Month: December 2012

  • If It Makes You Happy…

    I read this quote on Pinterest months ago.

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    I have literally been rolling this around in my head for months.  Trying to decide if I think this is a true statement.  (It also reminds me a Sheryl Crow song, but that might be beside the point.  You know the one? “If it makes you happy, It can’t be that baaa-aaa-aaddd”. There is also a line in that song that has always puzzled me. It goes like this “Put on a poncho, played for misquitoes, and drank till I was thirsty again”.)

    I get the part about doing things that make you feel happy. Alive. Things that are fun for you and bring you calm and joy. 

    But doesn’t it seem really self-centered? What about doing more of what you know will make others happy? Isn’t that where true happiness comes from?

    Could be that I am over-thinking it!   But hey, that makes me happy, so its all good!

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    Jeremy and I had an awesome 25 hours together this past weekend.  I think Sunday may have gone down in the history of “The Jeremy & Audrey marriage” as the day when we did the most NOTHING we had ever done in a day.  My sister and her husband had the kids on Saturday from about 2 PM on and we picked them up on Sunday about 4 PM. 

    We slept in Sunday morning. We made and ate some breakfast.  We watched some “Duck Dynasty.” We hung out on the couch doing not much of anything.  We crawled back into bed.  I made some whoopie pies that turned out awesome.  We just hung out in the house ALL day until it was time to go get the kids.  It was so much fun!

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    We also went out for dinner on Saturday evening. I choose the restaurant that I wanted to go to based on the fact that I was super hungry for some perfectly steamed vegetables.  Yeah, not the normal criteria for choosing a restaurant.

    Who cares about atmosphere or price or entrees…all I was after was some perfectly steamed broccoli.  And guess what?  I got it!  It made me much happier than broccoli should ever make someone.

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    And while we’re talking about food…I found a new favorite meal at our local coffee shop.  The veggie quesadilla.  It comes with the soup of the day and chips and a mint and it was totally ah-mazing!!  I will definitely be back for that.  It was one of those times I was super happy that I branched out from my norm.

    Most times, venturing away from my favorite meal at a particular place ends in disappointment.  But for once, my sense of adventure got me somewhere good.

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    Sorry. Still not done with the food theme.

    Yesterday I made cake balls for the first time.  Doesn’t that just have such a nice ring to it?  Cake balls. Say it once more.

    Seriously? I know they are shaped like balls and they have cake in them, but how about calling them “Heavenly Bites” or “Cake Poppers” or even something random like “Melties”.

    I feel like almost ANY other name would be an improvement.

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    These verses have been my theme lately. 

    (Philippians 4: 6 – 9)

    Do not be anxious about anything,I)’> And the peace of God,K)’> will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.M)’> will be with you.

    I have been reading them every morning.  God knows I need this right now.

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    Jeremy and I talk about this statement sometimes.

    “The right thing is seldom the easy thing.”

    I just hate it when it applies to my life and makes things harder for me!  

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    Our middle child, who is in 2nd grade and is struggling with reading, stayed up until 12:37 AM on a school night to finish a book we had gotten at the library that day.

    Apparently, part of the problem has been that I have not gotten him the right book.  Once he is interested, the reading problem seemed to largely disappear.  Now I am on the hunt for more books like the one from the library.

    Side note: I did tell him that staying up past mid-night on a school night was NOT going to be allowed. And then I bought him a clock for his own room so there would be no excuses.

    But dang! I was proud of him for reading that book!

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    Counseling is going good. I am learning some things about myself.  Enlightening things. 

    But it is not easy.  I think maybe I need a “live-in” counsellor for a month or two.

    Wait!  Maybe I already have that?  The Holy Spirit.   I keep reminding myself “I CAN do all things THROUGH Christ, who gives me strength!!”

    Between me and Jesus and the counsellor and the Holy Spirit…I feel hopeful that progress will be made in my heart and life.  Aside from me being in there, it just might be the “dream team”!

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    Everyone has blind spots in their lives.  E.v.e.r.y.o.n.e.   The more I am around people, the more I am reminded of this.

    Being the analytical person that I am, I naturally pick out contradictions between what people say and what they do. Or between what they say one time and what they say another time.

    I am sure those who around me notice my blind spots too!  I think sometimes God allows us to have blind spots because we are just small humans and we can only work on so many things at a time.  Once we get one problem addressed, then He will show us the next one we need to work on. I like to think of it as mercy.

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    This is the week of Christmas programs.  Three of them, to be exact. All on different days.

    Oh, joy!!  Nothing like sitting in a crowded, stuffy room peering from a distance and trying to pick your child out in the crowd. 

    Yeah. Really puts me in the holiday spirit.

    Maybe I shouldn’t have written that. I sound like a hater.  I really am not Scrooge.

    Shelf Elf can testify to that!

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    I will leave you with something that I think is funny.

    It fits all of my criteria to score high on the “funny-ness factor scale”.

    1) Slightly inappropriate.

    2) Could offend some people.

    3) HILARIOUS!

    4) It makes me happy!


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  • Thankful Thursday

    Because, more often than not, you need to decide to “act (or write)  your way to better feeling”. 

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    – A heater under my desk at work so I don’t have to be cold.

    – The library. We stopped there yesterday after school and left with about 20 books. For free. They did say we have to bring them back. Dang!

    – No snow.  It made my run/walk so much easier yesterday.  Have you ever tried running on packed snow?  Well, don’t.

    – Truth. In whatever forms it comes to me.

    – Duck Dynasty.  You can’t not laugh.  I wonder if having a big beard somehow sharpens your sense of humor? Don’t worry. I’m not going to try it.

    – Coffee creamer. Without it, I would not be drinking the rest of what is in the mug.

    – Silence.  I had some of it yesterday morning and it left me wanting more.

    – Grey skies.  Because then sunshine seems that much sweeter.

    – Friendships where grace is present. 

    – New ideas.

    – The “Elf on the Shelf” — He has been bringing a lot of fun to our house. Last night he got into my jewelry and was even wearing my silver hoop earrings. I had no idea he was a cross dresser.

    – Warm clothing. And plenty of it!

    – The soft glow that the Christmas tree casts over our living room at night = peacefulness.

    – That I am not a problem to be solved. Even though a lot of my life it feels like I am. And…that I am not the labels that people place upon me or the boxes they try to put me in.

    – Broccoli.  WITH cheese sauce.

    – Cashews.  They are yummy and healthy. And, like my friend told me recently… “No one ever got fat from eating nuts.”

    – A husband who still not only puts up with me, but seems to like me.  Even after 14+ years.

    – Bright colors.  They are cheerful.

    – My hands.  No, seriously. Think about life with no hands.

    – Printable lunchbox notes for my kiddos. I hope it brightened their day.

    – Forgiveness.  Hope.  Peace.  Mercy.  Second chances. Those are some big ones.

    – People who aren’t afraid to let their imperfections show. We’re all broken.

    – We’re all healthy again. After flu and whooping cough. Feels awesome.

    – Smooth writing pens.  Small happiness.


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