*update*

I thought January was supposed to be quiet and dull...things much needed after the busy holiday time. 

Our month has been anything but boring!

Here's a quick look at what we've been up to:

Without intentionally trying, we've been getting rooms and closets organized.  With so many new toys, it was necessary to go through closets and toy bins and donate things that the kids had outgrown.  Carter cleaned his room and was so proud.  He asked to take a picture with the new camera and I thought he did a very good job.  His room has stayed tidy thanks to many Rubbermaid bins for Lego and Nerf gun storage.  I should have taken a few pictures of the closets that we cleaned - it's amazing how much more space we have!  It feels great to purge (we had documents that dated back to 2000!) and organize.  And Mom, you'll be happy to know that our bedroom is completely clutter free, as well.  I'm a terrible pack rat, and unfortunately the mess usually accumulates on our dresser tops!  After several days of cleaning, our room looks wonderful and it's going to stay that way!

Besides cleaning, we've been busy this month with birthday parties, a sleepover with Papa & Grandma, play dates and skiing.

Kennedy has been letting me experiment with her hair...love these little knots on the side of her head. 

She's such a ham for the camera.

Isn't she getting so big?

Since this blog is sort of a living history of our family, I thought it would be nice to write a little each of the littles.

  

Cuteness

But don't let that sweet smile fool you, Kennedy is one tough cookie.  She is passionate and stubborn, strong willed and determined.  She likes things on her terms.  Always.  She can be equally as sweet as she can be ornery, though.  Often saying, out of now where, "Mama, I love you.  I love you to the moon and back." and then there are the times that she's yelling "I don't love you!  Any of you!"  She's also used the word stupid on more than one occasion recently, which won her a mouth full of soap.  She didn't seem fazed.  Ah, what will we do with this one?

She is a girly girl - loving jewelry and pretty shoes.  She loves pink and almost always chooses to wear a dress (secretly, this thrills me!)

She counts Lauren as her best friend, has fun playing with Lyla at school and enjoys making new friends, too. 

She's not shy...unless it serves her purpose.  She doesn't take compliments well, usually burying her head into my leg, but we're working on that.

She loves playing in her kitchen or with her new doll house.  She's independent and can usually occupy herself for long stretches of time.

Coloring and crafting are her newest passions.  It amazes me how much she enjoys it and how well she can stay in the lines.  Yet another difference between boys and girls.
Kennedy has been enjoying gymnastics and swimming - doing great in both.  She's been asking to take dance, as well, but I think we'll wait a few more months before starting anything new.  She loves school and adores her teacher.  She's spelling her name and recognizing K's in other words.  Besides K and Y, she doesn't know her letters or numbers, but we're working on it.  She just doesn't seem at all interested at this point.

Her laugh is contagious.

It can often be a roller coaster with Kennedy, but she adds spice and love to our family. 

We love her dearly and thank God for blessing us.

A sweet smile
Carter is growing and changing so fast.  He has taken off on his bike and rides every chance he gets.  He's getting faster, stronger and more fearless as he gets more comfortable.  I think this new skill has opened up a whole new world of freedom and adventure for him.

He's smart and loves to learn.  We recently recorded a 60 Minutes broadcast about the great Masai Mara migration, elephants in Kenya and Jane Goodall's study of chimps.  He loved it!

He can't get enough of books, either.  We are currently reading the 48th book in the Magic Tree House series.  They are great stories and he's really taken to them.  We're hoping to start the Narnia series next.

School seems to be going better, as well.  His favorite part of the day is always recess and he loves PE, but I also think he's doing well academically and making good friends.  He seems well liked by his peers and likes his teacher, too.

He loves church and his friends there.

His current passions are:  Lego's, Kung Fu Panda, skiing and bike riding.

He is doing wonderfully in swimming, as well, and recently passed the level that he had taken three times.  He was very proud.

He is anxious to start baseball in a couple of months, but is a little sad that Daddy's won't be his coach.

Carter is a lover, doesn't like to be alone, can be wild and crazy with friends or sit for hours listening to a book.  He's emotional and easily frustrated and we're working on controlling that a bit.  He likes to get his way and definitely likes things just so.  He has a hard time hearing the word "no."  He's not a big fan of change, but I've seen improvements there, as well.

We are trying hard to instill in him a caring heart for others.

He's becoming quite helpful around the house and swells with pride when he knows he's been especially helpful. 

I love my first born, love his spunk and curiosity.  Love his smile and hugs.  This kid is going places and I can't wait to see what God has planned for his life.

And another lost tooth.

#2 fell out and his permanent tooth is already coming in

This is how I often find Carter in the mornings.  He's good about staying in his room until 6:00 and with all of his new Lego's, he's been staying even later.  He loves having a completed project!

{goals}

I've never been one for starting the new year with lofty resolutions.  It's like setting myself up for failure.  I could never diet, don't enjoy exercising enough and will probably never keep my room as clean as it should be...so, this year I'm going to make a few {goals}, measurable and hopefully obtainable.  And by writing them here for others to see, hopefully I'll feel more accountable, as well.  I read in a magazine once that resolutions should be quantifiable, not general.  Alas, my written goals for 2012 won't include "be more patient," or "be a better mom, wife, friend, etc.", although these are things that I pray for each day.  Instead I've come up with a few things that I really hope to accomplish this year and can report back on when I do.  How's that for positive thinking?

Goal #1 : Save more, spend less.  More specifically, I am going to attempt going on a spending fast...nothing too dramatic, my children do need clothes of course, but I am not going to buy anything new for myself for the next six months.  No shirts, no shoes, no belts or bathing suits.  This is going to hurt.  My finish line will be the sale of all sales, the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in July, just in time for a little birthday shopping spree :)  For those of you who know me at all, you know this is a fairly lofty goal.  I'm not much of a saver and I love to shop.  But there are things we want to do and I know beefing up the savings account will help our family achieve some of these. 

Goal #1 b:  Contribute more to my 401K.  This is one area of savings where I used to excel at...saving the maximum percentage allowed from the time I was 22.  However, once I stopped working this account stopped growing.  So, in 2012 I am going to increase the amount that goes into my retirement fund.  I'd like to enjoy my old age...preferably on a beach somewhere exotic, or at a vineyard in France.  What can I say, I am a dreamer.

Goal #2 : Read a book a month.  Behind shopping, reading is probably my most favorite past time.  I love loosing myself in a good book, exploring a new world and getting to know new characters.  Since having children, my free time has been reduced and reading for pleasure is one of the things that has suffered the most.  I've picked it up again in the last several months and have loved every minute of it.  Hopefully with this goal, I'll be more intentional about my free time.

Goal # 3 : Read the bible.  I've never actually read the bible in its entirety and I'd really like to. 

Goal # 4 : Take the kids to Disneyland.  Is it cheating if this goal is already in the works?  I think I've been planning this trip in my mind since the day Carter was born.  Kyle has made me wait, insisting everyone will have a better time if the kids are a little older.  I know he's right.  But this is the year, and we are all so excited.  Working to make our October trip to the "Happiest Place on Earth" the best it can be is definitely a priority!

Goal #5 :  Bake a cake from scratch.  Frosting too.

Well, I think that should do it.  I may be over reaching a bit, but I'm feeling good about my chances.