BUSY days!

So much fun and so much we have been doing!  Though by Saturday night I felt all funned out!  Ha ha!  Monday we went and bought baseballs, mits, and a bat.  We have Primary baseball here-so cool!  I never heard of that before!  We walked/rode bikes to a park 1.25 miles away (trying to get my kids really active, so we find new and different parks all of the time--there are tons!).  We practiced hitting the ball and played at the park.  It was a really fun park too-we will have to go to it again!  Another day we went on an adventure walk toward a canal that has HUGE fish in it.  Also there is a backyard with several unique animals (including a giant tortoise).  There are also small seashells along the edge of the canal--way fun and we went 2 miles out (4 miles total--awesome job kids!).  We practiced baseball at another park on Friday and several friends were there, so we got to play with them and I got to visit with their moms.  Saturday we went to Aubrey's game.  It was really fun to watch her play and I was really glad we had practiced through the week.  She actually did pretty good!  She did hit the ball usually within the first couple of throws (in Primary baseball you don't strike out from not hitting the ball.  They keep throwing it until you hit it).  Then we walked to and around the Riparian Reserve (about 4 miles total).  We saw several neat birds, including my first Red Cardinal!  There was a "gang" of geese on the path that about attacked you for food--really quite funny.  Mariah really got scared of them and hid under a blanket in the stroller.  That stroller was the best purchase ever by the way!  I use it EVERY day.  I actually only use the van a couple times a week, if even that.  The garage door opener is connected to my stroller, not in my car.  Pretty funny!  But the truth is we live too close to the school to drive there.  If we try to drive (which we have done twice) there is such a long line of cars to try to cut into that we take way longer than just walking the quarter mile there.  Anyway, I was just thinking about how much we have been going to places--walked places actually-I hate car time and we are loving the weather (yes, I know that will change when the summer comes).  It is really different for me to go so many places and parks; it is just not something I have done a lot of as a mom.  Before we moved here, we had a huge yard, a swingset, a good road to ride bikes up and down, and of course, grandmas house and yard, which are amazing and lots of fun.  We also had the best outside time during the summer when we have tons of family things going on.  So we have great weather in the winter here and are just soaking it in.  But, the kids can't do much at our house (when it comes to being outside).  We did get a trampoline for Christmas-and they love that and it's awesome.  But I want it to stay awesome and not be the only thing they get to do every day.  Good stuff!

A New Year in a New Place

So I just read some of my favorite peoples blogs and it made me think a little more about the new year and what I want to accomplish.  Really my main things that I want to do are things that I am already aspiring to do without the New Year being my inspiration.  But it's here, and you know the saying, "Thoughts, Words, Deeds".  So it's been in my thoughts, I can write it down, and hopefully it will help solidify the deed. 
My first and foremost goal I have really been working on already.  That is spending more time with my most loved ones--my family.  Spending more time with Jon, my dear husband and each of my children.  I really want to feel that I am not only spending time taking care of them and their needs and running the house-keeping it clean, fixing meals, shopping, taking them to school and whatnot, but actually spending more time enjoying them.  I do different things to make them a part of what I have to do (helping with dinner, etc.), but I want to do more fun, random things with them.  I want to go on regular dates with Jon.  We are terrible at that.  I hate having to get a babysitter, but we just need to do it and go out. 
My next goal is to have more meaningful scripture study and to do it daily, no matter what.  I read for 30 minutes no matter what while in High School and College.  I want to start doing that again, no matter what.
I want to start playing the piano again.  I want to practice daily and get pretty good at playing. 
Then the next thing I am also working on is getting in really good shape.  I am working on that pretty well already, but currently, I am adding a challenge to that-helping my kids to be in really good shape as well.  I don't want them to become couch potatoes, computer addicts, or exclusive book worms.  Though there are good things on the computer, and though I do want them to love books a read a lot, I want them to enjoy the outdoors, to love hiking, to feel good enough physically to run around and be active.  So these are the things I am aspiring to accomplish--though really none of them are things that are done--they are continuous, not a year-end and it's over kind of a thing.  Maybe I will make some kind of a year-end goal thing.  I generally don't do that, mostly because I just don't think that much about it.
More than anything I just want to enjoy my family, enjoy life, and do our best at walking this road together as a family.  This past year threw a huge curve ball at us that I am still soaking in and that I NEVER expected or planned on.  We moved from our much loved home in Riverton to a state I always said I would never live in-Arizona.  So here we are.  I am sad to be away from the beautiful mountains, from dear family, from our cute little home, our beautiful huge yard, our fruit trees and garden, and some dear friends.  I miss all those things very much.  I know my kids do as well.  I feel it is my responsibility to help make the most of life and spear-head enjoying our new environment here in Arizona.  So though we do miss Utah and many things about it, we have been enjoying it here and actually I am loving this weather right now!  I think I am getting a tan with all the time we have spent outdoors!  I will not love it in the summer, but I didn't love the cold in the winter in Utah either.  I miss the snow--to have the snow for a couple of months would be perfect, while skipping the other 3 months of freezing cold that surrounds the bits of snow here and there.  I love the fall as well.  I LOVE the mountains.  I love green and I love waterfalls and rivers.  I do miss those things being just 30 minutes away, and in sight at all times.  Fortunately we are in a very nice part of Arizona and there is a lake (yes, man-made, but it's still very nice) just 1 mile from our home.  Also in this particular area the communities grow grass and trees and it's really quite nice.  We are next to some farm-land as well and there are some amazing birds along a trail just 10 minutes from our home.  My yard happens to be all rocks.  That will change when we get a home of our own, or maybe we will rent a different house next year.  The people I have met are super nice as well and our ward is wonderful.  It's not perfect here, but it wasn't perfect in Riverton either.  No place is perfect, but as long as you are with those you love, you cling to the gospel and move forward in life, happiness can be found.  So here we are and what's funny is my goals are pretty much the same as usual--though our environment has changed, we are pretty much the same old Hansen's as we always were--just with a bit more sun.