I'll have the gumbo with a side of joy please...

WRITER'S WORKSHOP PROMPT:
Lesson learned...



I recently learned a valuable lesson from a well known financial guru who said, "Once you make the decision to spend money on something you better enjoy it. If you don't find joy in what you decide to do then the money is wasted."

"Hello..." I answered back (to myself). Of course, it's about the joy. Life is all about living, loving, experiencing and finding joy {in a responsible manner of course :) }

So when Rick and I went away for our anniversary over the weekend and dined at a yummy restaurant where we may have ordered 3 different appetizers (we just had to try all of them) and some fabulous entrées (that came with bread and salad mind you) and I became very full midway through my fabulous entrée and began to attempt to finish all of it... because that's what you do when you spend a lot of money on an entrée at a restaurant (and can't take it home because you're not going home) you force yourself to finish it so you don't waste your money or your food... I suddenly stopped eating and said, "Wait a minute. This isn't about the food, it's about the joy."

We had gone out to that restaurant that night--deciding to spend a chunk of our hard earned change--to be alone together and to ENJOY one another and when I realized that I had accomplished that objective, the guilt for not "finishing my plate" or "getting the full value" was gone. I had spent my money on joy and my joy (along with my belly) was full.

So I set down my fork, sat back in my seat, and enjoyed the rest of my evening with my amazing husband (and no stomach ache).

Fabulous.

What a wonderful lesson learned.

He's a keeper...

Writer's Workshop Prompt:

Husbands. A post that hopefully will not get you in trouble.

Today we celebrate 21 years together.
*
Guess he must be doing something right.

Desperate in the bedroom...

I stayed up late watching "In the Bedroom with Dr Laura Ber-something or other" last night on the OWN network (Oprah's new gig). Why? Because it sucked me in when I had finished watching "Searching for..." (a show about finding lost loved ones. I'm a sucker for that stuff) and I couldn't stop watching it even though it's a show about a couple's dysfunctional love life in the bedroom. Hence the name. Why I felt the need to stay up late watching a show about a couple's dysfunctional love life is beyond me. But I did it anyway.

But this post isn't about that exactly. What it's about is something that was said on that show about the bedroom in general. The couple said they felt depressed every time they came into their bedroom and Dr Laura said that made her sad when couples say that.

Then I thought--well I feel depressed every time I come into my bedroom too Dr. Laura.
Only my depression has nothing to do with my love life so I'm guessing she probably wouldn't care.

What I suffer from is a bad case of decor depression. It's a well known fact (because sometimes I'm a whiner baby) that I hate my bedroom. Hate it. It's a terrible layout so the furniture only fits in one way (and I happen to hate the one way it fits in) and it's dark, gloomy, depressing and sad. So what do you think of that Dr. Laura?

I need a bedroom makeover. But I'm not really sure what I want. Part of me likes the idea of a simple, minimalist room with not much going on and lots of empty floor space (of course my room's too small for lots of empty floor space but whatever).







But a different part of me likes a room where my eyes can flit around like a happy little bird with several textures and colors to land on.




(I know this isn't a bedroom, but just look at all of those textures and colors. joy.)

So here I find myself, decor depressed and desperate (okay so maybe not desperate but still).

Maybe I should call out a favor from that storage unit guy I sleep with and put all but my mattress in storage, start with a clean pallet and see what I come up with.

And call me crazy, but that pink is really speaking to me. I wonder if that storage unit guy would still sleep with me in a pink bedroom. Hmm...

Yep, I've caught it...

Being that it's Valentine's Day I feel it only fitting that I use this time to introduce you to my new love.

You see our relationship started out as a joke. I'd scream, "I love you Justin Bieber!" (mostly because his name is so fun to say) and beg my children to buy his T-shirts or posters for me on all major holidays. They never did.

To be honest I didn't really even know who the boy was. I knew he was some little kid that little girls (and some older girls) went gah-gah over but I had never heard one of his songs.

Until...

Saturday night I took my youngest three chickens to see his new movie and-- I'm not too proud to admit that-- we HAD A GREAT TIME. And I'm also not too proud to admit that I kinda like that Justin kid.

His tunes are kinda catchy (in an innocent little kid kind of way) and perfect for sharing with my little ones. Being a mom is so fun and there is nothing better than seeing little faces light up when they think you love the same things they love. It's seriously one of the great joys of motherhood that no one tells you about.

So now Jamie and I have been struck with Bieber Fever. Yeah, we got it bad. And I'm having the time of my life sharing that with her.

Ain't love grand...

p.s.
the movie also had some powerful messages in it about stick-to-itiveness and creating the life that you want. I may have even had a few epiphanies while watching it. But then I'm always having epiphanies so what do I know.

p.p.s.
Marlee says, "So Mom do you say you love Wolverine just so you can see my face light up?"
Uh, no Marlee... No, yummy, heck no!



p.p.p.s.
In honor of Valentine's Day, there's a picture of me with someone I love posted over on Busy Bee Lauren's Blog HERE
If you are a reader of my blog you will recognize the picture, if not--well you probably won't.
Anyhoo, go check it out and tell me if you find it and then tell me how glad you are that I sent you to BBL's blog because I'm telling you that girl makes me smile. She's just so cute.

chugga, chugga, choo, choo...

I've been really lazy about taking...loading...printing pictures lately. My poor dear son serving far away in South Carolina asks frequently for us to please send photos but I don't do it because I'm being lazy and terribly rude. Poor kid.

Anyway, I think it's easier to stay in the blogging spirit when one stays in the picture taking spirit-- therefore the condition of my blog has been blah as of late. It's sad really and I'm sorry. well kinda.

But what hasn't been blah as of late is my overall spirit in general. This is a time for amazing growth in my life. I'm pushing myself beyond anything I have done before and let me tell you it can be super scary at times, like "I think I'd rather crawl under a rock and throw up" kind of scary but that's okay. There's been an awakening in my soul. I've thought of the phrase, "best life by design" over and over again and realized, "Yes, this is my life to design and I can do it."

Because the difference between those who create success in their lives and those who don't is not based on who's the stronger or the braver (because believe me I'm shakin' in my boots) It's simply based on who is going to keep pushing through even when they don't particularly want to-- because it's SCARY (or hard, or whatever).

But now I'm just rambling so let me get to the point of this post, which is my new theme for this year.

My new theme for this year is... "Oh, Yes I Can"

that's right.

I say it to myself every time I want to crawl under a rock or throw up from pushing myself beyond my comfort zones.

After all, I'm the one who put up those comfort zones in the first place so it stands to reason that I have the power to knock them down. So I think I will

because I know I can.

Oh yes,

I can.

Letting the love in...

(this is an old picture. note my dark hair. and now the broken fragments of this fabulous mug
that I LOVED reside in a landfill somewhere far away. sadness)

Once upon a time when I lived in Idaho during the bitter, bitter winter months--my roommates and I would drink peppermint herbal tea by the gallon (remember those GINORMOUS insulated mugs from Maverick?) and we loved it. It was the perfect ritual to warm our bones and unwind after a long day of study (ha, did I say study...).

I was reminded of this favorite ritual of days gone by when I visited one of my favorite sites, Best Life by Design: HeatherMadder.com, this morning and watched THIS MESSAGE.

Something came alive in me when I read Heather's words, "Because if you are not going to allow the things in your life that you love who else will?"

"HELLO..." I said to myself,

then made a cup of peppermint tea.

Fabulous.

p.s. you need to watch THIS MESSAGE from Heather too. So good.