July Goals Post

For as busy as July was, I am happy with the progress I made toward my goals. (It was also, sooooo hot)

With school starting next week, we are in full prep mode at our house. Lucas went back to Missouri Military Academy on Saturday, and the rest of the kids are working on getting everything they need for high school and middle school.

Today was a fun morning because Daryl got his senior pictures taken! Can you even believe it? Ken Doll did them, and he always does an awesome job. Even just looking at the shots on his camera, I already know we're going to have some tough choices to make.

Daryl could have done five outfits, but he only wanted three. He could have gone to several different locations, but he chose two. You know what? The pictures are going to be totally him.

Senior year has officially begun!

Read 30 Books: 17/30

I finished two books in July, just under the wire finished my second book on the 31st at 8pm!

The first was The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, and it really hit on some themes I've been enjoying lately. First, it's historical fiction, set in the South during the Great Depression. Second, I've been drawn to stories featuring strong women.

When money is hard to come by, why not turn to the oldest profession in the world? This book tells what women will do to survive and provide for their families. At more than 600 pages, it's the reason I only finished two books this month, but I have no regrets. I would have happily read another 100 pages of these characters' stories.

The second book was The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick. I thought it might be similar to my read from last month about banned books, but it turned out to be more of a story about feminism. Set in a suburban neighborhood in 1963, it follows four women as they discover the new roles and possibilities available to them during that time. It's not too heavy, and the friendships keep the pages turning. I recommend this one, too!

Run 620 Miles: 375/620

I ran 48 miles in July. It was one mile more than I ran in June. I'll take it. PS the weather is finally cooling down in the morning. Hallelujah! 

Grow My Savings by 60%

I am so close to this goal and it is only the end of July. If nothing unexpected comes up I might just complete this in August! 

UFOs (Unfinished Objects) to Be Completed, in No Particular Order

Nada so far! 

• Alpaca Quilt
• T-Shirt Quilt
• 2 photo books for Daryl and Alex
• 1 knit project from stash
• 1 stitched project from stash

So glad we got to take some inside the school!

I hope these kids appreciate the awesome building they get to call their High school! 

Went school shopping last weekend and tried out Krab Kings in KC, Mo

It was really good, we will eat there again! 

June Goal Post

Back in the swing of things after vacation, and that means Daryl is swinging bats again!

He had two games this week, and I was able to make it to his Wednesday game. I really wish they didn't start at 8:30 p.m., but his team is so fun to watch. They all play together during the high school season, so the vibes are always positive, and they're very supportive of one another.

I got to see a win on Wednesday, and I look forward to watching more games next week.

P.S. Between innings is a great chance to read my Kindle book! 

Read 30 Books: 15/30

I read three books this month, and while they were all very different, I enjoyed them all. The majority of my month (20 days) was spent with A Court of Wings & Fury by Sarah J Maass. It wasn't that I was slowly reading it, it had 700 pages and the book size did not make it easy to travel with it. The momentum of the first two books peaked in the third book of the series and it was a page turner. The big battle for the humans finally happened and it had some great surprises! It did leave at a more settled place than book one and two so I'm going to give the series a rest for a bit. 

My second book of the month The First Ladies by authors Benedict and Murray was my travel book and I read a quarter of it the same time I was reading my book that didn't travel well. It was a great historical fiction about the real friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Mcleod Bethune. It made me want to find a book about both women because they were a powerhouse and together what they accomplished for Black Americans is outstanding. Just them eating together was front page news and advanced the cause for Black Americans getting better treatment on the road to equal. I would recommend and this one is going on the shelf! 

My last book of the month was on my Kindle and I read in about three days on vacation because it was that good. Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller was a fiction that centered on small southern town drama and the bigger issue of book bans. It has very serious moments and laugh out loud moments. Everyone in town gets in on the drama and I couldn't get enough of it. It was a quick read and also made me want to start reading some of the banned books featured in the town. Sooo good, it it wasn't on my Kindle it would definitely go on the shelf. 

Run 620 Miles: 327/620

I ran 47 miles in June. I was not ready for the Kansas heat, my mileage went down pretty quickly once we reached the 90s! While this month's total was on the low side for halfway for the year I'm pretty much on track. So I'll take it! 

Grow My Savings by 60%

Had a good month for June savings and I'm crossing my fingers my yearly savings goal will be complete in September! 

UFOs (Unfinished Objects) to Be Completed, in No Particular Order

While on vacation I did start a photo book for Alex's 6th grade year. LOL 

• Alpaca Quilt
• T-Shirt Quilt
• 2 photo books for Daryl and Alex
• 1 knit project from stash
• 1 stitched project from stash

Joseph and I out hunting Japanese beetles eating up the plants! We catch them then throw them in soapy water. 

He loves finding them and I love letting him! 

May Goal Post

Today I finished a book and logged a run, so I might as well do my monthly goals post.

This month was weird. I was highly motivated during the first half, and then I fell into a book and decided to stay up late reading and sleep in! I also stopped using my sticker tracker, even though I only had two daily habits to track.

Well, there's no reason to wait until next year to do better. I'm going to keep the same two daily habits and track them for the entire month of June! Cheers to the progress I made this month and to even more progress in June!

Read 30 Books: 12/30

I read three books this month, and they were all great! I haven't had a month like that in a while. I was so engrossed in my reading at the end of the month that I put off running. Good thing I'm still on track with both books and miles. Take that, limited attention span!

The first book I read was The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty, a very good beach-read novel. I've read another book by this author, and she writes drama in spades. Love it! It was a great way to start the month, and I finished it in a week. It won't make the bookshelf, but I still enjoyed it.

The second book I finished was The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. This was a book that had been on my to-read list for so long that I can't even remember how I heard about it. But I thank my past self for adding it because it was right up my alley. It's a fictional story based on real history. Mirielle contracts leprosy in the United States during the 1920s, and the doctors send her to the country's only leprosy colony. That's where the story takes place. That colony was a real thing! I definitely recommend this one, and it's going on the bookshelf.

My last book in May, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, completely consumed my evenings. With only ten days left in the month, I wasn't sure I could get through 600 pages, but I finished the last 20 pages as soon as I woke up this morning! I could have finished it last night, but I was sleepy, and I knew I would have had to reread the ending if I didn't wait until morning.

This was the second book in the series, and I wanted to start the third one the minute I finished it. Unfortunately, I didn't have it, so I ordered a copy and started another book from the pile. Ugh. I know I've been wishy-washy about fantasy, but these books have me hooked. I definitely recommend them, and I'll be keeping the series, which is why I've been buying the hardcovers!

Run 620 Miles: 280/620

I ran 54 miles in May. I had wanted to run 65 and probably would have done it, but during the last week of the month I slept in and stayed up late reading! Oh well, back at it tomorrow.

Since I don't have another race until November, I'm going to make my June goal 60 miles.

Grow My Savings by 60%

I did a good job saving in May, and what I thought was going to be a car repair ended up being only a new battery. Yay for Jeff figuring that out before we took it to the shop!

UFOs (Unfinished Objects) to Be Completed, in No Particular Order

I'm keeping this list here, but I'm not entirely sure why. LOL. I'm doing my best just to get the three goals above this list done. Maybe I'll get my life together in June and work on the backlog. Probably not, but maybe!

• Alpaca Quilt
• T-Shirt Quilt
• 2 photo books for Daryl and Alex
• 1 knit project from stash
• 1 stitched project from stash

Yesterday, Alex and I went to Salina so he could play some tennis matches. Getting some car time with him was fun! Now I need to kidnap Daryl for some reason to do the same. 

My Mexican Sunflowers are thriving!

Lola wondering if I can stop reading now to pet her....

April Goal Post

Looking through this week’s pictures, I have planting flowers, Small Business awards, the 8th grade dance, and Lemonade Day! It was a busy but good week! Here is last month’s goal recap. I’m doing pretty good on everything but the UFOs. Maybe tomorrow...

Read 30 Books (up 6 from 2025) 9/30

In April, I got to read 3 books. The biggest detriment to my book reading is mindlessly binge-watching shows, and I didn’t do that in April. I’m also making good use of the nice weather and my new rocking chairs to read outside. It’s lovely!

The first book I completed was already half done when the month started: The Autobiography of Cotton by Cristina Rivera Garza. It is an award-winning book, but not a winner for me. I couldn’t really follow the story, and at one point I thought I was going to learn about growing cotton in Mexico, but I didn’t really. Soooooo, not a keeper.

The second book I finished was A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I know I said my fantasy quota was filled, but this one was really good. The world of immortal faeries and humans was written so well that I got the second book to read in May! Keeper.

My last book in April was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I finished this one while staying in Phoenix and keeping Jeff company on a work trip. It has been a long time since a book destroyed me, and this one did in a good way. I decided the weather was so nice that I could read in the hotel’s courtyard, so I hope no one minded that I was crying for a good 15 minutes. It was the best book of the month, and I borrowed it from the library. So go read it!

Run 620 miles (down 30 from 2025) 226/620

I ran 68 miles in April. I had one race and did really good on mid week runs. I was happy with my race but I don't have another one on the books till November. Hopefully I can keep my miles around 60 a month. 

Grow my savings by 60%

Made another savings deposit in April. Haven’t booked our house project yet. I hope someone will want to do our fence with the metal panels. Fingers crossed!

UFOs (unfinished objects) to be completed in no particular order

I don’t think I worked on any of these projects in April. Oops. Too many good books!

• Alpaca Quilt
• T-Shirt Quilt
• 2 photo books for Daryl and Alex
• 1 knit project from stash
• 1 stitched project from stash

Got my planters filled up from last week's plant sale!

Dance pick up picture! They had a blast (I had a spy on the inside.)

Supplies for 10 Lemonade stands that happened on Friday. My 4th grade students learning about small business did great!

Got to see one of my YEC kids get recognized at the Small Business Awards, it was so cool! 

March Goal Post and Tennis Begins!

Made some good progress on my goals. The weather here is crazy, but when it’s nice, I’m enjoying being outside! Alex did have good weather for his first tennis match of the season. He won all of his matches, and the other school had way more players, so he played eight times!

Daryl got to pitch last week in his game against Washburn Rural, and he did great! He was a little so-so about baseball when the season started, but he’s all in right now. Hopefully, we can end the year on a high note!

Read 30 Books (up 6 from last year) 6/30

I finished two books in March and was really close to a third so that should make for an easy three in April! The first book I read was top rated by my friend Lisa and I should just copy all the books she likes. It was great! Heartwood has a lot of stories going on around a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail. I love books that bounce between characters, it makes you keep on reading! Recommend, if it wasn't an e-book I would put it on the shelf! 

My second book also kept me turning pages. A Curse So Dark & Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer filled my fantasy quota for the year. It’s not my go-to genre, but this was a good take on Beauty and the Beast. I picked it up at the Dusty Bookshelf in Lawrence, and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I’ll probably put it in the book sale pile. It does have a sequel, but like I said, my fantasy quota is full. LOL

Run 620 miles (down 30 from last year) 158/620

I ran 65 miles in March. I am doing good getting my long runs in for my race prep, I'm falling behind a little bit with my mid week runs. I set my alarm, I just don't always get up! ope. My race is the end of April so I should get good  miles this month too! 

Grow my savings by 60%

Made another savings deposit in March and my savings goal is on track to be accomplished by September! Jeff and I are also starting to shop around for our first house project for the year. We are replacing our privacy fence, but I don't want a boring privacy fence....so stay tuned! Lola will be very sad she spent most of last weekend escaping from a "private" location. We finally figured out the board that she could push through. Darn dog. 

UFO (unfished objects) to be completed in no particular order 

Did some more stitching on my UFO. I was going to take it with me last weekend and I forgot it! I have some travel time at the end of April so hopefully I can finish it on that trip. 

    Alpaca Quilt

    T-Shirt Quilt

    2 photo books for Daryl and Alex

    1 knit project from stash

    1 stitched project from stash 

I am not a sports photographer but I liked these!

Progress on my stitching project

And my new rainbow pants, just for fun!
I love thrifting!

February Goal Check and Photo Recap

For as long as January was, February was soooo short. It's like I blinked and it was over. The overview of the month was Middle School basketball, friend's 40th birthday weekend, Walking Lola with some regularity and visiting Arizona for the second month is a row with Jeff. Maybe that is why it went so fast, I didn't waste any of it! 

Read 30 Books (up 6 from last year) 4/30

I finished three books in February. 

I started the month with a stinker. I read a lot of it in January and pure stubbornness made me finish it. I obviously was drawn to it by the title but I do not recommend The Topeka School by Ben Lerner. To be fair my friends Jaime and Elise warned me but I read it anyway. Next time, when two very well read friends say "don't bother," I won't! 

My second book was another find I picked up at the Lawrence Library book sale. Stay Up with Hugo Best by Erin Somers was a breath of fresh air after the stinker book. It was Erin's first novel and you can tell it was well thought out. A fiction story about a weird workplace relationship that tempts romance for the entire book kept me intrigued. Would recommend, it falls in beach read territory for me. It won't make the shelf but I found it at a library sale so maybe someone will find it again at the Topeka Library sale! 

The last book I finished was my first non fiction of the year. The Five Resets by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar was some good food for thought on the science of stress on our bodies. It had some stuff I had heard before and some strategies I hadn't. Her book is referenced in the popular Let Them book that I read last year. If you like strategies to help with stress backed up with research, this is your book. Would recommend and will keep on the shelf. The shelf at my office! 

Run 620 miles (down 30 from last year) 93/620

I ran 43 miles in February, a little short of my 50 monthly goal. If I hadn't had molar week I probably would have made the monthly goal. But I am giving myself some grace because last year February almost tanked my entire year. In 2025 in February I was packing up my house and preparing to move and it was also very cold. I only ran 15 miles. For the entire month! So while I missed the 50 miles I can make up 7 miles, no sweat! 

Grow my savings by 60%

Made another savings deposit this in February and I am right on track for my savings goal! 

UFO (unfished objects) to be completed in no particular order 

I did stitch a little on my needlepoint project this month. But not enough to finish it. I also did go through my T-Shirts in the basement and realized I have enough for many quilts. Not changing the goal just preparing for that project! In March I really need to attack the many many pieces of my alpaca quilt that are all cut out and waiting for me......  

    Alpaca Quilt

    T-Shirt Quilt

    2 photo books for Daryl and Alex

    1 knit project from stash

    1 stitched project from stash 

When you invite your running friends to your birthday weekend, we are going to make you run! Dang those Missouri hills! 

Take me back to watching Sail Boats on my long run!

January Goal Check!

My word of the year for 2026 is "Focus." I want to keep my goals front and center and be better at recognizing when distractions are pulling me away from making progress. We all need some mindless activities to deal with the stress of life, but I do not want to lose too many hours doom scrolling or binging TV when I could be learning something, spending time with my family, or learning something together with my family.

With that in mind, I actually increased my reading goal this year, including a smaller goal of reading 10 nonfiction books. I also want to find a new way to serve my community, and Aaron and I are talking about volunteering somewhere together, which I think could be really fun.

I lowered my mileage goal a little so I can also focus on walking and doing group fitness classes. It still keeps me moving but takes a little pressure off the running goal.

I also set a savings goal that includes one big house project (a new fence) and another family trip. It is good for me to set these goals early in the year before I accidentally spend all my money on shoes. So… fence, family vacation, and THEN shoes. Everything in moderation. Need to also do a one in, one out for the closet.....

Thank you for being part of my accountability as I work toward my goals all year. These monthly posts really help keep me on track. I would love to hear about your 2026 goals too!

Read 30 Books (up 6 from last year) 1/30

I finished one book in January. I was close to finishing another, so hopefully February will have a few more check marks. I read The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, which Jeff gave me for Christmas, and I really enjoyed it. It is set around a summer camp and follows several families whose stories connect in interesting and sometimes surprising ways. It definitely kept me turning the pages. I would recommend it!

Run 620 miles (down 30 from last year) 50/620

I ran 50 miles in January, which was exactly the goal. After my last run of the month, I ended up at 50.2 miles, which I am counting as a win. My goal for February is also 50 miles, and thankfully the weather is starting to cooperate a little more. Treadmill miles are just… not my favorite.

Grow my savings by 60%

I made a solid deposit into my savings account in January and am already 19% of the way to my yearly goal. January is one of the two months each year where I get three pay periods, so I am really glad I used that to get off to a strong start.

UFO (unfished objects) to be completed in no particular order 

I didn't work on any UFOs in January. Oops 

    Alpaca Quilt

    T-Shirt Quilt

    2 photo books for Daryl and Alex

    1 knit project from stash

    1 stitched project from stash 

On Friday, we went to our first Scarecrows hockey game. 

They lost but it was still a lot of fun!

Lola got new shoes for my new February focus. Walk Lola every day! 

Basketball , Wrestling, Band and Burrrrr

I should have posted a week ago, but the crew has been busy! Alex has started his basketball season. The JV has had one win and one loss after two games. Daryl ended JV wrestling at Topeka West. At that meet, he had two wins and one loss. Last Friday, Alex had honor band at Washburn University. Whew! All while it has been super cold outside.

It is Feb. 1st, and while this isn’t my goals post, I do have to show off my 2026 planner. As someone who really has to plan my month so I don’t waste it, the Commit 30 planner keeps my goals in front of me. In January, I finished my first sticker page, and I didn’t do too bad. I’ll update the rest of my goals in my next post.

January felt like 100 days long. Excited to see what February brings!

2026 Goals and Mexico, Segunda Parte

The second excursion we did in Mexico was touring the ruins at Chichen Itza, eating some Mayan food, swimming in a cenote, and doing a little shopping. At the resort, Alex and Daryl’s favorite activity was ping-pong. They were at the ping-pong tables every day. Alex met kids from England, Guatemala, Mexico, and Canada, all by playing ping-pong.

We were also able to reserve time once on the pickleball court and once on the tennis court. The resort also had pools, waterslides, and a great stretch of beach. The unlimited Coca-Colas only caught up with Joseph, who had one rough night three days in. We switched him over to water.

I was a fan of the pina coladas and had one every day until the 1st. I’m doing Dry January because I never have before, and I want to see what the hype is about.

I have finally settled on my 2026 goals. I make personal goals because I want to be the best version of myself. For example, the reading goal is so I don’t just let my brain rot on Netflix and HBO Max. I still watch plenty of TV, but the reading goal makes me feel better about it.

I like goals because they give me something to focus on from month to month that is good for me. With a busy job and five kids, I like to make sure I am prioritizing some of my hobbies and things that are good for my health. I post here monthly for accountability, so you all get to come on the ride with me. I encourage you to set a goal too, and you can tell me how you did.

Here’s to lots of progress in 2026! We’ve got this!

Read 30 Books (up 6 from last year) 

Run 620 miles (down 30 from last year) 

Grow my savings by a number I know (I did hit my savings goal last year!) 

UFO (unfished objects) to be completed in no particular order

    Alpaca Quilt

    T-Shirt Quilt

    2 photo books for Daryl and Alex

    1 knit project from stash

    1 stitched project from stash 

We need to always have matching shirts! 

In spots it was a little rocky and there were cool tide pools, there was also a big section of beach with no rocks. 

Alex and I woke up early to see a sunrise, there was a dumb cloud in our way. It was still nice though. 

I think every January 1st there should be a mariachi band at breakfast! It made for a perfect send off from our resort.

November Goal Check

The first week of December has already flown by. I really need to get the tree and decorations out. This week was packed with work stuff, and Daryl just started wrestling. It feels like this whole month is going to be busy. I also just finished ordering our holiday cards, so they’ll probably show up late, oh well!

I’ve got to keep my goals in mind. Still struggling to get up and run in the mornings, but whatever… let’s do this. Finish the year strong!

Read 24 Books 21/24

Finished two books in November!  

Broken Country, by Clare Leslie Hall was another Library recommendation and I really enjoyed it. There were enough surprises and twists throughout the book to keep me turning pages. This would be a good one to take on a vacation. 

The Women by Kristin Hannah was recommended to me by another passenger waiting at the airport months ago. I was reading The Nightingale by the same author and a woman sitting across from me let me know that is not even her best book. I very much enjoyed The Nightingale, so I was intrigued! She told me that she liked The Women even better. While this book was excellent and I am open to reading more of Hannah's books I think you like the one you read first. LOL I did enjoy that this book was from an era that I don't read about a lot. Set during The Vietnam war it is a story of all the Woman who served in that war as Nurses and how coming home affected them as well as the male soldiers.

Run 650 Miles 610/650

I ran 61 miles this month. And let me tell you, that last ten miles was a STRUGGLE. It got cold, I don't like cold. Now I'm even a little doubtful I will get 40 in December to end this year! UGH!! 

Money Goals

Fund 3-6 month ER Fund- Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

Pay off Car - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

UFOs (unfinished objects) that need Finished 

T-Shirt Quilt (have the shirts)

Alpaca Quilt I got all of the lantern rows sewed on my Girl weekend this month. I am currently cutting out Alpaca pieces! 

Placemats - Done April 2025 

Alex and Daryl Photo Books 2021-2023 Just missing 2023 at this point. 

We worked really hard on our Thanksgiving puzzle this week. 

At Alex's Dec. Infusion he got to meet the therapy dog. In two years this was a first! 

Finished it on Thursday! Go Team! 

October Goals and Costumes!

It is the last day of the month, spooky day, and I am happy with my October goal progress! There are only two months left so it is time to start finishing some things up. 

Fall is a crazy time at work and I think it is very interesting that I get the most done when I'm busy. In February I ran 15 miles, this month I ran 81! Even if I could only be on the treadmill for an entire month, 15 miles is not enough. LOL 

Hope everyone had a great Halloween, I'm excited to see what kind of Trick Or Treater turnout our new neighborhood has. All five of our kids are dressing up. I missed a picture of Aaron. Alex sent his monkey picture to me and Daryl's... I stole...from Instagram. 😉

Read 24 Books 19/24

Finished three books in October!  Back on track with my reading goal. 

The Light We Lost, by Jill Santopolo was a book recommended by my library’s email newsletter, and they don’t usually disappoint. The book was well-written and follows two college students in New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attack. It’s one of those fictional love stories that left me frustrated with the female lead. The ending was interesting, but if you’re looking for a story where the woman doesn’t chase after a man who doesn’t deserve her, this isn’t the one for you. LOL

The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall gave me strong-woman vibes in spades! This fictional story about a daughter and her older mother (Polly was 50 when she had Willow) is both funny and heartfelt. Their generational clashes are hilarious, and Willow’s love for her mother is touching. I picked up this book at the Lawrence Public Library book sale and loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend!

My books just got better and better as the month went on. My last book for the month I read in four days! Anxious People by Fredrik Backman This book is so popular it’s already being made into a movie. Backman also wrote A Man Called Ove, and I loved that film (A Man Called Otto). I never read the book, but if it’s as good as Anxious People, I bet I’d fly through it.

There are ten different characters and ten different storylines, all wrapped up into a beautiful bow. I probably would have cried at the end if I hadn’t been sitting in a doctor’s office. I even took a picture of the last page because I want to read it over and over again.

I checked this one out from the Topeka Library, but I’ll probably buy it when I see it, my shelf needs this one. My favorite line of the book, "Worst hostages ever..."

Run 650 Miles 549/650

I ran 81 miles this month!! I have a half marathon in two weeks so I got in some serious training miles. I'm only 101 miles away from my goal. Not bad for a very slow start to the year, running wise. 

Money Goals

Fund 3-6 month ER Fund- Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

Pay off Car - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

UFOs (unfinished objects) that need Finished 

T-Shirt Quilt (have the shirts)

Alpaca Quilt I got all of the lantern rows sewed on my Girl weekend this month. I am currently cutting out Alpaca pieces! 

Placemats - Done April 2025 

Alex and Daryl Photo Books 2021-2023 Just missing 2023 at this point.