Hugie Happiness Project

 

 

I started writing this post and realized it didn't have a single picture in it, so I quickly added one of these tiny little toes...

 

 

Last year sometime I read a book called "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, I absolutely loved the book and the way she writes. She spends a whole year doing things to make herself happier. If you want a book to help you improve yourself without it feeling like a self help book this is for you! This year I decided that I was going to start a Happiness project of my own.

 

January meant a fresh start for 2013 and I wanted to start off by getting organized. My goals were to:

Be more on top of the laundry
write a sentence a day in my journal

Find everything a "home"

Sort stuff and make a trip to the storage unit

Do a ten minute "tidy-up" at night

 

I failed miserably at the ten minute "tidy-up" because while I'm at work Justin straightens up the living room and I didn't have much left to do. Instead I adopted another of Gretchen Rubin's commandments to never procrastinate any task that takes less than a minute to accomplish. It has been hard to follow that rule when I have nearly perfected procrastinating. I find myself saying "will it take less than a minute" and then grudgingly doing it.

Gretchen Rubin does something new every month but always adds it on top of the previous month instead of replacing it. I won't always be on top of everything but I hope to enjoy getting things in order and taking care of myself a little more this year.

 Every February I take on a challenge, first it was a picture a day and then a slow cooker recipe a week. This year I am going to do one crafty project a week and blog it too! I already have two of my projects picked out and can't wait to make them!!!

UP NEXT: MINNESOTA LOVIN'



We Hart Christmas

Shortly after Christmas the Hart's came to visit, to spend time with us for the Holidays and New Years! While they were here we went bowling in Park City, I don't mind bowling but I am absolutley awful at it!

We also had another Christmas while they were here. JJ was very excited by all of the boxes wrapped under the tree.

 



 

Our little family with our stockings

 

JJ got a cheetah pillow pet (the cheetah was Justin's favorite animal growing up)

 

My big present was a Kindle!!! I was so surprised and excited, since then I've actually started reading a few books. I sure have missed reading.

 

Justin's gift was a bottle of martinelli's and money towards his book. (by the way did I mention he's working on a children's book? maybe not... it's very exciting! more details to come!!!)

 

Memere and Grandpa had tons of fun playing with JJ

 

JJ's footprint ornament we made for them.

 

Yet another Merry Christmas!!!

 

 

To end 2012 we went sledding at the Hugie's house.

 

Justin and I took the first run down the hill, and Laurie-ann followed after us.

 

 

Kim took Kayden and Jocelyn on their first run down the hill.

 

 

Kayden took JJ on a sled with Justin pulling them across the driveway.

 

JJ didn't seem to mind the sledding although he wasn't much for the cold. He also had an ear infection which didn't help either. 

 

Goodbye 2012 and hello to all the new adventures that come with 2013!!!

 

UP NEXT: RESOLUTIONS AND MINNESOTA



Baby's first Christmas!

CHRISTMAS!!!

 

We were very excited this year especially since it was JJ's first Christmas. Since we spent Thanksgiving in California we spent Christmas here in Utah.

 

 

JJ really like the tree although he didn't destroy any of the ornaments on it.

 

I had a ton of fun doing these Christmas photo shoots with JJ, and he really enjoyed playing in the lights because he knew he wasn't supposed to play with them.

 

Jolie and Makua came to visit before Christmas and we went to see the lights at temple square. This is Makua opening the Christmas present I made him, a coloring book holder and homemade crayons.

 

 

The lights were beautiful and we had fun, but it was WAY too cold to be outside.

 

 

This is what it looked like outside on Christmas Eve while we drove up to the Hugie's house (Justin's dad)

 

We wore JJ out even before the festivities began, this poor little guy had a fever on Christmas eve. bummer.

 

JJ loved the colorful lights on Kim and Kathy's Christmas tree.

 

Jocelyn and Kayden in front of the Christmas tree.

 

Kim got to open our present early, So they would have it for Christmas.

 

For our parents for Christmas we (and by we I mean I) made salt dough ornaments with JJ's footprint. They took forever to make and I almost threw them in the trash but thanks to Justin's kind words they avoided destruction.

 

 When Santa came to drop off the presents he left a mess, of "snow" on the fireplace.

 

JJ woke up with a fever again in the morning but still had some fun opening presents!

 

Since his fever got up to 103.5 so he ended up spending most of the day in his diaper. Here he is with the turtle I made him for Christmas.

 

After opening presents and eating breakfast (including my family's awesome orange bread), we enjoyed playing Scattergories.

 

Later that night through the magic of technology we "visited" Minnesota and just hung out with the family and open our presents from them.

 

JJ got a really stylish hat and tie that matched and we can't wait to see him in it!

 

One of JJ's favorite parts of all the presents was the paper it was wrapped in.

 

We also got another package from Laurie-ann and Ed and the boys had fun opening it.

 

We were very grateful to spend time with so much family over the Christmas season. We are also grateful for the opportunity he had to remember the birth of our savior and all of the blessings it has brought into our lives.

 

UP NEXT:THE HARTS VISIT

Thanksgiving in California: Disney and Frisbee

On one of our last days in California we went to Downtown Disney with the Irvings. I love Disneyland and wish we could go more often. I can't wait to take JJ!

 

 

There is a huge Lego store and Ben and Wil had a hay day in there. Can you believe that the Genie, Aladdin and Jasmine are all made of Lego's? Crazy!

 

Sydney, Ben, and Wil had lots of fun playing with Justin and JJ.

 

 

Wil was especially fond of JJ and wanted to hold him every chance he got.

 

 

One of the toys JJ liked most was this piece of pineapple, he would put it in his mouth and crawl around.

 

Saturday (our last full day) Justin was able to play Ultimate Frisbee like we used to every Saturday while we lived in California.

 

Ed and Laurie-ann came to spend some time in the sun with us.

 

After Ultimate Frisbee we headed to Islands for some burgers with Becky, Mike, Bruce, Laurie-ann and Ed.

 

 

 

On Sunday we made our drive home, JJ was pretty good and slept quite a bit.

 

gotta love that face! and his darling rosy cheeks!

 

"Mom, four more minutes outside, please?"

 

JJ spent a lot of time reading while we made the drive home.

 

I am so glad we made the trip to California and got to spend time with all of our wonderful family there.

 

UP NEXT:CHRISTMAS