Pass or Fail: Goals of 2011

1. Go to the temple 6 times...PASS!
--I went to the Manti, Utah temple (with Josh), the Spokane, Washington temple, the Logan, Utah temple, and the Idaho Falls, Idaho temple (twice with Josh & once with Savanna).

2. Finish reading the Book of Mormon...FAIL
--I did read it on several occasions, but I'm still in the book of Alma.

3. Do service for others once a week...PASS
--Some of my favorites included: making dinner for the missionaries, washing a friend's dishes, babysitting children, driving out of town with a friend so they didn't have to drive alone, taking cookies to neighbors, inviting guests for dinner, going to the care center, and spending time with others who were lonely.

4. Go out on a real date with Josh at least once a month...PASS!
--I made this a goal because Josh and I's dates had become the weekly trips to the grocery store. Although it was nice to be alone with him, I wanted to go on "real" dates together! I documented them, and we went out every single month--and sometimes multiple times in one month! Some of the things we did on our dates were: went dancing, went out for dinner, sang karaoke, golfed, attended concerts, soaked in the hot springs, watched movies, went to receptions, rode horses, took long walks, went to the temple, and took a drive  down river. I loved completing this goal!!

5. Go out with friends at least once a month...PASS!
--I made this a goal because I'd become a sort of hermit, and I wanted to push myself to get out more often. Throughout the year, I went out with different friends and had a great time! Together, we: sang karaoke, watched movies, danced, watched TV, ate at restaurants, soaked in hot springs, went on drives, played games, laughed & talked, floated the river, and took walks. I had a lot of quality time together with my friends.

6. Invite friends over to my home once a month...PASS!
--One of the reasons I fell in love with this house when I walked through it for the first time was the open layout. I knew it would be perfect for entertaining guests. I had never had a home big enough to entertain, and I wanted to take advantage of the space and invite people to our home. We had parties and get-togethers and invited friends and family over every single month. The biggest ones were the New Year's Day party, Malachi's missionary homecoming, the Sunday School class barbecue, and Thanksgiving dinner. We also hosted game nights multiple times and had people over for dinner several times. I enjoyed so much having people in my home throughout the year!

7. Save up at least $500 for my future trip to Italy...PASS
--I've been dreaming for the past 2 years about taking a trip to Italy in 2012. I knew it would never happen unless I started saving money. I had over $1000 saved for it, but this summer, I decided we needed a deck more than I needed a trip to Italy, so I took my savings and combined it with Josh's savings to purchase that instead. Although I was sad to see my savings account emptied, I haven't regretted my decision. We love the deck! We've always wanted one, and it's been a wonderful addition to our home.

8. Finish the England vacation scrapbook...FAIL
--This has been on my list of goals for 3 years now. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't even work on it once this year, in fact, I'm sad to admit that I didn't even work on scrapbooking AT ALL this year.

9. Exercise 5 times a week (in an effort to lose 36 pounds)...FAIL
--This was a terrible goal, because the first week that I didn't exercise 5 times, I knew that I had failed the goal and so I quit exercising altogether. And that was in February. I did exercise a lot with Amanda in August and September, and it felt good to be moving again, but I only lost 7 pounds--which I've gained back over the Christmas holiday.

10. Get a new job!...PASS!
--I cleaned the Credit Union for 4 1/2 years, and I was so tired of it and desperately wanted a new job. I'd been on the job search in 2010, but never was hired. However, in January of this year, I got a part-time job as a bookkeeper at the golf course, and in February I was hired by the school district mid-year to teach music at the elementary school. I quit my cleaning job at the credit union in February, and I was so excited to be in a new career that brought me self-esteem and motivation again!