This week's highlights:

• We swam one last time at Andy & Rosie's.
• Brought a cake to Ross's work and celebrated his 40th birthday!
• Went to open house at South for Bella's 3rd grade class.
• Our new bed arrived!
• Bella's gymnastics class was only her!
• Bella had her first day of 3rd grade!
• Lilly and I played at Mom's with Nate and Eli.
• Ross and I went to my cousin Andy's, wedding.
• We went to Ikea and looked for bed frames and had lunch there!
• We went back to Mom's for dinner with Mom and the Blowers. 

Sunday - After church and Mcdonalds we went to Andy and Rosie's to swim. Lilly wasn't behaved that well and so it wasn't all that great, but it was good to see everyone. Bella ended up going to Julia's and spending the night since they were free and the girls wanted once last sleepover before school starts.

Monday - we laid off the tv for a while and did summer school work, cleaned Lilly's room, played with markers, moon sand, and the spirograph. We also played games.

Tuesday - More typical stuff in the morning. Made pancakes, got Lilly a bath and Bella a shower and did some summer school work. We also cleaned the girls bathroom. Mom came in the afternoon to take Bella to gymnastics while I took Lilly to South Elementary to represent the PTC during open house. Bella fell down the stairs, halfway only but on her back. She's OK, but sore. Ross came and got Lilly at the school and then took her to pick up Bella after gymastics. Bella turned out to to be the only one who showed up for class so she got one on one attention for the hour. Then I got home and we unpacked our new bed that had arrived. It's a Casper bed. We're hoping it works out as it seems to feel nice to lay on so far.

Wednesday - Busiest day ever! We baked a cake and went to the store to get balloons and wrapping paper and then we brought Ross his cake and his present from the kids and the balloons at work. That all wiped out most of the day. Julia came over to play for a bit, but then we had to go to Open house at school for Bella to meet Ms. Baltzell and Ms. Stewart, her teachers. Ross met us there and it was hot as usual. But thankfully her main class is air conditioned this year. Then Ross and Lilly went home, while Bella and I grabbed some Taco Bell and headed to church for Gospel Project. Thankfully we got to leave early from that and get home so she could have a rest time before heading to bed before her first day of school!

Thursday - Bella got up early and got a shower, and then got ready for school. We took some cute pictures of her before school and then Lilly joined in. She left for the bus stop on her own, but we ended up following her down there since Lilly decided to put shoes on. :) After she was off Lilly and I worked on cleaning the house up and playing and painting. Then in the afternoon we went to Dad's old house to get one of the shelving units. And then to the bank and the grocery store. Once home we cleaned off the shelves and put them up. Then Ross actually beat Bella home. She finally arrived around 4:50. Ross didn't feel well so he rested while the girls and I ate dinner and played. Julia came over for a bit and a bunny was found on our porch. The bunny didn't stay long though.. I think it was scared of us! Then it was bedtime as usual. Back into the routine!

Friday - Bella was off for her second day. After our breakfast Lilly and I went to Mom's so Lilly could play with Nate and Mom and I watched Eli and worked a little bit in the yard. It was a nice cool day for a change. The kids were good too. We left around 3 to be home for Bella, but Ross was already there because he stayed home from work. He wasn't feeling well early, but by afternoon he felt better. So in the evening Mom came and watched the kids and we were off to my cousin Andy's wedding. It was a nice wedding and we got to chat with some of the family, so that was good. And the girls got Wendy's and had a fun time with Mom. Bella even got to go to Flubs with Julia's family and used her own money to buy it. :)

Saturday - We went to Ikea in the morning to start looking at bedframes. We didn't have to skype today since Pat is on vacation with Gran Carthy. We ended up eating lunch at Ikea and came home with a few things we didn't know we needed. ;-) After that I took a nap and then Ross went to pick up our computer, which has been in the shop for a few weeks. The girls played and had baths/showers and then for dinner we went to Mom's and joined her and Melissa, Joe and the boys. It was fun and the kids were mostly behaved.

August 9 - 15

Highlights:

• Met Lilly's Preschool teacher - Ms. Karen
• Bella got to spend the night at Great Wolf Lodge
• Touch a Truck and Chuck E Cheese with Papaw/Grammy B, and Moe and her boys and the Murray kids.  

Sunday  - After church we had our lunch and then met up with Mom at Soak City in Kings Island. Ross joined us this time and we were there for 4 hours playing in the water. Bella road some of the rides she's been wanting to go on with Ross while Lilly, Mom and I played in the wave pools and such. We even got in the big wave pool at the end and Lilly and I rode in an inter-tube together. It was so much fun!

Monday - In the evening we shopped for Julia's present and a present for Ross from the girls.

Tuesday -  Bella wrapped the present for julia and then her mom came and got bella at 1pm for Great Wolf lodge. It was a sleepover there for Bella. 

Wednesday - Did some laundry, met Lilly's teacher, got Bella home from Great wolf, shopped for more school supplies after learning Bella's teacher name and supply list, visited Dad/B and Moe and her boys at the Murray's house, came home for dinner, (Ross mowed and got an oil change while we were out) and went to church and a did late run to Taco Bell for me and Bella. Busiest day in a while!

Thursday - We cleaned the living room, kitchen, toy room and Bella's room. Went to the library and got new books, then the girls helped me peel potatoes for dinner. Played outside after dinner. I went to Target with Moe in the evening.

Friday - Touch a truck and Chuck E Cheese with girls, Moe and boys, Dad and B and Murray kids. Then we all gathered at our house for a few hours and rested while the kids played! I got to run to the bank after Ross got home.

Saturday - Typical laundry / cleaning day. Late I went to Sarah's and we went to The Root Beer Stand, which I thought was delicious. Then Melissa joined us and we played Euchre and watched some tv together.

Summertime 2015!

We've had a great summer. So great that I just couldn't find the time to blog. I think that's a good thing for our family though. :)

And just to keep with my listing habit, here are some of the things we did this summer:

June:
Gave away frisbees for VBS at the June and July Movies in the Park in Fairfield.
Ross attended Origins Game Fair.
Went to Mike and Sarah's Wedding.
Had Vacation Bible School.
Went to Eli's dedication at Princeton Pike Church.
Celebrated Father's Day at Andy's, along with Andy's birthday.
Bella had a tooth pulled and a spacer put in.
Watched Teen Beach Movie 2.
Saw Inside Out at the theater all together.
I attended a baby shower for my cousin Catherine.

July: 
Celebrated Red, White and Kaboom with the family at our house.
Celebrated 4th of July at Andy and Rosie's and Joe's birthday.
I went to a Spa Party with my friend Jen.
Lilly spent the night with my mom, while Julie spent the night here with Bella.
Got my car fixed up with 3 new tires.
Got the plumbing in the basement fixed.
Celebrated Nate's birthday at Pump It Up.
Went on vacation with the Thompson side of the family.

August (thus far): 
Bought our school supplies and new shoes.
Bella went to Great Wolf Lodge for Julia's birthday party/sleepover.
Brought Ross to KI on a Sunday and stayed at Soak City the whole time. 

Throughout the summer there were a number of trips to KI, mostly with Mom, Moe, Nate and Eli. And then there were a number of times we played with Nate and Eli.

May 2015 Wrap-Up!

Looking back at April these are some of the things that happened that felt note-worthy:

• I ran the star card cart twice this month at South.
• Bella went to the YMCA pre-teen night twice!
• Lilly & Bella went to a tea party birthday for Sofia and Olivia.
• We went as a family to the Fairfield Arts Fair and saw Bella's creations.
• We dropped off over 700 cookies and 4000 VBS flyers to 5 local schools.
• Ross had a routine colonoscopy.
• We switched from Time Warner Cable to Fioptics.
• Ross took Bella on her field trip to Fernald.
• I finally got to wear contacts again!
• For Mother's day I got a homemade purse from Bella and a new Tervis cup that both kids picked out.
• We had a celebration at Emily and Jason's new house for Mother's Day, Brynna and Jason's birthdays and their housewarming.
• Lilly got 5 vaccination shots and also had her first dentist visit!
• We had our first movie night of the year in Village green and we passed out our VBS information.
• We got a visit from the Kingreys.
• We began preparations for the yard sale next month.
• We got our new canopy and a new lawn mower!
• Lilly had her first Gymnastics class!
• Bella got her first crown at the dentist.
• Bella went to Chloe's bowling birthday party.
• We had a Memorial Day party with the family and celebrated Moe's birthday.
• Bella went to KI with the Murrays and Nate, then again with the Johnsons.
• We had our first family trip to Kings Island with Mom, Moe, Nate and Eli. 
• Bella had her last day of second grade!
• Sarah came home for good and we went to see Pitch Perfect 2 with Lacey!

Resolution update:
1. Saving Money -We weren't able to save anything this month! In fact we slightly dipped into savings. It was just that kind of month. Hopefully next May we'll see what caught us off guard this month and prepare better. Of course we purchased a new lawn mower and a canopy this month, so those were part of it.

2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - I'm still mostly staying at the same weight. So I need to focus on something that will get me headed in a better direction. 

3. Read 3 books a month - Boo.. not even sure I finished a book this month. I'm working on one for book club, but it's just not grabbing my attention. I need to focus for June.

4. Blog at least once a week - This was better. Some were a few days late, but mostly my blog posts are back to normal weekly posts now.

May 28 - June 2

Notable things that happened this week:

• We bought flip-flops and new bathing suits for both girls for summer!
• We had our first family trip to Kings Island with Mom, Moe, Nate and Eli. 
• Bella and I joined people at church to pass out doorhangers for VBS. 
• Bella went to KI again with Kasia and her family!
• Sarah came home for good and we went to see Pitch Perfect 2 with Lacey!
• We had people over to discuss Gospel Project curriculum on Sunday.   

May 21 - 27

Notable things that happened this week:

• Lilly had her first Gymnastics class!
• Bella got her first crown at the dentist. 
• I ran the last star card cart of the school year. 
• We visited Flubs again!
• Bella went to Chloe's bowling birthday party. 
• We had a Memorial Day party with the family!
• Bella went to KI with the Murrays and Nate!
• We worked on preparing more for the yard sale.
• Bella had her last day of second grade!

May 14 - 20

Notable things that happened this week:

• I watched Nate and Eli a couple of times while Mom was out of town. 
• We had our first movie night of the year in Village green and we passed out our VBS information. 
• We got a visit from the Kingreys. 
• We started cleaning the garage for the yard sale. 
• Lilly had her first dentist appointment. 
• We got our new canopy!

May 7 - 13

Notable things that happened this week: 

• We switched from Time Warner Cable to Fioptics. 
• Ross took Bella on her field trip to Fernald. 
• I finally got to wear contacts again. 
• Bella went to pre-teen night with her friend, Laila. 
• For Mother's day I got a homemade purse from Bella and a new Tervis cup that both kids picked out. 
• I played volleyball with some of the family. 
• We had a celebration at Emily and Jason's new house for Mother's Day, Brynna and Jason's birthdays and their housewarming. 
• Lilly got 5 vaccination shots. 
• We got to visit with Mom, Eli and Nate on Tuesday. 

April 2015 Wrap Up!

Looking back at April these are some of the things that happened that felt note-worthy:

• Took Mom to Cheers to Art with Melissa to paint "I love the Reds" painting. 
• The girls got 3 Easter baskets - one at Mom's, Dad's and home.
• We had Easter Dinner at Mom's and then at Dad's.
• We dyed Easter Eggs at home and Mom joined us.
• Our McDonald's meal was paid for by a stranger!
• We celebrated Livi and Levi and Emily's birthdays.
• Sarah and Jason came to town and surprised us!
• I finished the Federal and State taxes by myself!
• Lilly got new shoes for summer.
• We had our last Movie night at the school - The Lion King.
• I ran Star Card Cart again.
• Mom and Nate visited one Saturday between Nate's baseball and soccer games.
• Bella went to her friend Laila's birthday party at Skatetown, USA!
• Ross went to the Fairfield city meeting about the Landominiums to be built next to us.
• Bella went to the first Dentist appointment with Dr. Kennedy. Needs a tooth pulled and another crowned.
• Bella and Lilly went to the school skating party.
• Sarah and Jason came into town again and we had a grill out at Dad's with everyone.
• We had VBS training at church and started all things VBS!
• Bella took a trial class at Flip N Twist Gymnastics and loved it so we signed up.
• We started using a jar filled with questions (called "The Key Jar") to ask at dinner time to help us have things to talk about.
• Took Lilly to the doctor after she had an earache in the middle of the night. 
• I helped Mom cut down a bush in her yard. 

 Resolution update:
1. Saving Money - This month was better than last, but not perfect. Again doctor bills seemed to suck up some of our savings. We saved about 77% of our goal. I'm still happy that we are able to save some every month rather than going over and dipping into savings. I think taking the savings out early in the month has really helped.

2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - I just don't even want to talk about it. This month was just not good as far as eating/exercising goes.

3. Read 3 books a month - This month I finished two. Angels Walking and As You Wish.

4. Blog at least once a week - And this goal went down the toilet too! I did get a little detail out there from each week, but one of the posts was a 3-week catchup, so it doesn't count in my mind.

April 30 - May 6

Notable things that happened this week:

• I helped Mom cut down a bush in her yard.
• I ran the star card cart again while Mom watched Lilly.
• Bella went to the YMCA pre-teen night again.
• I got to go to Barnes & Noble and get some new books!
• Lilly & Bella went to a tea party birthday for Sofia and Olivia.
• Ross took the kids to Wendy's for lunch on Sunday.
• We went as a family to the Fairfield Arts Fair and saw Bella's creations.
• We dropped off over 700 cookies and 4000 VBS flyers to 5 local schools.
• Ross had a routine colonoscopy.
• Ross and I got to eat at Frisch's by ourselves!

April 9 - 29

Notable things of the weeks:

• 4/10 - Movie night at the school - The Lion King
• 4/10 - Ran Star Card Cart again.
• 4/11 - Mom and Nate visited one Saturday between Nate's baseball and soccer games.
• 4/12 - Bella went to her friend Laila's birthday party at Skatetown, USA!
• 4/13 - Ross went to the Fairfield city meeting about the Landominiums to be built next to us.
• 4/14 - Had our April PTC meeting.
• 4/15 - Bella went to the first Dentist appointment with Dr. Kennedy. Needs a tooth pulled and another crowned.
• 4/16 - Bella and Lilly went to the school skating party.
• 4/17 - Sarah and Jason came into town and we had a grill out at Dad's with everyone.
• 4/19 - We had VBS training at church.
• 4/21 - Bella took a trial class at Flip N Twist Gymnastics and loved it so we signed up.
• 4/23 - Another appointment with Dr. Hogue. Still no better.
• 4/25 - Lilly and Amy were sick all weekend with runny noses and pressure headaches. 
• 4/26 - We started using a jar filled with questions (called "The Key Jar") to ask at dinner time to help us have things to talk about.
•  4/29 - Took Lilly to the doctor after she had an earache in the middle of the night. She is 44 inches tall and 48.2 lbs. She is at the top end of both growth percentiles!

* It's been busy this month and frankly fitting in time to blog has been last on my mind. So this is a catch up post without extra details. Possibly this may be the format going forward, I don't really know yet. I just want to simplify without giving up entirely. I like having the reminders of what's happened, but the time it takes to type the details is annoying. 

April 2 - 8

Notable things of the week:

• Took Mom to Cheers to Art with Melissa to paint "I love the Reds" painting. 
• We filled 98 eggs for Dad's Easter Egg Hunt.
• The girls got 3 Easter baskets - one at Mom's, Dad's and home.
• We had Easter Dinner at Mom's and then at Dad's.
• We dyed Easter Eggs at home and Mom joined us.
• Our McDonald's meal was paid for by a stranger.
• We celebrated Livi and Levi and Emily's birthdays.
• Bella returned to school after Spring Break.
• Sarah and Jason came to town and suprised us!
• I finished the Federal and State taxes!
• I went and filled the Fairfield Income tax and saw a crazy lady!
• Lilly got new shoes for summer.

March 26 - April 1

Notable things of the week:

• I got an inflammation in my eye that required medication. 
• I went to Melissa's to visit and see Nate's room rearrangement and hold Eli. 
• I finally got around to mostly finishing our Taxes through TurboTax. 
• Bella, Ross and I saw the Wizard of Oz at the Community Arts Center. 
• We had a very cold Easter Egg hunt at Melissa's church. 
• We went to Mom's for lunch and hanging out. 
• Bella's new bike arrived in the mail, Lilly's was bought at Target, and Ross put them both 
• together!
• Dad and B went out with us for Sunday lunch and then came over for a visit. 
• We started Spring Break with games and playing outside in the beautiful weather.

March 2015 Wrap Up!

Looking back at March these are some of the things that happened that felt note-worthy:

• Lilly and I visited two preschools and picked the FCDC.  
• Ross and Bella went to Family Game/Literacy night at South. 
• I spent the night at Kasia's for VBS planning. 
• I attended the Lead Small Conference with 13 people from church. 
• Bella wrote her "famous American" report on Sally Ride.
• Ross and I painted at Cheers to Art - a picture of the Cincy Skyline.
• I ran the Star Card cart at South again. 
• We decorated our bathroom with a painting and a new storage unit. 
• We hosted the family birthday party for Mom, B and Rosie.
• Ross and Bella went to the multicultural fair. 
• Bella forgot her lunch for the first time!
• We all went to Flubs on opening day!
• The girls rediscovered the Wii and played a lot of sports games. 
• The girls helped make drop biscuits, and then refused to eat them! LOL!
• We had a family game night and played Ticket to Ride, Charades and Barbecue party.
• I got an inflammation in my eye that required medication. Boo!
• I finally got around to mostly finishing our Taxes through TurboTax. 
• Bella, Ross and I saw the Wizard of Oz at the Community Arts Center. 
• We had a very cold Easter Egg hunt at Melissa's church. 
• Bella's new bike arrived in the mail, Lilly's was bought at Target, and Ross put them both together!
• Dad and B went out with us for Sunday lunch and then came over for a visit. 
• We started Spring Break with games and playing outside in the beautiful weather.

Resolution update:
1. Saving Money - This month hit us hard. There were just a lot of extra expenses like family birthdays/parties and then we our weekly grocery budget was over every week. On top of that we've had a lot of medical bills come in lately so we only met 67% of our savings goal. It's not like we're in a deficit, but keeping a close eye on it is helping us keep it that way.

2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - Well, this month has been a bit of a struggle. I have mostly maintained my weight, which is better than gaining. I'd like to do better before summer hits though.

3. Read 3 books a month - Again I didn't quite make it this month. I finished The Prayer Box (Amazon, My Review), and I finished Still Alice (Amazon, My Review), I'm working on Angels Walking, but I'm not even halfway through that book. I'm hoping for more consistent reading next month.

4. Blog at least once a week - This is the one and only goal I've reached this month! It's becoming harder as the year goes on to do the weekly blogs which are really daily updates, but I'm plugging through. I do think it's nice to have the log of what's going on each day. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it come next year. It is a lot of work. But for now I'm glad I'm sticking with the commitment for this year.

March 19 - 25

Notable things of the week:

• Ross and Bella went to the multicultural fair. 
• I bought the girls matching Easter outfits and new shoes. 
• Bella forgot her lunch for the first time. 
• I saw Nate play soccer. 
• We all went to Flubs on opening day!
• The girls rediscovered the Wii and played a lot of sports games. 
• We started Spirit week at South. 
• The girls helped make drop biscuits. 
• We had a game night and played Ticket to Ride, Charades and Barbeque party.

March 12 - 18

Notable things of the week:

• Ross and I painted at Cheers to Art. 
• I ran the Star Card cart at South again. 
• We decorated our bathroom with a painting and a new storage unit. 
• We hosted the family birthday party for Mom, B and Rosie.

March 5 - 11

Notable things of the week:

• Lilly and I visited two preschools and picked the FCDC.  
• Ross and Bella went to Family Game/Literacy night at South. 
• I spent the night at Kasia's for VBS planning. 
• I attended the Lead Small Conference with 13 people from church. 
• Bella wrote her "famous American" report on Sally Ride.
• Lilly and I visited Melissa, Nate and Eli in the morning on Thursday.

Book Review: Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Reason for Reading: I have been fascinated by Alzheimer's and it's effects since my Grandfather and Step-Grandmother suffered from it. Since the book and movie have gotten great reviews I figured this should be something I'd be interested in reading.

Synopsis from Amazon: Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she’s a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life—and her relationship with her family and the world—forever.

Review:  This is a really great book for anyone wanting to learn more about Alzheimer's. There was some clinical talk in the book, but it mostly focused on showing the mind of Alice as she discovers she has the disease and the progresses through it. I found it very interesting to be able to be inside her mind as she begins to lose pieces of her memory. I think Lisa Genova did a wonderful job at portraying what it's like to deal with this disease and it's obvious she did her homework. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who's dealing with being a caregiver (or a potential future caregiver) of someone who's suffering from Alzheimer's. And of course it's recommended to everyone just to have a better understanding of the effects of the disease.

Feb 26 - Mar 4

Notable things of the week:

• Ross and I had a date night while Mom kept both girls overnight. 
• I watched Micah and Molly during the day on Monday. 
• I looked into possibly doing our taxes online.

Book Review: The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

Reason for Reading: This was a pick from my mom's book club.


Synopsis from Amazon: When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house.

Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

Review:  I really enjoyed this book. At first I was a little annoyed at Tandi. She'd obviously run from some bad decisions she had made in her past but she seemed doomed to repeat them at this new place. And that frustrated me tremendously. But as she found the letters and made some new friendships in the town she began to actually make some changes and I began to understand her better. I thought the author did a good job weaving back and forth from the letters to the present day as well as tying in Tandi's past along with Iola Anne's.

The only thing that bothered me in the book was the tendency to bring something up and then go on a tangent for longer than I would've liked before returning to the topic at hand. But either she started doing it less, or I stopped noticing it as much because I don't remember it happening at the end near as much as at the beginning of the book.

Overall I give this 4/5 stars.

February 2015 Wrap Up!

Looking back at February these are some of the things that happened that felt note-worthy:

• Ross and the girls flew their kites for the first time in a while.
• I went to visit Sarah and Jason in Michigan for the weekend.
• I dyed my hair for the first time in over a year.
• Lilly and I went to Bella's school for Star Card Cart.
• Bella had her school dance - Candyland Theme!
• We made cupcakes as a family for Valentine's day!
• I cut about 4 inches off of Bella's hair.
• I started using iTrackBites again with Sarah.
• Bella had a week off school! (President's Day, and 4 snow days!)
• Went to Mom's for dinner after she returned from Belize.
• We made lemon poppyseed muffins with a homemade glaze.
• Had a proper Sunday roast that Dad was here for.
• Tried Sweet & Sour Chicken Helper to much success!
• Ross and I had a date night while Mom kept both girls overnight.
• Church unveiled the new Preschool worship room that Lilly has class in.

Resolution update:
1. Saving Money - We made our target again this month! This is very exciting! We now have a substantial savings and can start saving towards specific things, like a new bed!

2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - I started tracking my food on my app, iTrackBites. It has gone much better and I lost 4 pound the first week. It's also helped that I've been texting with Sarah about what we eat. It helps us keep accountable.

3. Read 3 books a month - I didn't quite make it this month. My first book was Faith Shift by Kathy Escobar. It's a great book and just what I needed to read, but it took a long time to digest and I still want to read it at least once more. It's also extremely personal and not something I would write a review of at this point in my life. I did read Everything I Never Told You (Amazon, My Review). I loved it. And now I'm working on The Prayer Box but I didn't finish it before the end of the month.

4. Blog at least once a week - I've managed to keep this up, blogging daily but posting it weekly. So far I'm happy with what I've managed. I feel like it will be a good record of this year.

Feb 19 - 25

Notable things that happened this week:

• 2 more snow days (number 5 & 6 now). 
• Went to Mom's for dinner.
• Had our biggest snowfall so far this season on Saturday.
• We made lemon poppyseed muffins with a homemade glaze. 
• Had a proper Sunday roast that Dad was here for.
• Tried Sweet & Sour Chicken Helper to much success!

Book Review: Everything I Never Told You - by Celeste Ng

Reason for Reading: This book was recommended to me by my first cousin once removed, Peggy. She had recently read it and enjoyed it.

Review: Overall I loved this book. It's about a family who's middle child, Lydia, dies and the story surrounding her death. All the things that happened to lead up to that point, in both her and her family's lives.

It takes place in 1977. However it moved back through time and forward again quite a few times to tell the story and that was probably the only thing I struggled with. For me it was hard just to picture it all happening in 1977, but when it traveled back to her parents childhoods it took a while for me to wrap my head around the era. But after I got used to it, it clicked and became a pretty quick read.

I loved how detailed the story was and I felt it could've easily been a true story. And each character was developed and multidimensional and there were times you felt sorry for them, and then angry at them and back again. I would definitely recommend this book to fiction lovers.

Feb 12 - 18

Notable things of the week:

• Lilly and I went to Bella's school for Star Card Cart.
• Bella had her school dance - Candyland Theme!
• We made cupcakes as a family for Valentine's day!
• I cut about 4 inches off of Bella's hair.
• Started using iTrackBites again with Sarah.
• We had 2 more snow days.

Feb 5 - 11

Notable things of the week:

• I went to visit Sarah and Jason in Michigan for the weekend.
• Ross and the girls flew their kites for the first time in a while.
• I dyed my hair for the first time in over a year.

Jan 29 - Feb 4

Notable things of the week:

• We went to the school Skating party with the new owners of "Skate America".
• Bella went to Pre-Teen night at the YMCA for the first time.
• Dad treated me and the girls to McDonald's on Sunday. 
• Church unveiled the new Preschool worship room that Lilly has class in.

January 2015 Wrap Up!

Looking back at January these are some of the things that happened that felt note-worthy:

• Our new nephew, Elijah David, was born!
• Ross and Bella went to their first Daddy/Daughter Dance.
• We had our second snow day of the school year on 1/6.
• Lilly got an earache and took her medicine like a champ!
• I tried cooking two new things - Sugar Cookies and Chicken Fried Rice "Hamburger" Helper.
• I ran the Star Card Cart at Bella's school and the two of us went to our first Movie night there.
• We celebrated Caroline's first birthday!
• I went to my first book club - discussing "The Secret of Pembrooke Park".
• I had a girls night with Melissa and Mom before Elijah was born while Ross took the girls to a Veggietales movie at church.
• Bella went to her first Pre-Teen Night at the YMCA.

Resolution update:
1. Saving Money - We definitely made our target this month. We actually saved 15% over what we'd hoped, so we are carrying that over to next month since next month seems like the target amount might be a little less reachable than this month.


2. Lose 2 pounds a month / Get Healthier - This is much harder to quantify but I'm going to say that I reached this goal. I got myself to the doctor and got back on my blood pressure medication which is a step towards better health. My weight went up and down but overall I was maybe 1 pound or so lower than last month. I need to weigh myself with a definite time and frequency to track this better. Overall I'm happy with this goal, but I want to do better next month

3. Read 3 books a month -Hey! I did it! And honestly it wasn't as hard as I thought. I read three and started a 4th. I know that the subject matter can determine if it's something I'll finish quickly or not. Fiction = easy, Non-fiction = Taking my time, letting things sink in. I also joined Goodreads again and started tracking my books in there.
      Here's what I read:
            Say Goodbye to Survival Mode -  Amazon, My Review

            The Secret of Pembrooke Park - Amazon, My Review
            Nightmares! - Amazon, My Review

4. Blog at least once a week - Hey, I did this one too! I'm a little surprised that I pulled this off after trying for years to actually blog consistently. It's not "easy" but certainly it's easier now that I'm not working and can put a little more time into it. I would like to come up with some more topics for blogging.. perhaps movie reviews or something like that. But I won't make any promises yet..

Jan 22 - 28

Notable things of the week:

• First time at a book club - discussing The Secret of Pembrooke Park.
• I had a girls night with Melissa and Mom while Ross took the girls to a Veggietales movie at church. 
• First Daddy/Daughter Dance for Ross and Bella. 
• Our new nephew, Elijah David, was born!

Book Review: Nightmares! - By Jason Segel

Reason for Reading: I saw Jason Segel being interviewed on one of Ross's TV shows (The Daily Show maybe) and he was promoting this book. It sounded interesting enough so I added it to my list at the library and it came in this month. 

Review: I did not know what to expect from this book. Upon reading the inner cover I realized it was written as a children's book, but still sounded interesting enough for me to enjoy.

Charlie, the main character, is riddled with sleep deprivation at the start of the book and it quickly starts to explain why. He's afraid his step-monster (mother) is a witch! And if he does sleep he has nightmares of being taken away..

The story steps over into fantasy and at first that threw me off since I didn't expect it, but once I got settled into it I was fine. I really enjoyed the things that played out once Charlie entered his nightmares and I felt like the story ended nicely tying up numerous small plots started throughout the book.

Overall I gave this 5/5 since it was good and I'd read it again.

Jan 15 - 21

Notable things of the week:

• We tried the Chicken Fried Rice Hamburger Helper for the first time. 
• I ran the Star Card Cart at Bella's school for the first time. 
• Bella and I went to our first Movie night at South.
• We went to Caroline's first birthday party.
• We took the girls to the mall and bought Bella's dress for the daddy/daughter dance.

Book Review: The Secret of Pembrooke Park - by Julie Klassen

Reason for Reading: My mom is involved in a book club and wanted to see if maybe it was something I'd enjoy. This book is this month's pick and she finished it and passed it on to me. I knew nothing about it or the author before beginning.

Review:  For me this book is a 5 out of 5 stars. Meaning I liked it and would read it again.

This book is set in the early 1800's and deals with both the love life of the main character, her family and the mysteries that await them at Pembrooke Park.

The mysteries were really well written and there were some things I was able to guess and others that I couldn't fathom until they were revealed. I thought the mystery was well weaved into the story, not overshadowing the other parts of the story, but keeping me intrigued while I was reading.

The longing for romance/companionship for the main character, Abigail was also really well written, at least to me. I've read other reviews that said for the time period her behavior was downright scandalous (nothing like today's standards for sure), but since I haven't read any other historical books placed in this time period I can't say whether I agree or not. I will say that I didn't mind the "impropriety" at all and was longing for certain people to "get on with it", so to speak. 

I really enjoyed all the characters and felt like the author did a wonderful job of fleshing them out and making them seem very real. I loved Abigail's desire to strike a friendship with Leah and I found that to be a very sweet and touching side story to follow.

It had a satisfying end and I could easily see myself enjoying this book all over again. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys or might enjoy a historical-romance-mystery.

Jan 8 - 14

Notable things of the week:

• Lilly got an earache and took her medicine like a champ!
• She weighed 44.8 lbs and was 43 inches tall.
• I tried a new recipe for Sugar Cookies
• We played board games at Grandma's over the weekend

Book Review: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode - by Crystal Paine

Reason for Reading: When I quit my job last March I started following Crystal's blog, MoneySavingMom.com for inspiration on money saving (and making) ideas as well as encouragement for being a stay-at-home mom. So when I saw she had written a book on getting out of survival mode I knew it was one I'd want to check out.

Review: I give this book 3 stars out of 5. It's an inspiring book, but I felt like it was a lot of fluff. I like Crystal and her website and that made it a good read for me, but it's a lot of words for a few good ideas. I felt like it was something I could write given the time. Of course, part of that is because I've read self-help books and blogs before and mostly this is nothing new.

There were a couple of ideas that I did pull out of the book. One was the suggestion of cutting back on Facebook. That's always something that's in the back of my mind. I have never bothered to delete my account, but I do try to remind myself to keep from checking it constantly. The other idea was to be OK living "simply". In particular she mentioned that she doesn't put a lot of adornments in her home. I found that comforting because we don't have a lot of things on the walls or other kinds of decorations (outside of Christmas decor) in the house. And I do sometimes feel bad for that... though I'm not sure why. And because of this book I've tried to give myself more grace in that area.

Overall it's a good read, though not something life changing for me. I wouldn't rush to recommend it to my friends, but I wouldn't say it was bad either.

List of her 9 "strategies" for my future reference...

1. Say no more often
2. Say yes to the best things
3. Have specific goals
4. Be disciplined
5. Be intentional financially
6. Manage your home
7. See failures as stepping stones
8. Make a difference
9. Take care of yourself

Jan 1 - 7 (and Dec 31, too)

Notable things of the week:

• Bella overcoming her fear of movie theaters and going to see Annie. 
• NYE party at Andy and Rosie's.
• Second snow day of the school year on 1/6

Happy New Year 2015

Happy New Year, y'all! I'm excited for a fresh start this year. I've made some new resolutions and I'm hoping to track of them here in the blog. The thought is that it will keep me accountable and motivated towards my goals. So, without further ado, here are my resolutions for the year:

1) Put a certain dollar amount in savings every month. I'm not going to post the amount, but I'll post what percentage I hit each month and what might have caused faltering. We already know some of it will be used for a vacation in July, but other than that it will only be tapped into for emergencies. We really want to focus on building our savings.

2) Take better care of myself and lose about 2 pounds a month. As I get older my knees, ankles and back seem to get worse. In 2014 I lost about 15 pounds after quitting my job, and that seems to have helped my back. I think more weight loss is key to taking some of the pressure off my knees and ankles, so  if I could end 2015 about 24 pounds lighter I'd be happy. And I want to take better care overall of myself.

3) Read 3 books a month. As a stay-at-home mom you would think that I could find more time to read, but I really don't. I want to focus on this one. And also on logging the books with maybe a short review so I can remember what I've read and make good recommendations. Here are my January picks:

1.  Say Goodbye to Survival Mode - Crystal Paine
2. As You Wish - Carey Elwes
3. The Secret of Pembrooke Park - Julie Klassen

4) Blog at least once a week. I'd still like to do a weekly blog of happenings during the week for a family review. Anything more than that would be surprising given my track record.. but you never know. :)

That's all I can think of for now. I think it's going to be a good, busy year yet again. I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year, full of love, and laughter and joy.