New Years 2016

Story of my life...

I love the beginning of a new year. It really is a time where I can completely forget about all the things I didn't accomplish in the previous year and start completely fresh. I love the energy I feel to set goals and then try to accomplish them...Key word...TRY

It's almost the end of January and I feel like I am already having to reset. Anyone else feel like this. I always tell myself that I'm gonna start tomorrow and then when tomorrow comes around, it's a 50/50 accomplishment rate. 

Why is this? Why is it so hard to stay with something? I think we set ourselves up for too much. At least that's what I do. I make a list of all the things I want to do and then think that I'm going to be able to do all of them all at once. I had a Stake Relief Society President give a meeting on setting and accomplishing goals and she had us set one goal every three weeks. For the first three weeks, we'd work on the first goal and then add in the other two three weeks later and then three weeks following that. I'll let you know how it goes this time around since I didn't do it last time...ops.

Often times we think, I can do so much better or I can do so much more. And the good news is, we can! Just little by little which is often times where it gets frustrating. I found this today and thought it was a good read.
https://www.lds.org/blog/try-this-for-a-change-4-simple-steps-to-self-improvement?cid=HP_FR_1-22-2016_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2-1_&lang=eng

So here are my New Years Resolutions. As much as I have a love hate relationship with being held accountable (mainly because I feel like I can do it on my own and shouldn't need any reminders or follow up...it's probably a pride thing I have...), I would like you all, whoever you may be reading this blog, to hold me accountable.

1. Wake up earlier that I have normally been getting up and get things done in the morning.

2. Say my prayers and read my scriptures everyday. I want to become a scriptural scholar and more in tune with the spirit.

3. Practice the piano at least 3 times a week- to begin with.

4. Serve someone weekly.

5. Continue being consistent at working out and stop eating after 8pm even though TJ still is- His metabolism is so not fair!

6. Document my life more...therefore, this blog which I haven't been very good at lately.

7. Get a handle and organized at life...this will be on my new years list every year...

Welcome 2016- I have a feeling you are going to be a good one, which is a lot to say cause I feel like 2015 was a pretty dang good one! :)

For documenting sake, the Kirtons are way into New Years. We went to Christmas at my house only with the promise that we would be back for New Years and rightfully so.  TJ's mom's side of the family get together and play games in the beginning of the evening which consistence of a lot of laughing. Then at about 11pm we all gather over at Grandma Kirton's house to welcome in the New Year. They go all out. At my family, we are lucky if we make it to midnight. ANd then we drink some bubbly and go to bed.

The Kirtons burn their Christmas trees and set off amazing fireworks. Here are a few photos from the night. 

TJ running from after lighting the tree on fire because they also put bottle rockets in the can. 

HAPPY 2016! AND HAPPY NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!

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Christmas 2015

TJ and I went to California for Christmas this year. It was the first time in 4 years we were all there for Christmas. My sister Nicole, who is a freshman in college, said that the last time we were all together was when she was in 8th grade...crazy! We have also added 3 spouses since then too. Needless to say it was a full house and my poor parents went from cooking for just themselves to cooking for 10 people.

We always go into the city at Christmas time. This time we went and saw a Christmas Carol at Geary Theater. Since we all don't fit in the mini van now, TJ and I were selected to ride the train into town, which meant Blondies pizza as well.

            

                                    

Santa came almost everyday while we were at home bringing us something to entertain ourselves with. This was one of his greatest hits.

We even had an opening ceremony for the first game between dad and TJ. You can say we wore the thing out. The first game got a little heated...doesn't help the players when you have people cheering right in your ear. You come out of the game shaking a little from all the adrenalin pumping in you.

We have a Christmas tradition of inviting different families we know and going to sing at the old folks home. It's always something I look forward to (the facial expressions on everyones faces is hilarious!)

We had our traditional Christmas pasta for Christmas Eve dinner and we even sat all 11 of us around the table! (well, some were on stools...)

 Christmas was amazing! We all slept in so present opening didn't start til 10am and then because of things going on that day we didn't finish opening presents until 10 pm that night.

Crazy when you do a double take at a photo because you don't know which one is you... #twinsisters

TJ was in heaven cause the only time we eat sugared cereal in my family is at Christmas so he had Lucky Charms and Coco Pebbles all week! 

Toblerone Power!

 My sister in law, Alyssa, made TJ and I the cutest date book! It had a bunch of pictures of us while dating and then pages for us to plan dates on. Thanks for helping us remember to still date each other!

Christmas Dinner. We invited our "cousin" Katie to join us. 

The twins decided that since TJ and I weren't in Hawaii, we needed some leis. I think they made about 15 of them... the were busy Christmas eve wrapping and going through mom's food storage for goodies to wrap in them. 

While we were there, the local college- St. Mary's- played UVU in basketball. St. Mary's won :)

And of course we had to hike to the cross while we were home at St. Mary's.

The campus is so pretty and its crazy to me that I grew up in a college town...granted it is a small college, but none the less.

We live about 15 minutes away from the Oakland temple. One day we got to go and do sealings at the temple. There is always something magical about having almost all of your family in such a special place. And it was a beautiful day as well.

The best Christmas present I received was that my dad found a new company car for me since my Subie was dying... slash I was just ready to not drive a clutch anymore. So we got to drive the Matrix back to Utah. We thought we were leaving on a good weather day, but as luck had it, it was not sunny and clear as we had hoped. Getting over Tahoe was fun slash scary because our window washer fluid froze so our windows kept getting super dirty from the roads that we couldn't see out of them. So we would have to get super close behind a truck in order to get some of the water they were splashing up to give us a little liquid to slightly clear our windows. And then it snowed. I was driving when it started and TJ was sleeping. When he woke up, he sat straight up and said, "What the! Are you okay? You doing okay?!" Yes, I had not changed lanes or loosened my grip from the steering wheel. It took me a couple of exits to work up the courage to get off the trodden path to pull over so that TJ could drive. But alas, we made it home!

 We could barely see out our windows...

 Dirty Dirty Car... it looked even cooler in person with the ice and how it formed on there. 

Well, that was our Christmas Break! I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and got to spend it with the ones you love!

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