New Year's Jar
It was such a good day. Over the last several years we’ve begun a tradition of the New Year’s Jar. I think it started on a New Year’s Day with friends.. We’ve also done it on New Year’s Eve with family. This year both of those days just didn’t work so once we were all back in St. George and Chris wasn’t working he came out of his room in the morning and declared it was Jar Day. ‘I love Jar Day,’ Megan said as she walked upstairs. We each put three activities on pieces of paper and after a big breakfast of eggs, hash browns and bacon we started pulling things out of the jar.
STRETCH FOR 10 MINUTES (Taylor’s Idea) Taylor led us and it felt great.
DO 20 PUSHUPS and SWORD FIGHT WITH PENS (Matt’s Idea)
TAKE A DRINK OF WATER, DO A PUSHUP COMPETITION (Luke’s Choice) which we did to ‘Bring Sally Up’ which was so hard.
10 MINUTES OF CLEANING (Mom’s Idea of course) It’s amazing how clean everything can get in just 10 focused minutes. Everyone was super helpful!
READ FOR 10 MINUTES (Dad’s Idea) We grabbed our books and settled into the living room to read all our individual books. I read How to Build the Life you Want. : )
PLAY HUES and CUES (BRIAN’S EDITION) (Emily’s Choice) We’ve played Emily’s game several times with big groups this last week or so and Brian suggested we make it a little more challenging and interesting by writing out categories: MONTH, COUNTRY, BOOK, SPORTS etc. We made up some new rules and it was so fun.
PLAY ARCHITECTS (Matt’s Idea)
THANK YOU TEXTS TO GRANDMAS (Mom’s Idea)
GO OUT ON THE BALCONY and YELL HAPPY NEW YEAR (Katie’s Idea)
SAY SOMETHING YOU LOVE ABOUT EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY (Chris’ Idea) This one was so great. We gathered in the living room and started with Megan. It was so fun to go around the room and each say something we loved about her. And then Katie, and then Taylor and Em and then me, Luke, Matt and Dad. About Megan people said she was athletic and emotional and good at writing her feelings and listening. About Katie, Taylor said, “I love everything about Katie.” We chimed in that she’s the life of the party, so inclusive, and gives great advice. About Taylor we said he’s easy to be around, loves to try new things, is positive, helpful and ‘fits in our family’. About Emily we said she’s the first to serve and ask what she can do to help, she’s smart, she thinks through things and is confident about who she is. About me Taylor said, I love how creative and welcoming your are. Chris said, ‘I love everything about her. We make the perfect team.’ The kids said I give the greatest backrubs, love communication, late night talks and value time connecting. About Luke we said we love his passion for everything. I told him that I love how he takes in what I’m trying to teach him and thinks about it and tries to do better — like my requests for more hugs everyday. He immediately reached over for a hug and Katie sighed… awww. Chris and I both got emotional quickly — especially when Emily said to Matt that he really made everything more fun and completed the family. I could barely exclaim that he’s a mini Katie — excited about everything and everyone. Then Luke said, Matt… all the things I like to do I do with you. They wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t have you. It was so cute. Such a fun little activity.
READ the BOOK OF MORMON (Megan’s Idea) for 10 minutes we gathered in the living room and read the Introduction to the B of M as part of this week’s Come Follow Me readings. Fun to read and talk together.
WATCH DAD PLAY BEAT SABER (Matt’s Idea)
I pulled out everything for the best BLT avocado pickle sandwiches and we sat around the table and ate while fufilling our next activity… WATCH SKETCHY ICE CREAM. (Matt’s Idea) The kids loved showing Taylor these family favorites.
GO FOR A WALK (Katie’s Idea)
TRICK SHOT (Luke’s Idea) Luke set up a team trick shot challenge. We got into two teams and battled each other with bottle flips, cup flips and ping pong throws. We got into and ended up playing longer than our allotted 10 minutes.
SIT ON THE GRASS IN THE BACKYARD FOR ONE MINUTE - PEACE (Matt’s Idea)
SOCCER TENNIS and PICKLEBALL. (Megan’s Idea) We headed down to our community court and played a game of around the world Pickleball and then several games of pickleball. Amy called and we talked for an hour - which was so fun. One of the many highlights of the day.
GET SWIG and DRIVE BY HOUSES TO SELECT DOORS AND WINDOWS. (Dad’s Idea) We left the boys at home to get some homework done and piled in the van. Megan and Em in the back, Katie and Taylor in the middle and Dad and I in front. We had Katie manage the Swig purchase while Chris and I talked to my mom about some financial decisions she needed to make. Then over to Arbors to analyze houses. It was SO funny. Everyone had definite opinions of what they liked and didn’t like and the kids were exclaiming with enthusiasm and disguist at the top of their lungs. It will always be a funny memory. We raced from the Arbors up to the hillside to see our same house up there and then over to Queensridge to wander through the first couple streets. It was great. So fun!
When we got home I started to make dinner and we FACETIMED RYAN AND CASSIE (Mom’s Idea) and had such a good talk with them. Katie formally introduced Taylor and at Megan’s request we went around the room and said the things we loved about RYAN and then CASSIE. It was so good. Chris and the kids started on WATCH TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERA’s TOUR (Katie’s Idea) while I finished up dinner of Swedish Meatballs and rice, mashed sweet Potatoes and roasted vegetables. Then we watched Taylor Swift’s concert all together and it was so fun. When we reached the end Luke and I brought everyone a glass of Sparkling White grape juice and we toasted to the perfect day. We ended our night watching family videos of our epic year which wasn’t in the jar but is always a family favorite activity.