Day 214: All Growed Up

Little M started preschool today. He's been looking forward to this day ever since we registered Sweet P last year's preschool. So, to say he was ready is a bit of an understatement. It was so fun being with him while he got ready and counting down the two hours from when he woke up until it was time to go.

And then seeing my shy little boy so happy and confident as they all found their spots on the gathering rug. Well, it was sort of a bittersweet Joyful Moment. There's definitely a part of me that appreciates the little boy who needs me so much, but I'm also proud of him for being brave and learning and growing. And I can't say I envied the parents of the screaming children (don't worry, there were only two). But I did blink back a few of my own tears as I headed off to yoga class.

Picking him up and hearing all about the great time he had was another Joyful Moment. And then hearing him say, "I just wove my giwlfwiend", as we headed off to meet friends at the children's museum was definitely a Joyful Moment.

Not because I support him having a giwlfwiend, but just because it sounded so cute. Especially because he doesn't even know her name. And actually, just hearing him say anything involving the word "girl", is kind of Joyful Moment for me. It is so funny how he pronounces it!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments full of wove and giwfwiends!

Day 213: Smile. Giggle. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat

Yeah, today's Joyful Moment is going to have to go to Baby B.

It was a really good day full of Joyful Moments until the dreaded "violin practice time" hit. But I think my favorite Joyful Moment was more giggles and smiles from Baby B. He just can't help himself. That is what he does. I was holding him while looking up a couple phone numbers and when I looked down at him, he was just sitting there in my arms grinning from ear to ear. I have no idea how long he'd been smiling at me, but it was there for me to see as soon as I looked. And then I forgot what I was doing and just smiled back for a long long time. Well, we talked a bit, too.

Everywhere I go, people are delighted to receive the smiles he so readily delivers. And those who meet him repeatedly begin to realize that smiling is just what he does. I'm constantly being asked, "Does he smile ALL the time?"

Yes. Yes, he does.

And whenever I pick him up from the child watch center at the gym, the staff always comments on what a great baby he is. "He's our favorite baby!" and "He is the BEST baby!" are the two most common.

Yeah, I love being his mama.

Wishing you all the kind of Joyful Moments Baby B delivers!

Day 212: What DOES Heaven Smell Like?

A couple Joyful Moments to share again.

We had some new friends over for dinner tonight. The kids played together really well, which is always nice. And we had a lot of fun chatting and getting to know each other better. It was just a fun evening. It was sort of like a first date (you know how that is when you hang out with another couple for the first time) and we got the "We'd like to do this again sometime" message as the evening was winding down. So, it looks like they enjoyed themselves, too.

Score! Joyful Moment.

Earlier in the day, I finally found a moment to roast my chile peppers on the grill. Hatch green chiles, to be exact. I grew up in the Southwest. Out there during the harvest time, you'd find big huge black roasters out in front of the grocery store and you could buy the chiles like that. Here at the North Pole I was just ecstatic to find them sold in any form outside of a can at the grocery store.

So, I took on the challenge of roasting them myself. I read the instructions provided by the store and then googled and researched a bit more. I did not want to mess this up. All of the directions were pretty much the same and it seemed pretty simple, so I went to work and threw those babies on the barbie.

The one thing that all of my sources failed to inform was the smell of divinity that would emanate from my grill. Oh. My. It took me back to some distant memory, of what I'm not entirely sure, but it just smelled S.O. G.O.O.D.!

So, I called to HH to come on out and smell heaven. He walked out and took a sniff and looked fairly unimpressed. "It smells good, but not really like heaven."

And then I remembered that his upbringing did not involve a lot of spice, or anything like Hatch green chiles. I had a moment of silence and shed a tear, or two for his loss. And then I went back to the grill and sniffed away.

And then and there I knew, smelling those roasting chiles would definitely be today's Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all odoriferous Joyful Moments!

Day 211: Yogates

Today's new word is a combination of "yoga" and "soul mates". That's because HH joined me in yoga class this morning. I love yoga. I love HH. So, doing yoga with HH was a natural Joyful Moment. And two of my fellow yogis brought their husbands (HH's workout buddies). It was fun seeing our men a little out of their element.

Although, HH did so well that the instructor came up after and complimented him on how great he did for it being his first yoga class. It might have a little to do with the fact that I've taught him different poses from time to time. But he's also just one of those people who is annoyingly good at most things in life.

Good thing I love him.

And then we joined another friend at an air show. It was fun watching the planes do all their crazy stunts, but I enjoyed visiting with her and giggling with Baby B even more.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that you enjoy even more than other Joyful Moments!

Day 210: "Spin"sters

That's what you get when you combine "spin" and "sisters" (or friends who are kind of like sisters, but then that would be "spifriwakolises" and "spinsters" is much easier to pronounce).

Today's Joyful Moment was being joined by two of my friends in spin class this morning. It's just more fun that way! And I finally remembered to not get on bike #17. It's tension is super high, so it's really hard to pedal on a supposedly light setting. For whatever reason I always wind up on that bike, no matter where it is placed in the room.

But today I rode bike #3 and I was back in the game, my friends! Woohoo!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make you want to yell "Woohoo!"

Day 209: The Little People

In My Life.

Little Man: This kid kind of takes on a new personality when his sister is gone and he has more of my attention. He's so sweet and helpful. Seriously helpful. And as always, adorable. Our conversations today were some fun Joyful Moments.

Littler Man (a.k.a. Baby B): We don't always get a lot of face time. I'm holding him almost constantly when he's awake, but he's facing out. Today, for whatever reason, we had a lot of face time. He is such a sweet, happy little guy. I love being his mama. Sharing smiles and giggles with him today were some sweet Joyful Moments.

Little Sister: I had a brief chat with my baby sister today online. About salads and pack n' plays and such. She's so funny. Chatting with her today was another fun Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all lots of big Joyful Moments with the little people in your life!

Day 208: Oh! I LOVE YOU!

So, you might have noticed, I didn't post about using my new watch on Monday. That's because I didn't quite have it figured out and I just needed my first run with it to be perfect so I could use it at its maximum potential.

That was a good sentence.

Anyway, so I was able to spend more time later Monday and a little yesterday familiarizing myself with my new pal.

And then there was today.

I ran with it.

It. Was. AWESOME!!!

I am in love with my new watch/heart rate monitor/coach/potential BFF! Love Love Love.

Love.

Wanna guess what today's Joyful Moment was?

The best run ever!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that leave people guessing!

Day 207: Why I Love It Here

So, something has happened over the last little while and it seems I rarely go out without bumping into someone I know. I don't know about you, but I LOVE that. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. We actually live in a fairly big city, bit somehow it maintains a small rural feel.

We really have the best of both worlds here because the community feels very connected like in a small town, but we don't have to drive two hours to get to a real grocery store or a mall or anything like that.

Just move my family 8 or 10 or 12 hours closer and it would be perfect! Oh, and maybe a little less snow and cold in the winter. Or a whole heck of a lot less.

But back to why I love it here and not why I hate it here (I can't believe how much conviction I have!). It is a Joyful Moment for me every time I run into a friend and today it was doubly so because not only did I run into a friend at Target, but it happened to be at just the precise moment that her daughter announced that she wasn't wearing a diaper and was in need of "the facilities". So, I was able to stay with her shopping cart and baby daughter while she took the older one. Being a fellow mom, I know how nice that sort of thing can be.

So, today's Joyful Moment involved being reassured that I "belong" here and also being able to help a friend. And then being able to read about how that helped make her Target trip great on her blog later in the day!

Wishing you all blog-worthy Joyful Moments!

Day 206: Soaring

First things first--click here for something that is sure to bring you Joyful Moments! I can't make it until Baby B outgrows his issues, but it is definitely going on my list of things to devour when I can have dairy again!

Now for today's Joyful Moment.

Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of a tragic accident our friends were in, resulting in the death of their oldest son. Our friends have since moved away, but tonight several of us gathered together at the sight of his accident to release balloons in his memory. Attached to these balloons (or lollipops given to strangers in our case--HH didn't think the balloons were very eco-friendly) was a message of hope and love in an effort to brighten a stranger's day and spread joy.

Although the reason for our gathering was far from a Joyful Moment, being united with friends in the support of other friends and a good cause was a Joyful Moment.

If you'd like to know more about this "Make A Difference Day" and a very sweet young boy, visit http://calebmathison.blogspot.com.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments of spreading the joy even further!

Day 205: Alabare!

That means something like, "I will praise God forever". It is the title of a song and also the name of a choir HH was invited to join. The choir sang back up for George Dyer this evening. To be completely honest, I wasn't really looking forward to attending the concert. Except for the part where I'd get to watch HH sing. He always looks really sexy singing on stage.

I YouTube-ed this guy and maybe I was in a funky mood or something, but I wasn't all that impressed. So when they introduced him tonight as "one of the to 10 tenors in the world", I felt a little sheepish about my bad attitude. Turns out the man can sing. Really really well. Really. And he was pretty funny and entertaining. And the kids did really awesome. Especially for the first hour. After that I was just waiting for the moment that Little M decided he could not take it any more, climbed up on a chair, and just started yelling like an angry monster. But he didn't. Whew!

So, it was a very enjoyable night and I'm glad HH was asked to be in the choir, or I'm sure we wouldn't have attended and we truly would have missed out. Sorry to any friends that I may have discouraged from coming by my previous bad attitude!

Tonight's Joyful Moment? When HH snuck away after the choir was finished with their part and came and sat by us. And then gave my hand a squeeze. That boy sure melts my butter.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments involving world class tenors, or at least a great hand squeeze!

Day 204: Pleased to Meet You!

a.k.a. I Love My Husband!

But first, some hair tinsel pics, as promised:

Maybe the pictures are just too small here on Blogger. Click on the photos, if you want a better view.

You can kind of see it better in this one.

Don't judge, I hadn't had time to style my new cut yet. It's actually almost the exact same as the last one and I LOVE it. As I love the tinsel. It's so fun! And suddenly, people are striking up conversations with me everywhere I go. I sort of feed off of social interaction, so I love this!

Weird that you can't really see it well on her. In normal light you can see it quite clearly. It's purple and it looks really pretty in her dark brown hair. And those eyes just get me every time. Even with a messy face attached. We were eating dinner.

Anyway, back to my awesome husband. For my birthday I presented HH with a list of things I want. I'm just helpful like that. One of the things on my list was a heart rate monitor for when I workout. I had looked them up a bit online had something small and basic in mind.

If I got him the "Cadillac" of grills, then he got me the "Lear Jet" of heart rate monitors. To say that it's awesome is a serious understatement. I spent some time this afternoon getting acquainted with my new training partner/coach. I can't wait to go for a run! It's a Garmin Forerunner 405CX. It tells me how far I'm going, how fast I'm going, where I am, what percent grade the ground is. It'll tell me if I'm going faster or slower than I want to be, if I'm veering off course, and it will tell me how to get back home if I do somehow get lost. It can do intervals. And it will automatically transfer all of this info wirelessly to my computer when I get home. Oh, and it will tell me my current heart rate, my max/min heart rate, and my average heart rate. And a bunch of other stuff I can't remember.

Anyway, sorry to be so ridiculously materialistic with today's Joyful Moment, but I can't help myself. I'm as giddy and as excited as a small child on Christmas morning! But I have to wait until Monday to try my new friend out. I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Wishing you all ridiculously materialistic Joyful Moments!

Day 203: If I Change My Mind A Million Times

Or my mood. Today was much better than yesterday. That could have something to do with the fact that I didn't have a moment to sit down and catch my breath--let alone ponder how down I was feeling about life, or myself.

So, sometimes a crazy hectic day can be a good thing.

Running all over the neighborhood trying to catch up with your Kindergartner who failed to get off at her stop because the bus was early and you weren't there never is though. Just in case you were wondering. thankfully, I have awesome friends who live in my neighborhood at just the right locations and they solved this for me. I suppose that was a Joyful Moment for me.

But so was helping a sales rep at the sporting goods store. He's going to become a new papa any day now and was totally scoping out Baby B's sweet ride. And I happily explained why it is the stroller of our dreams as he eagerly wrote down all the info he would need to order one of his own.

Call me weird, but that was totally a Joyful Moment. It was just fun seeing how excited he is to be a dad and how excited he seemed about possibly being done with the stroller search. Somehow it made me feel fulfilled.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are full of feelings of fulfillment!

Day 202: Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Yeah, that's right. The big D is back. It's amazing how quickly these things happen. I was SO on top of the world last week. And I was even doing pretty well this morning. But due to the events of the day (or of the last few days, really), it just sort of began to wear at me. And it's been an afternoon of insecurities, inadequacies, and pretty much just inabilities.

Fun fun fun.

And I also made another good stab at organizing the bajillions of photos I took during the last three weeks. I still haven't downloaded about 100 on my camera (like the good ones of the hair tinsel I know you're all waiting for). I can't until I take care of what is already on my computer. But it's not entirely a bad thing. It was responsible for today's Joyful Moment.

I mean,

Is it even possible to look at this and not experience a Joyful Moment? OH! I LOVE MY BABY!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are impossible to not experience!

Day 201: I Cried

That's right. I cried as I drove away after taking Sweet P to her first day of school. Fortunately, she didn't.

And then I went for a very nice run with Z and kind of came to grips with things. Then Little M and I joined several friends at the park for muffins, juice, and adjusting to life without our babies/older siblings.

But today's Joyful Moment would have to be listening to Sweet P gush about how fabulous her first day of school was. She loved it and had a great time. She made some new friends and really likes her teacher. I guess if I have to miss a major part of her day every day at least she's enjoying herself.

But we missed her.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments minus the crying!

Day 200: THAT'S 200, FOLKS!!!

Yeah, can doing this for 200 consecutive days count as my Joyful Moment? Because it totally is one. I'm really proud of myself. And I love the difference it's making in my life. I'm so much more aware of the joy to be experienced in my life. And I'm getting better at taking the time to truly enjoy and appreciate it--instead of just enduring it.

But also, I have to claim another Joyful Moment. Five of my dear friends were in yoga class with me this morning. It was so fun! Maybe a little too fun for the true spirit of yoga (i.e. I had a hard time resisting the urge to reach over and hold one friend's hand during the relaxation time at the end, as a prank). Plus, I love the instructor. She's awesome and amazing.

It's pretty much been a really Joyful Moment-y day.

Except when I remember that Sweet P is going to be all grown up and off to school tomorrow.

Sigh...

Wishing you all 200 Joyful Moments and counting!

Day 199: Hair Tinsel

Never heard of it? Yeah, me neither. Until yesterday.

And now, I'm wearing it. Along with Sweet P. This picture doesn't show it that well. HH took some much better ones, but we forgot to get any of the two of us together, so I just quickly took this one using the computer's camera. I'll have to post some of the others tomorrow.

Or, you can click here to see what it's all about.

But if you look closely, you can see something shiny in our hair. Sweet P's is purple and mine is kind of golden. Mine isn't quite that big of a contrast from my normal hair as it looks in this photo. We both have some multi-colored strands, too.

Getting something fun (and a little wild) done with my sweet daughter before she goes off to Kindergarten and becomes all independent was today's Joyful Moment.

Seeing her excitement as we attended her school's Open House tonight was another Joyful Moment. I had to fill out a questionnaire for the teacher. One of the questions was, "What is your child good at?" I might be in a bit of a sentimental mood given the circumstances, but I struggled not to just write a mile long list of all the billions of things she's good at. Or to simply write, "She's just amazing. Please, don't ever forget this!"

I always thought I'd be pretty stoic on the first day of Kindergarten. I'm pretty sure I thought wrong.

Wishing you all sparkly and wild Joyful Moments!

Day 198: New Old Shoes!

So, I bought some really cute new shoes last December for church. I wore them very proudly, just waiting for the compliments to roll in.

Nothing.

I've worn them several times since and nobody ever says anything. So, I began thinking they must not be cute to anyone else. That surprised me because I LOVE them and HH helped pick them out and he has good taste. But I consoled myself with the fact that we both think they're cute and moved on.

I wore them today and thought nothing of it. Until a friend said, very enthusiastically, "Cute shoes! Are they new?" I said, "No," but I was thrilled that finally a compliment rolled in. And then another friend, or two also noticed and complimented. I'm not really sure what the difference was, but I was glad to finally have my taste validated. And it's always fun to get compliments!

Wishing you all validating Joyful Moments!

Day 197: Queen For A Day

It's my birthday. And it has been a truly fabulous one. For the remainder of this post "!" = Joyful Moment, okay? And I'm going to back up a little since last night's post was so brief.

My friend organized a great big outing in honor of my birthday and another friend's birthday coming up in a couple days. They took us to dinner last night at the Cheesecake Factory (HH decided I should take a 24-hour break from the dairy/soy free diet--please, don't judge me). YUM! Then we went shopping and I bought myself a pair of awesome birthday jeans from the Loft. Love them!

Then we headed to a little bed and breakfast not too far from here. It was so cute! We played games, chatted, chatted, and chatted some more, and had an awesome girly time! And hardly slept. That part wasn't a Joyful Moment.

But hanging out with them some more this morning was! And watching all of them fawn over my super awesome Baby B was! Then I came home to a super cute display of gifts from my family! Sweet P and Little M were so excited for me to open them. They gave me some sweet and thoughtful (and a little bit funny) gifts! And HH gave me some pretty amazing gifts that I'm SUPER excited about!

Then we picked up pizza from Papa John's because I decided that if I was going to have dairy, pizza was what I most wanted! And we had a fun, delicious dinner! Then they lit my candles on the cake and Little M spit all over me in his zeal to blow them out for me! Okay, that one might have been a bit of a stretch. I didn't really enjoy the spit on my face. But I do love my family and just how wonderfully special they made me feel today! And my fabulous friends as well! I feel truly blessed!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments where the world really does revolve around you--just for a day!

Day 196: Girlfriends

Hanging out with awesome girl friends is my Joyful Moment. And they're currently waiting on me to continue the rest of our weekend fun, so I'm off!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that keep you up past your bedtime--every once in a while!

Day 195: Eggcellent!

So, I had most of the meals for the next week or so scheduled on the calendar, but every time I looked at today, I just kept drawing a blank. I put a lot of thought into what I make on each specific day. It's all very logical. But today's plans were too vague, so I struggled to come up with a suitable menu.

Then I remembered the plethora of eggs in my fridge. So, I began brainstorming dishes centered on eggs. And I searched and googled on line and thumbed through my cookbooks until I finally came up with a combination of recipes that sounded yummy. It ended up being a gigantic omelet baked in the oven. Then I sauteed onions and mushrooms, threw in some chopped ham, and then diced tomatoes right at the end--just to sort of warm them.

Then we cut up the omelet into portions, topped it with the mixture, plus chopped basil for me, plus cheese for every else. Everyone loved it so much, we ended up making a second batch of all of it. HH could not stop telling me how yummy and tasteful it was.

Making something that the entire family loves is a priceless Joyful Moment. And it felt very healthy since most of the ingredients were fresh. The basil was straight from my garden. Yum.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments centered on eggs--or something else equally simple and cheap!

Day 194: Going Green

Not the eco-friendly kind.

Tonight while shopping with Baby B for a mammoth amount of groceries, I saw a cute young couple. They were shopping hand-in-hand while holding only a basket to place their small amount of groceries in. They were cute, obviously in love, and both looked like they've had a chance to wash their hair at least once within the last three days.

But you know what? My Joyful Moment came in realizing that I wasn't jealous--even though I was skipping out on an event I probably should have attended simply because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get the weekly shopping trip done with only Baby B in tow, my cart was already 3/4 of the way full with a baby carrier (don't know why on earth I didn't use the Moby wrap this time), my reusable bags, and my gargantuan diaper bag. And I can't remember the last time I washed my hair--partly because it's been a few days and partly because my short term memory just ain't all that good these days.

I was happy for this cute young couple in their blissful togetherness shopping. But I wouldn't go back to those days simply because I absolutely love what I have now. I mean that. I really do.

Take later tonight for example. I was putting the clean dishes away while playing peek-a-boo with a freshly washed Baby B. His adorable giggles filled the air with heavenly Joyful Moments. That's the most fun anyone could possibly have emptying the dishwasher. Then he started yawning, so I scooped him up, carried him to the bedroom--enjoying his fuzzy furry head all the way, laid him down in bed, and then walked away. And never heard another peep from him.

Yeah. I'm happy as a turtle. (Who can name the movie?!)

Wishing you all Joyful Moments in living the kind of life that would make you jealous, except that it's already yours!

Day 193: Inner (Drawer) Peace

That's right. I created greater peace within a couple drawers--and a cupboard!--today.

When we moved into our house a little over a year ago, I was somewhat overwhelmed by all the new found space. Much more than I've ever had in my married life. And I didn't quite know what to do with all of it.

So, I organized all the spaces I was used to needing (i.e. silverware drawer, clothes closet, etc.) and then just left the "extra" spaces empty. And then as more things (i.e. junk) came along, I just stashed them in those spaces. Resulting in a couple junk drawers, a junk cupboard, a junk closet, and a junk room. We're talking an extra purse, several chargers, super glue, a letter opener, a lock from a U-Haul storage unit, some gum, a portable DVD player, and more all in one little space.

Awesome.

So, now I'm trying to reclaim those spaces by sorting and organizing within. And today I bought gadgets to help me organize a few of them in a way that will help them to maintain their current organized status. Forever.

I'm so pleased with the results. Completing this task was indeed a Joyful Moment and then witnessing HH's reaction when he discovered them. The main part of the project involved a cupboard and a drawer in the kitchen which we frequently get things out of. He was delighted to actually be able to find what he was looking for in such a quick jiffy. Plus, it just feels nice to open a door and see peace where chaos once reigned.

*Sighs of contentment*

Wishing you all Joyful Moments where peace, not chaos, reigns!

Day 193: Tale Spin

I'm glad I had what I had yesterday because it helped me in my resolve to maintain peace even when Sweet P was on another of her tirades for the majority of the day. I wasn't perfect, but I tried.

Today's Joyful Moment came when I was laying on the bed with the three sweet men in my life (Sweet P was keeping to her ornery little self elsewhere). Little M said he wanted to tell us a story. We said 'okay', so he began in his bestest, most earnest story-telling voice and told us of a time that he fell down the stairs ("stay-ahs" the way he says it) and hurt his ear ("ay") when Grandma was here one time.

His telling was quite dramatic, including fantastic facial expressions.

HH and I just laughed together and I'd be willing to bet, that was one of the best parts of both of our days. And it was that much better to share it together.

Wishing you all your bestest Joyful Moments ever!

Day 192: Livin' the Dream

Did you know that "ligers" have been brought up in conversation twice in the last three days? Not by me either time. I just think that is weird.

And not really related to my Joyful Moment.

Today's Joyful Moment was just sort of an on-going Moment of having the type of day I imagined I would have when I was younger and tried to imagine growing up and having a family of my own. I was a happy and cheerful mom. I was able to pause what I was doing when one of the kids needed something--without getting grumpy with them for interrupting. We played together. Sweet P and Little M played quite well together this morning while I got myself ready for church. HH sung beautifully in a duet during Sacrament Meeting (a Joyful Moment that really could just stand alone. He has a beautiful voice and is even sexier than normal whenever he is performing.). After church the kids and I had some great discussions about gospel principles and doctrines while they ate their snack and we all waited for HH to come home from his meetings. Everyone was in a good mood when he got home. I was able to let him take a nap while I helped Sweet P with her violin practice. I remained patient and cheerful while Sweet P through a fit about not wanting to do her practice and eventually came up with a system that made her admit that practice was actually "fun". HH and the kids played a game while I made dinner. We took the dog to the dog run so she had her moment of fun as well.

Was that a long enough paragraph? I guess it was nothing major, it was just the feelings of peace, happiness, joy, and contentment that I felt throughout all of that. It wasn't a perfect day. The kids had a few scuffles and we had a couple tantrums. But today, I was the person I wanted to be. I enjoyed my family. And bonds were strengthened.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments of being the person you always wanted to be--even if only for a day!

Day 191: Excuse Me!

Well, this morning we said good bye to the last of our company. I drove my mom to the airport and my brother-in-law continued on his way to college further east.

And then the day was so busy that I didn't even have time to shower--let alone let it sink in that it's just me and my family in my home now.

Saying 'good bye' is occasionally a Joyful Moment, but today it wasn't. Fortunately, there were several Joyful Moments following the good byes. But the one I'm going to go with today is when Baby B burped a HUGE gigantic burp.

Call me weird, but that is pretty much always a Joyful Moment for me. It's just so funny and then he sits there with one of two reactions. Either he looks stunned, like "Who did that?!" or he looks completely unfazed and unaware that it even happened. Either way, it's hilarious to me.

It's hard to have hilarity without a Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with abundant hilarity!

Day 190: Chugga Chugga

I forgot to mention another of yesterday's Joyful Moments--having some of our good friends over for dinner. They're just fun people.

Today's Joyful Moment was riding the train at the zoo with my three kiddos, my mom, and my brother-in-law. Choo Choo!

And then being there to witness my mom and HH's younger brother discovering a common love for oldies and singing multiple duets together while we all played games. It was a little weird. But mostly, funny.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are a little weird, but mostly funny!

Day 189: And So It Goes

HH's younger brother showed up tonight. We're a stop on his way to school. We haven't seen him since Christmas, so hanging out and playing games with him tonight (not to mention showing off Baby B) was today's Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments like you haven't had since Christmas!

Day 188: Up Like A Rocket

Not sure how much I like the new background and settings, but I'm too tired to fiddle with it any more.

Tonight Sweet P had a violin lesson for the first time in a little over a month. Given the circumstances of the last month and a half, we took a break from violin practice during that time as well. Any time I would suggest a practice, she would put up a fight of mammoth proportions and I could not take it.

But since she's been doing better and lessons were about to resume, I decided it was time to start practicing a little over a week ago. She only had a few practices and they really didn't go well. But her lesson tonight went very well. She's starting to sound better again and she seemed happy to be at her lesson. She has such a fabulous instructor. I love her.

Watching my Sweet P enjoy playing her violin--an instrument I think she shows great potential for-- was my Joyful Moment. I love my beautiful little Sweet P.

Wishing you all beautiful little Joyful Moments!

Day 187: Talking and Walking

At the same time.

My mom and I are really good at that.

Today's Joyful Moment was walking with her and Z this morning. We tried to solve the world's problems. I don't think we succeeded. But at least we burned a few calories and had a great time doing it.

I just love my mom.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments--and world peace!

Day 186: Larry

Ever watched Vegie Tales? We're BIG fans.

Today we ate the first tomato from our garden. It was a cherry tomato. We split it four ways. And that tiny little bite was absolutely my Joyful Moment. Yum. And there are more on the way!

That fact helped make up for the fact that most of my family left yesterday and all but one left today. I'm SOOOOOOOO glad my mom is still here. So glad.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make you So glad!

Day 185: Blessed

Today Baby B was blessed in church. It's a ceremony where the dad offers a prayer of inspired blessings for the baby. I was so pleased to have some of my family members still in town and able to participate.

Listening to the blessings listed by HH was a sweet peaceful Joyful Moment.

I've been able to record and write down the blessings for Sweet P and Little M. This morning was a little harried and frantic and it wasn't until the blessing began that I remembered I wanted to do the same for Baby B. I finally found a pad of paper, but I could not locate a pen. So, I tried desperately to get my single remaining (frazzled) brain cell to commit it to memory as HH spoke it. And I felt really sad about how pathetic I knew this attempt would be.

After the meeting, my friend presented me with a piece of paper on which she had written as much of the blessing as she could while HH gave it. And that was another fabulous sweet wonderful Joyful Moment. I have such great friends.

Wishing you all peaceful sweet fabulous wonderful Joyful Moments!