Day 755: Play Dough

Last week the kids decided to break out the play dough.  Only to discover that all we had was the tiny pink container Little M just got for Valentine's.  Apparently, all of the rest had dried up.

There was no time that day, so I promised the kids we'd make play dough today (Sweet P had early release from school).  It turned out to be doubly good planning because we ended up being asked to babysit the girl we carpool with.

I'm not really the best with other people's kids.  It's only through a lot of time and effort (and love) that I "get" my own children.  And I've yet to meet other children that are like my own.  So, play dates frequently overwhelm me.

But, enter Homemade Play Dough, and I'm the Play Date Hero.  Super Cool Mom.

Plus, it always brings back such fun memories (a.k.a. Joyful Moments) of making it with my mom and then mixing in the colors to the still-hot-dough with my siblings.  Even the smell makes me happy.

Which is odd because it's a strange smell.

As always, it was a rip roarin' success with all of my fans.

And entertained them for a good two hours.

And it was a Joyful Moment for us all.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that entertain for at least two hours!

Day 754: Snuggoo

I think there was a hoard of demons in our home last night.

The kids kept waking up with all sorts of bizarre noises.  It took me 1 1/2 hours to fall asleep and then they woke me up all throughout the remainder of the night.

Even Darling A did her part to keep me awake.  Although, an active baby is hardly something to be upset about.  Even in the middle of the night.

So, I surprised myself by being in a good mood when the alarm went off.

I won't divulge how long this good mood lasted...

On another vein, Baby B is pretty tired these days.  Now that he can climb out of the crib on his own, he doesn't lay back down and go back to sleep after something (or someone) wakes him up.  This makes him a sleepy, sad little guy a lot of the time.

And mostly, this makes my life more challenging.

However, it has also made him more cuddly.  We spent several minutes this afternoon, again during dinner, and again before bed snuggling.  Joyful Moments all three times.

Especially at dinner when he leaned over to me and said, "snuggoo, snuggoo, snuggoo!"

Heart-melter.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with sweet snuggoos!

Day 753: Bump

Today was not my best day.

I've been having more struggles with headaches and backaches.  Fun.

And, to be totally honest, I have at least one bad brush with the depression per week it seems.  I came close a couple times last week, but managed to do alright.

So, the Big D came back with a vengeance this morning.

Thus, not a super Joyful Moment-y day.

But HH did what he did.  Took care of me and the rest of the world, like it was no big deal.  Then proceeded to tell me how amazing he thinks I am despite the fact that I struggle horribly with depression all the while living a life that is nearly perfect and as close to a dream come true as it gets.

I regret that none of you can every fully appreciate just how amazing my HH is.  But he is.

So, I'm going to have to go with these spontaneous 5-month bump shots as my Joyful Moment for today.  I'm actually past 5 months, but I kept waiting for the perfect moment when I was wearing something cute, my hair looked good, my face looked good, HH was home, and I actually remembered to get the camera out.

As you can see, tonight I gave up on everything except HH being home and remembering to get the camera out.

So, I look good in my pj's with the lovely shadow behind me.  But there it is.  My baby bump.  Yay for my sweet little growing girl!

Wishing you all very Joyful Moment-y days tomorrow!

Day 753: Between Birthdays

Last year, we decided to just to "friend" birthday parties every other year.  And on the off years, we promised we do something extra fun as a family.

This year, we picked a sort of pricey "extra fun" destination, so we told the kids we'd go one time in between their birthdays to celebrate them all.  Today was the day.

We went to a big, indoor water park.

Not the best lighting, but you can see a little of my bump, Sweet P's ecstatic enthusiasm, and Little M's punkness and lack of willingness to cooperate for the one photo with me in it during the whole day's activities.

We all had a lot of fun, but these two especially had a blast.  They both told me this was even more fun than a birthday party--so, I guess it was a success!  Watching them race around, go down slides, and splash all over was definitely a Joyful Moment.

Baby B was not quite as keen on the idea of it all.  It didn't help that his super excited big sister woke everyone up before dawn this morning.  So, he was ready for a nap about when we got there.  And his skinny little body was freezing cold from the moment he got wet.  So, when we all hopped in some tubes to float down the lazy river, he was more than happy to snuggle up in my arms and proceeded to fall asleep.  The two of us, along with Little M, floated around that way for quite some time while Sweet P and HH went down the big slides (Little M wasn't quite tall enough).  Then HH came back and took Little M to go explore some other fun spots.  While Baby B slept on.

I'll be honest, seeing all the adoring smiles of passers-by was a Joyful Moment for me.  Can I help it if having other people appreciate the cute, sweetness of one of my children makes me happy?  Not to mention, just having my sweet little baby all snuggled up in my arms.

Although, floating down the lazy river for more than an hour was not exactly a Joyful Moment for my back.

Fortunately, after this nap and some lunch, Baby B kind of warmed up to the park and began having some fun.

I went down a couple slides with Sweet P.  She feels so big and grown up at times like this and it was a Joyful Moment hanging out with her.

The whole day went really well.  We had a ton of fun.  But it completely wore me out and finally getting to relax after getting home and cleaning up was definitely a nice Joyful Moment as well.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are even more fun than a birthday party!

Day 752: Oh, The Horror!

Earlier this week HH announced, "I need to take you out on a hot date this weekend!"

And then, he proceeded to make all the preparations--including scheduling a babysitter.  That in and of itself was a Joyful Moment for me, but of course, the night was an even greater one.

First, we went to dinner at a restaurant I've been wanting him to try (I went with my gal pals a while ago).  It was so nice and the food was delicious!  And he loved it, just as I was hoping.

Then we went to a local production of "Little Shop of Horrors".  We both really enjoy musicals, so it was fun to see this together.  Especially because we haven't been to a theatrical performance since leaving the East Coast.  It wasn't quite up to Broadway quality, but it was cute.  And just fun.

All in all, it was a great evening.  A nice break from the routine and a great chance to just be together.  Thanks HH for an evening full of Joyful Moments!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments where someone else schedules the babysitter!

Day 751: Fun Fun Fun

Tonight I went out with some girlfriends I haven't hung out with before.  We're friends at the gym, but have never gotten together to just hang out.  So, I was flattered when they invited me to join in on celebrating a friend's birthday.

It was so fun chatting and hanging out!  There are so many great people here, and I feel very blessed to have such sweet and fun friends.

Although I couldn't stay too long--I get tired pretty early these days, it was a Joyful Moment hanging out and getting to know them better.

It was also a Joyful Moment to discover that my computer and my memory card are friends again.  This is a fun shot HH took while I was out.  Baby B has been on the rampage lately and leaves a massive wake of destruction behind him, wherever he goes.  This was the remainder of a jumbo pack of diapers.  And if you look closely, you can see a few cookie cutters up near Z.  The rest of those (100+) are scattered in the kitchen.

Oh, toddlerhood.  How I've missed you.

Coming home to a freshly cleaned home was a Joyful Moment for me, though.  Actually, HH was in the middle of mopping the floor when I walked in.  And while I wrapped up a phone call with my mom he gave Z a much much much needed bath.

It was a Joyful Moment mixed with a twinge of guilt.  How did I get so lucky?

Day 750: Check, Check

I didn't have a ton of energy today, but somehow I managed to cross a bunch of things off of my to-do list.  The kind of things that have been on there for far too long.

I cleaned out the van.  Desperately needing it for a while, but even more so since Sweet P's unfortunate encounter with a mud puddle last week.

Clean seats, walls, and carpets in my van give me repeated Joyful Moments every time I climb in.

I finally took some old baby clothes (boy) to a children's consignment shop.  And made a little cash.  Who doesn't get a Joyful Moment from making money?

I baked bread.  We only just ran out of the last batch I baked, but it's nice to have a steady supply again.  That hasn't happened since I got pregnant.

Yummy, healthy bread.  With the last of my homemade strawberry jam.  Delicious Joyful Moments.

And then HH announced to me that he has planned a super fun and exciting date for Friday night.  He even called the baby sitters!

It might be a bit premature to announce that as a Joyful Moment since it's really coming on Friday, but it was still a Joyful Moment to know that he did all that for me.  He's so great.

I love my HH.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and items off your to-do list!

Day 749: Bows and Lace

Tonight I went shopping with a really good friend up in the big city.

For baby clothes!

I started out kind of slow and hesitant (trying to be good about our budget), but as the evening wore on I warmed up to the idea and wound up with more than I expected.  But I did get some rally good deals.  And some even more adorable clothes!

So many Joyful Moments!

I even got a few things for myself.  As in $200 worth of clothes from the Loft for less than $5 out of pocket for me.  Beat that Joyful Moment!

I got some amazing stuff from Janie and Jack, one of my favorite stores.  But I think this simple layette might have been my very favorite.  With the matching pants that have a darling ruffle across the bum.  Ah!  So cute!  I'm so excited to dress Darling A (not perfectly set on this yet) in it all!

And on top of all of this, I got to hang out with my friend.  Tons of great conversation, laughs, and just plain fun.

And on the way up, I got to talk to my mom for a bit.  Which was really nice because I haven't done that in far too long.  Love you, Mom!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are as fun as bum ruffles!

Day 748: Skypily

Today was actually a pretty good day.

The kids had the day off of school, so we had a nice relaxed schedule.  No rushing anywhere.  I even made it to my yoga class without having to rush anyone.

Tonight we all enjoyed our reward for meeting our goals the last two weeks.  We went to a local frozen yogurt joint.  They have a new flavor--cinnamon something or other.  It was amazing.  And it was a total Joyful Moment.

But today's real Joyful Moment was skyping with my younger sister.  It's her birthday.  The kids were kind of crazy, but it was still really fun to chat with her and see her cute little guy giggling over my crazies' antics.

Happy Birthday, Little Sis!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments so delightful!

Day 747: Canasta

This afternoon was a little rough.  We had a house full of Grumps.  And I didn't do the best job of rising above it.

But tonight HH managed to help talk me out of it.  And then we played a couple rousing rounds of Canasta.  I thoroughly thrashed him the first time, and he beat me the second time.  But not nearly so thoroughly as I him.

So, I was happy.

I like winning.

Wishing you all winning Joyful Moments!

Day 746: Picnic

Every winter we have at least one indoor picnic.

Tonight was our first for this year.  I took some really great pictures.  But my computer wouldn't read my memory card and in an effort to remedy that, I somehow deleted all of the photos on the card.

I am sad.

Fortunately, the picnic itself was quite a Joyful Moment.

Imagine here a picture of HH, Sweet P, and Little M happily dining on hot dogs while sitting on our official picnic blanket by the fireplace.

Now, imagine here a picture of Baby B sitting on a stool that he has pushed far away from the counter top in his fit over lack of understanding of this tradition.  With his sweet little grumpy face.

He eventually decided to join us when we were about halfway through the meal.  And then he proceeded to make a huge mess with potato chips.

Still a Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments with photos still intact!

Day 745: A Tale of Three Joyful Moments

Okay, it's not much of a tale, but I did have three (among others) really standout Joyful Moments today.

The first was finally finding a moment to catch up with a friend.  Mostly, I wanted to hear all about her trip home to visit her parents late last month, but I really haven't had much time to hang out with her in quite some time, so it was a Joyful Moment just visiting and getting all caught up again.

The second was a spontaneous wrestling match with the kids.  I don't do this very frequently, but Baby B told me, "Wan wessle" and how could I resist?  The older two were pleasantly surprised and quite excited when the realized what was going on.

Of course, then Little M told me that had "light savers" (a.k.a light sabers) and promptly cut me in half.

I'm so thrilled that HH has been watching the Star Wars prequels with them.  Thrilled.

But, it was still a lot of fun.  Mostly, just because they were so happy to have me playing that way with them.  Joyful Moments all around.

And the third was an unexpected call from a sister-in-law.  I always love talking to her.  She's amazing and sweet and funny.  And I couldn't love her more.  So, Joyful Moment to hear her voice and be blessed by her conversation.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that come in lucky threes!

Day 744: De-Stress

So, I'm in charge of the activities for the women in my church congregation.  Fortunately, we only hold them every other month.  But tonight was the first one I was in charge of.  And the main problem was that the activity itself was not my idea, so there were many things that I was either unfamiliar with, or had no control over.

But, it happened anyway.

And it seemed to be a success.

The basic summary of it is that we cooked a bunch of ground beef and prepared a bunch of chicken that I and one other lady had cooked earlier.  Then we packaged them all up for the women to take home and freeze to help get a jump start on future dinners calling for ground beef or diced chicken.  And we made a bunch of this flour mix to make dinner rolls and such.

Whew!

Everyone seemed happy with the food mixes and they all were quite chatty and cheerful while doing the work.

And everyone was SO helpful.  Most even stayed until the cleanup was complete.  I can't say how much I appreciated this!

Driving home and having it all over was probably today's Joyful Moment.  I had spent a lot of time in the weeks leading up to it and almost all of today in preparation (and stress!), so I'm just so happy to have it over with and to be pleased with how it went.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and a relaxing day tomorrow!

Day 743: Stress

I've got a busy busy day coming up tomorrow.

And today was busy getting ready for tomorrow's business.

And I don't deal with stress well.  I try.  But I don't.

Today's Joyful Moment was when Baby B finally relented and stayed in his bed long enough to fall asleep.  It took quite a bit of time and effort on my part, but it still happened.  And seeing his peaceful sleeping face was such a relief of a Joyful Moment.

Wishing you all sleep-filled Joyful Moments (sorry, I'm really tired tonight)!

Day 742: Be Mine...Oh, Wait, You Already Are!

Today was wonderful.

(Minus one bit in the middle.  Baby B has been threatening to give up naps the last couple days.  And today he topped it off by discovering how to get out of his crib.  I might have been sitting outside his bedroom door crying when HH surprised me by arriving home early).

But it started off well.

I walked into the kitchen and learned the real reason why HH returned home late from the gym last night.  And what took him so long to come to bed.  He even trimmed all the stems!

And all day long, every time I walked into the kitchen I was greeted by their amazingly delightful scent.

As much as I hate being stereotypical--I'm quite partial to roses.

So, they were a Joyful Moment source and will be for days to come.  Yay for flowers!

I made this fun (and super simple) breakfast for the kids.  They were pretty excited about it!  Joyful Moment for me.

And then after HH's early arrival home, he pampered me, took care of me, and truly made my evening wonderful.

He is a Joyful Moment in my life.

Happy Valentine's Day, my love!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and someone to love on this loving holiday!

Day 741: Sweethearts

Today's Joyful Moment was making these sweetheart cupcakes:

With a couple of my very own sweethearts here at home.  They did a great job and we all had a lot of fun doing it.

And we had a lot fun eating them for Family Home Evening treats tonight.  After our second year of the Valentine's tradition where everyone takes turns going around and say what we love about each person.  Lots of fun.  And HH waxed super sweet and lengthy in his list of things I love about me.

Isn't he a sweetheart?!

Wishing you all sweetheart Joyful Moments!

Day 740: Sticker Chart

A couple weeks ago, HH was in charge of our Family Home Evening lesson.  Among other things, he decided to help us each come up with a way to make the hardest part of our day easier.

For the kids, the hardest part of the day is typically violin practice.  So, Sweet P decided to work on "focusing better", meaning that she'll actually listen and respond when I remind her of the posture point she's supposed to be working on for that day.  Little M promised to not whine before, or during his practice each day.

You can tell that HH's real motive was to find ways to make my day easier. (c:

We've been working on our goals for a week now.  It's been modest progress, at best.

But today was amazing.  They both did fantastic.  Especially Sweet P (who has not been doing as well at her goal as Little M has).  She made huge progress on a couple songs that she's really been struggling with for a while.

Ah, I cannot express what a wonderful Joyful Moment that was for me!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments that are music to your ears!

Day 739: Fireman

Something weird happened yesterday.  Not really sure what, but I've just felt "off".  Every time I go up my stairs I have to sit down.  It's weird.

So, we didn't do a ton today.

But that didn't stop this little guy from getting all dressed up.  He actually put this outfit together all by himself.   I'm pretty sure that he had no idea that the overalls and boots made him look just like a real fireman.  He was just excited about this "aht".  And he looked so cute, I didn't even mind that it is actually the top of Little M's lamp, and not a dress up.

And the cuteness of it all was a Joyful Moment.

As was making a fun Valentine's Chex mix with the kids and then coming up with the perfect containers to package it in for their teachers at church tomorrow.

It's the little things that brought Joyful Moments today.

And some good, relaxing family time.

Wishing you all little sources of Joyful Moments!

Day 738: Date Night!!!

This is the day that is looked forward to year round at our house.

The day of the Daddy Daughter Dance.  Sweet P love love loves this night out with her daddy.

She got a little upset when I told her to go put on a dress.  So, I told her she could pick her outfit, but it needed to be nice.  This is what she came up with.  HH said she was by far, the most casually dressed daughter there.  She just doesn't get into all of that girly stuff.

And even though I kind of wish she did, I'm glad she's not afraid to be true to herself and do what she wants.

They had an absolute blast!

Meanwhile, the boys and I shared the traditional Mommy Son Donut Date.

Not sure what setting the camera was on for this beauty, but it was the best of the bunch.

This was Baby B's first year being invited.  He was not as enthusiastic as you might think.  Sure, he was happy to eat all of the frosting and sprinkles off of the top of his donut.  But then he was mad mad mad.

So, we put him to bed and then watch "The Incredibles" together until HH and Sweet P returned home from their night out on the town.

And truthfully, I think everyone (including Baby B) was doing exactly what they were happiest doing.

Joyful Moments were had by all and sweet memories were made.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments worthy of year-long anticipation!

Day 737: Cutie Patooties

This morning Baby B started crying as soon as we walked into the childcare center at my gym.  He usually puts up a bit of a fuss when I start to leave him and then he settles down as soon as I'm gone (he just likes to make me feel guilty).  But today he was upset the second we walked through the door.  So, I hung up his coat and diaper bag and then went back to him.  I asked him if he wanted a snuggle and a hug and he walked over with his arms open wide, signaling 'yes'.

We stood there like that for at least a minute or two (actually, I wasn't standing.  I have to crouch to be short enough to schnuggle that little guy).  I rubbed his bag and he just burrowed in.  And then he pulled away and walked over to the play area.

And it was a Joyful Moment.  I love that he is still so young and sweet that just having his mama's love gives him the comfort and confidence to face the things that worry him.

Speaking of Baby B, he did a couple cute things today that I just need to record somewhere, so here is the place for tonight.

Yesterday I had a scented candle burning on the stove.  I rarely do that because of Sweet P's allergies, but this one is soy, so I think it's better.  Anyway, he walked over and pointed to it a couple times saying something that sounded like, "choo choo".  I've tried to teach him what a train says, but he's never really been interested enough to pick up on it.  He's just more than content to play with the actually "chain" (train).

Well, he did it again this morning and I listened closer and realized that he was actually saying, "Appy Birsday choo you".

Oh, melt my heart!  It was soooooo cute!

Later, when he woke up from his nap, he began hitting one fist against his other open palm and then said, "Wock, sis-sor".  Funny and darling!  I didn't realize we did much of that around here.  Apparently, we do.

Anyway, I just have one more Joyful Moment to share with you.  This afternoon I posted on facebook something about needing a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie.

Well, HH read that and promptly announced that he would make me cookies while I was out this evening.  (I had a fairly busy night with a variety of odds and ends).  And that announcement was a total Joyful Moment for me.  I love how quick he is to make me happy.

And he would have, too.  But I returned home an hour early.  He still wanted to, but I talked him out of it (and put all the ingredients away) because I'd really rather just spend time with him.

And with that, I close this sort of lengthy post, so I can go do just that.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments filled with darlingness and/or fresh baked cookies!

Day 736: Succumbed

Yes, I went to bed last night knowing that my body had given up the fight and I, too, had fallen victim to the dreaded Plague.

But, I survived today.

For the most part, the kids took it easy on me and we had mac n' cheese from a box for dinner.  Well, they did.  Fortunately for HH, he had a work dinner.

I'm not sure if it was a Joyful Moment, but a moment I'm really grateful for is when Little M asked me "what's that burning smell?"  I replied that it was probably just something on the burner, under the saucepan.  Then I looked over to check and there was Baby B, sitting on a stool with the unopened box of mac n' cheese laying on the burner, next to the now-pushed-aside saucepan.

Smoking.

As in, about to start on fire.

Thanks to Little M's acute nose, disaster was averted.  I just had to sort out a few burned noodles.

So much better than what could have been.

But, like I said, the feeling was more one of relief and gratitude than joy.

I guess my Joyful Moment would have to be selling our old dresser on Craigslist today.  This means someone else is going to come take it off our hands and we got some money for it!  Yay!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and fire-free evenings!

Day 735: Return of The Plague

Sweet P came into our room last night announcing she was sick.  HH handled it and came back and told me she was fine.

This morning she first said she felt fine and okay to go to school.  But as the morning progressed she began asking to stay home.  This is very unlike her, but as far as I could tell, she seemed fine, so I told her I thought she should go.

About 60 seconds before her ride was to come pick her up, she dashed off to the bathroom and it was Christmas morning all over again.

Minus the presents.

And all the fun.

But quite like it with all the laundry and bathroom cleaning for me.  Yay!

Fortunately, she seems to be doing much better.  Unfortunately, poor HH seems to have finally succumbed to it.  And my tummy seems to still be sitting on the fence as to whether I'll get a Round 2 like Sweet P, or manage to let it pass me by.

The good news is, Little M and Baby B both seem to have been spared.  Knock on wood.  Really hard.

Fortunately for today, it was Sweet P's parent/teacher conference tonight.  So, Joyful Moments were still to be had.  It was a great visit with her teacher.  It's so satisfying to see how much she genuinely cares for my daughter.  I love it.  She's such a great teacher too.  Yes.  Joyful Moments for sure.

And then I ventured over to the Book Fair, per Sweet P's instructions.  She had found a book that she thinks Little M will just love and wanted to buy it for him for his birthday next month.  With her own money.  How sweet is that?  It's no wonder he adores her.  So, picking that up for her was another really sweet Joyful Moment for this mama.

And actually, the rest of the day was not a total loss either.  The kids were actually pretty well-behaved and we still managed to have a good day, all things considered.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments brought to you by snake books that include 3-D glasses!

Day 734: Satisfactory

Today was a good day.

Yesterday, I wrote several letters that I've been putting off (I'm the worst at sending mail) and I made the kids draw accompanying pictures and letters as well (they were all for family).

Today, I mailed them.  Including a copy of the Book of Mormon for someone I care about very much who has recently expressed interest in what we members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe.

That was a Joyful Moment.  Both for sharing something so special to me and simply for finally crossing many things off my to-do list.

And then the rest of the day just went well.  I'm not saying things were perfect.  We still had our tantrums and issues.  Baby B actually sent me to my room for looking at him.  Like this, "Go Bed!"  I was smiling at him and he was happy moments before.

That kid has some attitude issues.

But he's adorable.

Anyway, it was kind of a Joyful Moment because it was so funny.

Then we got even more to-do items checked off this evening, including dropping about 5 bags worth of stuff of at Goodwill.  Hooray for de-junking and donating!

Capping off the evening with a great Family Home Evening and some yummy Oh Henry Bars for treats!

Wishing you all Joyful Moments and a timely "Time Out" from time to time!

Day 733: Sick Day

Well, we've all been fighting off a nasty cold for the past few days.  We weren't feeling fantastic when we went to bed last night, and you know how you always feel kind of the worst first thing in the morning?

And HH hadn't been able to get us fully "dug out" yesterday.  The snow was pretty deep and heavy and he was already pretty sick.

And that's why we missed church today.

But, we did get to skype with my parents this morning.  And that was my Joyful Moment.  It was so fun to see and chat with them.  We love you!

Later in the day, we ventured out to finish un-burying our house.  Or, at least our road.  They don't really get the whole concept of "plowing" out here.  Worst I've ever seen.  So, we had to shovel all of the snow off of our road in order to be able to escape tomorrow.

HH tried to keep me inside, but I'm worried about him being sick, too, so I helped out.

And at some point, the kids snuck off to do this:

Not the best activity for the Sabbath, but they've been so cooped up with Mom and Dad being sick, I had a hard time telling them no.

And I have to admit that it was a Joyful Moment watching them have so much fun together, too.  But then the snow shoveling, sickness, and pregnancy caught up with me and it was all I could do to get myself back up that hill and into the house to rest.

I'm.  So.  Tired.

At least we had a slow, restful day today.

Wishing you all happy smiles and chubby faces (my kids, not my parents) to bring you Joyful Moments on your sick days!

Day 732: Snowed In

We really haven't had much snow to speak of this year.  In fact, if you've been reading this all week, you know we've actually been having pretty pleasant weather.

So, when I heard the forecast for massive amounts of snow piling in overnight, I kind of didn't believe them.

Then I peaked out the window early this morning and saw several inches piled up on the little tiny branches of the very thin trees outside my bedroom window.  And much much more on the ground.  There was well over a foot piled up on top of the grill.

I guess we won't be having ribs any time soon.

The kids could hardly wait to get outside and get playing.

This was Baby B's first time out in the snow and I'm afraid he was severely disappointed.

He is not upset over wearing a girly, pink scarf--I promise.

He's mad because he has gloves on his hands and they get in the way of everything he does.  I eventually conceded and pulled them off, but he still had a rough go of it.  The snow was so deep and thick and he was virtually immobilized by all of his snow gear that every time he fell over (often), he was completely helpless to get up.

Fortunately, they all went back out later in the day to shovel the driveway.  And this time, I just put some mittens on, so his hands weren't completely frozen right away, but he could still move them.  And HH was out there to help him when he fell down.  He lasted much much longer this time and actually had some fun.

These three had a grand old time, however.

It was a Joyful Moment watching them play and build and truly enjoy themselves.

Baby B didn't last too long.  After warming up with a sippy cup of hot cocoa, he asked to go "nigh, nigh" and took a super long nap.  Apparently, the cold done wore him out.

And then HH and I set to work on more bedroom improvements.

We have stuff hung on our walls now!

And I uploaded today's photos fulling expecting to see the pictures I took of the latest improvements.

Unfortunately, they were a figment of my imagination.  I must have thought about taking pictures so many times that I eventually just believed I'd already done it.

So, another day.

But looking at everything we hung gives me a Joyful Moment every time.  HH and I do not share the same taste.  However, I think that the combination of both of our tastes is actually pretty nice.

And we even found a way to make all of the furniture in our bedroom actually fit in our bedroom.  That was another Joyful Moment.

Hooray for a super productive snow day!

Wishing you all the occasional (very occasional, if you're anything like me) Joyful Moment found on a snowy, wintry day!

Day 731: Light Heart

Okay, pictures first--because I don't want Megan to die.

It's important to me that that not happen.

The bedding took longer to resolve than I expected.  I can't even tell you how many white down-alternative comforters I have looked at over the past few days.  Billions, probably.  This was my first foray into the world of duvets.

In the end, Target was the answer for both the duvet cover and the comforter.  Target makes me happy.

Before:

There really isn't place in my room to take a picture that does the layout justice.  This was the best overall.  It's funny to look at it now and see all of the ugly, mismatched furniture that we've collected along the way.  We always planned on getting something nice, new, and matchy, so we didn't really think about how awful it all looked together.

After (as of now, but there is more to come):

Again, sadly, this is the best angle I could do.  The dresser matches the nightstands and is quite large.  But pretty and not overly ornate like the old one.

But you can see there is a bit of a space issue.  The recliner really needs to go, but it's where I feed my babies in the night, so we could kick it out temporarily, but it will need to come back in a few months.  So, we're tossing around different ideas of what to do.

Tomorrow we plan to begin hanging stuff on the walls, though.  I'm pretty excited about that.

While finally deciding on the right comforter and seeing how pretty it makes the duvet look was definitely a Joyful Moment, it's not the one I'm choosing tonight.

Tonight I went to the temple with my HH.

It was just what I needed.  I've been getting bogged down with icky feelings the past few days, but after going to the temple, I feel refreshed and my heart is so much lighter.  And while I was there, I was able to find a quiet moment to pray for all of the people I love who are dealing with really tough things right now.  And the peaceful, sweet spirit residing in the temple really helped me feel more at peace for all of these good people.  Things will get better for all.

Plus, HH and I had the long drives there and back to just enjoy each other's company (and some deliciously yummy Jimmy John's sandwiches on the way home!).  And then a bonus of a spontaneous donut stop.  More yums.

Joyful Moments all around.

Wishing you all Joyful Moments all around!

Day 730: Good Talk

Today is my dad's birthday.

And I actually had 20 minutes of time without kids to talk to him.  Not that talking to him with the kids is entirely bad.  They all love and adore each other.  So, talking between them is a good thing.

But, it's nice to be able to have a grown up conversation with my own dad once in a while.

I think I might have mentioned it here once or twice, but I really love my dad.  He's such a great guy.  And that chat with him was hands down today's Joyful Moment.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Wishing you all 20 minutes of time to do something that gives you a Joyful Moment!

Day 729: It's HUGE!

Our new bedroom furniture came today and that is the only thing HH said to me for the next 5 minutes.

Seriously.

And then we parted ways so he could take one child to taekwondo at one location and I could take one to another location.

As soon as we were all back home together, wanna guess what he said to me?

"It's HUGE!!!"

I guess it's a big step to go from a queen-size bed sitting only on a metal frame and two modest, mismatched nightstands to a king-size with headboard and foot board and a pair of decent-sized night stands.

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture for you.

We decided that we didn't really like how the new comforter fit inside the duvet and we disassembled the bedding before I remembered to take a picture.  And now it's really not looking its best, so it's going to wait until I get the new comforter tomorrow night.

Still... getting the new, pretty furniture here at my house was definitely today's Joyful Moment.

Well, that and when HH told me (with great enthusiasm) that I look really great today.  I'm not sure if it's my growing belly, or the fact that I'm usually in pajama pants by the time he gets home, but I haven't been hearing that as often lately.  So, it was extra appreciated tonight.

Wishing you all HUGE Joyful Moments!