This is Halloween

Dressing up for Halloween is one of my favorites! We’ve picked Disney themes the last several years and this year was no exception. 

After some thought, I decided on the Nightmare Before Christmas. We even got to see it in theaters this year, so that was fun! 

My mom helped me make baby B’s and Hendo’s costumes. And I think they all came out so fun! 

(Sally)

I bought my costume from Target. It came with the dress and wig. I found some face makeup and tights on Amazon. I drew on the stitches and it really pulled it together. 

(Jack)

We found Mike a suit at a local thrift shop and I used marker paint to darken the pinstripes. I made his tie with stiff and regular felt and the same marker paint. We used a safety pin to attach it to his shirt. 

(Zero)

Hendo’s costume was pretty easy. I bought some cheap cotton and sewed it to be a slip over him. The eyes are cut out and I used an orange Pom Pom for the nose. Then used a sharpie for the mouth

(Oogie Boogie)

For B’s costume, we used muslin and cut out a starfish shape, keeping the top larger. In hindsight, we should’ve left more space to help plump him out. We sewed the two starfish pieces together and then used black yarn to do the stitching. The eyes are felt, which I glued on. Make sure to stuff the top with some fluff! The mouth was wide enough we were able to slip him in and out. We used about 1.5 yards of fabric and had some leftover. The amount of fabric you’ll need will depend on your baby’s measurements. To finish it off, he has a spider dangling down. 

Happy Halloween!!

2019 quarter 1

Wow. Somehow it is already April. I meant to blog in March and never did. 

I wanted my theme for the year to be: be present. And I felt like January went really well. I crossed all of my short term goals off and felt great about how I started the year. 

Then came the disappointment and hopelessness. Guys, adoption is hard. The almosts, scams, quiet weeks, friends who are placed, all of it, is so hard. The last few months I go to bed saying I’m done with it all and then wake up and try again. It’s been sad to see who isn’t supporting us like I thought they would, but amazing to see who is supportive. It’s all a worldwind of emotions and even my good days feel hard. 

March was especially hard. In relation to my goals, I kept up with the habits I’m trying to create, but also realized I don’t really care about a lot of the other goals I set. By the end of the month, I realized I need to work on developing hope. So for now, that’s going to be my new focus. Have hope. Hope for better days. Hope for the strength to keep going. Hope for my dreams to come true. Hope for the courage to keep going even if they don’t. Hope for miracles. 

My sister created an Easter study guide: www.khemiapopa.eu which I’m so excited to use this month to remember the miracles Christ performed while on earth and the miracles He performs in my own life today. 

While I’m still hoping to build up my habits as some of the goals I set for the year, I want to open my eyes to my daily blessings and miracles. I want to build up hope. 

I guess in a way I am staying present. I’ve recognized where to shift my focus and I’m doing my best to shift in a positive way. This month may be about hope, and maybe next month too. It’s okay to shift your goals. It’s okay to shift a theme. You know where you’re at and where you want to be. That’s enough. 

2019 Pt 1

BE PRESENT 

My main goal this year is to be present. To focus on small changes that will have big impact. To make healthy habits. To put my phone down more. To recognize my needs and act accordingly. To be aware. 

I have a ways to go, but I’m proud of the progress I saw in January. 

At the beginning of the year, I wrote down 12 goals I wanted to achieve this year. One of those was simply to make monthly goals. Each month I plan to set goals specifically for the month and ones that will help me accomplish my bigger goals. 

Breaking goals down is a good way to help you achieve some of those bigger things you want to do. 

Making monthly goals can also help you see where you’re at, what you want to continue, and what you want to stop. 

My goals for January included: 

• exercise 10 times
• apply to take the SSW test
• drink 1,240 ounces of water 
• screen free day 
• journal 4 times 
• one scrapbook 
• Read 3 books 
• Go to the temple 
• Try meditating 3 times

After being incredibly busy over the last 5 months, I knew I wanted to get back into an exercising habit, but I also knew I didn’t want to set the bar too high for myself. 10 was a good number because I meant exercising an average of twice per week. Next month, I plan to shoot for a little more, gradually working back up to where I was. 

The SSW test is something I’m doing for work. I went through the application process last month and am now in studying phase. 

I wanted to get into a habit of drinking more water, eventually averaging half my body weight per day. I started pretty low, with a goal of getting a little over 30 oz per day, but found some days, especially in the beginning to be a challenge. I ended with over 1,400 ounces. In February, I’m shooting to average 40 oz per day. 

One of the big things I want to change is my screen time usage. I’ve decided the first Sunday of every month will be a complete phone free day and then each Sunday after I will take the day off of social media (which really results in not much phone time). On Sundays I’m also trying to limit my tv time. I thought this was going to be so hard, but I loved it so much the first Sunday, I decided social media free Sunday was my new thing. I might change my mind at some point, but I definitely want to stick to one no phone day per month. 

Another habit I want to get back into is weekly journaling. And not just “this is what happened this week” but things that stood out to me. Things I’m struggling with or tender mercies I’ve seen during the week. 

I want to for real catch up on scrapbooking, so this month I made it a goal to make one. Making one didn’t seem to bad and it was something I could do. 

If you know me, you know I love reading. I have the longest to read pile right now! In January I wanted to ease back into regular reading with reading 3 books. Between audio books and reading, I read four. 

1. The Princess Diarist- Carrie Fisher 

2. Room- Emma Donoghue 

3. Love Warrior- Glennon Doyle Melton

4. Glass Houses- Louise Penny 

I wanted to complete a session in January, but then there were no changes and wonderfully so, the temples have been so busy! My sister came into town and some of us did other temple work. I made a pivot in my original plan and decided any temple work was better than none. I do hope to do a session in February! 

Because I want to be more in tune with myself, I wanted to try meditating a few times to see if it could be something I could get into. I didn’t find it super helpful, but did remember how much I love yoga. So in February I’ll be ditching the meditation and trying to integrate in at least one yoga session per week. 

This year will be all about what works and what doesn’t. If something doesn’t work, I’ll make the steps to find something that does. The point is to better myself in small ways that can be impactful. I know it’s going to take some time, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. 

That being said, here are my hopes for February: 

• Screen free day 
• Mike’s love language x4 
• Yoga 4 times 
• Exercise 12 times 
• Read 4 books
• Journal 4 times 
• Drink 1260 Oz water 
• No spend 2 weeks 
• Wake up at 6:45 10 times 
• Visit the temple 
• Finish 2017 scrapbook 
• South Dakota video 

How is your 2019 going? Remember, you can always start today! There is no better day than today. 

If you’re looking to set some goals, but need some help, please reach out!

bethflint88@gmail.com 

xoxo

November + December + Year in Review + 2019

I never blogged about November...oops! So here is a mash up of November, December, brief year in review, and hopes for next year! Phew! 

November/December 

KNOWLEDGE: 

Read 52 (ish) books- well. Life happened. I ended up being so busy the last few months of the year, so I didn’t complete this goal. But, I’m happy. I ended up reading a combined 6 books between November and December. (37 total books for the year) 

-Big Magic: Elizabeth Gilbert 

-Anne of Green Gables: LM Montgomery 

-The Adoptive Parent Toolbox: Mike and Kristen Berry

-Small, great things: Jodi Picoult 

-In on it: Elisabeth O’Toole 

-The tattooist of Auswitz: Heather Morris 

SPIRITUAL: 

Attend the temple monthly- I went in November, but didn’t make it in December. 

I took the prophet’s challenge and read the Book of Mormon from October-December. So I guess technically I read 38 books. Haha. I have never read the Book of Mormon that quickly and felt like I took a lot more out of it than I have before. 

PHYSICAL:

Run 400-500 miles. I finished with just over 400 miles. Next year my running goal will be a little different! 

I ended up deciding not to trilogize. I had a race lined up, but due to the weather (and not wanting to get sick), I decided it wasn’t worth it. I have 0 regrets! 

Go to the dentist. Believe it or not, but I actually went! I hadn’t been in 3.5 years! I have had horrible experiences with dentists, but I’m really happy with our current dentist. I even actually made a 6 month appointment. 

I bought one 72 hour kit (today. Haha) it comes with a lot of stuff, so I plan to sort it out and see what we need for a second kit! (Next year we will get something together for hendo and baby) 

I pretty much finished my fun section, although we only traveled to 2 new places instead of 3. 

I didn’t finish scrapbooking, so I have that to look forward to in 2019. 

Best part of November: officially becoming homestudy approved! 

Best part of December: knowing we are officially ready for baby whenever he/she joins our family! 

2018 was literally so off from what I expected this time last year. We had a trip to Thailand planned, it was going to be our last big trip before we welcomed a child into our home. We planned on fostering. I had started applying for new jobs and was offered a few in April. Ultimately, I knew it wasn’t right. So I happily stayed at my job and we decided we would look into private adoption in January. July/August rolled around and I felt a strong push to start the adoption process, so we did, jumping right in. At the same time, I was offered an opportunity to take a few classes in order to expand my career, I couldn’t say no! Then I was asked to teach a second college class. It was busy! And honestly, I set my 2018 goals aside so I could work on my biggest dreams instead. 

It was a hard year. There were so many unknowns and I felt like I was on an emotional rollercoaster. I will be forever thankful for my husband, family, and friends who continue to be there for me. We’re not off the ride yet, but I have so much hope for the year to come. 

2019 is going to look a lot different. I realized this year, it can often be hard to set goals for an entire year, when you don’t know exactly what you’re getting into. In 2019, I will have a few goals for the year, but will primarily focus on monthly goals. And really, most of them are steps to building back up habits and taking care of myself. I expect them to change month from month. But the intention is to be present. To put my phone away, to be where I am and to understand my present needs/take care of myself. I don’t want to plan as much and want to allow myself to be happy with the way the year unfolds. It will be interesting, but I’m hopeful it will lead to a wonderful year and change in outlook. 

Here’s how I plan to start off: 

In 2019, I want to:

-Reduce my overall screen time. Ideally, I would like it to be an average of under 3 hrs/day. 

-Have a screen free day once per month 

-Make monthly goals and keep track of my progress 

-Cross off something from our family bucket list. 

-Visit 4 new national parks 

-Have a no spend month 

-PR (5k, 10k, or half) 

-Do better at journaling (ideally once per week) 

-Work on scrapbooks (ideally catching up) 

-Read 52ish books 

-Receive my SSW 

That being said, this is what January looks like (as of now) 

-Exercise 10 times

-Apply to take SSW test

-Drink 1,240 ounces of water 

-Screen free day 

-Journal 4 times 

-One scrapbook 

-Read 3 books 

-Endowment session 

-Try meditating 3 times

So we’ll see. I’m going to let “being present” really guide me. I’m going to listen to what I need and go from there. 

Do you have any big hopes for 2018? I would love to help you reach your goals! You can contact me at bethflint88@gmail.com 

OCT 18

October was a literal blur. And I know I say that a lot, but I mean, I don’t even know where it went. It’s somehow already nearly a week into November and my brain is still in summer mode. 

I still don’t have a theme for next year. My theme this year didn’t last. Looking back on the year, I’ve done a lot of going with the flow and for someone who likes order, I’m pretty impressed with the way I’ve been able to adapt. Next year I would like to have more focus and direction. One of my goals for this month is to start thinking about my goals for next year. 

At any rate, October was not quite what I imagined it would be at the beginning of the month, but I’m hoping to finish the year off strong.

 

KNOWLEDGE:

-Read 52ish books. 

I started reading one book in October, but haven’t finished it. I’m about halfway, so there’s that. 

 

SPIRITUAL:

-Attend the temple monthly

If you’ve been following along this year, you know I’ve struggled with this goal, BUT! I visited the temple twice in October and am making it a priority to attend in November and December as well!

-In September I said my goal was to read At the Pulpit. During Conference, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, so that is my new goal. I’m pretty behind, but I’m trying. 

 

PHYSICAL: 

-Run 400-500 miles

I am a couple of miles away from hitting 400 and have one more race to go this year!  (Come run with me on Thanksgiving!!) 

-Go to the dentist 

Believe it or not, I have an appointment for November. I’m dreading it, but I hate to not cross something off. haha

 

FUN:

-Create a bucket list with Mike and cross off at least one item.

One of the things I had on our list was to participate in a lantern fest. I actually won two free tickets to attend the lantern fest in SLC! It was kind of a bust, but at least I can say I’ve done it! 

 

I’m still working on scrapbooking and doing our 72 hour kits. Those have been placed on the back burner as we have been working towards getting our home ready for a baby. (No actual baby yet, but we know it could happen at any time and want to be prepared)

Speaking of, please continue to share our website (www.waitingforbabyflint.com) and scream it from the rooftops we are hoping to adopt. We have quite a lofty goal for this and need all the help we can get!

Last! We will be holding an online auction to help raise the necessary funds for the adoption (Instagram: @flintfamilyadoptionauction) Starting on November 30! 

 

I know November will fly by even quicker than October, so wish me luck! 

How are your goals coming along? You have less than 60 days left for this year. Set some goals now and finish strong with me! 

SEP 18

This year has been weird. Off. It has flown by and I still don’t feel like I’ve had much focus. And it’s okay, but it’s throwing me off. September was a literal blink of an eye and now it’s October. This is usually about the time I start thinking about a theme for the next year, but I’m feeling stuck. What do I focus on? What do I need to focus on? 

My goals have pretty much taken a nosedive this year. So, I will share what I did do in September. 

 

KNOWLEDGE:

-Read 52ish books. 

I started three books in September, but only finished one. Maybe I should preface by saying, I am taking two college classes, teaching two college classes, working full time, and working through an adoption home study. SO, my spare time is near non-existent. 

 

SPIRITUAL:

-Current goal is to read “At the Pulpit”, which I have been working on. 

 

PHYSICAL:

-Run 400-500 miles

I’m slowly chugging along here. I ran a half in September and am currently at 362 miles. 

 

FUN:

-Create a bucket list and cross off at least one item

We will cross an item off in October!!!

 

And honestly, that’s it. 

 

What I haven’t done/didn’t do:

-Learn something new

-Attend the temple

-Go to the dentist

-Work on scrapbooking

-72 hour kits

-Save 10% of income 

 

I could be disappointed by where I’m at, but this year has been different from what I expected it to be. At the beginning of the year, I thought I would be working somewhere else. I thought we would be fostering by now. We had a map planned out for the year. 

Instead, I’m happily at the same job and am actively working to move forward in my career. We are not fostering, but we are going through an adoption home study to do private adoption. I picked up extra work responsibilities. 

And change is okay. Change is good. Change is keeping me on my toes. 

If you haven’t already visited our adoption website, please do and please share! 

www.waitingforbabyflint.com

 

And let’s all hope I make it through the next few, busy months! 

AUG 18

August was a literal blur. And somehow we are already 4 days into September, so I’m guessing it will be a blur as well. I need to hit the pause button because this year has gotten away from me. Anyone else? I haven’t felt connected to my goals this year and plans change, which means goals change, so I’m just trying to go with it. And thinking about it, maybe that should be my theme for the last four months of this year: acceptance. I’ve done a lot of accepting this year. And it’s made me grow, think, and shift. 

When I look at the goals I made for myself back in January, I didn’t know where I would be here, in September. And while I could be disappointed in the ways I’m not succeeding in these goals, I’m actually happy with the way I’ve embraced and accepted the way this year has progressed. 

I don’t know what the next four months are going to look like (who does?), but I’m going to accept them for what they are and use them to continue to grow. 

So while it’s not perfection, here’s where I’m at with my goals for the year:

 

KNOWLEDGE:

·         Read 52(ish) books. 

I’m still chugging along here. I read 4 books in August:

1.       Model Mormon: Rosemary Card

2.       Soulful Simplicity: Courtney Carver 

3.       ***

4.       All of us and Everything: Bridget Asher 

·         Learn/try something new each month

I did a lot of learning this month! I read books and participated in trainings of the subject manner. 

 

SPIRITUAL:

·         Attend the temple monthly

I haven’t been in the longest time. I would really like to go this month

·         Read the Doctrine and Covenants

I finished this month! (If you remember, initially I wanted to read the Book of Mormon, which I finished. So at least for the month of September, I want to read “At the Pulpit”. 

 

PHYSICAL: 

·         Run 400-500 miles

August wasn’t my best month, but it wasn’t my worst. I’m at 331 miles. I hit a little slump in August. I’ve been so tired and added a lot to my plate. I want to remember how good running makes me feel so I can use it as my self-care as I enter into a busy few months. 

·         Trilogize with Runtastic.

I will be running race #2 for this next month. (Haunted Half Provo…come run with me!)

·         Go to the dentist

Sooooo…….still haven’t done this. I was totally, 100% planning on doing this in August. And then August became a month full of other priorities. I did see the doctor in August, so that’s got to count for something, right??? I’m still hoping/planning on doing this by the end of the year, but am guessing it will be more like October or November. 

 

FUN:

·         Create a bucket list with Mike and cross off at least one item

We are working on crossing off one item, I don’t know that we’ll actually cross any off this year, but it’s in progress. 

·         Travel to 3 places we’ve never been to together

I really want to hit one more place together this year. We did Thailand and South Dakota. Both trips were so fun! I’m trying to convince Mike we should do Yellowstone. So we’ll see. 

·         Catch up on scrapbooking

Have I mentioned how time consuming my August happening were??? Literally, this project ate up nearly all of my time outside of work. So, September, here’s looking at you to at least work on one book. 

 

FINANCIAL:

·         Create 72 hour kits

And nope. I’m thinking I may ask for these for Christmas. 

·         Save 10% of income

Still working on this. 

But I did pretty well with my no shopping for August. Not perfect, but there was a definite improvement. 

 

 

So yeah. August was a blur. And I’m excited to share what we’ve been working on. But until then, remember that your dreams are YOURS. And no one can take them away from you, unless you let them. Chasing big dreams is scary, but with baby steps, you can make it happen! September has always been my favorite month and I’m hoping this year it’s extra good for me!