2019 New Years Goals

Happy New Year!

Every year we create a poster with our goals for the coming year. This is one of my favorite traditions! The rules for the annual poster are A) the goals must be achievable in one year, and B) they must be quantifiable, as in, they have to be things we can measure and check off. 

First, I like to review how we did on our goals for the previous year. To be perfectly honest, we didn't do so hot this year. 2018 was a year of upheaval for us. At New Year's we didn't know where James would be working post graduation, so a lot was up in the air. As things coalesced, some of our goals changed or fell by the wayside. 

James:
Did marvelously with his Duolingo study this year, he's been making great progress in Spanish. He did read (or listen to an audiobook) every day. He did obtain a post-graduation job. He did not practice the piano every day.

Joel:
Learned to read! Of course it's still a developing skill, but we love to hear him read beginning books to us, it's awesome. He's still working on his roundhouse. =)

Xander:
His goals were ones that we neglected this year.

Valerie:
I did not work on my novel "Allspeaker" this year. (Although I did make some progress on "The Seventh Guardian" fortunately.) I did pretty well with my photography challenge. Duolingo totally fell by the wayside for me. I did finish my poomsae challenge in time for my black belt test in October. Bike riding didn't happen as intended. But I definitely got pregnant!

Family goals:
We successfully moved to Utah, a location which meant we didn't need to find a new martial arts school, haha. We went on one of the two camping trips we'd intended. James and I did attend the temple three times. We are still working through the Book of Mormon together. We're terrible about walking our dog, but at least we've been on a date every week!

And now I present our goals for 2019!

James:
-Daily Spanish study
-Daily reading/audiobook
-Settle finances
-Create and follow personal exercise plan
-Weekly video journal
-Bake 12 new recipes

Valerie:
-Earn 5th Dan
-Finish "The Seventh Guardian" revisions
-Project 52 with Clickin Moms (ie weekly photography project)
-Journal weekly
-Read 5 new books
-Finish Duolingo Spanish tree
-Take a yoga class

Family/Couple goals:
-Successfully move to Colorado
-Family camping trip
-Go star gazing
-Find a new martial arts school
-Trip to Tennessee
-Create a family budget
-Attend the temple (number of times to be determined when we know what part of Colorado we're moving to)
-Weekly "Come Follow Me" family study
-Weekly date night

We also want to add "Plant a tree" if we end up buying a house this year. But we'll have to see!

We decided not to set goals for the children this year. We've decided  to wait until they're old enough to set their own goals. We feel like we shouldn't be forcing our ideas of what their progression should be, but should let them discover their own interests. Of course we'll be working on things together, but it's a little different when we're setting up checkboxes on their behalf. So we'll revisit those in later years.

We are excited about this coming year. We've got some big changes ahead for our family. Hopefully our move will go well; we are looking forward to settling down at last and hopefully not moving again for a while! =) 

We wish you a happy New Year and a great 2019!

2018 New Years goals

Hello, dear abandoned blog. I hadn't realized until I pulled up the blog just now that I haven't posted since June. Ooops! But, it's time for our annual New Year's post, so here we are.

Every year we create a poster with our goals for the year. This is one of my favorite traditions. The rules for our poster are A) the goals must be achievable in one year, and B) they must be quantifiable, as in, they have to be things we can measure and check off. Let's review our goals from 2017:

I will take a photo of our checked-off poster when I get back from Utah.

James:
He has not yet obtained a job for after graduation, but is in process. He has been applying, has had some interviews, and will be having more. We're still waiting to hear back from some of his first interviews. It's an involved process! James did not meet his weight loss goal. He did, however, complete Camp NaNoWriMo (twice)--he wrote 22,000 words of a story that he plans to complete after graduation. =P He has nearly finished his book-reading goal, and gave himself a grace period to complete his last book (he has a long flight this coming week with no kids!) He did not create something to donate. He has been very diligent about his daily scripture study.

Kids:
Joel potty trained this year! Yay! We tried early in the year, and it was a struggle, so we put it on hold until this summer. The timing was right at the end of June, and he did it! He night trained at the same time, which was extra awesome. He has not learned to read yet, but is in progress, and we are renewing that goal for this year, and doing the same for Xander's ABCs. Given that Xander is still learning to talk, that one turned out to be a bit ambitious for this past year.

Valerie:
I did indeed complete the first draft of "The Seventh Guardian" over the summer, which was a gigantic triumph. I did not meet my weight loss goal. I have also not completed the 100 Challenge yet, but I gave myself until Black Belt Testing in two weeks, and I'm on track to complete it. I did read the New Testament this year, and I won National Novel Writing Month in November. I completed a 52-week photography challenge, and I did read 6 new books this year. Yay.

Family:
We did not create a budget this year. =P We did go on a camping trip, to Falls Lake in September. James and I attended the temple 5 times this year. We did not walk Shadow twice a week, though we definitely have been walking him more than we had in the past. (We're terrible fur-parents.) We did go on a date every week this year. We did not practice taekwondo 2 hours every week, but we came pretty close.

Presenting our goals for 2018!

When we get back from Utah, we'll make an actual poster and update this. =)

James:
-Meet daily Duolingo goal
-Read 10 minutes daily
-Get a post-grad job
-Practice the piano 1 hour a week
-Secret goal that I (Valerie) am not allowed to know about yet

Valerie:
-Write the first draft of Allspeaker
-2018 Photography Challenge
-Finish Duolingo Spanish course
-New 100 Poomsae Challenge
-Weekly bike ride

Joel:
-Learn to read
-Learn to roundhouse kick

Xander
-Learn the ABCs
-Play a (very short) song on the piano

Family
-Move to: ?
-Find a new martial arts school
-Camping trips x2
-Attend the temple x3
-Read the Book of Mormon (nightly companionship study)
-Walk Shadow at least once a week
-Go on a date each week


We definitely have some repeats. Some, like walking our dog and going on dates, are important for us to maintain, and having them on our poster helps keep them a priority. We've dropped the number of temple attendances this year since we have no idea, as of right now, where we'll be living during the second half of the year and what our proximity will be to a temple.

Despite the uncertainty that our future holds right now, we are excited for whatever 2018 will bring! We hope that you also have a wonderful new year. =)

The Poppy Field of Alpine

I don't even remember how I stumbled across this blog about a poppy field in Alpine, Utah. Given that the poppies bloom only for a short time, I determined to try and find the location and take some photos with my kids.

This morning was the chosen day. I invited my mom to come (and I'm so glad I did!) We left Orem at 7am. I had the map from the blog above to follow. Little did we know what an adventure we were in for.

First of all, the directions on this blog (from last year) were not super helpful. The dirt road where you are supposed to turn was blocked off:

So I tried going around. However, the road (Moyle Dr) where it looks like it will go around, stops abruptly. Going forward, there's only a dirt road with a big sign that says emergency vehicles only, $500 fine. :-/

There is no road beyond my X, just a dirt path.

Discouraged, I got the kids out, figuring I could at least take pictures in the grass at the dead end, and make lemonade out of my lemons. However, as I set Xander on the path, he just took off! So the rest of us obligingly followed.

We walked and walked. Eventually, a biker came up toward us. My mom asked him if he knew where the poppies were. He led us a little further, then pointed out a grove uphill a ways, where he thought they were. It was about another half mile. The kids walked a lot of the way! Mom and I did end up carrying them up the last bit of the hill. (Thanks Mom!)

And then we found the poppies! It looks like other people drove in there, despite the signs. There weren't a ton of people, but I'm pretty sure we were the only ones that hiked in.

After taking photos, we hiked back to the car. Then we went out for ice cream (even though it was only 9am) because we earned it! :D I'm honestly not sure I would go back, unless I could figure out how to drive in. Or if I didn't have kids with me! Haha. But we had a great time on our little adventure, and I'll enjoy the memories!

New Year Poster 2017

Welcome to our annual New Year's event at the Holley House!

Every year, we create a poster, and upon said document, we enumerate various goals that we hope to accomplish in the forthcoming year. (2016, 2015, 2014, which also lists 2013's goals.) The rules for our poster is that the goals have to be achievable in one year, and that they must be quantifiable--they have to be things that we can measure and check off. Let's review our goals from 2016:

James:

He obtained jobs for both his first and second summer (we're excited to be spending this upcoming summer in Utah!) He read 9 new books this year, so he's increased his goal next year to make up for the one he missed. He successfully changed the oil in both our vehicles, he read the Book of Mormon, and he joined the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy, which he is thoroughly enjoying.

Valerie:

I did not referee at the state championships this year (it was an overwhelming logistical nightmare, with a breastfeeding baby at the time, so I gave that one up). I read more than 5 new books this year. I successfully posted a photography blog each month this year. I read the Book of Mormon and taught Joel the alphabet. I also won NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNo in the summer, which was awesome.

Family:

We went on two family camping trips this year, as well as our trip to Washington D.C. We totally failed on making handmade blankets. :( We took Joel and Xander to two different zoos. We went on a date every week this year. We did attend the temple three times each, though one of those visits a piece were solo trips.

And now, for our 2017 goals!

Yes, it's blue. It was the only posterboard I could find at the time.

This is our first year including the children on our poster. We did talk to Joel about his goals, as far as he understands, but Xander's is definitely something we've chosen for him. It will be fun to include them more in this process as they get older. Presenting our goals:

James:
-Get a job for after school
-Lose 20 pounds
-Camp NaNoWriMo
-Read 11 new books (at least 3 non-fiction)
-Create a handmade item to donate to charity
-Daily scripture study of at least five minutes (He has committed to tracking this elsewhere.)

Joel:
-Read a book
-Potty train

Xander:
-Learn the alphabet

Valerie:
-Complete "The Seventh Guardian"
-Lose 20lbs
-Complete the 100 Poomsae Challenge
-Read the New Testament
-Win NaNoWriMo
-Complete a 52-week photography challenge
-Read 6 new books

Family:
-Create a budget
-Family camping trip
-Attend the temple 5 times
-Walk Shadow twice weekly
-Go on a date each week
-Practice taekwondo at home 2 hours per week


Obviously we have some repeats. Some of our goals, like attending the temple and going on dates, are so important for us to continue and hold ourselves accountable for. Some of our goals come from things we find ourselves slacking on, like walking our dog and losing weight. And some of our goals are true aspirations that we hope to achieve in the coming year.

For me personally, I'd consider my "big" goal of the year to be finishing my book. It's been a long time coming. If you look through our posters of yester-years, you'll see that it's been a goal of mine for a long time. Between new motherhood and post-partum depression, my progress on the book has been wretched, up until the past six months or so. But I am now ready and committed to finishing "The Seventh Guardian." I've set the goal with Sam, my co-author, to finish the first draft by summer. It's going to take a lot of my time and energy over the next few months, and I am excited for the challenge.

Photography Observations - December

December was a great month for me! I had lots of opportunities to take fun photos. I also followed a photography hub on Instagram, @thecandidclass, which offered specific challenges to improve photography skills. I did not do every challenge they offered, but I feel like I grew as a photography in a couple of specific skills this month.

The class theme was "Celebrations" in -- haha-- celebration of the holidays. ;) I would like to share with you the specific assignments in which I participated. I have to acknowledge how much I still have to learn! There are some truly incredible photographers out there (and editors!! All of my images are unedited, and it shows, haha!), and I love seeing their work on Instagram.

Bokeh

"In photography, bokeh ... is the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image produced by a lens. Bokeh has been defined as "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light."

In the class feed on IG, I started seeing a lot of really lovely examples of Christmas lights used as background bokeh. I immediately set out to capture this effect myself.

Low Light

So, I made a couple of attempts at this assignment. The first was at Zoo Lights. It was dark, so obviously that gave me the opportunity to play with low light settings. It was a hit and miss experience for me, I'll admit, but some of my hits were awesome! 

My second attempt was on Christmas Day. One of my Christmas presents was a new lens for my camera, a 50mm prime lens. I was so excited! My other lenses are great for certain things, but in low light, they often struggle. But this new lens is definitely going to be a game changer! I can't wait to get to know it better.

Storytelling

The assignment was to use composition, angles, and creative shooting (like intentional blur) to tell a story. I'll admit that I didn't get as creative with this one. But I was thinking about it when I followed Joel around in the snow one day:

Including Yourself

This challenge resonated with me--and with a lot of people on Instagram--because it can be really hard to get on the other side of the camera. Part of it is setting up the shots you want, while still getting in the picture. But the other part of it is feeling self-conscious. I feel this very keenly at the moment. I haven't lost the baby weight. I don't look the way I wish I did right now. But it's so important for our children to have photos of us from these times.

I only made a couple of concerted efforts. But I am particularly proud of this shot: I selected the spot, which had the lighting I wanted. I used my husband alone to get my settings ready, then I handed my camera to my brother and directed him to get the shot I wanted. And I am very happy with how it turned out. (It will look even better when I edit it someday.)

Beyond the Instagram challenge, I also just enjoyed photographing my family over the holidays. Here are more of my favorites:

I have enjoyed posting monthly. I feel like I have learned a great deal this year, and I am more aware than ever of how much more I have to learn! In 2017, I will be participating in a 52-week challenge, meaning I will be deliberating photographing and posting each week. I am excited to see what this next year brings!

Photography Observations - November

The day after the presidential election, Joel and I decorated for Christmas. (I was in need of some cheering up!) This was immediately followed by picture-taking.

A few days later, it was time for my boys' monthly portraits:

We went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving. It was so lovely. We spent a lot of time with James's family (Joel adores his cousins!) and enjoyed a magnificent feast. Oh, and I'm in love with their new dog, Baron. =)