Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Spiritual Weekend!

This past weekend was our Stake Conference and I love that our Stake Presidency encourages us to attend the temple sometime during the week before conference. Aaron and I attended the temple Friday night and enjoyed our date night. As we drove away, I asked Aaron to stop so I could hop out of the car to snap this pic. I love the temple at night!


My favorite take aways from Stake Conference were to be obedient to our Prophet, find simple ways to share our testimonies of what we know to be true, and be fully committed to the gospel. 

On Sunday evening, we invited our neighbors over for dinner and had an impromptu talent show after we ate. I was in heaven as we sang around the piano. I brought out my guitar and Aaron grabbed his harmonica. Eli loved it too and kept asking "please" for more! 


Last Friday before the babysitter came, I introduced Eli to bubbles. I wish you could hear him say, "Bubble!" It may be the cutest baby word ever. 



Grandma Donna MADE and sent Eli this bench and it arrived on Friday. What a spoiled day! 


Do you ever spoil yourself with flowers when you're grocery shopping? I do. ;)


Eli's started taking things from one place and putting them in other places in our {small} home. I laughed out loud when I found this in the bathtub the other day. He loves taking baths so I guess he decided he would try bathing next time with the Jiffy corn muffins mix. 


Aaron has off next Thursday and Friday and I've been making big plans for our "staycation." Yep, we're planning fun activities to do around D.C., because I mean, where else is a better place to celebrate our independence then in D.C.?! ;) 

Friday, June 20, 2014

On setting goals

Around Thanksgiving last year as I thought about 2014 and setting personal and family goals, I decided that setting monthly goals would help me stay motivated throughout the year and avoid feeling overwhelmed. {I've mentioned this before, but just so it's clear, I started this idea BEFORE reading, "The Happiness Project." ;) }

I figure since it's the middle of the year, this would be a perfect time to write about the past goals I've completed, or almost completed. 

January - Family History: I dove into FH and found 14 ordinances I could take the temple! I enjoyed working with my grandma to figure out how I could help. I visited the FH center at our church several times during the month and received a lot of help from those that work there. I was so excited to print out family names to take to the temple. 

February - Visit the temple weekly: It's crazy how quickly the weeks fill up with social activities, service opportunities and meetings. I couldn't have done this goal without Aaron. Several times he'd walk in the door from work and I'd run out the door to the temple. Aaron and I were able to go together once. It's amazing how happy I felt visiting the temple each week. I noticed a difference in myself as did Aaron. And, I loved even more that I was able to take my own family names to the temple. I cried multiple times.

March - No sweets: This is a goal I almost completed. :) I ate a piece of pie on pie day (I organized a playgroup and a friend brought a pie and handed me a piece. I caved.) I also shared 1/2 a cupcake with a friend on her birthday. Aaron claims I need to complete this goal again!!

April - 50 sit-ups each day: It worked best if I did the sit-ups the second I woke up. We went to Utah in April for 10 days and there were some day I missed, not on purpose, but I would wake up the next day and realize I completely forgot!

May - Physical health: I've always gotten headaches when I'm stressed, but since I was getting headaches about two times a week, I decided to visit the Dr. and see what she had to say. After several visits, we both agreed that I was getting bad tension headaches - I had horrible back labor and with nursing and my posture, the headaches wouldn't go away! I visited the physical therapist 4 times in May and used peppermint essential oils and I've felt so much better. I'm serious, Aaron and I are believers in essential oils now. 

June - Visiting Teaching: I visit teach 7 people each month and lately, I've just been sending a quick card or e-mail. I've made it a goal this month to do all that I can to visit each sister in her home. I have one week left. Fingers crossed I can get to 5 people next week! 

I've already decided that for July I'm going to make Christmas stockings for our family {we didn't have any last Christmas!} One month I want to focus on learning the guitar so I can play Christmas songs during the holidays. {Remember Coursera? I enrolled in a guitar class, but unenrolled two weeks later because I was so behind and we were going to ND for vacay. Hopefully I'll do better next time!} One month I'd love to play through all the songs in the Hymn book. I also plan to read/listen to The Book of Mormon in a month. Maybe for October I'll work on getting all our Christmas shopping done and writing out our Christmas cards!

It really has been a great year and I feel motivated to keep improving!

In other news, Eli and I visited a splash park on Wednesday for the first time. He loooooooved it! We both did and had the whole place to ourselves! I think we'll go at 4:30 p.m. from now on. :) 


Have a great weekend!

Monday, June 16, 2014

Our weekend

Last week was packed with service opportunities and Eli was a trooper through it all so on Thursday morning we went to The National Building Museum with our friends. {Free for military families. So nice!}
Picnic lunch with friends!


Every day after Eli's nap, he begs to go "outside." (He's starting to figure out how to say that word!) After his nap on Thursday, it had just stopped raining. When we went outside, he immediately went to the puddle, and I didn't stop him. It's fun to enjoy the simple things in life sometimes, right? He was SO happy that he'd smile any time I asked him to. 





Thursday night and Friday were filled with more service opportunities so we planned a fun family date night at the National Harbor. This balloon kept him entertained all through dinner.


We had frozen yogurt for dessert and enjoyed the World Cup on the big screen.


Saturday was a relaxing day of cleaning the house and Eli got to enjoy his summer pool for the first time. Thanks, Grandma Volk!



This pretty much sums up our Father's Day at church. It's rough being a 14 month old and wanting to run around everywhere during church and being forced by your parents to sit still.


Last night we had homemade pizza with the Volks and cheered on Argentina! 


Happy Father's Day, Aaron! And happy summer to all of us!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Summer Days

Our summer days have been filled with going to the park, having story time outside, eating dinner outside when Aaron gets home, watching our flowers grow, collecting sticks and loving the sunshine. 


Last week we celebrated National Donut Day at Dunkin Donuts as a family before Aaron headed to work. 

 

Eli loves watering the flowers that have grown so much.


Last night we celebrated FHE with our friends, the Ellison's and Gamble's. The Gamble's are headed to New York with the Navy and we're sad to see them leave! Here starts a hard part of military life - saying goodbye to friends. :(


As I was looking at pics on my phone, I realized I didn't post some of the pics from North Dakota that I had on my phone. So, here are MORE pictures!! ;)

John Deere love.


World's largest buffalo!


Sweet cousins.


Party at the park.



Layover in our favorite city.




Love you Summer 2014 sooo much!

Friday, June 6, 2014

North Dakota part II

During our trip to North Dakota last month, we spent one afternoon touring Fargo and visiting the Volks' old stomping grounds. It was fun to see the houses they lived in, the neighborhoods where they played, and the schools and church they attended. 


{Duane built the little shed on the right.}


 {This is the front of the house show above and I tried capturing the mailbox where some anonymous donor left a card with money to help with their Christmas one year!}






These guys went in the school and found some of their old teachers still working there! 



On our drive up to Martin, we stopped by the first home the Volks' purchased. It's out in the country and reminded me of where I grew up. 


Grandma and Grandpa Volk had this hanging up in there home and I love it. 


Once again, we can't say enough great things about North Dakota. My favorite part was introducing Eli to the great roots he comes from!