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Create your value
Snatch and own the workshop notes
As if you were there

Arrived just in time
To double the birthday cakes
Family trademark

1. Manage my time – do less but have it mean more
2. Write – daily recap via haiku and get the darn book to done
3. Read – read at least 40 books this year
4. Find more time for friends and focused time for family and Adam
5. Live every moment to the fullest – quit multi-tasking
6. Cook – eat well at home with the family.
7. Simplify – declutter and streamline
8. Capture the moments – words, pictures and video
9. Personalize home with pictures, artwork, special areas.
10. CREATE, CREATE, CREATE – quit conforming

2010 Goals Results

Goal: I was able to take the last two weeks of the year off to reset. It took me awhile to get out of the normal schedule. Sadly, my sleeping never got back on track. I could only sleep 5-6 hours a night. I do need to get this back on track this year.

Result: Still having sleep issues this time of year – I am not going to try to fix it but accept it and try to use the time to actually do something of significance.

1. 2010 – the year of the declutter: We don’t have a lot of stuff but we have enough where I can’t find thing and that is driving me bonkers. I pretty much had a meltdown on New Years Day when I couldn’t find the sewing machine manual and since I haven’t sewn since 7th grade this was a big deal. I will go through every drawer, every bookcase, every box, every closet and anything else that I see. f things are broken, then it will be repaired. This effort also includes emails, digital files, online presence (linked in, website, facebook, twitter). It’s a BAG but I need to start working towards it so I quit wasting time and energy sorting though the muck.

Result: Started and made some progress. This will be a big part of 2011 as well. We did go through some kitchen areas that were pain points, our closets, kids rooms, some of the basement, switched out living room furniture, took down an end of life tree, cleaned out the office, and had a garage sale. Feeling good but acknowledging the fact that we still have a lot to do.

1. 2. Expand workout routine to include weights at least once a week. I started running 2 years ago. Last

year I added the My Fitness Coach for the Wii. I ended up the year doing these 2 things 4-6 times a week
for 45 minutes each time. I usually work out at 5am so I get it done before work. The last couple of weeks have been off quite a bit but I did enjoy the break from the schedule. Once the work year starts, I’ll be on the treadmill of the daily routine. My stretch goal would be to do weights twice a week.

Result: Worst goal achievement of the year. The first part of the year, I was interviewing for a few jobs and apparently if I’m thinking about stuff, I can’t run on a treadmill. Then in April or May, my back was killing me. Come to find out I had a bulging disc. That took me out for most of the year. I’m sure if I did the recommended exercises, I would have been better much earlier. I was in a rut and in pain. I retreated and tried to sleep it off.

3. Use our media better. I want to put together a video recap of 2009 using the footage that we shot last year. It may be a short recap, but I need to start somewhere. I also want to go back and do photo books for 2003-2007. We started doing the Apple books last year. It would be nice to have the series complete for the years that the kids are around.

Result: Video is challenging for me. I did take some training on Final Cut Express but I need to actually do something with it all. This was a big miss last year. I am getting stuck on video storage and feel stressed out about storage of video. This area will continue to be on my resolution list until I’m producing something. Pictures went better. I actually put together the first annual album for each kid. Now I need to put write up some text for year 1-2. Sadly, my memory appears to be shot so trying to remember what they did back then , it not so easy. Until I am caught up, this too will be part of my annual to do lists.

4. Decorate the house more. We need to update pictures of the kids as well as put artwork up on the walls that are bare. I would like a few more tables/book shelves to display things and store things better. Our house as minimal wall space so the opportunity for tables and flat surfaces are somewhat limited.

Result: Pictures are still not on the walls but we have made huge progress in living room furniture (gave friends our old furniture set and bought a daybed and couch). We also rearranged our office and purchased a bookshelf for the dining room. Now that bookcase houses cookbooks. I love having them more accessible. We bought new concrete. There is nothing more satisfying than writing the check for more concrete. We have a lot to go.

5. Enjoy free time more – set targets and work to get them done but during the other time, completely checkout and have fun. I have been spending most of my time catching up (rss, emails, laundry, etc.). I need to carve out time for relaxing and enjoying family time more. We played Clue yesterday and we had a blast. I need to make sure that those times continue even after I get back into the work mode.

Result: Epic Fail – I feel more rushed and disconnected than ever. Better luck next year.

I keep coming up with reasons that I don’t want an iPad. The story typically revolves around closed system, no multitasking, high connectivity rates, etc. Here’s what I think is the real reason. I am tired of being the early adopter. I bought a Palm VII for portable internet connectivity in the 1999/2000 era. I bought the first color ipod that did music AND pictures. I bought a brick of a windows laptop that was a tablet so I could draw with a stylus instead of a curser. Eventually cooler gadgets came out and I was stuck with the prototypes. I will somehow show patience with this one so I don’t have the early adopter’s remorse.

I was able to take the last two weeks of the year off to reset. It took me awhile to get out of the normal schedule. Sadly, my sleeping never got back on track. I could only sleep 5-6 hours a night. I do need to get this back on track this year. This brings up the topic of my New Years Resolutions. I have had previous ones about writing more, cooking more, etc. This year I am putting these goals on the back burner and focus on some other things that might be in the way as well as some that are continuation of previous years.

1. 2010 – the year of the declutter: We don’t have a lot of stuff but we have enough where I can’t find thing and that is driving me bonkers. I pretty much had a meltdown on New Years Day when I couldn’t find the sewing machine manual and since I haven’t sewn since 7th grade this was a big deal. I will go through every drawer, every bookcase, every box, every closet and anything else that I see. f things are broken, then it will be repaired. This effort also includes emails, digital files, online presence (linked in, website, facebook, twitter). It’s a BAG but I need to start working towards it so I quit wasting time and energy sorting though the muck.

2. Expand workout routine to include weights at least once a week. I started running 2 years ago. Last year I added the My Fitness Coach for the Wii. I ended up the year doing these 2 things 4-6 times a week for 45 minutes each time. I usually work out at 5am so I get it done before work. The last couple of weeks have been off quite a bit but I did enjoy the break from the schedule. Once the work year starts, I’ll be on the treadmill of the daily routine. My stretch goal would be to do weights twice a week.

3. Use our media better. I want to put together a video recap of 2009 using the footage that we shot last year. It may be a short recap, but I need to start somewhere. I also want to go back and do photo books for 2003-2007. We started doing the Apple books last year. It would be nice to have the series complete for the years that the kids are around.

4. Decorate the house more. We need to update pictures of the kids as well as put artwork up on the walls that are bare. I would like a few more tables/book shelves to display things and store things better. Our house as minimal wall space so the opportunity for tables and flat surfaces are somewhat limited.

5. Enjoy free time more – set targets and work to get them done but during the other time, completely checkout and have fun. I have been spending most of my time catching up (rss, emails, laundry, etc.). I need to carve out time for relaxing and enjoying family time more. We played Clue yesterday and we had a blast. I need to make sure that those times continue even after I get back into the work mode.

So that sums up my goals. I will check back on the progress. It’s going to be a very good year and hopefully, I’m in a better place at the start of 2011 to take on the goals that I have been struggling with the last few years.

I’ve posted pictures from our Virginia  trip this year.  I wish I had more to write but I’ll start with these snapshots.  It was an amazing trip.  The kids had a blast.

It’s the end of October and soon we will be living in overwhelm. Here’s how it stacks up:

October 31st – Halloween
November 5th – Owen’s birthday
November 8th – Owen’s friends party
November 10th – Ariel’s 17th birthday
November 16th? – Combined “family” birthday party
November 20th – Wedding Anniversary
November 27th – Thanksgiving
December 1st – Alex’s birthday
December 6th? – Alex friends party
December 21st-28th – Hanukkah
December 25th – Christmas
December 31st – New Years – last event!

Somewhere in there will be a Holiday Program, other holiday parties (Mark’s), school visits (on the quest for the perfect 1st grade spot for Alex), cookie making day, tree decorating and shopping.

Guessing we can take a break in 2009.

We’ve been back for a week. The kids loved South Dakota. I’m pretty sure that their overall favorite part of the trip was the swimming pools at the hotel.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Our GPS logging our trip — top speeds, elevation, miles to the next destination. We always had an answer for the kids when they asked how much longer we would be driving.
• Driving through Bear Country following a car with a banana on its roof. Apparently, the bears have no interest in food.
• Total darkness in Crystal Cave in Rapid City. We never knew that you would lose your site if you had no source of light for 3 weeks.
• Petting farm is always a favorite of the kids. The pig race was nutty — the pigs went a lot faster than I expected. There was kool-aid at the end for them.
• The GPS has no fear of narrow, windy, very high roads.
• The Buffalo (or Beefalo as my family calls them) in Custer State Park was amazing. We were lucky to get to see a group of them in and around the road we were on. Bummed that our video camera was in the trunk (we ended up there after we overthought the GPS directions).
• Crazy Horse is huge and the fact that they don’t accept government funding is very cool and definitely worth supporting.
• The drives were gorgeous.
• Wall drug was bigger then we thought and not super cheesy but we are partial to nickel coffee.
• The oddest question is when we were in Sturgis looking for a place for lunch, one salesperson in a store said “that’s tough since you don’t want your kids around liquor” – omg, these kids have WI blood in them, this is not an issue for our family.
• It was shocking our conservative South Dakota is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many Anti-Abortion billboards in one place. It was the picture of W in the workout room in a hotel in Sioux Falls that creeped me out. Thank God for the lesbian couple sighting at Mt. Rushmore – it grounded me.
• The walk around Rushmore was gorgeous although a big challenging for the kids.
• Adam discovered the car door was not all the way locked when the keys were inside. Sadly, he discovered this after he call the Volvo Roadside Assistance people.
• There seems to be no veggies in South Dakota.
• Indian Tacos at Cheyenne Crossing were by far the best food on the trip.
• By far the nicest people we’ve encountered on our travels.

Family Highlights/Observations:

• The kids did perfect in the car. We used our friends suggestion of activity bags and we added headphones for music. There was absolutely no need for DVD players for them.
• The pools in the hotel were critical for them. Gave them a chance to exercise after long days driving.
• We packed lunchboxes with snacks for them. Since Owen is a snacker, this was the only way that we could make sure that he ate something on the trip. Eating is not a skill for him, snacking is.
• We had rooms with a separate bedroom – this was perfect for the post-kid cocktails.
• Internet in Sioux Falls was not the greatest but since I’ve switched over to RSS feeds instead of going to the sites, it was manageable.
• We did not take enough pictures. It?s challenging with 2 kids though.
• Owen used this trip as an opportunity to work on his potty training. It went well except that sheer amount of time spent in the various restrooms.
• Alex went days living on chicken nuggets and fries. That was a lot more than Owen ate.
• Breakfast at the hotels were crowded but served the need very well.
• We bought Owen’s t-shirt at Empire Mall in Sioux Falls. The kid never asks for anything.

It was a great trip!

Here are some pictures : 2008 South Dakota Pictures