New Year's Day

I'm blogging again because Scott and I are bound and determined to figure something out and get 2009's blog published, even if it takes me 6 months of patience and hard work reformatting!! I don't want to get behind on this year's blog because then it gets overwhelming. The main problem with publishing 2009's blog is that it uploads the pictures and text separately, so I have to go through and cut and paste all the text and pictures so they match up again which will take an eternity with how SLOW blurb is. Anyway, so I don't have that problem next year I'm going to have to change the way I blog. I have to write whatever I'm going to write first, and then post the pictures. That's dumb, and I don't like to blog that way, but it will make my life a lot easier when I go to print 2010's blog. I guess I can write paragraph's in between pictures as long as they make sense without the picture.

On New Year's day we went up to Logan to celebrate my nephew Ethan turning 3. His birthday is really on December 29, but that was a good day for all the family to get together. I didn't take very many pictures, but I got some cute ones of Boston trying on my dad's hat. You can tell by their faces that Grandma and Grandpa Billings love being entertained by their cute grandkids!

We also caught Boston INSIDE of Jessica's bottom kitchen drawer having a blast making a huge mess and taking out every single Tupperware lid! You can tell by the look on his face that he knows he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be! He drives me a little crazy sometimes with his love for taking things out of drawers and cupboards! I can't let him out of my reach for more than 30 seconds, or else I will have a huge mess to clean up! Good thing he's so dang cute and fun though, so he can get away with all the messes he makes!

Since this is a New Year's post I'll post some of my New Year's resolutions, so I can look back next year and see if I did any of them. Elder Joe J. Christensen , of the presidency of the seventy, wrote and article in 1994 titled "Resolutions." He encouraged us to resolve to improve our lives in four areas which are; Intellectual, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. I liked that idea, so I tried to make some resolutions in those four areas.

Intellectual: Practice the piano 30 minutes at least 5 times per week, and learn at least one hymn a month. Read at least one book to Boston everyday (that's more for Boston's intellectuality than mine, but I want to be better at reading to him! He does not like to sit and listen to books though, so I need to make and extra effort on this one). Read Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon (it's a book my dad gave Scott for Christmas. It's long, and not exactly a page turner, but I think it will be a very good book worth reading).

Physical: Improve my post-baby marathon time when I run the Ogden Marathon in May. I ran St. George in 3:55, so I want to run Ogden under 3:50. Lose 8 pounds before the marathon in May. Get rid of my stomach aches that I frequently get a night which means no more sugary treats, and eating smaller more frequent meals!

Social: This one was really hard for me to think of something specific to do. My first thought was, "um, be more social." That's not a very good goal though. Scott and I are going to be leaving our student ward when he graduates in April, so that means I'll have a whole new ward of people to get to know, and start over making friends! I feel like I've just gotten comfortable in our ward! That's the way it always is right? My social goal is to learn the names of the sisters in my new ward. Elder Joe J. Christensen also said, "Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language." I thought that was awesome! I think I better do more than just learn their names though! I want to make friends with them too! I'm going to invite people over to our house at least once a month for dinner, or games, or whatever. I always say this, but this year I'm really going to do it! Besides, inviting people over does come with the added obligation to make sure my house is clean and it's an awesome way to get myself motivated to do a little bit of deeper cleaning!

Spiritual: I want to be better at my personal scripture study. I'm in the habit of coming home from the gym, putting Boston down for a nap, and then getting on the computer. I decided that I'm not allowed to get on the computer until I've done my scripture study. I also want to finish the entire Book of Mormon this year. Another goal I've made for myself that I guess can go along with spiritual is not to waste time on the computer. I frequently spend time checking facebook and blogs, and the other night I thought to myself, "Do you know how many good books you could have read, or how many songs you could have learned on the piano in the amount of time you've spent surfing the computer? " Sheesh. That was a sad thought. I decided no more wasting time on the computer! I need to have a reason to get on, and then I need to get off and not do a million other pointless things and forget why I got on in the first place. I like keeping in touch through facebook and blogging, but I want to spend way less time doing it!

Elder Joe J. Christensen also said, "I am convinced if we make and keep resolutions in those four areas, we will have a happier and more successful new year this coming year and every year for the rest of our lives." So here's to a happier and more successful 2010!