2021 Goals Report

 At the beginning of January, we reviewed our goals from last year, and decided if we'd completed each goal or not. Our goal completion ratings seem to be dropping! We then thought about new goals for ourselves for the upcoming year, and announced them. I hope our completion ratings improve!

Kala's 2021 Goals:

Completed 2/5

SPIRITUAL: Read the Doctrine & Covenants - NO

PHYSICAL: Get weight down to 190 pounds - NO

INTELLECTUAL: Take 1 credit class to renew teaching license -YES, I took a course on a book about assessments with other Leadore teachers in the fall. 

SOCIAL: Deliver goodies to someone each month - NO

PERSONAL: Donate blood 4 times - YES, I actually only went 3 times, but the 4th time was scheduled and I had to cancel last-minute due to a family special event. I actively tried to re-schedule again before the end of the year, but nothing was available near Salmon, so I'm still counting it as a yes.

Kala's 2022 Goals:

SPIRITUAL: Go back to the temple for the first time since 2019

PHYSICAL: go to 30 hot springs in Idaho

INTELLECTUAL: Renew teaching license

PERSONAL: Build a pantry and covered front porch

Josh's 2021 Goals:

Completed 2/5

PHYSICAL: Weight to 210 or less - NO

SPIRITUAL: Read the Doctrine & Covenants - NO

INTELLECTUAL: Study for (and pass!) Pesticide Applicator test - NO

SOCIAL: Hike Freeman Peak with someone - YES, hiked it with Jonah and Micah.

PERSONAL: Buy Mini Cooper - YES, purchased in January in Utah. 

Josh's 2022 Goals:

PHYSICAL: Weigh 210 lbs.

SPIRITUAL: Go to church in Wyoming

INTELLECTUAL: Get Wyoming pesticide license

PERSONAL: Payoff toy hauler trailer and Ammon's car

Jonah's 2021 Goals:

Completed 3.5/5

SPIRITUAL: Share Book of Mormon with someone - YES

SOCIAL: Go golfing with someone new - YES
PHYSICAL: Bench Press 170 lbs. - ALMOST! Benched 165 pounds

INTELLECTUAL: Read 10 books - YES

PERSONAL: Don't get a hair cut - NO, got several trims but no major cut

Jonah's 2022 Goals:

SPIRITUAL: Sing in church

SOCIAL: Go on boys trip to the coast

PHYSICAL: Break 95 score on 18 holes in golf

INTELLECTUAL: Finish reading the Book of Mormon

PERSONAL: Go on a mission

Micah's 2021 Goals:

Completed 2/5

INTELLECTUAL: Finish the year with an A in AP English - NO

SOCIAL: Invite friends to go dirt-biking - YES

PHYSICAL: Get better placing than 9th at State XC - NO

SPIRITUAL: Read a general conference talk each Sunday - NO

PERSONAL: Earn $500 for NYC Music Trip - YES

Micah's 2022 Goals:

INTELLECTUAL: Explore different college degree options

SOCIAL: Talk to new kids at school

PHYSICAL: Go skiing

SPIRITUAL: Baptize someone

Kanyon's 2021 Goals:

Completed 1/5

PHYSICAL: Squat more than 200 lbs. - YES

SPIRITUAL: Have a phone fast once a month - NO

INTELLECTUAL: Take Hunter's Ed class - NO

SOCIAL: Hang out with friends monthly - NO

PERSONAL: Learn to drive stick shift - NO

Kanyon's 2022 Goals:

PHYSICAL: Beat Jaxson at throwing events in track

SPIRITUAL:

INTELLECTUAL: Pass English class

PERSONAL: Get driver's license

Family 2021 Goals:

Completed 3/5

SPIRITUAL: Teach Come Follow Me lessons twice a month - NO

SOCIAL: Host get-togethers every season - YES

PHYSICAL: Go golfing 3 times together - YES

INTELLECTUAL: Make new food, family members rotate cooking on Fast Sundays - NO

PERSONAL: Go on vacation to Colorado - YES

Family 2022 Goals:

SPIRITUAL: Have Come Follow Me lessons twice a month

SOCIAL: Watch TV shows together weekly

PHYSICAL Go camping together two times

Christmas Break

 December 26: Christmas Program at church--it was great to be in church all together as a family! Ammon left that afternoon to fly to Denver from Missoula for a friend's wedding. 

I got myself a selfie stick--trying it for the 1st time

December 27: The missionaries and Avery came over for dinner and a religious discussion. After the missionaries left, Avery stayed (like he usually did) and played games with us. We enjoyed having him in our home!

That night, the boys played Tetris while I worked on the puzzle.

December 28: The Berube's came to visit Salmon for a few days during Christmas Break. I started the morning by having chai with Amanda and Jen in the Judy's hot tub. We had a great time together, soaking for well over an hour and talking and laughing. That afternoon, Amanda went to a matinee at the theater with Josh and I, and we ate at Bistro afterwards, which was so fun! Then we went to up to the Vermaas house and hung out with Ryan, too. 

December 29-30: Josh and I went to Quinn's Hot Springs in Montana for the 2nd Christmas Break in a row (it was my Christmas gift to Josh). We stayed for 2 nights in the lodge, just like last time. We ate at the nice restaurant Harwood House onsite the first night, and then on our second afternoon there, we drove into the nearby town of Hot Springs. It was a fun little venture. We drove around the small town, checking out some of the commercial hot springs there and then we ate at a cute place called Fergie's Pub & Grill. It wasn't busy when we got there, which was nice, so we played a game of pool. The food was good, and we had a good time. We soaked at Quinn's multiple times over the 3 days we were there, and we absolutely loved the new pools! The weather was great, too! It lightly snowed overnight the first night, and then again the second night, and it just made it even more beautiful!

December 31: Josh and I drove back home to Salmon on the morning of New Year's Eve. Ammon and Gabbie flew back in from their friend's wedding in Denver on the 30th, and they stayed for New Year's weekend in Salmon. Our family stayed at home for New Year's Eve, and I loved just hanging out with our family! We played games, ate snacks, and watched movies. 

January 1: I started the new year by sleeping in, working on my puzzle, soaking in the hot tub, and watching football with the boys! We celebrated Ammon's birthday early that evening with his birthday dinner, dessert, and opening gifts, too. It was a nice relaxing day!

January 2: We finally got around to decorating "gingerbread houses" over Christmas Break on the last day of it! Ammon and Gabbie were able to join us, too, which I was so glad for! In fact, it was the first time Gabbie's ever decorated gingerbread houses, which surprised me! We set out graham crackers, pop tarts, frosting, hot glue, and a ton of candy decorations. Everybody made such great buildings with creative designs!

Gabbie's house

Micah's compound

Jonah's garage

Josh's tall house

Kanyon's doorless home

Kala's home

Ammon's castle

January 3: Christmas Break ended all too quickly. I headed back to school, the boys headed back to school, Josh went back to work, and Ammon & Gabbie left for Moscow. It was a wonderful break from life, and I was so grateful to spend some quality time with my family all together! Also, I FINALLY finished the Christmas puzzle that night! I'd started it the day after Christmas, so it took me over a week to complete the 1,000 piece puzzle, but I was so glad to finally be done with it and put it away!

Tiki jumped into Ammon's car
when they were leaving, because
she didn't want to get left behind!

Christmas 2021

 CHRISTMAS EVE

We hosted the annual Friends Christmas Eve party for the second year in a row. We'd debated about renting out the Sacajawea Center or using the church gym, but everybody assured me they'd rather be "cozy" in my house than at a larger location. We had quite the crew in our home, and we all had so much fun! We ate, talked, laughed, and played games. The adults have a competition every year between boys and girls, and once again, the boys team won. 

We announced to everyone that we won't be able to host next year because we're planning to go to Arizona at Christmas to visit Ammon. Before we hosted, the Linger's hosted every year--they're the ones who started the tradition, but they moved to a smaller home 2 years ago and weren't able to host our large group any more. This may have been the final Christmas Eve friends party--as everyone's kids are growing up and moving away, the dynamics continue to change, and it seems like the right time for some traditions to end and new ones to begin. I had a delightful night; it couldn't have been more wonderful! I began crying silent, happy tears as everyone was leaving, realizing that it was probably the last time we'd all be together for Christmas Eve. It's been such an enjoyable tradition that we've been a part of for 10 years! Here's an ode to previous Christmas Eve's with our friends:

2010

2012

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Everyone was gone around 11pm, and after the boys went to bed (Ammon slept in one of the twins' rooms with them for the night), Santa came and got stuff out just as the clock turned to Christmas Day:

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

Josh woke up that morning and did chores for his dad who was going to Boise. The rest of us slept in, which was so nice! The boys didn't even get up until around 9am! They looked at their Santa gifts and opened their stockings first: Ammon got clothes, Jonah and Micah got luggage, and Kanyon got a punching bag with a stand.

We all had scratch tickets in our stockings this year, so then the scratching commenced. We only buy them once a year, and we always realize why after we scratch them on Christmas morning--the payout never equates to the level of hope that is projected while scratching them!

We discussed if we should have breakfast and then open gifts, but everyone voted to just open gifts first and then have breakfast because there weren't a ton of gifts under the tree this year, so it wouldn't take as long. And it didn't! The longest part was sending the boys on scavenger hunts to find gifts that were for the whole family that I'd wrapped and hidden around the house. I had 8 small boxes, and they each had a clue in it. Each boy got to open 2 boxes and find the gift. There were 2 sleds, a DVD set, a puzzle, 2 video games, a board game, and a card game. 

Ammon looks like he's out of a Dumb &
Dumber scene in this photo!

Nobody wanted to take a photo with their pile of gifts this year, so I don't remember what they got. However, I remember what I got from Josh...a new dishwasher! It was desperately needed; our old one had accrued mold in it and always stank and it didn't wash the dishes good anymore. The best part about it was that he installed it, too! My gift to Josh was a stay at Quinn's Hot Springs over Christmas Break. Although they both cost nearly the same, his gift is the one that keeps on giving!

We ate our traditional breakfast of bacon, French toast, eggs, and eggnog after all the gifts were opened, after 10am. It's rare that we have a sit-down breakfast together, which is part of what makes Christmas breakfast so special every year. 

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON/EVENING:

We started using the new family gifts after breakfast. We played several rounds of the videogame Tetris and watched the first 2 Rambo films in the series before we started cleaning up the house and making dinner.

We had our traditional meal of ham, potatoes au gratin, creamed corn, rolls, and sparkling cider. Grandma Parsons came down on her golf cart and joined us for the meal, which was nice to have company. I love spending Christmas days at home. I'm so grateful we could spend the day together! I treasure days like this!