updating my blog banner (finally, after some minor issues) and apologizing to my readers that you had to look at photos of Christmas trees clear into April!
listening to...
Lego House by Ed Sheeran
Sleeping to Dream sung Live by Jason Mraz
Breakeven by The Script
Just Give Me A Reason, Pink featuring Nate Ruess (my dance class "cool down" song)
Maroon Five's Daylight
China by Tori Amos
Father and Son, the classic sung by Cat Stevens
Third Day's For the Rest of My Life
Thrift Shop (the clean version) sung by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (remember I have a house of teens...and take a Club Dance class for exercise)
appreciating...old friendships and new relationships.
watching...weekly track meets and loving that my kids enjoy the lifetime sport of running.
celebrating... the return of flowers, bursts of colors and sunshine in this neck of the woods
planning...summer camping trips
anticipating... our annual excuse to dress-up in costume in support of a nonprofit I work with. This year we're going to be The Cat in the Hat for the Dr. Seuss theme.
The 1970's/Disco Theme from two years ago.
navigating...high school registration - honestly, it seems as if it was last week that I was walking hand in hand to the kindergarten classroom and now he's excitedly registering for our last four years with him under our roof.
Kindergarten orientation
struggling... with the passage of time spurred by loss - the death of a college friend and two family friends; and my children's first childhood home burning down (a planned burn).
The home site will make a wonderful location for a new home with views of the coastal range and amazing sunsets.
enjoying...planting flowers and preparing our garden
weeding...not the favorite chore but preferred over bathroom detail
exploring... what makes ideas "stick" while reading this book
learning...how to be a better writer/storyteller
missing...time-off to experience true rest and relaxation
loving...this guy as we celebrate our Anniversary today! Grateful that I share my journey through life with him!
Between work deadlines and commitments, weekend travels for sports, Spring Break and raising busy kids - my month slipped away and kept me away from this blog...and I realized how much I love sharing and posting.
Here are a few photo and Instragram snippets of mysterious March and April that encompass travels and activities covering our whereabouts across four states (a few more for the Hubs).
Recently, out-of-nowhere, typical to Miss B's blunt line of questioning, my daughter asked me how I am "always so happy". She continued to tell me that her friends had noticed that I was "always smiling". First of all, this made me chuckle because I can think about all the times that I am not happy and what a good snow job I must pull off on those around me. Then I think that there is no way she doesn't know when I am not happy as reflected in my reaction to her not getting up in a timely fashion in the morning, the rolling of the eyes exhibited by the pre-teens and teens in our house, the squabbling and teasing amongst siblings, the complaints about rules...I could go on and on.
But honestly, I am so thrilled that this kid sees me as being happy because SHE makes me happy! I love being a mom to our kids. Of course, parenthood is not easy nor perfect...let's be real. But, wow, I feel lucky to get this opportunity to help steer these kids into adulthood and enjoy them along the way.
So, Miss B's comment made me really think about happiness.
When I am happiest, I am doing something that really matters in the world. Perhaps it is as small and organic as making my own family feel loved or as large as writing a grant that will solve a huge problem for a non-profit changing and saving lives. No matter what, I realize that happiness is a state of mind and only I can determine that happiness.
I remember at one point someone telling me to smile from the center of your self when you were nervous, sad or glum and to pull that smile forward until that smile ended up on your face.
In high school, I tried to always walk the halls smiling, to exude happiness (and as a result, my first boyfriend coined me with the nickname "Smiley"). I think it's next to impossible not to smile back at someone sharing a smile with you. I believe that sharing a smile with strangers is one of the most simple ways we can melt unhappiness, break barriers and open ourselves to inner joy. I think the old saying goes "Frown and you frown alone, but smile and the whole world smiles with you."
So, what makes people happy?
Alan Epstien, Ph.D., author of How to Be Happier Day by Day believes happiness comes from the attitude we bring to everything we do and every action we take.
The Happy Book author, Barbara Ann Kipfer equates happiness from finding and noticing the little things in life.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines happiness as 'a state of well-being and contentment: joy; good fortune; a pleasurable or satisfying experience; felicity'.
I love this adapted list originally created by Stephen Covey ,
"What Happy People Do Differently":
Express gratitude.
Cultivate optimism. See the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.
Avoid over-thinking and social compaison. Only compare yourself to yourself before now.
Practice acts of kindness. Selflessly help others.
Nurture social relationships. The happiest people are the ones who have deep, meaningful relationships.
Develop strategies for coping. Healthy strategies that are pre-reheased/on-call and in your arsenal at your disposal.
Learn to forgive. The only person you hurt when you harbor hatred is your own well-being.
Increase flow experiences. Flow = the state in which time stands still with no distractions competing for your focus.
Savor life's joys. Slow it down to enjoy the joy.
Commit to your goals. Magical things happen when we commit to doing whatever it takes to get somewhere.
Practice spirituality. Recognize that life is bigger than us. Surrender the silly idea that we are the mightiest things ever.
Take care of your body. This is crucial to being the happiest you can be. -Adapted from www.FB.com/TributetoStephenCovey by Marc
When I was fresh out of college and enjoying the beginning of my career, this horoscope was printed and it's been saved in a journal over the years:
Enjoy what's yours already. Family, a great job, love from your friends - all of these things (and others!) are what give you simple happiness every day.
A few of my favorite happy things:
Spending quality time with my family and friends (I know it's cliche but it's my number one)
Wiggling my toes in warm, sandy beaches (there was ice on the deck this morning)
Finishing a day feeling that I've made a difference
Hearing my children laughing together
Working out, especially dancing, and pushing my body
Cooking and baking for others and taste-testing new recipes
Loving others and feeling loved - I also love "love" and romance.
Reading cookbooks, cooking magazines or recipes snuggled in bed
Packages delivered to my doorstep
Writing, photography, and scrapbooking allow me to be creative
Exploring, traveling and escaping daily routines
Finishing all the tasks on my to-do lists and beating deadlines early
Our family loves cranberry juice. Over the last year we have fallen in love with the Ocean Spray Cranberry with a hint of Lime version. The kids beg for this stuff. This fizz gets the same reaction. It's perfect for entertaining!
1 can (12 ounces) frozen cranberry juice concentrate
3 cups cold water
1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened
2 liters (8 cups) chilled ginger ale
Instructions:
1. Slice two of the limes and set aside. Pour cranberry juice concentrate and water into a pitcher and mix.
2. Zest and juice remaining two limes into pitcher. Scoop sorbet and plunge to combine. Add ginger ale and lime slices. Mix gently and serve over ice.
Yields: 16 servings
Variations:
Lemon Lime Fizz
Substitute frozen limeade for the cranberry, lemon lime soda for the ginger ale and lemon sorbet for the raspberry sorbet.
Adult Version of the Fizz
For a 21 and older version, you could add 2 cups of flavored vodka such as raspberry, cranberry, currant, citrus or lime to the fizz.
To garnish rims of glasses, zest one lime and combine with 1/2 cup of sugar. The Hubs learned this great trick from our friend Bryan - to moisten the glasses, rub rim of glass with lime wedge and dip rim of glass into sugar mixture.
The Hub's Grandma Pat was famous for making oodles of pies for Thanksgiving. We are talking upwards of 115 pies! Granted, she had a large family with 39 grandchildren for which the Hubs is the oldest. In her living room a tree is painted across the entire wall and on each branch is a photo of each of her children with their spouse, followed by family photos of each of her grandchildren pictured with their families, branching off the corresponding parent.
When I first married into the family and met the Arizona side of the family, it helped to view the tree wall and to attempt to learn who went with who (I'm still learning)! There is also an accompanying scrapbook that serves as another great "cheat sheet" with information about each family accompanied by photos and names.
Isn't she adorable?
Last month, Grandma Pat passed away and I wanted to publicly thank her for raising such a wonderful family. The love and closeness this family experiences, despite the sheer number, amazes me.
Grandma Pat with her first grandchild
Two Christmases ago, my sweet mother-in-law Cindy, gifted me some of her families treasured recipes. I set about right away baking each recipe, thrilled to be able to replicate the Hubs' favorites. From the cornbread to the sweet Swedish Rye Bread to the Apple Dumplings and Pumpkin Bread- I absolutely love and treasure these recipes! They immediately became favorites. Talk about thoughtful gifts and we all know how much I adore recipes!
It is with permission, that I share, in memory of Grandma Pat Wilson, the most scrumptious cornbread recipe.
A girl in love with the seasons who wants to cram as much as she can into the 365 days of the year to live a life of bliss. Welcome to What Matters Most Now! I hope you will find inspiration and recipes you love.
