New Year

I saw this quote today and it spoke to exactly what my heart has been feeling lately.  A few weeks ago I read this wonderful blog post entitled "A Year of Ordinary Achievement".  It totally hit home for me.  I couldn't have come across it at a better time than now at the beginning of a new year when I do a lot of soul searching and rehashing of the previous year to see what I can work on and do better. We are an on-the-go family and our lives are busy and often chaotic.  We do pretty good recognizing and celebrating the big things, but we are not taking the time and making the effort to concentrate on the little successes and joys that make life better and worthwhile. I've heard it a million times -- "it's the little things", and lately that phrase has been hammering around inside my head so loudly that I could not ignore it any longer. My inner voice is practically yelling at me that this is what I need to learn this year.

Last year we made some big goals for our family. We accomplished quite a few and that feels amazing! But I decided this year, I wanted to make it a year that is all about the little things in life that often go uncelebrated or noticed. I feel like the last three or four years I have been wading through the sometimes murky and exhausting trials of motherhood and frustrations at times to have things a certain way or to a certain standard have been quite energy zapping. Not that I don't appreciate those times and the wonderful memories, but after 10 years of having babies in the home and feeling like I am just treading water and trying to keep caught up, I feel like it is finally time to get more organized, work on the little day to day things, make every day count, and for our family to thrive. Isn't that an awesome word -- thrive? In the dictionary it says:

Definition of THRIVE

1: to grow vigorously : flourish

2: to gain in wealth or possessions : prosper

3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances

Exactly what I want our family to do. I want this to be a year that we flourish, grow vigorously, prosper, and progress -- all the while growing closer as a family. If I made a wish list for what would make this a great year for us to thrive it would look something like this:

 

Less criticism and more compliments

Less to-do lists and more playing

Less angry voices and more moments of forgiveness

Less hurt feelings and more hugs

Less complaining and more helping

Less worry and more laughter
Less planning and more spontaneous fun
Less frustration and more patience
Less wants and more gratefulness


Here's to THRIVING in 2013, celebrating the small and ordinary acheivements, and making the little things matter!

 

A Look Back

(Our Christmas card for this year)

 

 

Dodson Family Highlights for 2012

 

Riley

Coached Kendle and Morgan’s soccer teams and his last season of high school soccer (for now)

Ended his work year on a high note – top salesman in his company

Survived another year as soccer city director

 Big salmon fishing trip at the Bonneville Dam

Shot tons of geese/ducks/quail

Enjoying playing some indoor soccer again

 

                                                                                   Sarah

Successfully completed her first half-marathon

Mastered the job of potty training twins

Enjoyed spending a fun and relaxing week at the beach

Loved being a soccer/basketball/softball mom

Walked 18 miles in the pouring rain at Relay for Life but still had a great time

Finally got to see the Forgotten Carols

 

Kendle (10 and in 5^th grade)

Back to back league champ for soccer and undefeated seasons

Hit a game winning triple in one of her most memorable softball games

Enjoyed the challenge of her first year playing AAU

Fishing trip with dad where she caught the most fish

Loves playing in her Mad Mallets marimba music group at school

Ran her first 5k and rocked it

Sang a beautiful solo in her church primary program

Got to meet former professional soccer player Kasey Keller

 

Morgan (5)

Passed level 2 for swim lessons

Was quite the fireball in his first soccer season

Got to be his dad’s hunting buddy

Scored lots of baskets for his basketball team and got his first trophy (which he polishes constantly)

Figured out how to do flips, handstands, and one armed cartwheels

Developing a major power throwing arm for football and baseball

Excited to be learning to read and spell

Continues to be the best weed puller and little worker we’ve ever met

 

Cooper & Kale (3)

Mastered riding their trikes like little racing machines

Fell in LOVE with trains and anything and everything to do with them

Had a blast playing at the beach this summer and going to the river

Turned into huge chatterboxes

Learning to play better together and sometimes even act like friends

Are now big enough to go to the farm with grandpa

Enjoyed following big brother and sister around to their games and being their cheerleaders

Loved going to Country Mercantile and riding the train



It has been a great year for our family. We made so many wonderful memories that outweigh the bad.  I can't believe that another year has come and gone. We met quite a few of our goals for last year and can't wait to see what's in store for 2013!

Thanskgiving 2012

This year as usual we went to my parents house in Irrigon for Thanksgiving. It was a small gathering with just Tamra, Tucker, Jim, my parents and our family. My mom's Thanksgiving dinner is something I look forward to every year. She makes the best stuffing and gravy and pies........ok I am getting hungry again. I contributed the sweet potatoes this year (which were way too sweet) and have also become the official roll maker. I sadly did not take any pictures this year of dinner or everyone that was there. I did however eat a very large amount of delicious food and enjoy being with my family and just relaxing together and laid on the couch like a loafer most of the day.

That night we drove back home and had a babysitter lined up for the kids so we could go do some late night/early morning Black Friday shopping. I've never really done Black Friday shopping or really wanted to, but we thought if we got a babysitter and Riley and I went together it might be fun and a night out none the less. So what the heck. The first store we went to was crazy, but the others were fine and we scored some great deals. I thought all in all most everyone was polite and helpful and it wasn't that bad of an experience and I might even go as far to say that we had fun.

Saturday we met up my family at the fairgrounds in Hermiston for the second year in a row to see the Christmas lights and ride in the horse drawn carriage. It is always fun and the kids love it. Here is grandma Melodee and the kids waiting for our ride:




I love this picture of them all with grandma. I am thankful for this time of year when we are reminded and can reflect on our many blessings and spend more time with those we love.

Halloween 2012

This year Halloween was a lot of fun. We kind of went overkill on the candy, but the twins really got into it and were practicing saying trick-or-treat for weeks. Halloween was actually so warm this year that all of the kids came home sweating in their costumes and complaining of being hot. That is a first! Here are my not very good pictures of my little trick-or-treaters before they headed out the door:




It never fails that either Cooper or Kale are not looking.





I had fun doing Kendle's hair for her Medusa costume




Riley and Kendle did their usual major trek around all the surrounding neighborhood's after the little guys came home. They always get quite the haul. I'm glad Riley likes to go do that stuff with the kids, because I am much happier in my cozy house handing out the candy.