Simple Happiness

Simple happiness is...

instead of thinking about exercising, actually getting to exercise... watching Brynna's Preschool program and realizing she & I are one and the same, born 25 years apart... Maryn's happy, toothless grin... Lauryn being big enough to swing at the park and loving every minute of it... warm weather, white clouds, blue skies, and the occasional rescuing breeze... flip flops... strawberries fresh from the farmer's market... smelling fresh rosemary from a friend's garden... being welcomed with a liplock... watching Justin get weak watching 'Anchorman' clips... a clean kitchen... baby belly laughs... dance parties after dinner... swaying hips and bobbing heads while listening to my favorites and hulling strawberries... daydreaming...

eating something sweet... laughing with a friend... clean kids... the day winding down. Today was overflowing with my simple happinesses.

What are some of yours?

Sunday Series: Helping Hands

Yesterday Maryn, Brynna and I had the opportunity to go and participate in a Service Project coordinated by our Church throughout the entire Southeast. In different communities throughout the South, the goal was to get 30,000 volunteers out to perform service for our towns, communities and for people of other faiths. When the girls woke up and I told them what we were going to do, they felt grouchy about it and didn't want to go. But we got dressed and headed out the door anyways. We met up at our chapel with others before we split up to the different locations where the service projects were being held. Maryn and Brynna saw the other children that had come with their families to help in the work too. This helped them shed the grumpies and start to get excited. We headed to one of the locations in downtown Woodstock to help in the clean-up effort on Main Street. The girls and I signed in and donned our bright orange, reflective vests and went about collecting trash from the streets and gutters. The Square was teeming with members of our church, planting flowers, painting, and picking up trash. It felt so good to be working with like-minded people for the benefit of others. By the time we left the girls agreed that they had indeed had a good time.

I was thankful for the opportunity to show them that when we help others our happiness improves. I am grateful for Jesus Christ, who set the ultimate example of a life spent doing dedicated service. I know as we try to follow His example and take into our hearts the words He said in John 13:35, which are, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." we will find not only the lives of those whom we willingly serve blessed, but we will find our own lives and families are blessed as well.

Brynna's New 'Do

I came home from work today and was looking at Brynna. Her hair was looking kind of long, straggly and in her face. I decided then and there that it was time to return to the little bob she has sported in the past. It just frames her cute face so well and makes those beautiful, blue eyes of hers just jump out at you. So I grabbed the scissors and started watching her long, blonde locks fall to the floor. When we were done she looked in the mirror and said "Ooh, I look so stylish!" Nothing makes a girl feel better than a good ol' haircut!

Leavin' on a jet plane...

...in June, to this fine place. Without kids. Can you say hip-hip-hooray?! Can you say stoked?! Can you say I am SO there?! I am all of the above! Justin and I were going to skip taking a trip for our 10th Anniversary this year even though we've been wanting to for years. After Justin's lay-off, we decided to get Kung-Fu serious about not acquiring any new debt for any reason. Since January we have not charged a single thing and it's felt AWESOME. We decided while it would be really nice, we could just take a trip another year together.

After Adam & Amanda got engaged, they announced they would be getting married in Arizona on June 5th. In the Young Family, family is first. We support our peeps! So Justin and I made being there top priority. It is worth a little sacrifice to let our family know we love them. After talking about it, we decided it wouldn't be feasible to fly the whole family out without acquiring debt. So Lauryn was going to come with us and we were going to leave Maryn and Brynna in Georgia. Then my sweet, wonderful Mom agreed to fly out and watch all three girls for us!

Justin and I are actually going to get a real getaway together! Did I mention, without kids. Yes that's right, NO KIDS! We decided to seize the opportunity and stay out there an extra couple days after the wedding on Marriott points to celebrate our anniversary and go to the Grand Canyon together. I have always wanted to go and without the kids I can actually enjoy myself without the fear of someone running off a cliff! I am so excited! I can hardly wait! Want to know the even cooler part, Justin and I already bought our plane tickets and for both of them total it was less than $250 for a non-stop, Delta flight! Hot diggety dog! I love it when things come together!

My Epiphany

Toys are my nemesis bent on destroying me. Will they never go away? Will they ever actually be picked up and STAY picked up?! Sigh. If Erma Bombeck were still alive I'm sure she would tell me to savor and love each little mess because all too soon the day will come when there are no messes left to pick up. Sorry Erma, I just don't have it in me. I want the toys gone. Now.

Okay, okay. Just read my favorite Erma quote... and I've been put in my place. I have to say I'll take the messes if it means I get to be a mother. To see my children play, imagine and develop their minds. I wouldn't give back hearing them talk in British accents to each other like proper ladies over a tea party. Or searching for a hair tie or bow, which are supposed to be properly stowed in color coordinated containers in the hairbucket, but instead have become a collar for one of the five million stuffed animals in this house (each of which has a name and is seriously loved). I wouldn't give up every sash, ribbon, shoelace or rope tied up and leashed on or around stuffed animals necks or hooked to baskets in a crude pulley system to get stuff from the downstairs to the upstairs, if it meant I couldn't have my children. I wouldn't give up the explosion of dress up clothes or the books or the stickers stuck to walls and tables or the drawings or trinkets. No, I'll keep them all and feel so lucky to be a mom...but I think I still would like a housekeeper!

Sunday Series

I'm not gonna lie, it's been one of those days! Not a bad day, just tiring. The kids have been kind of squirrelly and mentally exhausting. So since they are now ready for bed, I'm going to try to convince them to sleep and then just sit down and chill with Justin. I mean, after all Sunday is a day of rest. So I'm gonna take a minute and do just that! Hope all of you had a wonderful Sunday though!

The Chicks Have Hatched!

I've launched a new blog with the help of my friends! It was just conceived last night and launched this morning! But here's to hoping it's a success at getting up and going! Let the saving begin!