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I know a lot of moms who started using planners and calendars after their kids were born. Not me. I think my obsession with calendars and planning started in about 3rd grade.

Several years ago, I was digging through a box of old papers at my dad’s house, and I came across what might have been my very first planner. It was a little pink Minnie Mouse date book, and in it I had carefully written down birthday party invitations, weekend bike rides, school breaks and when we were taking our family vacation. At only 8 years old, I already had the planner bug!

In high school and college, I remember creating elaborate color-coded study poster board calendars for my classes, arranged around drama rehearsals, club meetings, and later, sorority events. In grad school, I graduated from poster board to Franklin planners – I even went to the seminars they used to offer in SLC!

Those big calendar books were where I planned my study schedules, upcoming tests and papers, and kept track of my grades. Every step of planning my first wedding was documented in unbelievable detail in one of those Franklins! So were midwife appointments and thesis advisor meetings, as my little family – and my progress towards my degree -- grew. Sadly, most of those planners are now long gone, along with all of the details of my day-to-day life as a young mom. (Oh to be able to re-read them now!)

But even though my life has changed so much, my love of planning hasn’t disappeared. My three kids are away at college, but I still use my planners (the Moms Who Know for the 4th year in a row) to keep track of their personal details, their school breaks and a thousand other little events. I’ve remarried to a wonderful man, and our date nights, schedules and holiday plans are right there on every weekly spread. So are my work schedules and business travel plans, my pets’ records and the events in our neighborhood, family and spiritual community.

So what do I want to see in my planner now? Actually, it’s the reason I’m entering this contest. Right before my husband and I got married, the company he was working for shut down. That meant that we would have to postpone our honeymoon plans. A few months later, he had a new job, but then there were moving and house expenses, so we postponed it again.

Once we got settle in Texas, the kids were busy with middle school and high school and there was never a good time to take that honeymoon. Then there was another job transfer, and now we’re trying to make it work with one of us still working in Texas (me) and one in Florida (him). So even though we’re coming up on our 9th anniversary in March, we still haven’t gone on that honeymoon. Or even taken a vacation together beyond a weekend in Disney.

My husband has seen a lot of the world, but not a lot of the U.S., so I would love to surprise him with tickets to one of the places I’ve lived in and loved. Utah would be a wonderful choice. Two of my three kids were born there, but I haven’t been back in years. Or maybe Boston, my favorite city. Or we could explore the hiking trails in Maine or Oregon, or see shows and museums in NYC. I would be thrilled to open a page in my 2019 planner and finally write the word “Honeymoon” --- these tickets would be the jumpstart that dream needs. 

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