Every year, by the end of the year, we are slacking off in our scripture reading. Maybe it's because December is so busy. So every year we are motivated to come up with a new plan for getting back on track.

In 2010, we rewarded every month of 25 days or more of scripture reading with a special dinner. Sometimes we went out and sometimes we made something special at home, complete with a dessert we don't normally have. That worked pretty well (up until the last while.) So we are sticking with a reward theme.

For 2011, we are going to earn points for reading every night. We decided to come up with a list of 'prizes' for the whole family that the points can be used toward. We are going to rig the point system so it works out that we can earn about one prizedfrom the list per month.

Last night, we sat around and thought up a list of prizes as a family. Here is what we came up with:

1. Costco chocolate cake
2. Mom's homemade cinnamon rolls
3. The Wii game Just Dance 1 or 2 (the boys highly protested this one, but it got a nomination and a second)
4. Family Holiday where Dad and all children take a day off school and work
5. 2 dozen doughnuts (so everyone can have 2)
6. Dinner at IHOP
7. Homemade candy bar shakes
8. Pizza and soda for dinner (we have pizza just about every Friday night, but not SODA)
9. Unlimited Root Beer floats
10. Everyone gets to pick their own box of sugar cereal
11. One pound of bulk candy of choice from Winco for each family member
12. Trip to the movies
13. Wristband and snack at snack bar at the public pool this summer (wrist band means you get to go on the extra climbing structures not included in the entrance fee)
14. Each person gets to pick out two things from the Dollar Tree
15. In n Out Dinner
16. Everyone gets a treat from Costco food court

Notice how most things revolved around food? I think that's the influence of teenage boys. Of course, some prizes will be worth more points than others (like the IHOP Dinner which costs about $100 vs. homemade cinnamon rolls which is under $5). We are putting in place a plan to randomly get extra points for reading every month so we can earn some of the bigger prizes if we are lucky and save up our points.

The kids were so excited they were ready to start right away. So we earned our first point for reading last night.

I like it and think we will have a pretty successful scripture experience this year, right up until December.

Last Sunday we asked a friend to take a picture of our family for our family Christmas letter. We lined everyone up. As expected, Anna and Jeffrey had a hard time staying still for the camera. But one other family member had a hard time. Look in the upper right corner to see Jacob's many changing faces.
As our friends' Christmas letters and pictures arrived, I noticed their teenage boys didn't cooperate much for the camera either. Several of them had straight, serious, almost angry-looking faces, and one had his Ipod earbud complete with cord hanging down in the ear that was showing. So I guess I should consider us lucking to have the goofy teenager rather than the sullen one. When I asked Jacob why he made so many weird faces, he pointed out that he smiled in at least a few pictures. Unfortunately, that was when Jeffrey was getting bored or Anna was taking off her sweater.

Here is the picture we chose. Jacob didn't love the goofy look on his face, but I told him it was natural consequences. Maybe he will stay still a little better next year...but probably not!