Tuesday, July 7, 2009

It's the "little things" that make life big!!


"Each day of our lives
we make deposits in the
memory banks of our children."
~~Charles R. Swindoll


(click on the photo)
WOW!!

I can't believe the year is half over! How did that happen...it seems like just yesterday it was New Years!!

As I reflect daily on my Resolutions hanging on my fridge I am realizing that we are have done quite a few of these, however, I would like to do a lot more of them.

I want my children's memory banks to be FULL of lots of wonderful memories of spending time with their parents and doing fun things as a family!

We gave the kids options of things we could do for the next 3 days of having work off, (we gave them some pretty FUN things that we could do), Ethan's comment was..."I just want to go fishing".
It made me realize that it really is the LITTLE things in life for children that make life BIG!!
And most important spending TIME with their parents!

So, I thought I would share my Resolutions again and this may give people some FUN ideas of things to do with their kids the rest of this year to create wonderful, FUN memories for them!
(click on the photo)
(quoted from my post made in January)
"Anyway, as I was organizing I came across an article in the paper that I had laminated last year to put on my fridge and these are some great new years resolutions. Now mind you, they are not the typical new years resolutions, but they are truly things that your family and kids will probably never forget and so I am going to list these and try hard with my family to do many of the things on this list this year".


New Years Resolutions 2009!!

--Sleep outside in the yard with my children
--Always use a speaking voice
--Let them find out themselves "why not" when it won't hurt them
--Say "YES" more often
--Stay up late and show my sons how to use a telescope
--Teach my children to find constellations
--Teach my children how to skip rocks
--Let them explore more
--Go fishing more
--Get up early and enjoy the sunrise
--Lay on blankets and watch the stars at night and enjoy the phases of the moon
--Build a snow cave
--Help my children answer "what if" questions
--Teach my dog a new trick
--Build a tree house or clubhouse
--Eat a meal with chopsticks
--Fly more KITES!
--Build a catapult to throw snowballs and water balloons
--Go snowshoeing
--Eat a meal with no silverware--right off the plastic tablecloth
--Do something special and "out of the blue" more often for Tracy
--Go cross country skiing
--Teach my children to ice skate
--Read the "Harry Potter" series with my kids
--Teach my children how to use a compass
--Have dinner on a blanket on the grass more often during the summer
--Make homemade ice cream
--Make vacations a TIME not a destination!
--Go hiking more
--Make cookies for the specific reason to "dunk" them in milk and enjoy being a kid!
--Have a water fight
--Mix Mentos with Coke for a family activity
--Teach my kids how to light a fire without matches
--Have less rushed and more meaningful dinner times!
--Accept the mess
--Go backpacking more
--Set up tents in the living room and sleep in them
--Read "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series to my kids
--Make more popcorn
--Sing in the car
--Make homemade milkshakes
--Teach my children to make paper airplanes
--Put together a jigsaw puzzle
--Let my children choose what color we paint their bedrooms
--Let them help paint
--Go camping more
--Go to the lake and make sand castles and bury each other in the sand
--Take dancing lessons with my husband
--Cook in our Dutch ovens more
--Enjoy the sunset with my kids more often
--Take a raft or canoe out on the river or lake
--Roast more hot dogs and marshmallows
--Explore some caves
--Visit Oregon
--Have a weekly family bike ride
--Try some foods from other countries

**************
****Don't make checking off this list so important that we don't enjoy what we do!

I probably won't be posting for a week, since I am doing what I LOVE most...
spending time with my KIDS and HUBBY!

Talk to you in a week
and I hope you are having lots of FUN
with your families as well!

4 comments:

  1. Kimberly - Those are some great ideas to do with kids. You and Tracy sound like you really have things figured out - good for you. I look forward to getting to know you guys more. :)

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  2. That is a really wonderful New Year's goal list. I like these types of goals better then the regular ones ;-)... Reading down your list has given me some things to do with Brady this year. Enjoy the journey!! This is certainly the way to do it... Precious memory making time with our children/family.. I love it!

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  3. I love these kinds of lists (and I am a list girl) - I also love spending time with and making memories with my family!! Just the best!!

    You and Tracy do some super fun things with your boys - I bet they have so many great memories they don't know what to do with them! It explains why they always looks so smiley and happy!!

    Just love looking at pictures of your family!!

    Hope you are having a GREAT week!

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  4. WOW! You are just an awesome mom. I am totally inspired by your list and sadly realize I've been pretty lazy this past year...got to do better! I really should copy some of your ideas since they are all so worthwhile and outdoorsy...It sounds like you are really making memories with your boys. I could learn a lot from you.

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