2015 Goals

Last year I posted these goals that I wanted to accomplish in 2014:

2014 Goals

1. Get myself organized again. 

(this will be vitally important with Shelby)

2. Read more. 

(it doesn't matter what it is, I just want to do more of it.)

3. Pay off 2 bills.

 (We all have them don't we?)

 4. Clean out some of the junk.

(We all have some.)

5. Don't sweat the small stuff.

('nuff said.)

 

 

So how did I do?

December 26

Some people call December 26 Boxing Day.  Others call it "Return All The Unwanted Christmas Presents" Day.

As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed yesterday I realized that for a few families it is very bittersweet.

For You Dan

I found these images the past few weeks.  Merry Christmas Dan.

5 For Five - Dec 22

This is my last weekly one for the year.  Next Wednesday will be my yearly goals.

So what is 5 For Five? In the short form, it is 5 goals I want to achieve this week. Next week, I will report on my success (or failure).

Here were the goals from last week:

1. Read through July 18.  Halfway there.
2. File the papers on my desk at work. Yes.
3. Submit the Flexible Spending receipts. Nope.  But I added a few more.
4. Finish the draft blog posts. Nope.
5. Jamberry followup. Yes.

For a short week - 2.5 isn't too bad. So what are my goals for this week???

Tree Decorating

We set up our Christmas tree a few weeks ago.  When we brought it upstairs and put it together, we were greeted with this surprise:

A teddy bear and a dove that were still stuck inside the branches near the top of the tree.  These aren't small ornaments either.

So we left them there and decorated around them.  And of course we had some help....

The train set is a Christmas Geo Trax set that we bought for Dan and he enjoyed it.  We left most of the smaller pieces in the box this year but Shelby does carry the big remote around with her.

Finally Home

When Dan died 3 years ago, the only things we knew were which funeral home we were going to use and that he was going to be cremated and brought home because he had never been left alone during his lifetime and we were weren't going to leave him alone in death.

5 For Five - Dec 15

Ok, so I'm a few days late this week....let's see what I can squeeze in.

So what is 5 For Five? In the short form, it is 5 goals I want to achieve this week. Next week, I will report on my success (or failure).

Here were the goals from last week:

1. Get those newspapers read!  Not to make an excuse, but I used to read them on the bus.  Now that it is dark in the morning and at night on my commute, I have to put the reading light on and sometimes I get snarky looks because others are sleeping.  I did get a few read
2. Finish some of the blog posts I have in draft. Nope
3. Pull together the flexible spending receipts. Yes, now to submit them.
4. Start decorating for Christmas. Yes!  Post coming this week.
5. Clean off my desk at work. It's organized, but not clean.

That was a reasonable week. So what are my goals for this week???

Worldwide Candle Lighting

This Sunday, December 14 at 7:00pm (in your local time zone) is the Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony.

From The Compassionate Friends/USA Facebook page:

Please join us this Sunday, December 14 for the Worldwide Candle Lighting in memory of all children gone too soon. For full information including services around the globe, visit: https://www.compassionatefriends.org/WCL_Misc/2014_services.aspx. If there is not a service near you, or you would rather not attend a service, just light a candle for an hour wherever you are with friends, family, or in quiet solitude.

It is a beautiful circle of light.

 

 

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon. As candles are lit at 7:00 p.m. local time, hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honor the memory of all children gone too soon.

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the 18th annual Worldwide Candle Lighting, a gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friends, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. Started in the United States in 1997 as a small internet observance, but has since swelled...

in numbers as word has spread throughout the world of the remembrance. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died, but will never be forgotten.

An Extra Stocking

Last year I found this wonderful post about teaching kids the true meaning of Christmas - not the toys or the gifts - but being kind and helping each other.  I saved the link all year and I am now sharing it with you.  Shelby is still too small to understand, but posting it here will keep it accessible in the years to come. 

Sunshine and a Summer Breeze: An Extra Stocking

 

 

So what holiday traditions have you started for your family?

5 For Five - Dec 8

So what is 5 For Five? In the short form, it is 5 goals I want to achieve this week. Next week, I will report on my success (or failure).

Here were the goals from last week:

1. Read those silly newspapers (to July 15)!  So not done.
2. Pre-write some blog posts. Yes, I did a few.
3. Get Secret Santa gifts Have 2 of 3 ready to go
4. Get my Jamberry stuff organized and "locked" away from little hands Done -  had to get organized for a vendor event anyway.
5. Celebrate Dan's birthday.  See here for an idea on how you can celebrate with us. Yes.

That was a reasonable week. So what are my goals for this week???

Dan's Birthdays

Dan only had 4 birthdays.  I wish he had more.  This coming Sunday he would be 8.

Birth

Age 1

Age 2

Age 3

Age 4

Our Thankgiving in Pictures

The day started out with a winter scene:

Yes, it snowed.  Well over 8 inches.  Thankfully, it was light and fluffy snow.

5 for Five - Dec 1

Yikes! December already!

So what is 5 For Five? In the short form, it is 5 goals I want to achieve this week. Next week, I will report on my success (or failure).

Here were the goals from last week:

1. Read the newspapers to July 15. (I'm cheating on this one as I have some done already)  I cheated and still didn't get it done!
2. Take family pictures at Thanksgiving. Done!  I will share them in another post.
3. Clean out the coupons thoroughly. Done!  You should have seen the mess!
4. Pre-write a few blog posts. Have the ideas, but not the text yet.
5. Publicize the Jamberry specials for Black Friday through Cyber Monday. OMG - I did this!  Have over $500 in sales just this weekend!

Looking back, that was a good week. So what are my goals for this week???