Remembering 2017

I don't post much on this old blog anymore, but I have been quite consistent with at least one post in January detailing resolutions, old and new.  Can't break tradition now!  So here is my look back on 2017.

I had a nice little list of resolutions for the year.  Let's pull that up:

• Find a family name to take to the temple.
• Learn to play all the hymns on the organ. 
• Learn to play a new song on the guitar.
• Walk 500 miles.  This time, for real.
• Read 14,000 pages.  (Yikes, that's a big number.)
• Pray more often and more fervently.
• Read the Book of Mormon as a family
• Go on dates with each of the girls.

And now, let's go through each item.

• Find a family name to take to the temple.
• Learn to play all the hymns on the organ. 
• Learn to play a new song on the guitar.

The first three items on the list were part of my 30 by 30 project.  I'm so pleased to report that I completed those three tasks, thus finished the entire list!  I wrote about taking a family name to the temple here, but apparently I never blogged about learning a new song on the guitar, or learning to play all the hymns on the organ.  For the guitar, I picked the easiest song I could find, Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric, which weighs in with a whopping 2 chords.  E and A, over and over again.  I mastered that one pretty quickly, and got to check it off my list.

Playing all the hymns on the organ was a little trickier.  I had started this one long ago, and then I lost my list of hymns played, so I had to start over last January.  I plugged away each week, adding about 10 songs (more or less) to my weekly organ practice.  Once we knew we were moving, I knew I would probably lose access to an organ, so I pushed hard and finished before we left Illinois.  I may not be able to sit down at a moment's notice and play any hymn to perfection, but I now know it's possible for me to play any one of them with a little practice.  That's a good feeling. 

I guess I should rename this project 30 by 36, but oh well.  It's done!

• Walk 500 miles.  This time, for real.

I walked 508.23 miles this year.  Boom.

•  Read 14,000 pages.  (Yikes, that's a big number.)

Sadly I only read 12,796 pages.  I did read 51 books, or at least some part of 51 books.  There were 2 books that I started and opted not to finish: March by Geraldine Brooks and The Book of Mormon Girl by Joanna Brooks.  I really wanted to like both of those books, but I didn't. March because I was ticked at the main character, The Book of Mormon Girl because I had a hard time relating to the author (which was surprising, but perhaps I would have felt differently if I'd continued reading).  Looking back at the books I did finish, I read some great stuff this year.  Care you know more?  Check out my book blog!

• Pray more often and more fervently.

I believe I did pray more often and more fervently than in 2016, but there is always room for improvement.  It's also hard to measure something like that, unless I make a prayer chart, which I guess I could do, but then it feels too much like a thing to check off a list instead of a conversation with God, so I'm hesitant to start one.  However, I know that our current situation has elicited more prayer from me; perhaps you could say that God knows what He is doing when he sends us trials.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to humble myself and improve my relationship Him, even if it comes at the expense of my comfortable life.  We aren't supposed to be comfortable, right?

• Read the Book of Mormon as a family

While we have made some progress in the Book of Mormon, we haven't come close to finishing it this year.  But we'll get there.  Hopefully in 2018.

• Go on dates with each of the girls.

There have not been regular dates with the girls, but we did do this at least twice, so that's something.  For my date with Julia, she requested that we go to the library, write a comic book together, and get ice cream.  That girl is unique for sure.  I think Ella and I got a donut and then chatted at the donut shop.  What I remember most is each child opening up and talking about what's important to them, which is better than a sack of gold for a parent.  We should do that again.


2017 was a year of big changes for us.  Clark lost his job, we moved across the country, I found a job...lots of changes.  While not every change has been ideal, I have seen blessings throughout it all, and for that I am grateful.  I have a good feeling about 2018.