Monday, October 31, 2011

Day 638: Happy Haunting!

Today was full of Joyful Moments, watching the kids have so much fun during the day's various activities.


Here's my little spider with all of the pumpkins except his.  We forgot to put it out!  The one on the right was drawn and cut all by Sweet P.  Pretty good, eh?


Napoleon Dynamite and the kids.  Not the best photo.  This is them at the Trunk-or-Treat at the church.  And they still went trick-or-treating through the neighborhood after!  We have WAY TOO MUCH candy!


And my annual Halloween meal was a success.  Although, I never would have pulled it off without a bunch of help from my mother-in-law.  We had our traditional Chicken and Worm Soup (I just make the noodles extra long and skinny), Pond Scum Punch (complete with gummy fish swimming in the bottoms of the glasses), and these delectable old lady fingers and old man toes.  The kids helped quite a bit with the shaping of these, but having their help and adding to the fun was more Joyful than making them look perfect on my own.  I also made those fun little bugs crawling around.  And then, of course, serving it on the plate I won made it all the more of a Joyful Moment!

All in all, an exhausting but fabulous day!

Wishing you all a Joyful Moment Halloween!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Day 637: Carving!

We carved pumpkins tonight.

I'll be honest, this is my very very very least favorite Halloween tradition.  It's messy and takes forever.

But not tonight.  My in-laws are still here and my father-in-law made record time of cleaning out the pumpkins.  Seriously, he was amazing.  He even got the kids to help.  I never can convince them.  He and Little M carved one pumpkin, Sweet P did one, and Baby B painted his with some supervision from Grandma.


She was so proud to design and carve this all by herself!

So, my Joyful Moment was getting mainly the final product of the night's work, but also, the fact that I didn't have to be very much of a part of it!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are more joyful than expected!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Day 636: Sea of Red

Today was a Bucket List sort of day.

Now, I've been to a Red Sox game and a Husker game.

Not all in one day.  The Red Sox were a few years ago.


Huskers today.

Unfortunately, we're kind of blocking the "sea of red".  But at least we're all decked out in our true fan colors.

And we knocked Michigan's socks off.

It's always nice to go to a game and have the team you're rooting for win.

Just in case you didn't know that.

I'm always helping.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments in crossing things off your Bucket List!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 635: Booin' At The Zooin'

Our zoo does a cute, fun trick-or-treating activity just before Halloween.  Tonight was the night.


Just before it was time to go, HH's parents showed up, which was most definitely Joyful Moment #1.  But then we hurried and got the costumes on and went on our way.


We were so full of Joyful Moments everyone stayed up a good two hours passed their bedtimes.

And don't worry, pictures of my little spider will be posted on Halloween.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that keep you up late--once in a while!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Day 334: With Our Fingers?!

This morning I came across the finger paints I bought when Sweet P and Little M were much younger.

So, after Sweet P came home from school, I broke them out and had them paint pictures for their uncle, currently serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hong Kong.


Little M went at it with great enthusiasm.  Especially, when I allowed him to squirt his own bit of yellow paint.  A "bit" turned into quite a bit.  In fact, most of them are still drying as I type this.  But they had great fun and it was my Joyful Moment to watch them.

This was Baby B's first experience with finger painting, and he seemed undecided on the "Fun Factor".  Little M couldn't remember doing it before and he thought it was absolutely fantastic.  Sweet P, my diligent little artist was quite serious about her work, but I could tell she had a good time as well.

Wishing you all artful Joyful Moments!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Day 633: Well-Visits

Today was one of those days that was just one thing straight into the next thing and then into the next.  But it was doable, so I really can't complain.

It involved two doctor's visits.  One regular check up for Baby B.  I've been pretty worried about his eating lately.  Namely, his lack of eating.  He hasn't gained much, but apparently, he's gained enough.  Mostly, because he grew about 2 inches I think.  Fortunately, the pediatrician only had comforting words to say about his unwillingness to eat anything after 10 AM.

So, he got a clean bill of health.  Which is always a Joyful Moment for a mama.

The second visit was with Sweet P's pediatric ENT, as a follow-up to her summer surgeries.  She was also given a clean bill of health.  Given that the kid was congested constantly (I mean, seriously, it was a continuous bout with congestion) from the age of 2 up until her surgery, this was another Joyful Moment. We've already been reaping the benefits of the success of the surgery, but it was good to hear that upon deeper inspection, she still looked really good.

Huge sigh of relief.

Of course, it would have been nice if I could have gotten that news (which took all of five minutes of face time with the doctor) without driving an hour and 15 minutes each way and then waiting 40 minutes to see said doctor.

But, that's the price you pay to not live in a big city, but still have access to excellent pediatric specialists.

So be it.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that don't require more than two hours of driving!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Day 632: Learning the Nikon Ropes

While playing at the shooting range on Saturday, one of my friends (who happens to be a CameraGenius) started trying to teach me how to use my camera.

You know--the one I got a couple months ago?

I've tried to kind of teach myself by experimenting with all sorts of various settings and button pushing.  Apparently, the camera doesn't reset itself every time I turn it off, like I thought it did.  What I had was a very mixed up camera.  Which explained why my pictures seemed to be getting less impressive all the time.

So, CameraGenius helped fix my settings and then began showing me how to do some basic things with it.  It was a little overwhelming because I'm apparently quite slow when it comes to learning how to use a camera, but it was exciting, too because I REALLY want to learn how to take better pictures!

And today it inspired me to find an opportunity to break out the actual manual and do some more learning on my own.  Mostly, it ended up being a review of the things she had taught me.  But going over them twice, once being told and once being read, was quite helpful and made it stick in my fuzzy brain a little better.

Of course, this was during Sweet P's TaeKwonDo class, so I had to look up intermittently to see how she was doing.  Very cute.

Anyway, so finally making the time to do something I've REALLY been wanting to do for a while was today's Joyful Moment.  And it made me happy.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make you happy!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Day 631: Not According To Plan

I am a Planner.

Big Time.

The busier (and more stressed) I get, the more I plan.

This week is a full week.  Full of just a bunch of "extras".  And then the week will end with my in-laws and grandparents-in-law coming for a visit.

Which adds in plenty more extras.

Which is okay.  It just means that yesterday I kind of went into planning overload.  Beginning with my plan for today.

Which didn't go according to plan in the least.

I mean, seriously, today was just bound and determined to fly right in the face of all my plans.  No matter what.  And initially, this was ridiculously frustrating!

Fortunately, that wasn't all bad.  And all of the essentials were taken care of.  And in some cases, even some positive extras.


Like this.  Remember the prize I won last week?  It came today!  A fun Joyful Moment.  Look how cute it all is?  My super talented friend made that cute crow picture and I can't wait to use the skeleton hands to serve my Halloween dinner!  Thanks, Aubrey!

And then a pop-in visit from a friend.  A very good friend.  Which was another Joyful Moment.  And she even brought flowers.  And as we all know, flowers bring Joyful Moments for several days in a row.  Which will be especially appreciated during the rest of this crazy week.  Thanks, Ashley!

Thank goodness for good friends!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments brought on by good friends, on those days that don't go according to plan!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Day 630: Memorized-Mesmerized

Today was the annual Primary Program.  That's when the children take over Sacrament meeting and do all of the teaching.  It's pretty awesome.

Of course, the script is written by one of the adult leaders, but each child has a part.  Most are able to memorize their parts.  And then they sing songs intermittently.  It's wonderful.

The youngest children (3- and 4-year-olds) are always a delight to watch because they're so cute and frequently quite funny and entertaining.  But then, it's impressive to watch the older kids and hear the parts they wrote themselves and witness their developing testimonies.

The whole thing was a Joyful Moment, but especially Little M's and Sweet P's parts.

Sweet P recited the 8th Article of Faith: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated (or "trans-a-lated" the way she pronounced it (c:) correctly.  We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

And Little M taught, "The temple is a house of God."

So sweet.

I LOVED it all.

And, speaking of my faith, my "Mormon Profile" is finally up and running.  Here it is if you want to see it:

I'm A Mormon

I noticed that someone visited this blog after viewing my profile the other day and that was a Joyful Moment, too!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are funny, entertaining, impressive, sweet, and faith-building!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Day 629: Armed and Dangerous

I would have never expected this to make it into my 1,000 Days of Joyful Moments:



Tonight I shot a gun for the first time.  And I liked it!  I guess I have kind of a weird stance--that's because I learned my warrior pose in yoga, I guess.  But this was fun!

Add in time with my wonderful, cute, funny, fun friends and it was billions of Joyful Moments all night long!

Wishing you all surprising Joyful Moments!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Day 628: We Make Hats

A very fun evening with a few of my friends.

My true Joyful Moment might have been eating dinner because for some reason I was STARVING all day!  And it was a deliciously amazing burger.

But then we had this funny (surprise) craft game, thought up by a couple of my friends.


Note:  I am the least crafty of my friends.

See if you can guess my hat.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are delicious and don't leave you guessing!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 627: Wake Up Laughing

I never really thought about doing that until Martina McBride sang a song about it.  And then I thought to myself, that sounds fun.  But it's not exactly something you can force.

This morning, however, it happened all on its own!  A little earlier than I would have liked, but who am I to control comedic timing in my dreams?

This might sound bad, but in my dream my mom slid down a muddy hill, somehow dug her feet in at the bottom (a pond), thus launching herself face first out across the pond before landing--still face first.

And I was laughing so hard in my dream that I woke up from the effort of trying to laugh for real.

Sorry, Mom.

In my defense, it was really funny in my dream and my mama was laughing, too.

So, even though it was a good half hour before I needed to wake up, it was still just a very pleasant way to wake up.  Joyful Moment.

And then I volunteered in Sweet P's classroom again.  I'm pretty sure that will be a Joyful Moment for me every week.  The kids in her class are just so darn sweet!  I received hugs, waves, and a bunch of happy "Hi, Sweet P's Mom!"  So cute.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and the experience of waking up laughing--just hopefully, not at your mama's expense!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 626: Been There, Doing That Again

I finally went for an actual run this morning.

Well, maybe not an actual run.  It was more of a two-mile jog, really.  But still...

It was a Joyful Moment for me.  And for Z, I believe.  Because she came with me.  There was hardly any pain in either foot, too.  Pretty amazing!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments from one of your same, favorite sources!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 625: Early Morning Schnuggles

This morning as I started to get out of bed, HH pulled me back in and insisted on some cuddling before hopping up to greet the day.  This was not an uncommon occurance in years gone by, but now that we have older children and he has a job that requires him to arrive much earlier than 9 or 10 AM, not so much.

Thus, I obliged.

And it was so peaceful and dreamy and wonderful.  Just a really fantastic way to start the day, feeling very loved and in love with the one I love.  It was so peaceful and cozy, I nearly fell back asleep.

A true Joyful Moment.

So, then I had to jolt myself awake and hop out of bed before we both fell back asleep and got into trouble with school and work.

Not the most joyful of moments, but fortunately, the good mood prevailed.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that don't have to be cut short by boring things like school and work!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 624: I Won!

Yay!  So, you know how some people at other blogs do cool things like Giveaways?  Before you begin pondering why I don't do such things here, I have awesome news--

I WON ONE!  It's a super cute Halloween Giveaway from my awesome friend at All Things Bright & Beautiful.  If you are into design, fashion, anything that is pleasing to the eye, and some nice humor to go with it, you should definitely check out her blog.  I love it.

Anyway, so I enter a lot of Giveaways, but never win.  So, when I checked my facebook this morning and found a message from her saying I won, I was totally surprised!  We were in the middle of Sweet P's violin practice and we had to pause, so I could show her the fun stuff I won and then so I could notify HH that his wife is a WINNER.  They were all excited, too.

Anyway, so in case you haven't guessed from all of my enthusiasm, winning the giveaway was my Joyful Moment.  And I should have just posted this then and there, because I knew at that moment that is what I'd be posting about tonight.

In addition, today was pretty awesome in general.  Sweet P had the day off of school and she and Little M played perfectly with ZERO fights.  Not sure how that happened.  And then Baby B took a 4 hour nap.

Today was MY day.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and a whole lot of winning (in a non-Charlie Sheen way)!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 623: Deeper

So, today's Joyful Moment was when HH had the idea to play a game as a family this morning.  Little M picked "The Game of Life" (happens to be one of my favorites!).  We had so much fun!  A great way to spend the late morning, before heading off to church.

Now, I want to go into a little bit greater detail of some of yesterday's Joyful Moments because some amazing things happened.  First, I'd been really worried about how all of the morning's busyness would work out.  It just seemed like too many things at one time.  I was so happy when Sweet P (the Daddy's Girl) asked me to run with her, there was no way I could let her down.  But then the opportunity to participate in a meeting with Sister Wixom was pretty rare and important as well.  I didn't think I would have time to do both, so I spent a lot of time praying for a way to make it all happen.

Then factor in the Meals on Wheels HH had volunteered to deliver.  Normally, it takes 1-2 hours to deliver an entire route. And he couldn't start until 11 AM.  Sweet P's race was supposed to be at 10:10, but there was a second session because of all the schools, so I knew we could kind of sneak into the other session and run at 11:50.  More praying ensued.

Without getting into all the mess of details, let me just say that HH was able to help me coordinate a schedule that at least allowed for me to make it to the meeting and back in time to run with Sweet P.  It just meant that he and the boys wouldn't be able to make it because they'd be out delivering meals.  I was sad, but figured it would have to do.

That didn't stop me praying for another solution to find its way in, however.

And then, like I said yesterday, it did.  I made it back from the Big City in record time (not as much traffic early Saturday morning, I guess).  Then HH lucked out to get a route that was an entire apartment complex, meaning just one drop off at the front desk.  We didn't tell the people in charge of the routes that we were in a hurry, or anything, that was just the route he was assigned.  I knew it was an answer to prayer.

And then something even more amazing happened.  Actually, it had kind of been happening all week, but it was confirmed yesterday.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that the power of prayer is magnified when combined with faithful fasting.  We fast (go without food, with a specific purpose in mind) on the first Sunday of every month.  Except in April and October, because then we hear from our church leader in Salt Lake City in General Conference on the first Sunday, so we fast the following Sunday.  That was last Sunday.

HH and I decided we would both fast for help for me.  Mostly, just help for me to be happy again and finally pull out of the most recent depression dive all the way.

As you know, my foot has been hurting quite a bit and acting very much like previous fractures I've experienced.  It's been quite swollen and was hurting constantly.  It even kept me awake at night from the pain.  Which meant that I knew I couldn't even attempt to run on it.  Which was another source for my depression.  Running is one of my best anti-depressants for so many reasons.

However, I wasn't really thinking of my foot at all as I fasted for help in being happy.  I knew it would heal in time and then I'd re-start my running.

Then I woke up Monday morning.

And my first realization was that my foot didn't hurt.  At all.  That hadn't happened for weeks!  It was a little achy when I started moving around on it, but not much.  I went through my week, working out at the gym, but still avoiding the running trails.  But it felt pretty good!

And then I finally ran on it yesterday.  And it didn't hurt at all during the race!  It's been a little achy and tender since, but nothing compared to what it was just over a week ago.

So, there you have it.  My own, personal little miracle.  I wasn't asking to be healed physically, but I know Heavenly Father knows how much running means for me and He expedited my healing process anyway.  And I'm so grateful!  What a humbling and amazing Joyful Moment!

I hope you understand that I do not share this lightly.  It was profound and amazing.  But I've felt very strongly that I should share it with you here.  So, I have.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are a bit miraculous!

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Day 622: Under 10

Today was a GREAT day.

Seriously.

I started things off really early.  That part was not so great.  But the cause was.  I was able to go to a meeting with Rosemary M. Wixom up in the Big City.  She oversees the teaching and care of all of the children (ages 18 months to 12 years) in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was an amazing experience.  I learned a lot and felt the Spirit very strongly.  More than anything, what I learned will help me to be a better mommy and I'm always grateful for inspiration in that arena.

Then I hurried back to my town, caught up with HH and the kids to do a quick delivery for Meals on Wheels, and then headed to the PUMPKIN RUN!!!

The Pumpkin Run is a fun race they put on for all of the elementary schools in the area.  It's a really big deal.  It was an even bigger deal this year because... Sweet P asked me to run with her.  I was flattered and honored and down right thrilled.


And then she kept holding my hand all throughout the race.  So sweet.

And we finished it in just under 10 minutes!  I could not be more proud of her!  She was tired, but she dug deep and pushed it in.

Ah, so many Joyful Moments for me!


And then I picked some carrots for the salad we had at dinner.  These were just a few of the fun growths we discovered.

In case you're in serious need of a Joyful Moment.

Because who doesn't get a Joyful Moment from crazy carrots?

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are NOT scraping the bottom of the barrel!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 621: Dancing To The Radio

Today was busy.  And good.


This little Handsome Pants was so excited to go on a Field Trip to the pumpkin patch.  Joyful Moments right there, y'all.

But my true Joyful Moment for today was sharing a spontaneous dance with my HH while we were cleaning up the house after putting the kids to bed.  A good song came on and I couldn't resist grabbing his hand and having him lead me around the kitchen floor.

It's always a delight to dance with the one I love.  Usually, it's the reverse where he grabs me and tries to dance while I'm cleaning (and I have a tendency of pushing him away until the cleaning is done), so it was nice to be the fun one for once!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments dancing with someone you're wildly in love with!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Day 620: Various

Yes, today brought a wide variety a Joyful Moments for me to choose from.

There was volunteering in Sweet P's class today where I worked with a little boy who told me his dad is 10 feet tall.  That is pretty tall.  And then I actually got to work with Sweet P and her reading group.  Just this morning I told her I might not ever get to work with her because I thought I'd only be helping the kids who need a little catching up and Sweet P is in the most advanced reading group (not bragging, honest).  But then I got to work with them anyway!  And that was a Joyful Moment as I saw her sweet happy smiling face over that news.

Then there was a brief, but fun chat with my baby sis.  Joyful Moments, naturally!

An extra snuggly Baby B.  He's actually been this way the past couple days.  Maybe all of the busyness of growing into a toddler is wearing off a bit and he's going to go back to being my cuddle bug?  Don't worry, I won't count on it.  Not too much, anyway.  But it was a lovely, sweet Joyful Moment holding my snuggly boy today.

Getting my essential oils and diffuser in the mail today!  And then breaking it out and diffusing Citrus Bliss all through my kitchen.  My friends gave me some samples that help with depression a while back and I discovered that Citrus Bliss is sort of magical and really does seem to clear up the fog depression creates in my brain.  I wasn't feeling depressed today, but I wanted to try it anyway.  It was a Joyful Moment for me and I inhaled the lovely scent and a Joyful Moment for the boys as they were mesmerized by the blue glow of the diffuser.

And then the kids had their TaeKwonDo Awards Ceremony tonight.  They both passed their tests last week and have advanced to the next levels.  Hooray for my kiddos!  Joyful Moments sharing in their pride.

Wishing you all a wide variety of Joyful Moments!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Day 619: Spiders

If you know me, you know spiders aren't really a source of any positive emotion for me--especially not joy.

However, tonight I went to a Craft Night! with some of my gal pals.  We each brought our own project and just enjoyed visiting.  And eating delicious cookies.

I should have taken a picture, but I'm too tired.  But, I made Baby B's Halloween costume.  He's going to be a spider.  A darling, dapper spider.  In a little suit.  Ack!  It's so cute.  I can't wait to try it on.

And then I promise to take pictures.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with darling, dapper spiders!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Day 618: Happy Kids

Tonight was "Bring A Buddy Night" at the kids' TaeKwonDo.  We invited two of Sweet P's friends, and to my surprise, they both came.

And the four of them (including Little M) had THE MOST fun.

Sitting there and watching them was my Joyful Moment.

The times that I was able to sit and watch them, that is.  In between chasing down Baby B who kept trying to tear down the promotional poster, close the door, move the chairs around, all the while leaving a lovely trail of cheerios and Happy Baby snacks all along the way.

Good times were had by all.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments in between those somewhat frustrating and tiresome moments!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Day 617: Hello, Me!

This morning, after a great workout, I was driving to the bank and my favorite song came on.  Oddly, I had forgotten about it completely.  What does this say about me?

I don't know.

Nevertheless, it is my favorite song.  For many reasons.

Here, I'll share it with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFz61X2PQTw&ob=av2e

Anyway, as I was listening, and still riding on endorphins from the morning spin class, I suddenly realized that I felt just like me.  Again.  Finally.

And while today was fantastic, that was my favorite Joyful Moment.  Which is saying a lot, because it even beat out some homemade apple pie from the freshly picked apples.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are even better than apple pie!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Day 616: Rainy Night

Tonight we went for a walk/bike ride after dinner.  Mid-way, it began to rain.  I love walking in the rain.  And Baby B thought it was fantastic, too.  He kept pointing skyward and giving loud exclamations of joy.  And I was with my HH.

Rain + HH = Romantic

Wishing you all Joyful Moments in the rain!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 615: Dead Battery

My camera battery died during some great Joyful Moments today.  I almost cried.

Anyway, the remainder of the camping excursion went well.  I think we got more sleep than our last campout--but that's not saying much.

Later in the afternoon we drove out to an orchard for apples and pumpkins.


While it was somewhat repulsive to watch Baby B pick up the nasty apples on the ground and do this, it also made for some really cute photos.


The kids were really proud to be able to pick their own apples.


It's so hard getting a non-goofy smile from this one these days.  But you can see her cute gaps where two teeth are missing.

And then the camera died.  So, no pics of the kids picking out their own pumpkins, or of Baby B throwing handful after handful of dirt into his hair.

He got three baths yesterday.  Joyful Moments for him every time.

So, even though I was crushed about the lack of pictures, the whole thing was a wonderful Joyful Moment and fabulous family time.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and full camera batteries!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Day 614: Busy

We have a crazy weekend this go 'round.


The kids participated in their first TaeKwonDo testing.  Surprisingly nerve racking for their mama--and I won't know if they passed until sometime Monday!  Joyful Moments watching them do the things that I knew were correct--I better learn me some more TKD!


Then we sprinted off to the sticks for a church campout.  How cute is Baby B with this football?  Joyful Moments eating and hanging out with a bunch of lovely friends.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments on busy weekends!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 613: Someone Else's Children

So, I kind of have two things going on in tonight's post.

After my grandma's death two years ago, a whole stash (enough to fill a whole room) of ungiven gifts were found among her posessions.  She was always a generous woman and wanted to have a supply on hand, so she always had something to give.  We were allowed to go in and pick out items for each member of our family.  I was pregnant with Baby B at the time, so I wanted to get him something as well, so he would have a connection to this wonderful woman he'd never meet in this life.


As soon as I saw these overalls, I knew.  There was a great chance they are exactly what she would have given me for him (along with a beautiful homemade quilt, like the ones his older siblings received).  I suppose it's a simple thing, but every time he wears them, it's a Joyful Moment.  I love my grandma.


After the past few weeks I've been having, seeing the happiness on my face as I listen to Little M was another Joyful Moment.


As was this impromptu "family photo".  Once HH gets started with the camera, he can't seem to stop!

Anyway, the Joyful Moment I intended to post before finding these cute pictures taken by HH this evening has to do with volunteering in Sweet P's classroom for the first time.  I didn't get to do anything with her, but instead tested some of the other kids on their reading and then helped two little boys who are a little behind.  They were so darling and sweet.  It's such a wonderful age.  They are still so innocent and trusting and open.

I'll be honest, usually I struggle with other people's children.  Horrible, I know.  But today it wasn't that way at all.  I had such a wonderful time and it was truly a Joyful Moment helping them.

Sweet P was more than a little disappointed that I didn't get to help her, however.  Hopefully, there will be more opportunity for that in the coming weeks.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and a chance to see that happiness on your own face!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 612: Interior Decorator

This will be shocking because I have been SO upbeat and perky of late, but... yesterday was kind of a bad day for me.

Bad enough that HH actually came home from work early and took over everything.  After some convincing, I went to bed while he kept taking care of everything.

Including putting up the Halloween decorations I'd pulled out the night before but never found the energy or enthusiasm to put up with the kids.

I was sort of in a daze all evening, after my nap, so I scarcely noticed them.  But all day today I kept noticing different decorations in various spots.  And he did a fabulous job.  Seriously.  Which is super impressive given the fact that most of our Halloween decorations are pretty basic.

But it provided little Joyful Moments for me all throughout the day, as I would discover one creative and perfectly placed decoration after another.

Thanks, HH.


After dinner we went down to the park.  Joyful Moments watching all the kids having a blast.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are creatively placed!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 611: Purging

Remember when I did the 40 Bags in 40 Days thing?  Well, I must confess that a lot of the stuff in the "Get Rid Of" pile, just kind of stayed there in its pile.

I've finally gotten around to getting rid of it.

I sold our dog kennel (too small) last week, and today I sold a bunch of kid stuff at a new children's consignment shop!  I didn't make a TON of money, but I did make a little and they took almost all of it!  Hooray!

I love getting rid of things.  So helpful in cutting down on the clutter.

And maybe, one of these days, the closet in the guest room will be emptied of all such items so our guests can actually hang their stuff!

Maybe.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments leaving you less cluttered!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 610: Let's Hear It For The Zoo

Today the kids were out of school.

I never figured out why.

But, we decided to make it a fun day.  Met up with some friends at the park in the morning and then again at the zoo in the afternoon.

As we got close to the zoo, I heard Baby B say "Yay!" and clap his hands.  I thought, "Surely, he doesn't realize where we're going?"

But then, as we pulled into the parking lot, I heard a cute little (but very enthusiastic), "Yay!" followed by applause.  And then when I got out to get him from his seat he was beaming and making all sorts of excited baby gibberish.  It was so fun.  And cute.


And my Joyful Moment.

Kinda makes me want to go back--just to see if he'll do it again.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that make you want to go back!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Day 609: Felt The Spirit

So, we like to prepare for General Conference by praying about a particular question, or concern.  It always gets answered by at least one, if not multiple, of the talks.

This year, I felt that the kids should participate in this as well.  So, we discussed it last week and they decided that they wanted to pray to feel the Holy Ghost.  I thought that was a fantastic idea, so we helped them remember to pray for it all week during their prayers.

Well, yesterday, they were a little too distracted, and really, I know it's a lot to ask of a four and six-year old to listen to all of that.  But I had felt prompted to promise them that they would feel the Holy Ghost during General Conference, if they prayed sincerely.  So, I was worried what might happen if they didn't!

Anyway, this morning, our prophet Thomas S. Monson spoke.  Little M's attention span was a little spotty, but Sweet P stayed totally focused (and it lasted a good 25 minutes!).  After, I asked them how they felt when he was speaking.  They both told me they felt really good.  And then I asked if they believed all that he had said, and they said, 'yes'.  And I told them, this was the Holy Ghost.  And then, I think we all felt the Holy Ghost confirming that truth as well.  And it was really neat.

I think, initially, I had wanted them to have some grand experience where they really felt something spectacular because sometimes that is how it is when I feel the Holy Ghost.  But, in hindsight, I think this was better because, most often, the Holy Ghost comes to us in a quiet, simple feeling of peace and happiness.  Now, when they have that feeling during church, or while praying about a decision, or whatever, they can recognize that it is a divine guiding influence they are feeling.

Hopefully.

It's a start, anyway.

And it was my Joyful Moment.  A beautiful sweet Joyful Moment shared with my children.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments this sweet!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 608: Trying To Feel The Spirit

This weekend is General Conference.

An awesome opportunity to hear a prophet of God speak.  And just the thing I needed to continue to crawl out of my recent black abyss.

Joyful Moments as bits of inspiration hit my heart.



I also made this because I listen better when my hands are busy.


Though it looks darling as a necklace/tutu for Baby B, it's actually part of Sweet P's Halloween costume.  I'm fiercely proud of it.  And completing it in one afternoon was also a nice Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all fierce Joyful Moments!