Thursday, March 31, 2011

Day 424: PTC

Parent/Teacher Conference.

With each new conference at the preschool level, I become more and more convinced that they are ridiculous and sort of purposeless.  But I sign up for them anyway.  And the teachers tell me exactly what I expect to hear.

Of course, it's still a Joyful Moment to hear that Little M is doing fantastic and that they've noticed the same boom of progress in his comprehension over the past couple months that I have.  He really has taken off in his understanding of letters and their sounds.  And it's so fun to hear him tell me what sounds various letters make and what letter certain words begin with.

Bravo, Little M!

And then, of course, we get to the behavioral section and they tell me that for the most part he's great.  But he does have a habit of poking his neighbor.  His neighbor has a habit of poking him, so this isn't altogether a big deal.  But apparently, his neighbor also complained of being spit upon.  By Little M.  The teachers didn't witness it and were reluctant to lay blame, but Little M has had a recent spitting problem, so I told them that the complaint was most likely legit.  Yay.

But then they went back to telling me how much they love my child.  So, at least we ended on a high note.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that end on a high note!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Day 423: Twinkling

I borrowed a violin from a friend.  One that's my size.  And I played it today.  The first six variations of Twinkle Theme (if you're familiar with the Suzuki Method) and Lightly Row.  And then my bent thumb got tired on the bow, so I stopped for the day.

But it was FANTASTIC!  Seriously.  I had so much fun playing it.  When I was a little girl, I wanted to take violin lessons.  My parents said no.  I can't imagine why.  I was only already enrolled in piano, ballet, tap, and swim lessons.  Honestly.  My mom told me she didn't think I'd stick with it.  I'm pretty sure she was right.

But I'm an adult now.  And since I've had to be so involved in Sweet P's and now Little M's learning, I've learned quite a bit myself and I was pretty proud of my playing today.  Sweet P definitely sounds better, but I didn't sound too terrible.  And I think my form was decent.

Anyway, in case you couldn't already tell, playing that violin was today's Joyful Moment.  One that I'm pretty excited to repeat tomorrow!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that twinkle!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Day 422: Three Impulses

That is the title of an amazing piece of music we heard tonight.

It was composed by a friend who is in school doing some intense music stuff.  It was kind of crazy, to be honest.  But beyond impressive.  I don't know how one could possibly write something like that, nor how it could be played.  It was for both a piano and a violin.  I watched the two musicians fingers fly in great awe.  We took Sweet P with us.  I think she was pretty impressed, too.

But it's safe to say, her favorite part of the evening was the homemade chocolate sheetcake she got to eat after.

Thanks to our kind neighbors, we were able to watch in peace without the boys.  That made the whole evening more enjoyable, since they would have never sat through it.  But it was really fun and a nice ending to a truly nuts-o day.

Wishing you all impulsive Joyful Moments!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Day 421: Ode To My Bed

Whenever I wander,
Whenever I roam
There's only one thing I miss
More than home

Tho not an obvious source
Of Joyful Moments, 'tis true
The foundation for many
Rests solely with you

Without the comfort
And blissful sleep you provide
Such great Moments of Joy
Could not in my life abide

There's never another
That can suffice in your stead
My dearest, my own,
My favoritest bed.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that find you sleeping in your own bed and inspire poetry!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Day 420: Army of Helaman

My brother-in-law leaves on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Wednesday.  To Hong Kong!

We're so excited for him and proud of him.  I am very grateful for the example of faith and obedience he is setting for our family, especially the kids.

Today he spoke in church and the kids sang a little musical number with their cousins about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with all the world.  It was super sweet until Little M tried to eat the microphone.  Love him.

Pretty much the whole day was a sweet Joyful Moment for all of us.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that taste quite a bit better than microphones!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Day 419: Happy Happy Birthday, Mama Dear

Tomorrow is Mama's birthday.  But I won't be able to be there with her.  So, my family agreed to celebrate today.  We haven't done the main part of the celebration yet, but we did get her flowers and do some other special stuff.

And Sweet P played "Happy Birthday" for her on her violin.  She's been practicing for 2 or 3 months.  It was so sweet.  She and her grandma have a special bond and it was a very tender moment between the two of them.

It was my Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with mini violin virtuosos!

Friday, March 25, 2011

day 418: Come On, Ride The Train

Tonight HH went and played basketball with his dad, several of his brothers and some of their friends.  Leaving me home with his mom, sister, and one brother with an injured back.  We chatted for a bit and then played Dominoes.  Mexican Train style.  It was low key, but it was a lot of fun.  I like HH's family.  I'm very blessed to have married a man with great relatives.

That was my Joyful Moment.

But when HH's dad came home and said that HH was the dominating player, that was a Joyful Moment too.  I'm proud of my man.

Wishing you all a long ride on the Joyful Moment train!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Day 418: A Lotta

Today we got to hang out with a whole lotta family.  Seriously, it was from my side and HH's side.  And it's been F-U-N!

Fabulous Joyful Moments all around!

Wishing you all a whole lotta Joyful Moments!

Day 417: Third Wheel

We took a 13-hour drive today.  I was pretty apprehensive about how Baby B would handle it.  He's not really a fan of the car.

So, I came up with the genius idea of putting a second carseat in the car for him to get a change of scenery. He rode for a while in his infant seat in the middle row and then we put him in the back in between Sweet P and Little M.  And then for about 20 minutes, we just heard squeals of delight.  He was so thrilled to be sitting in the back with his siblings.

And it was my Joyful Moment.

After the twenty minutes, he realized that they were completely absorbed in the movie they were watching and not the least bit interested in him.  The squeals ended and were replaced with whines.  End Joyful Moment.  But it was so stinkin' cute while it lasted.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that last and last!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Day 416: Busy Bee

I was seriously so stinkin' productive today.  I mean, seriously.  And I got some really great stuff done!  And I'm really proud of myself.  And it was my Joyful Moment.

And I have to be up before 4 AM, so I'm keeping it short and simple tonight.  Good night!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and at least 7 hours of sleep!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Day 415: Missionary Work

I like sharing what I believe with others.  It is why I am who I am.  It helps me be a better wife, mom, and friend.  It reminds me that I have reason to hope when depression casts a shadow over my future.  It gives me purpose and direction in life.  So, I like to share it with others, so they can have this as well.  I share Joyful Moments with all of you daily and it is the greatest source of Joy in my life.

I don't want to be pushy with it, though.  I recognize that not everyone wants to hear about what I believe.  And so I feel shy and hesitant to share sometimes.

But today a friend asked me many questions about what I believe and having the opportunity to share with it with her--someone I care about and who genuinely wanted to know--was my Joyful Moment.  I was late to be somewhere and almost dismissed the opportunity, but then I thought about priorities and decided this was the better choice.  So, I stayed and I answered her questions.  And the experience has brought me joy throughout the rest of the day as I've reflected back on it.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that linger!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Day 414: Gonna Write You A Letter

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm horrible at keeping in touch.  I don't make phone calls, I rarely return emails, and I never write letters.  If you want to know how I'm doing, read my blog.  If you want me to know how you're doing, visit me or write your own blog.

Pathetic, I know.

This works pretty well for members of my generation.  I've reconnected with several lost friends through blogs and keep in touch in a way I never would otherwise.

But go back a couple generations, and there are some really crucial people there that matter to me that don't really do much with a computer, let alone read blogs.  When my mom's parents died, this hit home to me.  I regretted quite a bit my failure to pick up the phone more often and visit with these wonderful people.  I had a small consolation that by rare chance I had spoken on the phone with my grandma shortly before her passing.  But I wish I would have talked to them more.  I wish I would have shown them more how much I loved them and how much they mattered to me.  And I wish I would have asked them more questions and known them even better.

I'm grateful for the knowledge that I will have the opportunity to make up for that some day in the next life.

However, I still have a living set of grandparents and I'm making the exact same mistake with them.  A few weeks ago, my grandpa had a nasty fall and it really freaked me out.  He's had a great recovery, all things considered, but it still got me thinking.  I really don't know how much time I have left with them and I'm pretty much wasting it.  So, I decided to begin writing them letters.  I'm shooting for one a week, but I know there will be a week here and there that gets away from me.  Still, something is better than nothing.  And so, this  morning, I came down to the computer and composed the first half of a letter.  And it was a Joyful Moment to me.  To be making an effort at something that's really important.  And also in anticipation of their joy when they receive the letter.  And a bit of a relief to finally do it instead of continuing to excel at procrastination.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments in a carpe diem sort of way!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Day 413: Earliest Joyful Moment Ever

Today's Joyful Moment came to me at 1:30 AM when I finished this:


Of course, this picture was taken several hours later when we lit the candles for Little M to blow out before serving it to all of his birthday party friends.  I started it at about 11:30 PM last night and then spent forever making the frosting black.  But I was really pretty happy with the results.  Of course, I took the picture from the angle with the worst mistake there at the bottom.  And you can't see the top where I made it look like the spider spun "Happy Birthday Little M" at the top.  Of course, "Little M" was replaced with his real name.  That was the part I was most proud of.

The rest of the day was full of Joyful Moments as we had another excellent birthday party.  HH made it so much fun and Little M has darling friends.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments complete with cake!

Day 412: A Day Late

But hopefully, not a dollar short.

So, those of you who frequently travel the blogosphere already know about yesterday.  I didn't learn about yesterday until, well, yesterday.  So, I was unable to give you advance warning to the fact that I would be intentionally missing my first post ever.  Which I'll be making up with by double posting today.  So, even though we missed yesterday, fortunately, there is still plenty of time to get involved.

And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let me esplain.

(I copied the following links and a lot of the text from my good friend Laura and her blog Life Is Beautiful With A Bow.  Like everything that she does it is darling and pretty and perfect.)

First, Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours have teamed up to create For Japan With Love. They planned a Day of Silence for yesterday in honor of Japan.  They will also be donating money raised to Shelterbox, an organization which sends emergency shelter and other lifesaving supplies.

Second, Sachiko over at 
Tea Rose Home is from Japan and her family lives in one of the hardest hit areas. She is trying to spread the word to get people involved in helping Japan any way we can.


Also, Heather at 
{House} of A La Mode is organizing a way to donate quilts. You can find details here about her modern relief effort.

{ modern } relief - japan

Last, a wonderful place to donate funds is to 
LDS Humanitarian Aid Fund. 100% of the donation goes straight to helping those in need. You can request that it go to efforts in Japan, as well. This is where I am donating because I know all of it it will go straight to the place it is needed.

So, yesterday's Joyful Moment was being a part of something much bigger than myself and sharing in one of those experiences that unifies us as it brings out our humanity and generosity and love for others.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and many thoughts and prayers to those in Japan.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Day 411: Four Years With Little M

My middle baby turned 4 today.  And celebrating him was a Joyful Moment.

It was a bit hectic and stressful as well.  But he really is such a joy to me right now that it was all worth it.*


I love my Little M.  He has become such an obedient, loving little boy over the past several months.  He has such a sweet heart.  He loves to help me do things and I am constantly amazed at how capable he is. He used to always whine that everything was too hard for him, so I began telling him, "You can do hard things!" He took it to heart and even turned it on me one day when I told him he couldn't do something he wanted because it would be "too hard".  He especially loves to help me in the kitchen and I love his company and his help.  He's my little buddy and I'm happy to take him with me just about anywhere I go.  He loves to laugh and find the fun in everything and is a great example to me in that respect.

So, even though today was crazy, it was all very worth celebrating this Little M who brings so many Joyful Moments to my life and our home.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with someone as special as Little M!

*I really couldn't have gotten through today without more of my wonderful friends helping me this morning and my sweet HH.  He came home and I spewed forth my stress, frustration, and anxiety from today, the few days preceding today, and the next couple days all over him in a gush of words and fuming. And he took Baby B (my hip's parasite the last few days) from me in spite of the baby's protests, and listened to it all.  Then he took Baby B with him to a brief home teaching appointment, giving me time to straighten the house, make Little M's special birthday dinner, and calm down a bit.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Day 410: Oh, Wow

This week might kill me.

But if not, then I will be the strongest person alive.

That being said, the day was not without Joyful Moments.

-Chatting with one of my sisters on the phone and finding out that I will get to see her and her new baby in a little over a week!!!
-A visit from two of my good friends, a.k.a my visiting teachers
-Making these in preparation for Little M's birthday tomorrow and thinking about how excited he would be when he sees them

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make you stronger!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Day 409: Feel Trip

Little M went on a field trip today and, up until yesterday, thought he was going on a "feel" trip.  He's funny like that.

Anyway, I was up half the night with a screaming Baby B.  To HH's credit, he tried to be the one, but Baby B only wanted me.  Correction--he only wanted me standing and pacing and being held in my left arm.  Which is experiencing symptoms of temporary nerve damage due to the prolonged amounts of time I've spent holding him recently.

It was a fun night.

Fortunately, HH stuck around a bit this morning to help with the morning craziness and a friend not only took Little M to and from preschool, but then had him over for a play date and lunch after.  And another friend brought by a funny movie to help lighten the mood.

And feeling loved was my Joyful Moment today.

But now I have to go tend to a screaming Baby B and see if either one of us will be sleeping tonight.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments full of sleep!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Day 408: Pending

That's kind of how I feel about my Joyful Moment.  I'm still waiting for it to happen.

Today was rough.  Not in a depression sort of way.  Just one thing after another.  I was supposed to take Baby B in for a routine-ish ear check on Friday--completely blitzed it.  So, I called this morning to apologize and they were able to fit me in a couple hours later.  There we got the news that Baby B has yet another ear infection.  No surprise there, really.  He had us up at 2:45 AM with sadness and a high fever.  But what did surprise me was how long the doctor spent listening to his lungs.  And then she informed me that she heard "crackles" in those lungs.  I'm not familiar with "crackles" as a medical term, but when she mentioned pneumonia or RSV, those I understood.  And I wanted to cry.  And I was so grateful that I'd forgotten the appointment on Friday because I'm pretty sure those "crackles" wouldn't have been an issue yet since his cough just started last night.

And the day just kind of went on from there.

Again, emotionally I'm okay.  It just wasn't a great day.

But as I'm sitting here reviewing it yet again in a desperate attempt to come up with a Joyful Moment (surely today wasn't a complete waste!), I'm struggling.  Okay, wait, now I've got it.  My friend called tonight to see if I wanted to go shopping with her tonight after all the kids were in bed.  I had to say no because HH goes to the gym at nights and I'm not feeling well myself and probably ought to get some sleep, but it was still a Joyful Moment.  It made me happy that she'd want my company.  And I'm hoping for a repeat invite in the future when I can go.  And then I was able to give her some JoAnn's coupons that I didn't use on my crazy shopping spree on Saturday, and I suppose that was  Joyful Moment as well.

So, there you go.  The day wasn't a complete waste.  And I know things will get better.  So, we're good.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are "crackle" free!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Day 407: An Apron of My Own

Here is a shocking fact about me:

For my entire marriage, I've never owned an apron.

Shocking because I spend so much of my time cooking and baking.  My mama got me an apron when I went away to college, but I didn't realize my chef skills yet, so I folded it up and put it up on the top shelf.  And then, I don't know what happened to it.  I looked for it many many times, but it has never turned up.

So, I've been using one of the two aprons owned by HH.  Or just splattering batter and grease all over my favorite shirts.  Tragic, but true.  I've been dropping hints to HH to get me one for at least 4 years, but he always forgets and gets me some other amazing gift.

Well, remember how my 40 Days were up yesterday?


I went and bought me this little gem.  This photo doesn't quite do it justice, but you get the idea.  It's adorable!  A big ol' Thank You to my friend Anna for the tip off.  She knew I'd been thinking about sewing one, so when she found these for $13 she passed along her insider info.

HH is a big fan of it as well.


I baked with it today and I felt so pretty (and didn't splatter any batter!) and it was my Joyful Moment.  And I'm pretty sure the Double Apple Breakfast Cake that I made tasted even better because I made it in style!

Wishing you all stylish Joyful Moments!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Day 406: Shopping!!!

My 40 days ended today.  I kind of burned out on the 40 bags thing halfway through.  But I'm still proud of all I cleared out.  And it's not like the junk in the rooms and closets I didn't get to is stuck there now.  I know I'll get the "de-junking bug" again.

I haven't really missed shopping.  It's been nice to just automatically toss all ads into the recycling bin.  I think I appreciate the time it's saved even more than the money.  That being said, I woke up this morning a little excited about the fact that I can now open the emails I get from my favorite store about their sales.  I only get emails because the closest store location is over an hour away.  But I was thinking about how I needed a few more pieces in my wardrobe and how I pretty much only want to get them from my favorite store.

Then I came downstairs and opened an email from a friend informing me that we are getting one here in our town next month!!!!  At the mall that's close to me!!!!!

It was my Joyful Moment and I could have died happy.  Pathetic?  Maybe.  But I'm still WAY excited!!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that aren't the least bit pathetic!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Day 405: I'll Stand By You

Today was another day of waking up to the realization that I am definitely not 17 any more.  I can't have a mid-week girls' night that involves skating for a couple hours!  At least not if I have to wake up and get Sweet P out the door in time to make the bus.

Well, I guess I can, because I did.  But it didn't feel nice.  Not at all.

And then I've found myself fairly troubled by world events, as I'm sure many of you are.

But then I propped Baby B up at the rocking chair tonight.  And he just went nuts.  He was bouncing up and down and giggling like mad.  Because he was so stinkin' thrilled that he was standing.  He's been standing propped up like that for a while now, but he still gets so excited about it.  It's great.  He turned to smile at me and we shared a great giggle together over his awesome skills.  And, just as he has done since the moment he was born, suddenly everything was simplified and clarified.  And that was my Joyful Moment.

My baby is magic.

Wishing you all magical Joyful Moments!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

DAy 404: Forever 29

A friend of mine *might* be turning 30 next year.  And she *might* be really struggling with that fact.  So, she planned a great big bash for her last birthday in her 20's and tonight we all went to dinner and then, drum roll, please...  Roller Skating!

Before this year, I hadn't been on any form of skates for 8 years.  And look at me now.  I amazing!

Because going to a skating rink three times in three months is all it takes to make one amazing.

Anyway, I just love my girlfriends.  They are loud and hilarious and are my family out here.  So, hanging out with them tonight was a faaaaabulous Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all faaaaaaaabulous Joyful Moments!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Day 403: Manly-Cotti

HH LOVES manicotti.  I did too.  Until I became pregnant with Little M.  Ever since then I've HATED ricotta cheese.  And I used to love the stuff.  Pregnancy hormones are very powerful things.

So, every time I ask HH for help with the menu, he request manicotti.  And I look at him with disgust while I try not to vomit.  And he never learns.  And then I came across a recipe for a manicotti with ground beef and sausage in it a few weeks ago.  I was most surprised that it actually sounded almost good to me.  I'm not really a huge meat lover.  But, since it sounded bearable and my man is constantly requesting it (and he is a meat lover), I figured I'd better make it.

And making it for him today was a Joyful Moment.  As was the look of delight on his face when he came home and asked what we were eating for dinner.

Unfortunately, it turns out that he's a purist with his manicotti (I had shown him the recipe previously and he got all excited about it.  I assumed that was because it was his beloved manicotti made even better by the presence of meat.  But now I'm thinking he never got past the title and just was excited that I was considering it).  He liked it okay, but I could tell it wasn't the dining experience he'd been anticipating.  So, we're back to square one.  But creating a dish I thought my man would love was still a Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are still appreciated even after the first bite!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Day 402: I've Got The Fever

If you're concerned that this is going to be another sappy lovey-dovey post about my sweet HH--it's not.  But if you asked me if I had that kind of fever, I'd have to answer "Guilty as charged."

Sadly, the fever referenced in today's title belonged to Sweet P and it was the deathly ill kind.  Don't worry, I always claim any sort of illness as being "deathly ill".  But this was a pretty bad one.  Resulting in her very first Sick Day as a Kindergarten student.  It was a very sad morning.  She had a pretty high fever and was quite weepy.  Then around lunch time, she began crying due to a very painful headache.  I don't like to medicate, but had to give in at this point.  After a dose of ibuprofen and a cold pack on her forehead, she finally fell asleep.

And then woke up 1/2 hour later ready to go.  And since I'm sure most, if not all, of you have had the experience of caring for someone you love and adore when they are deathly ill, you can imagine that this was today's Joyful Moment.  Her fever had broken and her headache was gone.  By the time HH arrived home from work, she was down stairs laughing and squealing with Little M as they played some crazy game.

Hoo-Ray!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with only Love Fevers and no Deathly Ill Fevers!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Day 401: The "Thin" In Thin Mints

Refers to the cookie's size, not yours.  I genuinely believed that these little gems were given their name because they were low fat until a fateful day a few years ago when I actually looked at the nutrition panel.  Tragic day.

Be that as it may, today was a rough day.  So, I'm claiming the moment of eating two glorious little Thin Mints as my Joyful Moment.  Long live the Girl Scouts and their cookies!

(In keeping with my adoration for HH--he is the one responsible for us even having them!)

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and a Girl Scout troop in your neighborhood!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Day 400: Is It Mother's Day?

When the kids came into our room this morning to inquire about breakfast, HH told me to stay in bed and that he'd get up with them.  I began to protest (he's just as tired as I am), but he insisted and then added, "I have a surprise for you."

Well, I am sort of a Master of Deduction and pretty much guess the endings to everything long before they happen, so I quickly figured out what my surprise would be.

And then Little M and Sweet P came in to tell me that they were helping Daddy with a surprise for me, but that they wouldn't tell me what it is.  Then Little M added, "But you can have it in your bed and you can eat it in your bed."  It's a good thing I'm a Master of Deduction because that was very cryptic.


Here  I am in all my morning glory.  It was a delicious breakfast of sliced strawberries and bananas with a little brown sugar sprinkled on top and a dollop of cream (one of HH's specialties), toast (made with one of my favorite kinds of bread), and my very favorite kind of orange juice--Simply Orange.  I crave that stuff ALL.  THE.  TIME.

But I didn't know HH was paying attention.  He was out at a meeting last night and stopped to pick all this stuff up at the store on the way home.  He apparently raced around the store in his suit with no cart or basket.  He said he got some funny looks.  I wish I could have been there to see it.

But then, of course, that would have ruined the surprise.  Not that it wouldn't have been a Joyful Moment still, but it meant so much to me that he went to all that effort to make me this breakfast in bed.  He's so cute!

As I was finishing my breakfast Little M asked, "Is it Mother's Day?"  "No," I replied.  "Then why did we do this?"  I told him to ask HH and I forget exactly what HH said, but something along the lines of just because they love me, or because I'm wonderful, or something else equally sweet and flattering.

I love my HH.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and breakfast in bed when it's not even Mother's Day!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Day 399: My Man

Well, last night's post might have been a clue that you might be hearing a lot of HH-centered Joyful Moments in the coming posts.

Today's Joyful Moment was working out with him.  I set up a weight training routine for him last weekend and we did some more fine tuning with that.  Sometimes he complains about me being to challenging when we do this (my education background is in physical fitness).  Sometimes he gets sidetracked by all of the TVs broadcasting all of the different ESPN channels.  Today he worked hard and he stayed focused.  Except for a few times when he was apparently distracted by me and had to tell me how great I looked.

That form of distraction is acceptable.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments while working on your fitness!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Day 398: Seasons of Love

I once read about there being four seasons of love in relationships and how we cycle through them.  If that is the case, HH and I seem to have hit Spring again.  Seriously, I feel like a young'un again.  Just very in love and giddy with my man.  And he's taken up this habit of telling me how pretty/beautiful/sexy I look about every five minutes.

And I love it.

A month ago, I couldn't have told you the last time we went on an actual date.  Our weekend nights consisted of watching a movie borrowed from the library while eating either popcorn or ice cream.  But now, we've done something fun the last three weekends in a row!  And it's been fantastic.  Maybe it's silly, but when we re-did our budget for the year (we were behind, so we didn't do this until February), we realized that we really needed to increase our "Entertainment" category to allow for dating.  Because if our relationship isn't worth investing in, then what is, really?

So far, we have seen some very high dividends!

Tonight, we joined two other couples and went to the temple.  We haven't been in about a year because it's an hour and a half away, plus the time there, and then the drive back and I couldn't leave Baby B for that long.  But, now I can, so we went.  And it was so so so wonderful!

After we all went to dinner.  So much fun and so much conversation.  And delicious food.  Followed by amazing cheesecake.  Yum.

Joyful Moments throughout.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments throughout!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Day 397: Tiny Exemplar

Baby B is sick.  Surprise.  I know.  Today he was actually kind of fussy.  That's extremely rare for him, so I think it means that he might have another ear infection coming on?  Whatever it is, my "Mama's Intuition" tells me that he hurt.  And it was all very sad.  The chiropractor is taking measures to help him and I am optimistic that we won't have to resort to tubes in his ears, but for today he clearly just felt rotten.

And yet, he still took advantage of every opportunity he had to smile and laugh today.  While I bounced him on my hip while humming "Pop Goes The Weasel" (at Little M's request) while brushing my teeth--he giggled.  When I played peek-a-boo while getting him dressed--he giggled.  When I pretended to toss him in the air after getting him out of his high chair--he giggled.  When he looked up at me while we were walking into the grocery store and he clearly did NOT want to shop--he didn't giggle, but he did snuggle into my shoulder and lay there quite contentedly for the majority of the shopping trip.

Which is why the Joyful Moment I want to share with you tonight was when I turned on a little Bruno Mars and danced around the kitchen with him after dinner.  And he giggled.  Even though he was feeling rotten.  And in who knows how much pain.  He giggled and smiled up at me like dancing with me was the most fun a little guy could ever have.

I've known even before he was born that he is a very special little soul.  What an inexpressible honor to be his mama.  And what a great example to me, that even on the worst of days, he was still doing his best to find and appreciate his own Joyful Moments.

I am at a loss for words when it comes to summing up the kind of Joyful Moment I wish for each of you in relation to my own, but I wish you Joyful Moments all the same!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Day 396: Biting My Tongue

I talk too much.  I really do.  Mostly, too much about me.  That's a shocking confession from someone who blogs every single day, I know.  When I'm by myself, I give myself little pep talks about keeping conversations focused on the other person and doing more listening than talking and all that good stuff.  But then I get out in social situations and this crazy *need* comes over me--the need to relate every story and every statement back to me.

"That happened to you?  Oh, well, listen to what happened to me one time..."

Well, tonight I attended a church function celebrating Relief Society.  It was a dinner with a nice program.  And a lot of time for visiting before, after, and in between.  I was a long way from where I want to be, but I did forebear and hold my tongue a few times.  I let people share their stories without having to add in my own.  And I asked questions that kept the conversation focused on someone besides me.

And I guess, maybe a part of me is embarrassed that I'm proud of myself for such a small thing.  But I really am.  It's not like I always always talk about myself.  It's just that tonight, a few of the times when I was tempted to relate everything back to me, I consciously stopped myself.  And it felt really good.  And it was very much my Joyful Moment.  I'm still a work in progress, but progress is progress.  And progress is good.

Wishing you all progressive Joyful Moments!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Day 395: Community Supported Agriculture

A year or so ago, a friend introduced me to the concept of CSA's.  They don't all operate exactly the same, but basically, you invest in a "share" of the farm and receive a basket of produce each week.  Or, in the case of our CSA, my choice of produce, dairy products, or flowers.  But back to last year--I tried in vain to find one in my area, but then decided that I didn't need one because we were going to grow our fabulous garden.

If you've been reading for a while, you might remember that last year's garden didn't pan out quite as expected.  We grew some delicious produce, but not enough to eliminate the need to buy produce at the grocery store, or to can a bunch as I had intended.

Then a friend told me about a local CSA that she participated in last season.  Hooray!  So, I looked into it and liked what I found.  And today, I became an Official Member of our CSA!  And it was my Joyful Moment!  I can't wait until April when the bounty of goodness begins!

Wishing you all bountiful Joyful Moments!