New Year, New Goals

Since we were still at the cousins' house for New Year's Eve -- when we typically do our "Year in Review" with all the kids -- we had to wait until we were home once again on New Year's Day to whip up our surveys and continue the tradition .  It consistently cracks me up to see how cooperative and excited they are each year to look over the past years' reviews and to fill one out for the new one. I love that they love reflecting.  ;)

I guess I wasn't fully paying attention to each of their responses when we were going around the circle that night (Isaac is always a bit demanding and distracting, bless his little heart), so when I read through them on my own the next morning, it made me laugh out loud to see how incredibly on brand each of their surveys were.  Hahaha.  Those kids!  They're kind of hilarious.

Without further adieu -- WHAT A YEAR IT'S BEEN!

(* I've asterisked my favorite responses in each one.)

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Ethan

Age: 14

Favorite Color: Orange

Favorite Food: No idea

Favorite Activity: No idea

Favorite Book: TKAM (To Kill a Mockingbird)  *

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: Don't really know

Hardest thing of the year: The Boot

Favorite Memory: The Summer, Fall, and Winter Bashes; Starting High School

What I loved most about 2017: Road Trip -- Bar Harbor  *

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: How to drive :)

Want to get better at: Not yelling as much *

Biggest goal: Greater than 4.0 GPA for ninth grade  *

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Grace

Age: 13

Favorite Color: Blue/Grey

Favorite Food: Anything except for things I hate *

Favorite Activity: Binge watching Netflix and hanging out with friends

Favorite Book: Hunger Games, Divergent, Percy Jackson, Selection, The Maze Runner

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: Junior High isn't as bad as I thought it would be

Hardest thing of the year: Putting up with my orthodontist (wink 😉)  *

Favorite Memory: All of the bashes, road trip, starting Junior High

What I loved most about 2017: Binge watching many great shows on Netflix or on TV (Stranger Things, Lost, Psych, Dance Moms, Backstage) and the bashes.  *

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: How to drive really well

Want to get better at: Driving

Biggest goal: Actually start reading books again and stop being such a procrastinator. *

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Sophie

Age: 10 3/4 *

Favorite Color: Lilac/Light Blue

Favorite Food: Mashed potatoes and baked potatoes with chili

Favorite Activity: Reading/Hanging out with friends

Favorite Book: Wonder (DUHH!) *

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: "The Year of Follow Through" is tough (!), but WE CAN DO IT! (That one's for you, Mom!). *

Hardest thing of the year: IDK???  *

Favorite Memory: I have multiple.  First, all our bashes with the cousins, our road trip, etc., etc.  *

What I loved most about 2017: EVERYTHING!  

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: How to be more organized. *

Want to get better at: Science and Social Studies

Biggest goal: To be neater, to take more showers/take care of hygiene better, make new friends. *

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Jane

Age: 8

Favorite Color: Turquoise, pink, blue, and purple

Favorite Food: Pizza or Hawaiian Haystacks

Favorite Activity: CRAFTS! *

Favorite Book: ALL BOOKS! *

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: Don't judge a book by it's cover.

Hardest thing of the year: Christmas Eve Night. (Waiting) (Also EVERY SINGLE Night)  *

Favorite Memory: My Baptism

What I loved most about 2017:  Christmas, My birthday, my baptism, SCHOOL!, ROAD TRIP!!!!!! *

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: I HAVE NO CLUE! *

Want to get better at: Sleeping ***

Biggest goal: Riding a bike, get better at falling asleep! *

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Alex

Age: 6

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Activity: Wii U

Favorite Book: Captain Underpants

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: Tithing

Hardest thing of the year: Overcoming worries and fears (that was a prompted response from me).

Favorite Memory: Hershey World *

What I loved most about 2017: Christmas 

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: Math

Want to get better at: Reading

Biggest goal: Book of Mormon

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:

Name: Isaac

Age: 2

Favorite Color: TBD...not so sure

Favorite Food: Chicken Nuggets

Favorite Activity: "Watch it" -- screens

Favorite Book: Fred & Ted...also Search and Find books

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2017:

Greatest lesson learned: Can't say bad words

Hardest thing of the year: Recognizing that I can't get what I want ALL the time...just most of the time.

Favorite Memory: Road Trip

What I loved most about 2017: Boss Baby, or Minions, or Backyardigans, or Team Umizoomi, or Peppa Pig...

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2018:

Want to learn: Make cool stuff with my Goobi, Jr.'s 

Want to get better at: Speaking in full sentences

Biggest goal: Sleeping through the night better for mom and dad.  *

And that's a wrap!  One of these years, we should really get around to having me and Scott fill one out as well.  Haha.  Oh well, it looks like 2018 is shaping up to be a good year!  (Also, I feel like I deserve a HUGE congratulations for finally getting everyone's "birthday portraits" finished before 2017 was over.  Hahaha.).  :)

{Past years' reviews can be found here, here, here, and here.}