Ippel Family Goals 2018

This is the time of year when Andrew and I usually go on a date with a computer and our calendar and work together to make plans and goals for the upcoming year.  We are by no means perfect at completing these goals, but have come to value the practice of relection and intentionality. This year, we have tried to include our children in the goal-setting process as well. Just for fun (and possibly for some accountability as well), we'd like to share a few of our goals with you:

Andrew's goal this year is to "extend our table" more.  Initially, I thought this meant just having more people over for dinner, but after further clarification, I think his goal should actually be called "extending our home."  Whether this means fostering a child,  housing someone in need, or welcoming someone else into our house, Andrew is feeling called to welcome others into this place we call home. Ruth thinks this is an interesting goal as Andrew is never home:)

My (Ruth's) goal is to be more "tranquila," a Spanish word meaning chill, go-with-the-flow.  Our life balancing 3 active kids, 4 ministry partner organizations, homework, Bible studies, sporting events, school musicals, retreat planning, and much more can feel hectic at times, and if I'm honest, the hecticness can turn me into a monster sometimes.  Go-go-go becomes yell-yell-yell, and I would like to change that.  My hope is to remember to take deep breaths, let (unrealistic?) expectations go, and to chose to be a pleasant rather than a productive person.

At his teacher's encouragement, Henry's goal is to read the New Testament this year. Andrew, Mae and I have decided to join him (at first Mae thought she had to read the footnotes, too, so it's going a lot faster now). It is a joy to watch our kids read the Bible!

Mae's goal is to spend more time playing with our pet monkey, Dexter, who sometimes gets ignored.  We have started putting Dexter on a leash and that has made him easier for the kids to play with, although he still finds plenty of ways to be naughty.

Charlotte's goal is to learn how to read.  She has been working hard memorizing sight words and sounding out words she doesn't know.  She can already read most words in Spanish, which she says is much easier than reading in English.

During our visit to the US over Christmas, we were told over and over how big our kids are getting.  This was a good reminder that our time with them is short, and we need to be preparing them for real life. So, we decided this year they will each have a weekly life-skill goal that we would like them to learn to do independantly.  This week, Henry is learning to make balanced meals, Mae is learning to do laundry, and Charlotte is learning to bathe alone.

So, here's to 2018!  I'm sure our commitment will falter as the year goes on, but there's nothing like making our resolutions public on a blog post to keep us motivated, so thanks for reading and keeping us going!