Habit Training Challenge - Anyone Want to Join Us?

Hike up Rock Canyon

I have been thinking a lot about habits lately since writing my last post. It has been so good to get into the habit of writing a priority list daily, asking my kids to write one, and helping my little ones write theirs. The key is to use them as tools for growing closer to God - not as an end in and of themselves. I try to remember to start with a prayer before I write my list and I start with a prayer with each child before we write their list. I tell my older kids to prayerfully write theirs also. It's more than a "to-do" list- it's a way to record impressions from Heavenly Father about how He would have us spend our time. It builds a relationship to Him...

The latest research says we need 66 days on average to form a habit. Some require less and some more. It used to be said that all we needed was 21 days. So I though I'd try for 21 days and see if it works for me as long as I am able to maintain them after the 21 days while starting a new habit. I have 21 habits I want to pass on to my kids - 11 of them are daily habits and 10 of them are weekly habits. If I work on 1 weekly and 1 daily habit for 21 days and move on to the next one (while still maintaining the others) - I  and my family could have acquired all 21 habits in 7 months. I don't know if it's realistic, I may have to slow down and stay with some for longer before adding new ones, but I'd like to try it.

Does anyone else want to do this with me? I could start a Facebook group for those of you who don't Ike to try this so we could inspire one another in our efforts. Following are the habits I want to acquire or improve in the next 7 months by working on 2 habits for 3 weeks (one weekly and one daily) and then moving on to the next 2 habits (while keeping the previous ones) for the next 3 weeks. I already do many of these, but I have ways I could improve in each one if they became the focus of the 3 weeks.

At the beginning of the 3 weeks, I can send out what I have learned as I have tried to acquire each habit, age appropriate modifications for those who are inviting their families, and ways to improve that particular habit if it is already something you do.  What I ask in return is your feedback on what has worked for you and what hasn't - how you've managed, how you deal with distractions, your ideas about what works for you in trying to acquire each habit and any quotes or scriptures that have helped you.

Any takers? Support is always nice when doing hard things like building new habits.

I'll be starting a blog soon for it.

Pictures from the last couple of week:

 Hike with Bill and Cassia:

Everyday moments:

Chinese New Year Celebration:

Nice day for the park:

Ella's burthday:

William's Birthday:

He spent morning at choir and theater, came home for pizza and some Smash Brothers,  went to a dance with some friends and then watched "Fantastic Beasts." It was a full day. I sure love that kid!

Contemporary art Museum:

We had a some interesting discussions after watching the Banishment of Beauty on YouTube and then going to a contemporary art museum. I really recommend the video. It certainly makes you think. But there is some nude art in it, just fyi.

And here's some pictures of our house in progress:

More Solid Steps

What a difference I have felt in my life this week. Seriously; getting up and reading, writing and sincerely praying in the morning makes such a difference in one's life. Huge. I feel like myself again. I feel direction and purpose. I feel more alive. Music touches me more deeply, I see beauty more vividly, people are more wondrous to me, I feel more gratitude and love in my relationships. My steps feel more solid, my direction more clear, and my surroundings more real.

Heavenly Father is so good to us. He really does want us to have joy, love and purpose in our lives. I am so grateful to have seen such a difference in such a short time and to have gained this even deeper testimony of the importance of taking time with Him each day.

I have noticed that for me it is helpful to get up and write first thing. I get my thoughts out and I see where I'm needing guidance. Then I prayerfully read my scriptures and find that guidance in several verses. I write those down as well along with my thoughts on how they help me. At the end of it, I write down what I feel prompted to focus on and do that day. I write a prompting list in my journal (this week it has only had like 4 or 5 things on it each day - it's not like a long overwhelming list). I write this on my phone as well in case I need to remember through the day. Then I look at it the next day to see how I did and if I missed anything so I can include it again.

This week I have learned to trust God more, to find my part and turn the rest over to Him without hesitation or worry. He is in control - which is wonderful because I completely trust Him to have what is best come to be. My part is pretty simple - do whatever I need to do to stay in tune to Him so I can better follow Him.  Each day that part may look a little different because what "staying in tune" means varies in different situations, but I am learning more and more what that looks like and feels like.

I was also able to go to the temple again - what a beautiful blessing that was. I am so grateful for that place where time changes - things move more slowly, perspective is opened, and I feel a touch of eternity. I need to make sure I go each week and that I remember to take family names with me. That place is so full of love that you can't help but absorb it. It is nourishing.

By the way, I highly recommend this article that I am discussing with some youth tomorrow - I read it and drew it out in images with words afterward - it has a lot of concentrated truth to pull cool insights from:  Stumbling Blocks to Creativity - I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on it in the comments if you liked it and pulled something from it.  I'll probably write my thoughts about it on my next post if I can think of a way to put the pictures in my mind into words.

Here are some more pictures from the week:

Jessalyn's Birthday
We are now the parents of three teenagers! Something that is really cool about Jessalyn is that she doesn't even know how incredible she is. She plays with the little boys and Joy, makes little crafts with them, reads to Joshua every night, does Joy's hair and nails, offers to babysit when I go out and is just naturally aware of others needs and tries to help.

She is really alert and intelligent (she reads a about a book a day) and loves to learn. She sings beautifully, is really good at logic puzzles, and draws really well (among other talents). She is a kind and thoughtfull friend. We are so so so fortunate to have her in our family

Colors in the mud:
I tried a trail the other day that turned out to be really muddy.  The textures and the colors intrigued me. It was a good reminder that we can find beauty even in the mud.

Beautiful Mother:
This incredible friend of mine embodies beautiful motherhood in so many ways. I feel so blessed to get to absorb her example almost every day as we stay with them.

Christlike Friends:
We have been so enriched with these Christlike friends these last couple of months.  Their example of  a dedicated family will bless us all for the rest of our lives. I can see why communal living is tempting now. We definitely miss something in our current society with our walled-in, high-tech, private lives that they had in the old communities when they had to rely on one another a little bit more. I feel really grateful for this experience we are having with the Packs.

Brandy visits:
Bill's sister is visiting from Washington. She is the sweetest aunt to my kids and she will be having a baby of her own soon. It was so fun to see her little pregnant belly and to get to be excited for her new adventure. She will be an incredible mother. I am so grateful I married into such a kind family. We celebrated her birthday yesterday.